Tag: christians

Children, asylum seekers, detention and torture
(December 3, 2014)

Here I go again – writing another blog post on Australia’s treatment of asylum-seekers. What can I say that I haven’t said already? Why bother? And yet, the situation keeps getting worse and Australia’s reaction keeps getting more and more callous.

An orgy of writing about myself
(November 27, 2014)

I’ve just added two pages telling a little of my own story from two different perspectives. People who read this blog may want to know where I’m coming from, and experts say that people find a website more trustworthy if they can see a photo of the writer and know a little of their story. […]

Unintended consequences of employing church staff
(November 17, 2014)

Most churches in first world countries employ staff these days. Small churches may have just a Minister or Pastor, but larger churches commonly have several pastors, an office secretary and a youth minister, and perhaps other staff as well. It is an obvious step and perhaps the only way to get things done, especially when […]

Should we believe in Jesus because we believe in the Bible, or the other way around?
(November 6, 2014)

Have you ever thought which came first – your belief in Jesus or your belief in the Bible? Do you think it matters?

Book review: God doesn't do waste
(October 30, 2014)

How important should it be for christians to care for God’s world? Are ‘spiritual’ things more important? Does caring for the earth get in the way of christian ministry? This book offers some useful insights.

Evangelism in the twenty-first century 1 – the past
(October 13, 2014)

The church I attend has embarked on a strategy of growth by trying to retain more visitors – either those attending weddings and funerals, or people members have invited to attend a church service. The services have been “streamlined”, visitors are welcomed in a systematic way, and the public spaces in the church building have […]

Christians and climate change: don't be fooled again!
(October 3, 2014)

Studies show that christians in the US and Australia are more likely than average to be sceptical about climate change. It appears that they think the scientific consensus is split between those who believe human-induced climate change is a major threat and those who think we just don’t know, and many suspect the scientists have […]

Becoming more like Jesus than like the Pharisees
(September 15, 2014)

In a recent post I discussed a 2013 survey which suggested that more US christians behaved like Pharisees than behaved like Jesus. And I had to admit I didn’t score as well myself as I’d have liked 1. So what needs to change?

Christians, non-violence and the Middle East – more food for thought
(September 12, 2014)

I posted a while back on this topic. I have just come across an excellent article on the same topic.

Test yourself: are you more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees?
(September 4, 2014)

It was done more than a year ago but I’ve only just seen it – a survey by the Barna Group about whether US christians more resembled Jesus or Pharisees. Like Hans Solo said: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” [Note: A reader has pointed out that using Pharisees as a point of comparison […]