I'm a MennoNerd!
(April 23, 2014)I’ve been a sort of dissident christian for a long time. I believe most of the basic doctrines of the christian faith and I hang out with other christians and do christian stuff. But I don’t fully belong.
Tag: christians
Easter Saturday prayer vigil for refugees
(April 20, 2014)9 of 12 members of our church who attended the vigil. I have blogged before on the plight of refugees from war-torn or unstable countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Iran arriving in Australian waters by boat and Australia’s somewhat callous attitude to them – see links below this post. Australia outsources some of […]
The Old Testament: an update on a journey (part 1)
(April 1, 2014)This post is very much a personal reflection about a journey I am still on. For years I didn’t think much about the Old Testament. I read it sometimes, looked up passages occasionally, appreciated Isaiah and Ezekiel. But I didn’t really spend much time considering what I thought about it. After all, I am a […]
A christian response to refugees seeking asylum
(March 11, 2014)Two posts back I wrote about my feelings of shame regarding Australia’s treatment of refugees seeking asylum who try to reach Australia by boat. But what is a ‘right’ christian response? Is there any ‘right’ response?
If you don't laugh, you cry!
(March 4, 2014)While we are on the subject of Australia’s attitude to refugees arriving by boat, here is a telling sketch by Aussie satirists John Clarke and Bryan Dawe. (Actually John comes from New Zealand, but works in Australia.) For those not familiar with Aussie politics, the sketch presents hardline Australian Government Minister for Immigration, Scott Morrison, […]
Refugee mistreatment makes me sick at heart
(February 27, 2014)These are difficult times. For many in our world, the difficulty is surviving poverty, or escaping from a murderous regime. I live in Australia. I don’t live in poverty, and while our government has some very bad features, it isn’t a direct threat to my life. For me, some of the difficult issues are ethical. […]
Christians, prejudice and love for 'enemies': living in the opposite spirit
(January 16, 2014)Last post I looked at how some studies show that many christians are prejudiced towards groups such as gays, atheists and Muslims, and are less likely than other people to show love to members of these groups. How can we start to bring about change?
Christians, prejudice and love for 'enemies'
(January 9, 2014)Jesus told his followers, quite definitely, to love their enemies, and warned them against hatred. Yet today, the public image of christians is somewhat tarnished – some christians are seen to be loving and caring, but others are seen to be prejudiced and intolerant, especially towards groups like gays and Muslims. What is the evidence […]
Wealth, poverty, inequality …. and Jesus
(December 13, 2013)Try this brief quiz (if you haven’t seen my other blog): Which country is the richest in the world in terms of median wealth? Which countries come close? Which countries have the greatest and least disparity between the rich and the rest? In the richest country, what percentage of people live in poverty? Have a […]
God and disasters
(November 21, 2013)I originally wrote this post shortly after bushfires near Sydney destroyed 200 homes and took 2 lives. But since then, Typhoon Haiyan has caused much havoc, hardship and loss of life in the Philippines, totally dwarfing the bushfires. But whether it is the fires or the typhoon, their ferocity and the apparent randomness of the […]