Monday, 1 June 2026

 I call into phone in radio, finding ways to segue from current affairs topics into points about God. PLEASE try it yourself
Also, don't let argumentative atheists take up your time online. If you can make a comment that points people towards God then do, but if people try to argue with what you've written it's usually best to not reply, these debates can take up so, so much time. Remember Jesus mostly asked questions that nudged people to think, He didn't argue back and forth as we can end up doing.  
Wouldn't that just show your stance is weak and can't hold up to scrutiny  
They already think that. What not replying (nor reacting) actually shows is that one has more to one's life than reading strangers' arguments. If you reply, they'll argue further, and you'll have to reply again (this time they'll know that you've been reading their comments, so there's a greater likelihood they'll interpret a non reply as not having an answer as they would have if you'd avoided reacting/replying in the first place). They'll become increasingly stubborn and unwilling to listen, even if your points are actually good.  
It absolutely doesn't show that. It does show the criticism is more valid though. That the person can even answer back.    "They'll become increasingly stubborn and unwilling to listen, even if your points are actually good" But maybe they aren't actually good. I don't think you're considering that. And you not responding to show they are good points just shows onlookers how bad your points actually are.
"It does show the criticism is more valid though. That the person can even answer back." no it doesn't, that they answer back doesn't prove that they're making a valid point.
"But maybe" hypothesising, lacking an actual point, in an attempt to argue just demonstrates what I was saying - people online waste time in pointless debates.
  
 
He DID have racist views. However, graffiti isn't going to help anyone, what's needed is to address injustices in our world (and at a Global level, folk with the most melanin are, the most oppressed) which can be tackled NOW 
 
 
The selfishness demonstrated in so many responses to Covid have been frustrating to observe, and plenty of people seem to have been left immune to reasonable respect for scientific guidance. We have the immense privilege of healthcare that most of humanity could only  dream of (though we can fund healthcare for the world's very most disadvantaged people amazingly cost effectively), yet rather than having gratitude and exercising compassion for those in our own country who would be most endangered by a future outbreak, many people express that they'd resist future restrictions and vaccines. 
 
 
666 
The Bible sometimes uses imagery and references that would have conveyed meaning to the original listeners - just as certain idioms and cultural in-jokes can for us now - but which aren't wholly clear when translated into our present language and setting. Anxiety about the number 666 is misplaced and misses the fundamental point of Jesus' message 
 
 
Indeed the concept of "Britishness" is nebulous. As historians such as Tom Holland attest, the "British values" vaunted by politicians are derived in no small part from Christianity - as even Reform keenly admits - but Christianity itself migrated here. Yesterday we marked Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to people of differing ethnicities. I suspect that those Brits most resentful of folk from elsewhere might wish to avoid self reflection by imagining that our Britishness renders us morally superior - in reality we are privileged to be born into a culture with certain values, but we are rapidly abandoning them by prioritising greed over love of neighbour.
 
 
Food price caps
I'm horrified by increasing food costs, but Reeves is a ridiculous hypocrite. If she cared about people accessing food, she wouldn't have  cut Aid to people in our world who are literally starving (food Aid for the world's poorest people is amazingly cost effective compared to costs here, yet she chose to reduce it dramatically, for human beings who have no food banks or welfare state). Actual governance  would be addressing profiteering by supermarkets directly, and reducing the nation's food waste. 
 
 
An important article in May's edition evaluates the "Revival", or lack thereof.
May I urge others to utilise the opportunity of phone-in radio? It's become easier to segue into discussing God - I've found that hostility has declined, which to me is seemingly a sign of the "Quiet Revival" trajectory.
I see that the lauded pollster Prof John Curtice has now joined the chorus decrying the notion of the Quiet Revival, on the basis of the British Social Attitudes survey RE Church attendance - yet we know that relationships with God are more complex than this. God implores us to press on and to rely on Him, rather than either to rest on our laurels or despair. 
 
 
It's demonstrative of the nominalism that's so ubiquitous in recent history. I've only seen the phrase used by folk who are new to or unfamiliar with Christianity and who are perplexed by those of us for whom it's central to life. We shouldn't withdraw from culture, but Jesus (note, not traditions or rituals, valuable as these can be) is most important as we live within it.
Labels (ie "full fat") aren't what matter - but we need to make clear that merely culturally identifying with what feels familiar is not Christianity. There are people who indicate (particularly as culture wars heighten) that they're under the misapprehension they're congenitally Christian (ie by dint of birth), and they need to know that they're actually missing out on the greatest thing.
Discussion of Christianity in media, even if somewhat ignorant, should mitigate our inhibitions in sharing The Gospel.
 
 
The Golden Trump statue is yet more evidence, should it be needed (which I don't believe it is), that Trump is not the champion of Christianity he claims to be.  Only cursory knowledge of the Bible is requisite to know that God disdains such idolatry. Were his behaviour and rhetoric - which are antithetical to Christ's teachings - inconclusive, he is proving his opposition to God yet more comprehensively.  As such he emulates Communist dictators not only in his fondness for garish statues  
 
 
When Trumpwas chastised for his messianic AI image, risibly he claimed he was portrayed not as Jesus but as a doctor due to his support for The Red Cross. In reality, Trump's wholly unChristlike termination of USAID projects has fuelled the spread of Ebola, which has now killed Red Cross workers. International Aid can be many times as cost effective as health interventions in the West - yet our government too has axed fundamental medical programmes. Traditional burial customs have, for some individuals, been a factor facilitating Ebola's spread - our politicians' disregard for humanity's most disadvantaged is arguably more tribal, primitive and irrational. 
 
 
(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)
God blesses those who are humble (Matt 5:5) 
Humility is something particularly disregarded in our culture - Christian values such as compassion and honestly are mostly still seen as good (though often not held to), but humility's reverse is celebrated more than humility is.
One public figure who associates with Christianity seems to me not to be Christian first and foremost because of their extreme pride/arrogance - anyone who's truly recognised that Jesus has died for our sin couldn't display these antitheses of humility constantly.
 
 
(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)
Nope, nothing in the Bible indicates this happens. And why would they? They don't have a relationship with God as we do.
Obviously we read that the lion will lie down with the lamb, so there may be some animals, but not the specific individual pets we have now.
animals did not fall in sin as we did. They remained in the garden and are there anyway. We needed a savior because we fell into sin, which is to eat of the tree of knowledge (the law which leads to death) animals do not need saving from that becaause they never ate that fruit. 
They didn't fall? They weren't morally comparable to us to begin with. And they do kill each other, they're mostly selfish, so I don't know why some people here think they're somehow righteous.  
the righteousness of God is in Jesus Christ, in faith, love and trust, not in laws and works. We are made in his likeness. Animals including all of creation are yearning for mankind to turn back to God and do what we are supposed to do. That doesn't mean they are not part of the new Heaven and new Earth. 
Again, HUMANS are made in His likeness. HUMANS are offered His righteousness. Animals do not have souls as we do, nothing in scripture says that individual specific animals will *go* to Heaven (as much as the new creation may include some other animals) 
 
 
Creativity - by scientists employed by Musk, not Musk himself - with what God has made is not equivalent to God's creation of electricity, the human brain and its composite cellular structures, and more, from nothing. Nor is it equivalent to Jesus' miraculous acts at a word.
And the ultimate miracle is Jesus' victory over our sin, not physical healing.
Jesus taught us to help the poor - Musk could easily end world hunger but chooses not to*. Jesus broke down racial barriers - plainly, Musk is stoking racial enmity. Jesus modelled ultimate humility, and anyone who's truly seeking Him will be humbled by the knowledge of our sin and of what Jesus has done for us - contrastingly Musk is plainly lacking humility.
*(As an aside, most of us could help at least a few of the world's very most impoverished people even though we don't have what Musk does)
 
 
Shoplifting is indeed a spiritual issue. But the idolatry of the high-street isn't a good thing, it doesn't need "saving" simply for the sake of hanging on to tradition of rows of shops. Politicians etc fawning over it seem to think that our culture's norm of shopping as recreation is a good thing - it isn't. Part of the attraction is that people see other people - but we know that there are, in reality, better options for *congregating*.
 
 
They aren't censored, they can speak and post, they just can't come here to do it. 
which is pretty fucked up 
Why? By what moral authority are people entitled to go wherever they like when they have no need to? I've not been abroad in 20 years, it's not necessary for living. Doesn't America restrict entry? 
 
 
Human lust/greed and our media (because of the greed of media producers who know that sex sells, esp when things are unconventional) are leading more people towards this, and it will hurt those people and their children in the long run. The law should protect people from forces that harm them, not facilitate/encourage harm.
 
 
If Rachel Reeves is concerned about people having food, she shouldn't have cut Aid to those in our world who are far poorer than folk here (and feeding the world's poorest people is amazingly cost-effective) 
 
 
Ultimately, it was folk recognising the dignity of all humans as created by God that precipitated the abolition movement
The Bibles which were given to enslaved people had chunks cut out, since ultimately scripture shows that slavery is wrong.
 
 
We're Westerners, we're wealthy as compared to much of humanity and we should be grateful (and generous to the world's poorest), not wasting money of trends. 
 
 
Absolutely. But additionally, actually following Jesus means recognising and repenting of our own sin - obsessing over others' wrongdoing and pretending that they're inherently less civilised whilst imagining that we (Westerners) are more righteous by dint of birth means ignoring The Gospel.
Christianity exists because Christ died and rose to offer us forgiveness/salvation - not to instigate culture wars.
 
  
"Christian nationalism" is an oxymoron. Genuinely seeking to follow Christ will lead someone to be humble, and recognise that the problem in our world is sin - including our own - the problem in our world is not simply a foreign force as nationalists imagine. We have gratitude and awe that Christ died to redeem the sinfulness within us - not pride in our identity as though our nationality grants us some righteousness. 
Also, nationalism is idolatry; and Jesus commanded us to love folk from elsewhere in the parable of The Good Samaritan. He also repeatedly argued with "religious" folk who He pointed out were not actually committed to God and who instead misappropriated religious institutions to attain dominance over others (or wealth). And scripture rebukes those who boasted of their heritage (Matthew 3:9)
Of course, the phenomenon still provides us opportunities to talk about what real Christianity is.
 
 
Pentecost is about the Holy Spirit coming to folk of all ethnicities, you should keep that in mind. 
 
 
My Autism and ADHD haven't caused me to have serious issues within my Church (aside from despairing over my difficulty with concentrating, the awkwardness of being useless in social situations, etc) - and I'm so blessed to have had this friendly community in my life given my lacking the friendships/networks normal people have.
But our Christian culture more widely is very focussed on simply reiterating that God loves us - this is obviously true and endlessly awesome, but if one inherently lacks a sense of another person's feelings (the other person being God) it doesn't, as a slogan in itself at least, necessarily penetrate.
I don't have a good answer for this, as, again, it is indeed true that God loves us and this is fundamentally important and amazing. I guess I'm simply often struck by how our Christian culture can seem out of touch with those of us whose brains work differently. I think, for instance, that we should talk a tad more about the science that gives us confidence in the awesome reality of God's existence, in contrast to the recurrent emphasis on emotion and self esteem.
 
 
I love that the BBC (one BBC1) broadcast a service for Pentecost yesterday morning (as they did last year)
It's on iPlayer too, obviously.
People often talk about wanting to be represented on screen - I understand that this sometimes refers to racial diversity, which is something I have the privilege of not having had to worry about (ie I've never not seen people of my pigmentation on screen), so I don't wish to disregard the importance of that, but there's something about seeing this service that made me feel like the most important thing I identify with was on TV (which is not a feeling I ever have otherwise). Of course, my feelings are wholly irrelevant - what's actually thrilling is that some individuals who don't yet know Jesus might have heard about Him today. (it's also so, so refreshing to see the racial diversity of the Church having heard so much divisive political nonsense recently)
Thanks Grace. Yes I worry sometimes amidst all of the criticism of the bbc (some of it justified) people completely forget how much it still goes. A live televised service for Pentecost, Easter, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and 51 eps of songs of praise every year. None of which is in any way cheap tv. Plus all the marvellous religion content on radio. I can’t see any other broadcaster doing the same. Look how quickly ITV dropped highway / my favourite hymn when it was no longer obliged to do it! 
Quickly enough that I hadn't heard of those (but that's probably in part my ignorance and lack of ITV consumption).
There are indeed some things about the BBC that are of concern, but that doesn't mean that we should eschew it as a whole - and I worry that the impulse to do so springs from the instinct to imagine that Christianity means a battle by ourselves against the world (rather than Jesus' victory over our sin), Pharisaically supposing that disdaining the mainstream renders us somehow more Holy. IMO we ought, instead, to use wisdom to discern which content to avoid, continually asking seeking God's guidance and His help in engaging our culture.
 
 
That teens are led to believe sex is a "rite of passage" is one of the very most destructive phenomena in our culture. 
 
 
(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)
I have a couple friends who are still witches & like I have tried to tell them multiple times about Jesus & how witchcraft is wrong etc since my conversion to Christianity but it’s like they are being used to wear me down  
They may be more receptive at some time in the future. Right now they feel compelled to challenge you/be defensive - that stubbornness may fade with time apart.
In the meantime, massive yay RE your own conversion Some time away from them means more time for you to study scripture or engage with other Christians. You might even discover some things which could help you if you ever have similar conversations in future.
  
 
(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)
May I know if anyone know of a community and can be globally... a community with Christ as their centre... home educating the children, living on a piece of land together, rural. Ideally somewhere very beautiful but in own homes, but sharing the tasks of growing food together, non vax by majority, lots of music, home church, home educate, home grown.... ringing any bells? I feel so curious to visit...
I currently live in a community with all I say above, but its not christ centered and I'm so desiring that..I'd be willing to move country
The closest thing that comes to mind is the Bruderhof - though as Star wrote, Jesus tells us to share The Gospel, we shouldn't distance ourselves from society given that people in society need to hear about Him. By contrast, we should cut ourselves off from alternative spirituality and from sin - it's those, not vaccines etc which are dangerous.
You should check out Elizabeth Oldfild - she's a Christian writer and podcaster who lives in a mini commune, but not away from society.
God doesn't need you to worry about things like vaccines. He wants to use you to make Him known
Isn't there a problem with potential vaccine damage?  
No. Vaccines are put through extensive trials to ensure safety. The few incidents one hears about whereby people have side effects are vastly outweighed by the risks of the respective diseases themselves. 
 
 
How could we feel jealous? That we know God and are offered salvation is such an overwhelmingly, indescribably awesome blessing. And most people around us do not yet know Him - so our focus should be on sharing The Gospel with them, not demanding supernatural experiences for ourselves as though what we've already been given isn't the greatest thing anyone could ask for. 
 
 
The Guardian is supposed to be about news with some degree of social consciousness - why are you supporting consumerism (which is wrecking our planet)? People should buy the clothes we actually need, not pointlessly purchasing for the sake of trends as instructed by media. Why not instead write about clothing supply chains and pressure brands to teat labourers better? 
 
 
We like to presume that God's words about His chosen people are applicable to us, but we neglect the Scripture in which God chastises His people for disregarding Him. Repeatedly in the Old Testament God is angry with His people both for worshipping other things and for failing to act with compassion and justice. In the New Testament John the Baptist rebukes people harshly for being proud of their heritage "Do not say, 'we have Abraham as our father'", and Jesus males clear that what matters is that we personally, genuinely, repent and follow Him. Contrary to Stephen Yaxley Lennon's comments about our nation's "destiny" and "soul", in fact our destinies and souls are determined by whether we turn to Him.
Why did the 2nd guest say we should be "proud"? The Bible warns against pride. Our nation does have better values than many others - and this is a privilege for us, we are blessed to have been born here, we are in no way inherently better as British people and in reality most Brits are abandoning the Christian shaped values we've been fortunate enough to be born surrounded by - not because of migration whatsoever but because people aren't humbly seeking God.
 
 
Surely the reason so many Punjabis have come to Britain (which I'm not complaining about at all) is that some British people went and behaved as actual barbarians in Punjab? 
 
 
It doesn't make sense to ban *conversations* (as opposed to mistreatment) that the young person chooses to seek, but they absolutely mustn't be lied to or made to feel in any way damaged/inferior.
However, FTR, Christianity is actually about Christ.
Christianity is the pinnacle of making people feel damaged and inferior. People are all born sinful and imperfect. We’ll always be less than, but we need to strive to be perfect like Jesus, but we never will be. That’s literally the whole religion. 
Yikes no, that's not the message at all, who told you that?
It's evident that we're all imperfect. But because of Jesus we're offered salvation, it's not about striving.
 
 
Yet again Trump is demonstrating how he's the opposite of Christianity. Everyone knows that creating a gold statue to worship - and Trump does want to be, and get, worshipped by his fans - enrages God. 
 
 
I'm afraid he really should just stop speaking. He should take time out to reflect and focus on what Jesus sould have him say, rather than continually praising Trump. 
 
 
Politicians implore us to vote for what might be best for our own interests - Jesus commands us to live self sacrificially and put others first.
I'm furious with our government's cuts to Aid to the most disadvantaged people in our world (for whom each £ can make many times the impact of spending here), and it's demonstrative of the continuing erosion of Christian principles in our society.
 
 
There are enough clothes in the world, why not choose 2nd hand or ethically made? Cheap clothes being bought and replaced constantly has become normalised but is a huge problem.