Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks in the Commons about what support the govt will give to help with the cost of living 

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) 

 

 

Pope Leo XIV made a historic apology on Monday for the role the Holy See played in legitimizing slavery 

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.

 

 

Chanel's new shoes - you'll be glad that you're poor 

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. 

 

 

A powerful message to those attending yesterday’s “Unite the Kingdom” march from Brother Vaughan, a Franciscan friar

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.

 

 

Turning Point UK - French Christians march en masse for the Pentecost pilgrimage!

Pentecost is about the Holy Spirit coming to folk of all ethnicities, you should keep that in mind. 

 

 

Premier Christian Radio - Are we doing better at neurodiversity in the Church? 

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)

 

 

(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. 

 

 

Premier Christian Radio - If you see others seeming to hear from or encounter God more, is it okay to feel jealous?

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. 

 

 

Whether it’s sandals comfy enough for walking, linen trousers or timeless sunnies, the secret to great summer style is....

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? 

 

 

Premier Christian Radio - This Saturday, thousands are expected to march through London for the latest Unite the Kingdom rally. 

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.

 

 

Ben Habib describes immigrants from Punjab as “barbarians”, only to be reminded that his own father came from Punjab 

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? 

 

 

Two Christian counsellors are challenging Wisconsin’s ban on conversion therapy 

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.

 

 

Trump Gold Statue

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. 

 

 

Franklin Graham admits he “misspoke” after telling the crowd to “do everything” to get President Trump reelected 

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. 

 

 

Premier Christian Radio - How do we make a godly decision on who to vote for? Is character or policy most important?

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.

 

 

"I found that shopping for clothing at Costco can be surprisingly fruitful," 

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. 

 

 

Antisemitism is not just disastrous for Jews 

Even if one imagines assertions present antisemitism will metastasise into societal collapse  to be committing the Slippery Slope fallacy, we are evidently witnessing the erosion from our society of the aspiration towards loving thy neighbour - a principle which we owe to Jewish teaching, expounded by a Jewish man who lived 2000 years ago.  He also taught that each person should repent, and offered to take the punishment our wrongdoing has accrued - contrastingly, antisemites imagine that human wrongdoing is the preserve of folk other than themselves, and that they attain righteousness by weighing it all upon the Jewish population as a whole.

 

 

The Church of England should be more pragmatic and less zealous 

First and foremost, The Church is the collection of followers of Christ, not buildings. God calls us to care for the poor - and since some of the world's poorest people are suffering due to climate change, it is right that Churches pursue strategies to mitigate it and to set an example. Funds should not, however, be expended within the UK on business initiatives in the name of "slavery reparations" - the indescribable evil of historical enslavement cannot be repaired; and contrary to alternate religions, we are not spiritually connected to our ancestors. These funds should rather be used to address present day slavery, and the most severe poverty within formerly colonised nations.

 

 

“Gaza: Doctors Under Attack” won a BAFTA ...The BBC increasingly looks unfit for the role it claims to serve.

It's given far more coverage to the suffering in Gaza than to other crises in our world (such as Sudan, in which many more people are enduring horrors), why are you not seeking to raise awareness of those? 

This tired argument appears every single time Gaza is discussed.

Raising awareness about one humanitarian catastrophe does not somehow prevent people caring about another. The suffering in Sudan is horrific and deserves far more coverage too. The same applies to Congo, Yemen and many other crises.

But let us be honest about why Gaza receives such intense scrutiny.

Britain is directly politically, diplomatically and militarily tied to Israel. Western governments actively arm, defend and justify Israeli actions. British media organisations spend enormous amounts of time shaping the narrative around Gaza in ways they simply do not for many other conflicts.

People are therefore naturally going to focus heavily on something their own government and institutions are deeply connected to.

And there is another obvious difference. Journalists, doctors, aid workers and entire families in Gaza have been documenting events in real time under siege conditions while much of the Western media debates whether the victims are even being described properly.

So no, caring about Gaza does not mean people are indifferent to Sudan. It means people are capable of caring about more than one atrocity at the same time, especially when their own country is entangled in one of them.

"tired"? Perhaps you presume that, like Right wingers, I'm merely trying to deflect - but in reality I actually care about human beings in disaster zones around our world. Why would it be "tired" to talk about them? It's certainly not "tired" - worn out - since these situations are given so little attention, in spite of your assertion that "people are capable of caring about more than one atrocity at a time". If people can care about multiple things, why do you (and so many other pro Palestine pages) only report on one?

Claiming that Britain is specifically responsible for the situation in Gaza is not an answer. As you know, suffering in Sudan, Congo and elsewhere is linked to our history of colonialism and to modern day exploitation by Western institutions. And whoever is responsible for a situation, most significant is the potential to reduce suffering going forwards - but the disregard for these other situations is why, for instance, our Government has seen fit to cut atrocity prevention programmes in Sudan (where, FTR there *are* reports of British weapons being used). Were we to raise awareness of these overlooked tragedies, there'd be donations to Aid efforts from the public, and impetus within Government to use its diplomatic power as well as Aid to help mitigate the crises.