Okay, this one is for the Church (because let's face it, we aren't perfect, which is a pity, since we are supposed to be a shining light on a hill, bringing light to the world, rather than some dim, nearly burnt out bulb that we don't want to show anyone - despite the fact that we are on display for all the world to see...)
We, the church, are often referred to as "sheep" and Jesus as "the Good Shepherd" - but has anyone actually looked more closely at this analogy? It stems from the parable of the lost sheep - if one becomes lost, then a good shepherd will leave the other 99 in the field and go and find the one who is lost, so it is the same with the Father, if we become lost - but what about when we are back in the field - what then? can the analogy continue? I think so...
when I was back in Lancaster visiting some friends from uni, a few of them live in a house next to a field of sheep. we watched them a little, and we noticed that the sheep followed each other quite a bit - if one would wander aimlessly to one side of the field, half of the others would follow. So it seems with Christianity - we are in this big field, and some bright spark has a new idea about theology - and so the rest of them follow him to this new area of the field - unlike sheep however, we seem to bicker and quarrel over which is the better patch of grass - and therefore forget that we are still in the same field, and under the same shepherd, and part of the same flock, God's Church.
Paul talks about the Church being the Body of Christ - but a church divided means that Christ's body is divided! we are guilty of precisely this - we have divisions in the church, sometimes within the same congregation, as I experienced when I was a small child - too young to remember/understand, but the whole story was explained to me by my parents of a massive split in my church - and we forget that we are all loved and cared for by the same God.
Imagine a Body - living, complete and whole - it is able to function in the most incredible way - at the moment your eyes are taking in huge amounts of information, and feeding it to your brain, which then interprets what you are reading. At the same time, your heart is pumping blood around your body, to keep your brain and eyes working, and to keep your lungs pumping - which in turn, feed oxygen into the blood that keeps the heart and the lungs both working. when you eat, your mouth works together, with the tongue and the teeth, and crushes up the food that it can slip down your throat thanks to help from your salivary glands, that have produced spit to help with the digestion and ease of passage down your oesophagus. Your hands and feet also have to co-ordinate well with each other for the most simple of tasks - imagine when you put your clothes on - and the amount of work you do with your hands, legs, and arms - all requiring input from your eyes and touch sensors in your extremities, which is all fed through the brain, that then controls all these actions.
Now imagine the body divided. It is lifeless, and is unable to function properly. so it is with the church - if we unite this church, and come together and work together, instead of bickering over which section of the field we should be in, then we are not only alive as a church, but we can then bring eternal life to others too.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
There's no Gentlemen anymore! That's because there's no marriage.
I was just watching Al Murray speak his mind about Gentlemen - there are very few "gentlemen" left in the world - I agree with him, and the honest reason he gave (though he did miss one out). There are very few gentlemen in this world - there are very few of us who will hold a door open for a woman, who will lay our coats across a puddle, who will lend a helping hand to a woman if she needs to get down some stairs in high heels, who will be knights in shining armour to a lady's DIY/plumbing/heavy lifting problem - there are very few of us left, we are a rare breed (I say we because I like to consider myself as such a man - or at least attempt to be...) - and there are two reasons - initially, the reason is because there are very few ladies left - I have tried lending a helping hand to women who have a difficult step to get over, who might need help building a barbecue because they have put the shelving bracket on upside down (!), who are struggling to lift something because it is heavy, they are a lady, and I am the physically stronger of the two of us (if the woman in question was a professional weightlifter, clearly I would have been of no use, and not offered my services, but they weren't, so I thought I'd be a gentleman and offer to help). I have not laid my coat across a puddle, because the one time it was necessary, I stupidly forgot to bring my jacket (experience learnt, I'm only 20 you know...) And the reason no gentlemen exist any more, is because these women THROW IT BACK IN OUR FACE! Just when we think we are being helpful, we are, in fact, being oppressive males towards the female gender, and preventing them from developing into equality. I AM TRYING TO BE HELPFUL!!! Fine, next time you need help across a puddle, get your feet wet, and don't complain. Next time you need help with heavy lifting, don't complain that I couldn't be bothered to help. Next time you are building a barbecue, girls, and I helpfully point out that you are building it wrong, and try to give you advice... (I am really miffed at that PARTICULAR incident, not wishing to name names... Charlotte and Claire... it's alright, they won't read this blog anyway...), please do not throw it back in my face, saying "We don't need your help - we are women, and can do this on our own".
However, it IS unfair to blame women in this case. Because us men have brought them down to a place where they feel they have to be independent, their own woman, equals, rather than being admired, as good standing citizens, who need a White Knight upon a Fiery Steed (yes, I'm quoting Bonnie Tyler, and proud of it), who want a hansome young prince, that they can be their princess...
These days, that dream that all little girls have at the age of 3 tends to disappear at around the age of 7, for 2 reasons: Their Mum, and their Dad. Because they are starting to learn that the world sucks, and that that will never happen. And there is another, underlying reason to all of tis, and that is the loss of the family unit, because gone is Romance and Marriage - this comes back to the Prince, Princess thing. In the fairytales, The Prince rescues a beautiful princess from her Problem - either being locked in a castle, being in a deep coma because some witch poisoned her, or being a slave to her two ugly stepsisters, and not being allowed to go to the ball (okay, so it was actually the fairy godmother in Cinderella, but the prince came back later to rescue her after falling in love with her...). And little girls have lost this, because they are not seeing that reflected in their parents, they are seeing very little love between their parents, etc. and the reason is the family/marriage thing.
So, let us go back to the real basics of Love - the gentleman, and the lady - they meet for the first time, become friends, have fun. they met up again, have more fun, have laughs. They then have more fun, one makes a fool of himself (It's nearly always the guy - mental note - I must learn to do something safe (otherwise she'll think I'm stupid), yet still embarassing, to make a girl laugh next time I take her out) - but they then end up having a form of intimacy, because they know each other better than other people do. They start holding hands, and end up kissing (probably a couple of dates later). Ahh, how sweet and romantic! They are now etting very intimate, and have really fallen in love. They will now be at a stage, where they cannot not be around the other person, because of the way they feel about each other, etc. They are, in fact, addicted to each other, because of the special things that they hold between each other. They decide that they love each other so much, and to be around each other so much, that they could not stand to be without the other for the rest of their lives - so they marry.
-- Aside --
This is a key stage to the relationship - you are making a lifelong commitement to the other, that you will not seperate from each other, because you know the other so well, and want to be with them for the rest of their life (or yours, depending on who cops it first...) I believe this to be a very important step - this cannot be skipped out to the next, because it is the most loving thing you could ever say to someone - that you will be there with them, through the highs, and through the lows, laughing with them, crying with them.
The two become one person - working with each other, as a team, in a strong relationship bond with the other.
-- End Aside --
Then, AFTER THEY MARRY, they get to know each other as intimately as they can - Sex, ladies and Gentlemen. Let's not beat around the bush (unless you ARE into whips and that sort of thing), Sex happens. But it is NOT the smutty, dirty thing that it is portrayed as - it is a thing of love and beauty, because it is something private, to be shared between two people who truly love and adore each other, and want to know the other as intimately as possible - it is when two people, physically, as in marriage, become one flesh, and experience the closest thing to heaven that you can get.
So where did we go wrong? Have I emphasised enough the time span of the above? so it can be from about 6 month (one friend of mine) or several years (a few other friends of mine), in that order. Unfortunately, in todays world, clearly alcohol is being manufactured that warps time slighty, and what should be 3 years seems to blend into 3 hours. And whose fault is that? No, not Smirnoffs fault, clearly, as vodka has been drunk for quite a while, without problems. No, it's the IDIOTS who told young people that sex was enjoyable - but left out the whole "but it is an intimate thing between a man and a woman, and should only be done when you love someone so deeply that you are married to them" bit.
But the whole marriage thing has gone as well, hasn't it? I heard of someone who was getting married, and her friend congratulated her - at which point the bride-to-be was taken aback, since all of her friends had turned around and asked "why? - why would you want to be stuck down to the same man?". This, readers, I find incredibly depressing - not only is marriage disappearing, because there is no need in order to have sex, but also because love is dissapearing - there is very little love between men and women at my age, because most of the time, it is someone that they met on a night out, and had a great night with. Now don't get me wrong, there are relationships, but they are not the same, because they are Sexual relationships - which tends to be rather empty, because you don't love the person because you had funny times, great laughs, and developed an intimacy, but because you are having fun with them in bed, and because they are a fit/hot/sexy person. Again, don't get me wrong, there are probably plenty of relationships out there that are not shallow - people are genuinely in love, and they simply skipped out the marriage bit.
But when boredom sets in, the "oh great, it's the same person I'm having sex with, I fancy a change, how about something different", you know that there was little love to begin with - but of course, as the bride's friends told her, there's no point getting married then, because at least you can get out of the relationship fairly easily - bit of emotional trauma for a few months, but you get over it - with mariage, you have declared by law that you will stay together, so it is much more concrete - so instead of getting a divorce, you wonder why that happy couple of 10 years ago were so happy together, and you WORK THROUGH IT, rather than be a coward and get out of it quickly, find someone else you can sleep with.
So what has this all got to do with being a gentleman, I hear you cry, you are deviating from the topic - because the lack of the family unit means that when the condom breaks, you have an accident, decide not to abort and the accident starts growing up... then when you start having troubles, the kid witnesses it all, and instead of seeing a happy family working as a team through their problems and foibles, they see fighting, arguing, and the idea of a perfect world with Princes and Princesses is now Gone. Girls grow up learning that the world sucks, and that gentlemen don't exist, because they will run away as soon as a problem comes. Or, if said child was a boy, he learns that the best thing to do is run away, and not try his best to be a romantic gentleman, a knight in shining armour.
Marriage has a lot more implications than people realise. Sex outside marriage carries a big weight of problems - I have no issue with people having sex outside a legally binding agreement, but ONLY if you are prepared to stick it through thick and thin with that woman/man, as if you were married - and see it through to the end. But who am I? I'm just a 20 year old Christian guy, I've not been there, and felt the pain of a repressed woman...
However, it IS unfair to blame women in this case. Because us men have brought them down to a place where they feel they have to be independent, their own woman, equals, rather than being admired, as good standing citizens, who need a White Knight upon a Fiery Steed (yes, I'm quoting Bonnie Tyler, and proud of it), who want a hansome young prince, that they can be their princess...
These days, that dream that all little girls have at the age of 3 tends to disappear at around the age of 7, for 2 reasons: Their Mum, and their Dad. Because they are starting to learn that the world sucks, and that that will never happen. And there is another, underlying reason to all of tis, and that is the loss of the family unit, because gone is Romance and Marriage - this comes back to the Prince, Princess thing. In the fairytales, The Prince rescues a beautiful princess from her Problem - either being locked in a castle, being in a deep coma because some witch poisoned her, or being a slave to her two ugly stepsisters, and not being allowed to go to the ball (okay, so it was actually the fairy godmother in Cinderella, but the prince came back later to rescue her after falling in love with her...). And little girls have lost this, because they are not seeing that reflected in their parents, they are seeing very little love between their parents, etc. and the reason is the family/marriage thing.
So, let us go back to the real basics of Love - the gentleman, and the lady - they meet for the first time, become friends, have fun. they met up again, have more fun, have laughs. They then have more fun, one makes a fool of himself (It's nearly always the guy - mental note - I must learn to do something safe (otherwise she'll think I'm stupid), yet still embarassing, to make a girl laugh next time I take her out) - but they then end up having a form of intimacy, because they know each other better than other people do. They start holding hands, and end up kissing (probably a couple of dates later). Ahh, how sweet and romantic! They are now etting very intimate, and have really fallen in love. They will now be at a stage, where they cannot not be around the other person, because of the way they feel about each other, etc. They are, in fact, addicted to each other, because of the special things that they hold between each other. They decide that they love each other so much, and to be around each other so much, that they could not stand to be without the other for the rest of their lives - so they marry.
-- Aside --
This is a key stage to the relationship - you are making a lifelong commitement to the other, that you will not seperate from each other, because you know the other so well, and want to be with them for the rest of their life (or yours, depending on who cops it first...) I believe this to be a very important step - this cannot be skipped out to the next, because it is the most loving thing you could ever say to someone - that you will be there with them, through the highs, and through the lows, laughing with them, crying with them.
The two become one person - working with each other, as a team, in a strong relationship bond with the other.
-- End Aside --
Then, AFTER THEY MARRY, they get to know each other as intimately as they can - Sex, ladies and Gentlemen. Let's not beat around the bush (unless you ARE into whips and that sort of thing), Sex happens. But it is NOT the smutty, dirty thing that it is portrayed as - it is a thing of love and beauty, because it is something private, to be shared between two people who truly love and adore each other, and want to know the other as intimately as possible - it is when two people, physically, as in marriage, become one flesh, and experience the closest thing to heaven that you can get.
So where did we go wrong? Have I emphasised enough the time span of the above? so it can be from about 6 month (one friend of mine) or several years (a few other friends of mine), in that order. Unfortunately, in todays world, clearly alcohol is being manufactured that warps time slighty, and what should be 3 years seems to blend into 3 hours. And whose fault is that? No, not Smirnoffs fault, clearly, as vodka has been drunk for quite a while, without problems. No, it's the IDIOTS who told young people that sex was enjoyable - but left out the whole "but it is an intimate thing between a man and a woman, and should only be done when you love someone so deeply that you are married to them" bit.
But the whole marriage thing has gone as well, hasn't it? I heard of someone who was getting married, and her friend congratulated her - at which point the bride-to-be was taken aback, since all of her friends had turned around and asked "why? - why would you want to be stuck down to the same man?". This, readers, I find incredibly depressing - not only is marriage disappearing, because there is no need in order to have sex, but also because love is dissapearing - there is very little love between men and women at my age, because most of the time, it is someone that they met on a night out, and had a great night with. Now don't get me wrong, there are relationships, but they are not the same, because they are Sexual relationships - which tends to be rather empty, because you don't love the person because you had funny times, great laughs, and developed an intimacy, but because you are having fun with them in bed, and because they are a fit/hot/sexy person. Again, don't get me wrong, there are probably plenty of relationships out there that are not shallow - people are genuinely in love, and they simply skipped out the marriage bit.
But when boredom sets in, the "oh great, it's the same person I'm having sex with, I fancy a change, how about something different", you know that there was little love to begin with - but of course, as the bride's friends told her, there's no point getting married then, because at least you can get out of the relationship fairly easily - bit of emotional trauma for a few months, but you get over it - with mariage, you have declared by law that you will stay together, so it is much more concrete - so instead of getting a divorce, you wonder why that happy couple of 10 years ago were so happy together, and you WORK THROUGH IT, rather than be a coward and get out of it quickly, find someone else you can sleep with.
So what has this all got to do with being a gentleman, I hear you cry, you are deviating from the topic - because the lack of the family unit means that when the condom breaks, you have an accident, decide not to abort and the accident starts growing up... then when you start having troubles, the kid witnesses it all, and instead of seeing a happy family working as a team through their problems and foibles, they see fighting, arguing, and the idea of a perfect world with Princes and Princesses is now Gone. Girls grow up learning that the world sucks, and that gentlemen don't exist, because they will run away as soon as a problem comes. Or, if said child was a boy, he learns that the best thing to do is run away, and not try his best to be a romantic gentleman, a knight in shining armour.
Marriage has a lot more implications than people realise. Sex outside marriage carries a big weight of problems - I have no issue with people having sex outside a legally binding agreement, but ONLY if you are prepared to stick it through thick and thin with that woman/man, as if you were married - and see it through to the end. But who am I? I'm just a 20 year old Christian guy, I've not been there, and felt the pain of a repressed woman...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Atheism
I admire the Atheists. People say argue that it isn't a religion, or a faith. I would argue different - okay, it isn't a religion in the fact that you don't have to undertake rituals or anything like that - but then again, I argue the same about Christianity - but you have to have a strong faith in Atheism to actually be an atheist in the UK. Let's take the old dog Evolution. You have to be a strong believer in the UK to believe in a theory where more and more scientific evidence is being found to disprove it. You have to have a strong faith in Evolution, when you swim with a dolphin, when you stand atop a mountain and see the land stretch out before you, when you look closely at a flower and see the intricate processes of Photosynthesis, when you look at the human body and see all of it's mechanisms, how it so beautifully fits together, when you look into space and see the most beautiful nebulae and star clusters - and then turn around and say - "accident". You have to have a strong faith in evolution when you see the power of storms tearing up any man made work, when you see earthquakes rip through the land, a volcano explode, two atoms colliding to make an explosion, to see a star explode - to see the very power of nature, the very force of nature - and still say "accident". You have to have a strong faith in the big bang and oscillating universe theory, when 100 year old philsophers have already debunked the theory, pointing out the small problem about having traversed an infinite length of time. And here's the final one - you have to have a pretty strong faith in evolution, when the scientific world is starting to turn around and say - actualy, yeah, you are right - evolution doesn't work (it's string theory instead. You have to have a pretty strong faith in string theory, when the entire scientific community who made up the theory have admitted "none of us know what the heck we are talking about". And all this time, we creationists are sitting on a 6000 year old theory that is rapidly gaining popularity in the UK and America, much to the distaste of people like Richard Dawkins - but considering that most atheists (Note - atheists, not agnostics, which is what most people are) I have met have a hatred for religion anyway, based on the "fact" that Religion actually causes more evil than good.
Let's examine that further, shall we? Islamic fundementalism - who seriosuly believes that is anything to do with religion? Who actually now believes that it is a matter of politics, and stopping the West from interfering with middle eastern affairs? Let's look at another one - the one Christianity is often criticised for (though it is now over 1000 years old - get over it) - the Crusades - so They "thought" that God was telling them to go and murder several thousand Muslims, to prevent the rise of Islam - any confirmation that it WAS ACTUALLY God's will?
When you want to criticise a religion, criticise the founder, not the followers. I believe in Jesus Christ - he is my Rock and my Foundation for my Faith - and he puported himself to be God. It is your choice whether to believe in him. Not Mine, not Richard Dawkins.
Let's examine that further, shall we? Islamic fundementalism - who seriosuly believes that is anything to do with religion? Who actually now believes that it is a matter of politics, and stopping the West from interfering with middle eastern affairs? Let's look at another one - the one Christianity is often criticised for (though it is now over 1000 years old - get over it) - the Crusades - so They "thought" that God was telling them to go and murder several thousand Muslims, to prevent the rise of Islam - any confirmation that it WAS ACTUALLY God's will?
When you want to criticise a religion, criticise the founder, not the followers. I believe in Jesus Christ - he is my Rock and my Foundation for my Faith - and he puported himself to be God. It is your choice whether to believe in him. Not Mine, not Richard Dawkins.
Introduction
This Blog is a venue for my thoughts and feelings, as I think about the way the world works, world events, etc. As an introduction then, I give the following: 1. I think. This blog is for my thoughts, to address to the world, as no other suitable media could be found (without haveing some form of fame, or political clout, etc). These thoughts are hopefully going to challenege the way you veiw the world - they have changed the way I do, as I learn new things in my experience, as I learn more about myself and how the world works - and how it looks like it is falling apart - and why - and how we might want to go about solving it. Oh, and I'm a Christian, too. I should probably put that in now, to introduce the other rule: 2. This is not a place where I will discuss the existence of God, the divinity of Jesus, the creation of the world in 6 days etc. To me these things are taken for granted, following scientific methods, I must add, I am a scientist by mind - but I will have a heavy influence of my Christian faith in this blog - that is the other half of the challenge I wish to deliver to the readers of this blog. Happy reading! Any spam comments and anything trying to convert me out of Christianity, or various hate stuff will be removed.
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