Category: Phil-Osophy
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40 Questions about why I support Gay Marriage
As a socially-liberal Christian, there are now many reactions around the world in reaction to the USA’s acceptance of single-sex marriage. It’s odd that similar results in other countries have not produces such reactions. I have, of course, been in debate over this issue for many years, and many friends have sent me a link…
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The Roman Catholic Church, and Single-Sex Marriage
In a rectent news article in the Independent, the Catholic Synod moderated it’s language towards single-sex couples. While the Synod continues to uphold the current line of the Catholic Church, and does not seek to change that, it does offer a way forward. It comes on the back of Pope Francis’ statement last year to…
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Can you be an intelligent believer?
Stephen Fry is a man I have a lot of time for. He is funny, thoughtful, brave, and generally all-round talented. The thing that we would probably disagree about is Faith and religion, and a lot of other things in the same ballpark. What he seems to hate is the exploitative nature of some of…
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Do you need to be baptised to be a Christian?
Baptism with water is, and has been for a long time (at least the 3rd Century AD (Burnish, Raymond, The Meaning of Baptism, (London:SPCK), 1985 p1). However, the centrality of baptism does not necessarily make one a Christian. While for the Anglican churches of England and Wales, baptism is the de-facto sign of membership, membership…
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This Anglican is for Marriage Equality
Following the CofE Bishop’s Response to the matter of single-sex marriage, I was a little… irritated. For many, both members of the Church, and non-members, they find it difficult to see how the fact that there are provisions in law is not the same as equality. This is no-more obvious than when it’s seen in…
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Nelson Mandala’s Inaugaration Speech
To commemorate the death of Nelson Mandela, and listening to the way he tried to live his life, I could find no better tribute than his own words: We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their…
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Maleist Biblical Reading
During the course on Biblical Hermenutics, I was told that there were not many readings done from the perspective of a man, writing as a man. I thought that it was time that I tried to do some writing from this perspective, and so I have produced what I hope is a “Maleist” reading. It’s…
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“..heart of all our faith and belief there lie value judgements”
Reading a document I came across this line. It follows on from a debate that suggests that nothing in our faith(as opposed to religion) can be proved empirically, and that this leads us all to make value-judgements based on our understanding of our faith. There is often a core of belief that we have chosen…
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The Litteral Adam
This is one of those problems that’s been bugging me since I began reading a blog post about why, theologically, we _need_ a literal Adam. Annoyingly I couldn’t find the blog post again in order to take the points individually, but the general debate is based on the problem outline by Peter Enns in a…
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Inclusion, Women, and Homosexuality : A theological article.
An Article on Inlusion, Homosexuality, Women, and Culture This article is quite an interesting one for me, touching as it does on so many parts of my own personal interest. I don’t have time to write a full description of it, so you will just have to read it yourselves. ~BX
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Another Take on the Flood Story in Genesis
*Another Take on the Flood Story in Genesis* For a long time, the story of the flood in Genesis has been a source of theological problems for most theologians. On the face of it, it essentially shows God getting annoyed with the world, and drowning them en-masse apart from Noah and his family. I’ve been…
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Church In Wales Review Report
Today, the 20th of July, 2012, a group of three experts have delivered a report to the Church In Wales that is full of over 50 recommendations on how the Church In Wales can modernise itself in order to survive for the future. The Report can be found here As a Priest, newly ordained in…
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Pacifism, Forgivness, and the Masacare at Houla.
I am technically a pacifist. Technically. I believe that resorting to violence means that you have lost. I see no reason to own a gun. I see no reason to carry a knife, even when I felt threatened. The most I have ever felt the need to learn to protect myself was Choi Kwang Do…
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Desert Fathers accepting of homosexuality?
Lust 29. ‘A brother, being tempted by a demon, went to a hermit and said ‘Those two monks over there who live together live sinfully’. But the hermit knew that a demon was deceiving him. So he called the brothers to him. In the evening he put out a mat for them, and covered them…