ClearWords

Now that cuts in spending seem to be on the agenda of all the main political parties, the big questions still to be answered are: how much? And where will the axe fall? According to a recent poll by Ipsos MORI, published by the BBC ( http://bit.ly/d168R ), the most popular candidate with most people is overseas aid. That’s not really surprising. It’s understandable that during severe financial crisis most people want our government to look after our own affairs first. Charity, as the saying goes, begins at home. But is it really right for the poorest nations of the world to be penalised for a crisis that was brought on by the rich? The developing world already spends $1.3 on debt repayment for every $1 it receives in grants (Source: World Centric, http://bit.ly/b5C7f ). Every day at least $100 million flows from the poor of the world into the pockets of the rich. Existing problems like drought and famine will not go away just because there is a worldwide recession, and the poor are mo

Being a bit of a sci fi fan, I did enjoy last week’s extended Torchwood story. But there was one scene that really did stretch my imagination to breaking point. It was nothing to do with alien invasions or rifts in time and space. It was Gwen’s conversation about someone’s Christian friend who lost their faith on account of the appearance of aliens. The more standard and fanciful sci-fi fare I can take in my stride, because it exists purely in the realm of the imagination. Bits of it will probably find their way into the real world at some time in the future. But for the time being, I don’t need to relate it to any kind of reality. Faith, on the other hand, is something I live with and experience daily. And frankly, the idea that the mere discovery of alien life would shake a convinced Christian from their faith I just found a bit hard to swallow. So the Bible doesn’t mention aliens. So what? It doesn’t mention chicken tikka massala either; but and that doesn’t mean I’m going to lose m

The recent scandal in the House of Commons has clearly shocked and angered a lot people. At least some of the expense claims exposed have been widely regarded as fraudulent, and few people will lament the exit of the politicians guilty of them. The purpose of democracy is to produce political leaders who are servants of the people, and representative of the people they serve. Participation in fraud probably isn't what most people would have in mind when they think of representation. But the sad truth is that events in the House are depressingly typical of what is happening in Britain today. Consider these figures: In 2004, UK identity fraud is estimated to have cost £1.7 billion (Source: Association of Fraud Examiners) Corporate fraud costs UK businesses £40 million per day (Source: Corporate Fraud Solutions) Car insurance fraud costs the insurance industry over £1.6 billion per year (Source: Royal Sun Alliance) In 2004-5, HM Revenue and Customs estimate that almost £1.2 billion wa

Like many others I watched this week's handover ceremony in Basra with some relief. Hopefully it's the beginning of the end of a venture that most people in the UK would rather forget. But relief gave way to frustration as I listened to the closing prayers, and realised with fresh understanding why the Muslim world still cannot forgive or forget the Crusades. It's one thing to have chaplains provide support and comfort to ordinary soldiers, who after all are only doing the job that their political masters have dictated. But against the backdrop of our history, it seems insanely foolish to include a religious element in a televised event associated with such a contentious war as the one in Iraq. The marriage of religion and state has never born palatable fruit. When clerics have political power, the wrong kind of people become clerics, for the wrong reasons. That much is clear from European history, and is still apparent in parts of the Islamic world today. Almost all religi

In one of the online forums I visit occasionally, someone recently asked the question, "How can I believe in a God who needs to be praised?" The short answer is, of course, "You can't". What's unbelievable is not so much that the creator of the universe might be suffering deep personal insecurity and be in constant need of affirmation. That would be odd, but not a complete logical impossibility! What's unbelievable is the ridiculous notion that his insecurity might somehow be compensated by a bunch of humans constantly telling him how wonderful he is. If there is a God at all, he surely does not *need* our praise. But if what he wants from us is relationship, that would really explain where praise fits in. First of all, praise is a vital part of any healthy relationship. It's so easy to tear down and criticise each other. We also need to take time to affirm and build each other up. If God has taken toward us the relationship of father, and our relati

Aside from the resurrection of Jesus, there can’t be many pieces of Christian dogma that have been attacked and defended with as much vigour, and sometimes vitriol, as the creation story. From the Oxford evolution debate of 1860 and taking in ten major court cases in the United States, as well as innumerable books and publications, the debate rolls on. At one extreme are the atheists, whose agenda is to write God out of the earth’s story altogether. At the other extreme, seven day creationists, promoting a completely literal interpretation of the creation story recorded in Genesis. Caught in the middle is the vast majority of scientists and people of faith, who adopt more flexible interpretations of ancient manuscripts, and accept the likelihood or at least the possibility of a creator, or are agnostic. Within evangelical Christianity, seven day creationism has been particularly forceful over the last thirty years or so, especially in North America; fostered by organisations like the C