Door-Step Evangelism ...

I have just been blessed by a visitation from some really nice people.
I invited them in for tea.
We had an interesting exchange.

What follows summarises (?) my contrary argument …

Bishop Ussher (1581–1656) declared that this Earth was created in 4004 BC. He based this assertion on genealogy of Adam’s offspring documented in the Holy Bible. Now, I do not have the time, patience or resources to verify that succession, although some of it seems to be exhaustively chronicled.

I don’t believe it.

The Genesis story gives an account of creation in six days (plus one for a rest). I have a problem here. For one ‘day’ to exist, we need a benchmark of time. In this instance, it requires a pre-existing, spherical and rotating planet, wherefrom a pre-existing sun can be regularly observed. Some argue that the chronological order in which earthly things came into being is probably correct. There are those who contend that God’s ‘day’ is something beyond the understanding of we earthly mortals.

This biblical account was written from the then incomplete wisdom of the author, possibly Moses, for acceptance by the partial understanding of the listeners of that time.
That was brilliant! It worked. It survived. It continues to be promulgated.
Many who continue to believe it are very worthy souls.
Some have simple minds.

But, it is scientific nonsense!

Have I just committed heresy? Should I be tortured until I recant lest I be burnt at the stake? Is my very soul in jeopardy?

Scientists tell us that the Universe is about 14 billion years old. Earth is a youngster at 4.6 billion years. They can produce evidence, (most of which I fail to understand), that this is so.

I am inclined to believe this, not only because such knowledge gained me a Bachelor’s degree from the Open University!

I ask this question: if you’d said ‘desoxy-ribose-nucleic acid’ to Moses, what would he have understood?
What would Moses have known of quantum physics?
Would he have heard on ‘tele-evangelism’?

Of course, none of that is Moses’ fault; he was simply working from the partial knowledge of his time.
What do tele-evangelists really know?

Do I come across as an atheist?
My visitors thought so.
I am NOT!
I subscribe to the Heisenburg uncertainty principle ...

“Lord, I believe. Help, thou, mine unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24)

Ignore poverty and it will go away ...

I was recently frivolously engaged in debate on another blog regarding the commercial basis of music. My response was utterly irrelevant to the original contention, but I became possessed of an original, albeit lateral, thought:
‘Poverty is the collateral damage associated with the free-market economy.’
I thought that was fairly clever. My exposition follows.

In my understanding, limited though that may be, the following are key words and phrases that underlie a free-market economy: supply and demand, competition, speculation, accumulation, self-regulation and unrestricted trade.

Imagine, if you will, that I am poor.
My demands, requirements necessary to survival, are considerable. The supply might be around, but my poverty denies me access to that supply.

Having sold my dwelling and land, eaten my livestock and having abandoned my ungrateful offspring to their uncertain fortunes in a faraway city, the only commodity with which I can speculate is my labour.
Now, we have all seen how fragile the labour market can be.

Speculation, by its very nature, involves risk. As exemplified by the recent banking crisis, it does not always lead to accumulation.

My desperation might even lead me into a life of crime. It is said that crime never pays. My arrest, conviction and subsequent imprisonment would render me disenfranchised. Thereby I have no voice; that is another major feature of poverty. I am then released from captivity. I have no address. Thereby I become unemployable and my credit-rating is zero. Having no gainful employment, I have no access to permanent accommodation. Herein lies the inexorable spiral of poverty.

Consider now ‘unrestricted trade’. Do we have that? Have we ever? My meagre means ensure that my ability to trade is very seriously restricted. I cannot compete. My poverty begets destitution, starvation and death.

Does that matter?
The US administration of George Bush regularly demonstrated gross complacency on this issue, and seemed to have the attitude that, if you ignore poverty, it will go away. Witness the tardy response to the devastating flooding of New Orleans.
On the subject of climate change we heard Mr. Bush say, “The American way of life is not for negotiation.” Is that in context? Yes, be assured that global warming will lead to widespread poverty.

Indeed, it is probably true that ignoring poor people might eventually make them disappear, whereby poverty, as a concept, ceases to be a problem for those who remain.






We have another example on our own shores. I refer to the utterly inadequate response (some would say intentionally so) of the British government to the Irish potato famine of 1845. The Irish population (consisting of largely unwilling British subjects at that time) was decimated by starvation, disease and emigration.

See – it almost worked!



Now, do I believe what I have just written? I think I have justified the hypothesis intellectually in economic, historical and self-indulgent imaginary terms.

Is it right?
I mean morally.
That, of course, is another question.
I think not.

Will our national leaders ever begin to seek something more than another term in office?
When will they engage at least a degree of compassion and altruism?
When will the relief of human suffering become a priority in their minds?
Can they be persuaded that poverty is blight on our global society, that wealth is to be shared and that, as long as poverty exists, it remains a communal responsibility?

It is a responsibility that needs to be addressed by us all. The eradication of poverty is not the function a free-market economy. This issue needs strategies more than the forlorn hope that poverty will simply go away.

Do my politics look big in this?

And my wife says, "You're not having one of those, either!" ...

Take a tip from me.

Never, never, never, search for 'hurdy gurdy' on youtube!

The results can be excrutiating.

The Last WW1 Veteran ...

Harry Patch died last week.



This man of great dignity and compassion said, "War is just organised murder, and nothing more."

When will they ever learn? ...

I am moved to publish these words from John Tams:

Scarecrow

I see the barley moving as the mowers find their pace.
I see the line advancing with a steady timeless grace,
And there's passion in their eyes, and there's honour in their face,
As they scythe down the castles and the courts.

Blame it on the fathers, blame it on the sons.
Blame it on the poppies and the pain.
Blame it on the generals, blame it on their guns.
Blame it on the scarecrow in the rain.

I smell the smoke of stubble when the harvest is brought down.
I see the fire a-burning as it purges all around,
And the field is turned to ashes, and the only living sound
Are the skylarks as they try to reach the sun.

Blame it on the fathers, blame it on the sons.
Blame it on the poppies and the pain.
Blame it on the generals, blame it on their guns.
Blame it on the scarecrow in the rain.

I see the barbed wire growing like a bramble on the land.
I see a farm turned to a fortress and a future turned to sand.
I see a meadow turn to mud, and from it grows a hand,
Like a scarecrow that is fallen in the rain.

Blame it on the fathers, blame it on the sons.
Blame it on the poppies and the pain.
Blame it on the generals, blame it on their guns.
Blame it on the scarecrow in the rain.


God bless you, Harry.

Ma femme, elle dit, "NON!" ...

Shortly we will be visiting northern France.
I want to buy a bombarde.
"What's a bombarde?" I hear you ask.

Watch and listen...



From wikipedia: "The bombard, or bombarde (in Breton) is a conical bore double-reed musical instrument from Brittany. The bombarde is blown by the mouth; the reed is held between the lips. Typically pitched in B flat, it plays a diatonic scale over two octaves."

Fortunately the sporting of bleached hair and wearing of a skirt are not prerequisites!
In spite of that, my wife continues with her objections.

Product review ...

A few weeks ago my wife insisted on purchasing a wild bird feeding station. It looked something like this...



Initially the parts didn't fit together properly but after three return visits to the garden centre, we managed to plant it.



After one week it had germinated and looked thus ...



Notice the miraculous appearance of coconut shells and various devices for holding seed and peanuts.

Notice also - no birds!

I suggested taking the thing back for a refund since it clearly didn't work.








After a further week we witnessed this ...

This solitary bird didn't know how to use the device. I tried to show it, but it flew away.

Once again I urged my wife to return the product to the retailer as it seemed unfit for purpose.






YESTERDAY ...

Avian war broke out!


I will take this thing back myself.






I don't just want a refund;
I demand compensation for disturbance of my peace !

I think I woke up this morning ...

... and I have vague recollection of hearing this on Radio ... (can't recall)!



My day was enlightened.
Then I think I shed tears!
For whom? - I forget.

Never mind - cogito ergo sum!

Should I increase my medication, Doctor?