Crannóggy Island

  Ooops ... an oversight ...  Mrs Jack not impressed with her Christmas card!  Share you 2024 experiences. 

  Once more we prepare to celebrate the nativity of Jesus Christ. We rejoice to hear anew the proclamation of the angel: Today in the town of David, Bethlehem in Judea, a saviour has been born to you. A Saviour has been born for us; a Son given to us. Christ, in becoming human allows us to share in the glory of His immortal nature. He frees us from death and the power of sin and darkness. This promise of salvation is ours and so we rejoice in the knowledge that God is now with us. Our world is overshadowed by war, injustice, oppression, division, and selfish concerns, but the Good News proclaimed by Christ continues to offer us salvation and hope. His words speak to us today; they reassure us; and fill us with hope: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. I am the way, and the truth and the life. I am the good shepherd. I am the bread of life. As Christians, whatever our particular 'tra...

Gavin Ashenden, once Anglican chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II, has suggested that King Charles should step down from the throne, since the king “thinks political correctness is loathsome and the Church of England is all bunkum.” “Charles, save your soul," says Gavin, " Become Orthodox, become Catholic, and hand that whole mess over to people who thrive on pantomime and fakery.” The reason for this?  When Charles acceded to the throne during his Coronation he swore, like 500 years of monarchs before him, to “maintain the Protestant Reformed religion established by law and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England.” As Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Charles' role as King is both a religious one and constitutional one.  Then ....  Last month a letter surfaced containing King Charles blunt criticism of the Church of England, as well as corporate capitalism in farming:  “It is money that drives everything and wisdom...

After a 5 hour debate, MPs voted in favour of legalising assisted suicide by 330 to 275 - a majority of 55. Christian Concern : Christian Concern has said the vote in favour of assisted dying marks a “very black Friday for the vulnerable in this country”.  Andrea Williams, the group’s chief executive, said: “Today is indeed a very black Friday for the vulnerable in this country, but this is not over. “The proposals in this dangerous Bill have been completely exposed. The proposed safeguards are completely meaningless, and more and more MPs are waking up to that reality.  “This Bill will create more suffering and chaos in the NHS, not less, and if it goes through, the vulnerable will become more vulnerable. “MPs are voting for the Bill at this stage in the hope that it will be fixed, however, the legislation is framed in a way that means it can’t be changed.  “It must be stopped at third reading, and we will not give up working to protect life and the most vulnerable ...

Back in May 2024, the question was posed:  Has Israel lost the war against Hamas? To recap: Israel’s original intention for counter attacking Hamas - its  “jus ad bellum,”  - i.e. the conditions under which states resort to war - was to recue the hostages and also to eliminate Hamas because of its ongoing threat to Israel. It was not revenge for the horrors of October 7 th , 2023, although that was the immediate cause. It was about the damage that Hamas could do in the future given it stated intent to annihilate Israel. Is Israel aiming for a realistic, achievable goals? Rescuing hostages is a clear and potentially achievable end. But is eliminating Hamas possible? How do you reduce civilian casualties in the face of Hamas tactics? Is her present strategy producing more chaos? Is her approach encouraging future terrorist attacks on her. Is there an alternative approach? As the war goes on and civilian deaths rise, questions increasingly surface about Israel’s conduct ...

Should One Use Religious Arguments in this Debate? I stumbled across this somewhat contradictory  article   that explores the history of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Holland and Belgium - and its increase. It shows out how 'Reformed' theologians and ethicists actually led the way in presenting 'Christian' arguments in support of these practices.  It's an "interesting" read. It starts by arguing the debate in liberal-democracies should not be framed in religious terms: Using religious arguments … are a terrible match for other arguments. Using religious arguments may have a similar effect on ethical discussions as using the word ‘bomb' on an airport: try using it, and you will discover that nothing remains the same. After all, if you tell your audience that God does not allow euthanasia or that God  does  allow it, what else is there to be said? If the creator of the universe, the power behind the  big bang , the creator of 100 billion galaxies, t...