Cold...

or flu, or whatever it is, is still with me. Not the best state to be in, and I wish it would hurry up and go. Soon.

Christmas happened. It was Ok but I've had and felt better....

But Everton won again. Third in the Premiership with more points than we managed for the whole of last season.

PhD is complete!

The writing has been done, just amendments and bibliography to go....even been looking at what the gowns look like online. I must be optimistic.

As we approach Christmas...

More and more, I am starting to think that the Church as we know it is essentially on its death bed in the UK - and that it only has itself to blame.

I posted this on a BB I sometimes contribute to. Any thoughts?

I think we have to exist in the age in which we inhabit. Yes, of course people are going to turn to God and believe almost anything which will give them hope in developing countries - what else do they have?

And I am a convinced late modernist. No, our current life is by no means perfect - but would I choose to live in another age? No, certainly not - the benefits of contemporary life for me, far outweigh the disadvantages. And I actually think that there is a real dissonance here between the nostalgia of many church goers and in particular, younger people.

What is the Church doing wrong?
* Part of it - the loudest part - expects belief in literalistic dogmas which make little sense and appeal largely to authoritarian personalities
* It will not admit openly, the faults, inconsistencies, contradictions, and sheer fantasy of the human production called the Bible
* It hasn't come to terms with late modernity and social change
* It expects people to come to it and either sit through tedious rote-learned events or mildly hysterical happy-clappy embarassments which it calls 'worship'. Most people find both of these utterly alienating
* It does not realise that Sundays are now spent in bed, shopping, taking the kids to footy or ballet - and in the light of that reality what it has to offer appears decideldly second best
* It constantly rants on about sex,in particular homosexuality, which is hardly an issue for most people and more and more is simply part of the fabric of life. The Church's at worst, hostility, or at best, reluctant tolerance, gives out a message about what sort of organisation it is

Where in this, is any sort of message of hope, of love, of affirmation of humanity and human flourishing? Where is a Jesus of hope, of optimism, of laughter?

Pie in the sky when you die might work in Africa. We've moved on, and if Christianity can't move on with us - then it deserves to be part of our past

Oh - and I've finished the final chapter!

Time for some more thoughts....

The weekend was a good one. A win against redshite is always worth celebrating for the BLUES, and it was a good game. The atmosphere was excellent. Standing second in the premiership wasn't exactly what any Everton supporter expected at this stage in the season, and the number of times I have seen our position 'explained away', I have lost count of.
But as long as we carry on playing well and winning games - the points speak for themselves.

Met up with the Eurovision gang afterwards. Never quite as much to talk about other than old contests at this time of the year - but the heats for the national entries will be starting soon so no doubt there will be plenty to keep us occupied then

Today, the Living Will legislation came to the Commons. My MP was one of the primary opposers of the legislation - giving me yet another reason NOT to vote for her at the next election. She uses the personalised situation of her mother, backed up by the fact that she is a convert to the Italian Mission, to oppose people's right to choose to die with dignity. Simply because she claims that her mother changed her mind is no reason to enforce unnecessary agony and suffering to those who have clearly indicated that they do not want it - but when did the Catholic Church ever care in the least about the rights of individuals? What a sick, sorry, corrupt organisation it is - frankly, most of the institutional Church has the same effect on me these days. Worth staying in to try and work towards equality, I have always said but I am seriously questioning my own place within it . It appears to me that it has precisely nothing to say to the vast majority of people, and what it does say appears to be mostly stuff I don't agree with. The view of God is still largely the benevolent, intervening 'daddy in the sky', which is based largely in pre-modern superstition.
The Church is essentially a force for reaction, and the areas it is progressive in, such as the Third World, are the very areas where I lean to a more conservative viewpoint.

Anyway, the legislation has gone through, but what the amendments or interpretataions mean are yet to be revealed. I feel sure thatin time the views of younger people - in my view, overwhelmingly pro-voluntary euthanasia, will have to make an impact upon parliamentarians. In the meantime, I shall certainly ensure that anyone who treats me doesn't have any affiliation to the so-called 'pro-life' movement.

The final chapter is moving along very nicely....

Return of the sore throat...

Which has re-emerged from I do not know where - but its annoying.

Full edit now done on chapters 1-6 which are now with my supervisor, Chapter 7 has been planned and will be written starting tomorrow. Fortunately, I have a lot of background information already drafted, and it will be more a case of adapting the main contours of the thesis to the theoretical material I have already, using some relevant examples from the data.

Not feeling very prolific at the moment. Inspiration, please?

More musing...

Well, the editing of the thesis is going quite smoothly - with only one piece of duplication so far, which in itself can be justified . Two more chapters to go, then the final chapter to write, then a final edit. Its a good feeling to think of the end being in sight!

Thought I would talk a bit about another one of my passions and interests, Everton FC. I am a latecomer to the joys of the beauthiful game. As a short-sighted, unathletic child, football held few fascinations, even the thighs of the most attractive players seemed to pass me by. Before I moved to Liverpool, I got to know Graeme Dodd, who is sadly no longer with us - he died back in 1993. Graeme was a passionate Evertonian, and I think some of the enthusiasm rubbed off on me, as when I moved to Liverpool, in the shadow of Goodison Park, I started to take a once-removed interest in the fortunes - or rather, the woes and troubles, of Everton FC! A few years later, I had the opportunity to witness the police procedures at Goodison, and got a freeticket to see the game afterwards - and I was totally hooked. I went to nearly every remaining home match that season and for the past two seasons have held a season ticket for the Blues.

As a club, we have a very strong and durable local following - I think even Reds would agree that they are outnumbered in the city by Blues ( and look at the attendance for Liverpool midweek home matches for evidence) - and last years poor season, followed by the boardroom troubles and the departure of Shrek to MancScumUnited, meant that we Evertonians were gritting our teeth for relegation. But now we sit at third in the Premiership, there is a financial deal on the horizon, David Moyes has re-signed as manager, and things are looking good. There are no real 'stars' in the team, but they work together well as a unit.

We all keep wondering if the bubble will burst, but if we can hold our nerve over the Christmas period, then some new signings ( I hope James Beattie and Scott Parker?) will help strengthen us further.

We have got tickets for the stage show of Little Britain - which we had to buy a year in adavnce. Just shows what a phenomenon the programme has become...

On Saturday we went over to Yorkshire, where I used to live, to give a talk to the Yorkshire LGCM on the future of the Church. I used to be an active member of that group,. and I am now part of a local Changing Attitude group for this diocese - our role is to work for the affirmation of gay and lesbian people within the Anglican church. I am inderpendent minded, and I think my considered view that the Anglican Communion should be swiftly confined to history may not be the dominant view amongst those in Changing Attitude nationally, but it was interesting that many seem to have reached the same conclusion although are not saying so quite as clearly. The Archbishop of Canterbury, to his credit, has raised the issue in a very fair and well considered Advent message, but has been criticised by conservatives as expected. Its a great shame that a wise and insightful Artchbishop, who is no politician, and who has on occasion lost his nerve and not stuck by what he thinks in the name of seeking unity, will probably see both the break-up of the Anglican Communion and the Church of England during his time of office. My own view is that these splits will be a beneficial thing.

Chapter 6 of PhD finished

I've finished the sixth chapter - one more to write plus final edit and amendments and I'll be ready to submit....

Junior Eurovision....

In all the crisis of the computer problems, I forgot to mention the Junior ESC held in Lillehammer,Norway, on Saturday.

Not quite the excitement and fascination of the 'real thing', but certainly keeps us ESCfans going till next May.
What the two contests had in common this year was a dreadful winner. The Spanish entry won - a 'proper little madam' dressed like an elf who semi-rapped and semi-sung a slightly Middle Eastern sounding song. If thats what you can call it. Well performed, yes, but not one of the best. I preferred the UK - far better than our recent entries in the main contest - France, a very 'French' song, and Romania - probably the best song of the night, but the singer went out of key in the middle of the song. Shame.

I hear that Ukraine is in conflict tonight, and wonder if Government instabililty there as the pro-Soviet element tries to fix the election may affect next year's contest?

Fox hunting...

Couldn't really let this pass without a comment.

I don't hunt. Actually, I'm happy to consider myself a through-and-through urbanite, I regard the country as something one goes through on the way to visit a city.

Hunting is of no interest to me, and I don't feel strongly about it as an issue in itself. Indeed, I regard it as unimportant. However, thereare some issues raised which I think are of concern.

First, that to justify something because it is 'traditional' is a non-starter. Plenty of things were traditional, and now no longer exist.
Second, the foxes are going to have to be killed one way or the other, and there has been some failure of honesty amongst the antis to recognise this.
Third, should we turnm the killing of an animal into a sport? This is the real question which I think has been avoided by the defenders of hunting.
Fourth, should the House of Commons be able to decide on this issue - the unequivocal answer has to be yes. There have been 10 votes. Each has produced a sizeable majority against hunting. I think it is perfectly reasonable to expectr that decision to become law.
And if the Countryside Alliance seriously think they can present themselves as a beleagured minority - don't make me laugh. Just about everything in the countryside is subsidised to the hilt. To compare their 'plight' with discrimination against gay or black people shows how pathetic their arguments have been . They couldn't have run a more inept campaign if they had tried.

Let's be honest. I can't say I am particularly drawn to the representatives of the CA, in their hunting pink, with their plummy voices and their seeming belief that the world is theirs to run. Where were they when the mines were being shut and the docks sacked hundreds of workers? Voting Tory - thats what. And now they expect us to sympathise because a handful of people who work within the hunting industry may lose their jobs - which they wouldnt if they all switch to drag hunting and forego the pleasure of the smear of blood on their cheek after the kill.

No, the truth is, I don't like the braying fascistii of rural Britain ; and the ban is worth it to see them get a taste of their own medicine.

(Yes, I know this isn't a very Christian attitude.)

Computer crash and civil partnerships....

Thought I had lost everything on the computer - but thanks to the two Andy's, Heath and Strain, all is well again....

And the Civil Partnerships Bill has been passed and is now an Act - ande David and I will be taking advantage of it when it becomes law...

More on this and other things soon.

Spent the day on the thesis - made some progress but not quite as much as I wanted to - but have more direction for tomorrow.

Yesterday evening went into town to the FACT centre, Liverpool's arthouse cinema, to see Eres mi Hero - a Spanish coming of age film set in Seville in the 1970's, and featuring some wonderful Spanish music from the era - notably Mocedades' Eres Tu, which should have won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 when it came second. Its an ethereal Iberian ballad, harmony singing, acoustic guitars, a bit like a Spanish version of the Fifth Dimension ( you young things won't remember them)

I have quite a fascination for Spain. Maybe its the ethnic connections - adopted part Spanish-American - but I always feel that I could live there and maybe will one day on each visit. When the PhD is finished I shall maybe learn Spanish although I'm not a natural linguist.

The Civil Partnership Bill is returning to the Lords on Wednesday after being overwhelmingly passed in the Commons last week. I hope that it goes through without delay but one can never be certain about these things.

And Colin Powell has resigned. No surprise there, but a concern that a reasonably moderate man has left the asylum, leaving the lunatics to further cement their hold.

We went over to Manchester this afternoon to catch a performance of 'Beyond Belief' - excerpts of the inquiry into the Harold Shipman case. I find serial killers strangely fascinating - which worries my partner - but in this case, the fact that he was only ever found out because he overreached himself once too often is very worrying. I wonder how many more therearewho are never caught - being realistic, the number of missing persons who are never found must end up somewhere.

We had booked a table at a restaurant, the 39 Steps, afterwards, but when we arrived they weren't open for half an hour after we had made the booking - brilliant. So we ended up at the Arminian Taverna.

Throat still feels like a ferret has crawled into it and found whilst listening to a Eurovision CD on the way back from Manchester that I can't sing at all....

So, how about some comments about the world...

Blair has been meeting Bush again. It really is enough to make you want to vomit. OK, one can speak to the halfwit, but to slaver at his feet like a lovesick poodle is something else entirely. For all Blair talks about being a moderating influence, I think the reality is something quite different.

As for the Middle East situation. My own feeling about any country which claims that it has a divine right to exist is to regard it with considerable caution. In the case of Israel and Palestine, both have their faults - and any solution will have to recognise that there needs to be justice for the Palestinians, and security for Israel. Israel will have to accept its borders do not encompass the occupied territories, and Palestine will have to accept the presence of Israel. Whether thet will be possiblt is another matter. When God starts to get involved in the case of national territory you are asking for trouble.

I wonder how any rational person can believe in a God which actively intervenes in the world when it is so blatantly obvious that His intervention is via people? I mean, just think of all the prayers for miraculous, interventionist healing? Even if we accept the claims - all totally unverified - which emanate from our charismanic friends, it still leaves the vast majority unheeded. Funny sort of God who selects just a few people to heal, and ignores the others.
But then, conservative evangelicals worship a funny sort of God all told - a sort of right wing doctatorial headmaster in the sky, with human attributes and feelings, who constantly requires obedience and throws a paddy if he doesn't get it.

Enough to make you want to be an atheist, but fortunately there are alternatives.

For some annoying reason I have a bad sore throat and what seems like a possible throat infection. Annoying. Still, managed to get a bit more of the current PhD chapter done - and still on target to finish the chapter next week.

Went to see a film this evening at Liverpool's wonderful FACT cetre, our arthouse cinema. The film: My Summer of Love, which presented lesbians as slightly dangerous and born-again Christians as deluded and thoroughly unhinged. The latter I agree with enthusiastically - as they say, there's one born (again) every minute.

I'll write more when I feel a bit more sparky...

So, something about me.

What can I tell you?

Let's see. I'm 42. I live in Waterloo, a suburb of north Liverpool with my partner David ( yes, I'm gay), and we have lived together for coming up to 13 years. I am in the closing stages of writing a PhD which is to be submitted at the end of January 2005. It has been a bit of a tortuous process all told, given that I've been doing it part-time over a seven-and-a-half-year period, and whilst I'm pleased with it and feel that its been worthwhile, it can be a bit of a 'black cloud' over the rest of life.

I work part-time at a small college in the city, teaching Sociology. Although when I have finished the PhD I will be looking carefully at my possible options. Fortunately, I'm in the position of not needing to work full time.

What am I into? Films - mostly arty stuff, and independent productions, although I don't object to good commercial stuff. Not science fiction, though, which I loathe. I'm interested in politics and current affairs, although I'm no longer in a political party. I've been active at one time or another in both the Labour and LibDem parties, and I'm probably somewhere between the two, something of a maverick - but don't feel very inclined to join any party at present. I resigned from Labour over the Iraq war, like most other paeople with a semblance of a conscience, and don't regret that decision.

Having said that, I've been pleased with the Government's very genuine progress on gay rights issues. Whatever anyone says, we have achieved more under this government than any other in history.

I am involved with the Church. Yes, I am a Christian, although sometimes I wish there was another word so that there would be no possibility of confusing me with the appalling fundamentalists and headbangers who think they have exclusive ownership over the word. I attend a High Anglican church, and am a mixture of liberal theology and high churchmanship - although I hasten to add I have no truck with the misogynists of Backwoods in Bitterness. The sooner we get women bishops, the better.

I like watching football. In particular EVERTON FC. The Blue pride of Merseyside, the perpetual underdogs here, but certainly the club with the most local support.

And I have an ongoing obsession with the EUROVISION SONG CONTEST. I recognise this may come as something of a shock to some of you, but I hope to enlighten you as to the wonders of ESC within this blog.....

Thats all for today. More about me and some thoughts on the world soon....

Morning all....

Well, I have gone as far as setting up this blog. Now I have to decide what I will write in it.

Basically, I'm very opinionated, so expect lots of views about religion, politcs, and the Eurovision Song Contest.

More soon.