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.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Thursday, December 23, 2004
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.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
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!
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!
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
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....
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....
Monday, December 06, 2004
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?
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?
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