Divine retribution

Last week was a rather tough week. One reason was that I lost my voice. Those that know me, know how much I like to talk. Endlessly. To lose my voice was very frustrating indeed. To cap it all, I was at the Churches Media Conference, which is a great place to meet people and make connections. Because I couldn't really speak, I had to have a go at mute networking. Slightly difficult as I couldn't quite figure-out the sign-language for 'Methodist'.

It was particularly weird as on Sunday night I has a dream in which I called someone a very rude name indeed (not to be repeated). When I awoke, I got the feeling that God was trying to tell me to think more before I speak and to shut up and listen for a change.

Then I lost my voice. Ho hum.

More film reviews from the wonderful Jenny P...

Connie & Carla - This is the first film I watched. It cheered me up. Very entertaining.

Paycheck - Interesting - I like the way Ben Affleck used the contents of that envelope.

The Core - I like disaster movies. Very exciting in some places...should be careful with my heart racing away.

Cypher - I really liked this one. What a surprise ending! And I think Jeremy Northam is gorgeous.

The Thirteenth Floor - ?! What? Not a bad film but not suitable for a person with an infarct!!

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Thanks Jenny! xxxxxxxxx

Phew!

Just handed in my most recent essay for the MA and am beginning to think that this studying lark is a lot harder than it looks. (My apologies to all my mates - I know that I practically haven't spoken about anything else recently).

It's really knackering, but I'm learning things and reading things I never would have touched before.

Here's to actually being able to read a novel for the next few days!!

It doesn't matter what you call it, it's still domestic abuse

It was lovely to open up my email inbox this morning and find a newsletter from Tanzanian charity KIWOHEDE (Kiota Women's Health & Development). The charity does life-changing work among women and girls across Tanzania and there's also a UK based charity that works to raise funds for KIWOHEDE. for more information, visit www.kiota.org. Kiota spends 100% of all donations on projects in Tanzania.

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Flylady - the American housework phenomenon - is growing bigger all the time. I don't think it's particularly anti-feminist and it is a really helpful system for lazy slobs like me. I'm never quite disciplines enough for it though...

The joy of housework
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article1812666.ece

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I find this website deeply worrying:
http://christiandomesticdiscipline.com

This claims that if a wife consents to her husband beating her, he may do so in order to correct her behaviour and ensure that she is the best wife she can be. After all, it's the way God intended. Should you beat her until she cries? Apparently it's the only way she'll ever learn.

This is one of the reasons people are so cautious of the 'male headship model' of marriage. Personally, I don't hold with the concept at all, but I know many Christians who do and have loving, caring, respectful partnerships without any hint of violence.

Violence, particularly towards those you love, is simply not acceptable and neither is it God's plan for loving relationships.

Wake up, Anna!

Well it's been ages since I wrote on this blog, mainly because I've been busy over at the nonewshoes blog - http://nonewshoes.blogspot.com.

But I've decided it's time to get more active in the blogsphere again (not that I'm promising it will actually make any sense!). In part, inspiration has come from the Christian Blog Awards:

www.christianblogawards.co.uk

Was rather surprised when they asked me to be a judge, so it thought it best to renew my blogging enthusiasm.

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happy friday!

It's been a long and stressful week.

I'm tired and moany.

And the trains are completely up the spout.

Ah, Ship of Fools...

Ah, Ship of Fools, that fab website for those of us Christians for whom the worldwide church is both a joy and (occasionally) an embarrassment.

I'm especially fond of the Fruitcake zone, as I believe our Good Lord would be:
http://www.shipoffools.com/Fruitcake/index.html

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Movie Reviews

Late summer (I think) last year, my best friend Sarah's mum, Jenny, had to have a very serious heart operation. We all rejoice that things went very well and now she is well on the road to recovery. During her recuperation, Jim and I lent her some DVDs to pass the time as she was basically told by doctors that she MUST NOT DO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT EXHAUST HER, and with a heart complaint, that includes pretty much any activity that you can't do from the sofa (and some you can).

Anyway, after she had watched some of them, we were very pleased to receive a little note to say thank you and offer her critique of the collection. So here are her thoughts...

Connie and Carla - this is the first film I watched. It cheered me up. Very entertaining.
Paycheck - Interesting. I like the way Ben Affleck used the contents of that envelope.
The Core - I like disaster movies. Very exciting in places...should be careful withmy heart racing away.
Cypher - I really liked this one. What a surprise ending! And I think Jeremy Northam is gorgeous.
The Thirteenth Floor - ?! What? Not a bad film but not suitable for a person with an infarct!!

Thanks Jennie. We look forward to more!

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New Year's Resolutions...

Ok, rather late, I know. One of my (many, and now mostly broken) new year's resolutions was to use my blog more. I enjoy posting but always forget to do it.

Other resolutions included spend less, exercise more, pray more and, um... be better at stuff.

Anyway, here's an article I enjoyed recently (courtesy of Coz):

The Caucasian crusader rides again in 'Blood Diamond'
http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/beyond-the-pale/2007/01/09/1168104982198.html
I'm looking forward to the film, but it helps to keep these things in context when you realise the questions about films that we often forget to ask.

I also went to see Apocalypto over the Christmas break - very, very gory. It could have been quite good if Mel Gibson would have resited going too far and dipping into the ridiculous. Giles Fraser makes some interesting observations here, although I'm not sure that I agree that the film can be branded antisemitic:

A Christian snuff movie that links blood with salvation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1986514,00.html

Oh, and big congratulations to all the lovely couples getting married this year:

Sarah and Dave
Alice and Dante
Alice and Nick (different Alice)
Chris and Antonia
Dan and Alex (my husband's last unwed brother)

More to say, but I think I'll break it down into different posts.

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Recent coverage about the Ipswich murders...

Here's a helpful comment piece:

The Ipswich murders: they were women, weren't they?
Matthew Parris

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-2502129,00.html

This one was interesting as well:

Prostitutes deserve as much sympathy as any murder victim
Joan SmithTuesday December 12, 2006
http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1970129,00.html

But I found this headline rather annoying...

Drugs are the curse of our land and turn women into prostitutes
By Simon Heffer

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/12/13/do1301.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/12/13/ixopinion.html

Really? Are drugs the sole cause of prostitution? Actually, I think it's men. Obviously not all men, but if there wasn't a market for anonymous sex-on-demand, these women would find other ways to feed their addictions and make ends meet. I also reject to the author using the term 'tart' to refer to prostitutes. Either treat people with respect or don't talk about them at all. How would he like it if I referred to him constantly as something very rude? Also, I wonder, how could he even begin to understand what might drive a woman (or a man, for that matter) into a life of prostitution? Blaming drugs is very handy - it's a faceless evil. Looking at society's constructions that lead people to take drugs and to move into this kind of lifestyle is much more demanding. Which is why no-one wants to do it.

Also, a friend pointed out that the news coverage constantly refers to the victims of these murders as 'girls' - they were not girls, they were women. How interesting that even though this is such a serious issue, the victims themselves are not being taken seriously.

My heart and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims of these awful murders and to those who work and live in the area.

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It's a sad day in hollywood

Clooney mourns death of his pig:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6209130.stm

Clooney, 45, added that he had no plans to replace the pet. "I think Max covered all my pig needs," he said.

Earlier this year Clooney took the pig for a flight in John Travolta's private jet, declaring afterwards that Max "absolutely loved it".
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My mum always wanted one of those pigs.

Yeah, cos that makes perfect sense...

Nuclear stockpiles cut to placate Trident opponents
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2029290.ece

This invention will truly make the world a better place...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,171-2452275,00.html

Been a while since I posted...

... so there's a few things I wanted to mention.

Dave's blog (link below) has a rather good entry from yesterday about beating suspicious debating assumptions - something I should be reminded of frequently! Thanks Dave ;o)

A moving comment piece in today's guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1942826,00.html

I saw someone from the Israeli army yesterday on the news apologizing for the erroneous strike on Beit Hanoun that killed 18 members of the same family (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6128614.stm). Perhaps it's not a particularly Christian view to take, but I found myself thinking that they'd sacrificed their right to be sorry when they purchased those weapons. I know that forgiveness is ultimately available to all who repent, but his words just seemed meaningless to me.

On a lighter note, I think this is a great idea:
Cyber tabloid will cover all the news that's virtually true
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1941903,00.html
maybe someone could set up a rival paper... mind you, there are probably already more by now. I wonder if it has radio stations yet. One of my colleagues is doing some work on the issue of online spirituality, and I bet there's huge scope for Christian involvement in online environments like Second Life.

It looks like they're not far off making the late pope a saint:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news2006/11/07/wmiracle07.xml
I think the concept of the sainthood of certain people can be helpful in identifying those who are inspirational role models, or who have something to teach us even today. However, I think there's a very real danger that we see these people as spiritual superhereos, utterly divine and devoid of humanity. It's very easy to forget that according to Paul, we are all saints (no, not the Appleton sisters) - that's what it means to be a member of Christ's church in the world (by which I mean in all denominations). The Saints identified by the Roman Catholic Church are important, but only if we remember their humanity. They show us what we're capable of in Christ - anything! Most of my favorite saints are still alive and kicking.

Thought-provoking article in the Times from yesterday:
Muslims in Glass Houses
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,172-2442565,00.html
I don't know enough about the issues to agree wholeheartedly with the author, but he raises some interesting points. However, he does comment that 'The reason we hear so little about religious oppression in the Muslim world is straightforward: young Christians in the West don't become radicalized, and persecuted Christians tend not to respond with violence". That may currently be true, but Christianity must always be aware of its violent past in periods such as that of the Crusades. We don't have to keep apologizinging for things, but the good and the bad exist as part of our heritage and must be remembered.

This woman simply can't take a joke:
http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_179/howiwasduped.html
Linda Stein says:
"In humor or art theory, you could argue that his statement is so ridiculous that the very utterance of it proves the reverse, and therefore is an unmasking of his character's small mindedness. Some of Borat's most famous segments do just that, such as when the comic, who is Jewish, cajoles patrons in a country-western bar to sing 'Throw the Jew down the well' to expose covert anti-Semitism. But what exactly is he trying to unmask when he ridicules women?"
Perhaps covert misogyny? I cannot see how his jokes about Jews are any more or less offensive than those about women. Whether Sacha Baron Cohen had a moral agenda to expose bigotry, or whether that was a happy side-effect, the Borat movie is funny. It is inoffensive simply because it sets out to offend everyone and does so in such a ridiculous manner. I loved it.

That'll do for now, methinks.

Time for a wake-up call

Women's lives 'no better' in new Afghanistan

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article1945761.ece

Deeply saddening. The headline doesn't do it justice.

Pop mogul-turned-pastor pledges cash to help firemen in gay row

I love that headline.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,171-2429368,00.html

I've met this guy and he seems very nice. It's a shame, though, that he quotes the story of Sodom as a scripture against homosexuality. I think even my cat could recognize that this text is not about homosexuality. It's about gang rape and violation of hospitality.

If it is about homosexuality, it's certainly not any form that I would recognise, nor would most people I know.

Isn't it interesting that no one ever seems to comment on the fact that Lot offers his daughters as a substitute. Good old Lot.

Freud got there first

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,171-2428935,00.html

Does anyone else wish that Richard Dawkins would get a new tune? Ok, I get it, he doesn't believe in God. And...? Does he not feel he has anything further to contribute to society?

It's not his arguments that annoy me - we all need to engage with these issues and be willing to debate them and grow from that. But I do object to his arrogance. And the fact that he doesn't seem to be able to work on any other theories. If he really doesn't believe in God, why waste all this time talking about it?

He raises interesting issues about what we usually term 'religious experience', but I'm rather tired of his arguments. Besides, Freud got there first.

Why is it that when I talk to God, I'm praying, but when God talks to me, I'm schizophrenic? Dawkins says little about the very real transformation that can occur in a person as the result of personal faith and these seemingly 'unreal' experiences. I'm not talking about a simple change in thinking or feeling - these can be brought about by many things and are often temporary. But there is something to be said about a change that happens within a person as a result of such experiences and, more importantly, a lived faith in Jesus.

He also critiques Aquinas' proofs, which is probably a good thing. We need to be able to criticism even our own spiritual heritage. Not sure how relevant this is for modern-day Christians, though - I don't think I have ever met anyone converted to Christianity through the 'proofs'.

Oh well, good luck to him.

final ranty note...

There's an interesting couple of debates going on over on Dave's blog, although I reckon he's misunderstood me over my comments on the veils debate.

Oh, and one final ranty story for the day, though it's a couple of days old now:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6076652.stm

I don't think I'm allowed to say exactly what I'd like to about this guy, but it ain't particularly nice.

But I like the idea of part-time work on full-time pay...

Feeling in a particularly ranty mood today.

First off, what's all this about Prince Charlie taking on the title 'Defender of Faith'? What does that even mean??? If the Buddhists are having a row with the Christians, who does he defend?

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/prince.charles.plans.to.break.tradition.with.multifaith.coronation/8135.htm

Though I have to say, I'm not particularly fussed that he should be the defender of my faith, thank you very much. That said, it's cool that he wants a multi-faith coronation. I think it should be representative of the people of England.

And another thing, there was a letter in the Daily Mail today (or was it the Express?) by someone who was outraged that the Archibishop of Canterbury had not spoken out to defend the woman who works for BA and has been told she can't wear her cross to work.

Who is he, her father??!! She seems to be doing a pretty good job of defending herself.

Oh, and Naomi Campbell has been arrested for assault again:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=412629&in_page_id=1773&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5
Good grief, that woman's going to set a record. Gotta love the T Shirt though.

And, another favourite article for the day, Chris De Burgh proves his miraculous healing powers...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=412583&in_page_id=1773

Check out Dave's blog - it's cool

Here's a great blog to check out for all those with theological leanings:
http://davewilliams-random-thoughts.blogspot.com

Dave is an all-round top bloke and one of my favourite theologians. His blog's got a bit more of an academic and spiritual emphasis to mine, which is great for people like me who are complete geeks but don't quite have the brain power to work through it on our own.

He's also my best mate's fiance - hurrah!

Dave - sorry about the late posting! This week's been crazy.