The Bible speaks of pseudo-science as well as science. Paul warned Timothy to avoid "profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called" 1Tim 6:20. Christians are taught not to be gullible. Jesus teaches critical thinking, counter-cultural thinking and delivers us from servile following of the crowd. Medical trials On 18 Feb 2020 …
Author: Donald
Medicine cannot make up for stupidity
The success of modern medicine has made some people behave in a reckless manner, risking their own life and the lives of others, in the false belief and mistaken hope that medicine can save them from any of the consequences of their risky behaviour. Coronavirus The coronavirus outbreak is an example. The USA has repatriated …
Important questions answered
There are some important questions that need to be answered. Thankfully, the Bible answers them. Imagine what it would be like if we did not have these answers? Well, it is not very difficult to imagine because multitudes of people live their lives without even asking these questions, far less seeking the answers. However, life …
The poverty of modern debate
The poor level of modern debate is not only a reflection upon our poor educational system, but it shows the spirit of the debaters and the standards in public life. Our poor educational system The inability of public speakers to define their terms, to interact meaningfully with opponents without misrepresenting their views, and their inability …
Election results and lessons
The success of Sinn Féin in the Irish general election has raised the question of Irish re-unification. Political spin The post-election use of results in order to reinterpret the campaign is a feature of political spin that needs to be identified and called out for what it is. Let me illustrate it with the SNP …
Addressing media bias
There are many accusations of bias in the broadcast media, and not without some justification. Donald Trump drew attention to it by calling some journalism fake news and when he strong-armed journalists at news conferences. The BBC complained that Boris Johnson would not be interviewed by Andrew Neil prior to the Dec 2019 General Election …
Brexit has arrived! The Lord has done it
"God reigns, let the earth be glad, and isles rejoice each one," including the British Isles.Psalm 97:1 Scottish metrical version. Even the ungodly say "Thank God for that!" – but I mean it. Most of my adult life I have looked forward to the day we would leave the EU, or its predecessor the EEC. …
Unbelief: the default position
Unbelief is the default position for human beings. People believe what they judge to be true. For every truth, there are many untruths set against it. As there is more falsehood than truth, there is more unbelief than belief in the world. Fake news drowns out the truth, and when the truth is discovered it …
Can you trust Christians?
It is common to hear people complain that they cannot trust such and such a person, particularly politicians. This is a blanket statement, showing how little thought they have given to the subject. People say that they cannot trust the Prime Minister and little wonder that people say that they cannot trust Christians when they …
John Bunyan and biblical metaphors
I attended a useful lecture last night on The Forgotten John Bunyan, whose Pilgrim's Progress is a Christian classic. The adjective 'Forgotten' partly referred to Bunyan's language, imagination and use of metaphors, which were controversial in 17th-century British Christianity. Pilgrim's Progress is sometimes described as the first novel, but this is not accurate because Don …
