The 2016 UK Referendum, whether to stay in the European Union, was the largest vote in UK history. 17.4 million people voted "Leave" and it seemed clear that Britain wanted to leave the EU and that this would happen. The tail wagging the dog However, we live in an era when the tail wags the …
Category: Behaviour
Representative democracy
Brexit has demonstrated the importance of voting for the person whom you want to represent you in the House of Commons. The current situation of a minority Government bound by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 has highlighted the following issues: Direct and Representative democracy Should an MP honour the wishes of the country in a …
Biblical repentance
Roman Catholic doctrine continues to be seen in the presbyterian practice of repentance. Whereas presbyterians may preach biblical repentance, some presbyterian procedures involve Roman Catholic penance in practice. Whereas preaching may not be legalistic, practice can be. It reminds us of the Saviour's warning to do as officialdom says, but not to do as they …
Gather up the fragments that remain
Jesus said to His disciples: "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." John 6:12 Jesus said this after feeding 5,000 people on the Galilean hillside. He was teaching His disciples about more than being tidy. In this same chapter Jesus taught "I am the Bread of Life" Jn 6:35,48,51 and He gave …
The political left and right
It is common to hear commentators refer to the left and right in politics and it is a sure put-down to call someone far right or far left. Such terms mean something to the politically-minded but because many people are not political it is more helpful to use other, more exact descriptions. People have different …
The argument for mature politicians
David Cameron said in today's BBC programme The Cameron Years that he never had enough time as Prime Minister to make decisions but plenty of time to think about them after his period as Prime Minister. “I do brood hugely, and the truth is, as Prime Minister you don’t have enough time, sometimes, to think, …
The father of lies
Biblical ignorance has found its way into the Supreme Court in London, U.K. Aidan O’Neill Q.C., barrister for Joanna Cherry MP, declared today to the Supreme Court justices that “the mother of parliaments has been shut down by the father of lies”. The BBC referred to "robust exchanges". If this is meant to be meaningful …
What constitutes a ‘good’ minister?
Not so long ago I discussed the subjective nature of a 'good' sermon. A good minister is not so subjective to assess as a sermon, because the apostle Paul discusses it in his letters and when writing to Timothy he gives advice about a good minister 1Tim 4:6 and evangelist 2Tim 4:5. Ministers and preachers …
Confidence to converse
This is a continuation of my series to help Christians to witness to their neighbour. Lack of confidence Young Christians usually want to witness to their friends about their faith in Christ but they lack confidence. They need guidance but they do not have many examples to follow. It is important for those who lack …
Will I meet you in heaven?
I promised a follow-up on my "Will I meet you in heaven?" parting greeting. It is a very useful one-liner. The purpose of one-liners is to capture interest and to convey information in short compass. It provokes thought on an important topic. There should be many one-liners in the repertoire of Christians who wish to …
Donald's Thoughts 