Fake news raises the question, which media can we trust? The UK diplomatic response to Russian denials of involvement in the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury includes the claim that Russia is spreading a smoke screen of fake news. Yet repeated claims over the years that the BBC is itself biassed, not least from …
Category: Behaviour
Taking complaints seriously
Too late, Jeremy Corbyn is discovering the effects of not taking seriously the complaints about antisemitism in the Labour Party. He is now on the back foot and trying to salvage the situation with as much damage limitation as he can muster. Russia and Vladimir Putin are discovering the same. After thinking they could ignore …
How far does shame go?
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, said that he has "learned to be ashamed again of the Church (of England)" after three weeks of studying the accounts of sexual abuse by Church of England clerics. How does this compare with Roman Catholic cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who regularly studied the accounts of abuse by Roman Catholic priests …
Fake news is more popular than the truth
People spread lies more than the truth. An analysis of more than ten year's worth of tweets shows that fake news spreads faster and further on twitter than true stories. The research also suggests that people play a greater role in sharing lies than computer-generated bots. People are gossips and love to pass on stories …
Secular puritanism
Secular puritanism is on the rise and it is aggressive, unlike Christian puritanism. In the wake of recent sex scandals, secular commentators are expressing their concern at the suspension of due process with trial by media, by social media and the assumption of guilt till proved innocent. ‘The new puritanism’ was discussed in the 15th-anniversary …
President Trump’s poor theology and use of language
President Donald Trump believes in hell and he thinks it can be found in mentally-ill gunmen who shoot school children. He wants to arm trained school teachers to shoot "the hell out of" gunmen running amock. The world's media has drawn attention to his colourful language, but the media is unlikely to address his wrong …
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Should a public service accommodate belief?
Current UK law forces Christians to promote unchristian material contrary to their beliefs, but Virgin Trains has decided to stop selling the Daily Mail newspaper because it is not compatible with the Virgin Trains brand and its beliefs. However, BBC Newsnight described it as 'a culture war'. What about Christian beliefs, the Christian brand and …
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Selective moral outrage
Secular morality has always been selective. It knocks out the first four commandments and modifies the other six of the Ten Commandments. It adds a few more of its own, and keeps some up its sleeve to use when the going is good and when the time and the price is right. Political correctness is …
The Seven C’s of Christian action
A Happy New Year to one and all! Let us begin 2018 by considering the 7 C's of Christian action. It will be good to incorporate them into New Year Resolutions. There have been many books written on Christian doctrine, many biographies of Christians which motivate to Christian action, but not as much about the …
10 years of Street Pastors in Scotland
The tenth anniversary of Street Pastors in Scotland was celebrated by a debate and reception in the Scottish Parliament on 19/12/2017. The debate was secured by Murdo Fraser, MSP, and can be viewed here. Inverness was the first place in Scotland to invite the Street Pastors initiative and pioneered its introduction to the Highlands ten …
Donald's Thoughts 