January 21st, 2010
This question was asked on the BBC News Site and comments were invited. Only a few were published and mine was must have landed in a waste bin somewhere. So – not to waste my thoughts, here they are. It’s worth reading the other comments on the story first to give the context
At the heart of Haiti’s humanitarian crisis is an age old question for many religious people – how can God allow such terrible things to happen? Philosopher David Bain examines the arguments.
Evil has always been a thorn in the side of those – of whatever faith – who believe in an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good God ……….
The Christian scriptures indicate that the earth was thrown into chaos as a result of man’s disobedience. The stories in Genesis describe the events that led to man being banished from paradise.
The result of those actions, actions which if we’re honest we all imitate in our daily lives, was a creation waiting for a day of redemption.
God doesn’t ignore it. On the contrary, he came in the person of Jesus Christ to share in our sufferings. He felt pain, ridicule and all the limitations of human frailty and earthy chaos. Now, wherever there is pain, fear, disaster and chaos, God is right there sharing in our suffering. I can’t fully explain in a few words why that’s a better way.
If you want to know where God was when the earth convulsed in Haiti – he was right there in the rubble. It almost seems too trite to suggest this idea from the comfort of my home in affluent Britain but I know that when I pray for the people of Haiti and the rescue and aid workers there, I am talking to a God who understands and is already there on the case. But he has chosen to work in partnership with us. I believe the outcome, on the day of redemption, will be better than if God had intervened to make crumbling buildings indestructible or hold the tectonic plates under the island in place. Somehow it inspires us to work harder and to sacrifice our resources on behalf of those in trouble instead of sitting on the sidelines and blaming God that it happened in the first place.
And if there is no God, there is no hope anyway.
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December 17th, 2009
iFixit: Apple Mac, MacBook, iPod, and iPhone Repair Parts.
Anyone who knows me knows I like making things work so the discovery that iFixit is publishing all of its repair manuals free of charge is like an early Christmas present. I am also a believer in reading and using the manual so it’s particularly useful to me. There is of course a sensible priority to how to fix things.
1. What was the last thing you did or changed that may affect the function of the piece of equipment?
2. Is there power to the item?
3. Look at it – is there anything obvious like screws missing, wires or plugs pulled out?
After these basic checks you may need to read the manual before proceeding.
So thank you iFixit, once the formalities are over, your freely available reading matter for the Apple products will make my life easier should anything of mine break down or require an upgrade. While I’m singing your praise – could you make it easier for me to take apart my Mac Mini?
Posted in journal, opinion, technical | No Comments »
December 11th, 2009
delicious thoughts for December 10th from 21:26 to 21:26:
- Khaozmediayork's Weblog – These are the people who provide some of, my son, Warwick's daytime activities. From this blog they look like a positive crew.
Tags: dawn, disability, media, music, socialmedia, sport, volunteering, warwick
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November 19th, 2009
Refresh FM Manchester: how I was stopped from presenting because I was gay.
I worked with Ian Eyan at Greenbelt FM and was shocked when I read an article in The Guardian’s Comment is Free today that he had been sacked from presenting on a community radio station because he is gay.
I was not stopped from being a radio presenter because I was turning up drunk. I was not stopped from being a radio presenter because I was saying offensive things on air. I wish it was that clear cut, because Ofcom have clear guidelines on that.
I was stopped from being a radio presenter because I am homosexual.
I don’t need to go into a long explantation because Ian explains it all very graciously on his blog. He and others like him who have been treated unjustly should be supported, listened to and valued.
Ian Eyan starts presenting on another radio station on Sunday – I wish him all the best.
Tags: evangelical, faith, gay, homosexuality, presenter, radio, refresh, sacked
Posted in events, faith, journalism, media, opinion | No Comments »
November 10th, 2009
I am angry at the way Rupert Murdoch’s empire is exploiting the grief of a bereaved mother to further its campaign against the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. I am also angry that The Sun newspaper is undermining this country’s difficult military strategy in Afghanistan.
Remember that Rupert Murdoch is only interested in building his empire and making money. He doesn’t care about the future of this country, the feelings of the mother, Jaqui Janes, or the lives of our soldiers in the conflict. News International wants to make money – full stop. It seems to me that if it means undermining a government, exploiting grief or putting military lives at risk that’s all part of the money making plan. By publishing a surreptitiously recorded phone call between the PM and Mrs Janes, The Sun has clearly gone against Press Complaints Commission’s code of conduct to grab another headline and extend the story by another day.
I am also unhappy that the BBC made such a big deal of the story – adding fuel to the fire and exciting the frenzy. Have the other papers gone big on this story today? No, because they recognise it for what it is. They have their own profits to make and thankfully for some of them, their own standards below which they won’t allow themselves to fall.
I’ve heard no end of commentators this morning saying how Gordon Brown must be feeling, but when I heard him speak and answer their questions at his press conference, he sounded perfectly composed and in control. Do they believe that if they tell us he’s losing it often enough it will somehow come true?
So I suggest that if you care; if this has also bothered you; that you stop buying the things that put money in Rupert Murdoch’s pocket – The Sun, The Times, films from 20th Century Fox and Sky TV, and lets starve his empire until he comes to his senses. Or do we want the future of our country to be determined by media barons instead of the ballot box. So Don’t Buy The Sun. OK
Posted in events, journalism, media, opinion, politics | No Comments »
October 25th, 2009
delicious thoughts for October 24th from 07:05 to 07:05:
Tags: blogging, dawn, internet, socialmedia, writing
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October 22nd, 2009
delicious thoughts for October 21st from 11:20 to 11:20:
Tags: dawn, family, games, wii
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October 7th, 2009
delicious thoughts for October 6th from 17:17 to 17:17:
Tags: cycling, dawn, iPhone, mobile
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September 28th, 2009
delicious thoughts for September 27th from 19:40 to 19:40:
Tags: dawn, techead
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September 26th, 2009
delicious thoughts for September 25th from 06:52 to 06:52:
- The Staffordshire Hoard – An incredible find of treasure unearthed in Staffordshire by a metal detectorist from Burntwood.
Tags: dawn, history
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