It is now an archive for my newspaper and magazine pieces. My blog can now be read at: www.spectator.co.uk/stephenpollard
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Melanie Phillips home page
Melanie Phillips' peerless blog. Read, and learn.
Daniel Finkelstein's Times Comment Central
A daily must-read.
Tim Worstall
Lots of interesting nibbles - and a ruthless swatter of economic gibberish.
Harry's Place
Must-read left of centre blog from writers who understand the threat to the West.
Clive Davis
Always interesting selection of culture and politics, from an Anglo-American bent.
Samizdata
Libertarian blog, packed every day.
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The thoroughly sensible thoughts of renowned left-wing academic Norman Geras, Professor of Government at Manchester. And cricket, too.
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Peter Briffa's inimitable take on The Yazzmonster and other assorted demons.
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The public sector reform group; their website is an invaluable source of data and ideas.
Centre for the New Europe
The leading European public policy think tank.
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| September | 10 |
| 2006 |
Ok, I'm not a Christian, but I can't see what a man's HIV status has got to do with his suitability to be a vicar.
I assume that the priest concerned is a Christian.
Not that that's a reasonable assumption, given this bizarre story a couple of days ago:
A PRIEST with the Church of England who converted to Hinduism has been allowed to continue to officiate as a cleric.The Rev David Hart’s diocese renewed his licence this summer even though he had moved to India, changed his name to Ananda and daily blesses a congregation of Hindus with fire previously offered up to Nagar, the snake god. He also “recites Gayatri Mantram with the same devotion with which he celebrates the Eucharistâ€, according to The Hindu, India’s national newspaper.
The Hindu this week pictures him offering prayers to an idol of the elephant god Ganesh in front of his house. However, he still believes he is fit to celebrate as an Anglican priest and plans to do so when he returns to Britain.
...“I have neither explicitly nor implicitly renounced my Christian faith or priesthood,†he said. The renewal of his licence was sponsored by the Rural Dean of Colombo in Sri Lanka.
Mr Hart believes that his change to Hinduism would be “read in the spirit of open exploration and dialogue, which is an essential feature of our shared modern spiritualityâ€.
He also said that he would continue to celebrate as an Anglican priest when he visited England, but he would also visit a Hindu temple while there. “My philosophical position is that all religions are cultural constructs,†he said. “I am acting out God’s story in local terms.â€
Beyond satire.
MessageSpace
...“I have neither explicitly nor implicitly renounced my Christian faith or priesthood,†...
What absolute balderdash. The man is no Christian. This is the eternal problem. GK Chesterton said it is not that the Christian ideal has been tried and found wanting; it is that it has been found too difficult and left untried. An Archbishop of Canterbury not so long ago even said he believed G-d could not physically manoeuvre things. What sort of a statement is that? Again - wherever G-d builds a church, the devil also builds a chapel and is therefore G-d's ape. The problem has always been that the most visible 'Christians' are exceedingly suspect. Bill Graham, US tele-evangelists, various Archbishops, Cardinal O'Connor. The list goes on and on. Christianity, by definition, nourishes obscurity and does not come out with either ambivalent or dogmatic statements and certainly doesn't compromise its principles. JC Himself said you'll know them by their fruits. If this man quoted here is laughable, if he makes Christianity a laughing stock - then by definition, he's of the other party.
As barking mad as those individuals who believe that a Jew can remain a Jew even when he or she has converted to Christianity. No doubt such people also are of the considered opinion that a bowler who launches a rugby and not a cricket ball should not be disqualified.
' "“My philosophical position is that all religions are cultural constructs,†he said. “I am acting out God’s story in local terms.†'
Does that mean that if he went to Papua New Guinea he would eat missionaries? (If they do, of course......)
All those Messianic Jews are mad then. And those who practice their faith in another church though they were born Jewish. Don't want to be off topic, so I leave it at that.
There is a reason why Jesus accepting Jews don't go to Jewish circles. They'd be sent away humiliated. Sad if you ask me.