Priests & Nuns Should Drive Humble Cars!

Pope Francis has said, “It hurts me when I see a priest or a nun with the latest model car, you can’t do this.”

He went on to say, "A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world."

Much has been made of Pope Francis' attitude to the poor and the way in which he is living his life (see previous blog post <here>). He has given up some of the trappings of Office including living in a guest house rather than the opulent papal apartments.

Apparently the Pope's car of choice for moving around the walled Vatican City is a compact Ford Focus. He also borrowed Fiat as a popemobile for his first papal visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa last Monday (see above).

Do you think the Pope is right to challenge the clergy on their materialistic attitudes? Do you think by setting an example he is able to change the thousands of priests around the world? Do you think it is too simplistic to say they should be thinking of the staving children?

Read more <here> and <here>

Praying Isn't Enough

Two parents who believed that visiting a doctor was akin to worshipping a false idol have been found guilty separately of second-degree reckless homicide. They prayed to save their child instead of taking her to hospital, and as a result their 11 year-old daughter Madeline Kara Neumann (pictured above) died of undiagnosed diabetes.

The Neumanns had contended their convictions, claiming they were unconstitutional because of the Wisconsin state's law that allows residents to pursue "treatment through prayer." However the judge over ruled this effectively eliminating legal immunity for prayer treatment.

The girls grandparents have pleaded for her to be taken to a doctor but her mother, Leilani Neumann, claimed that would take away the glory of God. After the girl died, Leilani told police God would raise Kara from the dead.

Do you think someone should have intervened before the girl had died? Do churches that promote this idea of prayer over medicine need to be challenged? How do you think this effects the perceptions of Christians?

Read more <here>

"Protection of the Rights and Interests of Elderly People"

The title of this blog post is the name of a law passed in China a few months ago, introduced to effectively force people to look after and visit their elderly relatives.

In Confucian philosophy, filial piety is a virtue of respect for ones parents and ancestors. It is seen as one of the most important of virtues and many folklore stories tell of individuals great love, service and dedication to their parents. However it is seemingly not enough to simply tell your children of these ancient tales, it also needs to be enshrined in law officials have decided.

The law has nine clauses that lay out the duties of children and their obligation to tend to the “spiritual needs of the elderly.”. It clearly states that children should go home “often” to visit their parents and send them greetings. Companies and work units should legally give employees enough time off so they can make these parental visits.       

It does not specify punishments, but already people are beginning to use this law to force their children to take care of them. A court in Wuxi found a couple guilty after they were sued by the wife's mother-in-law. They are now bound by a court order to visit at least once every two months to tend to her 'spiritual needs' and pay her compensation. One can only assume the subsequent visits have been more than a little awkward!

Much of this has come after many Chinese people have moved to the cities in search of work and left their parents in the countryside. Reports indicate that half of the 185 million people age 60 and older live apart from their children.

Do you think this is a good idea? Do you think it will help the problem? What aspects of this are a positive thing? What problems can you see?

Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/world/asia/filial-piety-once-a-virtue-in-china-is-now-the-law.html
  

Organ Donors: Opt-in or Out-out?

On a historic day, the Welsh assembly have voted through a law that will mean people have to opt-out of the organ donation register. Effectively in Wales, people will automatically be considered as a donor when they die, unless they have expressly 'opted-out' of the register.

It was discussed on this blog last year about how the ethical dilemma presented by the fact it was easy to sign people up to the donor register, and that you could save lives by signing up your friends and family with them not knowing.... read more <here>.

It is the first part of the UK to adopt such a law, which is already in place in a number of other countries and could be in force by 2015.

The aim of the aim of the Bill is to increase the number of organs available from Wales, potentially by 25%. It is important to remember that not every organ is suitable for donation, nor is it necessarily easy to find a match. It is hoped that the number of donors rise from around 65 donors to 80 and that from these additional donors, there would be a further 26 kidneys, 10 livers, two hearts and four lungs available for transplant - all potentially saving a life.

It is not as easy as some people think to make a correlation between signing up, then donating organs and then saving a life. According to the NHS Blood and Transplant service, it is fewer than 5,000 people that die every year in the UK in circumstances that would allow them to donate successfully.

However, it is estimated there are around 250 people in the UK on a waiting list for a transplant at any one time, with 33 people in Wales died in 2012/13 while waiting. Surely if even a few of these could be saved, the law would be worth while?

The counter-argument revolves around the fact that some people do not like the idea that the State takes charge of the dead body, using it as they see fit. Also people want to know what clauses there will be if a family are against donation from a loved one, will it forcibly take place?

It certainly creates a few ethical questions will no doubt be asked over the next few years in Wales.

Do you agree an opt-out system is better? Despite it only saving a few more lives, is it worth it? How do you think the people of Wales will feel? Do you think it is right that the State can interfere like this? What clauses would you like to see in the new law?

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-23143236
Read more with further detail on the 'For' and 'Against': http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/debate/should-we-move-to-an-optout-system-of-organ-donation-8375859.html

St Alban: Protomartyr of Britain

Today I visit St Alban's for the first time, taking Y8. The Abbey there is home to St Alban and it reminded me of something I wrote for a website on 'English Heros':

Saint Alban was the first British Christian martyr.

To understand his importance for England, it is important to remember that many have called for him to replace St George as the patron saint of England, or even as Britain as a whole.

Alban was a pagan living at Verulamium (now St Albans), who converted to Christianity, and was executed by decapitation on a hill above the Roman settlement of Verulamium. St Albans Abbey was later founded near this site.

The date of Alban's execution has never been firmly established, although The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles lists the year 283.

His crime?

Alban sheltered a Christian priest in his home, and was converted and baptised by him. When the Roman soldiers were sent to Alban's house to look for the priest, Alban exchanged cloaks with the priest and was arrested in his stead at Chantry Island. Alban was taken before the magistrate, who was furious at the deception and ordered that Alban be given the punishment due to the priest if he had indeed become a Christian. Alban declared, "I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things." These words are still used in prayer at St Albans Abbey.
St Alban was eventually sacrificed to the Roman gods and was condemned to death. He was taken out of the town across the River Ver to the top of the hill opposite. The reputed place of his beheading is where St Albans Cathedral now stands.

St Bede tells several legends associated with the story of Alban's execution. On his way to the execution, Alban had to cross a river, and finding the bridge full of people, he made the waters part and crossed over on dry land. And the executioner was so impressed with Alban's faith that he also converted to Christianity on the spot, and refused to kill him. Another executioner was quickly found (whose eyes dropped out of his head when he did the deed), and the first was killed after Alban, thereby becoming the second British Christian martyr.

His shrine in St Alban's Cathedral

St Alban's Cathedral website reads: "Ever since those early times, people have journeyed to this place to remember Alban and all that he stands for. They have come to pray for peace and healing and to seek God. They came in such numbers in the early middle ages that St Albans became the premier Abbey in all England. They come here still."

England has a history of matyrdom, it is something that littered our history books. There have been protestants killed by catholics, catholics killed by protestants, and all other nature of early Christians willing to die for their faith. Perhaps it is something to do with our English-ness that we are ready to die for what we believe in? St Alban was just the first of literally thousands who have died over the last 1800 years in England for their Christian faith. I do think the calls for him to be our true patron saint are very well founded indeed.

Religion: Cause Of Evil, Not Force For Good?

The headline from a recent YouGov poll gave two key facts about young people in Britain:

• Religious figures have the least influence on their lives.
• More say religion is a force for evil than a force for good.

The 2011 Census suggested 59% of the population defined themselves as Christian and just 25% said they had no religion, but it seems that when looking at 18-24 year olds there is a very different picture.

Friends and family obviously dominated the question about who had most influence on their lives but only 12% feel influenced by religious leaders, which was far less than politicians (38%), brands (32%) and celebrities (21%).

Religion's reputation also seems to have suffered with young people, 41% agree that “religion is more often the cause of evil in the world” and only 14% say it is a cause for good.

When asked if they believe in God, only 25% said they did; 19% believed in some non-Godlike “spiritual greater power” and a further 38% claimed no belief no God or spiritual power whatsoever.

Amongst believers, the most represented denominations were Church of England (13%), then Roman Catholic (9%) and Muslim (4%).

The Huffington Post reported that A Church of England spokesperson said: "It is unsurprising that this sample of less than 1,000 people gives a different result than a Census of tens of millions of people. Even then these figures show more people choosing belief over non-belief."
Do you think this is an accurate picture? Do you think that 18-24 year olds are 'less religious' than the rest of the population? Why? Do you think their views are heavily influenced by the media? Do the the media portray a 'fair image' of religion? Why/not?

Read more at: http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/06/24/british-youth-reject-religion & http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/25/religion-cause-of-evil-force-for-good-_n_3494971.html

5y/o Peace Campaigner vs Westboro Baptist Church

Jayden Sink is the 5 year old daughter of Jon, who runs a philanthropic arts group called Fresh Cassette. After being told that the church across the street had a message of hate, she decided to set a goal of raising money to instead go towards a message of love and peace.

The Equality House stands across the road from Westboro Baptist Church's Kansas headquarters. It is owned by a group called Planting Peace who are a non-profit organisation dedicated to spreading goodwill and equality.

She put up a sign "Pink Lemonade for Peace: $1 Suggested Donation." and literally hundreds of people came and supported her. All money raised goes towards Planting Peace.

However the Westboro Baptist Church tried to shut her down, even calling the police and then shouting obscenities at those who arrived to support Jayden.

“Jayden represents the natural humanity we are born with," said Davis Hammet, Director of Operations at Planting Peace, "We come into this world compassionate, caring beings and only become hateful if we are taught to be.”

Donate <here>
Read more <here>

Why do you think as Christians the Westboro Baptist Church is so filled by hate? Do you think this act was deliberately antagonistic? Why do you think they had such a problem with the young girl selling lemonade?