Monthly Archives: July 2014

Demons are bad news: can we do without them?

A short while ago I received this message from a correspondent: I do not believe in a devil, or demons. This difference in belief has lead to various familial arguments I’d rather avoided, but could not. My mother is quite … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Churches, God, Jesus, Science | Tagged | 5 Comments

The Kingdom of God: what did Jesus mean?

I’m posting this because I’m preaching on Sunday, and the lectionary readings are some short parables by Jesus on the Kingdom. What Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God has been debated endlessly. The way I was first taught it, … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Ethics, God, Inequality, Jesus, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Who needs moral disgust?

Shocking, isn’t it? The popular British newspaper The Sun revealed on Friday that a British girl on holiday in Magaluf performed sex acts on 24 men in a night club.  ‘Binge-drink Brits’ have sunk to a ‘new low’, according to … Continue reading

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Ivan Karamazov and God’s goodness

This is part argument, part request for information. I’m researching theodicy. Why does a good God allow suffering? One of the classic texts is Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Ivan describes a five-year-old girl being deliberately tortured by her parents. It … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, God, Religion | Tagged , , | 1 Comment