tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post7604369025493101934..comments2024-02-13T11:11:28.246+00:00Comments on Bishop Alan’s Blog: Squaring a Human Rights CircleBishop Alan Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13879516755776951638noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-53495863570053968282011-04-18T09:20:11.163+01:002011-04-18T09:20:11.163+01:00Rights are very 'cold' and scary things, p...Rights are very 'cold' and scary things, perhaps. 'Love' is what we're asked to do?<br /><br />The mysterious thing is when people try to put conditions on "Love one another". <br /> <br />"I'll love you if you're like me"<br />"I'll love you if you're no work"<br />"I'll love you if I approve of youand if I think you'll be useful for me"<br /> <br />I've never been able to understand those ways of thinking. Jesus told us to love one another, and said that's the most important rule there is. So how can we who stumble about, trying to follow Jesus, possibly fail to want to love every single person, (even the ones who make us feel uncomfortable or nervous, or whose behaviour is mysterious or worrying sometimes?) How can any of us say to another beloved person, "I don't love you enough to want you in my life?" or "I won't help you because I don't want you to be equal to the others"<br /> <br />I think that's why I was so excited to go to the big church service on Saturday for our new Bishop, so I can pray alongside everyone as a fellow Christian and hope for good things in their lives. Just wonderful. Sadness perhaps that some people in some churches don't want people like me to be there amongst them, but God is good.Ann Memmottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-16000997251912374562011-04-16T22:20:33.282+01:002011-04-16T22:20:33.282+01:00I struggle between the need for good / straightfor...I struggle between the need for good / straightforward teaching and the realization of how contextual every moral choice must be. Thus, I always prefer example to rhetoric. I wish Christians were more comfortable and familiar with spiritual practices that develop character and less focused on statements of faith. Since we live in a very verbal age, how can we speak or write in a way that brings people to a change of heart and not just a change of mind?Lucashttp://dacalu.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-66164040642480498522011-04-11T16:21:59.170+01:002011-04-11T16:21:59.170+01:00I wonder whether this affects any traditional orde...I wonder whether this affects any traditional orders of nuns in France? I am reminded just how silly discrimination can be, and the political motivation, to head off the far right makes it even more venal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-86074182706792762082011-04-08T10:37:40.097+01:002011-04-08T10:37:40.097+01:00I remember Barry Harper, Vicar of St John's Wa...I remember Barry Harper, Vicar of St John's Walmley in the late 1970s saying - 'Christians are not in the business of shouting for their own rights but shouting for the rights of others.' I've always tried to keep this one-liner close to my heart.Steve Tilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17400505989949096631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-3009851316820712332011-03-28T15:48:24.931+01:002011-03-28T15:48:24.931+01:00Good reflection on a knotty issue -- untangling is...Good reflection on a knotty issue -- untangling is hard when others keep putting in more knots (reminds me of our cats and knitting). Re: turning the other cheek - I find Walter Wink's reflection on these words of Jesus helpful. <a href="http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/wink_3707.htm" rel="nofollow">Here.</a>Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07287169546184325690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-13455376658736025962011-03-28T15:36:45.241+01:002011-03-28T15:36:45.241+01:00Thank you for a discriminating post.
I can now se...Thank you for a discriminating post.<br /><br />I can now see that my efforts to live my life by what 'feels' right, within the Gospels, has not been a wast of my time.<br /><br />I have tried to get my head around moral absolutes, but always hit the brick wall of exclusion, rather then inclusion, so had thought that some of them were just plain wrong, especially in the arena of sexuality and gender.<br /><br />Now I know that I am not the only one.UKViewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18114944341930758335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-21679841013993743552011-03-28T13:24:39.227+01:002011-03-28T13:24:39.227+01:00Hello Bishop Alan
Your post moved me to comment fo...Hello Bishop Alan<br />Your post moved me to comment for the first time. Didn't mention I am at St Johns and trying to untangle all the anglican language has tested me muchly!!<br />blessings<br />Mo TrudelMo Trudelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-85098603452369337002011-03-28T13:21:41.917+01:002011-03-28T13:21:41.917+01:00I think there are some nuggets to add to your post...I think there are some nuggets to add to your post here, which I noticed in the RSA animate link. you posted this a few weeks ago: I think it's called the Empathetic Civilisation.Big words seem to predominate the Anglican culture,and yet as Christians we are constantly trying to find the right language to each people where they are! there also seems to be a lack of simplicity which took Rifkin 6 years to nail down in his lecture. That is when people hurt we hurt and we want to help, fast.....much can interrupt this but empathy is a basic natural response despite who or where they are. So I would add-empathy plus do to others as you would like done to and use common sense. We can learn much from his research but how are we going to ever reach the folks in our country, our huge mission field, when we communicate the best message on the planet with an array of complex language that even Christians find hard to untangle...don't even get me going on covenants!! Really enjoy your blog Bishop Alan keep going.<br />Mo.Mo Trudelnoreply@blogger.com