TURMOIL CONTINUES

For some time now I have been impressed by the double nature of the judgements which are threatening the world. On the one hand is humanity’s destructive behaviour towards itself and on the other hand there is the hugely destructive potential of natural forces. Both of these, I believe, will show a frightening increase as this century proceeds. And my horizon can no longer remain the shores of our own nation; judgement is a world issue.

This last week has seen marked examples of these two forces; massive revolutionary demonstrations in Egypt (reflected in other parts of the Middle East), along with unprecedented natural catastrophes, especially in Australia and the Amazon. This week I’ll comment on the natural phenomena, next week the Middle East.

Only three weeks ago I wrote a column called “World in Turmoil” featuring the great Australian floods. Now we have seen in the same country the worst hurricane in living memory. Its eye was 20 miles across, its impact from was 400 miles across and it reach was some 600 miles inland. Winds reached 180 m.p.h. Mercifully it did less damage than anticipated in the larger towns in its path, but its devastation was huge. Australian courage and resolve have faced it but, of course, cannot lessen it. And this was a hurricane following rapidly after unprecedented floods.

Less known, but perhaps more frightening is the news from the Amazon forest area, the “lungs of the planet”, where in 2010 there has been catastrophic drought. This follows, and is worse than, a previous “one-in-a-hundred-year” drought in 2005. The Rio Negro, which is the biggest tributary to the Amazon, was at its lowest levels since records began at the start of the 20th century. In addition the dryness of the forests has made them susceptible to vast forest fires. All this means that a huge area of the world which has been absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere has begun to release CO2 into the atmosphere. Whereas the Amazon will normally soak up some 2 billion tones of CO2 annually, the 2005 drought released some 5 ½ billion tonnes into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions from the U.S.A. This is due to the vast numbers of dying and decaying tress and foliage. A Brazilian professor of Tropical Ecology commented; “The predicament of the Amazon and other major tropical forest regions has never been so uncertain”. The increasing climate instability is a factor that will not go away. We know enough science now to know the appalling consequences of such instability; global convulsions affecting world geography, populations, food and water.

A newspaper editorial said, “The world needs massive action, beginning immediately to reverse the existing trends on emissions and deforestation”. Correct! But it is simply most unlikely to happen; the prevailing selfishness and inadequacy of humanity being all too evident.

Three weeks ago I related these kinds of happenings to Jesus’ prophetic words about end-time catastrophes in the heavenly and natural spheres, reminding us they are not simply indicators of judgement but indicators of cosmic rebirth at his coming. One further thought arises in my mind; are the devastating catastrophes he spoke of likely to come “overnight” or will they build up in intensity over time? The sensible answer to that question would seem to be that the odds are even. Personally I would think a gradual build up more likely, but at a pace that was clearly discernable to anyone who had eyes to see and was watching, and a pace that increased with time. Beware! The pace is quickening.


Bob


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A CAUSE FOR OFFENCE

We all know of the Christian air stewardess who was suspended for wearing a cross whilst on duty. Some may even know of the council office worker who was told to remove her wedding ring whilst at work. Recently a Christian mental health worker was suspended by the NHS for sharing privately with her work colleagues Christian principles in connection with abortion advice. In the first and last of these cases re-instatement thankfully was made, but only through the intervention of a Christian Legal Agency.

In all three cases the real scandal was the charge preferred against these people: doing or saying things that “some people may find offensive”. One wonders what kind of person would find the sight of a woman’s wedding ring “offensive” – would it be some one who objects to life long vows of commitment? One has to retort that such stricture is itself an act that is grossly offensive..

This kind of arbitration, “because it might offend”, is based on incredibly shaky ground. It never ought to be at the bottom of any stricture. All it does is to give a handle for some people (one might say, slightly obsessive people) to abuse other people who have a different or opposite viewpoint. There is evidence of this across the world in accusations against Christians where they are in a minority. I seem to remember that the argument against the old British blasphemy laws was that there should be no law against non-religious opinion, and such opinion should not be treated as an offence. There was great outcry until these laws were rendered defunct. Now it seems a Christian stance is the new blasphemy in the sight of certain groups of people and the blasphemy law must be reinstated in a new guise to crush such a stance. Certainly there seems to be very little of the “live and let live” in these acts; they smack much more of intolerance, and that in an age which outwardly screams for tolerance as the supreme virtue.

The problem with making a ruling against something “that some people might find offensive” is of course that it is virtually impossible to make any objective decision as to what is or is not offensive. It is totally dependent upon some party proclaiming they have been offended. In such a situation it will always be the louder voice or the greater threat of retaliation that wins the day. A person of militant outlook will be the one who uses the ruling, and will always win against one of a more peaceful outlook. It is indeed exactly the situation in which real tolerance is most likely to disappear. It means a reversion to a “might is right” position.

Individual cases are always important, but there is a very far reaching case being courted at the level of the United Nations. Ironically enough there is a movement afoot to get a ruling which would stricture defamation of religion. It’s a blasphemy law in new clothes! It is based on precisely the same principle as the cases we have looked at above, namely that nothing must be allowed which offends. What happens, however, when one set of religious beliefs are “offensive” to another? And that is the reality world-wide! Once again the loudest voice wins, and the most violent cause overwhelms the peaceable cause. And that is happening in many Muslim dominated areas. If such a ruling is adopted by the U.N. we shall have militant groups using the legislation simply to persecute minorities. There has rarely been such a misleading and dangerous proposal.



Bob

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NUMBER ONE HYDE PARK

You may have seen last week the opening celebration of four new blocks of 80 flats in Hyde Park. Some 50 had already been bought, and the “guests” included billionaires from the Gulf States and Russia. The Sheikh Prime Minister of Qatar has bought several of these flats (he is joint owner of the company that controls the flats). Other buyers came from the U.S., Eastern Europe and China, amongst whom were plutocrats, potentates and technology billionaires.

These flats are different, even for London. The four penthouses on top of the four blocks have already changed hands for up to £135 million each, and the cheapest homes, one bedroom flats, were going for £5.75 million. They represent a new high for residential property anywhere in the world, and they revel in unlimited luxury; high quality polished marble and European oak is everywhere. They are, of course, bomb proof, and they have “panic rooms”.

The venture was a gamble for the property developers involved, but clearly they hit the jack pot! The sales have reached £1 billion already. There is talk now of others being built. The government is not likely to object, having netted £36 million already in Stamp Duty - there is always money to be made out of the rich if you know how.

One newspaper report commented, “(this) confirms London as the favoured playground and tax haven of the international elite”. Unfortunately it is a playground in the midst of a very depressed property market for ordinary people, and in the midst of a nation in which one in five young people are now unemployed and are very unlikely ever to own the smallest and cheapest of properties. It grotesquely highlights the difficult times in which we live. “A favoured playground for the rich” is not really the highest honour that could be paid to our nation’s capital at this time. Or indeed at any time! It is in fact an appalling condemnation.

It is exactly the sort of scenario that Amos addressed 2,700 years ago in his own severe warning to the rich of his day. As he pointed out,it is extremely dangerous to have such wealth when there is so much poverty about. There is always a day of reckoning. God watches the deceit and injustice that accompanies so much wealth accumulation. James in the New Testament had some harsh words for the rich of his day; “Now listen you rich people; weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you …” Wealth can so easily destroy real human living for those who indulge in it

Thank God many rich people have taken note of this fact. We’ve always had the super-rich, but we’ve always had many benefactors and philanthropists whose activities have benefited thousands; the Rothschilds, the Carnegies, the Cadburys and latterly Bill Gates, to mention the most obvious. In a world where the richest 1% of adults control 43% of the world’s assets, and the wealthiest 10% control 83% of those assets there is a vast call for a culture of benefactors and philanthropists. The “trickle down effect” of the rich is a very poor excuse for selfish squandering. There are billions in locked up resources that could so beneficially be released, both for giver and receiver.

The Judeo-Christian tradition has the injunction of “giving to the poor” deeply embedded in its foundations. It is a profoundly important foundation for any healthy human society. It has more than a human sanction, it has a divine sanction. It has more than a human blessing, it has a divine blessing. The same tradition has strong warning for those fail to acknowledge that “the love of money is the root of all evil” and who cling avidly to their gains.


Bob

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