There is a limit after all…

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Posted by Rob Borley | Posted on 01-09-2006

Category : Society

Having posted a number of times now on the growing issue of pornography in our society I was pleasantly surprised this week when I read this story on the BBC.

In 2003 a Brighton school teacher was murdered by a man that it was later confirmed was a regular viewer of violent pornographic material. It appears that he had attempted to reenact some of the scenes that he had witness on a strangulation fetish web-site. I was unaware that the production and publishing of such pornography was illegal in this country already but now, thanks to a campaign but the victims mother, it is also now illegal to posses such material. This offence carries a three year prison sentence.

What this shows is that there is indeed an awareness that such material does have an affect on those who view it. When the petition was given to parliament it gained unanimous cross party support; no mean feat. So maybe there is hope yet that the eyes of society can be opened to the destructive power of pornography in general.

Although, there is a niggling thought in my mind that this is simply a token gesture from the powers that be who don’t quite know what average Joe public really thinks about the issue. The law itself is going to be very difficult to enforce especially as there is a clause which allows for the accidental download of such material. This is obviously possible but I’d imagine quite unlikely and would make any prosecution difficult.

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X Factor

Posted by Jo Borley | Posted on 30-08-2006

Category : Society, Youth Bible Study

I love it when I know that a new series of the X-Factor is about to begin. I�m not interested in seeing who wins and who�s a great singer or performer. I�m just interested in watching the morons who can�t sing to save their life, but some how think they�re the best. What great entertainment! It makes me feel better about being a terrible singer, because I know I�m a terrible singer, unlike those stupid people who humiliate themselves on public television *smile*

Sounds harsh, doesn�t it? But at the end of the day, that�s what it�s all about. Entertainment!!!

The question I want to ask is why do I find other people�s misfortune and lack of talent funny?

The truth is as I�ve already said, it makes me feel good. Why does it make me feel good? Because I get to feel big. I feel better than those people. Because I�m not good enough to be a potential winner, it makes me feel good to be reminded that there are others in the world that I can think of as below me. How sad!!! But it�s the truth.

Now I�m not talking simply about the X-Factor. I�m not saying it�s wrong to watch the X-Factor. What is wrong is that feeling of joy that we all have experienced at some time when other people fail. This is where the system of popularity comes from. Cool or geek. Why do we do this?

We do this because we all desire to know that we are important, better than others, wanted, liked, loved� The reason we need this is because we are human. However, our identity needs to be found in Jesus, who loves each of us as we are, because God made each of us as we are. Those who fail the X-Factor first audition, those who go on to win and those of us who sit at home and watch.

Christ died for all of us. When God looks at each of us he sees his beautiful children. When we feel that we are better than other people it�s a lie from Satan. Satan wants us to feel this way because it disgusts God and separates us from him.

When we look down on other people we are looking down on Gods children. When we look down on other people we are also saying ââ?¬Å?God youââ?¬â?¢re not enough for me. I need to know that Iââ?¬â?¢m important to other people and Iââ?¬â?¢m willing to separate myself from you to win the approval of human beings.ââ?¬Â Itââ?¬â?¢s very sad and Satan loves this crazy process that so many of us fall into.

So next time we feel tempted to laugh at another person�s misfortune lets stop and thank God for creating that person in his image.

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Inherently Wrong!? :-S

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Posted by John Roberts | Posted on 28-08-2006

Category : Literature, Religion, Society

At the moment I am currently reading the book ââ?¬Å?Blue Like Jazzââ?¬Â by American writer Donald Miller, this is a book I bought a few years ago but it has nestled harmoniously in between all my other Christian books, until 3 days ago. I was packing, to get ready from my north to south move and I decided I would pack 3 books to go with me, I picked up the Bible, I picked up a copy of Twelfth Night which I am translating and for some reason I picked up Blue Like Jazz.

I have only read the 1st two chapters and already I could write 4 or 5 different posts on some of the things that have stood out at me, but this one thought has made me think for quite a while now are we born inherently wrong? What I mean is, are we born knowing how to be bad/naughty and not know what good is?

ââ?¬Å?some friends were over at the house, and they have a kid, about 4 or 5 years old or something, and they were telling me about child training. They said their kid had a slight problem telling them the truth about whether or not he had broken something or whether or not he had put away his toys, you know things like that. So later I started wondering why we have to train kids at all. I wondered, you know, if I ever had a couple of kids and I trained one of them, taught him right from wrong, and the other I didnââ?¬â?¢t train at all, I wonder which would be the better kid.ââ?¬Â
ââ?¬Å?The kid you teach right from wrong, of course.ââ?¬Â I told him
ââ?¬Å?Of course, but that really should tell us something about the Human condition. We have to be taught to be good. It doesnââ?¬â?¢t come completely natural. In my mind, thatââ?¬â?¢s the flaw in the human condition.ââ?¬Â
Extract from “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller, nelson 2003

Unfortunately this post is going to open up more questions than I can give answers too, I suppose it�s a post to find out what your thoughts are as much as what mine are.

So are we born inherently wrong?
Do we only know how to behave badly and we have to be taught what is right?
Is this a side effect of the Fall ââ?¬â?? after all we were created in Gods Perfect Image?
is this a problem caused by Satan, does he try and attack the young and innocent, when they still don�t know right from wrong?
Or do we know what Good is, but we just ignore it?

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