One of the interesting comments that continually challenges me is that which asks whether, as a cleric, I have the right to comment on things that I see wrong. My response is that I, as a citizen and as a Christian, have a duty to comment on and seek to resolve issues and situations that are contrary to the rule of law and the common good.
In this nation of ours the police do their job by consent rather than by force. They don't carry firearms or impose martial law but maintain the standards that society consider to be acceptable. We set the benchmarks and the laws seek to ensure that that level of behaviour is maintained come from that.
The problem is that we live in a world where limited morality (ie. there are always naughty people) and variable morality (ie. we all make exceptions and work on the basis of 'natural justice - had it coming' at some time) are to be found. This means that if we see something wrong and refrain from commenting and/or seeking to stop that wrong being enacted the we are condoning it and are, in effect, working to change the levels of acceptability.
Confused? Let me give a couple of examples:
i. A really lovely 'christian' person I know is happy to walk by when bad behaviour is engaged upon on the grounds of 'live and let live / none of my business'. Were whatever they saw affect them then they would act purely because it causes them distress or discomfort. This NIMBY* approach to life is one of the most frustrating I come across because the morality is variable and society, and the rule of law, are weakened.
ii. The, 'I don't have the right to comment - I don't want to be judgemental,' approach to life. I have real problems with this because it isn't taking a path of peace, its giving permission for people to be wrong and behave wrongly. This is the weak and rather than 'non-judgemental' approach people claim it to be, is the path to destruction of society, church and all stations in between.
We need to decide what is acceptable and work to maintain it - when we don't then we are the people who bear the responsibility for the decline in standards that people love to stop and talk to me about.
AND
If this is the duty of the 'ordinary\ citizen (is there such a thing?) then how much more are we whop acknowledge Jesus as Lord called to maintain the standards in our own lives and and to uphold the values and standards that society demands?
So, if you see that it's wrong - speak out.
If you are scared - then get someone who is paid to speak out (we call these Street Wardens, PCSOs, Vicars**, Police Officer) - but don't let it continue.
If you are one of those who complain at falling standards and say nothing and look the other way when same is visible then sad to say - you're actually the root of the problem.
Not going to be popular this, is it?
*Not In My Back Yard
**Because, of course, the same rules apply in church too!
Showing posts with label nimby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nimby. Show all posts
Friday, 7 March 2014
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
HS2 - NIMBYism or Political Suicide?
A while back I tried to organise a public meeting in the area in which I live so that we might get the churches involved in the 'No to HS2' campaign. Now although many around me will be affected, but will not benefit, from this new high speed route I wanted us to discuss the issue and hear the views and facts from all sides of the debate so that we might be engaged with the needs of those around us and have a balanced view.
My first problem came when I eventually managed to get someone from the 'No to HS2' group to talk to me about the issue, something that came about because they were dropping off petition forms not because of the five unanswered electronically generated message or two emails sent to one of the organisers or the two answerphone messages I left! I told them what I wanted to do, and why, and was basically told that they didn't need that, they were doing their own meetings! Hey ho - so now if your read my other HS2 post you will know why the meeting never happened.!
Better still, this concerned citizen basically put forward the views that it wouldn't have been so bad if the route had gone through Tamworth as it wouldn't make any difference to them but her pretty little place of residence would be subject to discomfort and five years of traffic and works!
Wow! Let's forget the financial benefits, the impact of the project on the natural, agricultural or community life in general, this was all about her and her pretty little cottage and the (rather well-heeled it seemed) community and, it appeared, that all would be well if it was placed nearer 'those people'!
So sadly the meeting never took place and I felt sad that regardless of how it might be masked, my only contact with the opposition had been some BMW driving, 'Let them eat cake' bimbag! (Thanks to Julie who many years ago told me that she and the other's in her group came in Bimbette, Bimbo and Bimbag - something that every time I think of it makes me smile :) ).
Better still, today all I have heard is many Conservative supporters burbling on about how they have withheld party funds, will not vote for Conservatives next time and many other mutterings and threats that make me think that come the next election (will the other brother be leading them by then having have the less adequate one keep the seat warm for him during the coalition days) Labour could win because of the 'make the Conservatives pay'brigade.
Seems that London will benefit from HS2 and that joining the North and the South might be a reality for the privileged few, but the rest will merely watch as a blur carrying the privileged passes them by - seems this is the reality for many and will never change (unless we start doing Gospel stuff of course for there is a spiritual side to this too).
Politics and the self-righteous, the self-serving and the plebs. Interesting stuff or what?
So the question, "HS2 - NIMBYism or Political Suicide?" I think it might just be both (now what of the price our natural world will pay?
Pax
My first problem came when I eventually managed to get someone from the 'No to HS2' group to talk to me about the issue, something that came about because they were dropping off petition forms not because of the five unanswered electronically generated message or two emails sent to one of the organisers or the two answerphone messages I left! I told them what I wanted to do, and why, and was basically told that they didn't need that, they were doing their own meetings! Hey ho - so now if your read my other HS2 post you will know why the meeting never happened.!
Better still, this concerned citizen basically put forward the views that it wouldn't have been so bad if the route had gone through Tamworth as it wouldn't make any difference to them but her pretty little place of residence would be subject to discomfort and five years of traffic and works!
Wow! Let's forget the financial benefits, the impact of the project on the natural, agricultural or community life in general, this was all about her and her pretty little cottage and the (rather well-heeled it seemed) community and, it appeared, that all would be well if it was placed nearer 'those people'!
So sadly the meeting never took place and I felt sad that regardless of how it might be masked, my only contact with the opposition had been some BMW driving, 'Let them eat cake' bimbag! (Thanks to Julie who many years ago told me that she and the other's in her group came in Bimbette, Bimbo and Bimbag - something that every time I think of it makes me smile :) ).
Better still, today all I have heard is many Conservative supporters burbling on about how they have withheld party funds, will not vote for Conservatives next time and many other mutterings and threats that make me think that come the next election (will the other brother be leading them by then having have the less adequate one keep the seat warm for him during the coalition days) Labour could win because of the 'make the Conservatives pay'brigade.
Seems that London will benefit from HS2 and that joining the North and the South might be a reality for the privileged few, but the rest will merely watch as a blur carrying the privileged passes them by - seems this is the reality for many and will never change (unless we start doing Gospel stuff of course for there is a spiritual side to this too).
Politics and the self-righteous, the self-serving and the plebs. Interesting stuff or what?
So the question, "HS2 - NIMBYism or Political Suicide?" I think it might just be both (now what of the price our natural world will pay?
Pax
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Not in our churchyard
Yesterday morning after a couple of visits I found myself back at the church (charmingly referred to as the 'cardboard cathedral' by one of my friends) in time for lunch (bangers and mash). As things were drawing to a close we were visited by a homeless person who had been camping nearby and returned to find all their stuff had been stolen.
A couple of hours later, re-equipped, we looked for somewhere to put the person for a night so we could get some focus and plan a way forward. Apparently there was the potential for a local housing association to get involved and so the problem was that of finding a pitch for the night. Now plonking them on private land was not a goer and so, after seeking the opinion of a few people (none sadly much help) I found myself setting the tent up in a corner of a nearby churchyard (in a corner with no graves where someone's obviously camped before) out of the general public gaze. A modern day application of the Church giving sanctuary (or so I thought).
Sadly not, for some of the good burghers of that place wasted little time in ringing the police informing them that 'vagrants' had occupied the churchyard and others engaged in their own version of NIMCY (Not In My Church Yard). As today is world mental health day (apparently) and on the same day that the predictions of the greatest decline in family income and the greatest increase in child poverty since the 70's I despair for society and Church in equal measure.
The person in question will be gone today but the attitudes highlighted will undoubtedly remain :-(
Perhaps we need to play this to all those who call themselves 'Christian':
As a postscript, I have to point out that the tent was in a corner behind clumps of trees and was pretty much invisible (unless you took the trouble to seek it out) so those who took offence did so with some effort. Would be funny if it wasn't so very sad :-(
Lyrics: Keith Green - Sheep and Goats
A couple of hours later, re-equipped, we looked for somewhere to put the person for a night so we could get some focus and plan a way forward. Apparently there was the potential for a local housing association to get involved and so the problem was that of finding a pitch for the night. Now plonking them on private land was not a goer and so, after seeking the opinion of a few people (none sadly much help) I found myself setting the tent up in a corner of a nearby churchyard (in a corner with no graves where someone's obviously camped before) out of the general public gaze. A modern day application of the Church giving sanctuary (or so I thought).
Sadly not, for some of the good burghers of that place wasted little time in ringing the police informing them that 'vagrants' had occupied the churchyard and others engaged in their own version of NIMCY (Not In My Church Yard). As today is world mental health day (apparently) and on the same day that the predictions of the greatest decline in family income and the greatest increase in child poverty since the 70's I despair for society and Church in equal measure.
The person in question will be gone today but the attitudes highlighted will undoubtedly remain :-(
Perhaps we need to play this to all those who call themselves 'Christian':
And when the Son of Man comes, and all the Holy Angels with him,
Then shall he sit on His Glorious throne,
And he will divide the nations before Him,
As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
And she shall put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left,
And He shall say to the sheep; come ye, blessed of My Father,
inherit the Kingdom I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world,
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink,
I was naked, and you clothed me,
I was a stranger, and you invited me in,
I was sick, and I was in prison, and you came to me.
Thank you! Enter into your rest.
And they shall answer Him, yes, they shall answer Him,
And they'll say, Lord, when?
When were you hungry Lord, and we gave you something to eat?
Lord, when were you thirsty? I can't remember. And we gave you drink?
When were you naked Lord, and we clothed you?
And Lord, when were you a stranger and we invited you in?
I mean, we invited lots of people in Lord. I could never forget that face.
And Lord, when were you sick and we visited you?
Or in prison, and we came to you? Lord, tell us?
In as much as you did it to the least of my brethren, you've done it unto me.
Oh yes, as much as you've done it to the very least of my brethren,
You've done it, you've done it unto me. Enter into your rest.
Then He shall turn to those on His left, the goats.
Depart from me, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat,
I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was naked, out in the cold, in exposure, and you sent me away,
I was a stranger, and I knocked at your door,
But you didn't open, you told me to go away,
I was sick, racked in pain upon my bed,
And I begged, and prayed, and pleaded that you'd come, but you didn't,
I was in prison, and I rotted there,
I'd prayed that you'd come.
I heard your programs on the radio, I read your magazines, but you never came.
Depart from me!!!
Lord, there must be some mistake, when?
Lord, I mean, when were you hungry Lord and we didn't give you something to eat?
And Lord, when were you thirsty, and we didn't give you drink?
I mean, that's not fair, well, would you like something now?
Would one of the Angels like to go out and get the Lord a hamburger and a coke?
Oh, you're not hungry, yeah, I lost my appetite too.
Uh Lord uh, Lord, when were you naked,
I mean Lord, that's not fair either Lord,
We didn't know what size you wear.
Oh Lord, when were you a stranger Lord,
You weren't one of those creepy people who used to come to the door, were you?
Oh Lord, that wasn't our ministry Lord. We just didn't feel led, you know?
Lord, when were you sick? What did you have, anyway?
Well, at least it wasn't fatal; oh, it was?
I'm sorry Lord, I would have sent you a card.
Lord, just on last thing we want to know,
When were you in prison Lord? What were you in for anyway?
I had a friend in Leavenworth..
ENOUGH!
In as much as you've not done it unto the least of my brethren,
You've not done it unto me.
In as much as you've not done it unto the least of my brethren,
You've not done it unto me. Depart from Me.
And these shall go away into everlasting fire.
But the righteous into eternal life!
And my friends, the only difference between the sheep
and the goats, according to this scripture,
Is what they did, and didn't do!!
Then shall he sit on His Glorious throne,
And he will divide the nations before Him,
As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
And she shall put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left,
And He shall say to the sheep; come ye, blessed of My Father,
inherit the Kingdom I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world,
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink,
I was naked, and you clothed me,
I was a stranger, and you invited me in,
I was sick, and I was in prison, and you came to me.
Thank you! Enter into your rest.
And they shall answer Him, yes, they shall answer Him,
And they'll say, Lord, when?
When were you hungry Lord, and we gave you something to eat?
Lord, when were you thirsty? I can't remember. And we gave you drink?
When were you naked Lord, and we clothed you?
And Lord, when were you a stranger and we invited you in?
I mean, we invited lots of people in Lord. I could never forget that face.
And Lord, when were you sick and we visited you?
Or in prison, and we came to you? Lord, tell us?
In as much as you did it to the least of my brethren, you've done it unto me.
Oh yes, as much as you've done it to the very least of my brethren,
You've done it, you've done it unto me. Enter into your rest.
Then He shall turn to those on His left, the goats.
Depart from me, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat,
I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was naked, out in the cold, in exposure, and you sent me away,
I was a stranger, and I knocked at your door,
But you didn't open, you told me to go away,
I was sick, racked in pain upon my bed,
And I begged, and prayed, and pleaded that you'd come, but you didn't,
I was in prison, and I rotted there,
I'd prayed that you'd come.
I heard your programs on the radio, I read your magazines, but you never came.
Depart from me!!!
Lord, there must be some mistake, when?
Lord, I mean, when were you hungry Lord and we didn't give you something to eat?
And Lord, when were you thirsty, and we didn't give you drink?
I mean, that's not fair, well, would you like something now?
Would one of the Angels like to go out and get the Lord a hamburger and a coke?
Oh, you're not hungry, yeah, I lost my appetite too.
Uh Lord uh, Lord, when were you naked,
I mean Lord, that's not fair either Lord,
We didn't know what size you wear.
Oh Lord, when were you a stranger Lord,
You weren't one of those creepy people who used to come to the door, were you?
Oh Lord, that wasn't our ministry Lord. We just didn't feel led, you know?
Lord, when were you sick? What did you have, anyway?
Well, at least it wasn't fatal; oh, it was?
I'm sorry Lord, I would have sent you a card.
Lord, just on last thing we want to know,
When were you in prison Lord? What were you in for anyway?
I had a friend in Leavenworth..
ENOUGH!
In as much as you've not done it unto the least of my brethren,
You've not done it unto me.
In as much as you've not done it unto the least of my brethren,
You've not done it unto me. Depart from Me.
And these shall go away into everlasting fire.
But the righteous into eternal life!
And my friends, the only difference between the sheep
and the goats, according to this scripture,
Is what they did, and didn't do!!
As a postscript, I have to point out that the tent was in a corner behind clumps of trees and was pretty much invisible (unless you took the trouble to seek it out) so those who took offence did so with some effort. Would be funny if it wasn't so very sad :-(
Lyrics: Keith Green - Sheep and Goats
Friday, 25 March 2011
Politics - haven't a clue? Ask the electorate!
I am stunned that so many of the moronic voting public appear to hold the following views:
1. That there is a economic problem and that there needs to be a solution.
2. That the problem with any solution is that 'they' shouldn't have to suffer.
3. That the present government are the source of all the financial problems we are facing.
How on earth we can write off the, "There will never be a boom and bust' Labour mismanagement of the past few years and forget the PFI, 'help a friend (or friend's company)', 'New labour' minimal investment - maximum wasting of money and all the other excesses that were and lump it on the coalition government - leaves me breathless at just how stupid the electorate are.
That they can see that at the election, despite the old tosh being bandied by whichever Milliband it was that stuffed the other one and now runs the labour Party, this country was on the brink of financial meltdown and we faced something similar to Greece, Ireland and Portugal, and yet expect everyone else to have to endure hardship speaks volumes of the selfish (and stupid) nation that we have become.
That people can ring in and demand for areas that don't affect them to be cut so they can continue, and moan about the prospects of higher interest rates for their mortgages and loans that enable them to live, in a world where house prices continue to rise and they can have more, just provides the final straw for the camel. One 'nice' lady (i'm sure she is) was saying that she shouldn't have to see her living standards suffer and that there was plenty of slack in the social services, health and the like to avoid her having to pay the price for others!
Yes, of course there is!!!!
Let's get rid of [insert area that doesn't affect you], now!
Pax
"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4
1. That there is a economic problem and that there needs to be a solution.
2. That the problem with any solution is that 'they' shouldn't have to suffer.
3. That the present government are the source of all the financial problems we are facing.
How on earth we can write off the, "There will never be a boom and bust' Labour mismanagement of the past few years and forget the PFI, 'help a friend (or friend's company)', 'New labour' minimal investment - maximum wasting of money and all the other excesses that were and lump it on the coalition government - leaves me breathless at just how stupid the electorate are.
That they can see that at the election, despite the old tosh being bandied by whichever Milliband it was that stuffed the other one and now runs the labour Party, this country was on the brink of financial meltdown and we faced something similar to Greece, Ireland and Portugal, and yet expect everyone else to have to endure hardship speaks volumes of the selfish (and stupid) nation that we have become.
That people can ring in and demand for areas that don't affect them to be cut so they can continue, and moan about the prospects of higher interest rates for their mortgages and loans that enable them to live, in a world where house prices continue to rise and they can have more, just provides the final straw for the camel. One 'nice' lady (i'm sure she is) was saying that she shouldn't have to see her living standards suffer and that there was plenty of slack in the social services, health and the like to avoid her having to pay the price for others!
Yes, of course there is!!!!
Let's get rid of [insert area that doesn't affect you], now!
Pax
"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4
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