The problem with our bishops and other church leaders is that they only cover half the ground. They can be counted on to pronounce blandly about peace,unity,social justice and Dominic Cummings because they know they are on safe ground. The liberal establishment will love them for it if they have bothered to take any notice. The other half of the socio-political landscape is hard and dangerous terrain full of jagged rocks and hidden hazards. The prophet Jeremiah of the Old Testament knew it well. At a time of national emergency he was in a minority of one. The Kingdom of Judah and its capital,Jerusalem, was threatened by the mighty armies of Babylon. The political and religious establishment preached complacency. They said God wouldn’t allow His people and Temple to be destroyed. Jeremiah replied that on the contrary the invaders were going to be used by God to bring His judgement upon their sin and idolatry. Jeremiah sought to be true to what God was communicating in this catastrophic event and suffered for it. Jesus ranged over similar territory. He did indeed speak harsh words to the establishment. But He also had words of warning and judgement for the whole of society. He accused it of being a “wicked and adulterous generation” (Matthew12.39) and an “unbelieving and perverse generation” (Matthew 17.17). He pronounced harsh judgement on some communities well known to Him because of their unresponsiveness.(Matthew 11.20-24) I have to ask the question is not this how God sees our present generation? Is not the calling of the bishops and all ministers of the Church to ask it, and to draw some conclusions about the godless path our nation has taken and what we all need to do about it before it’s too late. That would be bravery indeed. Quotes from the New International Version of the Bible.
Kelly Mitchell
3 years ago
Hmm – 2 articles that don’t actually explain what happened. time to unsub from this NL?
I think it explains a lot why so few care that Christian churches remain closed and never get a mention in road maps back to the new normal. If the church ad more people who spoke out like Giles maybe more would want to go to church.
Adrian Smith
3 years ago
I think test and trace is nothing more than a gimmick antidote to the “fear of R” that is replacing fear of death. I know of one healthcare professional who signed up to become a tracer, did the training and resigned in disgust at how poorly thought out and unprofessional the whole thing was. There will be plenty who don’t download the app at all and then there will be a growing number who have but leave their bluetooth off unless they actually want to use it. I don’t even have a smart phone, because I don’t like them – I certainly won’t be rushing out to buy one to download the app.
A lot of glib statements get made about empty beds in hospitals, however there were growing hot spots in cities and the pinch points were not beds, but specialist staff (many of who were going off sick or isolating because their partner had symptoms) and oxygen – not the supply but the evaporators that turn it from the liquid it is stored in into a breathable temperature gas. Evaporators were hitting design capacity and tripping out – there would have been no easy fix had more capacity been needed. The effects of lockdown came pretty well in the nick of time, much longer and the scenes could have been worse than New York and Italy as their health services crumbled. I have no doubt that had we not locked down about when we did we would have ended up locking down in panic before Easter and then we would have had a horrendous few weeks, while many in their 40’s and 50’s who recovered with treatment would have died without it.
The key thing now is to come out of lockdown much more quickly, but we have a government that has lost the initiative and a MSM scare and scandal mongering whilst pretending to really care.
Paul Harries
3 years ago
Thank you Giles. I am not a Christian, but if I were to become one, it would be through your inspiration rather than the unnecessary tweets of bishops.
Peter KE
3 years ago
Maybe our bishops should be reminded that they have given up on the congregations and the people by insisting our churches are closed. We should now be hearing stronger voices advocating the reopening of places of worship. We must remember the government is acting on pseudo science and much of what has been done by the government is highly questionable. Let’s get churches open.
Peter KE
3 years ago
Do our legislators have the stomach for dealing with fake news be it the bbc or twitter. Maybe they could show themselves as having some real merit in ensuring the generation and perpetuation of fake news is truly punished with unlimited financial penalties, say 500% of gross turnover.
Iliya Kuryakin
3 years ago
All true. And now Trump has called their bluff by formally questioning if they are platforms for communicating views or publishers, acting as editors, and thus liable for their content. Delicious.
Peter KE
3 years ago
I like the story. Maybe our bishops should push for restoring Whitsun and remove the May holiday. The bishops could show their worth.
robertbutterwick
3 years ago
Luke 6:37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Enough said.
robertbutterwick
3 years ago
The first time SAGE met to specifically discuss Covid19 was Jan 22nd. Presumably it was convened at the direction of the National Security Council chaired by Mark Sidwell. By Feb 4th SAGE realised that the testing capacity within the UK would be unable to cope, but took no specific actions to correct this. On March 16th the WHO told the World it needed to Test, test, test. At the SAGE meeting ON THE SAME DAY:
19. SAGE highlighted the critical importance of scaling up antibody serology and diagnostic testing to managing the epidemic. A solution is urgently required, with a plan for implementation. 20. Antibody testing is particularly vital to address the central unknown question of the ratio of asymptomatic to symptomatic cases. 21. PHE explained how testing is being scaled up over the coming weeks to 10,000 per day ““ focused on intensive care units, hospital admissions and key workers. 22. PHE is urgently assessing commercial self-test options, with accuracy a key criterion. ACTION: PHE to update SAGE on the efficacy and feasibility of rolling out a rapid home swab test for antigens, including the mechanism for collection (for next meeting). ACTION: PHE to develop a proposal for ramping up antibody serology and diagnostic testing capacity, seeking input from DSTL and the National Laboratories Alliance
Yesterday when Jonathan Van Tam was asked where the estimated 8000 daily new infections were coming from his reply was ‘we don’t know’.
The essay is 100% correct. “…politicians were never in charge of this anyway” but our Scientists are clearly not as ‘in charge’ of this as they should be.
The public inquiry will be fascinating. The outpouring of hate and witch hunting over the last couple of weeks will not be forgotten.
bernfern1
3 years ago
The word bully implies a power differential which does not seem to apply here .Bishops are small fry in Cummings world .I did not discern mob spirit in their letters nor pharisaical self-righteousness or glee … only advocacy , a deep concern about the impact of the behaviour of leadership on the well-being of the population ( which as it turns out was well founded ) empathy for the lament of the people who felt betrayed in their grief – which had been mitigated by a sense of collective responsibility and suffering before Cummings acted independently . In this context I do not feel there has been an overreaction or an overstatement by the bishops . Requiring accountability is not punishment , neither is discernment judgement . I was grateful they spoke out and , in my view , released goodness and integrity over this whole mess ..God knows we need voices like that .
The problem with our bishops and other church leaders is that they only cover half the ground. They can be counted on to pronounce blandly about peace,unity,social justice and Dominic Cummings because they know they are on safe ground. The liberal establishment will love them for it if they have bothered to take any notice.
The other half of the socio-political landscape is hard and dangerous terrain full of jagged rocks and hidden hazards. The prophet Jeremiah of the Old Testament knew it well. At a time of national emergency he was in a minority of one. The Kingdom of Judah and its capital,Jerusalem, was threatened by the mighty armies of Babylon. The political and religious establishment preached complacency. They said God wouldn’t allow His people and Temple to be destroyed. Jeremiah replied that on the contrary the invaders were going to be used by God to bring His judgement upon their sin and idolatry. Jeremiah sought to be true to what God was communicating in this catastrophic event and suffered for it.
Jesus ranged over similar territory. He did indeed speak harsh words to the establishment. But He also had words of warning and judgement for the whole of society. He accused it of being a “wicked and adulterous generation” (Matthew12.39) and an “unbelieving and perverse generation” (Matthew 17.17). He pronounced harsh judgement on some communities well known to Him because of their unresponsiveness.(Matthew 11.20-24)
I have to ask the question is not this how God sees our present generation? Is not the calling of the bishops and all ministers of the Church to ask it, and to draw some conclusions about the godless path our nation has taken and what we all need to do about it before it’s too late. That would be bravery indeed.
Quotes from the New International Version of the Bible.
Hmm – 2 articles that don’t actually explain what happened.
time to unsub from this NL?
I think it explains a lot why so few care that Christian churches remain closed and never get a mention in road maps back to the new normal. If the church ad more people who spoke out like Giles maybe more would want to go to church.
I think test and trace is nothing more than a gimmick antidote to the “fear of R” that is replacing fear of death. I know of one healthcare professional who signed up to become a tracer, did the training and resigned in disgust at how poorly thought out and unprofessional the whole thing was. There will be plenty who don’t download the app at all and then there will be a growing number who have but leave their bluetooth off unless they actually want to use it. I don’t even have a smart phone, because I don’t like them – I certainly won’t be rushing out to buy one to download the app.
A lot of glib statements get made about empty beds in hospitals, however there were growing hot spots in cities and the pinch points were not beds, but specialist staff (many of who were going off sick or isolating because their partner had symptoms) and oxygen – not the supply but the evaporators that turn it from the liquid it is stored in into a breathable temperature gas. Evaporators were hitting design capacity and tripping out – there would have been no easy fix had more capacity been needed. The effects of lockdown came pretty well in the nick of time, much longer and the scenes could have been worse than New York and Italy as their health services crumbled. I have no doubt that had we not locked down about when we did we would have ended up locking down in panic before Easter and then we would have had a horrendous few weeks, while many in their 40’s and 50’s who recovered with treatment would have died without it.
The key thing now is to come out of lockdown much more quickly, but we have a government that has lost the initiative and a MSM scare and scandal mongering whilst pretending to really care.
Thank you Giles. I am not a Christian, but if I were to become one, it would be through your inspiration rather than the unnecessary tweets of bishops.
Maybe our bishops should be reminded that they have given up on the congregations and the people by insisting our churches are closed. We should now be hearing stronger voices advocating the reopening of places of worship. We must remember the government is acting on pseudo science and much of what has been done by the government is highly questionable. Let’s get churches open.
Do our legislators have the stomach for dealing with fake news be it the bbc or twitter. Maybe they could show themselves as having some real merit in ensuring the generation and perpetuation of fake news is truly punished with unlimited financial penalties, say 500% of gross turnover.
All true. And now Trump has called their bluff by formally questioning if they are platforms for communicating views or publishers, acting as editors, and thus liable for their content. Delicious.
I like the story. Maybe our bishops should push for restoring Whitsun and remove the May holiday. The bishops could show their worth.
Luke 6:37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Enough said.
The first time SAGE met to specifically discuss Covid19 was Jan 22nd. Presumably it was convened at the direction of the National Security Council chaired by Mark Sidwell. By Feb 4th SAGE realised that the testing capacity within the UK would be unable to cope, but took no specific actions to correct this. On March 16th the WHO told the World it needed to Test, test, test. At the SAGE meeting ON THE SAME DAY:
19. SAGE highlighted the critical importance of scaling up antibody serology and diagnostic
testing to managing the epidemic. A solution is urgently required, with a plan for
implementation.
20. Antibody testing is particularly vital to address the central unknown question of the ratio
of asymptomatic to symptomatic cases.
21. PHE explained how testing is being scaled up over the coming weeks to 10,000 per day
““ focused on intensive care units, hospital admissions and key workers.
22. PHE is urgently assessing commercial self-test options, with accuracy a key criterion.
ACTION: PHE to update SAGE on the efficacy and feasibility of rolling out a rapid home
swab test for antigens, including the mechanism for collection (for next meeting).
ACTION: PHE to develop a proposal for ramping up antibody serology and diagnostic
testing capacity, seeking input from DSTL and the National Laboratories Alliance
Yesterday when Jonathan Van Tam was asked where the estimated 8000 daily new infections were coming from his reply was ‘we don’t know’.
The essay is 100% correct. “…politicians were never in charge of this anyway” but our Scientists are clearly not as ‘in charge’ of this as they should be.
The public inquiry will be fascinating. The outpouring of hate and witch hunting over the last couple of weeks will not be forgotten.
The word bully implies a power differential which does not seem to apply here .Bishops are small fry in Cummings world .I did not discern mob spirit in their letters nor pharisaical self-righteousness or glee … only advocacy , a deep concern about the impact of the behaviour of leadership on the well-being of the population ( which as it turns out was well founded ) empathy for the lament of the people who felt betrayed in their grief – which had been mitigated by a sense of collective responsibility and suffering before Cummings acted independently . In this context I do not feel there has been an overreaction or an overstatement by the bishops . Requiring accountability is not punishment , neither is discernment judgement . I was grateful they spoke out and , in my view , released goodness and integrity over this whole mess ..God knows we need voices like that .