Sacking Christians.

'Professor Malory Nye, 47, claims he was dismissed from his job at the Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education in Dundee, Scotland, because its hierarchy viewed his race and religion as a threat to its Muslim values.

His wife Isabel Campbell-Nye, 42, alleges she was also forced out of her position as head of the college’s English language centre because she brought in too many students who were not Muslims or Arabs.'
I shall not pre-judge this case but I did wonder - if Christians Were To Sack Muslims ......?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8959805/College-sacked-head-and-wife-for-being-white-Christians.html

Not Before Time.

'Britain has moved a step closer to adopting continental time by putting clocks ahead by an hour after the Government performed a u-turn to back a Bill paving the way for the change.' (Telegraph.)

The Good Judge Deserves Christian Support.

'A senior High Court judge has hit out at couples who ditch each other instead of trying to make their relationships work – condemning their children to the trauma of an unstable home.

Sir Paul Coleridge has launched a campaign to promote marriage and reverse the ‘appalling’ impact of family breakdown in the face of soaring divorce rates.

The judge, who has previously bemoaned divorce as easier than getting a driving licence, said the millions of children currently being fought over in the family courts were a ‘complete scandal’.
And in a controversial move for a serving judge, he is setting up a foundation to promote marriage as figures show that divorce is on the rise.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2081528/Mend-dont-end-Senior-judge-criticises-couples-split-appalling-impact-children.html#ixzz1iNN8Xd4u

No Pain, No Gain.

'A third of finance chiefs – 33 per cent – at the UK’s largest firms cited meltdown in the single currency bloc as their main concern this year, according to a survey by accountancy giant Deloitte.' (Mail.)
SO! More than two thirds didn't!

Even if the 33% are right - problems caused will have to be met at some point.  When quitting the EU eventually happens it will not be entirely pain free but it is the only way we can be optimistic about our economic future. How can losing expensive shackles, restraints, mad bureaucracy and imperialistic nations supposed to be 'friends' who stab us in the back ever be a bad thing?

EU Policymaking?

Youth.

Several years ago, I had a letter published in the Yorkshire Post as my response to a debate as to whether magistrates might be appointed from the age of 18.
As opposed to all that had been said around that point I took the somewhat pragmatic view that 'Each case should be decided on individual merits.' Whereas it was unlikely that an 18 year old would have enough worldly experience for the task - I have met a few who would perhaps have been good enough, young as they were.
I have already considered an issue on this Blog of 'the cult of youth' where Council seats are concerned.
There may be the 'one case in a hundred' where youth should prevail in a given situation but experience is usually going to be key.
I am rather uncomfortable about the pressures on schools from OFSTED et al to have student councils which actually 'have teeth'. There seems to be a desire to put members of these onto interview panels for teaching posts!

This is completely undesirable and it is more than likely that inappropriate youths across the nation would have positions of power based on inexperience: influence without either experience or responsibility.

'That way madness lies.' [King Lear.]

Charles De Gaulle. No Comment.

'A great country worthy of the name does not have any friends.'

Charles de Gaulle.

Hmm. One Must Hope So.

Nigeria.

Dec 28 2011.

'Militants launched Christmas Day bomb attacks on Christian worshippers in three Nigerian states. The blasts killed around 40 who had gathered to celebrate Christmas and injured scores more.
The largest of several attacks took place in Madalla, Niger state, near the capital Abuja, where militants detonated a car bomb outside a Christmas service. They set off other blasts in Jos, central Plateau state, and Gadaka, Yobe state, in the north-east. Christian-owned shops and a home were set alight in Potsikum, also in Yobe.' (Release International.)

So. Will it be 'A Happy New Year' for Nigerian christians? - Please pray!

Rooney.

It has been reported that Wayne Rooney gets ( Oops, I nearly said 'earns') £26,000 a day!
Two points:-
He has just been fined by Manchester United for coming into training 'rather under the weather'.

Secondly, why is it that leftists hardly bat an eyelid at football salaries but would be scandalised by a working CEO of a large company earning one tenth - or less - than he does? How come 'market forces' are not considered relevant in business but are acceptable in sport?

New Year Honours List.

Regular readers will perhaps be surprised at the absence of my usual tirades against the scandals contained in The Honours List. Well, I'm not doing it - but I know a lady who is ...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2081102/Party-donors-perfect-honours-list-shameless-age.html

Is It Legitimate For A Christian To HATE The EU? - YES!

'Families could see the cost of food, children’s clothes and other essentials rise by £800 a year under European Commission proposals for a radical shake-up in VAT.

The warning has been triggered by a Commission white paper on the future of VAT and efforts to harmonise the sales tax across Europe.'

This Blog has always warned about the inherent dangers in that word 'harmonise'.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2081106/Brussels-VAT-shake-cost-families-800-year.html#ixzz1iHYD8Ngj

Student Celebrations Observed By MITK.

It is many years since I attended Sheffield University to complete a degree in Spanish with Portuguese and subsid' French. This was followed by a PGCE which also included educational drama.

My time there was generally happy although when they sent me to the Autonomous University of  Madrid for a year it was more mixed. I was really missing my fiancee but I found Jesus in Madrid! So much gratitude for both of these being in my life!

Odd. I don't usually ramble to this extent.
No. Down to business. Mole-In-The-Know has had a recent 'in' to an organised Sheffield student 'bash'.

Apparently, the behaviour went beyond disgraceful! Perhaps if MITK had been spotted - the conduct would have been better.

Dare I say it? - Oh, why not.

It was never like that in my day!

Been There Too!

Son Of Man.

Sources for the "Son of Man"
Most commentators start their journey on the SOM with Daniel 7. Sometimes they look into the ANE (Ancient Near East) to find comparable pagan divine figures. But somehow and some way, if we are to believe an entirely neutral source, they have missed the most relevant key of all.
It was as a result of my research on Zoroaster that I found the most important data, which comes from Ernest Herzfeld's Zoroaster and His World [835-840]. Herzfeld notes the uses of phrases containing "son of..." in the ancient world and what purpose they served. The phrase as used in Daniel is bar enash.
Note: This is an important distinction from other uses of the phrase in the OT, which generally use 'adam for man.
The combination bar enash and its parallels in Old Babylonian carry the meaning of an heir or successor to royalty, or of a free man of the highest class. A "man" here is not just any man, but as we might say, "THE MAN" as in royalty. Herzfeld notes an example of this usage in the Code of Hammurabi.
Daniel was written at a time when this phrase had a specific and known meaning. In the context of Daniel 7:13, in which the one "like a son of man" comes to the Ancient of Days (Almighty God) and is given dominion of the sort that God possesses, the significance of Jesus' "son of man" usage cannot be overstated. It is functionally equivalent to saying that the one like a son of man is rightful heir and successor to the divine throne. "Son of man" is essentially the same as "Son of God" in this context.
It is therefore clear that if Jesus is using the phrase consistent with its original meaning, it is a powerful and clear claim to deity. [Tekton.]

Bring Our Boys Home. NOW!

'Task Force Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dan Bradbury said: "It is with great sadness that I must inform you that a soldier from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment was killed in an explosion while on a foot patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province yesterday.' (Telegraph.) 

RIP Private John King.

Chocolate! Yippeeeee!

British stores have stopped selling chocolate versions of the [euro] coin.
Sainsbury’s, which sells hundreds of  thousands of chocolate coins each year,  said it ditched euros this Christmas and reintroduced chocolate Sterling coins. (Mail.)
In the immortal words of Fred Flintstone:

Yabbadabbadoo!!!!

Suzanne Moore. The Mail - Shame On You!

Why oh why does The Daily Mail employ the permanently annoying Suzanne Moore? As she was (is?) a writer for The Guardian, surely a right of centre newspaper could have recognised 'a cuckoo in the nest'?

Melanie Phillips writes in The Mail but seems deeply repentant of her 'leftie Guardian days'.

Why take on the unrepentant? - It is utterly beyond me!

Halal Meat.

'The Palace of Westminster has rejected demands to serve halal meat in its restaurants.'
I have spent much time pondering this issue and have finally reached some sort of decision on the matter.
Where halal and kosher meat is available - I shall not eat them wherever there is any straightforward choice to be made.
I have no wish to offend Jews and Muslims on this matter but I now actively seek out takeaways and restaurants which do not serve food slaughtered in this way.
Surprisingly perhaps, a large number of Indian restaurants run by non-Muslims do serve halal meat.

Too many businesses are serving halal as a matter of course. If I find out - they lose my trade.

When I cannot tell - I shall take the pork option.

I do not say that I would never eat meats slaughtered thus but I shall actively attempt to take my consumption to the absolute minimum.

I feel that everybody should find out just what they are eating and if 'halal is slipped in secretly' protests should be made.
This is not a religious issue but an animal rights one.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080805/We-wont-eat-halal-meat-say-MPs-peers-reject-demands-serve-Westminster.html#ixzz1iBhedWqR

New Year Resolutions.

To all believers, may I perhaps suggest that praying considerably more for our tragic world should be the number one priority?

A Record - Again.

For the second consecutive month, the number of page views on this Blog have set a new record. Many thanks to all readers and to all who pass on the site details.

       http://christianityisnotleftwing.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year.