The amazing priorities within the church

John Cooper has a thoughtful piece on a televison programme concerning gay people in the church

Like him I am amazed at the obsession that some have with excluding an inoffensive minority grouping. John is right. If we are to have splits in the church, surely they could be over something that has a case to meriting it such as the terror that global warming will bring to future generations or the insanity of nuclear weapons. At times I think the Church of England whose debate inspired this programme is obsessed with sex and genetalia. Sadly, other denominations also have people prepared to bash up Christian unity on this issue.

But of course, loads of energy will be wasted on who has the right to love whom. And we have the temerity to be surprised when people ignore the Church as an irrelevance. Sometimes, I think they are right!

Simon Hughes and more Murdoch shame

Well Simon Hughes has been outed by the Scum in a despicable piece of journalism. This follows on from sister paper News of the World's demolition of Mark Oaten's family. Once more the moral bankruptcy of the sewer press is evident.

Maybe Hughes lied about his sexuality. It is to be regretted that he didn't simply tell the media to mind their business. However, his failure to come clean is perhaps evidence that the disease of homophobia is still a reality. I suspect that what we are witnessing is an attempt by Murdoch to break the Liberal Democratic Party. After all they have not beeen as craven as Conservative and Labour leaders in bowing down to the the sewer rat whose influence on our so called democracy has been malign.

I have never asked a person about their sexuality or who they have slept with. I never will and frankly I would find it hard to remain in any post that expected me to do so other than in situations of exploitation. It is a part of a person's life to which I have no entitlement.

As for the lying accusation, I have already asserted that it is perfectly explicable in this case. The Sun shows its own homophobia in describing Hughes as 'another Limp Dem.' Faced with such a neo Nazi mentality by a leading paper, it is understandable that Hughes wanted to protect his own skin. But of course, politicians always tell the truth don't they? An unneccessary war in Iraq with a huge death toll is the evidendence that such is not so. And of course, Murdoch who supported the war, wouldn't dream of questioning the realiabilty of his client Prime Minister's statements.

My advice to the Liberal Democrats is to stand up to the bullying of Murdoch. They can show that they are prepared to stand for decency and to reject the evangelist of voyeurism. It is time for a political party to make it clear that Murdoch and his bullying are persona non gratis. It is time to send Shamed Rupert Murdoch and his papers packing. After all, buying the Sun is hardly a victimless crime!

Refresher Course

I haven't made much comment about the Plymouth and Exeter District of the Methodist Church Minister's Refresher Course. Well it was worthwhile going, not that us probationers had any choice.

Trevor Dennis, who is currently Canon Theologian at Chester Cathedral, was one of our speakers. He talked about the use of story. Trevor has a great sense of humour and his stories certainly bring the stories of the Bible to life. I bought one of his books and recommend readers to do the same.

Eric Christenson was our other speaker. His area of interets concerned the use of films. He brought us "Whale Rider" which is an excellent film based in New Zealand. It moved us all and sparked off much conversation particularly concerning issues surrounding tradition.

I attended two workshops. One was led by Faye Sampson who is a author of childrens' fantasy novels. We looked at issues surrounding such novels. They are not my favourite genre but their popularity is beyond doubt.

The other workshop which I attended was led by our district Chair, John Carne. We looked at the soaps and the questions which they raise. Clearly, I will have to spend much more time watching television.

A sad note for me was hearing of the illness of Kenneth Britton who was the Chair of the Isle of Man District from 1995 until 2001. He was also for 12 years the Superintendent of the Ramsey Circuit including my first four years there as a layworker. Kenneth, who has since passsed away, was an excellent boss. I owe him a lot. He was a very gentle person who radiated integrity and decency. Although he would raise his eye brows at such a description, he was in my eyes a very holy men whose whole being radiated the highest ideals of a Methodist minister. On the Isle of Man which he so dearly loved, this shy gentleman was greatly loved and respected. Many will feel his loss and I am sure theat his widow Jean and their three adult children along with their families, will be in the prayers not just of people on the Isle of Man but of others who met Kenneth.

Mark Oaten and a sewer rat named Murdoch

I cannot say that I was ever a fan of Mark Oaten. I felt that if he became leader, he along with his Orange Book pals would lead the Liberal Democrats further to the right. Now he has fallen from grace with his career shattered

I think that in his private life, Oaten has been foolish. He was not the first and he won't be the last. Why he put himself up for leader with such a skeleton in his cupboard is quite beyond me. Frankly, there was no way he could continue as Lib Dem spokesman on Home Affairs.

And yet, I feel a certain sympathy with Oaten. Flawed he clearly he is, but I sense a man with much human decency. I hope he is able to save his marriage and recover a decent family life. I hope there will be good times for him in the future.

For when I read the story on the internet yesterday, I was aware that there was a much bigger villain. Oaten had already stepped down as a candidate for his party leadership and rightly so, but he was still regarded as no more than a meal ticket for the staff of a newspaper who cared not about the lives of Oaten's daughters, girls whose innocent lives they had no constraints about destroying.

The News of the World, which as I posted a week ago, used entrapment to get a cheap story on the England football manager, in their article on Oaten which can be found on their site (I can't bring myself to link to it) used every salacious detail they could get their hands on. The fact that Oaten had had an affair with a male prostitute (the term 'rent boy' seems to imply something that is inappropriate given that the man in question is 23) was not enough for them. Every possible twist of the knife was given to the story. After all, to the News of the World proprietor Rupert Murdoch, sales to perverts who put more money in his bank, are so much more important than the tears of primary school girls. I had thought that Murdoch's papers had got as sick as it is possible to be but oh was I wrong!

Now back to calling the readers of the News of the World 'perverts', I guess that I ought to explain myself. This is a newspaper which has as its sole raison d'etre, a desire to enter the bedrooms of others, famous and unknown. The more intrusive the details, the hapier Murdoch and co are. Of course, they play the censorious role. Readers are encouraged to feel superior to those whose lives are destroyed on the altar of the dreadful Rupert whose influence on journalism has been that of a sewer rat. If the Pharisees of the Gospels were rather censorious, Murdoch's editors are the High Priests of moralising, sanctomonious hypocrisy!

A quick scan of the News of the World website can be guaranteed to offer opportunities to tut tut about the realtionships of others. This week, you can read of the low libido of a well known actress (well at least according to her former partner) and the explosive sexual appetite of a Celebrity Big Brother contestant ( again according to a former lover). Get it? If you have had a sexual realtionship with someone in the public eye, Rupert offers you the chance to get on the gravy train by sharing confidences about aomeone you once cared about, with a couple of million readers. This is the most shaming prostitution of all.

I can't help thinking that News of the World readers would be well advised to concentrate on their own relationships and love lives rather than looking through the keyhole at others. After all voyeurism has a habit of dragging its practitioners down. The very criticisms that are often made regarding gazing at pronography are also true of voyeurism, News of the World style. A depravity can easily ensue. And if that were not to be so, reading the News of the World can hardly be construed as a victimless crime. After all, it is the existence of readers that enables the destruction of lives as well as the self damage of feeling dirty.

Meanwhile our politicians behave like shivers lokking for a back bone to crawl up when it comes to Murdoch. They fear that they might be his next victims. Oh for someone to stand up to this runt of a man! Or will they forever prostrate themselves before the man who made two young girls cry?

Turning God into a thug

During the three days that I was the Minster's Refresher course, I found myself thinking quite a lot about good and bad religion. One of our apeakers quoted a well known former Bishop has suggesting that the church "has turned God into a thug." It was one of those phrases that I couldn't get away from.

It is certainly not a new phenomenom for God to be seen as the author of bad happenings. I might see such assumptions as a sign of a sick variant of folk religion but it goes on happening. Some time ago, I blogged about Christian Voice, an eccentric UK "Christian" organisation seeing the flooding of New Orleans as a sign of God's judgement. Meanwhile, In the US, Pat Robertson announces that Ariel Sharon's stroke and even Yitzak Rabin's assassination were the consequence of Divine retribution for making compromises with the Palestinians. Of course, Robertson who leads the 700 Club in the US has form. Within days of the September 11th outrage, Robertson and Rev Jerrry Falwell were suggesting that God had withdrawn protection from America due to the toleration of homosexuals and abortionists . Were time to allow, I could raise many other such quotes by well known people suggesting that God has sanctioned some of the greatest disasters of our age.

Now, a God who would act in such a way would be a thug, nor more, no less. And I cannot believe the the God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ could be any such thing. And yet too often, we within the church have embraced the dogmas that result in thuggery and dared to do so in the name of God. I guess that a perfect example is the long history of anti Judaism. Thankfully most churches have repented of this odious outlook. For Christian anti semitism that created a poisonous attitude to Jews and their faith was as the Dabru Emet statement of Jewish scholars makes clear a factor without which the Holocaust could not have happened. That is why during my training at Wesley House, I was grateful to listen to Jewish scholar Ed Kessler on the importance of sensitivity in our treatment at some of the scriptures that have all too often been used against the older brother that is Judaism.

Increasingly, I am concerned that too much of what passes as Christianity is closer to the Imperial spirit of Constantine than to Jesus of Nazareth. I shudder when I hear Christianity used to defend war, torture, economic domination and harsh attitudes to vulnerable minority groups. I shudder when I hear Christians talk of a God who acts arbitrarily against people. I want to call for a Christianity that recognises that God is totally and absolutely immersed in love and can be no other than loving. I long for a Christianity that challenges dcotrines that speak of a cruel God or can be used to justify our cruelties. For surely, we need to heed the importance of how we portray God and reflect God.

In recent months, I have heard plenty from Christians about enemies of the Gospel. I have listened to hot air about "Jerry Springer; The Opera" and Richard Dawkins. In the case of Dawkins, there is certainly a debate that calls out to be joined. But, I think that Dawkins is of little threat compared to the toleration of dogmas and deeds that enable God to be portrayed as a thug.

God is far from a thug. God is the One who is the very source of love. How dare, we give to anyone the impression, that the Bishop with whom I began this article, referred to, that God can be portrayed as a thug. For to enable God to be so portrayed is the ultimate heresy!

On my travels

I shall probably not be posting until Friday. Tomorrow I go on a Minsiter's course in which we shall be looking at story and film interracting with the Gospel. We shall even have a session on "The Theology of the Soaps" so later tonight I shall be watching Phil et al from Eastenders on BBC 3. Anyhow, I shall be posting what I learn assuming my mind has not packed in.

Before I go, I have to visit my doctor. Apparently in the blood tests I had last week concerning primarily a problem regarding chest tighness which is a curse to me at night, there is a matter in the the liver test function which my doctor wishes to talk to me about. It is probably minor and a sign for me to cut the wrong foods but we shall see. Being a coward re my health, I shall probably not sleep well tonight.

Let's play House

Just a few thoughts about Big Brother. I confess to watching more of the current Celebrity Big Brother than any of its predecessors. Some of the characters are rather disturbing and show the vacuousness of celebrity culture. Few are of any serious distinction.

However,I would like to comment on two of the housemates.

The first is Michael Barrymore. For some years, I enjoyed his shows on television. He is a funny man. Sadly his life spiralled out of control. It has become clear that he is a very damaged man. Now he faces efforts to drag up the Stuart Lubbock tragedy. What concerns me is the pure evil of the hatred that many of our newspapers have directed at him over the past week. Compassion has gone on strike! I really feel that there is a section of our media that is determined to keep this man down on his knees and which won't be happy until he is quite literally dead.

Sorry, but I cannot join in with this attitude. I know what it is to be broken. As I posted some time ago, 15 years ago I took a dangerous level of tablets and for a long period of time had black feelings of inadequacy in which I cared not if I lived or died, feelings that nobody should have to endure. Even now, there are times when I experience dark depression. I wish that in this country, our empahsis was on helping people to rediscover their value rather than destroying them utterly. I fear that as his situation gets worse, it will be turned by some of our media into a delight rather than the human tragedy that it is. Indeed, as I look at this frightened, vulnerable man's treatment, I think that "bullying" is the best description of what our country is best at.


Secondly, I turn to George Galloway. I would personally vote Green rather than Respect any day. I think he has been foolish in thinking he would be allowed to get his message out from the House. However I think much of the stir against him has been exagerated. There has been an element of payback from those who committed the greatest of crimes in launching the war. Like Galloway, I would wish that our forces had been able to resist Blair's orders. I guess being away from Parliament may look like a dereliction of duty. And yet i am not sure that that is the reality. Apparently his staff have ben handling his constituency caseload and I question what he could have achieved by being in the House of Commons. After all, the whips of the corporate parties normally carve things out. Parliament has rarely been so sidelined. No wonder, Tony Benn explained his retirement from Parliament on the grounds that he wanted to devote time to politics. The Crossrail Bill is often said to be the piece of legislation that he should have been there for. Forgive me but I had never before known Labour whips so keen for an MP to be present to oppose the Government's legislation. Indeed, it seems the debate that he missed was by no mean the most critical on that particular legislation. Anyhow, who believes this Government would listedn to Galloway when it barely listens to its own backbenchers?

But the ultimate argument has been that he has been bringing Parliament into disrepute. Labour Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong has been particularly scathing about the game in which Galloway was a cat drinking milk from Rula Lenska's hands, the game of Poor Puss. Now I can't see what was wrong with that game. When I was young, it was regularly played in my family. This included the odd professional uncle of mine. Loads of people have played it. Why should politicians be a load of stuffed shirts?

Keen for revenge on a MP who opposed the mass murder in Iraq, Labour has been indecent in its lust for revenge. We have heard of demonstrations in the constituency. It seems that they have ben inspired by Labour Party activists. Even dear Hilary Armstrong whose constituency is far from London, has taken time off serving her constituents so that she can lead an anti Galloway protest. I sometimes look at the Labour Party which should be hanging its collective head in shame at tens of thousands of deaths for which it is responsible, and see their conduct regarding Galloway, and ask myself if they live on the same planet as normal people.

Anyhow for what it's worth, Galloway has come over as a rather pleasant man in what I have seen. So his interets may be served by the histrionics of the labour establishment. As for Hilary, as we belong to the same denomination, there are no hard feelings. Who knows? One day at a Church Conference when we have exhausted the day in serious deliberations, we could play George and Rula!

Shamed media moghul Rupert Murdoch in new disgrace

Fresh from destabilising England's buildup to Euro 2004, England hater Rupert Murdoch is back at it again. This time, he has used his "Fake Sheikh" reporter to get Sven Goran Eriksson to talk about taking another job after the World Cup and dish the dirt on some of his players
In short, Eriksson has been a victim of entrapment which is basically a form of blackmail.

now when it comes to football, Murdoch is in a win - win situation. If England win the World Cup, the Sun will ride high on jingoism, something it has always been good at. If England underperforms, the Sun will engage in vicious denigration of the England manager whose nationalisty, readers will be constantly reminded of. In its conduct leading up to Euro 2004 and now the 2006 World Cup, we can see that the Sun and News of the World do not give a fig about England's chances - after all what is England but a place for Murdoch to whip in the cash whilst intimidating politicians with the threat of his blackmailing press.

None of this means that I think Eriksson is above reproach. Absurdly overpaid, he has shown great folly in being seduced by the promises of one whose wealth he believed in. He has been irresponsible in being led on into making unfortunate comments about players. I have my doubts that he is the right man for the England job but to change manager so close to the competition would be crazy and so we are left with a man whose unguarded comments about players are now known by those very players he need to motivate.

Still, Eriksson is more sinned against than sinning. For me it is Murdoch in the dock and also the politicians who fawn over him. They will want to ride on footballing success but yet they are like shivers looking for a spine to crawl up when it comes to the man who has just given the English game an almighty V sign.

Come the day that one of our political leaders tells Murdoch to get his unprincipled, war mongering, bullying, grasping, soft porn promoting, sorry arse out of this country, then I shall have found a leader worth voting for.

Amnesty challenges Gitmo torture

And so back to the question of torture. Amnesty International has been expressing concerns regarding the treatment of detainees at Guantanemo Bay which serves as a lgal black hole. the testimony offered by Jumah al - Dossari is clearly disturbing. If it was just his evidence, I would be inclined to disregard it. people have motives to fabricate. However, when it comes to the mistreatment of detainees, it seems to be just one thing after another. Remember, Bush is still asserting that he can waive the restrictions on the use of cruel. inhuman and degrading treatment against detainees and it is not so long ago that the Tony Lagouranis allegations of mistreatment in Iraq were being aired on this and other blogs.

I just want to make comment on three matters.

1/. Dr William F. Schulz, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA asks a pertinent question - "When does the hypocrisy of defending democracy around the world while continuing to curtail fundamental due process end?"

I add to that that cruelty to defend human rights is a contradiction. It is imperative that those who believe in democracy and human rights sound a clarion call of dissent when the moves that lead ultimately to fascism are made.

2/. Torture and enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, are inherently evil. They are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who excuse them are affirming Christ to be irrelevant to the world. Christianity today is being subverted by those whose essential loyalty is to Constantine rather than Christ.

3/. I have no doubt that Al Qaeda is an organisation of evil. It needs to be resisted. However, on the Eve of Martin Luther day, I can find no Biblical message that the way of defeating evil, is to embrace evil!

Irony Corner

I have never been one of those who regards Bill Clinton as an icon of the progresive movement. The man who executed a brain damaged person so as too look tough on law and order, the man who abused his position of power with an intern, is hardly a model for progressives to look up to.

But this timehe has trult lost it. Looking to the future, he has suggested that Tony Blair might have a future as Secretary General of the United Nations. Yes, the same Tony Blair who gave a V sign to the UN when it failed to endorse his tawdry war, and sent the missiles of death into Iraq.

It is not just Iraq that shows Blair's unsuitability to this role. As I shall be posting in the next few days, this is the Prime Minister who has shown less respect for an independent judiciary than any of his predecessors.

Making Blair the next Secretary General of the United Nations is about as sensible as putting Dick Turpin in charge of the Post Office. A crazy world has just got a little bit crazier.

Playing House

Just thinking back to the george Galloway rumpus, I yesterday watched the House he is paid to serve in, The House of Commons, during Prime Minister's Question Time. This morning whilst getting dressed, I watched the house he is now in, the Celebrty Big Brother House.

My conclusion is that the differences are very small. Both seem to be full of attention seekers whose conduct is well below the standard of the average playground.
Th transfer from one to the other cannot be very difficult.

Fame -I'm gonna live for ever!

Yes, this insignificant blog in which I left off steam, has finally made it into the media - well the Methodist Recorder!

Today's Recorder quotes from my article of a few days ago criticising the treatment of Charles Kennedy by his colleagues.

Readers may be interested to know that I stand by that article. There was a valid political judgement that could be made that he had served his time. The drink issue that had hitherto been covered up, should not have been brought into that equation especially at a time when he had come out of denial and was struglling to put it right. It is one thing to hit a man politically but another to go below the belt on personal issues.

Two things come out of all of this

1/. Alcohol is a huge problem in society. I have blogged on this before when I described it as a poison. Given the shocking increase in cyrrhosis reported recently it is time to give out the right signals that this stuff is damaging. That means higher prices through taxation and reversing the liberalisation of licensing laws if only to give the right message.

2/. Political parties are judged not only by policies but by how they treat people in momenta of frailty. I blogged that Labour's treatment of Lord Watson was wrong. Sadly, the Lib Dems have put a black mark against their name also.

As well as the human tragedy of this story, there should also be concern that liberalism has been compromised. At a time when civil liberties are under threat, we need a political voice that will speak for civil liberties. One of Charles Kennedy's achievements was that he took the liberties of this nation seriously and made his party the prime political party to be trusted on this issue.

Lib Dem MPs Lembit Opik, Michael Hancock and Simon Hughes are among those who recognised that Kennedy was badly treated by some colleagues. There needs to be a learning that parties who treat their own badly, are hard to trust to treat us right.

I hope the Lib Dems learn. The nation needs them to re establish civility for where else can we look?

I guess, I hoped for too much from the Lib Dems but of the main parties they were to me the prime hope for decency. I feel let down and disappointed.

The Root of All Evil?

I have just come from watching Richard Dawkin's "The Root of all Evil?" I say I was watching it but it would be fair to admit that for part of the time, my son was trying to argue with both me and Dawkins which made concentration hard.

There is no doubt that Dawkins is distinguished in the field of science. However, religion seem to bring out the red mist in him. I could not help but feel that the academic rigour he brings to biology was somewhat lacking in his analysis of religion. Indeed the one point on which I found myself agreeing with the American pastor was regarding the intellectual arrogance that Dawkins displaye, an arrogance that clearly emanates from his intense dislike of the world of religion.

Now, I would not wish to defend all religion. The examples in the programme, be they the superstition of Lourdes (although I think people find inner healing through the prayerful atmosphere there), the anti science attitudes of the US pastor and the dreadul bigotry and tolerance to terrorism of the Muslim convert in Jerusalem, were clear examples of bad religion which I hold no brief for at all. I agree with dawkins when he condemned towards the end of the programme the notion of people prepared to hate and even kill for their God. But that is insuffcient evidence that religion is the root of all evil. Indeed, ther very selectiveness of the evidence presented by Dawkins totally fails to live up to the challenge of fair testing that children learn in Key Stage 2 Science. In short, if he brought such rigour to the world of biology, he would certainly not hold the distinguished post he holds at oxford Universtity.

Dawkins has knowingly misrepresented religion. At Oxford he has been involved in debates with Keith Ward. Ward is an example of a Christian who has embraced scientific discovery. His books do not deny evolution and engages in a positive way with evolutionary theory. He is aware of people such as John Polkinghorne and David Wilkinson who are distinguished physicists in the ministry of the Christian church. Yet lazily he does not engage with them in this programme. He takes the easy way out of devoting his time to the least tasteful, intellectually challenged representations of the Abrahamic faiths. It really is time for Dawkins to realise that much of the world of faith has moved on from Victorian times. Sadly he is caught in the battles of the past or to be more truthful, a parody of them.

Finally, regarding the effects of religion, he is downright dishonest. Plenty to say about war and social control yet failing to tell how often religion has not only led the way on science but also contributed at its best immeasurably to health care, education and poverty relief. He talks of religion causing wars but is silent about the efforts of people of faith who motivated by their faith, work for peace and reconciliation. On the basis of the triteness of his efforts tonight, I suppose Christians would be entitled to blame atheism for the crimes of non believere such as Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot. Such an argument would be a travisty of proper debate and analysis but it is the mirror image of the level of Dawkins' arguments.

I expected to be challenged in my thinking when I turned on "The Root of All Evil?" Frankly I was disappointed. At bes I would give it a C- and a comment of "Could do Better."

In my disappointment I must instead turn to "Big Brother" to see if my suggestion of putting a Methodist minister into the House to connect with those who do not listen to the Gospel in conventional ways as Galloway is seeking to do for the anti war movement, has been heeded.

Apathy kills

Sean brings a rousing article to my attention. In it Cindy Sheehan who lost her son Casey in Iraq expresses her feelings that the situation calls for action rather than apathy. Time for the peace movement to be reinvigorated?

Highly recommended reading

Emergent church

I guess that like a lot of Methodist ministers, I find myself uncertain as to the future. I could happily live with the framework as to what passes as church today. However, I am unablt to ignore the fact that the church is failing abysmally to connect with much of the pre pensioner population. I really love the folks at the two churches which I serve at Bideford and Alwington. Indeed, I am close to many of the people in the other ten churches in our Circuit. But I cannot ignore the fact that our average age is alarmingly high. For most of our people, it would be unkind to revolutionise how church operates. However, I find myself asking if we can create new forms of church to exist parrallel with what already exists within a framework of mutual respect and acceptance of diversity. In such a framework, maybe some people from one way of being church might be open to being enriched by those whose experience is different. Others would be free to decelop within their chosen framework.

Lately I have been hearing quite a bit about the Emergent Church movement. To be fair this movement seems to be diverse. Anyway I want to find out more. I have begun by searching websites and I have ordered a book by Pete Ward entitled "Liquid Church." As I bring my project on Islam (more about that in the next week or so) to completion, I really want to explore these issues and to see if there are possibilities that could open up in the local context.

Anyway, I gather that Brother Maynard is a major figure in this movement and so I link to his view as to the sort of church he would like to see develop

A useful starting point in my opinion.

Death of Freedom

A disturbing article by John Pilger on the death of freedom as printed in this weeks's New Statesman is to be found on I Noodle site with introduction from Sean

I strongly recommend you to read it.

A Night at the Pantomime

Last night, it was the Martin family's annual trip to the pantomime - no not the Liberal Democrats again!

We went to Barnstaple to see Aladdin. Ourcompanions as last year were the Bideford Learning Disability Club which meets at our church. As always, the company was excellent. I cannot state to strongly how much we can learn about decency from the people who have learning difficulties. Our guys were as always a splendidly warm group of people.

The performance was great with all the usual interraction between the cast and the spectators. I am not sure that I have ever seen a more delightfully camp Widow Twanky. Indeed all the performances were of a high standard.

I came home thinking that whilst we talk about the need to modernise this or that -and indeed pantomimes have changed over the years that I have watched them - some tradition are to be cherished. Watching young and old as well as those of us who are somewhere inbetween, all enjoying ourselves, suggests that the days of pantomimes are far from over.

Many thanks to Wendy Elliott and Chris Leather for organising the evening.

Liberal Democrats - The New Nasty Party?

I wake up today feeling guilty that only months ago I voted Liberal Democrat. In my defence, the reason was that I live in a seat that was at the time held by the Liberal Democrats who faced a strong and ultimately successful challenge by the Conservatives. Had I voted on the basis of conviction, I would have voted for the excellent local Green Party candidate.

I know that I shall never make the same mistake again. I think the treatment of Charles Kennedy reeks to high heaven. The man who obviously like so many people struggles with a drink problem, is now the subject of one of the most venomously personal campagns of denigration that I can remember. Pygmies who owe their seats to him, are now turning on him with all the moral fibre of present day Brutus figures. Don't for one moment think that this is all about drink. Kennedy's alcohol problem has become an excuse for the pygmies and former employees of enlightened concerns such as Shell to tirn on a fundamentally decent man and to exile him to the Outer Hebridees of political life. That the agenda is wider than a drink problem is admitted by former MP Richard Allan who admits that the real issue is a political malaise rather than alcohol. On other words, the man's health problems are being used as the grounds of attack rather than the real issues which relate to how the Liberal Democrats position themselves for the next few years. What brave men to fight by using the cover of the drink problem of the man who has given them their greatest sucess since the days of Herbert Asquith who himself was known for excessive drinking.

I cannot see how Kennedy can survive the Machiavellian onslaught that confronts him. I am sure that we will in future see a Liberal Democrat Party as careerist and unprincipled as its two main rivals. The level of democratic choice will deteriorate even further.

But perhaps the ultimate conclusion from this episode is that the Liberal Democrats have in recent days taken upon themselves the label that Theresa May once suggested the Conservatives had landed themselves with;

THE NASTY PARTY.

And I suspect that it will take a party that has traded on its decency, even longer than it is taking the Conservatives to get rid of that unappealing label.

Time for a Reverend in the House?

Following last night's entry of Respect MP George Galloway" into the Celebrity Big Brother House hoping to reach a wider audience who find politicians and politics boring, I can't help but wonder of there is a message here for the church.

Like politicians, Christians are finding it difficult to connect with great swathes of society including the very people who watch shows like Big Brother. Some politicians like George Galloway and Tony Benn have in recent times travelled the country doing sessions of "An Evening with ......." meetings. Often these have been well attended. I can't help but feel that the Church has to meet with society in places other than it has done in the past or the Church will soon be as a museum.

Sometime back, I lightheartedly suggested to my Superintendent Minister that I would like to go into the Big Brother House. Possibly seeing gaps emerging in the Circuit Plan, hole in pastoral care and the very real possibility that I might be a timb bomb under Methodism, she wisely rejected my offer. But still, I wonder if someone with the right skills and personality who is just a little media savvy, were to go into the House, we just might reach people we have for far too long been missing out on.

Just a thought. Any volunteers? Where is Methodism's George Galloway?

Oh and by the way given that last year, one of the contenders found her difficult mother in law parachuted in how about a visit this year by Christopher Hitchens? A repeat of tthe recent Hitchen vs Galloway debate/slanging match would certainly make for entertaining if not particularly edifying viewing - a bit like putting Rebekah Wade and myself into the House (I'd have to start the fireworks as she has yet to hear of me!).

Rebekah Wade and the abandonment of human decency

Well yesterday as I drove my daughter Kaye home from her piano lessson, I found myself listening to Charles Kennedy making a courageous statement concerning his alcohol difficulties. As anyone who has known people who suffer from alcoholism will be aware, facing up to the problem is a huge step yet a step that is necessary for any recovery to be possible. Charitably minded people will wish Kennedy well on his road to health.

I say 'charitable people.' This description does not include the rag that is best described as Satan's spawn where a very attitude is to be found in its editorial entitled "Drunkem Fool". Here the Sun's editor Rebekah Wade shows herself to be itterly devois of any milk of human kindness. Not that we should be surprised. after all it was Wade who sanctioned a headline calling boxer Frank Bruno bonkers after Bruno had suffered a nervous breakdown. In that case, human decency was abandoned in order to boost circulation. This time apart from the fact that the Scum is devoid of any decency, the motive for malice may well be that Mr Kennedy did not share their penchant for mass murder in Iraq.

But am I alone in detecting a little bit of hypocrisy in all of this? None of Mr Kennedy's critics have suggested violence on the part of Mr Kennedy when inebriated. And here there is a contrast with the conduct of a certain Miss Wade who not so long ago after a night out drinking with amongst others David Blunkett, assaulted her partner Ross Kemp with the consequence that she was arrested at 4am in the morning. Oh, and don't forget that this happened not so long after Miss Wade led a campaign against domestic violence including that directed against men. Surely Miss Wade is clearly an Olympian when it comes to hypocrisy.

Of course, Miss Wade made light of her arrest and the next day it was but a joke in the Sun. By why be surprised? Miss Wade's career in journlaism has been based on base standards. She gets the money whilst she breaks the lives of others.

It is questionable whether Mr Kennedy will hold on to his position. One can but wish him well for the future. Miss Wade is a different kettle of fish. As I will show in coming weeks her career is based on journalistic fascism. If she wishes to take a one way journey to Hell that is her problem. But I submit that the damage she does to othere is a problem for all of us. I have reached the conclusion that her so called newspapers is in total opposition to the Gospel of Christ and to any philosophy based on decency. The time has come for the churches to encourage their people to boycott this evil rag. It is a truly sick publication that has a self righteousness that would make the most conceited Pharisee (actually in the main a misrepresented group) blush. It just isn't fit for decent society!

Celebrity Big Brother

Well tonight has long seemed like the sort of night to curl up with a good book. Why? Because tonight is the beginning of a new edition of Celebrity Big Brother.

The net is full of guesses as to who might be in. Michael Barrymore's inclusion is so heavily leaked that it would be a sensation if he were not to enter the house this evening. Boy George and former lover of Sven Goran Eriksson, Faria Alam are also belived to be included. However , the name that has grabbed my attention is Gorgeous George Galloway Indeed the rather well informed Guy Fawkes seems to be taking this one seriously also.

Having listened to Galloway's formidable rhetoric in Cambridge just before the Iraq War and having salivated at his destruction of the Congressional geeks when he blasted them at a Congressional hearing back in the Summer, I have to admit that if George is in the House, I'll be watching every spare moment I get. Yet at the same time, given that he represents one of the most deprived deprived constituencies, I can't help feeling that his work should be representing them in and out of the House of Commons rather than playing showbiz. On that basis I rather hope the rumourse sweeping the internet are untrue.

Anyway, my suggestion is that he gives way to an even more admirable character. So, enter the Big Brother House Rev Dave Warnock

Let's hear it for Methodism's first housemate!