Ease up on the bioethical propaganda please

I have been receiving emails and posted material urging me to mobilise the Lighthouse congregation to join in a concerted effort to stop the latest embryo and fertilisation legislation.

These have been coming from various evangelical groupings who are making common cause with the Roman Catholics and Anglicans who have been grabbing the headlines on this issue.

No hyperbole seems to be too great for my brethren on this matter. The future of mankind is apparently at stake and I will be guilty if I do not raise my voice in protest.

The proposed technology will attempt to place a nucleus or the chromosomes of an adult person into the the embryonic or egg cell of another mammal species in the hope that “stem cells” can be manufactured.

If the cell can be persuaded to grow and divide it is hoped that the successor cells will become predominantly human stem cells suitable for replanting into the original donor of the genetic tissue.

These cells have great healing potential since they can replace crucial cells in organs like the brain, spinal cord, liver etc. which have been destroyed by illness or trauma.

I personally find this proposal a great improvement on using human embryos for this kind of work and I am irritated by the inevitable invocation of Frankenstein and Dr. Moreau’s Island.

I had no such avalanche of junk mail in the long run up to the Iraq war – indeed many of us seemed to see that adventure as a way of “liberating” the Iraqi Christians. I fear the “sanctity of human life” concept has some very strange applications.

I have a post on human nature on the Theology Review which deals with some of the faulty assumptions behind this propaganda.

Who is holding back the revival?

There is going to be a Christian revival in London.  I have been thinking it for years but I wonder if God has a problem.  Every few months some nutty “prophet” - often from the USA - “Prophesies” that there will be a revival here.  How can God bless us if it will also authenticate a false prophet?

It is like that famous prophecy from John Wimber (deceased) that David Watson (deceased) would be miraculously cured of cancer (he wasn’t).  How could God answer prayer for healing after that?  Impressionable Christians would have canonized them as modern Apostles instantly.

The latest prophecy is from one of the pastors of Times Square Church, New York.  I can’t remember his name because the letter was instantly recycled.

May I make a request of all these self-appointed oracles? “PLEASE SHUT UP about London”.  Maybe then the Holy Spirit will bless us.

Back in town

Hi friends,

My blog of my Nigeria trip is now completed and Sue and I are back in London. (How do you people cope with this cold?). Here is a Gherkin.

Going to Nigeria!

Two and a half months away, meeting great people, preaching my socks off and catching the end of the rainy season.

I have started a NEW BLOG - http://bature.wordpress.com so visit me there please.

There is also a gallery of photos at SmugMug (click here).

Incidentally SmugMug do a brilliant photo storage/display service for $39.99 pa (£20 per year) and do discounts for referrals. If any friend wants to be recommended by me get in touch.

The Modern Leper

Important people watch their watches;

Important people dress to impress;

Important people are serious but not sad.

So I’ll look important,

While I smoke,

In the rain.