eChurch Blog

This is a question that’s been bugging me for some time now. So much so that I’ve toyed with asking it on this blog but felt unsure. As a result, I posted it on a Christian forum and have a received some thoughtful responses.

As I now feel emboldened I’d like to ask the same question of you here, namely:

If psychopaths genuinely appear to be devoid of compassion, empathy, shame, guilt, remorse, conscience and so on, is it possible that they may become Christians, given that this path begins with repentance?

When I say Christian, I don’t mean in name or appearance only, but am specifically referring to the notion of being ‘saved’.

I know it’s a strange question, but I have a strange mind, and would love to know your thoughts.

It’s come to my attention that 4thought.tv are running a series this week entitled: ‘Is mental illness ever a gift?’

Sounds like it could be interesting. The first broadcast can be found here. Sadly I can’t view it at the moment as my crappy broadband won’t stream properly.

It can be viewed every day this week on TV at 19:55 after the channel 4 news.

I blogged recently on the more positive aspects of mental illness.

I’m not interested in being like the world. I am not interested in putting people down because of who they are but then again I do reserve the right to to accept or reject what people CHOOSE to do when it goes against the teaching of the orthodox Christian faith. I am not interested in the foolish people who want to believe that once we are approved of by the world and approve of all that they do the people will come flocking in. If there is no difference between what is to be found within a church building and what exists outside then the otherness and the reason to come in is lost.

SOURCE

The Moscow Patriarchate’s position on what relations between the state and the Church should be is invariable, it said.

“We do not want the (Church) to become part of the state apparatus, state machinery, to assume secular functions,” Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations, said.

He was commenting on a poll conducted by the Sreda agency along with the Public Opinion foundation of 1,500 people across 44 Russian regions, 100 towns and villages. According to the poll, 30% of Russians want Orthodoxy to become the state religion, 48% are against it and 23% did not have an opinion about it.

The system of church-state relations in Russia has not changed over the past decade, both from the point of view of secular laws and the Church’s decisions, the priest said.

“The fact that the Church is growing and becoming more active by no means implies a review in its position on relations between the state and religion,” he said, adding that the Church is not trying to substitute some state or form some politicized ideology.

SOURCE

British Religion in Numbers have published some interesting statistics relating to religion and belief in higher education.

It must be noted that there is a strong caveat around the typicality of the sampling, consequently, figures and percentages should not be extrapolated.

STAFF

47% identified themselves as Christians, 37% as of no religion, 5% as spiritual, 3% as Muslims, and 9% as of other faiths or beliefs

43% said that religion was in the foreground of their life, 23% in the background, and 32% that it did not feature in their life

One-half had no recollection of how, if at all, their institutions monitored staff religion or belief

20% indicated that they would be uncomfortable about disclosing their religion to their university, rising to 34% of pagans, 33% of spiritual, and 28% of no religion

11% (22% of Muslims and Buddhists) were members of a religion or belief society in their institution

94% felt that they had not been discriminated against or harassed because of their actual or perceived religion or belief since 2003, the 6% with negative experiences (including 18% of Muslims and 10% of Jews) attributing them in roughly equal measures to immediate colleagues, other staff, and students

79% felt comfortable expressing their religion or belief identity in the workplace

73% had never been approached by anyone with the intention of bringing them over to their religious point of view

53% agreed and only 8% disagreed that their institution valued the religion or belief identities of its employees, the rest being neutral

STUDENTS

44% described themselves as Christians, 31% as of no religion, 9% as Muslims, 5% as spiritual, and 11% as of other faiths or beliefs

49% said that religion was in the foreground of their life, 27% in the background, and 23% that it did not feature in their life

Two-fifths had no recollection of how, if at all, their institutions monitored student religion or belief

16% indicated that they would be uncomfortable about disclosing their religion to their university, with twice this number for Buddhists and those calling themselves spiritual

22% considered that their course content was presented in a way which was sensitive to their religion or belief, 10% disagreed (15% among Muslims and 13% for Christians), 20% were neutral, and 48% held that their religion was irrelevant to the course

23% stated that the teaching on their course was conducted in a way which was sensitive to their religion or belief, 11% disagreed (16% of Muslims and 15% of Christians), 20% were neutral, and 47% argued that their religion was irrelevant to the course

44% considered that campus facilities for people of their religion were adequate, 15% inadequate, with the remainder unsure

27% were members of a religion or belief society in their institution, rising to 63% of Jews, 48% of Muslims and 44% of Sikhs

94% felt that they had not been discriminated against or harassed because of their actual or perceived religion or belief, but Jews (27%), Sikhs (17%) and Muslims (14%) reported much higher levels of discrimination

86% agreed and just 11% disagreed that harassment on the grounds of religion was dealt with as a serious disciplinary offence by their institution

68% felt their university was understanding or tolerant towards students with a specific religion, a mere 3% describing it as ignorant or intolerant (the rest being neutral or stating no opinion)

90% felt comfortable expressing their religion or belief to friends, 72% to fellow students, and 69% to personal academic tutors

54% had never been approached by anyone with the intention of bringing them over to their religious point of view, with one-fifth having been approached and feeling uncomfortable or harassed as a result

This one’s for Goy:

Hat-tip: Rosh Pina Project

Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere mei, Deus”  (“Have mercy on me, O God”) a setting of Psalm 51 (50) sung by the superb Tallis Scholars.

English Translation:-

Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness

According to the multitude of Thy mercies do away mine offences.

Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.

Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged.

Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

But lo, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.

Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.

Turn Thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.

Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

O give me the comfort of Thy help again: and stablish me with Thy free Spirit.

Then shall I teach Thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.

Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness.

Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew Thy praise.

For Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee: but Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.

The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise.

O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young calves upon Thine altar.

The reason a person litters and does not take personal responsibility is that his mother didn’t teach him to, but behind that is the breakdown of the family, and behind that is a lack of personal sexual responsibility and behind that is a rejection of Christian morality and behind that is a rejection of Christian anthropology and behind that is a rejection of the notion that man is created in God’s image and behind that is a rejection of the creator himself.

SOURCE

Gene Anderson of Rucksack Revolution, a sufferer of Bipolar Disorder, is currently experiencing a distressing mixed state and covets your prayers.

If you do read this, please send one up for Gene and perhaps hop over and let him know, so he’s encouraged.

I’m still feeling a little tired after taking my family to see the latest Harry Potter film at midnight last night. It was quite an experience for my ten-year-old son as you can imagine.

Anyway, I enjoyed the following article looking at how Christians have warmed to Harry Potter over time. Does anyone else remember the dire warnings from some Christians that Harry Potter would lead to an in increase in the occult, devil worship, hair loss, boils and bad breath….

Anyway, here’s the article and it’s nice to note that J K Rowling is a member of the Church of Scotland:

After praising the “Harry Potter” books in 2001, author Connie Neal said that she opened her inbox to see death threats scattered among the reactions from fellow Christians. The one time the California-based writer found her book, “What’s a Christian Got to Do with Harry Potter?,” at a Christian bookstore, it was on the occult/New Age shelf.

In its early years, “Harry Potter” was a litmus test of orthodoxy for some conservative Christians, who expressed concern over its portrayal of witchcraft. A Christian lawyer sued a public library for encouraging young readers to check out the series. Texas Pastor John Hagee called the books a “precursor to witchcraft.” In 2005 a Canadian website published a letter opposing the books written by Pope Benedict XVI when he was Cardinal Ratzinger. (In 2009, the Vatican’s newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published a favorable review, seeming to reverse course on the series)

The hysteria has largely died down, and not many religious leaders asked their flocks to avoid the final movie, which opens today. Potter observers cite a few possible reasons for the waning concern, including a natural desire to move on to other entertainment issues, but also an interest in the themes that unfolded.

….continue

By the way, I really enjoyed the film. Not mind blowing, but entertaining.