Jesus! Jesus Christ! Christ Almighty! Have you ever uttered these words? Felt frustrated? Blurted them out. Angry? Spat them out. Or simply desperate for an adjective which you could use in mixed company? Maybe they are words you use automatically. Just a part of the way you express yourself. Throwaway words without any meaning.
We recently celebrated Christmas. Strangely, Jesus gets mentioned quite a bit at Christmas. Many people from the church of C & E, attend Christmas services even when they would never ordinarily think of entering a church other than by invitation for a wedding, or a funeral or a christening. Songs are played and sung which are about Jesus. They are called carols but they are actually songs of worship. Consider "Come All Ye Faithful": O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. The story of Christ's birth (the Nativity)is told, and re enacted.
Jesus gets more attention and respect during the Christmas period, otherwise known innocuously as the festive season. For this reason alone I wish it was Christmas all year.
However, even at Christmas, there are some who continue to use the name of Jesus Christ as a swear word, as a cheap combination of sounds stripped of true meaning. A more acceptable curse. Mere words on par with other expletives, except these don't need to be deleted. No one really minds a few "Goddammits" or "Christ Almightys".
In old speak, they call it blasphemy but really it is simply disrespectful, both to Christians and to Jesus Christ himself. It is offensive.
Jesus Christ is a real person. His life, death and resurrection are historical facts. For Christians, Christ is Almighty and his name is special. It is powerful. It is not just a name. It represents hope and love and salvation. In fact, the Bible says it is the only name by which men can be saved. It is a name worthy of respect and honour, a name to be used with reverence, a name to speak with deep affection and gratitude. Try using it that way some time and see how your life will turn around.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Copenhagen Cop Out
Before I begin I must confess to being a climate change skeptic and worse than that, according to climate change believers, I neither care about the alleged threat nor do I care to listen to reasonable arguments hoisted to support the cataclysmic prophecy of a 2 degree increase in the temperature.
However, I don't see anything at all wrong with being good stewards of the environment over which we have dominion. I'm not against caring for the environment with reasonable measures but I am against the hysteria of fear campaigns. The last one was the fabricated terrorist threat, but don't get me started on that.
So it is that I read with interest Clover Moore's article on her attendance at a meeting of 80 mayors at the Copenhagen climate change festival. These mayors represent roughly 700 million people from across the globe and they call themselves the C40 group. In a short space of time the mayors have apparently reached "extraordinary consensus on what needs to be done" to combat climate change. David Miller who is chair of C40 and the mayor of Toronto, Canada said in his closing speech at the conference, “Mayors from cities all over the world gathered here in Copenhagen to show that we are on the frontline of climate change. While climate change demands global action, we have shown that we are not waiting for others to act."
The Climate Summit for Mayors sounds like where the real action is happening in Copenhagen. So what's happening at the main event? At the international level? With all those world leaders and environment ministers? Absolutely nothing. They can't even agree on what to have for lunch.
Australia's Prime Minister,Kevin Rudd is an environmental champion and is urging the leaders of the world to action. Using strong emotive language and references to clear consciences and the future for our children and grandchildren, he called on the summit to reach a "grand bargain" on climate change. But even as he delivered this plea the mood is souring and hopes are dimming in Copenhagen. Although trying to remain positive, Mr Rudd said, "I fear a triumph of inaction over action."
Bottom line? We have a useless committee meeting going on in Copenhagen. I am mystified as to why the C40 group of mayors has achieved consensus and are already taking action while the main event is fizzling into embarrassing torpor.
The truth of the matter is that no matter what they say, nations always act, and have always acted in their own national interests and where mega amounts of money are involved, compromise is asphyxiated.
Sources:
MARIAN WILKINSON ENVIRONMENT EDITOR (Sydney Morning Herald)
December 18, 2009
climatesummitformayors.dk
However, I don't see anything at all wrong with being good stewards of the environment over which we have dominion. I'm not against caring for the environment with reasonable measures but I am against the hysteria of fear campaigns. The last one was the fabricated terrorist threat, but don't get me started on that.
So it is that I read with interest Clover Moore's article on her attendance at a meeting of 80 mayors at the Copenhagen climate change festival. These mayors represent roughly 700 million people from across the globe and they call themselves the C40 group. In a short space of time the mayors have apparently reached "extraordinary consensus on what needs to be done" to combat climate change. David Miller who is chair of C40 and the mayor of Toronto, Canada said in his closing speech at the conference, “Mayors from cities all over the world gathered here in Copenhagen to show that we are on the frontline of climate change. While climate change demands global action, we have shown that we are not waiting for others to act."
The Climate Summit for Mayors sounds like where the real action is happening in Copenhagen. So what's happening at the main event? At the international level? With all those world leaders and environment ministers? Absolutely nothing. They can't even agree on what to have for lunch.
Australia's Prime Minister,Kevin Rudd is an environmental champion and is urging the leaders of the world to action. Using strong emotive language and references to clear consciences and the future for our children and grandchildren, he called on the summit to reach a "grand bargain" on climate change. But even as he delivered this plea the mood is souring and hopes are dimming in Copenhagen. Although trying to remain positive, Mr Rudd said, "I fear a triumph of inaction over action."
Bottom line? We have a useless committee meeting going on in Copenhagen. I am mystified as to why the C40 group of mayors has achieved consensus and are already taking action while the main event is fizzling into embarrassing torpor.
The truth of the matter is that no matter what they say, nations always act, and have always acted in their own national interests and where mega amounts of money are involved, compromise is asphyxiated.
Sources:
MARIAN WILKINSON ENVIRONMENT EDITOR (Sydney Morning Herald)
December 18, 2009
climatesummitformayors.dk
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Schoolies Outrage Over the Top
In this nation of virtual alcoholics, the moral outrage spewing from the media about the behaviour of teenagers on the Gold Coast during 'schoolies' week is an absolute joke.
The event gets talked about and heavily publicized every year so naturally it prospers in the fertilizer of notoriety.It looks like such fun, doesn't it? Makes you wish you were a teenager again so you could spend a whole week drunk and dancing. Throw in the absence of parents and a bit of sex and you are in Heaven. No wonder non school leavers, go to schoolies as well. No wonder it's such a popular event. Thousands of teenagers just having fun.
I want to be a part of that fun. I want to get so drunk that I spend an hour vomiting. I want be smashed so the next day I can't remember what I did the night before. It will be great when someone tells me how I humiliated myself by not being able to stand up. At least they might be able to help me explain the injuries I sustained. I want to spend the night with some girl who is too intoxicated to remember the word 'no.' That would be awesome. I want the alcohol to take away my inhibitions so I can show everyone my penis, and then I can abuse the policemen who try to get me to pull my pants up. Yeah, I'd love to give the cops the finger and abuse them for trying to interfere with my fun.
I want to be so rotten that I fall over and hit my head on the footpath. If I bleed a lot, I'll get loads of sympathy and have a great story to tell in the accident and emergency department at the hospital.If I drink enough, I might even fall into a coma. How cool would that be? Better still, if I drown in alcohol and then go swimming, I could drown in the ocean. Unreal!
I'm not a wowser, and I do drink alcohol in moderation, but none of the above is what I would call a good time. I can actually enjoy myself without alcohol. That was my idea of a fun when I was 16 but Jesus rescued me from that dead end self destructive way of life when I was young. Who is going to rescue our young people before they make the biggest mistake of their lives, or die, or kill someone else? If you think I'm exaggerating, check out the statistics.
Or just laugh it off, and have another drink. That's the Australian way.
The event gets talked about and heavily publicized every year so naturally it prospers in the fertilizer of notoriety.It looks like such fun, doesn't it? Makes you wish you were a teenager again so you could spend a whole week drunk and dancing. Throw in the absence of parents and a bit of sex and you are in Heaven. No wonder non school leavers, go to schoolies as well. No wonder it's such a popular event. Thousands of teenagers just having fun.
I want to be a part of that fun. I want to get so drunk that I spend an hour vomiting. I want be smashed so the next day I can't remember what I did the night before. It will be great when someone tells me how I humiliated myself by not being able to stand up. At least they might be able to help me explain the injuries I sustained. I want to spend the night with some girl who is too intoxicated to remember the word 'no.' That would be awesome. I want the alcohol to take away my inhibitions so I can show everyone my penis, and then I can abuse the policemen who try to get me to pull my pants up. Yeah, I'd love to give the cops the finger and abuse them for trying to interfere with my fun.
I want to be so rotten that I fall over and hit my head on the footpath. If I bleed a lot, I'll get loads of sympathy and have a great story to tell in the accident and emergency department at the hospital.If I drink enough, I might even fall into a coma. How cool would that be? Better still, if I drown in alcohol and then go swimming, I could drown in the ocean. Unreal!
I'm not a wowser, and I do drink alcohol in moderation, but none of the above is what I would call a good time. I can actually enjoy myself without alcohol. That was my idea of a fun when I was 16 but Jesus rescued me from that dead end self destructive way of life when I was young. Who is going to rescue our young people before they make the biggest mistake of their lives, or die, or kill someone else? If you think I'm exaggerating, check out the statistics.
Or just laugh it off, and have another drink. That's the Australian way.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
twenty ten not two thousand and ten
Next year is 2010. Twenty ten, not two thousand and ten. Twenty ten. We must get this right. We must commence the second decade of the twenty first century by saying the year correctly. This is upsetting me a lot. Every time I hear someone say two thousand and ten, I feel my blood pressure surge. I am not very far from violence.Seriously.
Think back about a hundred years. In 1909, were people saying that the next year was going to be one thousand nine hundred and ten? No they weren't. They said nineteen ten.
So, next year is twenty ten. That's logical right? Stop saying it the wrong way. You too Prime Minister Rudd. You talked about the twenty twenty summit so why are you saying two thousand and ten. It's wrong. Stop it.
Think back about a hundred years. In 1909, were people saying that the next year was going to be one thousand nine hundred and ten? No they weren't. They said nineteen ten.
So, next year is twenty ten. That's logical right? Stop saying it the wrong way. You too Prime Minister Rudd. You talked about the twenty twenty summit so why are you saying two thousand and ten. It's wrong. Stop it.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Cultural Snobbery
There is something I don't understand, something that troubles, even annoys me. Why is it that people have to condemn as worthless the things they don't like. By all means, voice your opinion, and justify your view with criticism by why write it off altogether especially when you know full well that somebody else actually likes it.What am I on about? Read on.
I'm reading a book called "A World Without Heroes" written by George Roche. It's a book of philosophy, if you like that sort of thing, from a Christian point of view. I happen to agree with the author's world view for the most part until he comes up with stuff like this;
Talking about modern music, "...the jungle throb and infected themes of rock (music)..." So we know he doesn't like rock music and then this, "The simplest, most accurate statement of our arts is that we no longer have any. Virtually all of our best theatrical repertoire, our art, our music, our ballet, our architecture, our sculpture, our literature, is a century old and often far older...we make no art. We make daubs and junk and boxy buildings and screeches." I don't have time or space to quote more extensively, but how about this to finish, "the ghastly sounds which bombard us in this music starved age."
Let's focus on music. Many people think that the only good music is the music they like. A radio announcer I regularly listen to, always talks about how they don't make music like they used to in the 1960s and 70s. Nobody writes great songs anymore apparently. Some people enjoy listening to opera which is often sung in a foreign language and then bag heavy metal music because they say you can't understand what they are singing about. Other people criticize heavy metal because they say its monotonous but they get off on dance music. Can you tell I'm a heavy metal fan?
Bruce Dickinson is lead singer of the hugely successful heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. Bruce has arguably one of the finest voices in his genre. A classically trained opera singer who according to some cultural snobs probably crossed over to the dark side when he joined Iron Maiden. Some of the world's finest musicians, singers and songwriters have entertained us through heavy metal music.
Anyway, this was not intended to be a defense of heavy metal.
The high culture/low culture divide is an artificial distinction. Why should ballet be considered high culture and breakdancing low. Why should classical music be above rock music? Why should so called literary writing be deemed superior to so called pulp fiction? I do not accept Roche's assertion that good art, in all its forms is no longer being produced. That modern art, music and literature is rubbish. The question of what makes good art, is and always has been entirely subjective, and its not determined by popularity contests either.
Only God knows how much time we have left but I reckon Metallica's song Enter Sandman is a classic and perhaps in the future it will be recognized more widely as such. On par with Beethoven's 5th.
I guess the point of this rambling, disorganized babble is that I believe you don't have to like something to recognize that it is good, (in other words that someone else likes it.)
I'm reading a book called "A World Without Heroes" written by George Roche. It's a book of philosophy, if you like that sort of thing, from a Christian point of view. I happen to agree with the author's world view for the most part until he comes up with stuff like this;
Talking about modern music, "...the jungle throb and infected themes of rock (music)..." So we know he doesn't like rock music and then this, "The simplest, most accurate statement of our arts is that we no longer have any. Virtually all of our best theatrical repertoire, our art, our music, our ballet, our architecture, our sculpture, our literature, is a century old and often far older...we make no art. We make daubs and junk and boxy buildings and screeches." I don't have time or space to quote more extensively, but how about this to finish, "the ghastly sounds which bombard us in this music starved age."
Let's focus on music. Many people think that the only good music is the music they like. A radio announcer I regularly listen to, always talks about how they don't make music like they used to in the 1960s and 70s. Nobody writes great songs anymore apparently. Some people enjoy listening to opera which is often sung in a foreign language and then bag heavy metal music because they say you can't understand what they are singing about. Other people criticize heavy metal because they say its monotonous but they get off on dance music. Can you tell I'm a heavy metal fan?
Bruce Dickinson is lead singer of the hugely successful heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. Bruce has arguably one of the finest voices in his genre. A classically trained opera singer who according to some cultural snobs probably crossed over to the dark side when he joined Iron Maiden. Some of the world's finest musicians, singers and songwriters have entertained us through heavy metal music.
Anyway, this was not intended to be a defense of heavy metal.
The high culture/low culture divide is an artificial distinction. Why should ballet be considered high culture and breakdancing low. Why should classical music be above rock music? Why should so called literary writing be deemed superior to so called pulp fiction? I do not accept Roche's assertion that good art, in all its forms is no longer being produced. That modern art, music and literature is rubbish. The question of what makes good art, is and always has been entirely subjective, and its not determined by popularity contests either.
Only God knows how much time we have left but I reckon Metallica's song Enter Sandman is a classic and perhaps in the future it will be recognized more widely as such. On par with Beethoven's 5th.
I guess the point of this rambling, disorganized babble is that I believe you don't have to like something to recognize that it is good, (in other words that someone else likes it.)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Devolution. A novel by D.A.Cairns (sample).
Here's a very small sample from my novel, Devolution. The e-book costs US$10 and is available from me, if you're interested.
Turning around quickly she said, ‘Hush, where’s your father?’
‘Swimming in the living room. You don’t mind if we talk, do you?’
‘No,’ she said, smiling, ‘I kind of like it. It must be such fun for you to be able to voice with your friends at school.’
He scratched his nose and played with the buttons of his shirt. ‘That’s what I wanted to ask you about actually.’
Sensing the serious tone in her son’s voice, 2 rotated her hoverchair to face him.
‘Has dad said anything about our school being closed down?’
‘He,’ she hesitated, and 3 noticed her uncertainty, ‘He says it’s almost a done deal. He’s been pushing hard for years now and has finally gathered enough support among the other councilors to go ahead. Of course he is the education minister.’
Keeping his eyes fixed on the liquid floor, 3 felt a surge of anger in his veins and his head began to ache again. ‘It’s not fair, mum. It’s just not fair.’
Wisely, his mother tried a change of subject to attempt to calm him, ‘What about your dream? Did you want to tell me about it?’ she said. But he turned abruptly and left the room talking to himself. She tried to project a warning to him to stop voicing, but he was so angry she could not penetrate his thoughts.
In the bathroom, 3 looked at his image in the mirror and cursed. His head, a little large for his body, its shape oval yet triangular, narrowing at the forehead. Eyes wide-spaced, under no eyebrows and long lashes, nose flattened, mouth too wide. As far as Newtonians could be attractive he probably looked all right, but how would any girl ever find him attractive? How would a particular Adonite girl desire this ugliness? If he was to be forced into single tribe education then it probably wouldn’t matter anymore. Obviously looks would play no part in the partnering of Newtonians, but he desperately wanted to stay in mixed schooling. Of course there was no hope of him ever partnering with a girl from another tribe but so much of a teenage boy’s world was fantasy, and 3 was no different. He burned with passion for his friend, the goddess, Veena.
Turning around quickly she said, ‘Hush, where’s your father?’
‘Swimming in the living room. You don’t mind if we talk, do you?’
‘No,’ she said, smiling, ‘I kind of like it. It must be such fun for you to be able to voice with your friends at school.’
He scratched his nose and played with the buttons of his shirt. ‘That’s what I wanted to ask you about actually.’
Sensing the serious tone in her son’s voice, 2 rotated her hoverchair to face him.
‘Has dad said anything about our school being closed down?’
‘He,’ she hesitated, and 3 noticed her uncertainty, ‘He says it’s almost a done deal. He’s been pushing hard for years now and has finally gathered enough support among the other councilors to go ahead. Of course he is the education minister.’
Keeping his eyes fixed on the liquid floor, 3 felt a surge of anger in his veins and his head began to ache again. ‘It’s not fair, mum. It’s just not fair.’
Wisely, his mother tried a change of subject to attempt to calm him, ‘What about your dream? Did you want to tell me about it?’ she said. But he turned abruptly and left the room talking to himself. She tried to project a warning to him to stop voicing, but he was so angry she could not penetrate his thoughts.
In the bathroom, 3 looked at his image in the mirror and cursed. His head, a little large for his body, its shape oval yet triangular, narrowing at the forehead. Eyes wide-spaced, under no eyebrows and long lashes, nose flattened, mouth too wide. As far as Newtonians could be attractive he probably looked all right, but how would any girl ever find him attractive? How would a particular Adonite girl desire this ugliness? If he was to be forced into single tribe education then it probably wouldn’t matter anymore. Obviously looks would play no part in the partnering of Newtonians, but he desperately wanted to stay in mixed schooling. Of course there was no hope of him ever partnering with a girl from another tribe but so much of a teenage boy’s world was fantasy, and 3 was no different. He burned with passion for his friend, the goddess, Veena.
2012: Not just another disaster movie
Yes, the new end of the world apocalypse movie, 2012, follows the disaster movie formula. Yes it's full of literally incredible escapes, and the special effects obliterate the actors who, to be fair do a pretty good job with a limited and admittedly cliched script. Look a little deeper however and you will find a philosophical and moral heart beating inside.
If the rulers of our world: the governments and leaders of business and science knew that the world was going to end, what would they do? Even with gazillions of dollars, pounds, yen or whatever, could they save everyone? Would they try to save everyone? If they chose to only save a limited number of people, how would they decide who lived and died? Would they have the right to make such decisions? Think about. Suppose it was your decision.
2012 is very entertaining and despite the restricted script, the characters are likeable and show enough of themselves to engender genuine concern for their welfare. The unpredictability of their fate is breathtaking. The special effects are truly overwhelming to the extent that in some scenes there is no way to humanly process the bombardment of audio visual input. There is just too much going on.
Finally there are the acts of heroism. Selfless and self sacrificing acts. Motivated by some instinct to risk one's own life to try to save another person. Acts of love. Deeds which prove the existence of a loving God who created us to care for and about each another.
2012. Don't wait too long to see it or you may run out of time.
If the rulers of our world: the governments and leaders of business and science knew that the world was going to end, what would they do? Even with gazillions of dollars, pounds, yen or whatever, could they save everyone? Would they try to save everyone? If they chose to only save a limited number of people, how would they decide who lived and died? Would they have the right to make such decisions? Think about. Suppose it was your decision.
2012 is very entertaining and despite the restricted script, the characters are likeable and show enough of themselves to engender genuine concern for their welfare. The unpredictability of their fate is breathtaking. The special effects are truly overwhelming to the extent that in some scenes there is no way to humanly process the bombardment of audio visual input. There is just too much going on.
Finally there are the acts of heroism. Selfless and self sacrificing acts. Motivated by some instinct to risk one's own life to try to save another person. Acts of love. Deeds which prove the existence of a loving God who created us to care for and about each another.
2012. Don't wait too long to see it or you may run out of time.
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