Horrid, Disgusting Stuff!

This was the view that greeted my weary eyes this morning, snow!  Horrid, disgusting snow!  Great lumps of it falling from the gray clouds above and hanging around everywhere.  It's a disgrace, we ought not to have this sort of thing around here, this is a nice part of the world, sometimes.
Clearly the government ought to do something about this, snow belongs up north, where the lower orders reside, not down here where the money brains of the nation are to be found.
There is nothing else for it but to close the grubby curtains once again and stay indoors doing the ironing to keep the place warm.  I might have to iron every shirt twice in that case!  Bah!

A couple came into the museum yesterday, she in a wheelchair, he pushing, and made their way around the building.  It was clear she had little response, no more than a baby seeing the world for the first time.  I considered her to be less than forty years old and her understanding of what was around her probably was little more than a childs.  What care would this lass receive if there was no national Health Service?  Would she be aborted at birth perhaps?  If this is the result of an illness would they encourage her to die? Human life is worth so little in these Darwinian days.    

With the election in the offing the papers are so willing to indicate faults with those they dislike and therefore many have highlighted the UKIP leader Nigel Farage's desire to bring in a US style health service.  This has been roundly condemned by the UKIP Party membership who strongly favour keeping the NHS as it is and improving it.  Indeed while most UKIP members are really Conservative members (mostly afraid of immigrants) at heart they understand just how important the NHS has been to the UK. Following the US pattern would be a disaster for all but the richest.  

The lass in the wheelchair requires 24 hour care, which but the rich could afford that?  When at Maida Vale thirty years ago an emergency brain operation and aftercare would run into many thousands of pounds, how much now?  Even turning up and a dentist or doctor could cost a fortune and no insurance coverage would ever enable an NHS as successful as the one we have now.  We must fight to keep and develop the NHS not sell it off.

The recent policy of running down the NHS and then demanding privatisation as the only answer comes from politicians who not only have an ideological as opposed to practical understanding of the NHS and the public's needs but also own many shares in American private health organisations! Now who would have thought that?  The elite care for their public so much that they will ensure their personal profit comes before public requirements!  Vote them all out!  We need a strong and safe NHS, we are in danger of losing it and the majority, not the few, will suffer.

As I mentioned before the repression of Christianity in the UK continues apace. The latest school to suffer this attack via Ofsted is Grindon Hall in the north east.  This school is a Christian Free School with the highest educational reputation but has been called 'troubled' and now put into special measures by Ofsted simply because it does not encourage gay sex or celebrate non Christian festivals.  Individuals are sacked, in spite of their work record, for sharing such views as those biblical ones found at this school.  Teachers, nurses, doctors, workers in all sorts of businesses are hounded out because of Christian beliefs. This because they are considered 'intolerant!'  I suppose a police officer is intolerant if he arrests someone?  A judge intolerant for sentencing a prisoner? It appears 'British values' as espoused by the nation today does not include 'tolerance' of those who indicate something is wrong. Similar intolerance was shown to those who opposed slavery yet they were proved right in the end. What a confused world political correctness has produced. 

This is just the beginning.

.

The Usual Sunday Stuff

While the antipodeans cover themselves in layers of sun cream there was no danger of sunstroke from the sun hiding behind the light gray skies this morning.  Even worse there was a determined effort to drop dirty great lumps of snow on us yesterday afternoon which luckily did not prove sufficient to lie. Yuck, we don't want any of that here!

Trapped indoors wrapped up like Nanook of the North instead I participated for a short while in keyboard warrior action.  A Celtic fan, claiming to be 'anti- sectarian, refused to accept the proven fact that his club is as sectarian as Rangers.  He quickly descended into 'whataboutery' a well know tactic in which they avoid the issue and point fingers elsewhere.  It took some time but he eventually disappeared convinced of our error, occasionally others joined in, and determined to believe he represented a club as pure as the snow I hate falling near me.  
Forums, Twitter and newspaper (I use that word loosely) comment columns are full of such people. The 'Daily Mail' is one of the best, and most likely to delete any comment that disagrees with their view (the Guardian, that centre of 'free speech' is much, much worse at censorship than any other) and surely the keyboard anonymity allows all sorts of psychopaths free range to discuss their 'views.'
One 'gay' discussion soon brings out the bile.  No-one is allowed to indicate gays are in the wrong.  You must accept and never disagree, no matter what the situation.  The comments always follow the same routine, cut and paste questions, quotes and texts from a gay forum and refuse to accept any answer. Debate is impossible as openness is not allowed.  The 'Gay Manifesto' from 1970 has working its way through the nation and few have noticed.
Secularists are the same.  The 'cut and paste' follows identical patterns, giving rise to the thought that a few people use many names and cover two topics regularly.  Openness is declared but rarely seen.  
I sometimes wonder why I allow myself to get involved when I know the answers, probably having met the same folks before.  However the Celtic one I had to speak on, the bile from both sides destroys the west of Scotland and proper government action is long overdue to the influence these two football clubs have on this.  Removing the sectarian influence form both would lead to a cleaner nation and happier people.  It would take time however.

I note, but have no link, to an NHS employee fired by her organisation for offering to pray for a Muslim friend.  There is more to this story but the woman comes out well yet the authorities have refused to accept they did wrong.  This is yet another example of the anti-Christian attitudes that are now prevalent in western society.  This is to be expected in India, where the Hindus are at this moment attacking Christians and Muslims in a deliberate policy to eradicate them from India.  It is common in Pakistan, Iran and other Muslim states but in the west?  Many are suffering in India and such places yet the western media ignores this.  The west is now doing the same, authorised by parliament and encouraged by the liberal middle class.
The real power is of course the spiritual one in high places that is indeed leading a major attack on the church.  It has crept up during the last forty years unawares to most but is now free to operate throughout the land.  The days ahead will be dark for Christians, and secular and gay lobbies will be leading this, under the guise of 'toleration' and 'equality' probably!  The days ahead are dark indeed.

   

.

Indian Christians

In 1947 when India and Pakistan freed themselves from the English yoke, India declared itself a 'Secular State.' This was in contrast to Pakistan a nation created as a Muslim nation.
With a large minority of Muslims, Buddhists and Christians and numbers of other smaller faiths found in the huge land mass that is India it is easy to understand why 'secular' was stressed at the nations relaunch.

However, in spite of the good intentions at the beginning India is dominated by Hinduism. This is a faith that is also representative of a nation also in that Indians are a proud people with an ancient history and proud heritage, therefore there is resistance to religions such as Islam and Christianity as 'foreign' incomers. Many in the UK would understand their feeling here, but it is doubtful those same people would feel any guilt for the Empire taking others land!

Christians have for many years operated in the Indian subcontinent, in many places they have established schools and medical centres and churches have been established in the major towns and cities for many years. However persecution has grown apace, especially in recent times, and even more so, in my opinion, for home grown Christians. Churches have been attacked and vandalised, even burnt down, individuals face persecution and churches, especially in village locations, face intimidation and assault, some people have even been killed on occasion. The local State and city authorities, the police included, instead of supporting the 'Secular State' are very often the ones behind the persecution of Christians. Personal gain, position or bribes are all involved. This leads to difficult times for those who are charged with declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Two friends, Yash and Monica, have for some time been working in their homeland, alongside several friends they have seen several thousand people come to a knowledge of Christ Jesus and have been busy teaching and building these people into a new life. On many occasions they have been obstructed by the local police and now face trumped up charges, the intention being to take them away from their duty to God and kill their churches.

Yash has recently been arrested and jailed awaiting trial. With a blanket and a concrete floor for a bed he has relied on his God to see him through while Monica and others struggled to obtain bail. This was eventually obtained, with great difficulty and at much cost, yet both face the danger of trial and subsequent jail terms. This for preaching the Good News! The experience of an Indian jail is something I hope we never endure and Yash has discovered his friend Jesus did not leave him while there, but I hope we can pray he, and Monica, do not have to endure this again.

The experience of suffering is not new for Indian Christians, the knowledge of what they endure can lift us, certainly me, out of self pity! Pray for them.