Alpha on TV
I was sorry to miss Jon Ronson's TV documentary on Alpha the other week, but Rachel Cooke at the New Statesman offers her reaction here. She is always good with the witty lines, such as her reaction to Charlie Cleverly speaking in toungues/baby language -
“Oh, Father,” he said. “Balala, dilly doodle, boogy bala . . .” Or something. Amazingly, no one laughed. I think they were too stunned to laugh. Call me old-fashioned, but what is wrong with a firm recitation of the Lord’s Prayer?"
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Maggi has kept a blog since September 2003, writing about theology and faith, the arts and literature, and a little about life and random nonsense...
This title focuses on the importance of understanding who God is - and who he is not. It explores the core Lenten idea of 'giving up', taking it beyond the traditional idea of simply abstaining from something.
This book compares and contrasts the different Gospel narratives of Christ's coming. It is designed specifically for use in 2007, highlighting links to the Church calendar. It is intended for those wanting daily Bible readings for Advent.
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i think not.
coz if you do something out of love for another, service, sacrifice, its always becasue the desire in you to do it is stronger than the desire not to do it, so you’re still following your desires, even if they are very noble. in nature its the same. Symbiotic relationships much more realistic and possible. If there is altruism i would guess its by chance.
i don’t mean to devalue noble actions in any way – ultimate example – Jesus, for the joy set before him… it benefitted him enough to go through with it all. Thank Goodness.
Maggi, thanks for your thoughts. I work in a service in which many have paid the ultimate price in an attempt to save others. Laurence, I disagree and cannot see how Jesus, as God incarnate, ‘benefitted’ from his own ultimate sacrifice.
Ayn Rand thinks altruism is positively evil, and promotes the virtue of selfishness.
Andy i would love to sit down over a coffee and chat about it all – the web does tend to polarise conversation.
i think God does benefit, because he/they felt the loss of disconnection with us. the Joy set before them seems to me to be being WITH us, resoring all of their creation. if it doesn’t benefit God, why do it?
Steve, Rand also destroyed the lives of those around her, like her husband Frank, by her own selfishness. From personal experience I can say Objectivism is horrible.
Laurence, it would be good to chat over coffee but I think your last sentence illustrates Maggi’s point perfectly.
All our actions are done from a mixture of motives….some selfless, others selfish…and I suspect that it’s impossible to unravel them…that way lies madness…..all we can do is get on with doing them…hopefully (without I hope sounding pious)in Jesus’ name and for his sake.
Allan