Shafts of doubt from a Clear Blue Sky . .

.

Next month it will be 43 years since I became a Christian in November 1969. And this week I’ve been hit in the face by shafts of doubt like I don’t even remember experiencing in any of those 42 years.

Doubt about the very existence of God even.

Why now? And what to do, how to handle it?

It all started with Bart Ehrman and a series of Youtube videos he made on the historical Jesus. Actually I enjoyed the videos. I found his basic historical methodology to be sound and I was interested to see where it would all lead.. . .      Continue reading this article >>

“We have enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”

8th August 2011 by Norman Walford

I came across this quote from Jonathon Swift, the 18th century author of Gulliver’s Travels, the other day. I don’t remember exactly where I read it, but I was reminded of it yesterday when someone sent me a newspaper article on the subject of religion and science by one of the trustees of the Richard Dawkins foundation.

The general theme of the article was to argue that from an evolutionary perspective religion could have some survival value 

Continue reading >>

The Tyranny of Feelings

19^th April 2011  by Norman Walford

Telephone—it’s John . . . again.

“Hello John, how are you?”

“Dreadful. My whole life is wrong . . . Nothing to live for. Why do I get so much bad luck? . . . “ and so on.

John’s 74, retired, and in a chronic slough of despond. He hates his life, thinks he’s done it all wrong, wishes he could go back and start again
                       
Continue reading >>. 

Why ARE we so contentious?

18th February 2011       by Norman Walford

The other day, a friend sent me a link about Anne Rice, a popular American novelist who

some years ago announced with a considerable fanfare of publicity that after careful

consideration of the evidence she had decided to give up Christianity.

“For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian . . .

It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and

deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. . .    Continue reading >>

What makes us human . . .

11th January 2011   by Norman Walford

As a doctor by training it's always been natural to me to look at human behaviour and responses in biological terms. As a Christian it's likewise important to me to look at Christianity and religious concepts in the same way. I know some Christians yet very uneasy if I start talking about religious or spiritual responses, but to me it's not just natural but essential.  After all it's a fact that these things do actually exist. They're not something that scientists dream up in their  imagination         Continue reading >>