This Week's Poll 04/05/08

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Last Week's poll: Should this country's blasphemy laws be repealed? 11 votes yes =10, no =1. One more vote: I vote yes - God's big enough to take care of things without any help from the government.

This Week's Poll 25/4/08

If you want to do more than just click, comment on this post. Just spotted the missing "y" but can't edit a poll once someone's voted.

Previous poll: Is it a good thing that the Olympics will be held in China?

7 votes yes =4, no =3. One more vote I vote yes - see Tim's comments.

This Week's Poll 8/04/08

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Last Month's (!) Poll: Are there any good ethical reasons NOT to be vegetarian 7 votes in total, 6 yes, 1 no. One more vote, I vote no. Or at least I can't think of any. I can think of lots of reasons why I am not a vegetarian, but none of them are good and none are ethical. They are more a matter of the flesh.

This Week's Poll 01/03/08

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Previous Poll: Is it just a matter of time until the Christian church as whole recognises the validity of committed Gay relationships? 12 votes in total, 8 yes, 4 no. One more vote, I vote no.

I reckon that at least in the foreseeable future, there will continue to be a strong fundamentalist expression of Xnty that will be socially conservative, reactionary even. This is especially true when one takes into account the nature of vigorous expressions of the faith in the developing world. I think however that there is likely to be a strong trend towards embracing homosexuality among mainline denominations in this country. I reckon we will see this even among non-fundamentalist evangelicals.

Of course the poll while ostensibly asking an "objective" question gives opportunity to express personal views, so here's mine. I really hope that the church as whole does give a full and equal place to gay people without out any discrimination whatsoever on the basis of sexuality.

With regard to the various comments: I thinks Catriona is spot on with her historical observations; I didn't us the phrase "Gay Marriage" because many gay people are themselves uncomfortable with the expression believing it to be irredeemably tainted with patriarchal overtones; I reckon Stephen makes a very good point with regard to not waiting until there is unity; it this an issue that is central to the gospel or not? - I reckon Phil and Tim's debate is based on a false antithesis - surely the gospel is both about God's gracious restoration of relationship with individual people and also about the restoration of justice in the society of people. A gospel without one or the other is surely less than the full gospel. Actually I think I would rather express my understanding of the gospel as God's gracious restoration of the whole of creation so that it truly embodies and displays God's glory. This includes (among other things) the saving of individuals and the saving of society.

This Week's Poll 18/2/08

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Previous poll. Will everyone ultimately be reconciled to God? 11 votes in total, 6 yes, 5 no. This generated the most extensive debate yet on this site. The comment that summed up my position best was the very first from Catriona. In my own words: I really really really really hope so and I reckon there are good reasons biblically and theologically to believe so but... there is also clear biblical teaching and at least one theological reason (if human freedom and divine love are to mean anything we must be able to reject God's advances - we are no automata and God is no rapist) that means I can't vote Yes without real hesitation. But vote yest I will; not so much an expression of unequivocal conviction as a vote confidence that the love and wisdom of God will find a way. Please Lord.

This Week's Poll 21/1/08

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Last week's poll. Should Home Mission stop funding churches opposed to women ministers? 17 votes in total, 10 yes, 7 no. One more vote - tricky one this, I reckon Dick's comment carries more weight than some of those who replied appeared to ready to give it. The difference between this and opposition to black people in ministry is surely, from Dick's perspective, that the Church is agreed (at least in theory) on race and ministry where it clearly isn't on women in ministry. However, I do reckon some issues are so fundamental to the heart of the gospel that we may need to go ahead and use power (subject of course to agreeing to act) to further the cause. So I vote "yes".

This Week's Poll 12/1/08

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(A bit in-house-Baptist this week. For those who don't dwell in this particular denominational domicile, Home Mission is the central source of top up funding for those churches and ministries that can't afford to meet all the costs of a paid minister.)

Last week's poll: "monocultural church" is a contradiction in terms, 8 votes in total, 4 agree, 4 disagree, one more vote, I vote disagree.
(As Catriona pointed out, it all depends on whether you are referring to local congregations - in which case culture-specific church can be a necessary and indeed very good thing, even if it still falls short of the ultimate ideal - or to the wider church - in which case, contradiction in terms, no question.)

This Week's Poll 4/1/08

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Last week's poll: When describing Christians the labels conservative, evangelical, radical and liberal are completely past their sell by date. 14 votes, 7 agree, 7 disagree. One more vote, I vote "disagree".

This Week's Poll

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Last week’s poll: Compared to conservative/evangelical Christians, liberal/radical Christians are rubbish at leading people to faith in Christ. 10 votes, 6 agree, 4 disagree. More more vote: I agree.

Last week’s poll prompted one or two interesting observations about the use of labels and the labels conservative, evangelical, liberal and radical in particular hence this week’s poll and hopefully a new post on labels soon.

This Week's poll 13/12/07

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Last week's poll: Opposing women in ministry is as bad as opposing black people in ministry? 18 votes, agree 18, disagree 0. One more vote I vote agree.

This Week's poll 6/12/07

Last week's poll: would you like Jose Mourinho to be the next England Manager? 6 votes, yes 5, no, 1; one more vote, I vote yes.

OK so it looks like not many as interested in football as the other stuff. This weeks poll back on familiar ground. If you want to do more than just click, comment on this post.

This week's poll 29/11/07

Last week's poll: Was the Baptist Union council right to apologise for the involvement of Baptists in slavery? 11 votes, 7 yes, 4 no, one more vote - I vote yes, absolutely yes.

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This Week's Poll 21/11/07

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Last week's poll:" Does formal, academic theological education make it more difficult for ministers to communicate with working class people?" 15 votes, 9 yes, 6 no. One more vote: I vote yes.

This Week's Poll 14/11/07

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Last week's poll: Should we be putting more time and effort into working ecumenically? 13 Votes, 10, yes, 3, no. One more vote: I vote no.

This Week's Poll 6/11/07

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Last week's poll: "Should we be planting more churches?" 7 votes: yes 4; no 3. One more vote: I vote yes

This week's poll 22/10/07

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Last week's poll: Has the charismatic movement had its day? 9 votes: 6 yes, 3 no. One more vote: I vote yes.

This week's poll 02/09/07

I plan to do a new poll each week. If just clicking a button is not enough and you would like to make an observation on the subject of the poll you can do so by commenting on the this post.

Last week's poll - Is there still a place for door to door evangelism - 12 votes, 4 yes, 8 no. I vote no.