Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole

I am looking forward to our live discussion next Wednesday 12 January 2011 with sixth formers at St Edward's Roman Catholic and Church of England School, Poole. Note the time next week will be from 11.30am till noon - half and hour later than usual.

I really enjoyed my two visits to the school last year: one, a discussion with sixthformers and the other the prizegiving before Easter.

Today, 6 January, is a special day in the Church's calendar, the feast of the Epiphany, when we celebrate the coming of the wise men from the east to bring gifts to the new born King. Happy Epiphany and New Year. I hope some of you may have seen the amazing BBC series, The Nativity, on television the week before Christmas, Monday to Thursday evenings. It would be good to discuss that as well as other questions.

When did your faith in God begin ??

How do you deal with the problem of evil?

how do you view the creation story? e.g. literal, poetic etc

When did your faith in God begin ??

Hello did you ever want to have children??

What are your views on homosexuals that are really in your face about it, and go mincing about looking to indulge in their urges?

which do you prefer?? ethics or philosophy?

Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:

how do you view the creation story? e.g. literal, poetic etc

Thanks. There are actually two creation stories and I see them as poetic because they then don't contradict each other. They do contradict if taken literally. I think God created humans through evolution.

how would you solve the problem of evil?

how do you feel about people who dont believe in god?

Do you believe that God wants us to be fullfilled and uses evil to teach us how to behave?

Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:

How do you deal with the problem of evil?

Thanks. A very deep question - perhaps the most profound of all. Have a look at the Gillingham school thread. I don't believe God created evil. Evils is the absence of good, but God does give us free will to respond in love or not. God has dealt with the problem of evil in the world through the cross of Christ.

Do you believe that you can believe in science and christianity e.g. the creation story/big bang?

i struggle alot with the theories of natural law and utilitarianism, do you have any easier way of helping us?

Do you feel christianity can be infulenced by other religions, or that we can influence ither religions?

do you believe that god has a greater plan? like everything happens for a reason. if so do we really have free will?

Previously Bishop Graham wrote:

Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:

how do you view the creation story? e.g. literal, poetic etc

Thanks. There are actually two creation stories and I see them as poetic because they then don't contradict each other. They do contradict if taken literally. I think God created humans through evolution.

 

if God created humans throgh evolution did he create other animals through evolution? and if so why have hundreds of animals with random mutatin that did not work and so died very quickly?

Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:

When did your faith in God begin ??

Thanks. I went to sunday school and sang in the choir in Chigwell, Essex, but a personal faith in God came alive at Oxford where I was studying law. In January 1974 I prayed a prayer of commitment after much reading and discussion and reflection on people's lives at college.

How would you explain God's 'love for everyone' in the presence of a dying mother in Etheopia with three children with no one to care for them?? Or to a farther who's son is suffering from terminal cancer?? Where is our 'loving' God in this reality??

If god is all benevolent and has mapped out our lives why did he place people such as hitler and extremists on the earth?

In the eyes of God murder is seen as wrong. So in a situation on a plane where a terrorist has taken over and you have the opertunity to kill him to save the people on the plane, would you do it knowing that murder is wrong but at the same time saving hundreds of lives?

Connor

What is your view on homosexuality, do you believe it is right or wrong?

Previously Bishop Graham wrote:

Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:

How do you deal with the problem of evil?

Thanks. A very deep question - perhaps the most profound of all. Have a look at the Gillingham school thread. I don't believe God created evil. Evils is the absence of good, but God does give us free will to respond in love or not. God has dealt with the problem of evil in the world through the cross of Christ.

does this mean you agree with st augustines theory that natural evil occurs because the first people, Adam and Eve, did wrong in the Garden of Eden?

Do you believe jesus will return??

i dont understand why God takes all the good people away from us and leaves the bad ones??

Would you say God is a Distant God, or do you feel he is close to us all the time?

Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:

Hello did you ever want to have children??

thanks. We have three grown up daughters.

Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:

What are your views on homosexuals that are really in your face about it, and go mincing about looking to indulge in their urges?

Thanks. I answered this more fully on another thread:

I personally think the Bishops Guidelines in the Church of England, 'Issues in Human Sexuality', form a good and balanced reference point. These state that those who are gay in their sexual orientation and wish to be vicars are welcome to be vicars but should be celibate. They do not say the same about lay people in the church ie that they have to be celibate. In all professions, leaders are held to be more accountable than others: judges and police have to have a higher standard of law keeping than others;  teachers have to have a higher standard of behaviour with young people than others; similarly acccountants concerning financial integrity. So, the above distinction between vicars and lay people seems to make sense to me. It is also worth looking at Paul's First Letter to Timothy chapter 3, where he says leaders should be the husband of one wife ie there were clearly people with more than one wife in the congregation, but those could not be leaders.

Oliver O'Donovan has written a fine book, 'A Conversation Waiting to Begin: The Churches and the Gay Controversy' (SCM Press, 2009)

http://www.scmpress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=9780334042105

This is a book of his online essays which may be seen here

http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=130 

Again, a huge subject. Hope this helps.

Why, out of all the different strand of chirstanity, did you chose to become an anglican? Where you baptised into the religion as child or joined later in life?