The Attitude should be Gratitude

We have much to be thankful for, much to rejoice despite the cold weather and chilly winds, despite wars and rumours of wars, despite the climate crisis, despite the injustices in society and throughout the world.

The western democracies are where people want to live and move and have their being.  There are too many malcontents, moaners and misanthropes. Some people do not seem to be happy unless they are making others unhappy. Miserable melancholic murmurers wish to spread their poisonous and toxic ideas without providing any viable alternative and constructive ideas, certainly no answer or solutions.    

In this country, in the USA, in Canada and northern European lands, in Australia and New Zealand, democracy and freedom reign.  When you visit other lands then you begin to appreciate how bad it can get. When you look at human rights records and the corruption index then you can understand how dire and dreadful some countries are in providing or rather not providing basic law, order, security, stability, economic prosperity and freedom of speech and the press, protest and personal property protection.  

Everyday we should take time to rejoice in what we have and not take these precious freedoms for granted.  Personally I am very grateful for our Christian heritage, our NHS, carers and educational institutions. I owe preachers, doctors, carers and teacher so much, and I am so grateful for their sacrificial service.

There are those who wish to enslave us with the yoke of tyranny and the woke ideologies.  There are those who want us to submit to false religions, vanities, evil gods and failed philosophies. They do not share our values or established ethical ways of living in peace and prosperity. We should be grateful to those who defend our democratic way of life, liberty and the land we enjoy. 

Our attitude should be gratitude.  May God grant us the grace to make this land a even better place where we are not disgrace. 

Justice is starting to flow like rivers for the Sub-postmasters

 Public opinion and pressure by many people in positions of influence are working against a harsh bureaucracy and systemic injustice that has ruined so many lives.  The Post Office scandal has angered folk throughout the country, especially in the wake of the TV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office. 

Campaigns and petitions are now wanting answers and activity from the Government and those who are able to deliver justice for the innocent victims of this scandalous situation. It is a situation that should never have taken so long to resolve. It has been called the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history.

Despite warnings and clear evidence, the Post Office board of management and IT executives ignored the facts and appear to have acted iniquitously. Some senior managers took huge salaries and payments that they did not deserve for poor performance and mendacity, cloaking and dissembling. 

The CBE awarded to Paula Vennells for services to the Post Office has been a very painful slap in the face for honest and innocent sub-postmasters so callously convicted on her watch.  Thousands, moving towards a million, are now demanding for this award to be revoked, and even returned.  It was a disgraceful and despicable decision to award this CBE in the light of her unethical behaviour at the Post Office. It is hoped that Mrs Vennells will now follow the example of Zacchaeus the tax collector by showing true repentance, and taking the matter much further by engaging in restitution, restorative justice by helping those she has harmed.

There are others who have harmed and harassed the innocent victims.  Let justice be done and seen to be done.  The public's fury is certainly intensifying.

Justice for the Sub-postmasters

 I am glad that I signed the petition calling for the removal of Paula Vennell's CBE. I have followed the Post Office scandal over the years, particularly in Private Eye. It is a disgrace that these sub-postmasters were prosecuted. Some of them served custodial sentences, and suicides occurred, yet no one in PO management has been convicted and properly punished yet for their serious crimes and considerable iniquities. Some politicians involved in this omnishambles clearly looked the other way in the face of the evidence against the Post Office. The Post Office management board should be held accountable to the nation for the full extent of their cover ups and culpability.

What a brilliant service to the UK taxpayer the ITV drama Mr Bates v the Post Office has achieved. Toby Jones' performance was magnificent. So many folk are now incensed by this scandal. Public opinion is demanding justice for the innocent victims of this wickedness.

Bloodshed and brutality by bandits in central Nigeria

 It is so sad to hear about deaths and bloodshed in central Nigeria at this Christmas season of peace and goodwill to all on earth. Bandits have mercilessly attacked innocent people and murdered over 150 people in the central plateau area around Bokkos, Jos and Barkin Ladi.  

When young men are given powerful weapons and operate without morality but are able to become bandits, robbers and heartless thugs, then death and destruction inevitably occur.  Bandits have brought murder and mayhem to the streets of central Nigeria.  There is little protection and safety from these bandit assassins.  There seem to be enormous security issues for the government.  Boko Haram and Islamic State warriors are active in the northern parts of Nigeria, and they move south to wreak havoc from time to time.

I am looking into the ethno-religious tensions in the central plateau area.  What causes these bandit militias to murder and maim?  How are they so heavily armed and willing to shed innocent blood?

Terrible Taliban Afghanistan fails its folk

 As expected, the Taliban have failed to run a sound, stable and secure economy. Folk are starving to death. Children are poorly educated. Women live in hellish conditions.  There is no free press. There is no freedom of religion. Bandits and weapons dealers muck up the country. Corruption is rife. Lawlessness and violent incidents are common.  

You can rely on the Taliban to ruin the health service and university system, and keep the country back in the dark ages of fear, superstition and bigotry.  

Afghanistan is a land without hope and without prosperity under Taliban tyranny.

Please bring back K9

 Bring back K9. K9 is needed to help Doctor Who. K9 is needed to improve the good Doctor’s performance. K9, you can come back, be regenerated and warm the hearts of loyal fans. You have been missed and your return would be most welcome. You should be copied. Replicas should adorn toy boxes and toy stores. Your return would be eagerly awaited.

Godliness with contentment is great gain

Yes, godliness with contentment is great gain.  To have both godliness and contentment must be for Christians a tremendous combination.  To achieve and to attain these wonderful virtues in life should be treasured above fame and fortune.    

There are wealthy, famous folk who know little joy in their life but turmoil, tension and trouble. They have no inner peace and certainly no contentment. Despite their wealth they are dissatisfied, depressed and disenchanted with their comfortable but sad lot in life. And there are poor people who have little joy in their struggles to make ends meet, to pay basic bills, to find good accommodation and feed the family. In their own way they can also be very materialistic, holding fast and firm to what they have, having little concern for their spiritual well being.  Gambling recklessly, decadent behaviour, heavy drinking, bad drugs, STDs and criminal activity afflict and ruin all communities. There is pleasure in sin...for a season but it leads to the broad way, which ends in a narrow, perilous place.

Yet there are poor, godly people with many hardships, trials and tribulations, who have discovered true contentment.  And with godliness too. There were the humble poor in South Wales mining communities, who found solace in the Saviour, in singing in the chapel choir, in the fellowship of believers on Sundays.  My late father in law knew them well in Ynysybwl. He worked down the mines at Lady Windsor Colliery. Hard back breaking work. 

So it's not a question of being well off, well paid and superannuated, because during the Welsh Revival many of the people were not. They were not at all blessed with this world's goods, with grand houses, with large salaries, with expensive cars, audio equipment, electrical devices, mobile phones, large televisions, and many items thought in these days to be so essential to be able to enjoy the good life. They were not rich in material possessions, but they were rich in faith, fellowship and Christian friendship.  They rejoiced in the chapel culture, in songs of praise and the stewardship of Christian grace. Sons grew up with good role models, so very few absentee fathers who cleared off and avoided their responsibilities.

I would contend that they were happier, often healthier, certainly mentally speaking, though coal miners were troubled by pit disasters, pneumoconiosis, and terrible working conditions.  The sense of community and Christian values helped them through many dark times.  Crime was low. There was love in the family and fellowship at the chapel. Education was highly valued; it was a clear way to get out of poverty and on to prosperity. The Protestant work ethic prevailed. 

Many were helped a great deal by the chapel and the Sunday school. Reading aloud, speaking in public, performing in plays and musical events developed many talents. Through chapel and Sunday school activities the children gained confidence in performing in public, sometimes before large congregations, at local, area, national and international eisteddfods, and at Christian conventions and community events.

It is not surprising that the Welsh produced many great singers, preachers, hymnwriters, musicians and actors, and let us not forget the teachers.  Wales has been called a nation of pedagogues. Perhaps you can remember a Welsh teacher at your school in England. And some of them played a good game of  Rugby, like my wife's uncle Arwyn who played for Wales (schoolboys) and Northampton (when he was a schoolmaster).

Godliness with contentment is great gain, but is holiness the same as godliness? Can someone be godly but not holy? Can they be holy but ungodly? Are holy people more or less contented?