abtw777

Religious people sometimes tell us that it’s best not to pick and choose things from their faith in which to believe. It is more of an all or nothing affair, they will say. Either you believe it or you don’t. This is certainly true of the Christian faith – which is my focus in this essay. Fair to say that there’s been quite a bit of picking and choosing, down the centuries. For instance, we no longer seem perturbed by people moving an ancient boundary stone, we no longer seem to care about celebrating years when debts are cancelled, or jubilee years, and, for the most part, we no longer practice stoning as a means of public execution. Indeed, there are several capital offences listed in the Bible that don’t carry the death penalty in most of today’s nations. Well, dear reader, you may point out that all the items I’ve listed are moral precepts that were perhaps suitable for their time. But now we must use our judgement (and/or God’s guidance) to discern what moral rules are appr...

The Good Doctor appeared and disappeared in my life over a period of several years. There was always some confusion about him and who he really was. He used to work in the same office as me – although ‘work’ is a bit of a stretch. He did not arrive at the office to do any work, he just chatted with folk for a while, then a secretary would hand him a brown envelope and he was gone. The brown envelopes appeared to bulge with banknotes. He dressed mainly in black. A large black duffel coat, black trousers and shoes. Usually one of those self-coloured textured shirts that tie up at the collar with a strip of leather. The Good Doctor invited me around to his home once, when he was living in Edinburgh. It was a basement apartment in the New Town. There were snacks and excellent wine to start. Food would arrive soon, he assured me. Meanwhile he chatted and we both drank quite a bit. The place was silent. No sound of a kitchen and food being prepared. Not even the smell of food. B...