22/04/2009 by admin.

was when he came to talk to the men’s breakfast meeting at the Church on the Heath.  He spoke about his involvement in the historic wartime Conferences (1943-1945) in Teheran, Yalta, Potsdam and Moscow between Winston Churchill, Presidents Roosevelt and Truman and Stalin.  These meetings have been much written about; Hugh’s comments gave a refreshing slant.  

He started by reminding us just how much our country is indebted to the Americans.  Without their help the outcome of the last war might have been very different.  Notwithstanding recent difficulties Americans are both warm-hearted and very generous: without Marshall Aid Europe would never have recovered in the way it did. He continued by recounting those occasions when Churchill found Roosevelt particularly difficult and how Churchill often felt sidelined when Stalin and Roosevelt went behind his back.  Like most histories not all the traditionally accepted written accounts of their tripartite dealings are entirely reliable. 

He then gave examples of leading public figures between the two World Wars and the media in the last World War giving very distorted accounts of the Soviet system and Stalin’s leadership.  His great evil, immense cruelty and duplicity were masked by the admiration accorded to the outstanding victories of the Red Army over the German forces.  Those victories, added to the deliberately modest front Stalin presented to Churchill, Roosevelt and other foreign leaders bestowed an image of urbane respectability on ‘Uncle Jo Stalin’ and Russia’s communist system.  Stalin generated great fear in those under him; even his Foreign Minister, Molotov, was heard to stutter when in Stalin’s presence.  Censorship and surveillance were rigid.  In charge of clearing his and other offices of the British Military Mission in Moscow at the end of the War Hugh found and removed some thirty hidden microphones.  A more humorous, yet operationally serious, example was the case of the carrier pigeons carried on arctic route RAF transport aircraft in case of radio failure: they were refused entry or exercise in Russia until they received entry visas – nothing to do with bird flu! 

Hugh pointed to the widespread supposition made in some of the tabloid press and books that towards the end of the War Eastern Europe was carved up at the Yalta Conference in the Crimea and handed over to Stalin by the Western Allies.  In fact Russian troops, the Red Army and the KGB, Secret Police, having driven the German forces out, already occupied much of Eastern Europe. Stalin possessed it without needing to ask. 

Hugh explained that the over-riding objective of both sides in war is usually to bring it to an end as soon as possible.  In February 1945 Russian troops were only 40 miles from Berlin.  In a desperate last throw Hitler aimed to strengthen his front facing the Russians just north east of Dresden by transferring by rail some 30 divisions from  Western and other fronts, as our and Russian intelligence discovered.  The city of Dresden was an important final rail junction for the transfer of those troops.  To prevent the German divisions reaching and holding that front, so prolonging the war, Stalin with his military leaders requested the British and Americans to bomb Dresden and other entrainment points, Berlin, Leipzig and Chemnitz. To achieve the aim of ending the war, still being waged dangerously by Hitler, the Western Allies agreed to Stalin’s request. 

Hugh concluded his remarks by pointing out that although Stalin was the biggest mass-murderer in the whole of human history up to that date, it was Lenin before his early death in 1924, who inspired and instilled into communism its extreme “religion” of hate and murder of political opponents.  Hugh read out the words Lenin wrote in 1915 “We must hate. Hatred is the basis of communism”.  Richard Dexter/Hugh Lunghi  

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22/04/2009 by admin.

 Readers of our weekly news sheet may remember an invitation for parishioners to visit the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking on Saturday 14 March.  Although my initial reaction to this opportunity was more than a little hesitant, my wife Jane gently pointed out that meeting with people of different faiths and learning more about their culture and beliefs often helps us to realize that we have much in common.  
 Like many, I’ve often wondered about the mosque as its dome flashed past the train window while travelling to and from Waterloo. Imagine my surprise, therefore, to discover that although architecturally impressive, the Shah Jahan Mosque is in fact quite small.  It was built in 1889 by Dr Gottleib Wilhelm Leitner to cater to the spiritual needs of Muslim students at the Oriental Institute and was the first mosque to be built in Northern Europe. 
 The original Mosque is a great deal smaller than either of our churches and can hold only 60 worshippers.  Although it’s used for prayers throughout the day, as the Muslim population has grown in Woking so has the need for extra space. This has been provided by large halls in the mosque grounds which are used when there is a need.  These are made up of three sections: A men’s section, which can hold up to 1000 worshippers, a ladies’ section, which can hold up to 600 worshippers, and a community hall.  

• Children of Muslim parents are considered Muslim from birth and that there is no equivalent of our baptism service.

• However, there is a naming ceremony for the baby, where its head is shaved and the hair weighed.  Traditionally, the parents donate the weight of the child’s hair in silver to the mosque.

• Apart from one or two small sects, Muslims do not use music in their worship as Christians do.

• The Qur’an was usually printed in Arabic to avoid mistranslation of the Prophet Mohammed’s words.

I came away from the mosque feeling that Muslims and Christians had a great deal in common. We believe in the same God and share the same traditions of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and the  prophets.  The key difference is that although Muslims revere Jesus as a great prophet, they do not believe that He is the son of God.  
 I’m glad I went.  
 Paul Allen 

And another perspective…..

A group of us from churches in Fleet visited the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking on a Saturday in March. Many of you may have glimpsed the ornate exterior of the mosque outside Woking station from the railway line into London.  It’s a gem of a building and was established in 1889, the first purpose built mosque in Britain.  We were met there by Rev Richard Cook, in charge of interfaith affairs for the diocese who gave a stimulating talk on Islam back in November at P and J.  Richard explained that the mosque was originally built to cater for the spiritual needs of Muslim students at the Oriental Institute in Woking, with funding from the Begum Shah Jahan of Bhopal.  It also acted as a place of worship for visiting delegates from India and as a centre for those in Britain with an interest in eastern cultures and languages.  The mosque became well known in the early 20^th century for its publications and missionary work and helped people in Britain to an early understanding of Islam.  We were also joined by the Imam of the mosque, Mufti Liaquat.  He explained that the original mosque only holds about 60 worshippers and is still used for most of the five daily prayers.  However as the Muslim population of Woking has grown, so has the need for more space and luckily large halls in the Mosque grounds (originally railway sidings) are used for Friday prayers, when over 1,000 people are present and for other festivals and community occasions.  The Imam took us over to the small mosque where we squeezed in along with others who were reading the Koran and praying quietly before the start of the Saturday midday prayer.  He explained about the five daily prayers, how Muslims know to pray in the direction of Mecca and that the ornate writing at the front of the mosque is the first verse of the Koran, the Fatiha, ‘In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being.’  He talked of the way that Moslems have to wash before they pray and that the prostrations of the ritual prayer reflect submission to God.  The word Islam means surrender.  The Imam added that usually only men come to the mosque as women are used to praying at home.  He talked about the reverence Muslims feels for Jesus, one of their main prophets and that in Medina, next to the burial place of the prophet Mohammed, a grave is reserved for Jesus after his second coming.  We were then led over to the main prayer hall to watch the midday prayer, sitting at the back of the hall, having left our shoes outside.  About 60 men were present, some teenagers and a young child.  The Imam led the prayers at the front of the hall with the worshippers performing the ‘salat’ or prostrations of prayer.  After a time, they all moved back, to perform their own prayers, each followed by a prostration.  The whole cycle took around 20 minutes and afterwards people greeted each other, shook hands and then dispersed.    Imam Liaquat came back to talk to us and answer questions.  He said that children from the age of about 4 years accompany their fathers to the mosque.  From about 7 years, children can start to learn the Koran in classes with a teacher, reciting in Arabic which is rarely their mother tongue as most of the Muslims in Woking would be Urdu speakers.  Many children come to the mosque each week for Koran classes in the evenings. 

The Imam was asked whether he uses the term God or Allah and he said for him they are the same.  He is happy to talk of God as we are worshipping the same deity, even though our beliefs and ways of praying differ.  It seemed a suitable point on which to end an interesting and stimulating visit and it gave us all an insight into the traditions of Islam. 

 Jane Jones 

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22/04/2009 by admin.

(1 Corinthians 5. 7-8)

Jesus sent His disciples to go and prepare the Passover Meal And Jesus said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer … (Luke 8 and 15) 

“Eat this in remembrance of me…” how well most of us know these familiar words, first spoken by Jesus at the Last Supper, and now part of the Christian Communion Service.  I wonder how many of us were aware of the full significance of The Passover meal and why Jews, throughout the world, still celebrate it? 

Sixty nine of us gathered at All Saints Meeting Room on the Wednesday of Holy Week (8 April). Led by Revd Haydon Wilcox we were helped, through a series of tastings and explanations, to trace the same steps that Jesus took at his last supper with the disciples.   We were intrigued to find that on the table in front of us was set a platter containing minced Horseradish root, a lamb shank bone, sweet sauce which tasted a bit like peanut butter, sprigs of parsley, small lettuce leaves, a roasted egg and a cup of salt water.  There were jugs of red grape juice and each of us had a tiny wine glass to drink from.  There was also Matzos, or unleavened bread.   

Haydon explained that The Passover Seder, or Order of Celebration, is usually led by the father/host of the house. Traditionally, the Passover Meal is eaten reclining on cushions to symbolise freedom from slavery (Luke 22 1-14).  We sat on wooden chairs and used our imaginations.   God instructed the Israelites to celebrate the Passover every year and, by being faithful, Jews celebrate it today with joy and thanksgiving, as if it is living history.  The Seder takes place in the evening after sundown because the Biblical day starts at sundown.  But what about the different items on the platter before us?  Haydon explained that the platter is called The Seder Plate.  Symbolism in the Seder includes: 

• Green vegetable – parsley – representing Life Salt Water – representing the Red Sea 
• The Bitter Herb (in this case, Horseradish) – representing the life in Egypt The Horseradish also brought tears to our eyes so that we do not forget the hardships the Israelites endured in Egypt.  
• Charoset (a Sweet sauce) – representing Hope in God 

• The lamb’s shank bone symbolised the Passover Lamb.

• The egg is a fairly recent Jewish addition and would not have been there at the Last Supper. 

Reverently, but with humour, reflecting the mixture of solemnity and thankfulness of the celebration, Haydon talked us through the Seder and encouraged us to taste the different dishes at the appropriate moments. 

Before the meal we were invited to ceremonially wash our hands.  This represented purity.   We were also introduced to the Four Cups of Wine. 

• The Cup of Sanctification – God has set apart the Holy Feast Day.
• The Cup of Judgement and Praise – God’s judgement is poured out but God has also promised a means of deliverance.
• The Cup of Redemption – symbolising the covering of the shed blood of the Passover Lamb (fulfilled for us in Jesus, although this is not recognised by the Jews).
• The Cup of Completion – we give thanks for God’s four-fold redemption: “I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you to be my people.”  
• A fifth cup, The Cup of Elijah, not one of the four ceremonial Cups, is poured before the meal. 

The Jews are still awaiting the return of the prophet Elijah, but Jesus has told us that John the Baptist was a type of Elijah and has already come (Matt 17. 10-13).  Traditionally, this cup is drunk by the host after the children have looked outside the front door, to ascertain that Elijah is not outside, waiting to be let in.  

Haydon also showed us the special Matzah Cover, which has three pockets.  One Matzah was placed in each pocket. He then removed the middle Matzah and broke it in two.  He wrapped one half in a linen cloth and hid it (in the top of the piano). Traditionally, the children find it later, and eat it after the main part of the meal.  The other half, representing the Bread of Affliction, was shared round the table. 

Traditionally, the telling of the Passover Story is introduced by children asking four questions, the answers to which enable the story to be told.  The importance of family and friends gathering to take part in this intimate celebration was constantly stressed by Haydon.   Although there were no children present, the meal helped us to feel like a family celebrating something special together.  We too, connected with the solemnity and the laughter … and left with a spirit of awe and thankfulness at the sacrifice which our Lord made for us and the wonder of our heritage. 

We also realised how deeply the Old and New Testaments are intertwined.  As Christ said, he did not come to do away with the Old Testament Law, but to fulfil it.  After the Seder Meal, the hardworking team of catering volunteers served a delicious lamb casserole and piping hot baked potatoes followed by Baklava.  

Thanking them, Haydon also thanked Mrs Joan Bradnam, from The Church on the Heath, who has a wide knowledge of Jewish customs and helped him plan the evening.  He also paid tribute to Helen Ledger, who compiled a PowerPoint presentation and the Passover Celebration booklet, which was used for the evening.  

Sally Hastings  

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09/04/2009 by admin.

When the monthly Parish Prayer Diary started including lists of streets to pray for, several people asked me how to pray for streets. My response was usually to say that we could pray for the people who live or work in those streets, about 90% of whom do not attend church but are the community in which we are placed.  Technically, as part of the ‘established’ church we are in a parish with defined boundaries and the spiritual welfare of Fleet Parish’s parishioners falls into the remit of the Vicar of Fleet.  By praying for all our parishioners we are helping Roy to fulfil that responsibility, in addition to all the other things we do to extend a caring hand into our local community. 

The Mission Committee felt that we could actually go a stage further by letting Fleet’s parishioners know that we care about them, and are praying for them that week.  We could give them opportunities to tell us about specific prayer needs, and how to get in touch to find out more.  To this end, the committee set about proposing to the PCC a leaflet to be put through the 7019 letter boxes in the parish in the week that their street appears on the Parish Prayer Diary (This excludes Elvetham Heath, which is in Fleet Parish but is amply served and prayed for by the Church On The Heath.) 

In January we started to put the streets on the Prayer Diary into geographical groups rather than alphabetical, to assist in the distribution.  Then the PCC chose a final leaflet design for a 3-month pilot distribution and the Mission Committee began distribution in February.  At the time of writing, we have already reached 1/12 of our parishioners and after a year, everyone in our parish will have read that the members of our churches do care about them – that is the title message of the leaflet.  There is a letter from Roy on the back of the leaflet including contact details and methods for submitting specific prayer requests.  I will leave some leaflets at the back of each church so that you can read what the letter says.

After the 3-month pilot (May) we will be needing some additional help with distribution – it takes two people between 30 and 60 minutes each week and we have a roster so you can opt for a week when the streets are near you.  (See my contact details below to volunteer.) 

The Mission Committee felt that you should be aware of this initiative in case you are asked about it by neighbours or friends. The aim is to reach out into our community and, in an age when people are increasingly independent, let people know that we do care about them and will try to help them in any way we can.  So please respond positively and knowledgeably if you are asked about the prayer leaflets, and think about helping with their distribution from May onwards.  Thank you. 

Robert Smith

On behalf of the Mission Committee and the Parish Prayer Programme Team

Contact for further information or to volunteer: Tel: 624171.
E-mail: robert.smith77@btinternet.com

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07/04/2009 by admin.

a parable story 

You can’t miss Stonylands Town Golf Club if you take the winding back road out of town. But if you are in any doubt, the signboard says it all: “Stonylands Golf Club. Member of the Federation of National Golf Clubs. Est. 1924. Secretary: J S Peasworthy, BSc.” There follows in smaller letters, “Private Property” and without apparent irony, “No ball games”. The style of the sign is almost identical to the original 1924 version, as you can readily see in the photographs of The Opening displayed in the clubhouse foyer. Had you been in the Club Committee recently, you could have participated in some lively discussion. The Club wanted a website. Or at least, they realized that they needed new members. The Committee had been doing some thinking. Membership was declining. Income was declining. With most members being over 55, ill-health and death were chipping away at numbers. Replacement applications for membership were just not keeping up. Maybe a website was the answer. Of course, there was the unspoken wish that new members would be People Like Us. People who behave well socially. Fit in easily. Good solid professional types. And preferably those who know plenty about the game already. Novices can be so, well, difficult.   

 “Text on a screen”      

Slowly, the shape of the website was hammered out in discussion, though Secretary Peasworthy tended to dominate. “We already have a brochure, and since this Web thing is just text on a screen, we can use that as a basis for the site,” he said.   Let’s take a tour of the site as it finally emerged …  On the homepage are two photos: the clubhouse and one showing the greens. Some of the Committee had argued for pictures of members. However, as Secretary Peasworthy said, “After all, the Club IS the Clubhouse and the Greens. Let these Speak for Themselves.” (He tends to capitalize words, both in speech and writing.) Certainly in the clubhouse photo, the parked cars speak for themselves – of success and wealth.   

The welcome letter     

Despite this, the Secretary thought that a welcome letter from himself should be an essential part of the homepage. This runs to a full 750 words and would benefit mightily from proof-reading and editing down in size. But Secretary Peasworthy, though charming, polite and kind to animals (and members of the Club), is not really amenable to having his writing edited and proof-read. He is in truth a better speaker than writer, and can hold an audience well on the History of Golf for 40 minutes.   

Other pages of the site   

 The Committee was unanimous in wanting the entire rules of golf posted on the site. Or, that is to say, the Federation of National Golf Clubs version of the rules, which vary ever so slightly from those of the Association of National Golfing Clubs. To explain why they belong to the Federation, there is also a detailed retelling of The Split – how the Federation and the Association had come into being many years ago. There’s a page about the Club’s dress-code too. Sometimes Secretary Peasworthy needs to have a polite word with members who do not comply. “So important to keep up standards. Scruffy dressing implies disrespect for the Game and the Club.” And if you need to read the Committee Minutes, why, there they all are, online. 

 “Games I have enjoyed”   

 The Committee was insistent that there should be some people-related content somewhere on the site. So we can read a profile of Secretary Peasworthy plus photo taken in his clubhouse office, besuited, with his golfing trophies and BSc diploma behind him on the wall. And each member of the Committee has contributed a page on “Games I Have Enjoyed.” They all interpreted this to mean “Tournaments I have Won”, and with much use of golfing jargon, we are led hole by hole, to the inevitable denouement. Few manage to avoid a somewhat triumphalist streak, and many include rather pejorative references to other lesser sports or non-golfers. Most of the stories sound oddly similar. None are less than 1200 words, and the contribution from Oldest Member, James McFadden, tips the scales at over 3000 words.  However, other members of the Club were immediately enthusiastic about these stories. Because they understood and enjoyed them, they said, “These will surely attract new people to the Club.”   

Lady members and youth    

The Club regards itself as quite forward-looking. Why, there is even a woman on the committee now.  After all, they permitted ‘ladies’ to join as full members back in 85. A few members left over that decision, and chose instead to take the hour’s drive to Bleakwoods Club, where a time-traveller from 1932 would fit in immediately.    They do have a youth session once a week. Sadly it tends to be children of the members, especially as they must bring their own golfing equipment.   

Disappointment   

 Nine months since the website went online, and the Committee are rather disappointed. There are indeed five new members. But three joined because they knew other members socially, another moved to town and drove past the Club daily, and one found the Club in the Federation’s yearbook. “This new-fangled Interweb thing doesn’t really work,” was the consensus at the latest Committee meeting. You’ll find their discussion in the latest online Committee Minutes.   

 Meanwhile, in a completely different valley …     

Just 20 minutes drive and you reach the next valley and the town of Freshfields. The golf club is easy to find – they asked the town council to erect signs at key locations. The entrance board is clear too: “Freshfields Community Golfing Centre. Free trial session – book now” (followed by email, website URL and phone number). The graphic design is lively and attractive, and a photo-collage of faces reflects the diversity of golfers using the club.   

Planning their site    

Freshfields also sensed a need for a website last year. Team Leader Jon brought together the centre’s staff, coordinating group and any members who wished to contribute. He also invited representatives from several other golf clubs who had websites, to share lessons they had learned. Dominique, a reporter on the local paper and a keen golfer, was asked to advise on effective communication principles.  Over coffee and pizza, they brainstormed ideas and looked at existing golf websites using a data-projector. Jon emphasized, “Really, we are here to promote golf as a game, rather than just ourselves.” Ideas for the site slowly came together. Before it went online, they tested reactions to it – not from their members, but by asking a range of non-golfers. They made a number of changes based on this feedback.   

What does a tour of the Freshfields site show?    

The homepage is short and attractive. A photo-collage of members’ faces of all ages gives a sense of family and demonstrates that the membership “looks like Freshfields”. Under the Freshfields Community Golfing Centre heading and logo is the strapline “I never knew golfing could be such fun!”   

Personal stories    

The navigation menu takes you to enticingly-titled inner pages. Dominique emphasized the need for personal stories. These include ‘Meet the staff’, with short profiles and photos of each member of the team, from Jon the team leader to Maria the cleaner. It’s somehow fun to know that Jon plays drums in a tribute band, that coach Roberto breeds tortoises, and Maria loves painting in watercolours.  “Why we love golf” covers a range of members’ stories. No jargon though. No hole-by-hole accounts of games. Dominique helped them shape their stories, and did proof-reading and revision. “Use humour as much as you can,” she advised. “Be self-deprecating. Use direct speech where possible. Look how magazines tell a story. And also try to counteract the awful stereotypes that people have about golfers.” Several members felt inadequate in writing skills, so Dominique wrote their stories as interview features. Each story is enhanced with a photo, a personal profile, and a two-minute video clip. Let’s look at several: 

• Katie writes movingly of how golf has been a life-saver to her as a single mum. She can leave baby Sergio in the centre’s daycare facility, and find peace and relaxation with her friend. She never dreamed of being a golfer, until she was given a free golfing token by that friend. And she benefits from the centre’s low pricing for those not in work. 
•  Darren shares why he has found golf so pleasurable for many years. He paints an enticing picture. The breeze on his face. The smell of the grass. The animals and birds. The satisfaction of a shot well-placed. The friendships made. The sense of belonging to something both local and worldwide. 
• Golf gave Cheng a new sense of release and purpose after the death of his wife and a time of depression. “I have found so many new friends,” he writes. 
• Candice (15) started golf after a multiple fracture of her ankle while playing basketball. Doctors told her to choose a new sport. “So I did,” she says simply. “Now three of my mates come along too.” 
• Denzel (17) was mixing with a bad crowd when a golf training session was held at his school. He was hooked, and after only one year, shows the potential to become professional. “Man, I was real messed up. Golf has turned my life right around.” 

All of them are honest about themselves and their reactions. Sometimes, they get frustrated with the game. Sometimes life is too busy to play. Those new to the game can find the rules strange and frustrating. But a common factor in every story is the discovery of friendship and purpose. This is probably helped by one of Jon’s informal club rules: “Every time someone you don’t know comes into the centre, invite them to your table and offer them coffee. This club is about them, not you.”   

Youth and publicity    

Freshfields wants to reach out to youth. Members and staff take volunteer sessions in local schools and youth clubs, and offer regular youth training at the centre. These sessions can be requested through the site.  The website also has a range of online games (and game downloads for mobile phones) ranging from Tetris to several golf-oriented games. Many younger people first arrive at the site through these games.  There’s also a free screensaver that members can download – it’s a good conversation starter at work or home. Club members are encouraged to invite friends to the centre, and can use ready-made contact cards with the club’s URL.   

Jokes and blogs    

A page of golfing jokes and cartoons demonstrates that the club doesn’t take itself too seriously. The coaches run a question-and-answer section to help golfers with problems. And there are two blogs. One about golfing news and developments is mainly for members. But the other, about local community issues, demonstrates a commitment to the town, and draws outsiders into the site.   

Result!    

Freshfields was already growing before the website went live. But the site has dramatically enhanced overall growth, and new visitors to the centre have increased by 80%. It’s not that the site is somehow magically doing all the work. It gives site visitors a sense of community and welcome, and introduces them to club staff and members, showing that they are normal people who have found a game that is fulfilling. It draws people to free trial sessions, youth training, and other activities. Then face-to-face relationships with real people take over.   They are now considering the possibility of buying land on the other side of town near the industrial sector and housing projects, for a second golfing centre with a special focus on helping marginalized youth and families. The town council is giving active support to the project. “Our website is now integral to all we do,” says Jon.   

This parable is not, of course, about golf.  Apologies to golfing friends: there never was, to our knowledge, any such split between national golfing federations!  This story may be freely reproduced in print without any conditions other than acknowledgement of the source: IntenetEvangelismDay.com. Please retain the paragraph above that points out this is not really about golf, and please point readers to InternetEvangelismDay.com/design as a page that will help church websites to reach outsiders.  

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02/04/2009 by admin.

Many people today find it difficult to understand how it is that 150 years after the publication of ‘The Origin of Species’ there is still a vociferous body of fundamentalist Christians, based in the Bible Belt of the United States, that champions an alternative view of the origins of the world.  At first glance it would seem to be part of the on-going argument between science and religion but if one looks more closely it is, in reality, the working through of a recent political problem peculiar to the USA.

The early emigrants to America were largely Protestant refugees fleeing the religious intolerance of a powerful and oppressive church both Roman Catholic and Anglican.  When, therefore, the first Constitution was drawn up in 1776 the original thirteen States were anxious to ensure there should be complete religious freedom and so they took steps to see that no particular religion was favoured by the new national government; this became enshrined in the First Amendment.

Over the course of time, however, this policy of denying any one religion precedence in government gradually changed and any religious involvement by the state in any of its activities, be it public worship or teaching religion in schools, was later proscribed.  Matters came to the boil in 1925 when it was found that notwithstanding the First Amendment a number of evangelicals in the non-conformist and conservative Southern States had passed legislation banning the teaching of the Darwinian theory because they saw it as materialist in outlook and a threat to traditional bible teaching.  In a test case it was ruled that the First Amendment should be upheld and that anti-Darwinian teaching (by which was meant the expounding of the Genesis creation story) should be proscribed because it was seen as to be religiously inspired.

The practice of anti-Darwinian teaching continued however so further cases were brought against those Bible States which were trying to curb the teaching of  science in favour of the traditional teaching of scripture.  And in this the Bible Belt Christians took their inspiration from the verse in the Authorised Version which says ‘O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called’, (1 Tim 6v20).  In each test case, however, the earlier ruling supporting the First Amendment proscribing the teaching of religion was upheld. The result of this continual pressure of denying local school boards the chance to offer any religious education only strengthened their resolve to disregard Federal Government’s rulings and to think up more ways to circumvent the restrictions and to continue with pro-Bible teaching.  This situation was tacitly accepted until the Russians launched their first Sputnik in 1957 when it was seen that America might be losing the space race.  This caused the central government to panic and prompted it to reinforce again the proscribing of anti-Darwinian legislation which many saw as the cause for the falling-away of an interest in science in education.  This in effect only heightened the stakes and made the pro-Bible campaign in the south think up ever more increasingly sophisticated arguments to prove that it was God who created the world, such arguments as ‘catastrophism’ (such as a comet crashing into the earth) and ‘intelligent design’ (e.g. how could the human eye ever have developed by random chance alone).  Their aim was to present pro-Bible arguments in a form more acceptable to the science lobby. But it did not work as their arguments were dismissed by the scientific establishment as merely pseudo-science.

The underlying thrust of the ‘intelligent design’ initiative is in effect an effort to bring religious education back into the public demesne because a purely scientific appraisal of creation brings with it, so the evangelical fundamentalists believe, a complete lack of moral guidance and teaching that leaves room for the general acceptance of drugs and crime.  It therefore has become a social and political issue rather than a religious one.  The interesting thing about all this is that Darwin himself was never an atheist but a self-confessed agnostic with a very open mind.  He makes many references both specific and implied that his theories only go so far. In the popular and final edition of ‘Origin of Species’ he includes quotations from other writers saying that God does not act by constant miracles but ‘by the establishment of general laws’.
The two outcomes of this are firstly that this situation has not arisen in the UK because we condone religious education in schools - something that needs to be protected - and secondly the emergence of the problem about how should we teach religion if we are to explain to young minds how the Bible and science can live together.  To say Genesis is a myth yet contains deep truths is a difficult concept for our teachers to put over.  They’ll need our every support and encouragement.

Richard Dexter

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02/04/2009 by admin.

Dr Colin Connolly is one of the top geneticists and an advisor to H M Government.  But more to the point he is an extremely witty and entertaining speaker who exudes enthusiasm when sharing his vast knowledge with others.  His talk started off with a five-star brief survey of our present knowledge of molecular biology and genetics.  The human brain we are told has the equivalent of a 100 gigabyte capacity, the same as a thousand million desktop computers and only using 75 watts of power.  He explained the relationship between DNA, RNA, genes and chromosomes and reminded us that we all share the same ‘operating system’ with life as a whole both animals and plants. 

He then went on to explain how genetic engineering was undertaken namely by ‘cutting and pasting’ DNA and gave examples of its benefits and pitfalls.  The potential for healing genetic diseases was very promising but the knowledge can also be misused by those who flout their responsibilities and disregard ethics.  He pointed out as an example the dangers of screening for the autism gene and how if all potentially autistic foetuses in the past had been aborted society would have been denied such geniuses such as Einstein and Newton and many others who have made great contributions both in the arts and science.  He reminded us of various disastrous eugenic experiments in history of which mankind is ashamed. 

He then touched on the problem of holding an individual responsible for actions resulting from genetic make-up whilst at the same time respecting a person’s free will.  Also mentioned was the controversial practice of conceiving a second child to provide genetic material for a sick sibling.  He expressed his wish that theologians should be better acquainted with science before making a stand on a moral issue.  He quoted a recent debate in the House of Lords where some bishops were opposing the recent stem cell research bill without realising that stem cells can now be extracted from skin without the need to use a foetus or embryo tissue. 

The discussion which followed covered such topics as genetically modifying plants for food, the ethics of abortion and the rights of an unborn child, the debate about when in man’s evolution he acquired a soul and the ethics of administering drugs to a terminally ill patient. 

The meeting ended with a heartfelt vote of thanks given to both Dr Connolly for his most entertaining and thought-provoking talk and to Pauline Moyse who had invited him to Fleet.  Dr Connolly responded by offering to come again in the autumn, an offer that was enthusiastically accepted. 

Richard Dexter

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