Good day my brothers and sisters. Its coming up to six in the morning. Harry my youngest son is still in bed and so I have the ideal opportunity to construct a blog. For those of you who noticed that there wasnt one yesterday, the reason was quality dad and son time. Harry, who is all of twelve years old, discovered the comedy series `Friends` and so we had a ten hour `Friends festival`.
Yesterday was the day which we should have perhaps been celebrating the life of William Wilberforce
1759-1833
He was a member of Parliament for Yorkshire from 1796 to 1825 and played a prominent part in
agitation against the slave trade. In 1797, when he had been a converted Evangelical for twelve years,
he wrote his Practical View of the prevailing religious system of professed Christians in the higher
and middle classes in the country, contrasting with real Christianity.
Take the case of young men of condition, brought up by what we have termed nominal Christians. When children, they are carried to church, and thence they become acquainted with such parts of Scriptures as are contained in the Public Services. If their parents preserve still more of the customs of better times, they are taught their catechism, and furnished with a little further religious knowledge. After a while, they go from under the eye of their parents; they enter the world, and move forward on the path of life, wherever it may be, which has been assigned to them. They yield to the temptations which assail them, and become, more or less, dissipated and licentious. At last they neglect to look into their Bible, they do not enlarge the sphere of their religious acquisitions; they do not even endeavour, by reflection or study, to mature their knowledge, or to turn into rational conviction the opinions which in their childhood they had taken on trust.
They travel perhaps into foreign countries; a proceeding which naturally tends to weaken their nursery prejudice in favour of the religion in which they were bred, and by removing them from all means of public worship, to relax their practical habits of religion. They return home, and commonly are either hurried round in the vortex of dissipation, or engage with the ardour of youthful minds in some public or professional pursuit.
Today we celebrate our own freedom! The freedom from brands. Interesting that. Many people will say
that they are individuals and not following the herd mentality! What about `brand` loyalty. Designer labels. Its all hogwash. But the sun is shining and so lets make sure we are not stuck in a rut today and having to go along with what the media and fashion say! Blessings peace and love be with us all today.
Your brother Peter
No comments:
Post a Comment