The credit side

As I travel the world, what's so striking is that it's faith that inspires people to look after those in need ...Hilary Benn

Christianity has no monopoly on love, goodness and social action ..... But Christianity is a great motivator and generator of compassion

Early church ...emperor Julian was anti christian..... Christianity has been advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers....care for their own poor but for ours as well

Atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell .... There are certain things this age needs ...... Compassion, and a wish for mankind to be happy ...the root of the matter is love, a christian love, or compassion

Victorian era .....

Central role is TU movement and Labour Party ...vicar of Tolpuddle and George Loveless formed Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers ...Tolpuddle Martyrs 5 out of 6 Methodists , the Loveless brothers being local preachers

Barnardo's 

National Children's Homes NCH ...Methodist

Spurgeon's Child Care ...baptist

Muller's Homes ...evangelical brethren

The Children's Society ...Anglican

William Wilberforce ...abolition of the slave trade ...John Newton ex slave trader ...amazing grace. John Wesley wrote to Wilberforce "go on in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery shall vanish away before it" Slavery Abolition Act 1833

Prison reform ...Betsy Fry....Newgate Prison ....astonishing reforms

Modern nursing ...Florence Nightingale

Save the children...grew from work of Eglantyne Jebb working with starving children in Central Europe 

...in these days, so full of darkness and terror ...what happiness and peace can nevertheless be ours if we can realise Christ in our midst.

Christian socialists ..Charles Kingsley (the water babies) and Margaret McMillan (revolutionised education) JB Priestley ..such persons, single minded, pure in heart, blazing with selfless love, are the jewels of our species

Salvation Army ..William and Catherine a Booth ...went to the challenging and desperate places

The Leprosy Mission Father Damien a Belgian priest worked with leprosy sufferers

Mother Teresa

Civil rights in the U.S. Martin Luther King

South Africa Desmond Tutu

Shelter  for homelessness 

Samaritans

Mansion House 9000 Rev Chad Varah

Hospice Movement ..Dame Cicely Saunders

Amnesty International

L'Arche(the ark) caring communities for people with special needs

Missing Persons Bureau

Local church ..study ...christian faith a strong motivator for concern and care for others

..if there had been no Jesus would the world be any poorer?

Those hypocritical Christians

Organised Christianity has probably done more to retard the ideals of it's founders than any other agency in the world Richard Le Gallienne

Why people put off ....unfriendly, clique, hypocrite ...church history

Love the Lord you God ....love your neighbour ...so why has church strayed?

Non Christian leaders ...power, prestige and wealth as church became politically powerful

Elastic use of the word christian  ... Can be good, but a label for someone who does good deeds or if born in a Christian country

Christians are sinners...yes but it is because we know we are not good that makes Jesus Christ so important ..he is rescuer from selfishness, indulgence, lust, pride, jealousy, indifference to others

It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick...the process of salvation starts on earth ..all a work in progress

Guilt not necessarily a bad thing ...unfocused feelings of guilt are unhealthy ...there is only hope for the sinner if they feel guilt ..psychopath feels no guilt ...needs to lead to repentance and restoration

Sin ...Christianity not interested in sin, but the forgiveness of sin and liberation from it's power

Poster outside Norre Dame in Paris ...sin is the refusal to grow bigger ...need to enlarge our vision and concerns ..sin when we settle for an undemanding life and refuse to accept the challenge of service and love

Alcoholics need to accept they are one and incapable of helping themselves

Christianity is a rescue operation

Sin is breaking God's law .....self-centredness 

Jesus stands for thoughtfulness, kindness, forgiveness, cooperation, openness, generosity and love ...I have come that they may have life and have it to the full John 10:10

All need to be challenged, changed, inspired and strengthened if we are to have a wider vision and a bigger heart ...he came to free us from fear, anxiety and self-centredness ...we can live in joy, peace and love

Being a Christian means .... Being a person in whom (Jesus') life and character and power are manifest and energised ...accepting and receiving a new quality of life ...a life infinitely more profound and dynamic and meaningful than human life without Christ Harry Williams, Anglican monk

A word about doubt

Doubt is the first cousin of faith
We live in two worlds ...physical works and the world of the spirit
Spiritual world is invisible and intangible ..we don't always feel its presence .... But feelings are not always reliable
John Young reminds himself of his foundations of faith, people who inspire him ... Can you deny your faith? Know it is well grounded and get on with life

Christianity is not cool?

Image top of  many young person's priority list ..clothes, music, taste, hobbies and language
Christians are passionate and committed to their belief in God ...cool is not to be enthusiastic about anything ...if you are you are a geek
If Christianity is false it has no importance, if true has infinite importance, but can't be moderately important
Sharing your passion is not trendy ...good life is drink, drugs, sex, etc
Updating music etc helps, but making more accessible ...youth clubs etc ..show can have a good time ..not bible bashers

In belief

Faith and reason don't mix?
...you believe something without reason? Blind faith ...leaping into the dark? There is a lot of faith and intuition in science
Faith can be full of insight ..?We believe in democracy to organise society ...that our friends are trustworthy ...can't prove that mathematically or statistically ...mainly based on intuition ...but don't run counter to reason ..there are some facts
Prof Lisa Jardine: science does not deal in certainties ...the best it can do is convince us of strong possibilities ...that depends on trust
Prof John Lennox: faith is a response to evidence, not a rejoicing in the absence of evidence
Faith is for religious people!

Humanists believe ...that is an act of faith ..we are here by chance, the destiny of every human is empty nothingness .... Christians believe at the heart of the universe and individual lives we find meaning, purpose and the love of God
All humans live with a mix of evidence, faith based on that evidence and intuition
It does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere? 

The connection between faith and action governs everything

Belief governs actions ...the most dangerous terrorist is sincere!
Religion is dull? Christ can make it a vibrant and adventurous faith...difference between faith practised as routine and with deep conviction

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full John 10:10

Faith in God is related to peace of mind and well being ...faith helps us make sense of life and belonging to group or community helps well being ...Jung ...finding a religious outlook on life was answer to over 35s problems

Irrelevant to life?

Christianity changes lives...by his spirit he will guide, inspire, strengthen and change us ...has changed many lives

Wishful thinking?

Freud accused Christians of wishful thinking ...crippled child crying in the night to a parent that is not there ...we want it to be true, so we convince ourselves that it is ....Aldou s Huxley accepted atheism as convenient ...can live with no moral code ....it can work both ways ...placebo effect .... But 60% in trials of morpheme reported no reduction in pain...belief without substance does not work

You don't need to go to church to be a Christian!

Disciple without church? Jesus taught in a group ...disciple means learner ...Jesus made clear that discipleship meant working and worshipping with other Christians  ... As a community or family

Worship important ..we admit we are dependant upon one another and on God and we need forgiveness and help ...expressing gratitude and love  ...we are doing something about the state of the world ...the poison in our world is the wrong relationship with God, worship concerned about the root of the problem

God was an astronaut!

...but theories of alien intervention don't fit with teaching of Jesus, manner of his death or resurrection 

...there is a need within us to search for a deeper reality in life

Astrology ..we are discouraged from peering into the future ...face uncertainty with trust and confidence ...horoscopes can shape your life

Christianity is humourless?

Exuberance and joy are central to a faith that celebrates resurrection and life ...there are emotional highs and lows ...jesus's teachings had humour

Defensive?

Every view of life raises problems and loose ends, they should be faced and discussed not ignored

Indoctrination?

Christianity encourages reflection and thinking for ourselves ...not brainwashed by consumer culture...are views on Christianity from inadequate information, second hand acceptance of the opinions and attitudes of others?...we can absorb views without seriously examining them