General

How to approach the General Election campaign.

/ Minimalist Christian / 1 Comment

“Stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbours the truth for we are all part of the same body.”

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you”

“Live a life filled with love”

“You can be sure that no immoral, impure or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God.  For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.  Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse their sins, for the anger of God will fall on all those who disobey him.  Don’t participate in the things these people do.  Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.”

In the run-up to this latest election, here are instructions from St Paul on how to behave.  They are as valid today as when they were written, and I long for politicians and those in the media to listen to them.  Let’s encourage them to behave like this when we can.

But they are also a challenge for each one of us.  I find myself getting angry and bitter at what I hear from the campaigns, and I can let it control my responses.  Look at most of discussion threads and you will see the same.  But it does not help to use harsh words or slander; let’s try to put our arguments graciously.

And finally there is the message of justice: “no immoral, impure or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God” and “the anger of God will fall on all those who disobey him”.  We don’t know how – it may be simply that they become bitter and unhappy individuals, or it may be something more painful.  But if we know that justice will be done then it helps us restrain our own feelings of anger, and perhaps be moved to compassion and mercy instead.

Please share this message to try to make the next few weeks more bearable for us all.

(Quotes are from the book of Ephesians)

How to really make Britain great again.

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The headline tells us “Brexit to send UK tumbling down world economic league table…”.  and we ask “Is this making Britain great again?”

But the headline, indeed the whole question of where Britain ranks in the world economy has absolutely NOTHING to do with whether Britain is great.  What matters is whether Britain is becoming more human.

Being human has nothing to do with the economy or wealth, but everything to do with values. It is about valuing everybody equally, irrespective of colour, class, wealth or religion. It is about selfless behaviour for the good of others. It is about acting with integrity and speaking truth. It is about doing what is right, irrespective of the consequences.

Britain will become great when those who are well off are willing to contribute enough to ensure the wellbeing of those who are not well off,  when we are willing to give up our own comforts for those who have nothing,  when we are willing to give sanctuary to those fleeing war dispite the risk of personal harm.

Britain will become great when we stop expecting a political system that gives everyone all the rights that they demand, but encourages us all to self-centredness. We cannot demand perfection from public services that we are not prepared to fund. We need to stop demanding perfect treatment from others, when we cannot give it ourselves.  We need to stop demanding that teachers work until midnight to keep up.  We need to stop expecting to be treated in A&E within minutes when we have drunkenly staggered into a lamppost.  We need to stop abandoning our personal responsibility for our own circumstances.

Britain will become great only when we choose to love one another; when we learn to contribute what we can, and to keep our expectations of others reasonable.  That is my hope for 2017.  Make it yours.

Worried about where your children are going to live?

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Worried about where your children are going to live?  You should be.

The average house price in the UK is around £300,000, with average first time buyer house price at around £200,000. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/16/average-asking-price-first-time-buyer-home-buy-to-let-stamp-duty

If a prospective first time buyer has raised the £20,000 deposit, then taking into account costs they will need an income of around £39000 a year to be offered a mortgage.  And they will be charged around 4% for the privilege. http://www.halifax.co.uk/mortgages/mortgage-calculator/calculator/#

Only the top 20% of earners in the country have that level of income.   http://www.salarygraph.co.uk/

So, if your children want a home of their own, then without help they will need to be in the top 20% of wage earners.

How can you help as a parent?  Here’s one example.  If you own your home and have paid off your mortgage already then you could take out a mortgage on your home at a much better rate, and then lend the money to your children.  Suppose your home is the average value, then you would need to borrow just under 65% of the value.  An offset mortgage with the Coventry for instance offers a rate of under 2% (lower because of the better loan to value ratio) http://www.coventrybuildingsociety.co.uk/mortgages/AccountSummary.aspx?socseqno=1&prodCode=OFL50&Company=1  Taking out an offset mortgage on your own house also means that you can set up the mortgage before your children need the money to buy a home.   So even if they are some years away from wanting to buy, you can still be putting arrangements in place.

But you could make good use of the funds in the meantime. Why not do something immediately to help others who are desperately in need of homes?  Think about the suggestion in this article: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2016/29-april/comment/opinion/use-what-power-you-have-to-help-the-poor .  Or if you want even lower risk, then you could buy a house and lease it to your local council. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/let-your-home-to-the-council-paul-gosling-reports-on-a-tenant-who-could-prove-ideal-1535702.html

The housing situation is difficult, not just for our own children but for many others.  This is worrying, but I hope this short article shows that as individuals we are not helpless.  If you are in a position to help, then why not have a go?  It can be fun and rewarding.

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Why I will be voting to remain in the EU.

/ Minimalist Christian / 4 Comments

The result of the vote is likely to have little or no impact on me personally, so why do I come across as passionate that we should stay in?  Because I care deeply about the wellbeing and spiritual health of all in our nation.

The current suffering of the poorest in our society has absolutely nothing to do with the EU, but everything to do with the UK government’s austerity program and with the culture of inequality that is peddled by the press and protected by the wealthy.  It is within our nation’s power to deal with this today – irrespective of whether we are in or out of the EU.  The ‘out’ campaign put the blame for the current difficulties on immigration and ‘Jonny Foreigner’.  This creates anger, tribalism and hate in the hearts of those who listen to their message.  I do not want our nation to move further in that direction.

The claims from both sides that Britain will be better off ‘in’ or ‘out’ are all speculation. Nobody knows how other nations will respond, what the markets will do, or any of the other predictions.  Of course, the ‘out’ campaign can claim that things will be better than they are today, and in response all that the ‘in’ campaign can say is that they will be worse.  In the present austerity regime, the ‘out’ offers an end to the pain, in the same way as the National Lottery offers a way out of financial troubles – and you don’t even have to buy a ticket, just tick the right box.  And in the same way that the lottery takes money from the poorest with the promise of wealth, the out campaign is appealing to the poorest with the promise of a wonderful future.  This is manipulative, and I will not support a group of people who use such tactics.

We are currently governed by a party that was elected by 25% of the nation (we call it democracy), composed of the privileged class.  Without hindrance from the EU they are introducing policies that do not consider the personal pain of the poor.  The most extreme members of this group are the ones that want us to leave the EU.  I ask why, and the answer is simple – they don’t want the EU to constrain their policies with any social justice laws and regulations.  They want to be unfettered in pursuing their personal agendas.  I do not want to see these people given completely free reign in this county.

And finally, the whole question is causing people to ask ‘what is best for me’, whereas I would rather see people to ask ‘what can I do to help my neighbour’.  I want the leaders of our nation to encourage us to be more moral in our thinking, and yet the in/out debate is a perfect example of our politicians appealing to the basest emotions that we have.  So I advocate: “Vote to stay in Europe, stop listening to the rantings on the politicians, and get on with loving and caring for your neighbour, near and far”.

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A Christian way to stimulate the economy.

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Economic growth is seen as a good thing.  More economic activity generates more taxes and so allows the government more money to spend on healthcare, education, and welfare.  Society benefits from extra spend on these issues.

But forecasters say that economic growth is low and predicted values are reducing.  It is the government’s responsibility to try to improve economic growth.

The present chancellor also believes that it is beneficial for the government to ‘balance the books’.  In the 2016 budget the chancellor has said that it will be more difficult to ‘balance the books’ because ecomonic growth has slowed down.  He then goes on to propose tax reduction for the better off, and to reduce benefits to the poorest and most vulnerable. In proposing these policies, he is either ignoring or unaware of a fundamental principle:

If the poor have more money, they will spend it.  They need to buy the essentials – food, clothes, rent.  This puts money into the economy, which then grows.

If the rich have more money, they will save it.  They have no basic needs, and fear being poor in the future.  This removes money from the economy and growth slows.

If we follow the basic Christian principle of giving money to the poor, we stimulate the economy and things get better for everyone.  And you don’t have to be a Christian to do it.

The chancellor refuses to do this on our behalf, which makes it more difficult.  But if you have more money than you need, give some to the poor.

Here are some ways to do this:

  • If you are a landlord, charge less rent
  • Pay your taxes, and don’t look for tax loopholes
  • Leave bigger tips at restaurants,
  • Give to anyone who asks
  • Employ people instead of DIY, and pay a fair amount
  • Give to charities that help the poor and needy
  • Give to foodbanks
  • Financially support someone less well off than you are

Give it a try.  You will feel better for it, and it will make a difference.

David Bowie – The Hysteria, the Sorrow, the Frustration and the Hope

/ Minimalist Christian / 7 Comments

A clear thinking article.

theweeflea's avatarTheWeeFlea.com

This is my article on David Bowie in Christian Today   – it is slightly amended because I wanted to tidy up a couple of things.  The article came as a result of a conversation with my wife, Annabel, as she gave me a lift down to the church.  And then all these ideas just popped into my head, so I wrote them down and quite surprizingly it has gone, as they say, ‘viral’.  There are so many ‘Bowies’ out there – who need to hear the Good News!  As always comments appreciated.

Its great that The Scotsman has put much of this on their website!

And The Herald

David Bowie’s death, grief, and the frustration of a society that has nothing to offer the lonely

It was a shock. Of course it was. Make your coffee, switch on the radio and you hear Life on Mars on Radio 4. What…

View original post 1,353 more words

How YOU can help achieve affordable rent

/ Minimalist Christian / 6 Comments

Rents are too high. A single person over the age of 21 on minimum wage of £6.50 an hour will earn around £1000 a month, less deductions. Even with the lowest rent prices, half of that will go on rent leaving around £120 a week for everything else.

Here’s a painless way to get rent down. It just needs some visionary people with a little capital to decide to do something about it.

Here is an example:
£60,000 invested in a building society or bank will be doing well to make 3% interest (although a ‘help to buy’ ISA can give 4%) e.g http://www.halifax.co.uk/savings/?WT.ac=SNCA1012

Therefore a good (4%) return on that £60,000 is £2400 a year, or £200 a month.
If we are happy with a 4% return on our savings, then why not but a property and rent it out at the same return?

The cheapest (1 bedroom) property available today is £395 a month. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-56267795.html

There is a flat for sale in Rugby for £60,000. (http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54091703.html?premiumA=true )

Using the £60,000 to buy the property, we could charge a very fair rent of (say) £250 a month, offering a low rental price and getting a very good return on the investment. (£250 instead of £200 to include an allowance for maintenance and fees)..

This represents a saving of a third on the lowest rental cost, and would give someone on low income the chance of an improved standard of living, and maybe even the chance to save enough to put down a deposit on a house of their own.

And all of this giving the same (or better) return that we get from the building society. Maybe there is a little more risk – but there is the benefit of doing something personally to help the current difficult situation for the poor in our town.

If enough of us do this, then it might even cut the overall rental market price (supply and demand!) with wider benefits.  I know that not everyone can help in this way, but some can, and it makes a difference to each person who is helped.

If you are interested and want to take it further, I’m happy to share my experience so far (I have made use of a legacy from when my mother died to do this). Please get in touch privately.

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Jeremy Corbyn, the wind of change?

/ Minimalist Christian / 7 Comments

I have just joined the Labour Party, because Jeremy Corbyn has been elected their leader.

Many people, including political commentators, seem to think that the election vote was for Corbyn’s policy preferences rather than for the person. But I am less interested in the policies than the person. He is a breath of fresh air compared with previous Labour and current Conservative leaders, who exhibited an autocratic style of leadership. If Corbyn were an autocrat then I would be worried! But I remember that early in his campaign he talked of policies being formed by the party, not one person. If that is the case, I may even become active as a Labour Party member!

I am optimistic because I don’t think that the man is an idiot. He knows that he has to create a new unity within the Labour Party. That must be a unity where each opinion is valued and where each member is expected to vote according to their conscience. That is what he has lived throughout his political career, and that is one of the reasons people have voted for him: we are tired of political puppets dancing to the tune set by their leader (or worse, the big donors to their party).

Ever since Thatcher, our nation’s leaders have told us that it is OK to be greedy; that those with high wages ‘are worth it and deserve it’. Nobody has dared suggest that the poor may not want to be poor, and that their wellbeing is more important than a thriving economy that is able to support the wages of the rich. Corbyn is prepared to put the case for the poorest in society. He does not have to pick a fight with the wealthy if they are ready to recognise that they have a responsibility as fellow human beings to do their fair share in trying to balance the nation’s books. But if they don’t listen, and if greed prevails, then protest may become necessary.

I see Corbyn’s landslide election as a catalyst for a new type of politician, with humility and integrity, who is willing to serve and represent their community. Who can say quite what will happen, but disruption of a stale and failing political system has to be a good thing. If nothing else, he has captured the imagination of the younger generation. Let’s hope that this brings the positive change that we all want.

Financial advice from Money Box Live, or Pope Francis?

/ Minimalist Christian / 3 Comments

I was listening to the radio program Money Box Live last week. They were talking about pensions. It seems that if you delay taking your pension for a year then the amount of your pension increases by about 10% per year when you do take it. I guess this is a government scheme to reduce spending on pensions today at the cost of increasing it in future years, perhaps when there may be another government in power – but that’s not the point of this article. The thing that caught my attention was that they got a mathematician to describe the best time to take your pension.

The longer you delay, the higher the pension when you take it, but the less time you take it for. So if you know when you are going to die (which you can look up in statistical tables) the mathematician was working out a time at which the total amount of money you receive reaches a maximum.

All very logical and calculable, so why am I writing about it? Because it is a symptom of the cancerous thinking that underlies so many decisions today:
Our goal is to maximise the money we get, even if we only get it on the day before we die.

We forget that the more we have, even when we don’t need it, the less there is for others.

We don’t consider that the schemes we invest our money in minimise costs, such as the wages of the lowly paid, or maximise income, such lending our money at high rates of interest.

We ignore the fact that making decisions on the basis of maximising our income reinforces the extremely unfair financial systems that we have today, where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

It is not easy to turn down opportunities to make more, or spend less. It is natural to want to buy the cheapest milk, or trainers, or energy – but each decision has its consequence.
When we invest to minimise our tax bill, we are placing the burden of paying for our public services on others. We are encouraging our government to introduce ‘austerity’ measures – “sanctioning” benefit claimants if they miss an appointment (in effect, fining them 100% of their income). We place the burden of balancing the government’s books on the poor.

My mother died last year. She didn’t spend the pension she received, and her investments grew, and we were surprised at the amount of money that she left. I have to decide what to do with the money I inherited. Money Box Live would tell me to invest to maximise my income. But I agree with Pope Francis, I reject that basis for my decisions. How about you?

The arrogance and hypocrisy of Stephen Fry

/ Minimalist Christian / 2 Comments

So Mr Fry, you are judge, jury and executioner for God because some people get cancer, or illness; because God allows suffering.  I am reminded of your character Melchet sentencing Blackadder to death for killing his favourite pigeon.

You assume that God can do anything and so he must be able to prevent all cancer and suffering, and therefore He must be evil to allow it.  What trivial thinking from a man purported to be intelligent. What arrogance to presume to be worthy to judge.

Can God make a square circle?  Of course not, and it’s silly to suggest that he can.

Can God make a universe that spawns intelligent, purposeful life without any pain or discomfort?  Of course not, and it’s silly to suggest that he can.

So should God not have bothered?

Would you, Mr Fry, rather live, love and die with pain in your life or not live at all?  You have a choice, and your daily choice seems to be continue to live.

Whenever you get into a car Mr Fry, you risk running over an innocent child, inflicting anguish on their parents.  You cause actual damage to the ecosystem of the planet, and consequential pain and suffering in those less privileged than yourself.  You choose to damage your fellow human beings when you actually do have an alternative.

You convict God for allowing suffering, should you not be lambasting the Ford motor company for creating machines that cause such carnage?  It is impossible to make a car that does not risk causing death and damage to the planet, yet we all choose the benefit and accept the consequence.

Do you not feel a hint of hypocrisy in living as you do and yet criticising the one who has given you the opportunity?