It’s no secret that Western foreign policy doesn’t seem to be working very well. The West is in a weaker state than it has been, and it keeps getting worse. What’s going wrong, and what can be done about it?
Also available as an audio podcast.
Category: Sacred Musings
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World War Three – Podcast 107
In this podcast we look at World War Three. We start by thinking about Niall Ferguson’s comments about being in a second cold war, the possibility of that turning into a ‘hot war’, and how it seems to be a battle of ideologies. We then look at Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s comments about why she is now a Christian to see what the West needs to do.
The podcast finishes with a sermon from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Also available as an audio podcast.
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Whose side should we be on? – Podcast 106
We are constantly being encouraged to take sides: in wars – e.g. Israel / Palestine, Russia / Ukraine – as well as in moral issues such as the Russell Brand affair. But whose side should we take? Is it right for us to take sides? What does the Bible have to say? In this podcast we look at Mike Ovey’s essay “Victim Chic: The Rhetoric of Victimhood” to help us understand.
Also available as an audio podcast.
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It’s the end of the West as we know it – Podcast 105
In this podcast we think about how the situation in Israel is like a microcosm of the West. We think about Christian Zionism and the relation to the history of the West, and what things might look like for the future. We also look at a few links – see below – and finish with a reflection on Psalm 96.
Also available as an audio podcast.
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The West, Palestine, and Islam – Podcast 104
A shorter podcast today with a round-up of the news from the last week. We look at Victoria’s Secret and the relationship between men and women; the way that rules are used (or abused) today; an open letter from Palestinian Christians to the West; the similarity of the Ukraine war with the situation in Israel / Palestine; and the role of Islam.
Also available as an audio podcast.
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Who are the real terrorists – The West or Hamas? – Podcast 103
The BBC recently got into trouble for refusing to call Hamas a “terrorist” organisation. But in this podcast, we turn the focus to the actions of the Western world. Does the West have the moral legitimacy to call Hamas a terrorist organisation?
Also available as an audio podcast.
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The Great Media Conjuring Trick – Podcast 102
“Misdirection – what the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes”. Who controls what we see and hear today? And how does that influence our perceptions? In this podcast we look at the role the media has to play in our perception of the world, and take as an example what’s been happening in Israel over the last week. How can we combat this?
Also available as an audio podcast.
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Conspiracy theories and war – Podcast 101
In this podcast we look at a documentary called “Peace, War, and 9/11” to see who benefits from war and how we should think about ‘conspiracy theories’. Who benefits from our trust?
We finish with a reflection from Psalm 75.
Also available on the audio podcast.
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Who can we trust? – Podcast 100
To celebrate reaching the 100 episode milestone, something a little bit different. I talk about my journey over the last few years, and think about where we’ve ended up. Is there anyone we can trust? And what does that mean for how we relate to the church in particular?
Also available on the audio podcast.
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Why ‘consent’ is not enough – Podcast 99
In this podcast we focus on the Russell Brand affair over the last few days. The whole thing has made me realise just how deeply sick we are as a culture: the way the accusations were made, the hypocrisy of the media, the social media reaction, and the contrast with Christian sexual ethics.
* Apologies for the audio quality – I made a mistake with the microphone so isn’t as good as it should be – will be back to normal next week! *
Also available on the audio podcast.
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