Easter eggs and slavery
15 Mar 2012 3 Comments
in Serving Tags: Change the world, Chocolate, ethics, Protest, western society, what is human?, world
Easter’s coming soon, and if you live in the west as I do, you’ll probably be eating your share of easter eggs. But what if the eggs came from cocoa grown using child labour, that is effectively slave labour?
How does reading the Bible change you?
13 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Bible Tags: Bible, christians, ethics, science and faith, world
Some people read the Bible nearly every day. Some people feel guilty that they don’t read it every day. Some people read it only to criticise it, while others never read it.
What effect does Bible reading have on the reader? Some recent surveys have some interesting findings.
Fair Trade chocolate – report 1
09 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in Serving Tags: behaviour, Change the world, Chocolate, ethics, Protest, world
A couple of weeks ago, I outlined some facts about exploitation in the growing of cocoa for chocolate (see My pleasure, their misery?) and at the same time wrote to two prominent chocolate manufacturers expressing my concerns and asking them to make more concerted moves to only source cocoa from growers who were paid a fair wage and were not exploiting children.
I have had one answer back.
My pleasure, their misery
21 Nov 2011 10 Comments
in Behaviour Tags: behaviour, Change the world, Chocolate, christianity, ethics, world
A short time ago, I posted on poverty and the growing world population (Christians and world poverty), and about the challenge of deciding how to respond (How much to save the world’s poor?).
Let’s start with something small which most of us can do this week, or this year.
A beautiful day?
06 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Serving Tags: Change the world, christianity, ethics, Islam, mission, world
It was a beautiful sunny day in Sydney today. I went for a drive in the country and visited the Berry markets. (For those unfamiliar, these aren’t fruit markets. Berry is a former dairy farming town 2 hours south of Sydney, which has reinvented itself as an art and craft town. Once a month, they hold markets where you can buy fresh vegetables, plants, arts and crafts, food and miscellanea.) We brought back some herbs to grow.
How much to save the world’s poor?
05 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Serving Tags: behaviour, Change the world, christianity, ethics, mission, western society, world
Last post I raised concerns about world poverty in the light of the world’s population reaching 7 billion people. But how big is the need, and how much would it take to bring some relief for those who most desperately need it?
Christians and world poverty
30 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Serving Tags: behaviour, Change the world, christianity, christians, ethics, mission, western society, world
Those of us who are christians in the western world are currently facing one of the biggest ethical challenges we have ever faced. Consider the following population graph – the world’s 7 billionth person is about to be born.
Support
16 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Serving Tags: Change the world, Protest, world
On 8 October actress Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and one year jail in Iran for her part in the Australian film My Tehran for Sale. I’m a little late in posting this, but its not too late to sign an Amnesty petition to the Iran government opposing flogging.
Support persecuted christians
29 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Serving Tags: christianity, christians, Islam, persecution, world
Christians face persecution in many countries today, especially North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Iran. According to some estimates, about 100 million christians face persecution, far more than any other religious group.
Right now, two people need our support.
Asia Bibi
Asia is a christian woman, wife and mother of two children. She has been imprisoned in Pakistan for several years because she professed faith in Jesus. Voice of the Martyrs is seeking signatures on a petition in her support. Perhaps you would like to sign, perhaps post a link on your own website or blog. Here is a video outlining her need.
Youcef Nadarkhani
Youcef is an Iranian pastor under imminent threat of execution because he converted to christianity. Voice of the Martyrs and other groups are calling for prayer and representations to be made on his behalf, though the link to find out more doesn’t seem to work.
Climate change and christians
18 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Serving Tags: christians, environment, science, world
A month ago I pondered why so many christians appear unwilling to accept the broad consensus of reputable climate scientists that human-induced global warning is a serious threat to the earth.
I have now come across some information that suggests that christians are not doing their homework, but are believing things told to them by people who are presenting misleading information, perhaps for dishonest reasons.
A strong statement? Read on!
Christians and climate change
05 Aug 2011 2 Comments
in Behaviour Tags: christianity, environment, reason, world
Lately I have been pondering two facts:
- The majority of world climate scientists believe the evidence shows that our climate is changing because of human activity, and, if allowed to continue unchecked, this will have disastrous consequences for hundreds of millions of people.
- Christians are well represented among those who are unwilling to accept these conclusions.
Why is it so?
My ecological footprint
29 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Serving Tags: environment, western society, world
If you are reading this, you probably live in an English-speaking western country. And it is no secret that we in the west use a greater amount of the world’s resources than do people in less affluent countries. Is it fair?
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