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Among the popular conspiracy theories currently circulating is the idea that elite political forces will use this virus pandemic to demolish current economic order with the purpose of rebuilding an entirely new model. Some put a religious end-times spin on this, perceiving that behind this great ‘reset’ is a satanic design to create a single, global Anti-Christ government. The Bible leaves little doubt that human leaders, in their pride and lust for power, have often tried to dominate the world by remodelling it to their own preference and advantage. It also leaves little doubt that such exercises are doomed to failure. The kings of the world might try to wrestle free of God’s superior reign, but God is sitting in heaven laughing at the futility of their efforts (Psalm 2). The Bible is clear that Satan is real and personal, a murderer and thief who delights to destroy and insight violence and suffering. He has often done this through those same political leaders who, in rebelling ag...

In a recent sexual abuse case, which is having a significant impact on Christians and churches in Wales, one of the victims was quoted (in the prosecution statement, as reported on the BBC news) as saying “I thought dark spirits were abusing me”. I think I am right in saying that the abuse happened whilst the victim slept. In that half-conscious, dreamy state it must have felt like a nightmare was coming true. Alongside the emotional and physical distress, this individual experienced a sense of spiritual distress. Was this just a vivid imagination or is there more to it? Is there a relationship between abuse and the spiritual realm of the ‘occult’? I am not here thinking about satanic cult conspiracy theories or about the disturbing things which some people claim to have experienced whilst actively and intentionally seeking interactions with spirits. What is on my mind is the fact that victims of human-on-human abuse sometimes express their traumatic experiences in a spiritual framewo...

It was about 11 years ago that I was first drawn into contact with a modern day Christian cult. You will not find it alongside Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-Day Saints in an encyclopaedia of religions. In fact, it took me a while to realise that it was a cult. At first I thought that these were just Christians with some really weird and difficult pastoral problems. It gradually became clear that they were not really Christian problems at all. They were problems created by a subtle but very, very nasty distortion of what the bible teaches.  This false teaching created an environment in which spiritual, physical, emotional, and sometimes sexual abuse thrived. God was not a gentle and loving Father but a moody tyrant in the sky - and human fathers were taking their lead from the bad example of this devilish false-god which they had cooked up in their own imaginations. It was worked out to different degrees, depending on the temperament of the parents, and could be particularly harsh ...

This is a difficult blog to write. I feel ashamed, hurt, angry, and perplexed and I do not want to draw unnecessary, unhealthy attention to a horrible situation. At the same time, we cannot allow this to become an ‘elephant in the room’. We do not need to talk publicly and in detail about this but we do need to talk quietly with one another. What has happened is real, and it is painful and damaging in many ways for many people. Yesterday the national news reported that Ben Thomas has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a string of sex offences. Some of his victims are my friends. Through sensitivity to their suffering and respect for their privacy I will not say anything more about them. His wife and family are my friends. When we lived in North Wales we played on the beach with his kids and ate ice-creams together. We have not been able to get in touch with them since this news broke and we are desperately concerned for them. Through sensitivity to their suffering and respe...

Evolutionary theory was the assumed framework of every course I studied as an undergraduate biosciences student. In some courses it was the explicit focus. In others, it was more implicit because it provides the structure by which many different strands of biology can be functionally interlinked in intellectually insightful ways. After my degree I went straight into research work at Cambridge University Department of Zoology. It was a place where you could take the theory of evolution for granted - no one would ever think to challenge it. They have recently opened a new centre, named after the popular contemporary TV spokesman of evolution, Sir David Attenborough. On one occasion whilst working at Cambridge, I was offered a job at the ‘Faraday Institute for Christianity and Science’, after a warm and informal discussion with its director, Dr Dennis Alexander. The Faraday Institute is known for promoting a ‘theistic’ approach to the theory of evolution - the idea that the first few ...

Have you ever watched as two good friends, a husband and a wife, or a pastor and his elders fall out? Perhaps you love and appreciate both and don’t want to take sides, even when you can see that one party is clearly right. It is a painful position to be in and you fear that, when all is said and done, nobody will come out stronger and everyone will have wounds to lick. That is how I felt reading an article in the Evangelical Times (ET) this month, entitled “ Concerns raised over LGBT and racism seminars at Aber Conference ”, which brings together a number of my friends and pitches them against each other. I can’t say that I agree at every point with any of these friends but at a fundamental level I believe we are all on the same page when it comes to our Christian core: Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  Firstly, I have always considered ET a friend. I have often appreciated articles in the paper and they have published one or two things which I h...

Over the past few months I have been increasingly concerned about the number of conspiracy theories being shared by professing Christians on social media. An opinion piece in the New York Times this week suggests that I am not the only Christian to feel this way. It focused on an anonymous individual who posts far-right conspiracies under the pen-name ‘QAnon’. His theories, draw on populist end-times narratives to appeal to conservative-minded American evangelicals. He claims that the left-wing Democratic political establishment is controlled by a pedophile satanist cult, hell-bent on destroying the hero in a Republican white hat, President Donald Trump. A few thoughts from the Bible: In the ninth commandment God specifically outlaws giving false witness. Whatever evils other people may have committed, it is sin in you that moves you to blame them for sins that they have not committed. It is sin in you that moves you to accuse them of sins without witness or evidence. It is sin in ...

There is a story in the Bible about 10 lepers who came to Jesus asking to be healed. He sent them to be inspected by the priests, as was the legal requirement and custom, and as they went the leprosy left them. The text goes on: “ Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;   and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks” (Luke 17:15-16). Where were the other 9?! They received what they asked for but did not return to give thanks. Wind back the clock a few months. Remember the reports coming from Spain and Italy and other countries where the coronavirus was having a devastating effect? Remember the sense of panic and dread? Remember, too, if you are a Christian how many of us took time to pray and fast - on our own or as churches and wider Christian networks. We asked God to show mercy and hold back His judgment. We asked Him to spare our loved ones working in the NHS. We asked Him to preserve life and minimise...