Knives Aren't Toys You Know!

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 14 July 2008 13:17:10

Congratulations to Kerensa for winning the connection competition. Your spider is in the post.

The government have announced their plans todeal with knife crime. There appears to be an epidemic of knive related deaths at the moment and no one seems to know what to do.

The causes are variously said to be due to poverty, gangs and peer pressure. The ways to deal with it also appear to be many and varied. Yet the one that seems to gather the most coverage is that highlighted by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary. She wants the perpetrators of the violence to be forced to see the injuries that they inflict on knife victims.

The idea sounds good, as it should lead to a short, sharp shock; as the Conservatives wanted about 15 years ago. The problem though is that you need to get permission from the victim or their family to do this. In addition what do you show them; someone on life support, the scares, a dead body or someone in A&E with blood pumping out?

There is also some argument over the exact punishment. Would they be likely to receive a tougher prison sentence than that now handed out? Where will the additional prison places come from? We're already at capacity in the system now.

What about the root causes of the violence? Tony Bliar famously announced that: "We should be tough on crime and the causes of crime!" Yet the goverment's policy on communities and poverty is in disarray and way behind their targets. In fact, poverty seems to be growing - especially due to the "credit crunch", rising fuel costs and a slowing economy.

As Christians should our churches not be doing more. Instead of living in Christian ghettoes we should be reaching out to those around us and offering assistance in combating these things. Gene Robinson, the gay bishop from New Hampshire, said that this is what the Anglican Church should be addressing, not tearing itself apart over women and gay bishops - but that's another argument.

The problem with the modern church is that it seems to have forgotten its purpose. Arguing about theological points is important but should not distract from its proper role. We have become insular and manyu don't engage with the local community. Historically we have grown best when we have engaged with the local community and campaigned for local issues.

Why is it that liberal congregations are stagnating while evangelical ones are growing? Maybe because they actually speak to those around them and have something to say. In addition many evangelical churches are not afraid to speak out against non biblical activities and show exactly where they stand.

The biggest challenge we face as Christians is to show what we actually stand for. The biblical teachings only appear irrelevant because many preachers/priests fail to show how theyrelate to the modern world. There is no challenge facing today's society that has not been faced before and the bible has something to say on each of them.

If you want to talk about knife crime and the break down of society then read how God challenged the Israelites and early Christians when they faced them. Then again, maybe people don't want to acknowledge the problems anyway.

History Today:

1789 : Some French people stormed a local prison. This kicked off an uprising that supposedly gave equality, fraternity & liberty to all. Tell that to the people beheaded by the guillotine or killed in the resulting 20 year war that followed.

1858 : Emmeline Pankhurst, suffragette leader is born. The start of women getting ideas above their station?

1862 : Gustav Klimt the painer is born. Not a personal choice of mine.

1865 : Edward Whymper leads the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn - that we know of.

1930 : The BBC transmits the first drama production - The Man With A Flower in His Mouth.

1933 : The Nazi government legalises forced sterilisation to prevent "hereditarily diseased offspring". The first step towards euthanasia and gas chambers. No one outside Germany seemed to have noticed.

1969 : The "Football War" breaks out between Honduras and El Salvador after a world cup match in San Salvador. See hooliganism is not new.

Saint's Day:

St Camillus de Lellis, patron saint of hospitals, was a 16th centruy gambling addict who converted while recovering from a leg injury.