scientism

To be honest DIY is not my strength. My dad, Jim, was terrible at DIY and it seems to run in the family. My wife, Anne, was concerned about the lack of shelving for books in the house and I was commissioned to find the right tradesman. Imagine my delight when I found an advert in the local newsagents promoting the work of a local 'handyman' who specialised in shelving assignments. I rang up Ron and the next day he arrived at our home full of the joys of spring. Within ten minutes we had a deal and I knew that Anne would be pleased.

Jodie Chesney, a young woman, aged 17, was knifed in the back near a playground in Harold Hill, Romford, on March 1, 2019. Police chiefs have recently warned that the scale of knife crime in the UK has become a national emergency.

Can I tell you a parable?

Marvin Minsky (1927-2016) was a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the USA. He is famous for his catchy phrase that the human mind is nothing but "a three-pound computer made of meat." Minsky was an atheist and worked in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He was convinced that 'free will' is an illusion and he asserted that "people should give their money to AI research rather than their churches, as only AI would truly give them eternal life.” Minsky believed passionately that science and technology can solve all our problems including the death of death.

• Pupils leave school knowing almost nothing about core Christian beliefs.
• Pupils are often exposed to Mickey Mouse Relgious Education that they find babyish and unchallenging.
• Pupils are unable to think coherently about religious beliefs and how they shape our lives.
• Pupils understand RE in almost complete isolation from the rest of the curriculum.
• Pupils are rarely challenged when they spout nonsensical claptrap.

Hello – my name's little Dave and I'm an emotivist.

I don't like stamp collecting or coin collecting. I've no interest in football or computer games – and so I've decided to become an emotivist.

A lot of you out there don't know what an emotivist is and you've no idea why it is such an exciting thing to be one. I'm so excited about this!

Over the next few months I will be blogging about stories that I believe to be powerful and worth telling. Some of the stories are inspiring. Some will 're-enchant' the world. This one falls into a different category. It challenges hidden secular idolatry.