The deep roots of Englishness

Posted on 13/07/2024 by Jon Garvey

I’ve recently re-read Beowulf, which has been described as the foundation of English literature. And that’s partly true, but partly also it’s a record of what the English abandoned in order to become a nation worth celebrating.

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Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics and sociology, Theology | 1 Comment

Peace, peace – but there is no peace

Posted on 10/07/2024 by Jon Garvey

If there’s one well-circumscribed subject that demonstrates the utter depravity into which our national life has sunk, it’s the treatment of Tommy Robinson, a dogged working-class fighter for truth who, if you’ve not done any research, you’ll only know as a far-right fascist. The following long-form interview with Jordan Peterson will disabuse you of the last impression.

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Posted in History, Politics and sociology | 12 Comments

Intelligence test

Posted on 07/07/2024 by Jon Garvey

The case for the UK’s suddenly catastrophic COVID response being led by the intelligence services (in cahoots with industry/NGOs) is well made here. To my mind, a perfect fit for what we know, which dovetails into pretty well every other mystery of those, and these, times.

Posted in History, Politics and sociology, Science | 4 Comments

WeAreNotWorship

Posted on 04/07/2024 by Jon Garvey

I play in, but am no longer in oversight of, our church’s music group. Regular readers will know I am somewhat underwhelmed by the state of the “Christian Worship Industry” nowadays, and I’m unashamedly returning to that theme today. It’s better than thinking about the election.

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Posted in Politics and sociology, Theology | 2 Comments

Mind the gap

Posted on 02/07/2024 by Jon Garvey

I’ve written a bit on the “God of the Gaps” fallacy (ie that the accusation is itself a fallacy!) in the past. This post still covers most of the bases. But hearing a recent interview with Denis Alexander, of the Faraday Institute, in which he repeated the fallacy with pejorative reference (as one would expect) to the Intelligent Design Movement, made me think about it again after nine years.

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Posted in Creation, Philosophy, Science, Theology | Leave a comment

Verbal diarya

Posted on 25/06/2024 by Jon Garvey

Over the weekend, I had the notion that it might be worthwhile gathering the posts I did on COVID-related matters during the madness into a small paperback, and getting a few copies privately printed to hand out to friends as a kind of “war diary.” Everyone has their own baneful memories of those times, of course, some of which are slowly starting to heal. But my USP, I thought, might be of historical interest as a doctor who had just completed a book on propaganda and state deception when the business began.

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Posted in Politics and sociology | 4 Comments

Falconry and parrotry

Posted on 21/06/2024 by Jon Garvey

I always seem to be picking on Springwatch, whose last programme of the season I watched from a recording yesterday. But the show exemplifies the “we now knowism” of popular science, in which all the uncertainties and frank contradictions are air-brushed away to produce a religious faith in Science™. In this case the subject was birds of prey.

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Posted in Science | 1 Comment

She don’t lie, she don’t lie, Cochrane

Posted on 15/06/2024 by Jon Garvey

What started me investigating propaganda and related topics, around nine years ago now, was the strange phenomenon of how public attitudes on sexuality had (ostensibly) been dramatically reversed in just a decade or so, as if by magic. Another decade has shown up many of the mechanisms, such as institutional capture, mass formation and so on. But it still remains strange how it is far easier to sell lies than truth to ordinary people.

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Posted in Medicine, Philosophy, Politics and sociology | 6 Comments

Teach your children well

Posted on 13/06/2024 by Jon Garvey

I’ve been considering another unhealthy feature of Charismatic theology, but realised that it largely arises from a wider modern misunderstanding of the whole human condition. And that feature is the prioritisation of unrealistic supernatural expectations in children. In particular, I’m remembering how our kids were taught at a Well Known Bible Week held in Spring. Our bad for acquiescing in it.

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Posted in History, Politics and sociology, Theology, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tell me the old, old story

Posted on 10/06/2024 by Jon Garvey

If I look back over the thirteen years of this blog, its various preoccupations might be summed up in the idea of “threats to the Christian faith.” Being a Christian, I might also interpret that as “threats to the human soul” or even as “threats to the well-being of mankind.” Even Richard Dawkins seems to be on board with that last conclusion now!

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Posted in History, Politics and sociology, Theology | 2 Comments