Is the secular state to blame for a decline in morals and values (in South Africa)?

This afternoon I had the pleasure of listening to a most challenging lecture by Professor Martin Prozesky, a retired professor of ethics from the University of Kwazulu Natal, at the Joint Conference for Academic Societies in Religion and Theology.

The title of his lecture was 'Is the secular state to blame for the decline in moral values in Southern African society'.

I recorded the lecture using my Macbook - so the sound quality is not all that great. It is not all that bad, but there were some instances when a few desks and chairs were moved in order to get some extra persons into the venue who arrived late. So please just skip through those bits.

The gist of the lecture is this: Does a secular state contribute towards the decline of moral and ethical values? Many religious groups and faith communities would seem to suggest that this is so. Martin makes an exceptional argument that a secular state (not to be confused with secularization) makes for a high moral and ethical standard in society. The reason is quite simply that the only alternatives to a secular state (i.e., a state that his not swayed in an direction by religious beliefs) is a theocracy (such as nations in which Islamic law is applied in the name of God), a anti-faith states (such as the USSR under Karl Marx). Neither of these are desirable for truly moral and ethical development. Rather, what is necessary is the kind of freedom that allows all citizens to participate in developing ethics for the common good of the whole of society.

He makes some wonderful statements about what ethics is in its broadest terms. He also discusses the notion of a secular state and makes reference to problems with Southern African constitutional democracy.

I found it most interesting! I would love to hear your comments and feedback!

I have also recorded a wonderful lecture by Professor John de Gruchy (on Christian Humanism and revisiting tradition). I will edit and upload that as soon as I have a chance.

I am loving having the opportunity to be back in the academy! Sadly I'll have to miss tomorrow morning, Wednesday afternoon and all of Friday's lectures because of other work commitments. But, I am savoring those bits that I can attend!

Here's the lecture - it is a 10MB mp3 file.

If you do use this lecture or download and share it could I please ask that you reference it to Professor Martin Prozesky, 22 June 2009 (Stellenbosch), and also please send a linkback to me here at http://www.spirituality.org.za

Thanks!

PS. Wessel, we're missing you! I'm glad you're recovering from your surgery, but heck, it would have been great to be here with you my friend

Acceptance, a simple and effective means of building God's Kingdom

Last night I preached at my friend Kevin Needham's Church in Bergvliet.  It was wonderful to be with him.  I spoke about the ministry of acceptance (called 'Hospitality' in some circles).  So, today when I recorded my next program for my radio broadcast on Radio Pulpit (http://www.radiopulpit.co.za just look for 'the ministry and me') I decided to follow the same theme.

http://www.spirituality.org.za/files/RadioPulpit/Forster23Jun09.mp3

Here's a sneak preview.  In this episode we explore the notion of overcoming our struggles with people who are different form ourselves (whether that is a loved one, or even a  group of people).  I have found this to be such a powerful insight on establishing God's Kingdom in a simple and effective way.

I'd love to hear your comments and feedback!  And, if you're interested in getting the typed notes just drop me an email. It's all opensource in God's Kingdom!

Have a blessed day!

Back to the Academy! This week's Joint Conference of societies in the fields of religion and theology in Stellenbosch

I am a member of three academic societies in South Africa. First there is the TSSA, the Theological Society of Southern Africa (mainly aimed at Systematic Theologians, Philosophers of religion and ethicists). Then, I am a member of SASRF (the South African Science and Religion Forum), and lastly I belong to and contribute to the Church History Society. In the past I have also belonged to the New Testament Society. But I have not made any academic contributions to that society in the past year.

This week I'll be attending, and presenting a paper, at the Joint Conference of Academic Societies in the fields of Religion and Theology in Stellenbosch! I am so looking forward to having the chance to hear of the research of friends and scholars in the academy, to cross pollinate with scholars from other disciplines, and of course to have my own ideas tested and tried by fair brighter and insightful theologians than myself.

Participating academic societies

• Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa

• Catholic Theological Society of Southern Africa

• Church History Society

• Church Law Society of South Africa

• Circle for Concerned African Women Theologians

• New Testament Society of South Africa

• Old Testament Society of South Africa

• Society for Practical Theology

• South African Academy of Religion

• South African Missiological Society

• South African Science and Religion Forum

• Southern African Society for Near Eastern Studies

• Theological Society of South Africa.

The title of my paper for the conference is: Red versus green, and what matters most: Deconstructing the conflict between spirit and matter in the contemporary African Christian context.

Here's my abstract: Red (social issues) has taken greater prominence in African Christianity than green (environmental) issues. However, as changes in the global climate, as a result of inadequate care for the earth and the earth’s resources, affect the poorest citizens of the earth there is a need for the development of a responsible theology that maintains a balance between red and green issues. This paper discusses why red issues are more prominent than green issues in African Christianity. It is argued that this is because of the dominance of socio-economic problems that afflict the lives of so many South Africans, a false dualism that has been created between ‘red’ and ‘green’ issues that has resulted in a destruction of natural resources in the interest of social justice. Such a reality is foreign to the traditional African notion of harmony between people and the planet. It is argued that there is a need for a return to the notions of botho and ubuntu in African Christian theology to rectify the current theological anomaly. A balanced African Christian theology the only sustainable and responsible approach to spirit and matter in the African (and the global) context.

I'll be posting updates on the conference here (as I have time) and will also post pictures, video and commentary on my Twitter feed (you can follow me on twitter @digitaldion if you're interested). I am looking forward to being in the halls of Stellenbosch University again. I was nominated to the Theological Society there, and of course that was where I spent my first year of my doctoral study leave reading towards my PhD!

I will miss my friend, Dr Wessel Bentley, he is recovering from some serious surgery! But, we'll be together next year!

Sickness, suffering and hope

My son Liam has been very ill again this weekend. It gets quite scary. The fear comes both from the present and the past.

Of course the fact that he was born so premature and has been in hospital so many times, and has come close to dying, leaves a kind of fear in a parent's heart that is difficult to explain. This evening when I preached at my friend Kevin Needham's Church (Bergvliet in Cape Town) he prayed the most beautiful prayer of intercession - in it he mentioned something to the effect of 'God, offer comfort and hope to those who are sick, and courage and hope to those who know that their ilness will lead to their death'. I gave thanks that Liam is beyond that point! He is strong and healthy enough to not have to be rushed to the hospital every time he catches a cold, or gets an infection. It has been about 9 months since he has needed that kind of intervention - so I gave thanks that the 'fear' that I feel when he gets sick is nothing more than an irrational fear based on memory and not reality.

Then there is the fear of the present. We have built up quite a stock of useful medical equipment (stuff to help him breath, medicines of all kinds, and some equipment that helps us to monitor and diagnose his condition). This stuff is useful since it helps us to discover the truth of his condition fairly quickly, but, it can also be scary. Liam has been bordering on an infection for the last week or so (thankfully he was healthy while I was in Hong Kong and while Megie was in Korea). So yesterday when he suddenly got sick we were prepared. He woke from an afternoon nap and sad that he was very cold. When we checked his temperature he was sitting at 41.8 degrees C... such a high temperature always comes with some convulsions and that 'the shakes'. It breaks my heart to see him so sick - many parents will know the suffering of holding a very sick child. It can be quite overwhelming. But we quickly treated the fever and then got the family together to pray with him. He likes it when we pray! Tonight when I was out at Church he was telling Megie and Courts that daddy is praying to Jesus. Good lad!

Today Liam is doing better. His fever is up and down, but the doctor has told us how to treat him and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. He normally bounces back quite quickly (within a few days). I am also so thankful that Megan has relative flexibility in her work schedule so that she can take care of him when he is so sick.

I would apprecaite your prayers - both prayers for his recovery, and prayers of thanks for his growth and general health!

I remember how small he was, and when I see him now I cannot help but give thanks for the miracle!

Very special indeed! We have the blessing of experience to informs our hope!

I remembered my father, Donald Ian Forster

Today is father's day. I took some time early this morning to remember my late dad. This is the second father's day since his death on the 31st of December 2009. This morning I thought a bit about how it feels to live without a father. I do miss having the security of knowing that there is someone that you can turn to for advice, understanding and a helping hand. Of course it was sad to see my dad struggle after his strokes. It was particularly sad to see him so frustrated with his arm and leg that were paralyzed as a result of the injury to his brain. I remember a time when he was a bodybuilder, strong and healthy! He was probably a year or two older than I am now.

Time sure passes quickly.

Well, I thank God that I have a wonderful 'father in law', Brian. I love Megan's dad like my own father. He is such a good friend, a wise counselor and a source of constant inspiration. I have many other 'father figures' in my life as well - I'm truly fortunate. I see my friend Graham Power as a father. He teaches me things about myself and the world that cannot be found in books... Well not with the kind of practical knowledge that I get from him.

This week I'll be meeting another one of my 'father figures' - Prof Neville Richardson. He became such a close friend and mentor in the three years we overlapped at John Wesley College while I served as Dean at John Wesley College. Neville is also a mentor. He is one of the most gentle men I know. He is humble in spite of his great learning and depth of knowledge. He is kind, affirming and patient. I saw him suffer a great deal while he was ill, and I was thankful to love him and know his fatherly love.

So, as I prayed this morning I thanked God for all of these wonderful men, and for the imprint that each of them has left on me, and on the world around them (long before I was born!) I asked God to help me to grow to be the kind of man that would look out for the interests of others above my own (Phil 2:5) since this is a quality that each of these men has in common - certainly in relation to me. I also asked God to help me to be a good father to my children, Courtney and Liam.

So, I thank God for fathers today. If your dad is alive, appreciate him!

A video of our family mountain bike ride in Jonkershoek Stellenbosch

A video of our family mountain bike ride in Jonkershoek Stellenbosch
Originally uploaded by digitaldion

Yup, here's a little video from our ride! I was a little out of breath... ha ha!

We live in the most incredible place! We drove 20 minutes from our home in Somerset West to go for a family ride with Malan and his family from Maverick cycles. It was a perfect day! Jonkershoek has some incredible track - although we we stuck to the jeep tracks. In this video you can see my daugther Courtney, my wife Megie is on the extreme right with the rest of the group. I was filming from the back with my son Liam in a baby seat on the back of my bike.

Good times!

Why lie?

Why lie?
Originally uploaded by merlinmann.

Yup, honesty is the best policy! Oh, and so is marketting, and healthy gearing (if you have to use the bank's money to float your business), oh and good equity before interest and tax (EBIT) makes quite a big difference as well...

Ha ha!

There's that business course coming through again...

A family cycle in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch

I know that Megie, Courts and Liam love me! They show it in so many ways. But, today they surpassed themselves by coming along with me for a cycle in the Jonkershoek nature reserve in Stellenbosch. They did 5km's with me (Megie on her bike (seen on the right in this picture... doesn't she look sporting in her blue and red riding gear!?), Courts on hers, and Liam in the infant chair on the back of my bike). While they were having some hot chocolate I went out again and did another 15 kms - it was wonderful! Also in this photo you'll see Malan (the owner of Maverick Cycles in Somerset West and his family and a friend).

Courts had an absolute ball! Megie enjoyed the exercise, and Liam... Well, he just wanted to drink water from my water bottle!

Well, thanks to my wonderful family! And, happy father's day to all the dads that read my blog! May you be loved as lavishly as my family love me!

Hong Kong 09: Call2All

This most recent trip to Hong Kong had two purposes, first we went to anchor the broadcast for the Global Day of Prayer from Hong Kong. We were invited to be there by the local hosting committee and so we set up the studio at the stadium and used that as the anchor point for the television feed coming in from the hundreds of thousands of prayer events that were taking place on Pentecost Sunday (31 May 2009).

It was estimated that more than 400 million people across the world parcipated in GDOP events.

After GDOP we stayed on for a conference with one of our partner organisations, the Call2All. This is a very interesting strategic network of mission organisations - their intention is to ensure that the Gospel of Christ os brought to every region of the earth in contextually relevant ways through strategic partnerships and the use of technology.

The partnership element aims to ensure that mission organisations position themselves strategically across the globe so that their particular emphasis can best be applied in the most necessary region. So, for example, if a particular organisation has a strong emphasis on mission as social transformation they will seek out those areas that need their skills as a priority. In doing so it is hoped that we will avoid having a saturation of mission agencies and missionaries in certain areas and none in others. And, that the Gospel will be brought to bear in a particular context in a manner that is transformative and socially and culturally effective.

The use of technology is a second emphasis - the Call2All movement has enlisted the skills of computer experts, theologians, sociologists and a host of other experts to plot the work of mission agencies and missionaries all over the world. This done using GIS mapping. Then they have also plotted the presence of Christian communities on the map (and places where there is very little effective Christian witness and work). Such a tool is invaluable for strategically planning mission work.

The intention behind the Call2All is the completion of the great commission (Matthew 28:19 forward). Now this is one area that I am still working my way through. I am a little concerned that there are some persons (particularly evangelical groups from North America) that assume when the Gospel has been proclaimed in every language and every region then the work of evangelism is done.... I am not so sure about that.

I have a different view on the purpose and intention of mission and evangelism. My perspective is that mission and evangelism are supposed to bring about the kind of change that makes the values and principles of God's Kingdom a reality across the world - persons are reconciled with God and one another, there is peace and blessing, the community is stable, there is a just and fair political system, there is food, work and adequite health care for all persons etc., In short the presence of God's wholes and peace, the eternal Shalom, is a reality.

Mission that doesn't transform individuals and society in accordance with the will of God is not truly 'effective' in my view. Steve Hayes, what is your perspective? Wessel, what do you think? Pete, I'd love to hear your ideas on social justice!

Thankfully it is only a small portion of the group that has the 'completion by proclaiming' mindset. And, thankfully we (GDOP and our team) have direct input into the theology and structure of the network. I do believe that it will make some significant strides for God's Kingdom! Do take a look at the Call2All website http://www.call2all.org - by the way also check out how quick some Muslim person have been... They got the domain call2all.com and set it up as an Islamic information site (even the style, fonts and graphics are similar). I had quite a laugh when I saw it!

So, the picture in this post is of the HUGE world map that they used at the Call2All conference in Hong Kong. It was used to give some perspective on the world (population density, presence of the Church, presence of missionaries and mission organisations, and where persons need to be sent or go for the sake of the Gospel of Christ reaching people and bringing healing and transformation). To give an idea of the size of the map (about the size of a football field) you can see some of the thousands of Chinese delegates in the background.
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Hong Kong 09: A television interview

Here Graham Power is interviewing Jason Mae a while before the start of the Global Day of Prayer event at the Hong Kong international stadium. It was a fantastic day with about 25 000 people attending this stadium event and about 400 million participating worldwide.

Next year we'll be hosting the GDOP from Cape Town where it all began 10 years ago. See http://www.gdop2010.com for more details.
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Hong Kong 09: The Apex Church

I've been going through the pictures on my phone and found this one. We visited 'The Apex' Church on the 30th of May 09 in Hong Kong. The Church is on the 75th floor of one of the Kwok buildings just above the Hong Kong convention centre. The views from up here are amazing! The whole floor has huge glass windows.

We joined a number of local Christians to pray for the city. An experience of a lifetime, that's for sure!
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A beautiful old Vespa

I came across the lovely old Vespa in a mall that was fatefully named 'The Twin Towers' in Hong Kong.

Isn't this bike lovely? I think it is a VBL 150 Sprint.
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