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Am I a Christian?

Many would argue that to be a Christian, the key issue is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour. This could be described as the personal salvation gospel. Under this interpretation of Jesus’ teaching, you believe and gain eternal life in heaven. For some this seems to have little impact on life now other than condemning those who do not believe. Sadly, some who hold to this view also believe that Israel remains God’s chosen people and that modern Israel does no wrong. It goes further than that into believing that the destruction of people of other faiths is acceptable. The current war with Iran is seen as a precursor to the final battle that they see described in Revelation. I reject this theology and line of reasoning. I regard my faith as Christocentric. That is I believe in Christ in all things, that Christ seeks to reconcile all things to Himself, that Christ seeks to have a personal relationship with all people, that the kingdom of God or heaven is here on earth, that fo...
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Artificial Constructs and Their Impact

Introduction What is an artificial construct? “Artificial Constructs, within a sustainability discourse, denotes human-designed systems or entities - ranging from engineered materials to complex socio-technical arrangements - that intentionally alter natural processes or replace natural functions. These creations are evaluated based on their lifecycle impacts, resource dependencies, and contributions to ecological and social well-being, representing a departure from purely natural systems. Understanding their implications is crucial for assessing long-term viability” (Sustainability Directory, 2024). I was simply going to define it as ‘something created by humans, that is not natural.’ So what are some artificial constructs? Money, perfect markets, race, qualification, gross domestic product, profit, ... . You might be getting the idea that there are many things that are artificial constructs that we treat as natural phenomenon so why do we allow these phenomenon to rule our lives. I...
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Location: Onerahi, Whangārei, New Zealand
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Progressive Principles

In 2010 when the UK was going through austerity under a Conservative government, I worked with a group that was loosely associated with the UK Labour Party to look at alternative principles to the Neo-liberal principles that were being used by the government. Although the principles that we developed never gained any traction at the time, I have not thrown away what we developed. Instead, I have revised as my own thinking has changed and the political environment has changed. Now, I write stories to try and communicate my ideas. What follows is a section from one of the stories that I am writing.
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Location: Onerahi, Whangārei, New Zealand
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