Category Archives: prison

Berlin, God, new writer, prison, society

Freedom from Faith

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As the exceptionally prolonged warmth continues to enshroud Berlin, I recently got to thinking again about freedom and faith. My new apartment is just one minute’s walk to the east of where the wall used to stand, so it’s hard not to keep thinking about the lack of freedom experienced here less than 30 years ago. And about those even today whose freedom is severely restricted. Including those caught up in Christianity.

A convicted criminal once told me that freedom is not about limitless options and unrestricted choice but about consciously making a choice to think or to act in a certain way. Hence it is possible to experience greater personal freedom in prison than living as a wealthy person in open society. I can relate to that, in particular when it comes to making a conscious choice to be free from the absurd incarceration of religious faith.

Here are some of the things I used to believe and even had to believe since, without faith, it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

That all Muslims go to hell since Islam is of the devil even though Muslims and Christians are undeniably descended from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When you believe this lie, you no longer see the human being in the foreground, but you see first the religion. A reason for going to hell. Polarisation and  separation are immediate. You feel superior and any compassion is trumped by the need to see the demonised Muslim saved into the kingdom of the one true God.

Freed from this lie, you can see straight away the fellow human being in the foreground.  There is commonality and compassion. You see beauty in ashes and value the enrichment of multi-cultural diversity.

That a man is the head of a woman, just as Christ is head of the church.

When you believe this lie (if you are a woman), you have to accept an inferior position in a relationship with a man and you are prevented from taking the ultimate responsibility for your decisions. You are not free; you are bound by the chains of crass sexual discrimination and demeaning chauvinism.

When you believe this lie (as a man), your sense of superior authority gives birth to a condescending attitude towards women and obscures the benefits of female wisdom. You are likewise not free: you are robbed of the riches of genuine debate between the sexes, the need for fearless compromise and the power of  joint decisions.

Freed from this lie, you can appreciate and honour the multi-faceted differences of the opposite sex. Equality is no longer just a word. It is experienced and lived out in real life.

That you need to give very generously to God and His church.

If you believe this lie, you give away well over 10% of your net income each month and you give even more when the prophecies (men claiming to speak the words of God) start to flow about revival (millions of people becoming Christians), the need for larger buildings and multiple services. All of which turn out to be lies for which no subsequent apology is made.

Freed from this lie, you can make informed choices about how to spend your income, investing it in what really matters, especially helping others. Judas Iscariot, the poor soul predestined by a loving heavenly Father to betray Christ and go to hell, was largely right when he pointed out that money given to the church would be better spent on helping the poor.

That you cannot live out your sexuality if you are gay.

If you believe this lie, you are condemned to a life in which you either a) pretend to be straight, marry and live a fake life, b) cultivate hypocrisy by endlessly trying to hide your addiction to masturbation and pornography with a cloak of purity and self-sacrifice, or c) live a fruitless life of celibacy, denying the very essence of who you are. Whether you are gay due to nature or nurture, your sexual orientation not only defines you, it is you. Repressing yourself is the ultimate form of human incarceration.

Freed from this lie, you can accept yourself, and even rejoice in who you are. You can love and be loved. You no longer have to be fake. If you are true to yourself, you cannot then be false to anyone else. And that is the ultimate experience of freedom.

“Walls that run through cities start by running through human hearts, built by religion and maintained by misguided faith.”

 

Berlin, God, new writer, politics, prison, refugees, society, vision

Has God trumped himself in Syria?

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I don’t know whether you’ve noticed this too, but in recent weeks the first items on the news have been dominated by this uneducated, politically inexperienced, racist old bastard called Donald Trump.

Just like the United Kingdom with their Brexit, the North Americans have played beautifully into the hands of the Islamic State. Unlike the UK and the US, IS understands that racism takes precedence over democracy … if the voters are stupid enough. Proof is: Trump tries to ban people from states whose citizens have never committed a terrorist crime on US soil.

Very much secondary in the headlines is the random persecution and murder of men, women and children, yes, children, in Syrian prisons.

I ask myself the question, therefore, a) how can a so-called God of love allow a nation whose population largely claims to be believing Christians allow such a fucking idiot to rule over their nation and b) how can this God of love sit by and watch these children, women and men be terrorized, abused and murdered in this way?

I went to church last Sunday, and the preacher, Frau Doktor D., assured the nervous congregation from Genesis, Chapter 16, that through the story of Hagar and Sarai, Jews, Muslims and Christians all come from one God and are members of one family and that they should ultimately get along well as such in the long term. This should give us all a reason for optimism and hope.

I don’t suppose that the dear doctor preacher has ever read Romans 9:8 or Galatians 4:23 , John 14.6,  etc, – which give Christians the right to say that only they are God’s true children and that all Muslims will go to hell. We do come from one family, she is right, but our dad loves only some of his children. Conditionally.

Whatever the case may be, Christians sit in their pews around the world, feeding their spiritual bellies, one step below the yoga class next door to my office, and most do almost nothing to bring peace to Syria.

If Jesus really did exist, it is very clear that he expected a radical, world-changing movement of people who were prepared to sacrifice everything to change the world. Rather like the IS, actually.

Instead, we have a group of largely passive, sedentary people who massage their butts and shout “Amen” to the likes of pukey Joyce Meyer and who ultimately do, let’s face it,  …..

nothing.

What gives me the right to be judgmental? Nothing, really. Though I did once lead a church in the UK that was pioneering and radical, rather like a Bugatti. Now, like all churches after a couple of generations, it’s become sadly no more than a Vauxhall Zafira church. Grey, compact, boring, predictable, neat and tidy and full of air bags.

Plus, I was the only Christian in a movement of about 50,000 people in the UK who was prepared to follow Jesus and to do something radical. But not one smug soul was prepared to come with me. The result: I failed.

My big question remains. What can I really do to help the plight of the people in Syria? Joining the church sure won’t help. So, can you help me? Comments welcome, as always.

 

 

Berlin, God, movies, new writer, politics, prison, society, vision

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

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Patrick in “Manchester by the Sea”. (Lucas Hedges)

“Manchester by the Sea” is absolutely the most powerful movie I have seen in a very long time. It just won’t leave me alone. I am not surprised that it has received so many Oscar nominations.

It’s not fast-moving, but rather a character study, observing  meticulously how human beings react under the stressful situations that occur in life. Every detail is critical. You shouldn’t miss, for example, how the sound recording adds to the naturalism:  the familiar beeping and burring of the microwave that is somehow louder than the protagonists speaking. As in real life.

The movie shares its main theme with last year’s 3D drama, “Everything will be fine“, namely, to what extent are we as human beings entirely responsible for the unimaginably painful and dark tragedies that we are capable of causing? I’m pleased to say that the writer-director, Kenneth Lonergan, does not really give us the answer. He leaves it to the audience to delve deep for something remotely conclusive. Which is maybe one of the reasons why the film just won’t leave you alone.

It is not an exaggeration to say that every actor acts to perfection. Just watch the expressions on the face of the hospital nurse (who has almost no lines!) when Lee’s brother dies, or observe the convincing smugness of Patrick’s mum’s new husband. And yes, does his mum, a cured alcoholic, really go and have a quick drink in the kitchen during dinner? Wonderful, how this is all left to the audience to deduct.

I don’t know about you, but I too, like Lee, have made the most awful mistake in my life. The consequences of this mistake have been absolutely devastating for all concerned, and most probably for a lifetime.  As in the movie, it is impossible to avoid the question: how can we do such awful things to those we love the most?

Today in particular, I carry both the pain and responsibility for my actions and would do everything to turn back time. But I can’t.

So what can be done? The answer to this question can be found both throughout “Manchester by the Sea” and in the closing scene. It’s by no means a neat, clean, satisfying answer. It’s messy. It’s a an answer that reveals how a  dynamic web of dysfunctionality kicks in once a major crisis has happened.

My doctor said to me two weeks ago, “As Einstein said, we cannot live in the past. We must live in the future. Every crisis in life, both for the perpetrator and the victims, is an opportunity to learn and to create a new way of living life better. If we are open to that.”

My enduring hope is that she’s right.

 

 

 

 

 

Berlin, European Union, politics, prison, refugees, society, vision, war

Freedom of movement?

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Freedom of movement is something that many of us in the West take for granted. Most of us can get up and leave our home in the morning and travel to work, go shopping or visit a restaurant after work with friends. We can travel around the country without let or hindrance, and, if we have a passport and enough money, we can travel freely to many other nations of the world.

Imagine for just one moment, however, that you woke up tomorrow morning and you were told by the state authorities that you will no longer have the freedom to move around. You will no longer be able to travel to other countries. You cannot leave your town. In fact, you cannot even leave your house. You are to remain imprisoned there until you die, even though you have done nothing wrong. It is simply a legally binding decision made by your government. Failure to comply will result in immediate execution.

How would we feel then? Cheated? Outraged? Infuriated?Rebellious?

Why? Because any restriction in movement is a contravention of a basic human right. It is also at the root of what started the first war. “This is my property, the boundary to my land, and if you set food on it, I will kill you.” It is also a main reason as to why prison is considered an effective form of punishment.

All this is something that Ms. May, Mr. Johnson, Mr Trump, Mr Corbyn et al. cannot understand. In attempting to maintain free trade of goods whilst restricting the movement of people, they are placing material gain higher than human rights.  This is supremely unintelligent and morally despicable.

All in stark contrast to Angela Merkel who understands that you cannot have the one without the other. She also understands that no wall will ever be able to stop unwanted crime and terrorist attacks. She understand that walls simply provoke isolation and racial hatred, not prevent them.

Racism and evil do not run along national borders. They run through the heart of human beings. This is where it all starts and this is where we as individuals can choose to end it.

 

Berlin, European Union, new writer, prison, refugees

40,00€ better off

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After my blog post yesterday I felt truly challenged as to where to start. Joining Amnesty International was easy. But what next?

Then, waiting for the bus to go home, I noticed a family of refugees (mum, dad and three children) with their entire belongings crammed into a mix of suitcases and ikea holdalls, standing at the same bus stop. As the bus arrived and they struggled to get on board through the rear doors, I helped them to carry their bags.

On the bus the most amazing conversation took place. With the help of hands and feet, broken English, Google translator and a phone call to my Syrian fiend, Mariana, they told me in 8 minutes their very disturbing story as to how they reached Berlin from Syria. I discovered from them that there is even a harrowing website that helps refugees to cross the Mediterranean.

Apart from their tangible mixture of relief and uncertainty, they were not sure how to get to the refugee camp near Spandau. I told them that I would accompany them to the camp.

As we got off the bus, a young German woman said that she would come with us and wanted to help. So she accompanied us and showed deep interest in their story. When we arrived at the entrance to the, to me, somewhat intimidating camp, I asked our German friend to explain everything to the surly entrance guard.

As we said good-bye and exchanged phone numbers, I looked  in my wallet and found 40,00€. I quickly folded it into four and gave it to the oldest daughter as we said farewell. The daughter immediately gave it to her mother, who broke down in tears.

As we left the camp entrance, the young German asked me to go for a coffee. I agree. We go to YE-MC, who serve the best Döner in the whole of Berlin. She tells me that she is a humanist studying theology, currently making her way through her doctoral thesis on the social construction of God.

During the intense dialogue, we both agree to teach German to refugees as our initial contribution to the situation. This morning we have just registered and have found out that we will start before Christmas.

So I have learnt that taking positive action to help others is an incredible investment in humanity. When you make the decision to engage, what you receive is unintentionally so much greater than what you give. I feel encouraged. As Mother Theresa said: “If we can all do small things with much love, we as individuals can change the world.”

Links:

How to volunteer to help refugees