James Prescott - Latest Comments

Re: Social Media: Which world do you live in?

Johnny — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:47:57 -0000

I don't actually think that the "virtual world" doesn't exist, that my interaction to people on the "virtual world" isn't real, however, it not actually the same as being real. The main reason is anonymity, most interactions I have with people that I haven't seen is somewhat different to how I interact with people I know. Because people can't see us, we have these "virtual personas" which is a very friendly version of us and one that is close to our inner-personality and on which one we use depends on what name we have on the internet.

Re: A question of marriage

JamesPrescott77 — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:40:22 -0000

Thanks for your comment, interesting to get a view from outside the church on what's an important issue. Hope to hear more from you. Keep reading! JP.

Re: A question of marriage

JamesPrescott77 — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:38:31 -0000

Hey Mia,

I agree with you that there is a difference between loving someone and speaking the truth in love, and there is a difference between a person's behaviour and their inherent value. That applies to us all. There is always a fine line between the two though - which your example definitely shows you navigate very well.

In terms of the judgement issue. I don't intend to sit in judgement and I hope I don't - there is fine line though between sitting in judgement and standing up for truth and justice. Jesus didn't sit in judgement on people - He loved the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery, He didn't judge or condemn them. He did speak the truth about their sin, but not in a way that condemned them.

Scripture says there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, yet I see so many Christians condemning others, especially in this issue.

Let me make this clear Mia, I definitely do not mean you here in any way at all. But I have seen it elsewhere.

It happens especially in the American evangelical community but even in the UK too. Indeed, many young people are leaving the church in the US over this issue and because of the judgemental view of some Christians in the US. (which you can read more about in this great blog post by Rachel Held Evans, a great US Christian writer: http://rachelheldevans.com/win...

However, bottom line here is we are all sinners and none of us are perfect. God loves us all, we are all equal before Him and it's His job to judge, not ours.

Thanks for your comment, great to hear from you. JP.

Re: A question of marriage

JamesPrescott77 — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:24:57 -0000

Simple and to the point - yet raises so many other questions too. Great comment Marc.

Re: A question of marriage

Mia — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:20:19 -0000

Might be a good idea to start differentiating between "judging" and "speaking the truth". You can say something is wrong and still love that person. A friend of mine is gay. She knows that I think it's wrong but still we are good friends and I like and respect her for many other things.
In my opinion, just saying "We mustn't say anything against this and that behavior because we are all sinners" is just as wrong. Jesus always told people their behavior is wrong.
As I said...there's a difference between judgement and speaking the truth, just as there is a difference between a person's behavior and his/her value.

BTW: Aren't you judging, too, when you say that you "hate to see Christians sitting in judgement of these kind of things when we should be loving one another"? Just asking...

Re: A question of marriage

Marc — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:44:31 -0000

A union between one man and one woman. Simple as that.

Re: A question of marriage

Mia — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:10:02 -0000

Instead of talking about if McDonald's should use Argentinian beef for its burgers, let's ask what a burger is.
Isn't it more than just a roll with some patty? Needn't it be made with passion?
And burgers cannot only be bought at McDonald's anymore, but also at other restaurants...

What's the point?!

Nice little article but to me it has nothing to do with Obama's statement.

Re: A question of marriage

Iwanttobeatree — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:14:04 -0000

I (an unmarried, non christian but engaged to a lady person) believe that marriage is two things.
One - it is a legal thing that gives you certain protections and so therefore should carry the same rights, irrelevant of who you are joining together with and whatever you call it (ie marriage and civil partnership should mean the same thing in a legal sense).
Two - It is a solemn vow that you will stay with and be faithful to the person you are marrying until you die.

So, it gives you legal security and it gives you much more emotional security than being unmarried.

So obviously, that's my take on it from a non christian point of view. I don't care what it's called as long as it has all those things.

Re: A question of marriage

JamesPrescott77 — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:57:17 -0000

Thanks for your comment Hannah - no apologies required, fantastic. It is an interesting discussion isn't it? None of us are perfect, none of us can throw stones, we all need grace and forgiveness - I hate to see Christians sitting in judgement on these kind of things when we should be loving one another and showing grace.

Maybe I'm idealistic but I think if we go back to the basics of what marriage is, it might answer the questions for us.

Thanks for commenting, great that this is stimulating discussion! Blessings, JP.

Re: A question of marriage

girltaristhan — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:50:40 -0000

Back in March about the same time that the Campaign for Marriage went a bit bonkers I posed the question on Facebook: "Here's a random one for you to ponder. By signing the #c4m petition does that make a person a homophobe?" (or homophone as I just mistyped!). In the end there were 48 comments and the conversation went over about two or three days. You can read them here.

A friend of mine as part of the discussion said "I cannot understand why someone who doesn't consider that they are a homophobe would want to obstruct equal love What makes one love better than another?" It was also pointed out that although gay couples have equal rights to a certain degree they are still second class citizens.

There are teenagers here and in the US (Amongst other places) who are in the end resorting to suicide because they don't get the acceptance that they need. When I was at school a friend of mine came out to me and I didn't really have any idea what to say to her. I'd never come across a gay person in real life (okay I'd seen Jack and Will on Will and Grace but that was a TV show). I think I said something about how it wouldn't change our friendship and she was the same person.

Another friend came out to me when I was at university - this time it was more awkward for them - Their parents are on the team for the youth group at a local church. I think they were very fearful of what other people would think of them if their child came out as bi-sexual - should they disown their child or support the in their choice. Well I think it was kept within the family and no-one outside a small trusted circle knew of what had happened. I haven't spoken to the person in enough detail to see where they stand on it now they have moved home but I do hope said person is happy what ever has happened.

I decided that I wouldn't sign the petition - I had too many questions to ask and no one was giving me the answers. If I went to the leadership at church I was getting a flat "Sign it" response. If I went to my friend who is in a homosexual relationship, I was getting a "Don't Sign It" response but no one was really answering my questions. It was the conversation on Facebook that gave me the most responses and answered the most questions.

As the verse is in the bible - let him without sin cast the first stone. I can't stand up and point the finger at the all the sinners because I'd have to point at myself first - I know that I am by no means perfect. I make mistakes and I sin - I know I do and I try not to when I can.

Read John 3:16 it says "For God so loved the world...." that's not the white people or the black people (Sorry if that's un PC) that's not the rich or the poor - it's everyone - so doesn't everyone include homosexual people. We then have the choice to accept God right? I don't have all the answers and so until the second coming I will try and love those around me like myself. Whether that's the people next door with the really annoying dogs or the crazy lollypop lady on the way to work who I am sure has a death wish. I will try to love the spam callers who bother me at work everyday - they are just doing their jobs.

Sorry epic comment!

Re: A question of marriage

JamesPrescott77 — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:41:34 -0000

Thanks for commenting Ned - great to hear from you after so long! An interesting response with some good points, well argued. I definitely do see your point of view and it's interesting to hear this from the perspective of someone living in the States.

I guess my view was that if we can first establish what we mean by marriage, then the other questions might take care of themselves - but maybe that's a niave, idealistic view? I'm an optimist by nature. I appreciate the political and legal perspective that needs to come out here, but again is that not covered by the bigger question?

The great thing is that the post is stimulating discussion, which is really the point. I don't pretend I have all the answers but I just want us to be discussing it, which is what seems to be the response to the post so far, both here and on social media.

Thanks for your contribution, great to hear from you again. Blessings, JP.

Re: A question of marriage

Ned Keitt-Pride — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:34:50 -0000

James, I think this is an important discussion for this reason - at least in the States, marriage has been linked with several important personal/civil rights. Things like being able to visit a loved one in the hospital (in certain circumstances esp. emergencies), or gain coverage from employee health benefits are limited to married couples in the vast majority of cases. There are tax benefits for being married. Insurance rates are reduced for married couples. Not being able to marry creates a distinct quality of life difference for those denied the opportunity.

As a result, I think there are two discussions here - from a non-religious perspective, how do we protect the rights of people to equal protection under the law? Once that is settled, with something like a more universal adoption of the civil union perhaps, then there is the separate issue of what constitutes "marriage".

Re: Jesus: Empowering women

JamesPrescott77 — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:06:04 -0000

Lizzie, thanks for your comments, interesting read! Also thanks for the encouragement, good to hear that the blog is helping others. Be blessed, JP.

Re: Social Media: Digital Extending the Physical

JamesPrescott77 — Sat, 05 May 2012 06:36:34 -0000

Indeed, totally agree Mia. Great points there, thanks for commenting. :-) JP.

Re: Social Media: Digital Extending the Physical

Mia — Sat, 05 May 2012 05:52:49 -0000

I totally agree, James. The digital realm is real - sometimes even more real than some of us have in mind. Social media allows us to take a look deeply into human nature: it presents the sad fact that most of us are in some way exhibitionists that want to show ourselves to the world....that there's a desire to be seen and "liked" both in the digital and non-digital realm. It's just more obvious online... and more dangerous as well.
And what does this tell us about our society?!

Re: Social media & the social self

JamesPrescott77 — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:30:09 -0000

Yes, we can definitely act in the digital realm exactly as we do in the physical - it's just a different dimension, totally agree.

Agree on the other point as well. There is this view by some that somehow it's okay to treat people badly online - which stems from this view that it's not 'real'. I will looking at this in an upcoming post.

Thanks for commenting Lisa, great to hear from you. JP.

Re: Social media & the social self

Lisa Colon DeLay — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:19:47 -0000

At first blush in may seem that we can be more phony online, if we care to be...but truly, we can hide online as we can in real life. It merely happens in different applications.

On my blog I may try to represent my best self, in order to not descend toward my worse self. I fight to be true, but true in what is best. I fail too. I see a common pattern of people will rant or vent in posts in ways they would never do to people face-to-face... a digital bravado.

Re: Masculinity 1: Beyond gender

Unshaun Sheep — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:50:24 -0000

Interesting post James. I remember being a single man in the church and relate to your experience. However, assumptions of culturally gender-defined roles don't end with marriage. Being a servant-head of a household (as discussed in the comments already) is a Biblical approach, but some seek to define exactly what this should look like and raise eyebrows when one steps outside the norms. In our case this happened when we moved house and my wife took a full-time job and I became a house-husband, being primary carer during the day and into many evenings for our young (4 and 1 yrs old) daughters. My wife and I both came in for a lot of stick for this, but 9 years on I'm proud of the resulting kids and do not feel any less a man for having stepped outside the culturally accepted norm.

Re: Social Media: Life without digital, death without physical

Ecarsontc — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:41:54 -0000

Well said. You call the physical side of relationships a further dimension. I wonder exactly what & how it adds?

Re: Jeff Goins interview – Part 2: Existing in the tension

JamesPrescott77 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:48:35 -0000

No problem Jon, keep reading - hope you're enjoying the blog! Be blessed, JP.

Re: Social Media: Taking a break

Dave Roberts — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:37:08 -0000

I will be doing that when in Australia for the next 4 weeks... Wont have that much access to internet (as family only have mobile broadband connection)... Will stop others posting on my wall on Facebook... Have pre-scheduled the podcasts/blog for next 6 weeks... But will be telling others the benefits of social media/networking and how to go about it... Keep going strong, James

Re: Social Media: Taking a break

JamesPrescott77 — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:34:19 -0000

Thanks for your comment Sophie - totally agree, definitely share that senitment. Was so nice to not concern ourselves about the little things happening to others, which ultimately we don't really need to know.

Thanks for commenting, good to hear from you. Keep up the writing, and always feel free to comment here. Blessings, James.

Re: Social Media: Taking a break

Sophie Rae Coop — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:49:03 -0000

I gave up facebook last year for lent and loved the fact that I didn't feel the need to concern myself with the mundane aspects of other people's lives.

Re: Social Media: Taking a break

JamesPrescott77 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:34:21 -0000

Ecarsontc - great comment, and a really interesting idea too. Agree there can be a lot of unnecessary garbage cluttering up the net at times, and we must redeem social media. The idea you suggest has some legs I think - might be worth investing some time in. Keep me and all of us informed of how that goes.

Thanks again for commenting. JP.

Re: Social Media: Taking a break

Ecarsontc — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:25:03 -0000

Just reading your post after a week away from twitter & have also been reflecting on the volume of banality we find & contribute to there but am also crucially conscious of the positive, supportive and affirming element of it.

Have been playing around with an idea for next lent where, rather than giving up SocMed altogether as many do, a group might agree to join a special twitter list. For that period they would only view and contribute to that list & only content that "encourages one another and builds each other up" from a Christian perspective (1 Thessalonians 5:11), or sort of something along those lines.

Not sure if there would be interest but think it would be an intersting exercise in discipling