Long Alley Almshouse was built in 1446 and has seen many generations of residents, of Governors of Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon ( who manage Abingdon’s almshouses), and of Kings and Queens. The transition from one generation to the next has seen huge changes in fashion, customs, and technology.
The bible verses on the walls are a reminder however to each generation that life is transitory.
That we should take it one day at a time.
That we don’t know what comes hereafter.
A very late entry for City Daily Photo Theme Day on December 1st. For more ‘Transitions’ photographs try HERE.
Backstreeter one of the most important things your blog does for me is to subtly remind me of the importance of Christianity and how it’s been fundamental to our country throughout the ages, thanks !
I don’t think I would like to be reminded of doom and gloom. This is what has turned people away from the church. Instead of being a happy positive place to go to some sermons seem to be aimed at making people fearful and guilty to be human. This is why people prefer to go to garden centres and other places on Sundays. ( Which incidentally is not Jesus’s day or worship. It was a Saturday. The Emperor Constantine moved it to a Sunday which was the day of worship for the Sun God Mithras.)
Missing my point somewhat Janet, you don’t have to go to church to be Christian and I definitely do not agree with your statement about garden centres and sermons, what’s more I don’t know what church you went to but I’ve never heard a sermon that’s put me off going to church, I think it’s more about modern living that’s caused that and that’s why I made my comments above, it’s good that Backstreeter reminds us ?
The Christian Church has, in the past, been more bloodthirsty than ISIS. I do not know how, when Jesus preached love thy neighbour the Church sanctioned mass murder in his name.. Three protestants were burnt at the stake in Oxford. I personally veer towards Druid philosophy. They believed in love and respect for the natural world. It might seem weird to believe in love but having had a death experience and felt the intense love this seems to be present.
The difference being Janet is neither the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury advocate murder and humiliation in the name of Christianity so I think it quite wrong if you to draw comparisons with Isis? As for your reference to Druidism, dare I suggest Budism is more complete?
The almshouses did not have any gloomy quotations on them when they were built in the 15th century. Mediaeval Christianity was colourful: churches were decorated with wall-paintings and statues; Sundays were days of celebration, and there were lots of feast days with public dancing, music and outdoor plays, like a fiesta in Italy or Spain.
And of course the whole point of the almshouses was that the church provided them as free homes for the elderly poor. They were part of the network of hospitals and other help for the sick and needy throughout mediaeval Europe run by the church at a time when governments did nothing. And it continues today: the Catholic Church is the world’s single biggest non-government provider of healthcare in the world, and other Christian denominations run similar works.
Yes, some Christians have done bad things in the name of their religion. But these are nothing compared to the millions killed by atheist totalitarian regimes in modern times. And in our own country, we kill hundreds of thousands of unborn babies every year and tell ourselves that this is a good end enlightened thing to do. We have much to learn from our Christian forefathers.
Jesus attended the Temple; I interpret it as to be Christian you should attend church.
No Christian church has sanctioned mass murder. Secular approaches to government have been the root cause of immense misery to people throughout human history. Christianity is counter-cultural.
Stalin was raised as in the orthodox christian traditition and trained as a priest, hitler was raised a devout catholic. Both moved away from their religious views in later life, but I’m not sure the Christian faith can fully wash its hands of their behaviours.
Totalitarianism is terrible but doesnt have an awful lot to do with whether people are christian, aetheist or of another faith.
The words ‘Both moved away from their religious views in later life..’ are, for me, key there. Free Will is an aspect to consider here.
To anyone unsure, go straight to the source: read the Gospels of the New Testament (your personal letter) and see what your heart tells you have found there.
Iain, I have to say the “Stalin was raised a Christian so they must take some responsibility for his later actions” argument is a somewhat lazy one. Surely it is highly unlikely that any leader from that time was raised outside of the dominant thinking of the period (in that place, at that time, Christian)? Before using that argument one should ask oneself “If a person was raised an atheist and then went on to become a religious fanatic preaching hate and persecution would I expect atheism to shoulder some or all of the blame”? Do you prescribe to the view that “Men do good things despite their religion and evil things because of it”? The course of human history is plagued by the persecution and attempted eradication of those that are ‘other’ either in look, thought or behaviour to those in power. For the past several centuries that has almost always (but by no means exclusively), been related to religion, but because of that very predominance there is, as yet, no data with which to form a rational opinion on the impact of religion on the behaviour of evil people. Given the fact that many modern atheists champion the ‘scientific method’, it’s fascinating how badly they cope with criticism (the very backbone of the scientific method) and how willing they are to accept the pontifications of the new atheist priesthood (Dawkins et al ) without question or thought.
I probably wasnt clear on my too short post.
I didnt intend to suggest that being christian was responsible for their being tyrants, just that people who were brought up as christians were just as capable of tyranny as those raised in another faith or without a faith.
Ah well Iain it just goes to prove it takes all sorts then ? Sadly though no one managed to reach out to the chap in his 70s who jumped over the iron bridge and drowned in the cold water below at 5.54 this morning!
It seems to me that no matter the belief, the cause or whatever term one uses to label a following it boils down to personal interpretation of what’s laid before you?