Too busy for this, really…
I have written 713 words of my 3,000 word essay.
It is due in tomorrow at 2.00pm.
I also have to collate my bibliography for my dissertation.
And read for Christology.
Help.
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Apologies for a frankly disgusting ‘down time’ from this blog. I am sure you have all been waking up in cold sweats without my scribbles…
Anyway, I have spent most of the week in Cardiff visiting Alexandra and being extremely ill (bed-bedbound! I haven’t been bed-bound since I was under ten and had the chicken pox). The illness has subsided a little but I am still feeling groggy and have a tonne of work on my desk – all for this coming week (hooray).
Anyway, I was reading the University of Bristol’s student newspaper (Epigram, for those taking notes). There is an unusual amount of interesting discourse taking place regarding the equal opportunities of Christian Union societies within universities. Apparently, the Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh, Exeter and Heriot-Watt are all planning on closing down their CUs due to the lack of compliance with equal opportunities (prejudice against homosexual groups was one issue pointed out).
The president of Bristol’s CU (who I know well enough to talk to in Theology) has hit out at such claims and stated that the Bristol CU is an open forum where everyone is welcome. He did, however, point out that members of the CU (as opposed to casual interlopers, I suppose) do have to agree and comply with the ten fundamental truths of Christianity.
One observation I have personally made of CUs is their lack of interest with the ‘opposite argument’. I have been to (albeit few) CU talks in Bristol and have noticed that EVERY one of them has agreed with the general consensus of the members. That is fine in theory, but it doesn’t exactly inspire much creative dialogue with other opinions. I was fairly interested in what the speakers had to say because they were (as I am not a Christian) speaking from a point of view that I do not hold. However, I cannot imagine anything more boring that having someone talk for 40 minutes about a subject I completely agree with – at least not all the time.
Whilst I appreciate that Christian Unions are just that – unions for Christians – I do believe that variation in the so-called debates would be helpful (and would possibly help the society as a whole). With regard to the prejudices within the groups, I cannot possibly comment. All I will say on the issue is that homosexuals are generally tolerated within Christian circles, dare I say even embraced and encouraged to join? But usually this is offered as a means of correcting their sexuality.
However, I do not believe that closing CUs is the way forward (I can imagine the anger if we were suggesting closing Islamic societies, for example). Groups of people with similar interests, and in this case beliefs, are of course entirely permitted to meet and enjoy their similarities. What should be encouraged is a mutual respect, not merely tolerance, for groups who differ from themselves. I personally have no issue with Bristol’s CU and find them not at all offensive – indeed all I have ever got from them is a free lunch in Freshers’ Week and a few soundbite talks from perspectives I could never possibly concur with.
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It appears I forgot to title my last blog (a terrible oversight – positively newbie like) so I make amends by titling this one and promising to title for ever more.
I had a dissertation meeting today at the university which went fine. Basically just my lecture (gosh don’t you hate sentences that start with “Basically…”) going through what we had to do, when we had to do it and to what kind of standard. I am reading up on medieval English Church history, specifically the pilgrimages of Margery Kempe and whether we can say there was a ‘usual’ English pilgrimage. I’m sure this sounds exciting to you all.
After that I had a bit of a gap so I went to the library (always fun) and read my Christology reading on the Virgin Birth. This was reading that I had done the day previous (honest, Dr. Crisp!) but had decided to go over again because I am secretly a dedicated theologian. The lecture was fine, standard first hour of him going over what is what re the virgin birth followed by an hour seminar in which students from various religious and atheist backgrounds thrashed out theories and all insisted they were correct (me included).
The problem with debating the virgin birth of course is that you have to firstly believe that it happened. There are naturally dozens of scientific and logical arguments as to why the birth of a human (and remember the bible claims that Jesus was indeed human) cannot occur through means of one parent. However, one must also look at the bible in context and remember that this is supposed to be miraculous. Scientific issues aside, I think we can all agree that if God does exist, he can do whatever the hell he wants (and you can shove your zygotes and gametes up your arse).
This was followed by a slightly more enjoyable debate about the significance of the virgin birth and whether it is theologically important that Jesus was borne of a virgin woman. I won’t bore you any longer.
Alexandra is coming over for the weekend so I am obviously looking forward to that. We’re off to Bath tomorrow for the day, followed by a night out for a uni friend’s birthday. On Saturday (just in case you’re monitoring our movements) we’ll be in theatre (cultural!) and on Sunday both she and I will be on a train heading for Wales (her to Cardiff, me to home).
More soon.
Ben
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It looked a bit cloudy this morning but the weather has improved no end. This puts me in a very good mood as there is nothing worse than miserable weather when you have to walk into university to pick up some reading material.
I woke up this morning at about 10.00am, although didn’t actually ‘get up’ until about half-past. Showered, dressed, drank tea (all that jazz) before sitting about doing very little. I have a ‘To Do’ list as long as my arm (but there is always time for Facebook). I eventually left the house near midday.
The walk into university takes about twelve minutes but there are so many distractions along the way. Walking up Cotham Hill I have to pass four – four! – charity shops all selling cheap books that I must own. I bought three today (totalling £2.00). Many of you will question this logic in connection to my previous post re shopping, but the point is: books don’t count. I like books and could shop for books all day (well, not all day, but you get the idea).
Finally got to university, books in tow, and walked up to the Theology building (rather unromantically called 3-5 Woodland Road). Gathered together my reading for tomorrow’s Christology lecture and walked home, calling Alexandra on the way. She is a very busy bunny at the moment going from talk to talk about this and that (all career stuff, apparently). I can’t even find time to apply online for teacher training (more on this hilariously complicated process in another blog).
Once home I made another cup of tea and sat down in the lounge to watch 2point4 Children. I haven’t seen it for years and today’s was a particularly funny episode. Mooched about the house for a bit afterwards (Facebooked some more…sigh) before finally gathering up the drive to put some washing on and email my tutor about things too boring to note here. Sat down, felt guilty for forgetting to go to the bank to sort out my overdraft ‘issues’ and then made another tea. Paradise.
Hmm. I think I could do with another tea.
More soon.
Ben
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Hello all,
My name is Ben. I am currently a student at the University of Bristol reading Theology. I will hopefully graduate this year and not fail my exams! You really don’t need to know much more than that. The rest will become apparent (and most reading will, of course, know me).
Shopping
Okay, so I went shopping today. This in itself is unlike me as I don’t tend to shop. By ‘shopping’ I don’t mean food shopping, which I similarly don’t enjoy but have to do or face starvation (there are days…). No, ‘shopping’ here means going into town and, ugh, browsing.
Since my arrival in university back in the good old days of 2004, I have become frugal, almost cheap, in my attitude to shopping. I could count the number of clothes I have bought since 2004 with my hands (my brain helps too). I don’t like shopping as it makes me feel guilty. More than that, it makes me hate people.
‘People’, if you know me you will know this, annoying. I’m not saying all people in the world annoy me (hmm…) but that generally when a large group of humans converge in one place they will annoy and irritate. This is best shown by going to The Mall Galleries shopping centre in Bristol city centre.
I think The Mall Galleries (just The Galleries, in my day) was opened in 1992. It may have been 1996. But whatever. It is just like any other half-decent, under-cover shopping centre. It is large, modern, airy and warm in winter and cool in summer. It was obviously designed to house the best kind of high street shops (quite what was wrong with the high street, I don’t know) and does this fairly well.
But of course, what this encourages (almost orders) people to do is all go there. In once, albeit large, building. It is Tuesday today and still at 2.00pm the place was rammed with people. Young people, old people, middle aged people. School children skiving with pride whilst trying to nick DVDs from Woolworth’s. All these people getting in my way, walking too slowly or standing like lemons.
Escalators help this. Escalators are pointless. The Mall Galleries has six escalators to take you to its three floors. Up and down. People are happily walking along when they approach this labour saving device and then – AND THEN – rather than walk up/down it in a faster way than would be possible, they stand on it and slow the whole process down. I could run up and down the ‘normal’ stairs in the time it takes for the escalator to ascend/descend to its appropriate floor. Unbelievable.
I went to town to try and find a cheap printer (impossible) and a bag for university (completely possible if I wanted to look like a twat). I came away with nothing except an over-done Cajun chicken pasty. I then caught the bus to Clifton Down where I bought a new toothbrush, toothpaste and razor blades and got charged the ridiculous sum of £15.91 (bloody Gillette Mach 3!)
All in all the day went exactly as I had predicted.
More soon.
Ben
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