The medical, moral and social case against assisted suicide
Bernard Palmer
Over the last 20 years there have been many unsuccessful attempts to change the law on physician assisted suicide. The recent debate and vote on this showed that there is much ignorance about the problem of death.
I was a surgeon with particular interest in Surgical Oncology, so often had to face issues of people who were facing death. The word ‘euthanasia’ literally meant ‘good death’ and this is something every caring physician wants for his patients who have a terminal disease. It is unfortunate that many now understand it to mean an accelerated death, a form of physician assisted suicide.
A plea for better sermons
Bernard Palmer
One of the directives in Scripture is that church elders must be didaktikos – able to teach.
Many are satisfied with understanding theology or caring for people, but sometimes not so great at motivating others to have a passion to live for Jesus. Good preaching is much more than good theology – there must be urgency and passion.
King Charles and Christian theology - same words, different meanings?
It is all too easy for teachers to use Biblical words but for the meaning to be far from Biblical. The apostle Peter longed for all God’s people to think clearly, saying:
'Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles.' 2 Peter 3:1-2