Remembrance Sunday symbolism

So once again, the debate about the poppy has raged over Remembrance weekend. Whether to wear one at all, whether it is being co-opted by politicians and the media, whether it glorifies war. I wear one – as far as I’m concerned, I don’t want to allow my feelings about what the British government is currently doing with our armed forces to get confused with the sacrifices made by those who served, and who serve now. These men and women are still someone’s sons and daughters, and just because the cause may be dubious, doesn’t mean I cannot show my respect for what they did, and my gratitude for family members safely returned. I am happy to take the risk that some politician wears his or her poppy because it’s good political currency. I don’t care why they wear theirs; I only know that I wear mine as a symbol of respect and remembrance for the victims of war, not the politics. Surely we don’t give up our symbols just because someone uses it in a way we don’t like? I’m not going to renounce the symbolism of the cross just because I hate the way some bigots use it to condemn and destroy. I don't doubt for a second that in the run-up to the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, the debate about the use of the poppy is going to be jacked up to unprecedented levels. But as long as my grandmother wears hers, I'll be wearing mine.

The boy wizard and the church that makes God just small enough to sit on your bookshelf.

I know this is a debate that is probably long gone, but I am really bored with Christians talking about how they think Harry Potter glorifies sorcery and is a bad influence on children. Particularly when they follow this up by declaring that they haven't read it. Yes he's a wizard. But if you bothered to actually look a bit more closely, you would see that it's more about friendship, love, growing up, and the pain in the butt of being at school. If only the church's biggest problem was a ten year old with a scar on his forehead. The idea that Harry Potter poses a threat to God is insulting. And even as a 32-year-old, anyone telling me I shouldn't read something because it's not good for me is tantamount to turning it into a giant blackforest gateau with my name on it. Get real. Your behaviour is a real turn-off. So no, the date from the Christian dating website did not go swimmingly.