See Also...

Site Search

Norwich Bishop enters debate on MPs' expenses

The Bishop of Norwich has entered the debate into MPs’ expenses, during an election week, saying it has shocked an unshockable society and prompted a bout of self-righteousness, but we need to take care in our reaction.

“The Mother of Parliaments has got a lot of grief from her members in recent weeks,” said The Right Rev Graham James, preaching at Norwich Cathedral on Pentecost Sunday (May 31). “Our response to the crisis over MPs’ expenses has been intriguing.

“We live in a society which seems to pride itself on being unshockable. Yet we are shocked. We live in a society which seems to abhor the use of the word ‘sin'. Yet we know sin when we see it. We also live in a society horribly prone to self-righteousness. That's been on display too.”

In the week when Norwich North Labour MP, Ian Gibson, was barred from standing for the party at the next General Election as a result of the Westminster expenses scandal, and when the country goes to the polls in local and European elections, Bishop James said: “Whenever I'm tempted to ride a moral high horse I hear the words of Jesus in my ears, ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone.' We should not forget his warning. He never rebuked publicly the women taken in adultery. We seem to have grown to love the public rebuke of the fallen a little too much.

“I am convinced that rushing around to produce a new set of parliamentary rules and procedures isn't the whole answer by any means. This is a moral crisis not a legal or constitutional one.

“When Alexander Solzhenitsyn was deported to the West in 1974 after his Soviet imprisonment he didn't experience freedom but a different enslavement. ‘You have forgotten God' he told us. We didn't want to hear. The loss of faith in God goes alongside a loss of faith in our public institutions and perhaps a loss of faith in ourselves. Our need isn't simply for new laws or different rules and procedures but a new heart and a new spirit. That's what today, the feast of Pentecost, is about. God gives us his Spirit to live within us.”

To read the rest of Bishop Graham’s message click here

Feedback:

	Terence Gallant (Guest)	04/06/2009 18:44
Today we go to the pollong booths to elect county councillors and members of the European parliament. This gives us the opportunity to vote for some of the smaller parties and especially in the European election I have taken advantage of this by voting Christian Party / Christian Alliance. Having proportional representation we may be able to get at least one member of the Christian Party elected to the European parliament.
	John Myhill (Guest)	05/06/2009 19:17
As a Quaker I am very impressed by Graham James' sermon and would recommend that people look at the whole text. This shows the full connection between what he is saying about not throwing the first stone, and his attempt to bring all Christians together. I am also delighted that he is speaking out in the House of Lords to protect the criminalisation of the young. We are told to be "in the world but not of it" and that is what he is doing.
	xxx (Guest)	05/06/2009 19:51
Inscribed on the cross above the Lord was THE KING OF THE JEWS. It was written in Hebrew Latin and Greek This is significant. Hebrew signifies religion. Latin signifies Roman Politics. Greek signifies human culture. These three together represent the entire world system that is opposed to the Kingdom of God. It also shows that the Lord died as the lamb of God for the whole world. These worldly system worked together to silence and ultimately kill the Lord Jesus. Politics represented by Pilate and Religion represented by the Jews. conspired together. I find it hard to see the benefit of being distracted by these worldly systems and getting involved in them. . The kingdom of God has no religion or politics. If we concentrate our efforts and seek first his kingdom.we will bring him back and the era of religion and politics will be over.
	uuu (Guest)	09/06/2009 20:10
live.in.the.now