In Which I Channel My Father

I found myself thinking about my father today and how sometimes I behave quite like he did.

Many years ago London Sister went to work in London during the summer holidays between school and university and while there she  made friends with a girl who lived in Dublin.  This was fortuitous as LS had a place in a university in Dublin and the girl she met had already found a house to rent and there was still a spare room going.  In early October on a Sunday my father drove my sister down to Dublin and I came along for the ride.  No-one was in the friend's house when we arrived so we got to have a proper look round.  My sister's room had a single bed and a wardrobe.  My father opened the wardrobe and inside found a collection of Playboy magazines.  He didn't say anything but just picked them up and carried them outside to the metal bin at the front of the house.  

Sometimes in the telephone box library people deposit piles of evangelistic christian leaflets.  I always remove them and deposit them in our recycling bin.

Today I went for a walk in Greenwich and caught the train back.  I saw a leaflet on the window ledge of the train and picked it up.  It was  anti vaccination propaganda aimed at young people.  Yesterday Traybake was on a tube and a group of young men were shouting at the other passengers, telling them to take off their masks and to not listen to Matt Hancock. It seems that the anti-vax movement is growing.  I removed the leaflet from the train I was on and it is now in the recycling bin.  I think my father would have approved.

It was horribly muggy today but despite this I managed to go for a quite a long walk in Greenwich.   I am not looking forward to going to work tomorrow but I am looking forward to next weekend as I am going to the seaside.  I hope the weather has improved by then.

 

Comments

[Azura]

I kept thinking about this post hours after I read it.

And so I'm back here, to leave a comment to say that I like this story very much.

I think I will coin this type of activity (to myself; maybe with others too) as "doing a Ganching" or "doing a Ganching's dad".

[Emma]

How can you equate a a Christian pamphlet and an anti vax pamphlet with porn? Western society has been built on Judeo Christian ethic (as Tom Holland has said, Paul’s words are in the air we breathe. We live with the benefits of it whether a believer or not. With regards to anti vaccination, they are raising important concerns, These are new vaccines and we have to think carefully about its long term effects for people, especially the young, for whom they are finding there are significant risks with no real benefits.

[connie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhOg1wFyoDA&t=7s
Well worth watching. I think shows how a lot of people are feeling at the moment. I didn't feel that it was right to do what you did with the poster. People should be able to make up their own minds when others offer their opinions. Would you have ripped up a book as quickly? Also, the comparison between Christian literature and porn was a poor one to say the least. I do hope you watch this episode of Triggernometry - they are both on the centre left of the political spectrum and make very important points throughout their discussion.

[ganching]

Connie and Emma this is a personal blog and it is your choice whether you read it or not. I understand that you disagree with my views on vaccination and evangelistic christianity which is your right but I do not intend to enter into any debate with you.

[Emma]

Then don’t make your blog public. Write diary entries and put it in a cupboard with a lock and key if you don’t want anyone to disagree with you. What’s the point of any kind of debate in a democratic society and how are people going to be allowed to think freely and express their own ideas without fear?

[amanda]

Emma, I hardly think someone mildly pointing out that they disagree with you should engender fear. If you have any interest in ganching's writing, you should understand that her robust humour is what earns her a devoted audience. For the record, I applaud her stance on removing fear mongering from civil society where she spots it. If you don't care for her position, don't read her blog.

[JG]

Emma, Paul's words, as you put it, are NOT in the air I breath (thank goodness) although they clearly are in yours. Best to stick to what confirms your worldview and not bother with this blog.

[corinne kennedy]

Oh, dear Ganching! I have been a follower of your wonderful blog for years but I will stress that it is not your personal beliefs about religion or vaccinations that concern me but your actions in suppressing others from deciding for themselves ie destroying pamphlets put in the library box by others and the destruction of the poster. I do feel that by your actions with the poster, that you not only do not fully understand the concerns a lot of folk feel regarding the vaccinations but remove the opportunity for them to investigate their concerns and perhaps to go on to have the vaccination. Noone likes to be 'called out' when others view their actions debatable - but that's free speech. Regarding Emma's comment about Paul and the historian Tom Holland...Tom Holland is not a Christian he is a historian. He makes the point about Western Society in that it is like a fishbowl, with everyone swimming around in water. In his book Dominion, he writes about just how much society changed with the coming of Christ and although this water is filled with believers and unbelievers alike, they all swim in that water. Anyway some things to think about. Perhaps have a read of Dominion and have a look at things from a slightly different angle. Sincerely, Connie

[Emma]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I agree. If I don’t want to read her blog I can choose not to. But similarly, Ganching can choose not to read a pamphlet rather than rip it up and prevent others from making their own choice to or not to read it. I just wonder if it was a pamphlet about gay rights, for example, would she have ripped it up? Then why rip up a Christian’s views?