Ballymena Accent Twa – Edge of the Union

Headline: Saving the Democratic Unionist Party or saving the Union? The real reason Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is threatening a collapse of Stormont.

By Dr John Coulter

Save Stormont or save the DUP? That’s the real question party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was posing in his recent ‘pull no punches’ keynote speech on how Unionism should combat the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Will history record that the DUP ‘commemorated’ Northern Ireland’s centenary by quitting Stormont “within weeks” if its demands over the Protocol are not met, Sir Jeffrey has clearly suggested.

He also made clear his party would now boycott most North-South Ministerial meetings, even though Sir Jeffrey travelled to Dublin late last month to meet with Irish premier Micheal Martin of Fianna Fail.

Sir Jeffrey said such North-South relations could not be “business as usual” while links with Great Britain were damaged.

Sir Jeffrey said there could be a need for a Northern Ireland Assembly election to “refresh our mandate” – a move that could politically backfire badly on the DUP given a recent LucidTalk opinion poll which showed the DUP on 13% support trailing in third place behind the more liberal Ulster Unionist Party on 16 % and the hardline Traditional Unionist Voice party on 14%.

He also said his party’s ministers would resign from their post rather than implement further border checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of Great Britain.

The overwhelming majority of Unionists oppose the Protocol as it places a border along the Irish Sea, effectively keeping Northern Ireland economically within the European Union whilst the rest of the UK has already left under Brexit.

Northern Ireland, which as a region voted ‘remain’ in the 2016 EU referendum, is the only part of the UK which has a land border with an existing EU member state, namely the Irish Republic.

But 2021 is also a significant year for anniversaries in Northern Ireland. As well as the centenary of the state, it is also the 50th anniversary of the founding of the DUP in 1971 and the 70th anniversary of the formation of the Protestant fundamentalist denomination, the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, by the late Rev Ian Paisley; a denomination which dominated DUP policy for decades.

Given how poorly the DUP has been doing in opinion polls, it does not make political sense to the outsider to threaten to collapse Stormont as the DUP has always traditionally been viewed as a devolutionist movement.

However, Sir Jeffrey is not yet a Stormont Assembly member; he is a Westminster MP. He cannot double job and has made it clear he wishes to return to the Assembly and become First Minister, giving up his Commons seat which he has held since the late 1990s.

But during his political career he has worked closely with two former UUP MPs – the late Sir James Molyneaux, the former UUP leader, and the late Enoch Powell, a former UUP MP for South Down, but better known throughout the UK for his ‘rivers of blood’ speech on immigration during his time in the Conservative party.

Both Molyneaux and Powell were committed integrationists who believed power rested with Westminster and that the UK should be governed by a parliament based in London.

Donaldson cut his political teeth in the UUP under Powell and Molyneaux, succeeding the latter as MP for Lagan Valley. Donaldson quit the UUP over the party’s stance on the Good Friday Agreement to join the DUP.

Earlier this year, he was defeated by Edwin Poots – the current Stormont Agriculture Minister – in a leadership battle following a coup against then First Minister Arlene Foster, who ironically followed Donaldson out of the UUP to the DUP at the same time.

However, in a counter-coup, Donaldson succeeded Poots as DUP boss a matter of a few weeks later. Unlike the UUP under then leader David Trimble which successfully negotiated the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the DUP is a political movement which does not take such political risks. It is a Unionist movement which puts party first.

Many within Unionism suspect that Donaldson – like his mentors Molyneaux and Powell – is really a closet integrationist and would like to see power rest with Westminster.

After all, if the DUP did collapse Stormont “within weeks”, Donaldson would still remain as a Commons MP. Given that most of the anti-Donaldson faction within the DUP are Stormont-based, the collapse of Stormont would also put a dampener on any future opposition to his leadership.

He could then campaign for a return of Direct Rule over Northern Ireland from Westminster with Commons MPs acting as Northern Ireland Office Ministers. This could also rule out Sinn Fein MPs who still operate a traditional republican abstentionist policy toward taking their Commons seats, given that the LucidTalk poll also has Sinn Fein on 25% support – well on course to take over the post of First Minister in the next Stormont election due in May 2022.

To the non-DUP voter, collapsing Stormont in the teeth of a pandemic makes no economic or political sense. But to the integrationist wing of the DUP facing a potential electoral meltdown according to a key opinion poll, scrapping the Assembly makes perfect sense to save the party from oblivion.

Follow Dr Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter

Headline: Close churches to combat Covid – its a no brainer!
Northern Ireland’s third lockdown is time for the Christian Churches to show true Biblical leadership by shutting up shop and throwing their vision behind digital evangelism, according to contentious religious commentator Dr John Coulter.
If there’s one lesson which the pandemic has brutally taught the Christian Churches across Ireland it is that Covid 19 and its mutations have no respect for religious faith – the virus can affect anyone, irrespective of religious belief or none. This current lockdown is an opportunity for the various Christian denominations across Northern Ireland to display true Biblical leadership by shutting their doors and moving all their Sunday services, Bible studies and prayer meetings online. Indeed, there is strong Scriptural evidence in the New Testament for the Churches observing the Stormont Executive guidelines to remain at home. It is from First Corinthians Chapter 6 and verse 19: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” (New International Version). In practical terms, we Christians have a responsibility to look after our bodies – and that includes nowadays keeping them clear of Covid. Unfortunately, the media is full of examples of militant fundamentalists who believe they can give the two-fingers to the Stormont Executive guidelines and continue church activities as normal in pre-pandemic days. Such ‘crazy Christians’ need to understand that the restrictions implemented by the Stormont Executive are there for a reason – to try and contain the spread of this virus, which has already claimed many lives, not just throughout the Province, but right across the UK, Ireland and around the globe. Yes, we have a vaccine being distributed, but that does not mean that we can throw caution to the wind and act as if it was January 2019. Given the speed and danger with which Covid’s mutations can spread, the Churches have both a moral and Biblical duty to combat this deadly spread by limiting the gatherings of people and their flocks. Practically, this means shutting churches and places of worship, including mission halls. However, we know that from the original March 2020 lockdown, this will place a huge financial strain on places of worship and there is the real danger that some churches – like many businesses – could go to the wall financially. In this respect, just as the British Government and Stormont Executive is providing funding for the business community, there must be a similar financial package for the church community to help with the costs of running the buildings. Likewise, in terms of evangelical outreach, this is also an opportunity for the Christian Faith – as it clearly demonstrated during the March 2020 lockdown – to develop and expand its digital evangelism. Pre-pandemic, many Christian denominations in Northern Ireland – especially the mainstream denominations – were facing drops in people attending worship. But during that initial lockdown last year, many churches also witnessed a huge increase in the numbers tuning in to online services, Bible studies and prayer meetings. Anecdotally, I spoke to one cleric who told me that pre-lockdown, his average Sunday morning attendance was around 100 folk in the pews. But once he went online, his ‘congregation’ rocketed numbers-wise into the thousands. This means that the Christian Churches as a whole should have no fear of shutting their doors and delivering their messages online. Clearly, in many cases, the challenge for these Churches was in retaining their online congregations once the initial lockdown ended and restrictions eased. Likewise, many churches also had to deal with the challenge of so-called ‘church-hopping’. This was where folk tuned into other churches’ online services, liked what they were hearing, and decided to join or worship at that church once the restrictions eased. Granted, Church leaders make the point that online services are no substitute for face to face worship or prayer meetings. But the Churches need to preach common sense in combating this deadly virus. That can only be done by closing all their buildings, going online and emphasising that these measures are only temporary until the virus is contained. Christian evangelists love to preach that the Christian lifestyle is the best one to follow. But how can they claim this if they insist on keeping buildings open where people can congregate and spread the virus? The time has come for Christian denominations in Northern Ireland to dump Puritan dogma and fully support the advice from the Stormont Executive. Granted, you will always – with any faith – get the fanatics who want to ignore the advice and ‘do their own thing.’ Such militants will have a difficult job explaining their actions to the relatives and friends of loved ones lost to the pandemic. My advice to the Churches and especially the militants – read your Bible, especially 1st Corinthians 6:19 and look after your bodies. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Conviction or confrontation? Evangelism in the ‘new normal’
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter casts his eye over the major developments in the Christian faith in 2020, and looks forward to what the vision of the Church should be in 2021.
Irish Christianity has faced its greatest challenges in 2020 since the Florida Outpouring phenomenon of more than a decade ago, and the previous Toronto Blessing escapades of the 1990s. The Covid 19 pandemic physically shut churches across Ireland during the lockdowns, and even when they re-opened, the restrictions placed severe challenges on how worship was conducted, youth work completed, and even how communion was served. But the lockdown and restrictions provided churches with a wonderful opportunity to develop digital evangelism as Sunday services, Bible studies and prayer meetings went online. Many clerics, while their buildings were physically empty, reported massive increases in the numbers tuning in online. As a typical snapshot, one pastor who would have had a regular Sunday morning attendance of around 100 people in the pews, reported an online congregation numbering in the thousands. In these early weeks of 2021, Christians find themselves in another lockdown, but with the church buildings open with restrictions. As with the end of the original March 2020 lockdown, the challenge remains the same for the Christian Church community in Ireland – how do we retain as many of the online congregations as possible? Digital evangelism should be viewed in support of face to face worship, not a substitute for, or replacement of, face to face worship. Granted, even before the March 2020 lockdown, many churches already had an effective online presence to enable those who were physically unable to attend church activities to actively participate in the life of their place of worship. Many churches, too, were able to show the caring side of the faith by checking in on people who were vulnerable, lonely or wanting prayer, and even ensuring that food or other essentials were delivered to those in need. While the traditional tent missions of the 1970s and 1980s may be an element of the evangelical past, the drive-in services witnessed a boom when restrictions were eased prior to the churches re-opening in 2020. As well as the boost in digital evangelism, with many youth organisations developing their cinematography techniques with a vast array of videos about the Christian message, the pandemic also saw a return of the so-called street evangelist. Numerous wannabe preachers adorned the street corners of our towns and cities with their microphones, musical instruments and public address systems, booming out the Salvationist message of ‘Jesus Saves’. This sparked a huge debate within Christianity as to the effectiveness of such an evangelical strategy. Many involved in the street evangelism would maintain they were reaching sections of the community who would never darken a church door even in pre-Covid times. The street evangelists would stress that folk would stop them and simply ask them for prayer or chat to them about the destination of their souls. Others within the Christian faith would be more skeptical of the outcome of the street evangelism – is it about confrontation rather than conviction? An increasingly secular society is perceived to be less tolerant of the Christian message, so are such street evangelists merely trying to create a situation whereby the police have no other option but to arrest or caution them? In such a scenario, the street evangelists would see themselves as modern day Christian martyrs being arrested for their faith. The evangelical wing of the Christian faith has lost the legal battle against same-sex marriage, so are the street evangelists really wanting to ‘get one over’ on the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Ireland? Then again, what alternatives in terms of evangelical outreach are the critics of street evangelism providing from within the Church? It’s all very well moaning that the guldering and shouting of the street evangelists is giving a false impression of what the Christian faith is all about, but what viable alternative strategies for outreach is the Church implementing? Perhaps the Church needs to adopt a ‘hand in glove’ approach to combining actual outreach in the buildings themselves with the digital evangelism. Certainly, one element the Church should invest in during 2021 is more training in digital evangelism techniques. If folk either are finding it difficult to come to church, or are simply not interested in church life – the so-called ‘unchurched’ – then the Church has got to have the courage to jump into that great pool known as social media and sell its message in a medium the people can understand. The mistake the Church must not make is that simply because the Stormont Executive has allowed places of worship to remain open, those churches think it is necessary to either abandon or tone down their digital evangelism, when in reality, they should be stepping their digital outreach up a gear. Places of worship also have to deal with the challenge of ‘church hopping’, whereby people tune in to other churches’ or denominations’ services and decide to use lockdown as an excuse to ‘change church’. Whatever the Church’s decision on the best methods of evangelism, one challenge is certain – 2021 will provide Christian denominations of all theological shades with a golden opportunity to think and spread the Gospel in new ways. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Be still, or gulder out your lungs! Post Covid worship in the new normal.
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown down many challenges and gauntlets to the Christian Churches, not least in the form of worship. Religious commentator, Dr John Coulter, examines how Christians should view their praise time and services in the so-called ‘new normal.’
We are about to celebrate a Christmas like never before and probably it is only those folk within our community who can remember the ravages of the Second World War who can recall such a challenging festive period. And like many sections of society, the Covid 19 pandemic has thrown up many challenges and the various denominations and independent fellowships of Christianity are no different. When places of worship were physically shut during the March lockdown, many churches were forced to embrace the delights and problems associated with digital evangelism and Sunday services and mid week Bible studies, and even children’s events went totally online. Ironically, many churches with low numbers attending enjoyed huge online congregations. Just like ‘surfing the net’, many Christians used both lockdown and the ensuing restrictions to digitally visit other churches and denominations to see their online services. With the second so-called circuit breaker ended, many churches will face a similar problem – what happens if members of their flocks have visited other online services, like what they hear, and have decided to abandon their existing places of worship for their new ‘digital’ spiritual homes! Many clerics will be quick to point out that the online services are no substitute for the face to face real services which churches hosted during the pre-Covid days. The lockdown and circuit breaker restrictions – and warnings of a potential further lockdown in the New Year – have also witnessed a return to an evangelical tool which, pre-Covid, had all but disappeared from the Christian outreach vocabulary – the street preacher. A number of towns and cities have witnessed the return of the street evangelists, complete with their megaphones, microphones and messages of Salvation. It can be suggested that modern-day 2020 street evangelism is a method predominantly used by evangelical and fundamentalist Christians, not the liberal wing of the Christian faith. While this ‘booming voice’ evangelism certainly is the best tactic for open air outreach, does it have a place in worship inside church buildings themselves? The ‘make a joyful noise until the Lord’ brigade is a certain phenomenon of the broad Pentecostal movement, and mainstream Christian denominations – such as Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Methodism, and Anglicanism – would be quick to point out how their worship times can be just as lively. But at what point does voicing your praise to God become nothing more than disruptive guldering in churches? After all, nowhere in Scripture can I find the evidence that our Lord is deaf! Unfettered, such guldering behaviour in churches, where people literally shout, yell or bellow their praises throughout all parts of the service, can lead to dangerous situations emerging in places of worship, such as the Florida Outpouring and Toronto Blessing in the past. Many supporters of traditional worship etiquette favour the so-called Psalm 46 Brigade. This states from the Old Testament: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Taken practically, such traditionalists maintain that during a cleric’s sermon or Bible study address, the congregation should remain silent and not become a distraction to the preaching of the Word by constant shouting – or guldering, to use an Irish phrase! Pentecostal churches would be especially prone to members of their flocks verbally expressing their delight at a phrase or statement by the pastor during their sermons. But obviously a constant guldering throughout the service can become a distraction, so can a happy medium be reached between the ‘be still’ traditionalists and the so-called ‘guldering’ brigade? Indeed, could we see a further realignment within the Christian faith post Covid along the lines of expressive worship? In the latter decades of the 20th century, many Christians followed a preacher around the country, or were bussed to certain places of worship because of the appeal of an individual cleric. That seems to be no longer the case in the opening decades of the 21st century where the form of worship or praise time can dictate the popularity of a place of worship. Christians can drift from church to church, not because of the spiritual messages, but because of the expressive nature of the praise or music. In many places of worship, the lone organist or pianist has been replaced by a full-blown praise band. Churches can build their reputations on the liveliness of their singing rather than the depth of their theological teaching. Indeed, many folk could use the post lockdown period – and especially if there is a third major lockdown or series of tighter restrictions in early 2021 – to change churches based on the behaviour of existing or new worshippers at their churches. For example, someone from the ‘guldering’ brigade may choose to worship at a more Pentecostal church because they feel it gives them the opportunity to express themselves more freely in praise. Likewise, traditionalists from the ‘be still’ faction could be seeking a new mainstream church where folk remain silent during the cleric’s sermon so that they can fully focus on the message from the preacher. Mind you, the ‘guldering’ brigade also sees itself as a ‘wake up’ call to the Church, both in terms of expressive worship and theology. The ‘guldering’ brigade see itself as challenging Christians to get into a closer spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ, and to be more pro-active in the community in terms of evangelical outreach. Theologically, many in the ‘guldering’ brigade are convinced that mankind is in the Biblical ‘last days’ and that Christ and the Second Coming as foretold in the New Testament may shortly arrive. The ‘guldering’ brigade would view many in the ‘be still’ faction as being too laid back both spiritually and theologically, and what the Church in general needs is a spiritual ‘kick up the backside’ if any Holy Ghost revival is going to take place. In this respect, the ‘guldering’ brigade views its highly expressive behaviour as evidence of its commitment to the outworking of the Holy Ghost in the lives of its supporters. However, irrespective of whether a Christian considers themselves to be part of the ‘guldering’ brigade or ‘be still’ brigade, the key question still remains – what is the best method for evangelism in the various circumstances which the churches will now face? Is it a case of the draconian ‘my way or no way’, or the more accommodating ‘horses for courses’ approach? Could the compromise in terms of an evangelical strategy be that the ‘guldering’ brigade has the streets, but the ‘be still’ brigade has the church buildings? Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

HEADLINE: COULD AONTU BECOME THE NEW DUP FOR CHRISTIANS?
The avowedly pro-life republican party, Aontu, made its first serious British General Election foray at the last Westminster poll. Just as the Protestant community in the Republic votes for republican parties, could a situation arise whereby Northern Unionist voters would transfer to Aontu based on the abortion issue. Religious Commentator Dr John Coulter explores the issue.
The Covid 19 pandemic has witnessed a tremendous interest in online religious events, such as church services and Bible studies. Okay, this could be written off as pure boredom on the part of people during lockdown, but could this interest in the Christian faith be translated into votes at future elections. Since its formation in 1971, the DUP – especially under the leadership of the late Rev Ian Paisley – was always viewed as having strong socially conservative policies on abortion. But is the DUP now in the post Paisley era being viewed as a more liberal Unionist movement compared to the ‘Never, never, never, never’ era of the late Dr Paisley? In hard voting terms, if the DUP is becoming more liberal and progressive in its ethos, who do evangelical Christians vote for? In short, would such voters put faith before the Union and vote for Aontu rather than liberal Unionist candidates? For the first time in almost a generation, nationalist voters had a choice of republican parties in last December’s General Election. Dipping its political toes in the Northern Westminster poll was Aontu – formed by Peadar Toibin from Meath West, who was initially elected to the Dail as a Sinn Fein TD. So could the avowedly pro-life Aontu party long-term make a dent in nationalist politics, or is it merely a political candle in the wind? Indeed, is this new kid on the block a potential seat decider as the dark horse of any future Assembly or local council elections in Northern Ireland, or will the voting systems reduce Aontu to a flash in the pan when the votes are counted? In hard voting terms, would socially conservative nationalists and republicans defect from the SDLP and Sinn Fein to Aontu by putting faith before party? Indeed, can the same question be applied to Unionists from an evangelical Christian background? As a socially conservative Unionist and ‘born again’ Christian, Aontu could prove to be a voting dilemma for me. Indeed, if I was an Irish republican, hypothetically speaking, and lived in one of the seven constituencies where Peadar Toibin’s Aontu party stood at last year’s Westminster poll, my X would be against its candidate. The Brexit debate has sparked a warning to every pro-Union sympathiser that a united Ireland may be at some time on the political cards. Could this be the reason both the DUP and UUP are so eager to secure Catholic, soft nationalist and liberal Protestant voters in their last ditch attempt to patch up the Union, especially if ‘no deal’ becomes a reality? The argument could be put that in the event of a united Ireland, an Irish Unionist Party could well be a permanent fixture of any future Dail coalition government. Could a united Ireland be the one concept that would unite Unionism behind a single political movement? More significantly, who would Unionists transfer to in a united Ireland voting scenario? And in particular, who would the various Protestant and Christian denominations encourage their flocks to vote for? Aontu did not win any seats in last December’s General Election, but could the foundations have been laid for a meaningful vehicle for Christian voters to transfer to in the future? Being an Irish republican does not mean you have to abandon your Christian faith and doggedly follow the atheistic rantings of Marxism, which are peddled by Sinn Fein. But at some stage, you may have to make a choice – which is the more important to you; protecting the rights of the unborn from some of the most draconian abortion laws in Europe, or your desire to see Ireland become a 32-county democratic socialist republic as dictated by the 1916 Proclamation? There can be no doubt that Aontu was only dipping its toe in the General Election waters a year ago and the ultimate aim is to prepare the ground politically for a potential next Assembly poll in 2022. The chances of Aontu winning any of the seven seats was virtually impossible last year, but the party could play a role in deciding who does get the most votes in future polls. For example, during my late father’s (Rev Dr Robert Coulter MBE) time in politics at council, Forum and Assembly levels, because of his strong pro-life stance as a Christian and evangelical Presbyterian minister, he secured a significant number of transfers from nationalist voters. It was amazing at elections counts to see – under proportional representation – SDLP 1, Coulter 2, and even Sinn Fein 1, Coulter 2. And here’s a dilemma which the pro-life cause could create for many Unionist voters in the future. Which would they put first – their Christian faith, or the Union? If faced with the prospect of a Unionist candidate who was pro-choice and supported more liberal abortion laws, or an Aontu candidate who was avowedly pro-life, but supported a united Ireland, who would that Unionist vote for? Similarly, in spite of Aontu’s clear republican agenda, could the increasing growth of the liberal agenda within Unionism see many within the evangelical and fundamentalist Christian community consider giving votes to Aontu simply because of its staunch pro-life stance? Putting myself in the voting spotlight – who would I sooner vote for – a republican Aontu candidate who believes in the protection of the unborn, or a liberal Unionist who backs abortion on demand? Dr John Coulter is author of the ebook ‘An Saise Glas: (The Green Sash) The Road to National Republicanism’, published on Amazon Kindle.Follow Dr Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter

Headline: Can the Christianity ever eradicate the church gossips?
With prayers answered over a Covid 19 vaccine, perhaps the Christian Church in 2021 can address the social pandemic of the church gossips which have polluted places of worship for generations, argues religious commentator Dr John Coulter in his latest column.
Many Christians will be celebrating this Christmas – in spite of the restrictions – that God has answered prayers and enabled scientists to discover a vaccine to combat the Covid 19 virus which has claimed over 1,000 lives in Northern Ireland alone and tens of thousands globally. Perhaps as a result of the tremendous evangelical witness which occurred through digital outreach with many churches going online during the lockdown restrictions which closed places of worship, the Christian faith can look forward to an 1859-style Spiritual Revival in 2021. But one issue still remains unresolved, and perhaps never will be because we are all human, and that is – how does the Church deal with the gossips who pollute many of our congregations and fellowships? Practically, can the scourge of gossiping ever be eradicated from our churches? We should never underestimate the power and influence of such gossips in the life of the Church. If ever a section of the Christian community enjoyed true freedom of expression, it is the church gossip. Put in journalistic terms, imagine a reporter writing a story and not checking that article for legal, ethical or factual issues? Practically, simply going from tip-off to publication with no checks and balances in between! If the information in that story was proven inaccurate by a court, that reporter would face the full rigour of the law. The same fate does not await the church gossip if they get their information wrong. Challenge a church gossip about inaccurate facts, and they will most likely hit you with Jesus’ words in the New Testament from St Matthew’s Gospel chapter 18. This is where Peter asks Jesus how many times should he forgive someone who sins against him – up to seven times, probes Peter. But Jesus’ response is ‘seventy times seven’. Forgiveness is a major attribute of the Christian faith – but not in journalism! Imagine a defamation court case where I had published an article where I have clearly defamed an individual under Northern Ireland libel law. What do you think the reaction would be from the judge if I stood up in that courtroom and said – ‘you have to forgive as Jesus instructed we forgive seventy times seven, so throw out the case against me!’ I could imagine the judge may recommend that I receive serious psychiatric help for my attitude. So if there is one set of strict legal and ethical rules for journalists, why is there another set of rules for church gossips? Should they not face the full rigours of the law if they spread malicious false gossip around a church? Indeed, how many people have given up their Christian faith and become so-called ‘back sliders’ because of the activities of the church gossips? Unlike us journalists when we are proven wrong, the vast majority of church gossips don’t do apologies! Its all very well concluding a simple solution – put the church gossips on a par with us reporters and throw the legal book at them. But its another thing to actually catch a church gossip ‘in the act’ to prosecute them in the first place. Another ace card which many church gossips deploy is that they spread their information through the channel of a whispering campaign, often on a one-to-one basis when they have very few witnesses. Church gossips also work on the powerful assumption – ‘I’m a Christian, who would dare take me to court!’ Practically, it is a very rare occurrence when you can get all the ‘legal ducks in a row’ to begin legal proceedings against a church gossip. In my own spiritual journey since becoming a born again Christian in January 1972 – almost 49 years ago, and even with having a father and father-in-law as clergymen – only once have I ever been in a position when a church gossip made a defamatory remark about me and the ‘ducks were lined up’ for me to take action against that person. They apologised before it reached court. Now it may seem hypocritical of me to criticise church gossips when, as a tabloid reporter for many years in my journalistic career, church gossips have provided me with tip-offs about the lifestyles and activities of their fellow believers. I make the analogy that you see your fellow Christian on a Sunday morning when its a case of ‘Praise Jesus, God Bless you brother and sister!’ But I, as a journalist, see this believer on a Monday morning when they are in my office ‘dishing the dirt’ on their fellow Christian! Unfortunately, if there is one stereotype of us Christians which has persisted for generations it is that we are the biggest bunch of back-stabbers known to mankind! Ironically, it was the famous Hindu Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi who once said: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Taking Gandhi’s observation to heart, how many folk have been put off getting involved with the Christian faith because of the activities of Christians? There is also the quote – the pen is mightier than the sword. But I would contend that the rampant tongue of a church gossip is much more dangerous than any journalist’s pen. So when we enter a post pandemic 2021 at some stage, how will the Church deal with the gossips in its ranks? What is the workable solution? Perhaps that solution lies with the media. Let us journalists start investigating the lifestyles of the church gossips! Perhaps the reason such church gossips are shouting the loudest is because there is some social skeleton hidden deep in their cupboards that they don’t want uncovered? Perhaps when a few church gossips find their own lives plastered across the media, they will think twice before spreading those malicious rumours. Then again, we are all human, and everyone secretly loves some malicious and salacious tit bits!Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Can the Churches survive further lockdowns?
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter maintains the Christian Churches will have to ‘box clever’ both spiritually and practically if they are to survive further lockdowns and restrictions.
Once again, the Christian Churches from Friday 27 November will have to face the challenges of total lockdown as the Stormont Executive rules that places of worship will close, with exceptions for weddings, civil partnerships and funerals, where the maximum number present will remain at 25. The startlingly obvious question will be, how will many churches cope, especially those with an increasingly elderly population who may not be as technology literate as the younger generations? The March 2020 lockdown saw an explosion of digital evangelism as the vast majority of churches opted to develop their online outreach as buildings were physically shut. Ironically, the earlier lockdown saw an equally massive increase in the numbers of people tuning in to religious events, such as Sunday services and mid week Bible studies and prayer meetings. Indeed, some rural clerics who would have had a Sunday morning attendance in the pews of around 100 people suddenly enjoyed online congregations numbering in the thousands of viewers. Clearly then, the challenge facing the Churches when that initial lockdown was lifted – and in spite of ongoing restrictions – was to maintain as many of these online congregations as possible, even if some people merely tuned in through curiosity or boredom. Given that the political jungle drums were constantly warning over the summer months of potentially further lockdowns during the autumn and winter months, hopefully the churches have been in a state of readiness so that when full lockdown kicks in again on 27 November, they will be ready to shift all their services, Bible studies and prayer meetings online again. However, this still leaves the challenges for churches of physically maintaining their buildings. Just as the pandemic has seen, and will unfortunately continue to see, businesses go under, could we see a mirror image among the churches where some churches have to close completely because they cannot maintain their buildings? Likewise, while we may rejoice that the Churches have the wit and technology to go online, could we also see some churches close because members have drifted to watch other churches online and have diverted their financial offerings accordingly? During the initial lockdown, folk did not need to get adorned in their ‘Sunday best’ to watch the services online. People could sit in their kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms in their pyjamas, dressing gowns, football shirts and jeans and watch the services. And even when those places of worship did physically reopen under social distancing guidelines, how many folk preferred to remain in their kitchens in their PJs and continue to view the services online? Ironically, the initial lockdown allowed people to ‘visit’ other churches online to see their services. Some churches produced some very professional services which could have given the BBC’s flagship Songs of Praise a run for its money. Others merely had a cleric sitting in a room for several minutes with a fixed camera angle. Good spiritual message, but boring presentation visually might have been the conclusion! So after the initial lockdown, I wonder how many people have returned to their original pre-lockdown spiritual homes – either online or physically – rather than remain with their newfound online churches. As a forerunner to the churches reopening under social distancing measures, some churches hosted drive-in services. As a result of these drive-in services or the online services, how have folk adjusted to new members or worshippers attending their churches? In terms of evangelical outreach, we have seen a return of the traditional street preacher who adorned many a street corner before the digital revolution. Such as traditional tool of Christian witness has been revamped because of the lockdown restrictions. Likewise, with the lockdown and digital evangelism, what is to stop the development of the one-person church, namely a person who goes online, gives a name to their church – and begins preaching? During my time, as a preacher’s kid myself, I have completed a number of courses in theology and preaching techniques. Maybe I personally could launch the Abundant Mercies Baptist Church from the comfort of my kitchen and broadcast regularly to the masses, giving my own ‘spin’ on Biblical theology. During lockdown, those people who are fortunate enough to be able to work from home are doing so – so why not the churches. All it takes is your knowledge of online technology, plus a Bible – and your own thoughts – and you are in business as a digital evangelist. How many of the street preachers we now see emerging have had professional training at a Bible college. Many have simply grabbed their Bibles plus a microphone and off they go to our towns and cities to proclaim the Gospel. Mind you, there is a difference between shouting your lungs out during street evangelism in the open air and yelling like that inside a church! Street evangelism tactics do not work in the confines of a physical building! I think the phrase is – horses for courses. Ironically too, the lockdown may also see the types of rows which bedevilled churches shift. If the buildings are shut, there’ll be no rows about women not wearing hats or men wearing ties which are too colourful! I suspect the rows will centre on the music which is played during the online services, the translations of the Bible which folk are reading from, and debates over theology such as predestination versus free will. However, the bottom line which the Churches will face – how ready will they be for 27 November or any future lockdowns. After all, Christmas is one of the ‘Big Two’ Christian festivals along with Easter. All of a sudden, the carol ‘Away In A Manger’ takes on a whole new meaning for the Christian faith in 2020. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Ireland’s Inter Faith experience could prevent America’s Second Civil War!
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter marks the UK Inter Faith Week by maintaining that the role of faith groups in the Irish peace process could be the prime example to ease political tensions in the United States of America.
The Battle for the White House 2020 will not be remembered for the ‘nip and tuck’ counting of votes between Biden and Trump, but more for the polarisation it has caused in American politics, heralding what I honestly believe will be America’s Second Civil War. Biden’s victory over Trump will not guarantee political peace in the States. The Democrats may hold the House of Representatives, but the Republicans still hold the ace cards in the Senate, so who can set the example for reconciliation, concession and togetherness in polarised America? The original American Civil War between the Northern and Southern states erupted over a four-year period in the latter years of the 19th century – 1861 to 1865, with some estimates suggesting it caused more than 850,000 deaths. It is somewhat ironic that it will also be another four years until the next Presidential elections in 2024 and already Republicans and Democrats are gearing up for that battle. The state of Pennsylvania was key to deciding the eventual outcome of the original Civil War as the state hosted one of the bloodiest battles of that war – Gettysburg between 1st and 3rd July 1863. The Union forces defeated the Confederacy, and the battle cost an estimated 7,000 dead and 51,000 casualties, but decided the course of the war in favour of the Union. Pennsylvania was also a key state in deciding who got the keys to the modern White House. America has always been championed as one of the Western world’s great global democracies. But after this year’s Presidential campaign, American democracy urgently needs at least a major reboot, certainly an in-depth rethink. The Black Lives Matter campaign saw vicious clashes between protesters and the police. But now it seems that the two main political ‘big beasts’ of American politics – the Democratic and Republican parties are both gearing up their supporters for street confrontations. Trump has now moved beyond a contentious figure in American politics. The Trump Movement now dominates the traditionally Right-wing of the Republican Party, just as Joe Biden’s ultra liberal bandwagon now runs the rival Democratic Party. Compromise and concession seem to have been eradicated from the American political vocabulary and it seems America as a country now finds itself back in time in 1968 Northern Ireland when the sectarian strife known as the Troubles finally erupted. As Republicans and Democrats take to the American streets to confront each other physically, previous historical confrontations, such as the campaigns for American civil rights and the anti-Vietnam War, seem to pale into insignificance as this Second American Civil War Looms. Hard Left agitators will hijack the Democrats’ campaign, just as the Far Right militias and the KKK will seek to use the Republican cause for their own ends. It would be one of the great ironies of global politics if we in Ireland – in terms of power-sharing and inter faith relations – were called upon to show the Americans how the politics of compromise works, given the massive role which the United States played in bringing about the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the ensuing peace process. The rows of the Stormont Executive will seem like a Sunday school picnic compared to what could be unleashed in the White House, House of Representatives and the Senate over the next four years – and beyond. The economic and health fallouts from the Covid 19 pandemic will take second place as Republican and Democrat supporters lock horns over every issue imaginable. In spite of this picture of future doom and gloom across the Pond, the key questions remain – how can, if its possible, America be healed? Can Democrats and Republicans ever reconcile themselves to work together for the greater good and benefit of its citizens? And as a Christian myself, I must ask – what role can the various faith groups – and not just the many denominations comprising Christianity – play in this healing process? After all, the faith groups did play a major role historically in the civil rights campaign of Sixties America. Over the decades, especially in the 20th century for example, the so-called Moral Majority of Christians has been a key lobby group which many Presidential candidates have courted. There is a view that Ireland as an island community is becoming an increasingly secular society. But is it really the case that Ireland has actually become not just a multi-cultural society, but a multi-faith community? For much of eight centuries, Ireland found itself engulfed in sectarian conflicts as the two ‘bug beasts’ of Christian theology – Roman Catholicism and Protestantism – locked horns for the political soul of the Emerald Isle. But with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, the multi-cultural diversity of the island has brought more faith groups to Ireland. Just because mainstream Catholicism and Protestantism cannot boast the number of Sunday attendances it once did in the 1960s and 1970s does not mean interest in matters of faith has been eclipsed by secularism, pluralism, agnosticism or even atheism. New faiths other than Christianity are emerging in Ireland. Even within Christianity, new denominations and fellowships – especially of a Pentecostal nature – are developing. The Covid 19 pandemic is forcing faiths to work together for the benefit of the community as never before. If the peace process can reconcile Irish nationalism and Ulster unionism, could a similar multi-faith and inter faith approach heal the void in American politics? The problem in America is that in an ever increasingly secular society there, do the Christian Churches still wield the same political influence as they did during the Kennedy and Reagan years? Is that really a bygone era in American politics? In Ireland’s conflicts, it was often suggested there was ‘too much religion and not enough Christianity.’ Has America of 2020 now coined the maxim – ‘there’s too much confrontation and not enough compromise’? Just as Northern Ireland once packed off all its Assembly members to South Africa to observe the peace process in that land, should we send all our MLAs to the White House and Washington to teach the latest generation of American politician how to work together in a spirit of reconciliation? More importantly, just as a host of faith groups were represented at Remembrance Sunday at the London Cenotaph, should an inter faith Assembly be created in Ireland and representatives travel to America to show Americans politically how to work together? For generations, missionaries from Ireland travelled the globe to bring the Christian message to foreign cultures. But with Ireland, as an island, becoming increasingly multi-faith, missionaries from those foreign lands are now coming to the Emerald Isle to evangelise us! The real worry about the state of American politics is; are there people in the United States who are considering starting a global war with some nation simply to divert attention away from the deep internal political rifts which have emerged? Okay, I know that last paragraph may sound like a line straight out of the famous 1964 black comedy, Dr Strangelove, but as I write, is someone, somewhere in America devising a ‘new enemy’ which needs to be challenged and eradicated to ‘ensure the safety of the land of the free’? Whatever the fragile and volatile state of current American politics, one fact cannot be ignored – the United States has a vast arsenal of weapons, especially on the nuclear front. America was for decades sending peace envoys to Ireland to heal the sectarian rifts which had polluted Irish politics for centuries. Perhaps the time has now arrived for a joint Stormont/Dail delegation of appointed faith envoys to arriving in Washington to calm tensions before the red buttons are pressed?Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Is Ireland about to be clobbered by the Toronto Blessing Mark 3?
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter warns Christian Churches that the virus pandemic could open church doors to a 2020 version of the notorious Toronto Blessing.
The Covid 19 lockdown of March this year, while it physically shut every place of worship across Ireland, opened the doors evangelically to a massive surge in interest in online worship, sermons, prayer meetings and Bible studies. Digital evangelism was booming! Many churches, whether they liked it or not, had to embrace digital technology if only merely to keep in touch with their spiritual flocks. Pre-lockdown, many mainstream Christian denominations in Ireland were experiencing dwindling attendances in the pews, especially on Sundays. However, during lockdown, interest in the Christian faith rocketed because of digital evangelism with some clerics – who previously would have counted their physical Sunday ‘bums on seats’ attendances in the hundreds – now preaching to online congregations numbered in the thousands. The huge challenge to the Christian Churches as the full lockdown was relaxed, and even when subsequently more tighter restrictions were imposed, was to try and retain as many of the online congregations as possible. Indeed, the evangelical tactic of the so-called ‘street preacher’, or ‘soapbox evangelist’ made a return to many street corners in towns and cities, particularly across Northern Ireland, as pandemic social distancing rules had a severe impact on the number of people a church could physically accommodate. However, what the Christian Churches have to be aware of is that when people turn to the Christian faith as a source of comfort in these pandemic challenging times, that our churches do not let theological radicalism in through the side door in the form of a new version of controversial Toronto Blessing from the 1990s and the equally contentious Florida Outpouring from about a dozen years ago. Both the Blessing and the later Outpouring were very extreme forms of so-called divine healing, found predominantly, but not exclusively, among denominations and fellowships which subscribed to a Pentecostal theology. The Blessing and the Outpouring divided churches and Christians. For example, the Toronto Blessing reportedly sparked a physical fight between pro and anti supporters in one Protestant church, while years later, a few individual supporters of the Outpouring verbally abused me as a journalist for giving the Outpouring a bad review in a tabloid newspaper. The language of the Blessing and the Outpouring among their legions of fans was to summon the power of the Holy Spirit by shouting the words ‘fire, fire, fire’. However, since lockdown formally ended in Northern Ireland, I have come across individual cases where in preaching and prayers, I’ve heard these words shouted. The use of what I would brand ‘Outpouring terms’ immediately sets off theological alarm bells in my mind. In short, has the Toronto Blessing and Florida Outpouring now made a come-back as the Pandemic Fire? Granted, as the secular proverb states ‘one swallow does not make a summer’ and such individuals shouting ‘fire’ may only be a handful of Christians becoming very expressive in their witness, outreach and praise time. But what happens if mainstream Christianity turns a blind eye to such emerging Pandemic Fire supporters? Could their influence spread to churches in the same way as the Blessing and Outpouring gripped some churches in the past? In reality, is the Pandemic Fire merely a ‘two men and a dog’ outfit which poses no real theological threat to the post pandemic Christian Church? When the Pandemic Fire supporters utter their ‘fire, fire, fire’ statements, should they just be ignored in the hope they will move on eventually as they will get fed up with the lack of enthusiasm for their ‘cause’ among Christians? Perhaps it is my rural Irish Presbyterian upbringing, but – in my honest comment – both the Toronto Blessing and Florida Outpouring represented some of the worst kind of theoretical heresy I have encountered during my own spiritual journey, especially since 1972 when I became a born again Christian. Like the tides of the sea, it seems these fanatical theological expressions ebb and flow over the years. I remain deeply suspicious there is the potential that if the Pandemic Fire supporters get a grip on even some of our churches, they will effectively become the Toronto Blessing Mark Three. The coronavirus pandemic has forced churches, like politicians, to work together (whether they want to or not!) for the benefit of the entire community, especially in helping the vulnerable sections within our society. The post lockdown Christian Churches face enough challenges without having to deal with the threat posed by the Pandemic Fire supporters within our fellowships. Given the social distancing restrictions, it has been difficult enough to persuade people to return to the pews. But if the overtly expressive Pandemic Fire supporters are allowed to pollute our churches with their ‘fire, fire, fire’ vitriolic language, it could potentially drive people away from worship. My warning to the modern-day Church is simple – don’t let the Toronto Blessing or Florida Outpouring back into our buildings via the side door disguised as the Pandemic Fire. Blow out that flame before churches get theologically burned again. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: God or satan – who’s to blame for Covid?
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter examines the thorny theological debate as to the spiritual ‘blame game’ for global disasters.
Conspiracy theorists have been having a field day throughout much of 2020 as to where and how the Covid 19 pandemic originated as the so-called ‘blame game’ shifted into top gear. And there has been no doubting so-called conspiracy theologians, especially within militant Christian fundamentalism have been belting out the ‘God’s punishment’ answer as to why the pandemic has gripped the globe. Such conspiracy theologians point the finger of blame at God Himself for spreading the coronavirus pandemic as ‘punishment’ either because of an unBiblical lifestyle, or because of the treatment of the unborn and the introduction of laws allowing greater use of abortion. Again, such conspiracy theologians will trawl through the Holy Bible (usually the King James Version) in a bid to find relevant portions of Scripture to justify their observations. However, what many of these so-called conspiracy theologians seem to ignore is the role of satan in this process. Satan, also known as Lucifer, once served in heaven, but decided to organise a coup against God so he and about a third of the angels in heaven were banished. When God created man and woman in the garden of Eden, it was satan himself who encouraged Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of good and evil, thus sparking the theological event known as the Fall of mankind and the existence of sin into what had previously been a perfect world. In the eternity of heaven, there is no Covid 19. Critics of Christianity use the argument of how could a caring God allow Covid 19 to strike the earth. But such a theological position ignores the role of satan and evil in creating world disasters. Perhaps in pointing the finger of blame for Covid 19 at satan himself, I am no better off Scripturally than the conspiracy theologians from militant Christianity who peddle the ‘God’s punishment’ answer. However, if we believe in God, we must also believe in satan. Satan has the ability to allow mankind to be tempted by sin. As a result of the Fall in the garden of Eden, mankind was given what is known as ‘free will’ – the ability to make his own decisions. In the Old Testament, we see how God realised the world had been so corrupt that he destroyed mankind through the great flood and began the process of mankind again through the family of Noah. In the New Testament, we see how God allowed His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to take on human form and be crucified on the cross at Calvary so that any believer who accepted such salvation would receive their eternal rewards after death. This boosts the theology of free will. Mankind has a choice – it can accept or reject God’s offer of Salvation. In the meantime, mankind continues to sin as a result of the temptations and deception of satan in the battle for the hearts, minds and ultimately the souls of mankind. The key questions may still remain – who or what invented Covid 19 and unleashed the pandemic across the globe? Was it an accidental mistake, or a deliberate act of biological warfare? Perhaps this latter question also falls into the trap of conspiracy theories. So who is really to blame for the pandemic? And why single out Covid 19 when other disasters or diseases have hit mankind? What about earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions, or events which could be classified as natural disasters? What about other diseases which hit mankind before cures were discovered, such as Ebola, AIDS, or any condition relating to HIV? In reality, there has always been a debate between science and faith, especially in relation to divine healing. This leads to intense discussions as to why one person can be totally healed of cancer, for example, while another person dies. Or is this a wider theological debate about the role of prayer in life and in faith. People can be exceptionally pleased when God says ‘yes’ to a prayer request, but what happens when God says ‘no’, or ‘just wait’, or answers a prayer request, but not in the manner we expected? The Christian life is full of challenges, trials, temptations and quite often our faith can be put to the test, almost like Job in the Old Testament. But it was not God who poured the afflictions on Job, it was satan. So is Covid 19 really a challenge to the Christian Church in terms of a test of faith? Perhaps that challenge is how Christians can communicate the message that God is a loving God in the middle of the fear caused by the pandemic. But what the Christian Church really needs to communicate is that preaching that the pandemic is a punishment from God is a false doctrine and needs to be condemned. Then again, human nature prompts us to blame someone and something for life’s disasters – and God is the perfect target for some. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Religion versus Relationship – the spiritual challenge of the ‘new norm’.
Is it possible the pandemic might actually have a spiritual silver lining for the Churches, enabling them to ditch a load of religious ritual and focus intensely on an individual’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ? That’s the thorny theological question which religious commentator Dr John Coulter poses in his latest column today.
Given the suffering, pain and death which the Covid 19 pandemic has caused across Ireland, it may at first reading be an insult to the memory of coronavirus victims to suggest that there is any so-called ‘silver lining’ for the Christian Churches. After all, some places of worship may now be on their knees financially following the initial March 2020 lockdown which physically shut the doors of all churches and halls across Ireland. Oh yes, the Churches can put a supposedly positive spin on events by pointing to the vast increase which ensued in online worship, Bible studies and prayer meetings as interest in digital evangelism rocketed. As restrictions were eased, the challenge obviously for the Churches was how they retained these vast numbers in the online congregations. With the social distancing regulations firmly in place for Churches, they are slowly but surely getting back to actual worship in their buildings and, hopefully too, the online donations and weekly tithes are flowing again to keep the buildings physically open. But perhaps the real spiritual challenges which the Christian Churches of all denominations face as we creep towards Christmas is the old saying about Northern Ireland – there’s too much religion and not enough Christianity! Even before the pandemic hit, many churches – especially the mainstream denominations in Ireland – were facing falls in the number of people in the pews. Granted, some of the more modern Pentecostal places of worship were still holding their numbers, even seeing a rise in the so-called ‘bums on seats’. Could part of this overall drift be the increasingly secular society emerging in Northern Ireland, or was it a generational backlash against the layers of man-made religious rituals which many places of worship insist on implementing to the letter – the role of women in the church, what musical instruments should be used, what hymns or songs should be sung, what dress code should be adhered to, what translation of the Bible should be used, what format should the order of service take, what content should the prayers include … and so the list goes on! Whilst observing the Stormont Executive’s recommendations on social distancing is vitally important to keeping our churches and halls open, perhaps there needs to be a severe shift in emphasis away from religious ritual and more towards developing an individual’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ? This should be the ethos of the ‘new vision’ for the ‘new normal’. I’m writing a memoir of my life as a Presbyterian minister’s son, and I recall the great evangelical fortnightly and monthly missions of the 1970s. Then, the digital revolution had not yet hit the north east Ulster Bible Belt so attending the mission nights was a radical alternative to the limited terrestrial TV schedules in the days when even watching TV on the Sabbath or reading a print comic on Sundays was considered a ‘sin’. Enter the digital revolution, the internet, social media, satellite TV, 24 hour channels, and suddenly the organisers of the traditional evangelical missions find themselves with very severe competition. Throw in the restrictions of the pandemic, and the days of the packed church, mission hall, even tent mission, may be over for a significant period of time. Evangelists will just have to make the best of the situation under the social distancing requirements. Thankfully, such restrictions could signal the death knell for many outdated religious rituals, which in the past, put many people off from getting involved with the Christian faith. Evangelists now have the perfect opportunity to emphasise the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as defined by the New Testament text of St John 3:16, rather than lecturing folk on the colour of their ties when attending church, or insisting that women wear hats to worship. The real challenge facing the churches at this point is the old maxim – ‘but this is how we’ve always done it!’ Many churches may have to face the bitter reality – have we allowed religious ritual to strangle evangelism and the spreading of the Gospel message? The Churches have to face another taste of bitter medicine that with an emerging generation of ‘unchurched’ (folk who have never attended church in their life and for whom ‘Jesus Christ’ are only swear words), perhaps people’s only taste of Christianity is when they see Christians themselves. How many people have been put off Christianity because of the activities or images of Christians? Indeed, how many people have actually abandoned what was once a flourishing spiritual faith because of the bile being spewed out by judgemental church gossips? How can the Churches rekindle the faith in such so-called ‘back sliders’? Put bluntly, how can the Churches get the evangelical message of ‘Jesus Saves’ out to a population coping with much-needed restrictions on public worship to combat the spread of the virus? Its all very well commentators like me urging the Churches to adopt more imaginative techniques for evangelism, such as a return of the street preacher and the use of tent missions to accommodate more people – but what will work practically? In chatting to clerics, church leaders, and youth group leaders, I could fill old style ‘column inches’ with innovative ideas for evangelism. But just as the British Government was accused of sending out mixed messages on pandemic restrictions, is there a similar danger that the Churches could be sending out mixed messages as to what theology is the most important? One cleric could emphasise ‘God is love’, while another a matter of metres away in another place of worship could be bellowing out ‘Turn to God or burn in Hell’. The bottom line is that the Christian Churches need to be singing from the same theological hymn sheet – and that is an emphasis on an individual’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ Himself. Liberals will want me burnt at the stake for not emphasising the role of good works; fundamentalists will want be also burnt at the stake for not warning about hell’s damnation. Maybe in this pandemic, the first thing which needs to be healed are the Churches themselves – healed of the religious ritual which has masked Christianity for generations. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Time for the tent missions! Old evangelical tactics for the ‘new normal’.
As more Covid restrictions, amounting to lockdown under another banner come into force within days, Religious Commentator Dr John Coulter maintains the modern ‘new normal’ Christian Church should relaunch the ‘Auld Time Dayes’ tent missions as a primary evangelical tool.
While I can certainly talk a lot about the challenges of being a Presbyterian minister’s son growing up in the heart of the 1960s and 1970s North East Ulster Bible Belt, there are also many, many great memories. I can summarise my experiences as a preacher’s kid using the title of one of the most famous of the so-called spaghetti Westerns, ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,’ which starred screen legend Clint Eastwood. However, if there was one aspect of church life which I enjoyed the most, it was attending the traditional summer tent missions and outdoor evangelical outreaches, especially in July and August during the school holidays. At first sight, such tent missions and outreaches may seem outdated and more akin to the ‘Auld Tyme Religion’ of Ireland’s fundamentalist past, particularly the 1859 Revival in North East Ulster which saw thousands of people become ‘born again believers’. But the tactic of the tent mission and open air outreach should now be viewed in the context of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions and the social distancing measures which could remain in place for months to come. We are already seeing the re-emergence of the street corner evangelists, booming out their ‘Jesus Saves’ messages on megaphones and public address systems. While the churches will remain open during these latest restrictions, social distancing remains a challenge – and this is where the tent missions could become a frontline tool in witness and outreach. The Faith Mission movement was one of the great champions of the traditional Irish tent mission. It was effectively a mobile church which could be set up in a field. It was usually manned by two Faith Mission pilgrims who stayed in a small caravan beside the tent. The meetings were nightly and would last for a couple of hours each night for at least a fortnight. They were timed so as not to clash with those churches which still had a Sunday evening service during the summer. The Faith Mission tended to concentrate on rural locations for its tent missions, leaving the inner towns and cities to the Christian Workers’ Union movement and the latter’s network of urban halls. Music in the tent missions was provided by a piano, hand-pumped organ, or the piano accordion – certainly no electric guitars! Traditional hymns and psalms were sung – the modern Mission Praise songs and certainly Hill Songs were of an era to come! But the best loved of all the tent missions was the annual Portstewart Convention, hosted in the north coast seaside town. Hundreds of people from across Northern Ireland would flock to that tent mission, which was usually followed by a walk along the Portstewart Strand or Promenade. If I was lucky, I could enjoy an ice cream without the ‘tut-tut brigade’ noticing I had bought something on the Sabbath! Most Sunday summer evenings were either spent in a Faith Mission tent, or an open air outreach. The latter was where members of our church youth fellowship would occupy the green area of a housing estate and share the Gospel with people in their homes. The residents would open their doors and windows and watch us sing and preach. It was always an opportunity for any wanna-be evangelist to test their preaching skills. The tent missions and summer outreaches also had a strong social context. During July and August with the schools off, the traditional Sunday evening church-based youth fellowships also took a break. So the tents and housing greens also doubled up as a meeting place for your chums, especially if the traditional Saturday evening church youth club was also suspended for the summer months. Spool forward to 2020 and the campaign by churches to remain open during the pandemic. Granted, while the number one challenge facing all the Christian Churches after the initial lockdown earlier this year was to retain as much of the online congregations, the social distancing regulations provide an equal challenge as to where these folk can sit. So if we are unable to pack the pews now that church buildings are allowed to open, what could be the workable alternatives? Bring back the tent missions, I say! At first glance, you might think this is defeating the purpose as during the Sixties and Seventies, people were also packed into the tents, having to sit on uncomfortable pews, or chairs whose legs sunk into the grass! People currently have to gather for worship in much smaller socially distant groups than packed into church. Groups of about a dozen could meet in a tent socially distant, enjoy the Gospel message and singing as well as the joy of human interaction – and all within the social distancing and worship guidelines. While the online church has played a tremendous role in evangelism during the lockdown, nothing beats the enjoyment of human face-to-face contact and conversation. Chatting via a laptop is one thing, but it is most enjoyable to actually speak to a friend or relative in person. One aspect of the lockdown was the rocketing impact of online religious worship, especially in an era where many Christian churches were facing a steady decline in attendances. Likewise, while the traditional Faith Mission tent mission was exceptionally popular in the Sixties and Seventies, by the time this decade started in 2020, they were few and far between. Perhaps the tent mission was a generational element? Has the tent been replaced with the laptop, mobile phone and ipad as a primary tool of evangelism? It’s at this point we should remember the words of Jesus in St Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 18, verse 20: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (King James Version) My late father began his evangelical preaching through the Faith Mission. Many of his early missions were hosted in tents and portable halls, often in collaboration with the Christian Workers’ Union. Sadly, many folk from that evangelical generation are no longer with us. But it would be a tremendous testament to their legacy if, to maintain the social distancing guidelines, we saw a return of the tent tactic to enable people to worship together in groups like Matthew 18:20. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Churches should ‘reclaim’ Hallowe’en for Christianity!
With the traditional Hallowe’en break rapidly approaching, religious commentator Dr John Coulter takes the controversial step and urges the Christian Churches to convert the imagery of vampires, demons and monsters into an overtly Christian festival.
The Covid 19 restrictions could seriously hamper the traditional ‘trick or treat’ activities by young people coming around the doors dressed as all manner of monsters, devils, demons and the undead. But this mishap for the Hallowe’en festivities provides the Christian Church will ample opportunities to ‘reclaim’ Hallowe’en and ‘convert’ it into an overtly Christian festival. Some Churches – pre-pandemic – had already been doing this by organising so-called Hallelujah parties in which the children came in fancy dress, but as characters from the Bible, such as Noah, Moses, Roman soldiers, shepherds or kings – although at one party, one young lad came dressed as satan, which is correct as a Biblical character! Christians have tended to give Hallowe’en a ‘wide berth’ spiritually because of the festival’s links to the dead and death. However, as a born again believer, I take the view that this is a wonderful opportunity for the Church to engage people about the concept of death and where they will spend eternity. Images of hell are major features about the Hallowe’en tradition, but there seems to be a fear in many Christian denominations today to preach about hell, eternal damnation and the lake of fire for fear of offending someone. While, quite rightly, many clerics want to major on the concept of ‘God is Love’, at the same time there is an onus on preachers and Christians generally to warn from the Scriptures what the price is for rejecting Christ’s offer of Salvation. This latter way of spreading the Gospel message conjures up images of the hell-fire preachers who were centre-stage in evangelism during the famous Ulster spiritual revival of 1859. There are further images of the street evangelist, microphone in one hand, Bible in the other, booming out the message of Jesus Saves from a street corner, or walking around at Twelfth parades with a megaphone in one hand, adorned with a high-vis vest with an appropriate Biblical text emblazoned on it. Ironically, with the restrictions on social distancing at churches, the pandemic is witnessing the return of the street evangelists in spite of the vast numbers of churches who are communicating the Gospel through online and digital platforms. However, to event suggest that Christians mark Hallowe’en, let alone rebrand it as a Christian festival, is equivalent to waving a red flag at a bull to sections of the Christian fundamentalist tradition. Indeed, some sections of the fundamentalist spectrum even theologically regard Christmas Day as part of a pagan festival. Pre-lockdown, Sunday attendances at many places of worship and among a number of denominations were clearly on the slide. Ironically, in spite of churches physically shutting their buildings during the initial 2020 lockdown, many more churches witnessed a huge interest and increase in their online presence. Even if it was out of sheer amusement or even boredom, tens of thousands of people tuned into the online Sunday services, prayer meetings and Bible studies. With many churches now opening their doors again under social distancing restrictions, the Christian faith has a wonderful opportunity to develop this evangelism. In fact, the practical challenges facing every church which went online is how it can retain the digital congregation and even convert those viewers into actual socially distanced ‘bums on seats’ worshippers. This is why a Hallowe’en evangelical outreach and witness by the Christian Church is so vital. Even if the leaderships of the various Christian denominations could agree that 31st October – All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve – could be designated as an ‘Eternity Where?’ Day, it would give the churches a chance to debate the meaning of death. Or, is it a case that many churches and clerics simply do not want to talk about the ‘touchy’ subject of death for fear of upsetting folk? Must the subject of death at Hallowe’en be left to the horror movie genre?Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: The Thorny Question of God’s Vengeance
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter sparks a very contentious debate on what constitutes God vengeance given how some militant Christian fundamentalists have been totally misinterpreting the Covid 19 pandemic.
Mention the concept of God’s vengeance and virtually every militant Christian fundamentalist under the sun will spark into life blaming the earth’s catastrophes, and every disease imaginable – including Covid 19 – on the Lord’s punishment. The verse at the centre of all the controversy is found in the New Testament epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, Chapter 12 and verse 19 under the overall title of ‘Christian conduct.’ It states: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (King James Version). Militant Christian fundamentalists will immediately jump on the theological bandwagon and blame earthly natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and tsunamis as God’s punishment on mankind for an unBiblical lifestyle or attitude. As well as this specific text from Romans, such militant fundamentalists usually always quote how God wiped out the earth in the flood – apart from Noah and his ark – in the Old Testament, and particularly His destruction of the ancient Middle Eastern cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, as evidence for the ‘punishment theology.’ Such misinterpreted Christian theology has even appeared in militant fundamentalist outbursts that Covid 19 is also part of this punishment – this, in spite of the fact that many Godly Christians have either contracted the virus and even died from it! As someone who was raised in the Church – my late father was a Presbyterian minister – I’ve taken a special interest in the true interpretation of this ‘vengeance theology.’ I have a severely autistic adult son and a number of years ago, a militant evangelist who visited my home told me to my face that my son’s severe autism was a punishment from God and, therefore, my son would never see Heaven. While my initial reaction to this militant evangelist was: “Pick a window, you’re leaving!” Given that I am only five foot four, common sense prevailed and I did not resort to violence. At the time of this incident, I was Northern Political Correspondent for the Dublin-based Irish Daily Star, so I wrote an account of my encounter with the militant evangelist, but did not name him. Ironically, within 24 hours, the evangelist contacted me to inform me that God had spoken to him and told him that my son’s autism was not a punishment from God and he would indeed see Heaven! The cynic in me leads me to conclude it was the fear that in the next edition of the paper I would actually name this militant evangelist as he make the remark in front of witnesses so it was certainly not a case of ‘my word against his’. Was this actually God’s vengeance on this militant evangelist, or just a fear of being named and shamed in a tabloid newspaper? This sparks the deep theological debate – what set of circumstances actually have to happen to provoke the Lord’s revenge. A literal interpretation of this verse instructs us as Christians that we should never seek revenge if we have been wronged, but should leave it to God Himself to ‘sort out the perpetrators’. During more than four decades in journalism, I have interviewed a few people who – because of their circumstances – lend weight to this specific interpretation of Romans 12:19. Several years ago, I interviewed a born again Christian who during his teenage years was horribly bullied by non-Christians because he was a believer. The bullying got so bad, the teenage Christian had to leave the community in which he lived and was left with a legacy of mental health problems. The gang of bullies were the same age as the Christian at the time the bullying took place, but over the next few years each of the bullies in that gang died either as a result of an accident or illness or were themselves driven out of that community that they had once tormented. This fate befell each bully in his early twenties. The Christian believer said he did not pray for God’s revenge, but prayed instead that he would not be tempted to take action against the bullies in later life. Again, the cynic could say it was just an unfortunate coincidence that every member of that gang which picked on born again Christians suffered some misfortune. That was an instance, it could be suggested, of God’s revenge against non-believers, but can a situation ever occur that God’s wrath could be directed against Christians themselves? Or is this latter statement simply a total misinterpretation of Romans 12:19? Two examples spring to mind at this stage of the debate. I once spoke with a young preacher who told me about a troublesome Christian man in their fellowship. The Christians in that church prayed that God would resolve their situation involving the troublemaker. A few weeks later, the troublemaker died of a heart attack, and the young preacher told me he believed that God had ‘taken him out’, referring to the troublemaker. In another situation, a young Christian lad became the target for church gossips about his private life. Rumour-mongering quickly deteriorated into open persecution by Christians in that church and he felt he had no other option but to quit that church. A couple of years later, a worshipper from that church turned whistleblower and made a series of allegations to a family member about the sexual habits of some of the gossips in that church who had persecuted the lad. Practically, the lad’s family had gone from a situation where they were the butt of jibes about their relative to a situation where they had been given fairly salacious allegations about the sex lives of some of the lad’s accusers. Had God intervened in these two latter situations, or was it merely a case as the secular proverb states – what goes around, comes around? One element is certain about a Biblical interpretation of this contentious text – Christians cannot take matters into their own hands in terms of getting ‘payback’ when they are wronged, and perhaps they should equally be careful what they should pray for when it comes to dealing with people who are giving them a hard time. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

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Headline: Christian bodies can be Biblical temple to defeat pandemic
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter emphasises how strict Christian observance of a New Testament text from First Corinthians could play a vital role for the Churches in combating the Covid 19 pandemic.
Mention coronavirus and Christianity in the same sentence and there is the danger it could fuel the totally false perception that Covid 19 was God’s punishment on mankind for either non-Biblical lifestyles or slaughtering unborn children through abortion. Pandemics seem to bring out all the religious zealots with hardline fundamentalist interpretations of Scripture which actually bear no relevance whatsoever to the teachings of Jesus Christ. So I will be treading carefully through a theological minefield when I quote the Bible as to how Christians of all denominations can play a very significant role in combating this virus, especially now that the second wave has all but hit us. The religious guidance regarding Covid 19 is contained in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christian Church in Corinth, as found in the New Testament book of First Corinthians Chapter 6 and verses 19 and 20. I will quote from the traditional King James Version (KJV) to avoid sparking an unnecessary debate over the accuracy of the modern translations. Verse 19: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.” Verse 20: “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Basically, in 2020 language, these two verses represent strong advice to Christians – and indeed everyone on this planet – that they should take care of their bodies. Pre-Covid, these verses – commonly known as ‘The Temple of the Lord’ text – were interpreted as crucial advice to Christians to refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs (legal or otherwise), even gluttony. In practical terms, it can be said that God has given us an earthly body and it is up to us to look after it as best we can. In 2020, the Churches should be hammering the message to all their flocks as much as possible that this means adhering to the medical guidelines to avoid contracting Covid 19. In short, the Christian Churches have a vital role to play in getting the Government’s and Stormont Executive’s message across regarding social distancing, washing of hands, wearing face masks, exercising and meeting people and every regulation which has been recommended we observe to protect ourselves. The pandemic has hit the Churches hard in terms of weekly activities and Sunday worship as the lockdown saw every building physically shut, forcing the overwhelming majority of places of worship to adopt digital evangelism and ‘go online’. Ironically, many churches, fellowships and mission halls saw a vast growth in their online congregations as folk tuned into daily epilogues, Sunday online worship and virtual Bible studies and prayer meetings. As a snapshot, one cleric I spoke to, who pre-lockdown would have had an average Sunday morning attendance of around 120 people in the pews, could now muster some 3,000 people viewing his online Sunday service delivered either from his home or alone in the pulpit. Clearly, if coronavirus-related cases continues to increase, we may be looking at spending one of the biggest days in the Christian calendar – 25th December, Christmas Day – in a second total lockdown if the expected second wave takes hold. Many churches are now returning to Sunday worship, albeit under very strict circumstances with drive-in services, and social distancing in pews or seats. In numerous cases, Sunday school and Christian youth clubs are still delivering their activities online, even with many school children back in class educationally. Numerous churches have Christian texts displayed on their buildings. With Christmas approaching, the commercialism of the festive season seems to begin earlier and earlier each year. The Churches have a moral obligation not to get caught up in the ridiculous scenes witnessed in the Holy Lands area of Belfast or at a recent GAA match when all social distancing recommendations were totally disregarded. Just as shops and churches are displaying the Covid 19 guidelines, so too, every church should have a banner or poster with the wording of 1st Corinthians 6 verses 19 and 20 emblazoned upon them. This should be the Churches’ theme, not just for the remainder of 2020 and up to Christmas, but right through 2021 and beyond until the virus is fully contained and defeated. Just because a Christian does not go to the pub and drink alcohol, or smoke like a train, or go clubbing and consume drugs, or even abuse prescription medication, that does not mean they are immune from Covid 19. A number of evangelical preachers have suffered from the virus, which also, by the way, blows the militant fundamentalists’ claims the virus is a punishment from God totally out of the theological waters! The Churches and their flocks have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate how Christians can be model citizens by using their bodies as ‘Temples of the Lord’ through strictly observing the pandemic guidelines on social distancing, for example. The first lockdown did catch many churches ‘on the hop’ as they had to come to terms very quickly about the use of digital evangelism to stay in touch with their flocks. As a second inevitable lockdown looms, or even more stricter restrictions, the Churches need to have their plans in place, not just for digital evangelism, which plays a major role in combating isolation and loneliness among the Christian flocks. Looking after the flocks’ mental health and well-being are also important aspects of the ‘Temple of the Lord’ ethos in Scripture. The bottom line is that like it or not, the Christian Churches now find themselves in the frontline of the battle to contain the pandemic. It is, therefore, time for every Christian to step up to the mark in terms of 1st Corinthians 6 verses 19 and 20, and not leave it to the cleric or church leadership teams. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.comReplyForward

Headline: How young is too young to be spiritually ‘saved’?
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter uses his latest Ballymena Accent column to debate the theologically thorny question of the age of understanding when it comes to Salvationist doctrine.
I have often maintained that a deathbed conversion to the Salvationist position is akin to the thief on the cross who was crucified with Christ Himself and asked Jesus to remember him when He entered Heaven. Jesus, as he was crucified between the two thieves, reassured him that the thief would join Him in paradise. Many other people have lived very long lives well into their eighties and nineties before they came to a spiritual understanding that they needed to be ‘saved’ or ‘born again’. The process of Salvation, as outlined in the New Testament text of St John 3, verse 16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (King James Version). This process is known spiritually as ‘convince, convict and convert.’ But a key debate within Christianity has always been at what age does this spiritual process take place in which an individual reaches a level of spiritual understanding that they need to become a ‘born again’ Christian. While it is relatively easy to understand why an elderly person comes to a state of spiritual understanding that they need to become ‘saved’, the key query is: how young can a person have a spiritual experience so that they have reached a level of spiritual understanding of the need for Salvation. Basically, as my headline challenges – how young is too young to become spiritually ‘saved’? The seriousness of such a theological debate really hit me when attending a mission in an Orange Hall in the early 1980s in the north east Ulster Bible Belt. Three young evangelists were speaking that night and each was giving his ‘testimony’ – a telling of the events which led up to and after the person became a ‘born again’ Christian. The first evangelist in his testimony outlined how he became ‘saved’ at the age of six. The second evangelist in his testimony said he could go ‘one better’ and outlined how he became a ‘born again believer’ at the age of five. The final evangelist emphasised he could go even better than his other two colleagues as he got ‘saved’ at the age of four. While I am not judging or doubting the genuineness of their conversions, I was more than a little perturbed at what I perceived to be a competition among the three evangelists as to who reached the level of understanding the quickest. Perhaps my apparent cynicism was fuelled by the fact that I did not become a ‘born again believer’ myself until the age of 12 in January 1972. While many folk in their testimony almost boast about the dreadful lifestyle they led until convicted by the Holy Spirit before their conversion, I faced no such challenges. Both my parents were ‘born again believers’ and indeed my dad, Rev Dr Robert Coulter MBE, was an evangelical mainstream Presbyterian minister who regularly preached the Gospel message of Salvation. Indeed, both my grandparents on my dad’s side were also ‘born again believers’ who were active in the Faith Mission movement in Tyrone. So in my personal circumstances, it was a case that I heard the Salvationist message on a very regular basis, but before becoming a ‘born again’ Christian, my ‘religion’ was football in general and my beloved Arsenal in particular. I understood about Salvation from a primary school age, but always managed to ‘blot out’ this message as I was more interested in the progress of Arsenal Football Club than getting ‘saved’. It was not until the age of 12 that I began to take the issue of the fate of my soul very seriously during an evangelical mission and I felt that the Holy Spirit was challenging me to become a ‘born again believer.’ In this respect, part of that conversion process to spiritual understanding of Salvation came through the influence of my Godly parents and grandparents. Therefore, for a person to reach a level of spiritual understanding whereby they become convinced they need to be ‘saved’, we cannot ignore the influence of more experienced Christians. I once heard a Gospel singer when giving her testimony outline how she became a ‘born again’ believer at the age of three. At first sight, this might seem ridiculous as we are talking about a person who would still have been at nursery school – not even Primary One – so how could a three-year-old acquire a level of spiritual understanding that they knew they needed to be ‘saved’? In this singer’s specific circumstances, the daily influence of the role of her very Godly parents and grandparents should not be underestimated. This would account for the woman gaining such spiritual understanding at three. There is a saying that the Lord works in mysterious ways. We are human and we cannot comprehend the mind of God. Therefore, we cannot dismiss the work and role of the Holy Spirit in helping develop that process of spiritual understanding. Ironically, too, was it not the Catholic order of Jesuits which said – give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man! In this respect, we must not ignore the influence of older, wiser and experienced Christians in influencing the spiritual development process. Indeed, many young people can remember the Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments which they have learned and heard in nursery Sunday school, primary-age Sunday school, Bible class and youth fellowships, as well as the influence of Christian organisations, such as the Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade. My conclusion to this theological debate – there can be no age limit as to what age a person gains that spiritual understanding of the need to become a ‘born again believer’. For young people, especially of nursery and primary image, this is not brainwashing, but merely the influence of older Christians. Ultimately, the decision to become a ‘born again believer’ is an individual’s choice – not forced upon that person, no matter what the age. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Is it time for a complete rewrite of Gospel hymns?
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter uses his regular Ballymena Accent column to argue the case that many traditional Christian hymns and songs need rewriting to make the message more appealing to a 2020 generation.
While worship is a fundamental part of the Christian faith, there is equally a huge debate raging over the type of music – and particularly the lyrics – of the hymns, psalms and songs which should be used in praise time. Traditionalists among the evangelical and fundamentalist theological factions of Christianity maintain that the hymns composed by people like Charles Wesley were inspired by the Holy Spirit, therefore, the wording should not be touched. Such a stance favours the ‘Auld Tyme Religion’ hymns and songs, such as those found in Redemptional Hymnal, most of which were written to be accompanied by an organ, piano or piano accordion. When penned in the 18th and 19th centuries, many traditional hymns were certainly not written with modern electric praise bands in mind. A compromise was reached in the 1970s with the development of the Mission Praise book of songs, which still holds strong appeal in many mainstream Christian denominations. However, in recent years, even Mission Praise has see rivalry from the emerging Hill Songs and their more Pentecostal style of worship, which allows worshippers to be more visually expressive in their praise with hands in the air, swaying or even dancing, and in some cases, flag waving in churches. Even within some traditional rural mainstream Presbyterian churches, the organ is being accompanied by a full blown praise band, complete with electric guitars and a drum kit. However, with the Covid 19 pandemic and the closure of churches during lockdown, it has given the Christian faith a breathing space to re-assess the type of songs it can use in praise worship. Just as the more modern translations of the Bible have sparked a parallel debate on how far these translations have strayed in meaning from the traditional King James Version, so too, a similar distraction can occur once someone begins to rewrite the traditional hymns to give them a 2020 feeling. An accusation levelled by fundamentalists at modern Bible translations is that they supposedly dilute the clear Salvationist message of the King James Version (KJV) of the New Testament. On the other hand, Christians who prefer to use modern translations maintain it helps them spiritually in their understanding of the Bible message compared to the ‘Thous’ and ‘Shalts’ of the KJV. Many clerics can take a compromise position by suggesting that while the KJV is the main translation a Christian should read, they can also refer to the other modern translations provided it deepens their understanding of the Christian message. In short, the modern translations work alongside the KJV, not in place of the KJV. The same approach could be taken towards the traditional hymns from a bygone era. Instead of changing the words and possibly altering the meaning which the original authors were trying to achieve, could these traditional hymns be rescored musically to give them a more upbeat form of expression, thereby allowing modern instruments to be used when playing those hymns? For example, one of the traditional hymns with a tremendous Salvationist message is Rock Of Ages. Unfortunately, this great hymn has gained a perception that it is only sung at funerals. However, a rock music version of this hymn has been composed. The words remain the same, but the musical score is to heavy metal. Could this be the compromise which traditionalists and modernists seek in terms of praise – keep the words, but use different musical genres? Many Gospel singers – pre-Covid 19 – would have played their songs with acoustic or electric guitars, but with the benefit of backing tracks which feature a range of musical instruments. Ironically, this has sparked yet another debate within Christian theology as to which instruments are suitable – or Biblically approved – for Gospel songs. Having cut my sound engineer teeth in the Gospel album recording business with the former Ballymena-based company, Herald Recordings, I came across Christian artists who preferred only to have a traditional piano or organ as an accompanying instrument, while others preferred a full-blown praise band. This also sparked yet another debate as to the performance of a Gospel song at a concert or service in a church, and the way it was presented on an album. A section of fundamentalist thinking would harbour the view that to have modern backing musicians on a Gospel album is too ‘worldly’ in its presentation, even though the use of such praise bands improves the musical quality of the album. Perhaps, too, the pandemic will also cause Christians to focus on how praise is used in future in their personal devotion time. Praise or worship forms a major part of any Christian Sunday service, for example, no matter which denomination is being referred to. During lockdown, when church buildings were physically closed, many clerics and congregations naturally developed their online profile. Some churches managed to present their Sunday services using three people all socially distanced – the cleric who delivered the sermon, the guitarist who played the music, and a soloist who sang the lyrics. While some churches have opened for Sunday services and Bible studies, albeit conforming to social distancing guidelines, are we now facing another challenge as to how Christians incorporate worship or praise as part of their personal devotion or ‘alone time’ with God? Traditionally, but not exclusively, personal devotion time involves Bible reading and prayer. To compensate for a lack of praise time in churches, could singing now form part of that devotion time with Christians playing music on their various electronic devices. You don’t have to acquire a degree in music or be a magnificent chorister to praise God though song during your personal devotion time, also known as ‘a quiet time’. With mental health and well-being now such an important aspect of surviving the pandemic, especially if a second wave of the virus hits and Ireland goes into lockdown again, then the role of uplifting lockdown Christian music will once again come to the fore. And with mood music so important to that survival process, perhaps we will witness a whole new generation of Christian song writers emerge. Indeed, could Pandemic Praise be the next genre of Gospel music? Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: New Evangelism for the New Normal?
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter uses his weekly Ballymena Accent column to analyse the steps which the Christian Church must take to develop evangelical outreach and witness in the so-called ‘New Normal’.
While some fundamentalists within the Christian faith have been leafing through Scripture to find relevant verses to support their various conspiracy theories as to whether God or Satan sparked the Covid 19 pandemic, the mainstream Christian Church has got to face the fact that the so-called ‘New Normal’ in society will force Christians to rethink methods of evangelism in the coming years. Before the coronavirus lockdown, many mainstream Christian denominations in Ireland – Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist – were facing drops in numbers attending Sunday worship. This could be blamed on an increasingly supposedly secular island where the Christian faith is in heavy competition with other methods of entertainment which did not exist in the Sixties and Seventies, especially in the north east Ulster Bible Belt. The drop in mainstream denomination attendance could also be attributed to the increasing popularity of the various Pentecostal fellowships, such as Elim or the independent fellowships. Such churches are renowned for their lively musical expressions. However, one key issues which cannot be ignored was the massive surge in interest in worship during lockdown as places of worship closed their doors and reverted to online Sunday services and mid-week prayer meetings and Bible studies. Where some Christian churches would have an average Sunday attendance pre-lockdown of just over 100 people, that converted into an online congregation of around 1,000 viewers. Presently, drive-in services are back in business and churches are seeing people drifting back for Sunday worship in the pews or seats with social distancing measures in place. There can be no doubting that conventional church life as we knew it pre-lockdown has changed probably forever, or at least, for the foreseeable future. This poses the challenge to the Christian Church – how can it adapt in terms of evangelical outreach and witness in a practical way? Has Covid 19 spelt the death knell for door-to-door evangelism? The coronavirus pandemic certainly placed considerable pressures on people’s mental health and well-being with loneliness one of the major battles which folk had to contend with. Here again, the churches found themselves to the fore in delivering food to people, running errands and generally checking on vulnerable people and families in various neighbourhoods and communities. Perhaps this is a lesson to the Church in general in that it can no longer remain aloof to the needs of the community. Of course, many individual churches will point to the outreach work which they are already engaging in, but denominations as a whole need to make a corporate decision that such practical outreach becomes a priority in terms of evangelism if the Church is to maintain its relevance in the community. Did Christ Himself not instruct Christians to go into the highways and byways and look after people? The sad reality is that pre-Covid, many churches were quite content to remain in their ‘holy huddles’ and shut out the outside world. One element the Church could consider to develop its post lockdown outreach is to continue the door-to-door work – socially distancing – but asking people if they want prayer requests. Everyone at some point in their lives values the power of prayer. The analogy is drawn of the Great War, moments before the whistles blew and the troops went out of their trenches and ‘over the top’ into battle. It was said there were no atheists in those trenches as men did not know if they would survive that attack. No matter how dark or terrible the situation you are facing, it can bring some comfort to know that someone has you in their thoughts. This is where the Church can flex its spiritual muscle through its use of the so-called ‘prayer warriors’. One of the most moving experiences of my life happened in 2000 in Kenya during a Christian mission service. I was attending that mission along with my late father. I asked the Pentecostal evangelist to pray for my severely autistic son, so he called on the entire congregation to pray. I was flabbergasted when around 6,000 African Christians at the event suddenly got down on their knees and began praying for my son. Perhaps through the formation of prayer teams folk in churches who normally literally take a back seat in terms of fellowship activities can move to the front row of evangelical outreach. Prayer forms a major part of each Christian’s personal devotion time. As the prayer requests come into the churches, the prayer teams can swing into action. This means that every single person in that church has a vital role to play as it has often been quoted that 10 per cent of a church does 90 per cent of the work! Just as the majority of schools are now back for the new academic session with social distancing rules in place, so too, should the churches be thinking of how it can relaunch its youth work, again within social distancing guidelines. This could even provide some churches with the opportunity to actually launch a youth outreach where no previous witness existed pre-lockdown. There is also the challenge to the churches to maintain their online witness. As well as services and Bible studies, many churches provided online Bible story telling for young people, particularly those of a primary school age. With technology forming such a large part of today’s ‘new normal’ society, the churches must not lose the momentum of the online services as lockdown restrictions relax. Likewise, just as the medical services are preparing for the potential of a second wave of the virus, so too, must the churches get their acts in gear so that if that second wave should hit, they will be to the forefront of the campaign to help people as many of them did during the initial lockdown. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Doing a Daniel on the church gossip lions!
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter uses his latest Ballymena Accent column to emphasise the view that the post pandemic Christian faith must take urgent steps to eradicate the terrible influence of that section of Christendom known as ‘the church gossips’.
For as long as I can remember – as a Presbyterian minister’s son, born again Christian, and journalist – church gossips have played a major part in my life, both as tormentor and source of stories. While it is said that the pen is mightier than the sword and we journalists are the real power brokers in society, I genuinely feel we reporters come a poor runner-up to the virtually untouchable influence of church gossips within our local communities. The excellent publication, McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, is effectively regarded as the ‘journalist’s Bible’. I stand to be corrected, but I’ve never come across a publication known as The Church Gossip’s Handbook! Compared to the role of a journalist, the church gossip does not observe any of the rules and regulations, codes and conventions regarding the law, ethics and fact-checking which we reporters ignore at our peril. In journalistic terms, the overwhelming majority of church gossips can progress from initial tip-off to publication or broadcast in a single move without stopping to verify the accuracy of what they spreading throughout their fellowships. Trying to seriously analyse the massive influence which church gossips enjoy in Christian fellowships, it is my honest opinion that it comes down to their communication tactics. During my own personal spiritual journey, I have never encountered a situation where someone branded as a church gossip has physically stood in a pulpit, lectern, or the front of a place of worship and unveiled their tales! Other people may have had a different situation where someone has been named from the pulpit! The church gossips’ power is to spread their information by whispering through the pews; telephone calls, or anonymous letters. But challenge many church gossips to stand in front of their fellow believers and repeat their allegations, and suddenly cowardice takes hold. As a Presbyterian minister’s son growing up in the Sixties and Seventies in the heartland of the north east Ulster Bible Belt, I soon became a constant target for the church gossips. But it was all said behind my back; never to my face. As I reflect on my spiritual journey since becoming a born again believer at the age of 12 in 1972, I have only had two face-to-face confrontations with such gossips. Once was with an elder who demanded I tell him why I had missed a Boys’ Brigade meeting; the other was an elder’s wife who criticised me for wearing a football shirt to a church event. Quite often, too, church gossips can contradict each other in their race to be first with the latest. Its a case of who can put the juiciest spin on a rumour. When I joined many of my peers in going to university, it was said I wasn’t going there to begin my journalist training but because I had made an elder’s daughter pregnant and my parents had to get me out of the way! Even when I was at university, I got a part-time job in a Christian book shop. This prompted the rumour in the Bible Belt that the real reason I was working in that shop was because I had failed my A levels and had not made it into university! Neither allegation was true, but having to deal with all these rumours generated by the church gossips was good training for the cut and thrust of journalism. Perhaps another reason the church gossips wield such influence is because it is so incredibly difficult to take legal action against them. In reality, when was the last time a church gossip appeared in court accused of rumour-mongering? There seemed to be a perception in the Bible Belt that you simply did not take church gossips to court. The defamation laws in Northern Ireland fall behind those in England and Wales. When Westminster passed the Defamation Act 2013 to reform the law, the Stormont Executive decided against adopting the legislation. This means that the reforms in the 2013 Act have no effect in Northern Ireland which continues to operate under the Defamation Act (Northern Ireland) 1955 and the relevant parts of the Defamation Act 1996. I continue to wonder if the 2013 Act’s reforms were extended to Northern Ireland, would so-called church gossips be so quick to spread their rumours? I have met people who have given up their Christian faith completely because they could not cope with the bile being spewed out by church gossips. When I hear of church gossips targeting me, I am reminded of the words of Christ Himself from the New Testament in John Chapter 8 verse 7 – let he who is without sin cast the first stone. This makes me think when church gossips begin their diatribes what is it in their own lives that they are trying to deflect attention away from? Indeed, and strangely for me as a born again Christian, it is the words of the famous Indian Hindu nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi before his assassination, which on many occasions summarise my personal attitude towards church gossips: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Given the rapid and alarming increase in mental health and well being issues among the population, the bile of the church gossips cannot simply be dismissed with the ditty: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Not everyone has the physical or mental capacity to withstand an onslaught from church gossips. So can there ever be a solution to combating the influence of these gossips, or do we as a society have to just continue with the status quo and ‘suck it all up’? My firm belief is that until the 2013 Defamation Act reforms are extended to Northern Ireland, the power of the church gossips will remain unchallenged. Indeed, even if these reforms do come to Northern Ireland, it may even require a very public test case before church gossips get the message that they must check their facts and be able to prove their allegations before a court. Perhaps, and only then, when a church gossip is either heavily fined or jailed will their influence be finally eradicated. Then again, what is the true definition of a church gossip? Such people actually believe they are doing the Lord’s Work by being judgemental and pointing out the sins of their fellow humans. But then again, ever since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, spreading gossip has been a major human trait. In Biblical terms, where can we find a Daniel brave enough to shut the mouths of the church gossiping lions? Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Cremation or burial? The burning issue digging deep into Christian theology!
Religious commentator Dr John Coulter uses his latest Ballymena Accent column to delve deep into the hot theological topic – the fate of our earthly remains; should they be buried or cremated?
With Northern Ireland becoming increasingly pressed for burial plots, the idea of cremation among Christians is becoming increasingly popular. At the same time, it has sparked a huge theological debate with some fundamentalists convinced that cremation is unBiblical! For some reason, and for many Christians, the idea of their loved ones and themselves being burned in a crematorium and their ashes either kept in an urn at home or scattered in some place with meaning seems to totally go against Scripture. As I cannot find a Bible verse which condemns cremation (but I stand to be corrected), I can only assume the perception among fundamentalists is that cremation is akin to either burning in hell or eventually burning in the everlasting lake of fire. Scripture tells is it is our eternal soul, not our earthly remains, which are the important issue. If burial in a grave is so important to Christians, then what about those people who have no known grave? I think of my great uncle William Holmes on my mother’s side who was blown to bits by a German shell at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 during the Great War. All I have to remember great uncle William is a memorial plaque containing his name in a church near Ballynure in County Antrim. And what about my great uncle Ricky Coulter on my dad’s side who was in the RAF and whose bomber was shot down over Norway in the Second World War and his body was never recovered. Surely the final eternal resting places of great uncles William and Ricky’s souls depends on their views on salvation; not on the whereabouts of their earthly remains? Perhaps, too, Christians are so opposed to cremation because of the heinous activities of the Nazis during the Holocaust who cremated many of the bodies of their victims in the hideous death camps. Do some Christians, therefore, associate cremation with the Nazis? Is there also the false impression that cremation is also viewed by some fundamentalist Christians as being part of a secularist society; a way of people opting out of a full-blown service of thanksgiving in a church. Likewise, given the limited number of crematoria in Northern Ireland compared to places of worship, the time devoted to a service at the crematorium is naturally much shorter than a church-based service of thanksgiving. The ceremony at a crematorium would usually last several minutes, while a church-based ceremony can last for a couple of hours if the church service and graveside oration are both taken into consideration. Could it also be that cremation in Christian circles is also viewed as being like the ancient pagan Viking ceremonies, where the dead warrior was burned so that his soul would travel to Valhalla to be with the pagan god Odin? Many Christian church cemeteries were established when cremation was not an option after death. Even in the cemetery where my parents are buried, local folklore maintains it contains the remains of a Williamite soldier who fought at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. My late dad’s church – Clough Presbyterian near Ballymena – is one of the oldest Presbyterian places of worship in Ireland and a number of years ago we had the pleasure of attending the 350th anniversary commemorations to mark the foundation of the church. Taking Clough as a benchmark, it would be reasonable to assume that when the congregation was founded, cremation was certainly not on the agenda for the respectful disposal of a person’s earthly remains. Burial was the only option, and then again in some instances, the grave would have to be guarded so that the body did not fall prey to grave robbers looking for jewellery, or body snatchers looking fresh corpses for medical research. Even in horror film narrative, one way of disposing permanently of vampires or the undead is to burn their bodies, although I’m sure killing vampires is not a reason for Christians opposing cremation! My own personal theological position is that as a born again Christian, I have no difficulty whatsoever with cremation. For me, what is important is the destination of my eternal soul, not my body after death. As someone who believes passionately in the concept of organ donation, after the Good Lord takes me from this earth, I hope the doctors can take out of me whatever they can use in transplants. Indeed, with my personal emphasis on the soul, I would prefer to donate the remainder of my earthly remains to science so that it can be used to train new doctors, surgeons and nurses. In heaven, we will all be given new bodies according to Scripture, therefore, I have no need of earthly remains. I would like a service of thanksgiving which can be used as an evangelical outreach to family, friends and colleagues. I have noticed that, in many circumstances, the graveside ceremony or cremation event is now taking place – pre-Covid 19 times – before a service of thanksgiving in a church. I have also noticed a generational attitude towards cremation among the Christian community. Christians of my vintage (now early sixties) are more open to the ethos of cremation, while Christians of my parents’ generation (both passed away in their late eighties) would prefer burial in the family plots. Perhaps we have to look at the Christian debate over cremation versus burial from a grieving point of view. Does it help the grieving process in any way if loved ones and friends can actually visit a grave? Does it help in any way to stand at the grave of a departed loved one and talk to them as if having a conversation when they were alive? The same arguments can also be true of cremation where the urn containing a loved one’s ashes can be kept at home to be talked to at any given time? Such a column on cremation versus burial may seem morbid, but perhaps what the Christian Church should focus on is supporting the friends and families of those left behind when the person is dead. Grief can affect people in so many different ways, so it is imperative the Christian Churches have workable strategies in place. In this context, the theological debate over grave versus urn pales into insignificance. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

ReplyForward

Religious commentator, Dr John Coulter, uses his latest Ballymena Accent column to explore how the Covid 19 crisis has once again ignited the thorny theological debate within Christianity between those who believe in predestination and those who adhere to the free will of mankind.
The coronavirus pandemic has certainly sparked a massive debate within the Christian faith about interpretations of the New Testament book of Revelation and what is known as ‘The End Times’ before the return of Jesus Christ. Specifically, it has seen an eruption of the rival theological camps in Christian thinking between predestination and free will. The former would be found mainly in Christian fundamentalism in that God has already predestined people for hell or heaven even before they were born. The free will theology camp believes that ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, man has had a choice as to whether to accept God’s salvation or reject it. Accept salvation and a person is guaranteed a place in heaven for all eternity; reject God’s salvation and you are destined for hell and ultimately the everlasting lake of fire. The free will camp would mostly be found among evangelical Christians, with liberal or ecumenical Christians believing that entrance to heaven can be gained extensively through good works on earth. Both predestination and free will theology could be said to have their roots in the writings of the famous French theologian John Calvin. Here again, we see interpretations of his work divided into two camps – Calvinism and Hyper Calvinism. Basically, predestination mainly belongs to Hyper Calvinism, and free will to the Calvinist camp. The big problem which the predestine camp has to overcome is, if God has preordained the final resting place of everyone’s soul even before they were born, why did Christ have to die on the cross at Calvary? Perhaps God has predestined people’s final location in eternity because He knew that after the failed coup in heaven by Lucifer, that the devil would try to wreck God’s plans for man in the Garden of Eden? However, the key Salvationist text which evangelicals and fundamentalists can agree upon is in the New Testament – St John Chapter 3 and verse 16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (King James translation) The clear indication in this verse is that mankind has a choice – or free will – whether to accept Christ’s salvation or reject it. The most poignant example of this are the two thieves who were crucified alongside Christ at Calvary. One mocked him, and presumably ended up in hell; the other asked to be remembered by Christ and was told he was going to heaven. The predestine camp would maintain that God is all powerful and we can never, as mere humans, understand the mind of God and this is why we cannot get to grips theologically that everything has been decided since the creation of the Garden of Eden. The free will camp queries the predestine view in that what is the purpose of evangelism and witnessing if people’s eternal fate has already been pre-ordained? Perhaps the compromise interpretation is that it is predestined where people will go if they accept or reject salvation, but it is still up to mankind itself to decide, hence the validity of free will. Under the predestine view, it is possible that someone could live a wicked life, yet still get into heaven as they are part of the predestined elect! Unfortunately, in recent months, the predestine/free will debate has become clouded with conspiracy theories about where and who originated the Covid 19 virus. In short, hardline fundamentalists have had a field day with their ‘God’s Judgement’ statements, namely that God sent the virus to punish society for its sinful lifestyles. This view falls in tatters when you consider the number of Christians – even pastors – who contracted the virus! Such ‘punishment from God’ rhetoric merely detracts substantially from the predestine/free will debate and gives Christianity in general a very poor image. In the meantime, both camps have been scouring the Scriptures to find relevant texts and passages to bolster up their respective theological opinions. When non-Christians see this debate, perhaps the words of the famous Indian Hindu nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi enter the fray: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Indeed, I could complete the remainder of this column quoting verses which equally justify both camps. However, there is also the perception that the predestine camp is comprised of judgemental gossips, more akin to the hypocritical Biblical Pharisees who plagued Christ’s ministry on earth before His crucifixion. Such members of the predestine camp tend to remind me of Private Frazer from the hit TV sitcom, Dad’s Army. Frazer is a prophet of doom and his catchphrase is usually: ‘You’re doomed!” There is nothing more off-putting in Christianity than some middle-aged man with a megaphone screaming at you that you are going to burn in hell for all eternity. How does this man know who will be saved and who will not accept salvation? Is there not the theological possibility under predestine laws that a person could spend a lifetime preaching the Gospel, yet still end up in hell because they were not part of God’s chosen elect? Indeed, in some quarters of evangelical Christianity, the Hyper Calvinist interpretation of the predestine camp is even regarded as Biblical heresy. The bottom line is that while the Christian faith saw a massive boom in interest in worship because of lockdown and the surge in online services and Bible studies, with that lockdown easing the Christian Church will face the challenges as to how it retains those online congregations. No doubt, as the Christian Church attempts to address these challenges, it will unleash the predestine/ free will debate once again. Surely in the end, we are talking about the concept of freedom of choice? Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Headline: Remembering John Hume
John Hume – the polite politician who enjoyed the ear of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Provos! Political commentator Dr John Coulter uses his latest Ballymena Accent column to profile the legacy of the Irishman who became the legend of constitutional nationalism.
John Hume, the former icon of moderate nationalism in Ireland, has died at the age of 83 following a long period of illness. His legacy is that he will be remembered as one of the key architects of the Irish peace process, and especially the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It was not a case of him taking gung-ho political risks which marked out John Hume and earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, but his stedfast ability to put principle before party. Coming from the Catholic part of Londonderry, Hume initially got involved with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s before Northern Ireland literally exploded into decades of sectarian violence. Politically, he recognised that if change was to come to Northern Irish politics, that vehicle could no longer be either the Stormont-based Irish Nationalist Party or the soft-socialist Northern Ireland Labour Party. Along with the late Republican Labour MP, Gerry Fitt – later Lord Fitt – he established the moderate nationalist movement, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Within years, it was to become the majority voice within Northern nationalism. In spite of his vision of an Ireland at peace, the ‘elephant in the room’ always remained terrorist violence. And so in the late 1980s, Hume embarked on what would be the biggest gamble of his political career – trying to bring the Provisional IRA in from the cold and end its terror campaign. At this point, Hume was already an established voice at Westminster as an MP; in Europe as an MEP, and enjoyed tremendous ‘political street credibility’ in the United States. At equally tremendous political risk, Hume – by now SDLP leader – began talks with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams. They became simply known as the Hume-Adams Talks. It was a process which initially when it became public, earned him a volume of political flak both from Unionism and even within his own moderate nationalist camp. Undeterred, he soldiered on secure in what he saw as his peace vision. That bore fruit ultimately in August 1994 when the IRA declared its first major ceasefire. But the real cherry on the icing of the peace cake came in April 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, paving the way for the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly later that year. Hume saw his award of the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with then Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble – now Lord Trimble – as justification of the criticism he had endured over the Hume-Adams process. While many others can claim to have had a role in the overall peace process which spawned the Good Friday Agreement, without doubt Hume was perhaps one of the biggest – if not the biggest – cog in that machinery. The iconic image of that success was the photo of Hume, along with Trimble and rock legend Bono – arms aloft – to the cheers of the crowd. But that peace process came at a very high price for Hume personally. His almost workaholic ethos was beginning to take its toll on his health. He could have walked into the original post of the inaugural deputy First Minister at Stormont when power-sharing returned, opting instead for his SDLP deputy and close friend, the late Seamus Mallon, to take the coveted position instead. Politically, there was also a price to be paid for bringing the IRA and Sinn Fein in from the cold and involving the republican movement in that democratic process. Part of this peace process was the ‘lending’ of traditional SDLP votes to Sinn Fein to stabilise that process. But gradually, over a handful of years, Sinn Fein began to eclipse the SDLP at Stormont, in Westminster and in Europe as the IRA’s apologist party became the leading voice for Irish nationalism in Northern Ireland. After 22 years at the helm of the SDLP, Hume’s health forced him to step aside in 2001. Ironically, his fellow Nobel Laurette Trimble faced the same situation in the Unionist community with Rev Ian Paisley’s more hardline Democratic Unionists replacing Trimble’s UUP as the leading voice of Unionism. But perhaps Hume’s greatest legacy since his birth in 1937 will not so much be the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, but that the Assembly it created has lasted since 1998 albeit with some rocky periods of suspension. As tributes from all shades of political opinion flow in for the late John Hume, his political achievements can be summarised in a simple statement – he gave true meaning to the concept of ‘sharing’ in Irish power-sharing. Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulterListen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning after 9 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com