• Predictions 2023 – How did I do?

    1  Generative artificial intelligence will become significantly disruptive of many sectors this year. Education practices will change quickly as a result of this but education will be but one of many areas of life to be affected.

    Happening all around us (even to people who can’t see it happening around them) – prediction fulfilled.

    2 No progress for those seeking marriage equality in the Church of England. There will be a lot of talk about moving towards some form of official blessings for same-sex couples which would have the effect of thwarting those seeking actual equality, making it more difficult to achieve. Further division amongst pro-gay activists in the Church of England.

    Happening exactly as predicted. The recent developments following the LLF project make equality more even further away – prediction fulfilled.

    3  Indyref 2 will not happen on 19 October 2023 as Nicola Sturgeon had hoped, which is a shame for those seeking to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK as the autumn will be the high water mark for the Indepedence movement. It will be downhill into the next General Election after that.

    Happenning but not quite as I expected. Indryref didn’t happen but Indy polls are indeed riding high. However I didn’t see the mess the SNP would get itself into along the way. Prediction Fulfilled.

    4  Trump and Biden will both declare that they intend to run for the US presidency in 2024 and American politics will continue to be all about Donald Trump.

    Exactly as I said – prediction fulfilled.

    5  Covid recovery remains bumpy, particularly through supply-chain problems due to mismanagement of Covid in China.

    Pretty much as I said – we’ve largely forgotten the supply chain issues that continued from the end of last year into the new year and the spring. Prediction mostly fulfilled.

    6 No conclusive end to the war in Ukraine this year.

    Alas. Prediction fulfilled

    7 Governments in Westminster and Holyrood will announce some kind of “new deal” for the National Heath Service.

    Holyrood here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/programme-government-2023-24/pages/5/

    Westminster: Pay – here https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/14/government-accepts-recommendations-from-nhs-pay-review-bodies/
    Westminster: Medicines here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-deal-to-boost-nations-health-and-save-nhs-14-billion

    Prediction fulfilled.

    8 – UK Government will not succeed in blocking Scottish Gender Recognition Reform.

    I remain surprised that the Scottish Governnent gave up on this. Prediction not fulfilled.

    9  Liam McArthur’s bill in the Scottish Parliamant to allow doctors to participate in the killing of terminally ill patients will fail to receive parliamentary approval but will receive more support than similar proposals have before.

    Bill hasn’t received approval but hasn’t gone to a vote either. Large levels of support in the media. Prediction partially fulfilled.

    10  Changes announced to the UK honours system, perhaps at the time of the Coronation, to remove references to empire. OBE becomes Order of British Excellence.

    Not happened yet. Prediction not fulfilled.

     

    Result – about 7 1/2 out of 10 this year I think. Not bad.

7 responses to “Oh Lord, Kum by yah”

  1. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    I think the fact you feel glad that you are taking part shows a start to a good day hopefully.
    I really hope with Lambeth on a few months away and talk of sexuality in everyones minds that the listening day is productive!

  2. vicky Avatar
    vicky

    Like Kelvin I was not going to attend this day but am doing so now because of a change in how the day has been designed.

    However, I am under no illusions. We may all listen and we may all feel closer by the end of the day. We may also end up watching a dismaying Lambeth conference in which the status quo or even a more conservative line is opted for.

    One thing that needs to be heard is that, as things stand, being gay in the Church is a vulnerable position and one in which we are ‘allowed’ to be part of the Church because of the nice liberal contingent. Until we move away from a debate about whether or not it’s time to fully ‘integrate’ the LGBT members into the Church, LGBTers will always be outsiders invited into the Church to share at God’s table.
    I, for one, look forward to a day when I don’t need to share my experience of being gay in the Church because it really isn’t of any importance. The trouble is to get to that point we still need to move an awful lot further than we have.

    The question that I am left with now is, does a Christian denomination have to have membership rules or is testimony enough?

  3. chris Avatar

    Vicky, you’ve articulated very clearly what I’ve been thinking. I hope I can help to make this realisation grow, somehow. There’s still a long way to go, sadly.

  4. Lark Rise Avatar
    Lark Rise

    Whose ‘Church’ – in the widest sense – is it ?

    Christ Himself seems to have imposed little in the way of ‘membership rules’, inclusivity being for all. Tho many turned away and excluded themselves when face to face with Him and the challenge of Who He Was…

    That the ‘established’ church is being so small-minded and bigotted to so many loving, caring, beautiful Christ-ones begs that first question – ‘Whose church ?’

    Sheep and goats come to mind…….. and does a goat recognise that it is a goat……?

    (Despite current scientific understanding, the miracle of genetic change of ‘goat’ to ‘sheep’ is possible thru the intervention of the Almighty – S Paul found out about that – so hang in there sheeps – there’s some of us out here outside of your technically LGBTs fold who are rootin’ for yeez……)

  5. Kenny Avatar

    Amen to that, Lark Rise!

  6. Peter Ould Avatar

    Do you have a copy of what the agenda now is?

  7. chris Avatar

    The agenda is available to download here

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