What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • How did I do with last year’s predictions?

    Here’s a run down of how I did at last year’s predictions.

    • Good results for Nigel Farage following the English local elections in May. Terrible results for Conservative Party.

    Exactly what happened. YES

    • No progress towards the marriage of same-sex couples in the Church of England

    Exactly what happened. Indeed, I think things may have gone into reverse. YES

    • Turbulent year for WordPress, which powers about half of the internet.

    The year began with Automattic dramatically cutting its contribution to development leading to stagnation in development and much acrimony. Subsequently restored. Deep divisions remain about Gutenberg. I’m claiming this as a YES.

    • 2025 will be the hottest year on record.

    Final figures yet to be calibrated but all reports indicate that this, unfortunately is a YES.

    • No trade deal for UK with US. Increasing talk of re-aligning economy closer to EU.

    Well, there was a trade deal in May called the Economic Prosperity Deal but it doesn’t seem to much and some of the basics have already been reversed. I suppose I have to be honest and say I didn’t get this quite right so it is a NO. But…

    • Ceasefire in Russia-Ukraine war but no long term solution.

    Hard to assess this one. No long term solution, certainly. There have been a series of ceasefires proposed but none seems really to have been fully implemented. Partial YES.

    • “Assisted Dying” aka doctor assisted suicide becomes legal in at least one of the jurisdictions of the British Isles.

    I have to put this down as a  NO  as it completed its parliamentary journey in the Isle of Man but hasn’t received Royal Assent yet, so not technically legal.

    • Turbulent year for economy but stock market higher at end of year than beginning. (FTSE currently at 8,173)

    Stock market at 9,931 today and there was quite a lot of volatility in the first part of the year. So this one is a YES.

    • There will be fewer Commonwealth Realms (ie countries which share the monarchy) by the end of 2025 than there are now.

    This one is a NO though there has been significant progress in that direction in Jamaica and moves that way in Grenada.

    • Philip Mountstephen.

    Well, I was pushing Philip Mounstephen’s name as he appeared to be the only senior bishop in the C of E who actually believed the [absurd] position of the C of E bishops on same-sex relationships. But it is a NO – nothing significant to report.

     

    So – five and a half out of ten this year. Not as good as some years. A couple of near misses.

     

    ,

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!

    Reply
  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?

    Reply
  3. chris Avatar
    chris

    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.

    Reply
  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……)

    Reply
  5. Kenny Avatar
    Kenny

    Amen to that, Lark Rise!

    Reply
  6. Peter Ould Avatar
    Peter Ould

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

    Reply
  7. chris Avatar
    chris

    The agenda is available to download here

    Reply

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