What is in Kelvin's Head?

The Questions

18/04/2015
I’ve just done one of those Knowing Me, Knowing You sessions that I do from time to time that allow members of the congregation to get to know me a bit and ask any questions about who I am and where I come from.

I asked the group for permission to share the questions. Here’s what they asked me.
- How did you get from the Salvation Army to the Scottish Episcopal Church?
- Why were you into politics and why did you leave it behind?
- How has the congregation changed and why?
- What was your curacy like? Were you really in charge of a cathedral when you were a curate?
- Is there a God shaped hole in everyone?
- Do you have a boyfriend?
- Where in Yorkshire do you come from?
- Where in Scotland do you come from?
- Did you come here as Provost?
- What do you mean when you say you hated your training?
- What are the good points and the bad points of being Provost of St Mary’s?
- How do have you used the Maths and Computing skills you got in your first degree?
- Do you want a new cat?
- Where are you going next? And when?
- Do you believe in Predestination?
- Is there space for more razzmataz at St Mary’s?
- Salvation Army vs High Church. Is it very different?
- Prayer? How do you pray?
- How do Bishops and Provosts get on?
- What’s a Canon?
- How do you relax?
- What did Chaplaincy work teach you?
- Where would you like to work?
- Where have you been overseas?
- What TV do you like?
- What’s the difference between the role and the person?
Great questions and as always a really interesting session. I think a lot of congregations would like their rector to do an any questions session from time to time. It is always worthwhile.

Want the answers?

I’m repeating it in September.

9 responses to “Biobank – an ethical question”

Rev Ruth

25/10/2007

I’ve been asked too. And I got so excited – you know how I love all things medical. My mind had already raced off into the realms of them finding that I had some mysterious disease… But now that you put it like that, I guess I’d better give it some more thought.

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Raspberry Rabbit

25/10/2007

I haven’t been asked. Radical foreign clerics must not be on the list.

I’d be hesitant to do it anyway. Too much information is being stored about us in anticipation of the day when it might prove useful. Best to keep your head down.

RR

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Tim

25/10/2007

Eeek. I saw the phrase “Do you want to do something good today? Not just for yourself, but for our children and our children’s children?” near the top of the page and instantly the thought occurred, “what’s the potential cost? Where are the privacy controls?” Not as though anyone’s asked me anyway, but that sort of thing worries me from the outset too.

A little more investigation shows http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/faqs/confidentiality.php , particularly #5 etc; it seems too vague, just a gloss to placate the masses. I don’t want `computers unconnected to the internet’; I’d want a guarantee that they never will be, that no floppy disks or other methods will result in data coming off them, and that they’re well secured in a bunker somewhere.

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chris

25/10/2007

We’re involved. My sister-in-law first; she asked my husband; we discussed it and decided the potential for knowledge and research into – for example – the hereditary factor in clinical depression – made it something we wanted to do. Our sons have also expressed a willingness to participate. I personally don’t care about what happens to my DNA (other than its continuation in my family!) and if some good can come out of it then that’s just fine. I trust scientists every bit as much (or as little) as I trust anyone else.

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asphodeline

25/10/2007

Have you seen Heroes???? Sounds like a sneaky plot to find more 🙂

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kelvin

25/10/2007

I have not seen Heroes. Is it about eugenics?

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asphodeline

26/10/2007

Ah. It has a hint of eugenics. Part of the plotline involves some form of research into the DNA of people with supernatural powers!

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kelvin

26/10/2007

Ah, I see why you associated it with me.

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Andrew

19/03/2008

My wife I also each received one of the so called invitations today, my first reaction was anger over the wording of the invitation which by telling me I have a “provisional appointment” assuming I am gullible enough to fall for the use of false authority syndrome.

I am really concerned a lot of less literate people will not fully understand the “invitation” and assume it something they have to do.

What really makes my blood boil is the that even if you don’t want to take part you have to reply to get your name removed from the records, this raises real civil liberties issues.

The thing is if I had been asked to participate in I a nice way I would have been very keen to do so, however the whole tone of the letter stinks of authoritarianism and reminds me of the kind of thing the Nazis were doing in the mid 1930s.

If you get one of these invitation say no and tell them why — or better still rip it up.

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