tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post161611573554423268..comments2024-03-28T22:29:52.666+13:00Comments on Anglican Down Under: Insuring against catastrophePeter Carrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535218286799156659noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-31540564136219586402012-06-24T09:42:15.123+12:002012-06-24T09:42:15.123+12:00'Hi Ron,
I believe we will be accountable befo...'Hi Ron,<br />I believe we will be accountable before God for what we say and do, and especially when we are teachers of the faith.<br /><br />Do you not believe in that?" - P.C. <br />___________________________________<br /><br />I believe that we don't have to wait till the death of the body to know our accountability before God. That to me is a very dichotomous view of our human pilgrimage. - The words of Jesus: "Insomuch as you do these things (Love, Mercy) towards these my little ones, you do them unto Me" - "for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven". Our task is not to judge, but to enable redemption.<br /><br />I once heard a pretty good summary of challenge to the Hell-fire ethos<br /><br />'It's not 'pie in the sky when you die', but rather, 'steak on the plate while you wait'. If we had to wait for correction of our false ideas about God's purpose in our lives until we died, what would be the purpose of our continuation of life here? To me, the ultimate punishment of life after death might be annihilation - to not meet God face to face and experience God's loving mercy and forgiveness.<br />I am not a hell-fire fanatic.<br />If we don't amend our wicked ways while we are still here, why should we expect to be able to do that in the hereafter? Here; 'we live and breather and have our human being'. Who knows what we will be like in the fullness of God's Loving Presence? Except that people of Faith believe in God's great Love, mercy and forgiveness - which we, as the human followers of the Incarnate Word, need to exercise now. "Now is the acceptable time.."Father Ron Smithhttp://kiwianglo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-44285977947536337752012-06-19T06:40:52.523+12:002012-06-19T06:40:52.523+12:00Thanks Ron and Andrew.
Yes, an ideal scenario wou...Thanks Ron and Andrew.<br /><br />Yes, an ideal scenario would be our own managed "self-insurance".Peter Carrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09535218286799156659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-78082001066396142272012-06-18T22:19:01.989+12:002012-06-18T22:19:01.989+12:00Hi Peter,
Not sure things work in NZ, but in Austr...Hi Peter,<br />Not sure things work in NZ, but in Australia public liability is usually a separate beast to earthquake, fire or other kinds of insurance, and there is govt legislation mandating it for buildings. <br />I don't envy the decisions you have to make, which are no doubt complex and stressful. A key question may be "What do we have instead of earthquake insurance?" A self-managed fund, some kind of co-operative with other churches and charities, or something else.<br />I certainly appreciate your emphasis on maitaining ministry staff ahead of paying for the buildings.Andrew Reidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-7208499541574316132012-06-18T13:00:14.720+12:002012-06-18T13:00:14.720+12:00I applaud, Peter, your proactive stance on this im...I applaud, Peter, your proactive stance on this important matter of Church Insurance. Where individual parishes are operating in almost financial deficit conditions, the payment of an exorbitant insurance tariff would seem to be a 'step too far' - especially in the current climate of world-recession.<br /><br />How the Church manages this problem is going to affect us all - with the prospect of continuing mission dependent on some management capability that seems beyond most parish amenities. At a time when we seem to be absorbed with apparent problems of 'morality', we need to still consider the nuts and bolts of the structures. <br /><br />I am aware of the old adage that: "There are more things wrought by prayer than this world dreams of", but common sense is also needed.Father Ron Smithhttp://kiwianglo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com