The goal of the Liberal Agenda, to have abortion readily accessible, is likely to take a step forward this coming Wednesday. The news all this week has been focussed on who would join those who have already voting against the Bill. Four TD’s already have, contrary to the party whip, resulting in their immediate expulsion from the government party.

The “suicide clause” is likely to provide the open door to abortion on demand. This is a fact well attested to in countries that have it included in their legislation. But the question is how did we get to the place where there is such a clamour in favour of abortion?

Is it really all about women’s rights over her body?

Is it the hallmark of the liberal progressive State to be able to offer abortion to its citizens (and others)?

It’s well known that once conduct is made legal it becomes acceptable, weakening the conscience and multiplying the demand for the service.

But where did this “rights” thinking come from? The Christian view was always to safeguard the rights of others, usually starting with the weakest and most vulnerable in society. Certainly not concentrating on ones own rights.

Could it be that in slipping anchor from Biblical principles we have succumbed to the evolutionary theory which equates man with monkeys. If man is no longer thought to be God’s special creation, no longer made in God’s image then the value of human life becomes increasingly akin to that of the animal world.

By making God redundant man is free to assume the position of deity and exercise his will over the lives of others – starting with the weakest who are found in the womb.

Indeed with God dispensed with the fruit of God once the mark of the Christian, “love (agape not the Hollywood variety), joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” are largely out of place in our rights society. Can you imagine for instance suggesting to modern people that they curb their licentious nature by exercising self-control? We would be laughed out of court! “Get a life” is the piece of advice which is the common response. And that coincidentally may not be a bad place to start!

Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life (St John Chapter 14 verse 6). He re-creates by the new birth new life into repentant sinners. Jesus spoke and lived out the truth, “If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (St John chapter 8 verses 31/32).

This freedom is not to be abused by killing babies in the womb or as St Paul put it “do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, but through love serve one another (Galatians Chapter 5 verse 13).

The ability to shift vast sums of money around the globe has made the modern banker look like a croupier at the gaming tables of an expensive casino.

There is important distinction however, the casino has some rudimentary rules which if broken result in immediate sanctions being applied to the transgressor. The modern banker, on the other hand, is largely free from the application of rules and regulations enabling him to enjoy the adrenaline rush of dealing in high stakes without much fear of reprisals.

The tapes of bankers telephone conversations which were made public this week were a good example of the elation they experienced as they handled other peoples money.

The most memorable tape featured the singing of Deutschland uber alles as they received large deposits from Germany on the foot of the Irish Government bank guarantee. The latter had transformed their bankrupt bank into a prime investment overnight and they were reaping the rewards of their misdeeds!

The bank guarantee had been given on the understanding that the banks would not misuse it by seeking deposits but, with their customary disregard for regulation, this was ignored to the dismay of other countries that saw their funds being switched to Irish banks.

There is an element in our society which highly regards the cute one who pulls off the big deal and does not get caught. Although he may not realise it he stands in the line of Judas. Treachery not loyalty becomes the highest value and the conscience is disabled by greed. The distinction between right and wrong becomes blurred and responsibility for ones actions evaporates till there is no one to be responsible to except ones-self.

St Paul described their condition as having “no fear of God before their eyes” Romans Chapter 1 verse 18. They think there is no one at home in the universe.

Contrast this with the Christian whose love for Jesus provides his motivation for living a good life. That motivation comes not from the fear of hell as it is not living a good life that qualifies one for heaven but the grace of God who accepts us even as sinners through faith in the work of Jesus. No the believer’s motivation is his desire to please God and to live for his glory.

There is the customary talk of another public enquiry this time to “get to the bottom of what caused the bank crisis”. National repentance leading to a total change of lifestyle might be a more appropriate response for we are all involved.

Let St Peter have the last word “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 8.

The publicity surrounding the pre-trial hearings of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-styled planner of the September 11^th 2001 attacks, has raised the question of justice again.

Taken from his native Pakistan in 2003 he has spent the last 10 years locked up. His fate was shared initially with 460 prisoners but their number has reduced over the years to the present figure of 166. The uncertainty of not having a trial or release date has led 104 to stop eating and 44 at present are being force fed.

Modern terrorism has presented the US with difficulties as global policing was required after 9/11. People were arrested in many countries and brought to Guantanamo Bay. This is a secure area of Cuba rented to the US on a long lease, where the usual prisoner rights of US law do not apply.

Attempts have been made to repatriate those sentenced and some have served their sentences in their own country. Others come from lands where the government would permit their anti-American activities so that sending them home would be counterproductive from the US point of view. Still others are not welcome anywhere despite the best efforts of the Americans to send them away.

It is a cruel irony that in the land of the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled England to escape the Star Chamber, the Court of High Commission and the dependence of justice on the whim of a tyrant, human beings are now to be tried in secret by a military tribunal!

St Paul writing to arguably the most persecuted church of all time wrote “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans Chapter 12 verses 17-21).

It may not get Congress to act nor may it impress those in prison but eventually a solution has to be found and St Paul’s advice has a timeless quality to it.

In a week where Obama asked Xi Jinping to curtail Chinese cyber espionage and allow freer access to the internet it has been revealed that the US is tapping into our phone calls and emails!

The American public have been reassured that “nobody is listening to your calls” which may be reassuring for the folks at home but leaves a few questions to be answered if you don’t live in the US!

Interestingly the whistle blower, Edward Snowden, has fled to China – Hong Kong to be precise, where he has been feeding the Guardian newspaper with some of the data he took with him from his job in the National Security Agency of the USA where he was contracted by a security firm. Snowden had top secret clearance enabling him to see the full extent of the surveillance. Rather like Julian Assange of Wiki Leaks back in 2010 who, in the interests of free speech, made public classified material via his many websites, Snowden’s aim has been to reveal the “architecture of oppression” before it gets even more draconian!

The noble idea of revealing “Big Brother” before he can do more harm has not been done without some personal cost as Snowden is now in hiding in Hong Kong from where he could be extradited although that may be a right which the US may decide to forego!

In the meantime the NSA continues their data-trawling through the records of companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook allegedly looking for signs of terrorist activity.

Both nations are at it. A bit like the pot calling the kettle black!

Jesus never concealed the fact that our words are important. What we say is an index to what we believe. He went further stating that the record would be produced on Judgement day when each one will be called to give an account (St Matthew chapter 12 verses 35-37).

So what we now know is that there are two scrutineers; one earthly and one heavenly. It is a sobering thought that this blog will be recorded by one if not both of them. And by extension so will all our emails, phone calls, texting…

The Psalmist drew comfort from the fact that the Lord knew even his words before they were spoken (Psalm 139 verses 1-6). The transparency, so lacking in earthly communication, is present – crystal clear – to heaven. In the final analysis this is the only one which matters.

The Psalmist ends with the only response possible – full disclosure!

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!

There is nothing like a mystery man to whet the imagination and Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, which reached our cinemas this week, does just that.

Jay Gatsby’s origins are unknown. The source of his wealth is unknown. His occupation is unknown. How he came to throw these glittering parties in his fake French chateau on Long Island is unknown.

There are allusions to Gatsby having been to Trinity College, Oxford. Some surmise that he is perhaps a German spy. There is a rumour that he killed a man. Others wonder if he got his wealth through some illicit practice such as bootlegging whiskey.

Set in America in the roaring twenties with all the glitz of the “flapper” culture and the unbridled energy of jazz music the book had to have romance! In fact all that Gatsby had created was designed to impress his former lady friend, Daisy Buchannan, now married to Tom, a detail which Gatsby chooses to ignore! However Gatsby is nothing if not an optimist. He refuses to believe that the past cannot be recreated.

In pursuit of a real relationship in his fake world he becomes embroiled in more tangled relationships and his dream ends with a bullet fired as a result of mistaken identity. Few turned up at his funeral; the epitaph mentioned his label “great” but even that has to be taken ironically.

Perhaps the writer of Ecclesiastes sums up Gatsby’s lifestyle best, “Meaningless! Meaningless! says the teacher. Everything is meaningless!

(chapter 12 verse 8). And so it is without God!

In contrast to Jesus who wanted people to discover his identity Gatsby wished his past to remain a mystery.

The question Jesus put to his disciples “who do you say I am” is as relevant today as it was when St Peter got it right – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” St Matthew then records that this identification of Jesus triggered the revelation of his betrayal, death and resurrection (chapter 16 verses 15/21).

There was purpose, not meaningless, in Jesus reply. He knew what he had come to do. He did not simply speak about it – he did it and that sense of purpose has characterised the lives of his followers to this day. He prayed “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (St John Chapter 17 verses 17/21).

The first time I came in contact with the word “crèche” it referred to the practice of Eider Ducks in corralling their chicks under the supervision of two or three mothers. The chicks had made an arduous journey to the sea, dodging marauding foxes, stoats and weasels and were left together in a tight group which gave them protection from predator gulls.

The Eiders in charge of the crèche, like their human counterparts we heard about this week, had their work cut out to look after their charges. But look after them they did teaching them to dive and find food enabling most of them to survive this vulnerable time in their lives.

In our brave new world where Grannies and Mammies are not as available as they used to be and where dual-earner families have become the norm the crèche becomes the least bad choice for baby when the maternity leave comes to an end.

At a visit to “Bloom” the flower festival we were told by a worker from “Concern” that the nourishment normally supplied by vegetables during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is crucial if that child is to achieve its full potential. Their garden exhibit was set in Zambia and demonstrated the ability to grow vegetables in terraces to provide children with the nutrients necessary to give them good physical and mental development. If this is neglected, we were told, it cannot be compensated for in later years. While this presents a weak link in African child rearing their saying “it takes a village to rear a child” illustrated how the structure of their community life makes crèches unnecessary.

The importance of that first 3 years of a child’s development has been recognised and countries like Finland apparently now pay mothers to remain at home to rear their children. In Africa, as elsewhere, eating habits change slowly but as Concern has shown change for the better is possible.

In what would have been completely contrary to the culture of the day Jesus encouraged little children to be brought to him and he blessed them (St Matthew chapter 19 verse 13-14). This demonstration of divine love for those normally overlooked is perhaps the most crucial requirement of all for our little children today. Wise parents seek to reflect this love by bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This week we were treated to a taste of militant Islam on the streets of Woolwich, London, when a couple of young Islamic radicals hacked an off-duty soldier to death with meat cleavers in the middle of the day.

What made this attack different from other terrorist attacks in the UK was that the attackers remained at the scene and talked to onlookers about what they had done.

What produced such coolness?

Their religion came into it; as they carried out the butchery they shouted “Allahu akbar” – Allah is great.

Retaliation was also part of it as they explained this was only a small killing by comparison to the extensive killings the UK forces were carrying out in their Islamic lands.

And there was the underlying aim of Islam conquest as they outlined the world in terms of “The World of Islam” and “The Other”.

Apparently UK Intelligence was aware of this threat since July 2011. A message on Shumukh al-Islam, a militant Web site linked to Al Qaeda, urged followers to mount “lone-wolf operations” that might include beheadings.

The Media have taken their usual line that Islam is a religion of peace and these atrocities are the work of a handful of extremists.

Surprisingly the great and good of the 2.5 million Muslim in the UK have not poured onto the streets in an outpouring of revulsion. A couple of dozen Sikhs did turn out in Woolwich offering their sympathy and expressing their fear that there might be some backlash on their community.

The silence of the Muslim majority, which can be so demonstrative over its dislike of “Western Policies” when they do not please their Imams, must encourage their extremists to attempt further copy-cat killings.

Bizarrely one of the murderers quoted the Biblical text, which was originally written to limit injuries, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” Exodus Chapter 21 verse 24. This text was fleshed out by Jesus when he dealt with the subject of retaliation (turn the other cheek etc) in St Matthew Chapter 5 verses 38-42. Jesus immediately followed this teaching with the positive injunction to defeat your enemies by loving them.

He demonstrated this supremely by praying for his enemies’ forgiveness while hanging in agony on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.

From one aspect those standing around the cross did know what they were doing – butchering a rival. But from a Biblical perspective they were fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities” Chapter 53.

The Lord of glory had become our sinbearer in order that forgiveness might flow to the repentant sinner. As the poet has put it – “That Thou could save a wretch like me and be the God Thou art, is darkness to my intellect but sunshine to my heart”.

As a bit of comic relief this week we had the pot calling the kettle black on our national talk show called “Primetime”. The participants were Independent TD Mick Wallace who was fighting for justice and Minister for Justice Alan Shatter who found himself in the dock!

The subject was the apparent writing off of penalty points by the Garda who had allocated them in the first place. However as the people who had incurred these points never knew they had committed an offence they were unaware that they had been in receipt of Garda favours.

It was a somewhat Gilbertian situation but provided some light relief from the rather turgid public debate on the abortion Bill.

Mick, whose own recent history has not been without blemish, was in fighting form. How could the Garda act in such an irresponsible way?

Alan, who is not the most popular man in town at the moment, took as much of this as he could stand then yielded to the temptation to reveal that Mick had himself narrowly escaped penalty points when a Garda recently warned him about using his mobile phone while driving.

Mick was seized by a bout of amnesia and could not remember a thing about it. However he did realise that the information which Alan had imparted on the national airwaves was an improper use of confidential material by the Minister of Justice who now found himself in luke-warm if not hot water!

Alan, while declining to reveal how he obtained the information, said it was a matter of public importance which viewers ought to be told.

Mick, sensing something of victory, said he would make a complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission calling for an investigation into any possible breach of data protection legislation.

In attempting to reveal the sins of another the Minister inadvertently revealed his own sins. This aptly illustrates the Biblical text, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans Chapter 3 verse 10). However before we get too self-righteous just realise that you and me are included in the text!

In anticipation of our needs the Lord has included in the same chapter how we can obtain a righteousness which is not dependent on our behaviour. This new thing (part of what was accomplished at the cross) clothes us in the righteousness of Christ – perfection in the eyes of God – rendering redundant our puny attempts to be righteous by our own efforts (verses 21/22).

Edward Mote captured its essence in his great gospel hymn which commences with

“My hope is built in nothing less

Than Jesus blood and righteousness” and concludes with

“When the last trumpet’s voice shall sound,

O may I then in Him be found,

Clothed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before His throne.”

This all comes by the sheer grace of God to the repentant one who believes in Christ alone.

I once worked for a company who’s Financial Director often said that if he was going to steal from the firm it would a huge amount – no petty thieving for him! The global ATM robbery which came to light this week would have been what he had in mind.

The sheer scale of the debit card fraud at €45 million is mind-blowing. The thieves hacked into the pre-paid debit card accounts held by the RakBank of United Arab Emirates and eliminated the withdrawal limits. With the limits gone the hackers encoded account information on to magnetic-stripe cards and distributed them to their accomplices in 20 different countries.

They were the people who operated the ATM’s and were themselves monitored by those behind the hacking computers who not only kept the whole operation under control but ensured that they themselves were not short-changed on their cut of the vast sums that were being withdrawn!

They organised a “trial” run on 21^st December involving 4,500 transactions world-wide stealing $5 million. Following its success they mounted a big one on 19^th February this year involving 36,000 transactions in 24 countries and stealing $40 million.

Despite the US secret service becoming involved last December the only arrests made to date have been the “cashing crews” who had the job of collecting these vast sums of bank notes. They were picked up in New York on CCTV cameras at the ATM’s stuffing rucksacks full of notes. The other give away was the number of Rolex watches they were buying with their new found wealth!

It is unlikely that the masterminds behind the heist will ever be caught.

St Luke is the only Gospel writer to include Jesus’s parable of the shrewd Manager whose dishonesty was discovered and subsequently was called to give an account to his Master. The Manager acted fast and offering large discounts to the Master’s debtors, collected a large amount of outstanding debt and earned himself much goodwill from these clients which he would doubtless need to draw on when he was fired!

Surprisingly the Master commends the Manager for his shrewdness!

What are to make of all this?

St Luke unfolds the parable explaining how much better at planning and organising are the people of this world with self interest motivating them than the “sons of light” i.e. Christians with their desire to promote the cause of Christ as their motivator, St Luke chapter 16 verses 1-9.

To bring it up to date, just think if all the organisational skills and ingenuity that went into this massive heist had been channelled into promoting the cause of Christ….

Of course the parable is meant to have us examine how much planning we put into the promotion of the Gospel compared to the time we spend in planning work, holidays, hobbies etc.

As one believer, who had thought this through, said, “If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” (C.T.Studd)

This week the Cabinet agreed the wording for the ‘Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill 2013’.  Unfortunately the Bill does not live up to its name. It has provided the “abortion on demand” lobby with the key which, in time, will open the door to what is called a woman’s “right to choose”.

The key is the suicide clause whereby a pregnant woman who claims to be suicidal, if her claim is confirmed by two doctors and an obstetrician, can have her pregnancy terminated.

Since there is no evidence to support the notion that termination is a remedy for suicide, indeed the death of her baby may produce suicidal tendencies, the inclusion of the suicide clause may be more a political vote catching ploy than a humanitarian gesture.

Of course there is the “X case” and the European Court judgment neither of which require legislating for abortion on the grounds of suicide. However they have provided the smoke screen for this inclusion.

If the proposed legislation passes into law Ireland will inexorably go down the route of it being tested, found unworkable and an amendment permit virtual abortion on demand.

Thus Ireland will follow the other countries who have tried unsuccessfully to limit abortion.

In the US there has been widespread abortion since the Supreme Court’s decision in 1973 to confer it as a woman’s right, the only limitation being the viability of the foetus. In Asia the females are more likely to be aborted resulting in the loss of 163 million females through sex-selective abortion and infanticide because of cultural prejudice against girls and women.

Ireland could move from being one of the safest places on earth to have a baby to one where the unborn child’s life is at risk.

A few years ago in the US a group of Catholics and Protestants produced a document called “That They Might Have Life.” They said this about abortion:

The blindness of so many to this moral atrocity has many sources but is finally to be traced to the seductive ways of evil advanced by Satan. Jesus says, “He was as murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (St John Chapter 8 verse 44).

We have not only this blindness but a deafness to the appeal of those who care for the distressed women who have suffered an abortion and are in a lifelong struggle to cope with their sense of loss. They have to live with the consequences. They need to hear the Saviour’s invitation, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

His yoke is easy because he took our guilt and he conquered Satan, the merchant of death, when he rose from the grave. In Christ we have the victory 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 55-57.