Reverend Kelso's Letters to the Press and GovernmentReverend Kelso makes a point of writing to both local and national press and our government on issues within our society that have an effect on our faith. This page contains letters written during 2008. Please click on the year required for other letters from our archive: LETTERS 2008Anti-God BiasDoes it really matter what we believe?Gratitude at Freedom of SpeechBetrayal of the UK ConstitutionArchbishop of Canterbury - Sharia LawThere is an answerHypocrisy and IncompetenceAt Last!
Richard Dawkins' presentation of The Genius of Charles Darwin on Channel Four was not so much the story of Darwin but more the God-hating views of Dawkins.In his opinion Creationism is mythology and Evolution is science and anybody who dares to disagree is bigoted.This is rich coming from someone who won't listen to anyone who doesn't hold his views! The fact is that Darwin had a lot of problems with his views but these won't be in Channel Four's series. For instance, he confessed that the complexities of the human eye could not have been formed by natural selection and that his theory was dependent on transitional life forms which have not been found. G.K.Chesterton wrote:" The evolutionists seem to know everything about the missing link except the fact that it is missing." What is also missing is any kind of programme on TV that gives the alternative view to evolution. If Creationism is such a fairy tale why should producers be so frightened of it?
Rev Andy Kelso
Vicar. Christ Church, Redditch.
To The Redditch Advertiser In response to the letter last week on Matter of faith and whether it matters what we believe, and in response to I.Kirwan's dismissive letter may I make the following points.Firstly, if you believe as I do that Jesus died for our sins and that noone else did then that makes Jesus unique and we need to tell others about Him as a matter of urgency.If Jesus is the Saviour of the world and a person can only know God and find forgiveness and eternal life through Him then this is not an insignificant argument!
Secondly, the essence of Christianity is a relationship with God. Religion is manmade, full of rules and regulations and terrible things have been and are being done because of people's religion.I did not become a Christian because of where I live or because of what my parents believed.In fact they were atheists! I became a Christian because somebody cared enough to share the Gospel with me and I looked into it and finally asked Jesus to be my Saviour.That was nearly forty years ago and I have grown in my relationship with Him ever since.
Rev Andy Kelso
Vicar. Christ Church.
To The Redditch Advertiser In response to Mr Kirwan's letter last week where he belittles Scripture, rubbishes Jesus and presumes to tell us that early Christians were a bunch of dimwitted storytellers, may I point out that whether he likes it or not we still live in this country under a Christian Constitution which for hundreds of years has given us democracy and freedom of speech.This is why people can write what they like about Jesus and the Bible without fear of reprisal.
It is interesting though that it is always Jesus and the Bible that is attacked. If it is all such a myth why bother ?!The truth is that Christianity is based on solid facts, rooted in history, which anyone with an open mind can explore.They will find out that there are over twenty four thousand copies of New Testament manuscripts about Jesus' life,death and teachings going back to within thirty to forty years of the writer's death, backed up by secular historians of the day.By contrast we only have a very few manuscripts of the life of Julius Caesar, the earliest of which is from nine hundred years after his death, but we all believe he existed!The French philospher Voltaire boasted that within one hundred years of his death in 1728 the Bible would disappear completely. In 1778 the Geneva Bible Society took over his house and used his printing presses to print thousands of Bibles! It is still the world's best seller.
The Cross and the Empty Tomb stand in history as facts. The only important issue is how we will respond to Jesus.
Rev Andy Kelso
Christ Church, Matchborough
Dear David Cameron, I am writing to you as the Leader of the Opposition with regard to the deep decline in the U.K which I believe is linked to the betrayal of our Constitution. It is said that abolition of the blasphemy laws will merely allow debate or criticism of the Christian faith. This is not the case as over the years there has been increasing ridicule and blasphemy against Christianity. Jerry Springer the Opera recently centred on humiliating Jesus Christ by casting His character as a sexual deviant. And this is the issue. The target of blasphemers is nearly always the person of Jesus. By abolishing the laws against blasphemy we will see the person of Jesus vilified and humiliated as never before. The hard-line secularists who are pressing for change make clear that abolition of the offence of blasphemy is just one step towards an atheist Britain in which Christianity is swept away. Whilst most M.P’s were debating blasphemy recently, three M.P’s slipped away to put down an Early Day Motion for the disestablishment of the Church of England. We could once pride ourselves on being a Christian nation, with Christian principles underpinning our laws. The Ten Commandments were the foundation of our nation and people knew the boundaries. Our constitution is still Christian. Every monarch since Edgar has been anointed by God to rule in the Name of Christ. On 2nd June 1953 Her Majesty the Queen was asked to make solemn promises. She promised to “maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel”. To reinforce that promise she was given the Bible as “the rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes”. The Queen was presented with the Orb with the words “Receive this Orb set under the Cross and remember that the whole world is subject to the power and Empire of Christ our Redeemer”. Her Majesty’s promise to maintain the Laws of God with the knowledge that Holy Scripture is the rule for Her Majesty’s Government has been broken time and again. To the nation that keeps God’s Law He promises social stability, economic well-being in manufacture, trade and agriculture, a strong family base, an absence of crime, the presence of justice and strength in foreign affairs. By contrast, the nation which rebels against God’s Law will find those areas of life cursed. And this is what we see in our nation. Since the 1950’s the passing of unrighteous laws in the U.K., in breach of her solemn coronation oath, has had exactly the effect prophesied in the Word of God. Laws have been passed in direct contravention to the Ten Commandments, which are God’s Laws for a righteous nation. Parliament at the beginning of every day in session prays to “Almighty God, by whom alone kings reign and princes decree justice, and from whom cometh all wisdom, counsel and understanding.” As soon as the prayer is finished Almighty God is pushed aside whilst the politicians get on legislating in their own authority and wisdom. Now we are on a slippery slope. The constant undermining of our Christian heritage has led to moral and spiritual darkness, because we have rebelled against God and His laws. I urge you to support the Blasphemy Law because if it is abolished the divorce of the Christian faith from the United Kingdom will soon be finalised, as more and more laws once based on Christian principles will be systematically changed until our constitution becomes secular and atheistic. Yours sincerely, Rev. Andy Kelso Dear Archbishop, I’m sure by now you’ve had a lot of correspondence about your comments on the Sharia Law episode. Apart from the fact that it would be ridiculous to allow one group of people to have a different law from the rest of us on some issues, I don’t think you understand the severity of the problem. The spirit behind Islam is one of domination and control. Those who are called fanatical are being true to the Koran. This is no such thing as moderate Islam. The desire of Muslims is the jihadic goal of global Islam. Islamists intend to overthrow our democracy and your comments are meat and drink to them.The evil intent of global Islamic jihadism with its determination to impose Sharia law on subject nations makes it impossible for us to “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (1 Timothy 2: 2) Your call surely is to seek the conversion of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. They all need to hear the life-transforming message of the Gospel. Islam is a false religion leading people into deception and bondage. The Gospel of Jesus is the only Truth that can set people free, and your commission, like mine, is to proclaim that Truth whatever the cost. Only Jesus gave His life for our sin. Muammed didn’t. May I respectfully suggest that you preach the Gospel or step down. Yours sincerely, Rev. Andy Kelso Like so many people in this country I am horrified about what is happening. The list is endless and grows daily. We are finding ourselves to be living in an increasingly fascist state where the government wants to control your life. But we need to face up to the truth as to why we are in this situation and how we can overcome it. Believe it or not our constitution is still Christian. Every monarch since Edgar has been anointed by God to rule in the Name of Christ. At her coronation service in June 1953 the Queen was asked to make solemn promises. She promised to " maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel." To reinforce that promise she was given the Bible as " the rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes." The Queen was presented with the Orb with the words " Receive this Orb set under the Cross and remember that the whole world is subject to the power and Empire of Christ our Redeemer." Her Majesty's promise to maintain the Laws of God with the knowledge that Holy Scipture is the rule for Her Majesty's Government has been broken time and again.
To the nation that keeps God's Law He promises social stability, economic well-being in manufacture, trade and agriculture, a strong family base, an absence of crime, the presence of justice and strength in foreign affairs. By contrast, the nation which rebels against God's Law will find those areas of life cursed. And this is what we see in our nation. Our politicians have failed us as have our Church leaders, especially the Archbishop of Canterbury with his recent idiotic commments on the need for Muslims to have some aspects of their Sharia law here. But the responsibility for the state of our nation rests with each one of us and the only answer to find God's favour again lies in true repentance. Each one of us needs to ask God's forgiveness that as individuals and as a nation we have disobeyed His Laws and turned our backs on Him.
If we would do this then we would know God's blessing again as a nation. Rev Andy Kelso
Vicar. Christ Church, Redditch.
The hypocrisy and incompetence of this government is staggering! The courageous widow of a man kicked to death by thugs in Warrington spoke of the growing violence on our streets and people's despair at what is happening.
Yet our Home Secretary says there is no breakdown in society only tragic events and then admits she wouldn't want to walk on the streets of London at night. Most people in her constituency don't want to walk alone at night but some have to.Then we have Labour's deputy leader stating that we all need to learn the lessons of the terrible crime of Garry Newlove's death. How long will this take?
What hypocrisy! Every cause of Britain's youth violence is the result of this government's failure-24 hour drinking, downgrading of cannabis, lack of police on our streets, an obsession with the human rights of criminals over the rights of victims, and an undermining of the family and family values.
Only when enough ministers and MP's are mugged or kicked to death will we really see any radical legislation.
Rev Andy Kelso
Vicar. Christ Church, Redditch.
At last a Bishop in the Church of England is willing to speak out! Dr Nazir-Ali voices what many know to be true that Islamic extremists are taking advantage of our politically correct government's policy on muticulturalism. There ARE no-go areas in England for non-Muslims and militant Muslims will not be satisfied until their flag flies over Downing Street and public calls for prayer are broadcast from every mosque in every town and city in the land.By the way, the Islamic call to prayer is an extolling of Islam, Allah and Muhammad above all else which is hardly on a par with the ringing of church bells! To say such things is not racism or whipping up hatred against Muslims, which is the constant response from the Muslim Council of Britain, but pure fact. Militant Islam has a strategy for world domination and we are a soft touch. Unless more leaders like Dr Nazir-Ali speak out and the government acts we will find our democracy and our heritage taken over. Rev Andy Kelso
Vicar. Christ Church, Redditch.
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