Posted on 03/07/2006 12:06:20 PM PST by Stoat
Vicar can't believe in God | |||||||||||||||||
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By JOHN COLES A VICAR whose daughter was killed in the 7/7 bombings has quit as she cannot forgive the Islamic terrorists who carried out the attacks. The Rev Julie Nicholson has been unable to return to the pulpit since her 24-year-old daughter Jenny died on the Circle Line Tube train blown up at Edgware Road in London. Now the 52-year-old has given up her post in the parish of St Aidan with St George, Bristol, because she cannot balance her faith with her feelings towards the bombers.
She says: I rage that a human being could choose to take another humans life. I rage that someone should do this is the name of a God. I am hugely offended that someone should take my daughter in the name of a religion or a God. I certainly dont have any sense of compassion. Can I forgive them for what they did? No I cannot. And I dont wish to. I say the name of my daughters murderer every day. I believe there are some things in life which are unforgiveable by the human spirit.
She continues: All my understanding of what it means to be a priest is peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. It is very difficult for me to stand behind an altar and celebrate the Eucharist, Communion and lead people in words of peace and reconciliation and forgiveness when I feel very far from that myself. I will leave potential forgiveness for whatever is after this life. I will leave that in Gods hands. Bishop of Bristol Mike Hill, a personal friend of Julie, says he understands how her faith has been tested. He adds: These situations in life shake the faith of everybody because they immediately bring into focus the why question. Unfortunately, there is no simple Elastoplast answer to that question.
Jenny was killed by suicide bomber Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30, as she made her way to work at a music publishing company. Her last known phone call was to her dad Gregg from Paddington station minutes before the bombing. The gifted singer and pianist had recently moved to Reading, Berks, with her boyfriend James White after completing a masters degree in music at Bristol University. Her mother and father, who works for BAE Systems, were on holiday in Anglesey, North Wales, at the time of the outrage. Julie was too distraught to speak at her daughters funeral at Bristol Cathedral in August but the Rt Rev Hill made her anger clear.
He told the 1,000 mourners: There are few human words that can adequately express what we feel about people who indiscriminately carry out apparent acts of senseless violence against innocent civilian populations and, unbelievably, do so in the name of God. Such delusion, such evil is impossible for us to begin to comprehend. Julie, who has another daughter, Lizzie, 22, and a son Tom, 16, went on extended compassionate leave after Jennys death and has been unable to return to work. Churchgoers are disappointed yet support her decision to quit. Sales manager James Wray, 35, said: When she arrived she had so much conviction and confidence.
Words cannot describe the hurt she and her family must have felt when they lost Jenny. She will always be in our thoughts and prayers and we hope Julie will come back to see us. She has a great many friends here. Rev Julie had taken up her job in 2004. She was previously a curate at St Marys in Henbury, Bristol, where Jenny was head chorister. She is now taking up a role on a church-backed community youth project. John Lloyd, spokesman for the Bishop of Bristol, said: The Rev Julie Nicholson has indeed left the parish of St Aidan with St George. She will continue to work with a diocesan community youth project involving the arts. This new post will combine her theological and artistic ambitions and it is a natural extension of her work in the Church. She was given extended leave of absence and received great support from the diocese but she decided this particular project is something she is keen to be involved in. Julie has been filming a religious programme for the BBC. The Easter special will feature people in similar circumstances to herself to see how they have coped with the bombings and how it has affected their faith. Her comments were made in an interview with BBC Bristol for their Inside Out current affairs programme. |
I will pray for her.
It's incredibly sad and tragic to see people hold their faith during good times, but when things turn dark, painful and agonizing, they turn their back on faith and walk away. She needs gentle support to eventually return. She does not need people throwing barbs and judging her.
why am I not surprised she doesn't know these things?
I don't know why you're so uncompassionate about very real human doubt and frailty in the face of terrible grief. Why don't you tell us?
An understandable pitfall in a me-centered world.
We expect things to go well, and blame God when they don't. I don't see anything in the Bible that promises a life full of blessings and good fortune. That fits more with false gods like Allah.
This world is not our home, and to think of it as such is to deceive ourselves.
Nonsense.
She's still active in the church, she merely no longer feels she can serve as pastor and preach forgiveness as she struggles with it. I think the headline misrepresents what was in the story.
It is a sad story indeed. But, we must not despair over our losses. We must honor our dead for the good they did. These crimes were done TO us, not caused BY us. None die without meaning in this war. We should not be trying yet to issue forgiveness to the enemy who would slit your throat out of an insane religious perversion. The enemy must learn that righteousness will ultimately prevail, not murder of innocents. When the lesson is learned it will be time for forgiving, but not before.
john 3:3 Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God."
You're right. Religion is a very dangerous thing--and has only a superficial relationship with faith.
"As far as the earth is above the earth, so are my ways above your ways, saith the Lord".
Nonsense.
I'm betting you are right. We should pray so anyway.
Muleteam1
I'd go even father and cite Mark 16:16:
"Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved, but those who do not shall be damned".
Unless one is born again (with water), in addition to belief, one is lost. Jews, Muslims, Buddhists cannot fathom this unless they first believe and follow through.
It is hard, but we must try to remember how fleeting and unimportant this world really is.
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Nonsense."
Forgive me that, given the screen name you chose, I find it ironic to the point of tragic comedy that you mock the most essential truth of life.
I didn't see where she said she didn't believe in God.
I read her saying that she couldn't forgive the attackers, and didn't feel she could stand up there and preach forgiveness from the altar when she can't bring herself to do it. Therefore, she stepped away from preaching.
It says she's working on something else within the Church.
Where did it say she says she "Can't believe in God"?
I read that she found that she can't bring herself to OBEY what she believes God commanded, having doubts about the command. Seems to me that she does not want to be a hypocrite. That's a different thing than not believing in God.
Actually, it's belief in God, but recognition of one's own limitations.
"A man's got to know his limitations." - Dirty Harry
Anger is a stage in the grieving process.
If she believed in the God of the Bible, she would understand that our sufferings are well, rather predictible. Not to be glib about hers...it is dreadful. But seems that she should find consolation in that the fact that her suffering is perfectly consistent with the God of the Bible.
The headline doesn't match the story, though. The lady feels unable to function as a Christian priest, because her personal feelings were getting in the way. Nowhere does it say she lost her faith in God, or in Christianity.
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Thanks for your wise counsel.
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