Over the last few weeks we have heard a lot about a Sudanese Christian woman, Meriam Ibrahim, jailed and sentenced to lashes and to death for her alleged apostasy of Islam. Some in the media claimed she had been a victim of jealousy as a successful entrepreneur; others thought she became an object of a power struggle between different political…
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Almost on a weekly basis we can hear about medical developments or discoveries that will eradicate particular illnesses or minimise the likelihood of catching them, or reducing their impact on us. Arguably people now live longer on average, and their relatively good condition allows them to enjoy their lives. It seems we are closing in on the moment, when the…
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As my car had temporarily become a bit unreliable I decided to spend my day-off walk locally. Last year I’d walked westward along the coast, so this time the opposite direction was a pretty obvious choice. I headed down to the former Buckpool Harbour and from there followed The Moray Coast Trail, running between Forres and Cullen. Initially it seemed…
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At the beginning of the Scottish leg of my priestly career, I was talking to a local man at a reception. In our casual, informal chat I shared my general views on the British and their habits. The first sentence I heard after I’d stopped was: ‘Father, I’m Scottish, not British.’ At that time it was a surprising declaration for…
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I had two options regarding my day off: not to go to any new place because of the forecast, or to go somewhere I’d already been to, but with good weather predicted. After too many days off missed I chose the latter. I decided to climb two hills I’d climbed as my first in the Cairngorms, but this time during…