Tuesday, January 6, 2009

New "Cure for cancer" comes to Tonbridge....

There is a report on the front page of today's Courier about the development of the River Centre Church in Medway Wharf Road. Tonbridge blog is certainly not anti-Church but finds some of the implications in the language used by Rupert Foxwell, the church's pastor, as somewhat disturbing to say the least. According to the report, Mr. Foxwell thinks that he can make his church and indeed Tonbridge itself a "cancer free zone." Presumably he aims to achieve this by installing sophisticated medical equipment in the centre or by employing a team of specialist doctors and consultants. WRONG! He intends to cure the chronically sick by the simple method of placing a hand upon them! Call me cynical but surely that would make them feel good for a few hours at best; although, that said, maybe giving them some hope is better than no hope. I'm also disturbed that he thinks that the answer to the problems of the town's youths is to turn them to the church and to invite them to come and study for a year. This, he thinks, will give them renewed hope and a sense of purpose; but then so would taking up a sport, or going on a long walking holiday, or following a football team or getting a decent job or even a new boyfriend or girl friend. I'm sorry but telling people that all of life's answers lay in following God United has another name for it: indoctrination. The building may end up looking beautiful in the heart of the town, and frankly any new development can only be good for our languishing town centre, but I'm sorry to disappoint you children of Tonbridge, that doesn't make ex-merchant banker and solicitor Rupert Fox's way forward the right path....

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