Comments on: Dublin zeitgeist http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/ A Church of Ireland Rector in rural Leinster Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:33:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ian Poulton http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3093 Ian Poulton Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:42:51 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3093 Ah, I'm in grand form. I used to get newsletters from time to time from a world development group based in Kerry. I always had a great fondness for the place, meeting my wife at Aghadoe in 1981. Ah, I’m in grand form.

I used to get newsletters from time to time from a world development group based in Kerry.

I always had a great fondness for the place, meeting my wife at Aghadoe in 1981.

]]> By: kerryview http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3091 kerryview Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:19:20 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3091 Yes, you are right. Down here there is great affinity with Africa. And some with Orlando too..:). Good to see you end on a positive note! Yes, you are right. Down here there is great affinity with Africa. And some with Orlando too..:).

Good to see you end on a positive note!

]]> By: Ian Poulton http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3087 Ian Poulton Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:44:13 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3087 Being a reformist and Fabian gradualist, rather than a revolutionary, Niebuhr is helpful. Revolutionaries create a last situation worse than the first and then throw up their hands. Changing the things you can change means keeping plugging away at a local level. The move is one which is compelled by the promotion of my wife - but may present opportunities for a new platform for change. There is huge support in the country for overseas development work, something with which I am involved at central church level. Being a reformist and Fabian gradualist, rather than a revolutionary, Niebuhr is helpful. Revolutionaries create a last situation worse than the first and then throw up their hands. Changing the things you can change means keeping plugging away at a local level.

The move is one which is compelled by the promotion of my wife – but may present opportunities for a new platform for change. There is huge support in the country for overseas development work, something with which I am involved at central church level.

]]> By: kerryview http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3086 kerryview Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:16:19 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3086 I presume you are not referring to the AA version. Moving on, you have sold your soul for a mess of potage, or a battered 4x4 as you say. I cannot criticise you too much, for I am not 100 miles away from your vision. The difference is that I am not a man of the cloth. I do feel you should stand up for your beliefs. The honourable solution is retirement. How many teachers, lecturers, priests end their days in quiet anonymity, simply because they found out that they really could not change things. All was different in the heady idealist slightly socialist years of their early career. I have always thought, supected, wondered (I can't find the word) that Niebuhr's prayer is slighlty existential, slightly stoic, but, to me, ultimately depressing. Anyway, I just know that you will fit in very well in your rural idyll, and that you will enjoy it immensely. Ciao papa. I presume you are not referring to the AA version. Moving on, you have sold your soul for a mess of potage, or a battered 4×4 as you say. I cannot criticise you too much, for I am not 100 miles away from your vision. The difference is that I am not a man of the cloth. I do feel you should stand up for your beliefs. The honourable solution is retirement. How many teachers, lecturers, priests end their days in quiet anonymity, simply because they found out that they really could not change things. All was different in the heady idealist slightly socialist years of their early career.
I have always thought, supected, wondered (I can’t find the word) that Niebuhr’s prayer is slighlty existential, slightly stoic, but, to me, ultimately depressing.
Anyway, I just know that you will fit in very well in your rural idyll, and that you will enjoy it immensely.
Ciao papa.

]]> By: Ian Poulton http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3080 Ian Poulton Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:57:03 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3080 I'm off in fulfilment of Niebuhr's 'Serenity Prayer'. A battered old 4x4 and a pair of wellies and the Promised Land will have been reached. I’m off in fulfilment of Niebuhr’s ‘Serenity Prayer’.

A battered old 4×4 and a pair of wellies and the Promised Land will have been reached.

]]> By: kerryview http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3078 kerryview Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:03:20 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3078 Ian, you can only speak for yourself. But in your current position, a churchman, it becomes you to take some sort of stand or issues - whether they be spiritual or earthly. What kind of life would you be leading if Jesus said 'eff it, no-one is listening' ? It almost looks as if you are reconciled to a life as a country priest, Irish Times, tea and shortbread. Onward christian soldiers. Come on! Best foot forward! (Left foot, of course!) Ian, you can only speak for yourself. But in your current position, a churchman, it becomes you to take some sort of stand or issues – whether they be spiritual or earthly. What kind of life would you be leading if Jesus said ‘eff it, no-one is listening’ ?
It almost looks as if you are reconciled to a life as a country priest, Irish Times, tea and shortbread.
Onward christian soldiers. Come on! Best foot forward! (Left foot, of course!)

]]> By: bette http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3074 bette Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:48:11 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3074 several days ago I got a couple of good slaps on the wrist from my managers at work for voicing (very carefully) some of the concerns and difficulties caused by economic problems, directlly to them, instead of wasting time listening to everyone moaning to each other in the staff rooms and study centres. Actually I had been listening to it for weeks and it was going nowhere. By this Thursday I had been 'joined' by three others, two of whom reiterated what I had stated a week earlier. This made the managment take a little nore notice and issue two statements clarifying some of the issues. Okay, 4 people aren't going to change the world - but we have brought the problems into the open. I have had a very difficult two weeks - but at least I stood up to be counted. several days ago I got a couple of good slaps on the wrist from my managers at work for voicing (very carefully) some of the concerns and difficulties caused by economic problems, directlly to them, instead of wasting time listening to everyone moaning to each other in the staff rooms and study centres. Actually I had been listening to it for weeks and it was going nowhere. By this Thursday I had been ‘joined’ by three others, two of whom reiterated what I had stated a week earlier. This made the managment take a little nore notice and issue two statements clarifying some of the issues. Okay, 4 people aren’t going to change the world – but we have brought the problems into the open. I have had a very difficult two weeks – but at least I stood up to be counted.

]]> By: Ian Poulton http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3072 Ian Poulton Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:36:14 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3072 I've been at meetings where I've been told by people in advance they supported me - then there has been a deathly silence from them when the arguments began. I would never now claim to speak for anyone but myself. I’ve been at meetings where I’ve been told by people in advance they supported me – then there has been a deathly silence from them when the arguments began. I would never now claim to speak for anyone but myself.

]]> By: kerryview http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3070 kerryview Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:54:47 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3070 ahhh Ian!! chin up!! If anyone was part of the establishment it's a clergyman. Unless that clergyman is Peter McVerry or the Ayatollah. The Times never publish my lettters either - so what. We're all behind you. How far back I will leave you to judge. ahhh Ian!! chin up!! If anyone was part of the establishment it’s a clergyman. Unless that clergyman is Peter McVerry or the Ayatollah. The Times never publish my lettters either – so what.
We’re all behind you. How far back I will leave you to judge.

]]> By: Ian Poulton http://www.forthefainthearted.com/2010/01/22/dublin-zeitgeist/comment-page-1/#comment-3071 Ian Poulton Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:32:21 +0000 http://www.forthefainthearted.com/?p=4226#comment-3071 I spend a lot of my time making points - I am beginning to think it correlates with never ever getting any promotion. I spend a lot of my time making points – I am beginning to think it correlates with never ever getting any promotion.

]]>