Aha - Stephen

Christmastide and the festival of the Theotokos reminds us all in the dear Old Church of England that Stephen is our proto-martyr and deacon, if he is one of the hoi eptoi of Acts 6 which few deny nowadays in up to date scholarship. More importantly Stephen Hawking is discovering what martyrdom is presently, now that he has denied that absolute event horizons really do exist around black holes as was thought to be the case in some of the more fanta-scienza moments of modern astronomy, with all the geeks and nerds cheering it all on back at base at Nasa. Something like our own church too where black holes have existed from time to time, like expensive back room clergy, swallowing up huge reserves, or like the building maintenance funds of various dioceses, where really the state should be funding all the repairs to these national monuments such as cathedrals if not parish churches. After all if it is a state church and they wish to keep it that way, the state should cough up the funding. Why should vicars spend their days and nights worrying about funds? A german tax relief system might be a good way forward in Britain - 10% of one's 20% of income tax to go to a charity of one's choice and so on. That way everybody is happy - After all in a new age now that the War on Terror is over and the Cold War gone, the peace dividend should mean no more higher tax rates. V - coe.