Bradley R.E Wright
“Guess what? You don’t have to believe statistics! The Bible commands us to love others unconditionally, but this applies to people not statistics. With statistics, we should be everything we shouldn’t be with people, cranky, sceptical, and critical. With statistics, acceptance should be earned, not freely given.”P218
(There is a funny anecdote just under that quote also!)
I am, neither a sociologist, nor a statistician but I am a farmer so give me credit for a little commonsense. When we listen to the weather report each day we expect the BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) to get the forecast generally accurate. We at least take the BOM with ‘a grain of salt’. So why is it that when we engage with the media, both secular and Christian, in their reporting of statistics, we suddenly trust them (i.e. the media) to be explicitly accurate and even prophetic. Ignoring the very point that sensation sells.
“CaHFH etc…” has the mix of humour, candour and perspicuity which allows the forceful nature of the rebuke to be effective yet without that over-bearing and dreadful negativity which permeates some books written to chastise the Christian church.
In my opinion Brad Wright’s book is …, well …, just …, right!
Rather than pontificating about what Brad Wright writes, go and buy it! I found my copy in the ½ price bin. That is actually a real sad statistic and a more dire social commentary; considering the plethora of [bad word] that was in the Christian Bookshop. (The [bad word] books should have been in the ½ price bin; or, in the other more appropriate receptacle.)
What did I get from the “CaHFH etc…”?
- I should have taken Sociology and statistics at university – (it may have been fun?!?)
- I must do a much better job of research when using statistics for sermon preparation! (I check email virus warnings before I pass them on so why not statistics or polls.)
- Use my commonsense a bit more often. (Perhaps Commonsense isn’t that common after all)
- I will just ignore the data and get on with the Great Commission (Message to self -I will still read the data – I just won’t start hyperventilating or get apoplexy over it. I will start praying about the actual situation behind the data a whole lot more)
- There is a much deeper side to this book and it will take a rather long time to think through all the ramifications.
If you are of that strange, quirky bent that enjoys looking at statistics and trends, all the while sifting the ‘stats’ through you ‘commonsense’ filter and realising that 1 + 1 does not equal a Tamarind Tree then “CaHFH etc…” is the book for you.
However, more important is that if you are not that sort of person, and especially if you are in some measure a leader of persons, then this book is a must read!
Oh! It is funny!
PS. It is much easier to ‘take a whipping’ from someone who loves you; than from a bad-toothed pirate with one peg-leg and an eye on stealing your treasure! – Thanks Brad.
Buy it on Amazon
