Smart Meter Facts

Smart meters are currently being promoted, but what are they and should you go for one just yet?

1. Smart meters replace the electricity and gas meters you already have, and send meter readings direct to your supplier. They also wirelessly connect to a small at-home display showing your energy consumption.

2. You don't have to have one, but will be offered one at some point.

3. You won't be among the early group being offered a smart meter if you have poor mobile phone coverage or use a pre-pay meter or Economy 7 meter.

4. What saves the most money is switching supplier. While you can still switch with a smart meter, you will probably lose a lot of the smart abilities because SMETS-1 type meters use normal mobile broadband from an internal SIM.

5. However, SMETS-2 meters (planned to be introduced soon) will use a secure national network  called DCC to which all providers have access - so there won't be a problem switching.

Verdict: Wait for SMETS-2 meters.

Source: 10 July 2018 UK Smart Meters report (the-ambient,com)

Church of England in 2014

State of the Church of England 2014

Published in Church Times, issues 31 Jan and 7, 14 and 28 Feb. 2014

33% of the British population identify as C of E or Anglican. Over all age-groups, the C of E remains the largest single religion or denomination. Almost half of those over 60 are Anglicans, but only one in ten for those in their twenties. The numbers identifying as RC are steady (2014) but probably boosted by migration. Orthodox churches are growing but are only 1% of total church attendance.

Church attendance. Of those identifying as Anglican, 83% only attend occasionally. Just 17% are attenders, half attend weekly (unless something stops them) and half attend less regularly (go if nothing stops them).

Anglican identity is not being transmitted to the next generation, but the drop is so rapid that it seems that older people dis-identify with the C of E at some stage in life. Belief in God is also declining but not as fast; people cease to belong or identify with the Church. Many Christians practise personal spirituality but rarely attend church.

Values. There is a gap between wider social values (the status and treatment of women, gay people and children) and the Church’s official teachings resulting in a gulf in values between the over-60s and the under-50s. There is another gap, with most people in Britain being centre-right and Anglicans even further right, while the Church’s teaching is further left of both. The C of E is both more left wing politically and more conservative in morals, and both more paternalistic and more puritanical. When the church speaks on social issues it often does not represent the views of the laity.

Some trends are encouraging. There is growth in Pentecostal churches, immigrant churches, and larger churches (especially in London). Initiatives such as Messy Church, Fresh Expressions, ‘informal churches’, church planting hubs, ‘youth church grown up’, ‘deconstructed churches’, ‘churches on the margins’, ‘context-shaped churches’ and some urban areas. It is not clear whether their success will continue.

The liturgy of Common Worship may be a barrier. Some value its comfort and reassurance, while others dislike it (wanting either Common Prayer or conversely something less traditional and more freeform).

In 2014, there were more than 28,000 licensed ministers, of whom two-thirds receive no stipend. The fall has been greatest among men, partially offset by a 40% rise in female full-time stipendiary clergy. The decline in stipendiary clergy has been off-set by non-stipendiary clergy, which rose between 2002 and 2007 but is now in decline. The majority of full-time Anglican clergy is now aged over 50. Fewer than 100 full-time stipendiary clergy are under 30 and only one in five is a woman. Women are concentrated in non-stipendiary ministry, and more than half of NSMs are women. Retirement and death does not account for all the loss of clergy; some leave ministry (reason why and new employment not known). The number of people in religious orders is now small: 402 in 2014 (down from 641 in 2002).

Lay people still run a great deal of church activities: youth work, prayer ministry, hospital visiting, home groups and school ministry (e.g. Open the Book). Those doing most are Generation A (born in the 1920s and 1930s) who regularly staff open churches, clean, arrange flowers, catering, rotas, etc. Churches are active in setting up foodbanks.

The five most common points of contact are: funerals, visits to cathedrals or historic churches, weddings, Christmas services and christenings. Regular worship is in sixth place. For over-60s the top three are funerals, regular services and cathedrals, while for those 18-39 it is funerals, cathedrals and weddings. There is growing public interest in activities that involve participation in history – choirs, pilgrimages and mystery plays. While funerals, weddings and baptisms remain significant points of contact, their popularity is waning; these occasions are now increasingly marked in individual and customised ways.

Linda Woodhead has suggested that that the C of E might rethink itself as a religious franchise offering the following branches: the cathedral group with a commitment to history and ritual, the heart of community – largely rural congregations, the Alpha group for Evangelical congregations, the faith-first group committed to Biblical authority with strong links to Anglican and other churches, especially in Africa, the justice and peace group focusing on social issues, and open church for spiritual seekers and doubters. She also proposed that all Church property (churches and clergy housing) be put into an independent not-for-profit trust. The branches outlined above could rent back what they need on favourable terms. The parochial system will die a natural death. The whole C of E pension fund and liability can be passed on to an independent provider. A reduced number of dioceses would each have a college of bishops whose members represent the branches Two archbishops are a symbolic focus for religion and society, and stand for the whole church. The monarch continues to be the Supreme Governor of an essentially lay-led church.

END

Lawyers' Festive Greeting

Here's a fun take on how lawyers might wish you a happy Christmas.

Festive Greetings,

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

In addition, please also accept our best wishes for a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2011, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make this country great (not to imply that this country is necessarily greater than any other country or area of choice), and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual orientation of the wishers.

This wish is limited to the customary and usual good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first. 'Holiday' is not intended to, nor shall it be considered, limited to the usual Judeo-Christian celebrations or observances, or to such activities of any organized or ad hoc religious community, group, individual or belief (or lack thereof).

Note: By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. This greeting is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. This greeting implies no promise by the wisher actually to implement any of the wishes for the wisher her/himself or others, or responsibility for the consequences which may arise from the implementation or non-implementation of it.

This greeting is void where prohibited by law.

Source: not known.

Religion, Intelligence and Education

Religion and Intelligence: an evolutionary analysis by Edward Dutton

Ulster Institute for Social Research, 2014

Notes from an article in the Church Times, 30 May 2014

His work combined findings from a number of independent studies (meta-analysis) which show a weak but significant negative correlation between ‘religiousness’ and ‘intelligence’. Atheists have higher IQs than liberal religious, who have higher IQs than conservative religious. Religious people also score lower on proxies for intelligence (e.g. being highly educated). Fervent advocacy of any ideology (religion, Marxism, multi-culturism, conservative nationalism) is associated with low intelligence.

Intelligence is defined as the ability to solve problems quickly. It is linked to levels of education, socio-economic status, salary, health, criminality (negatively) and future orientation, amongst others. It is measured by IQ tests, which are not culturally biased.

Religiousness is c. 44% genetic, while religious conversion is c. 65% genetic. In people with pronounced personality traits (which are c. 50% genetic), these can overwhelm their intelligence. Religious academics and unintelligent atheists both arise from personality overwhelming intelligence.

There are five main personality characteristics: (1) Extra-version: experiencing positive feelings strongly; (2) Neuroticism: experiencing negative feelings strongly; (3) Conscientiousness: impulse control; (4) Agreeableness: altruism and (5) Openness-intellect: intellectual curiosity, creativity, hypnotisability, unusual psychological experiences. These have important implications. Very high extraversion predicts obesity and alcoholism, while very high neuroticism is linked with depression.

ED found religiousness weakly related to being agreeable or conscientious. Neuroticism is linked with periodic bouts of religious fervour or unusual religiosity. Openness and neuroticism are linked with both educational success and temporary religiousness, and likely to be set off by factors such as uncertainty and social exclusion (e.g. at top universities, far from home and under pressure to succeed). Post-graduates are generally less religious than undergraduates, PhD students less religious still. The most successful academics (e.g. Nobel Prize winners) were least religious of all.

ED found that compared with the general population, academics are agreeable, conscientious, open, neurotic and intelligent. Highly original thinkers have very high openness-intellect and neuroticism and relatively low agreeableness and conscientiousness, so less likely to care if new ideas offend and more likely to reject orthodox ways of doing things (offices tend to be chaotic, dress sense embarrassing, difficult to live with). The aggression of some atheists suggest ideological fervour is linked with low agreeableness and conscientiousness, high neuroticism and low intelligence; in comparison with Christians they would have similar IQs but be nasty, have poor emotional control and be mentally unstable.

Christians are likely to have very high agreeableness, conscientiousness and, perhaps, openness and neuroticism. They are likely to make better friends and partners than non-religious people when intelligence is taken into account. It is possible that religiousness (c. 44% genetic) was selected for in pre-history because people liked the characteristics associated with it.

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Could this theory explain why:

(a) Roman Catholicism and Islam are strongest in poor communities with little education.

(b) Countries with higher levels of education are the least religious

Source: Church Times, 30 May 2014

Risk Taking and Novelty Seeking Genes

Neanderthals carried a gene called DRD4-7R forty thousand years ago. This gene is associated with risk taking and sensation seeking; always seeking but never satisfied.

A similar gene exists in 10% of the current human population and this 10% are more likely to be addicts. In fact, what kept humans progressing through evolution was this quest for novelty.

Entrepreneurs get us addicted to devices with constant updates and new features. Both substance (hard drugs) and behavioural (sex, shopping, etc.) addictions involve the release of dopamine - the brain's reward system.

With constant 'rushes' of dopamine, the brain decides to stop releasing dopamine, so you don't get the same buzz, and need more dopamine to get the same kick. And if you don't get it, you are left with the craving, in some cases leading to even more harmful addictions (e.g. cocaine).

Source: How to be human by Ruby Wax. Penguin Life, 2018