Three Lords, Lord Shaftsbury, Lord Jesus & Lord of the Flies

This week we discuss the life of Lord Shaftsbury, a 19^th Century Tory MP and evangelical Christian, who reformed the Law around insanity. Making it harder for people (mostly men) sending their wives to an asylum to get them out of the way. He also led a campaign to outlaw child labour in mines and factories, limiting working to 10 hours for children in mines. He led the campaign for all children to be educated in the UK, which then was exported around the world. Amazing that most people have never heard of him, I wonder why?

It is the feast of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, where Mary is purified after Jesus’ birth. We get side tracked talking about why women were secluded out of society for 40 days after birth and why this was done. We then talk about the meaning of the presentation of Jesus as the light of the world.

Finally we discuss the Book / Film Lord of the Flies, where children are marooned on a Island with no adult and kill each other and form a brutal society. Is this what humans actually are or are we good and evil?

For more about Lord Shaftsbury see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Ashley-Cooper,_7th_Earl_of_Shaftesbury

For more on the Presentation of Jesus see Luke 2

For more on Lord of the Flies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies

To watch the 1990 version of the film see ITV X