Consider, if you will the sermon that Stephen gave — or his defence against blasphemy, if you will. He is accusing the council of ignoring Jesus as their ancestors ignored Moses.

But to say to the rulers at that time — who were all proud that they were sons of Israel and kept the Law of Moses — that the very ancestors who they saw as their justification rebelled and rejected the law was unthinkable. Unspeakable. Blasphemy.

In rage, Stephen was stoned.

Acts 7.

30“Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.’35“It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people as he raised me up.’ 38He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us. 39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’

via Daily Lectionary Readings — Devotions and Readings — Mission and Ministry — GAMC.

If we, like Stephen, argue that the main aim in life is to glorify God, then we will at times think and say that which is unthinkable. You are not allowed to mention things. And if there is data supporting your position, you must disavow the data. From the O’herald

While Alasdair Thompson has issued an “unreserved and unqualified” apology for suggesting women’s periods affect their productivity in the workforce, figures show there is just 1.6 days annual difference between that taken by men and women working in the public service.

The figures were based on data in the State Services Commission’s Human Resources Capability Study and show that in 2010 men took on average 6.8 days sick and domestic leave annually while women took 8.4 days.

Um, that is a difference of 1.6 days. If that happens, you must appeal to a secular deity to explain it.

The figures showing the actual differences in time taken were released by the Public Service Association and national secretary Brenda Pilott said that given that the majority of responsibility for children and other family members falls on women, she was surprised there was n0t a larger difference in the amount of days taken.

Now, as a Solo Dad, I am unsurprised by the assumption that Ms Pillot has that women do the child care. Not the case here — but the theology of feminism requires that this is said. (Yes, she is making assumptions based on sex. Not OK for Mr Thompson, because he is white, male, and an employer. Is OK for Ms Pillot, because she belongs to two protected minorities –  women and unionists).

All this can lead us to get distracted from what we are called to do. Be witnesses, and glorify God. Witnesses tell the truth. And part of the pattern of rebellion is that the truth must be kept silent.