What makes Jair “God above everything” Bolsonaro a far-right politician?
Those stupid people have gone and done it again. Not content with Brexit, Trump and Orbán, or the rise of the National Front, Alternative for Germany, Golden Dawn or the…
Liberalism
Decriminalising abortion: Labour abandons the Catholic vote
A few weeks ago the Liberal Democrats deselected one of their candidates. Robert Flello, a practising Roman Catholic (and so opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage) was ditched just 36 hours after being selected because "his values diverge from ours",…
BBC Newsnight provides a pulpit for the myth of secular neutrality
"The best guarantee of religious tolerance is a well-organised secular state... there is a higher authority; it's called the law," proclaimed author Ian McEwan on the BBC's 'Newsnight', in a…
Bishop of Liverpool slams ‘so-called Evangelicals’, and so condemns himself
The term 'Evangelical' as applied to Christians has a long and well-chronicled heritage. In 1525, William Tyndale explained in his Doctrinal Treatises (p8): "Evangelion (that which we call the gospel)…
Why didn’t the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum speak up for Tim Farron?
Former LibDem leader Tim Farron delivered the Theos Annual Lecture last night, entitled: 'What Kind of Liberal Society Do We Want?' The whole speech is worth reading, because it is…
Abortion: people are becoming more pro-life – despite the liberal media hegemony
When Jacob Rees-Mogg was interviewed by Piers Morgan and asked for his views on abortion, he was condemned, stigmatised, mocked and reviled for opposing it in all circumstances – even…
Mawer, Percy, and the See of Sheffield: what if Conservative politicians had supported Philip North?
Sir Philip Mawer's report on the circumstances surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North to the See of Sheffield makes interesting reading, in particular what it means for the 'mutual…
Archbishop’s political adviser role advertised exclusively in Guardian and Economist
In the continuous stream of church life, things occasionally niggle. Some are easily shaken off with the passing of time, but others recur like an irritating charismatic leitmotif, keeping alive…
CofE General Sex Synod 2017: not one question about the Persecuted Church
Over the past few months Christians in the village of Jalalabad in Ghazipur District, India, where temperatures frequently soar to 40°C, have had their water supply cut to force them…
It’s not that Christians can’t lead political parties; it’s that Evangelical Christians can’t lead the Liberal Democrats
"To be a political leader...and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible's teaching, has felt impossible for me," said Tim Farron as he resigned as…
Michael Gove sugar-coats Jesus and preaches fake good news
This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, former Chaplain to the Queen, who is presently in the (complicated) process of leaving the Church of England. ___________________________…
Vegetarianism a protected belief? How can a quango ignore the will of Parliament?
At the end of last year, without much fanfare, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued Religion or belief: a guide to the law. It's the helpful kind of…
“Not very presidential”? That’s precisely why Donald Trump is now President of the United States
When Barack Obama spoke, it was the voice of a god. He intoned overtures of conciliation, his themes were honoured; his words raised the hopes of the world. He was,…
A female Bishop of London “to make a statement”?
The Rt Rev'd Dr Richard Chartres retires as Bishop of London in February (he will be greatly missed - 'Peer Now!'), and according to the Times (..hold loosely..): Bishop Chartres…
Bishop of Burnley: CofE’s agenda is set by academia, moneyed elites, and sections of the secular media
The Rt Rev'd Philip North, Bishop of Burnley, decided to celebrate his 50th birthday with a splash in the Church Times, which has become a veritable flash in the Daily…
Martyn Percy: Justin Welby “is preparing the ground for a complete volte-face on human sexuality”
Here follows Martyn Percy's response to Adrian Hilton's second letter on 'Renewal & Reform' and the ministry and leadership of Justin Welby. It was a simultaneous exchange with Hilton's third…
Good Disagreement: report fellow Christians to the police for daring to disagree
It isn't entirely clear what happened to 1 Corinthians 6 in the Christian pursuit of Good Disagreement. It appears that if certain liberal/progressive Christians disagree with conservative/traditionalist ones, they think…
Same-sex marriage/blessing confronts Church of England with "a structural flaw of fatal proportions"
We have reached Chapter 5 in the great Anglican sexuality saga: 'Church of England parishes consider first step to break away over sexuality'. It isn't clear what the dénouement…
The great canon doctor Martyn Percy implicates Justin Welby in "secular sorcery"
"Everything you need to know about the Bible can be summed up by the great canon doctor Martyn Percy: 'The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven.'," writes…
Ukip's "positive vision" for British Islam: ban all Muslim schools
Ukip has a Muslim problem, which is fine if they're not particularly concerned about courting the Muslim vote, but not fine if it leads to the formulation of policies…