The abuse and intimidation of members of the CofE’s General Synod
There is a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament today led by Simon Hart MP on the abuse and intimidation of candidates and the public in UK elections. A briefing pack…
Bullying
Prison chaplains may no longer convict offenders of sin: preaching must be ‘sensitive’
Remember the case of the Rev'd Barry Trayhorn, the 'tent-maker' (gardener) volunteer prison chaplain at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire? Being an ordained minister in the Pentecostal Church, he quoted Scripture (1Cor 6:9-11) during a prison church service he was leading.…
Discrimination and discernment: an exercise in relativist supremacy
This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, former Chaplain to the Queen. ___________________________ In the great amphitheatre of Twitter a gladiatorial combat recently took place between…
Philip North crisis: ‘Good Disagreement’ has become ‘bad bullying’
This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, former Chaplain to the Queen. ___________________________ When the house that has been painstakingly constructed on the sand falls flat,…
Safespacing the Church: revising doctrine to suit mental health
Mental health matters, right? Yes, of course it does. And the Church of England is right to focus on this often-neglected area of human flourishing and wellbeing, with speeches in…
Martyn Percy: the Church of England is being “reformed by bankers.. theology is ruthlessly excluded.. populism and narcissism are in the ascendancy”
Following Martyn Percy's first letter and Adrian Hilton's response, here is Martyn Percy's response to Adrian Hilton's first letter: Dear Adrian, Thanks for your letter, which gave me plenty to…
Which is worse in a presidential candidate – dirty words about sexual assault or conspiring to conceal rape?
Donald Trump is a vain, obnoxious, arrogant, lying, bombastic sleazebag. Or, as they say across the pond, "an asshole". Everybody knows it, or seems to. So when a decade-old recording…
Spiritual influence: bullying voters with threats of hell is no different from threats of physical violence
Following the 2015 Tower Hamlets election court judgment which saw the disqualification of the elected mayor Lutfur Rahman for a number of corrupt and illegal practices, Sir Eric Pickles…
Don't gloat over Stephen Fry quitting Twitter: he's an ally in the battle for freedom
During the Bafta ceremony on Sunday evening, Stephen Fry made an acerbic comment about the dress sense of one of the award winners. He referred to Jenny Beavan's appearance…
Rev'd Barry Trayhorn "forced to resign" as prison worker – for quoting the Bible in chapel
HMP Littlehey is a 'Category C' men's prison ("Those who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who are unlikely to try to escape") and Young Offender Institute near…
Bradford ex-Muslim Christian converts "have given up on the Church of England"
"Muslim family are driven from their home... after they converted to Christianity." "Neighbours vandalise car and call them 'blasphemers'"; "windows are constantly smashed"; "family attacked in the street"; "Bradford…