Ukraine’s freedom is the price of Europe’s peace
"Who in the Lord's name does Putin think gives him a right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belonged to his neighbours?" asked President Biden yesterday, with all…
Democracy
Ted Hui: “The more you persecute people, the more people will treasure that identity”
Ted Hui Chi-fung was (or is) a Democrat Party politician in Hong Kong, vocal on environmental issues, education, human rights and democracy. He is currently living in exile in Australia, after fleeing to Denmark in 2020 and then seeking political…
‘Legal but harmful’: making social media the arbiter of gospel truth
WARNING: This blog post is legal but harmful (potentially). If you proceed, there is a significant risk that the nature of the content might cause adverse psychological impact on an…
Is the Church of England about to ban prophets from Synod?
Anyone observing parliamentary debates over the last few weeks will know that the awkward question can be many things. It can be fair or unfair, accurate or misconceived, mischievous or…
You can’t be compelled to love your neighbour
The Archbishop of Canterbury was interviewed on Times Radio by John Pienaar, who asked: "Is it the moral thing to do, Archbishop, getting your vaccination?" "Yes," the Archbishop replied, succinctly.…
Death is the price we pay for freedom
"We cannot have the death of an MP being a price worth paying for our democracy," said Labour's Harriet Harman on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme. "It can't be…
Welby: there is no need to ‘save the parish’; there is no threat to it
The Archbishop of Canterbury recently made a very subtle intervention in the process of elections to the General Synod. Indeed, so subtle was it that absolutely nobody noticed. Just as…
Anglican Conclave to ‘sift’ all candidates for vacancies to see if they are ‘appropriate’
There is no doubt that the governance structure of the Church of England is labyrinthine, convoluted, inefficient and opaque. It's what comes of half a millennium of Catholic and Reformed…
“Impeach Trump,” they cried. “Impeach him!” “Why, what evil has he done?”
Donald Trump has become the first President in US history to be impeached twice. He exhorted his supporters to "march on the Capitol" and to "fight like hell", and this…
Capitol invasion: it wasn’t Trump supporters who first chanted ‘Not my President’
The scenes at the US Capitol should distress any supporter of democracy, and have rightly attracted condemnation across the globe. That people have died in the chaos adds to the…
US Presidential Election: chaos, confusion, litigation and… whatever
The Trump Presidency has been like no other, and as we observe the agony of the election count it is entirely in keeping with the last four years. It feels…
Trump should bring forward his Supreme Court Justice nominee without delay
The death of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a significant event on a number of levels. It is, of course, a personal sadness for her family and…
Why does the BBC believe Bishop Michael Curry channels the soul of America?
In the UK we don’t often get the chance to hear quality broadcasting from many years ago, but on 1st August the BBC will be broadcasting a programme about the…
The plot to oust Bishops from the House of Lords will fail
A bill to remove Church of England Bishops from the House of Lords is currently making its way through Parliament. The House of Lords (Removal of Bishops) Bill was introduced…
Brexit Day – at last, a wide and liberal global future
When the majority of UK voters determined to leave the European Union on 23rd June 2016, it was met with much relief and rejoicing by many millions of people: The…
A Christian case for Brexit
If one anti-Brexit argument persists within the clergy hierarchy of the Church of England, it is that the UK's departure from the European Union is a fundamentally 'un-Christian' pursuit. The…
Archbishops intervene in General Election challenging Labour Antisemitism
The first General Election debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn was a fractious, unedifying and deeply unpleasant affair. It wasn't so much a political debate as a terse slanging…
An Advent General Election won’t be a time of peace and goodwill toward men
A General Election has been called for 12th December. There are three possible, even likely outcomes: a Conservative majority, permitting Boris Johnson to bolster freedom and push his Withdrawal Agreement…
Abortion in Northern Ireland: the disabled speak out
On 10th July 2019, the UK Parliament voted in favour of an amendment to the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill which would liberalise abortion legalisation in Northern Ireland. The Act,…
Bishops urge Boris to get on and deliver Brexit
It has been a while in coming: the Bishops and Archbishops of the Church of England have to-and-froed on the Referendum result, and blown hot-and-cold on Brexit, and wax-and-waned on…