Integration tsar Dame Louise Casey has a problem with ‘religious conservatism’
In 2013 Dame Louise Casey was named by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour as one of the Top 100 most powerful women in the UK. She was duly appointed by…
Education
Why does the Church of England sneer at grammar schools?
The Church of England is apparently not interested in opening new grammar schools. In an interview with the TES, the CofE's Chief Education Officer, the Rev'd Nigel Genders, says: "We've been very clear that, because we think every child is…
Lord Carey removed from King’s College London wall of distinguished alumni
The motto of King's College London is Sancte et sapienter ('With holiness and wisdom'). Sadly, it appears to have abandoned both. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey of Clifton has…
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…
If children need protection from ‘dangerous’ religious rituals, what about circumcision?
Jesus only fasted for 40 days and nights, and that must have been tough in the Judaean desert, especially with Satan lurking around. Was that religious extremism? In India, a…
The Spectator brands Justin Welby “liberal left” – for seeking Islamist understanding
Spectator columnist and associate editor Rod Liddle sometimes sounds like he's channeling the EDL, or at least supping with Ukip, but he is, in fact, a fully paid-up member of…
Inadequate Christian schools named and shamed; inadequate Muslim school.. censored
When the Durham Free School and Grindon Hall Christian School were excoriated by Ofsted last year for a raft of educational deficiencies (not least of which was failing to promote…
Chobham Academy makes Islamic religious observance mandatory for pupils of all faiths
According to Ofsted, Chobham Academy in the London Borough of Newham is an outstanding school. It is important to begin with that observation, because the school's leaders, governors and sponsor…
Germans stockpiling food and water? What do they know that we don't?
Goodness! The Bishop and I travelled to London the other day to see the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Try as we might, we couldn’t find any works by Landseer…
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…
Turkey purge: is military coup a lesser evil than Erdoğan's Islamism?
Following last week's military coup – which is never the answer to anything – President Erdoğan is purging Turkey's civic institutions of every whiff of opposition, dissent, criticism and…
May's 'one nation' mission: let's talk about white working-class boys
"But David’s true legacy is not about the economy, but about social justice," explained Theresa May in her first speech as Prime Minister. "David Cameron has led a 'one…
Michael Gove doesn't want to be PM: he wants meritocracy and freedom
"Michael Gove won't admit it, but tonight's EU debate is his first audition for the Tory leadership," wrote Asa Bennett in the Telegraph. Except he didn't because it wasn't.…
Gender identity and the plastic nature of self-definition
One school in Brighton (Brighton College) has decided to allow its students to decide for themselves whether they wish to dress as a boy or as a girl, irrespective…
Marsha Levine – the Cambridge academic who refused to answer Israeli child's question, citing BDS
Dr Marsha Levine was a fellow and senior research associate in the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at Cambridge University, which "serves as an interdisciplinary hub aiming to provide…
Helen Mirren: "I love Israel – I think it's a great, great country"
In 1967, shortly after the Six-Day War, Helen Mirren worked on a the HaOn kibbutz on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. She hitch-hiked throughout Israel, and slept…
A Christian approach to immigration cannot be simply opening the doors to everyone
One of the handful of joys that blogging brings me is the opportunity to get to know a lot of people who have a similar interest in the relationship between religion and politics.…
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…
Warwick University Student Union incites hatred by banning criticism of Islam
The timeline: 1. Warwick Atheists, Secularists and Humanists (WASH) applies to have Maryam Namazie – a prominent, intelligent, secularist political activist – speak at the university. 2. Warwick University…
As 40% of adults think Jesus is a myth, has Religious Education failed?
Richard Dawkins and the other prophets of atheism love to tell us that in the fabricated battle between religious belief and rationalism, there can be only one winner, and…