Parliament's vote to bomb Syria has already won the moral victory against ISIL
As I began writing this within an hour of the Commons vote, 4 RAF Tornadoes were already on their way to bomb Syria. This is it; the UK is now…
Evil
On the Feast of Stephen
The funeral of St Stephen, by Filippo Lippi (1460). St Stephen – 'a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost' (Acts 6:5) – was chosen to be a deacon in the Early Church. 'And Stephen, full of faith…
Does God suffer?
There's an awful lot of suffering and badness around. Nasty people do nasty things, and wicked people do worse. There are floods, droughts and earthquakes, which are no-one's fault;…
Assisted Dying: Canon Rosie Harper condemns "extreme and emotive claims" of "a certain section of believers"
The Archbishop of Canterbury couldn't be any clearer: 'MPs must not take risks with the lives of vulnerable people', he writes in the Evening Standard. He is unequivocal, too,…
The apocalypse of Islam and the signs of the times
The Temple of Baalshamin predated Mohammed by six centuries. It was a cultural jewel in the Syrian desert, revealing to the world a glimpse of the pre-Islamic religions of…
Bishop demands asylum for "the infidel's military translators"
"It seems to me that interpreters are like priests; they are mediators and help connect cultures and communities," said the Rt Rev'd Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby, speaking in…
After-birth abortion? Planned Parenthood and the art of infanticide
Not only has Planned Parenthood perfected the art of aborting babies in a "less crunchy way" in order that the harvest of body parts may be plentiful, but it…
Planned Parenthood aborts babies in a "less crunchy" way. What's wrong with harvesting baby body parts?
"A lot of people want intact hearts these days, because they're looking for specific nodes," explains Dr Deborah Nucatola, Senior Director of Medical Services for Planned Parenthood, the largest…
Cameron can no more "destroy the Caliphate" than he can abolish the New Jerusalem
David Cameron's long-awaited speech on Islamic extremism (aka Islamism) was sort of worth waiting for. As he expounded his 'One Nation' vision to defeat the "poison" of extremism, he…
"Thatcher Rest In Hell" – Durham Miners' Gala rejoice over Thatcher effigy in coffin
"The Durham Miners' Association has been shocked and saddened at the news last week of the death of three stalwarts of the socialist and labour movement," wrote the Friends…
Greek debt: the immorality of perpetual bailouts and broken promises
Here we go again: Greek debt and a nation "on the brink" / "at the edge" / "judgment day" / "endgame" / "apocalypse".. Another round of "crisis" / "emergency"…
Pastor James McConnell charged for "satanic Islam" broadcast
Pastor James McConnell delivered a sermon at the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in Belfast on 18th May 2014, in which he denounced Islam with all the zeal of the prophet…
Justice for Greville Janner and the Bookkeeper of Auschwitz
Labour peer Greville Janner (left), aged 86, will apparently not be prosecuted over allegations of historic child abuse because the Crown Prosecution Service says his evidence could not be…
Cameron's good life is not unambiguous, but it is the best of the goods on offer
Everyone strives for the good, but no one ever quite possesses it. It is a future project of hope and value. It might even belong to the past, because…
Holy Monday: cleansing, anointing and indignation
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the…
Queen's chaplain agnostic on "good or evil" violence in the Qur'an
Apparently, young people are turning to Jihad because school's a drudge and mainstream religion is not sufficiently 'exciting'. That's the general headline summary of a speech given by Justin…
#PastoralLetter (1): The patronising episcopal 'should'
There are only two possible outcomes at the next General Election: either David Cameron will be Prime Minister, or Ed Miliband. Nigel Farage will not be Prime Minister; nor…
What are 'fundamental British values'?
In a context of fractious social division and increasing religious tension, the Government is on a quest for national identity, and education is the means by which it will…
Mehdi Hasan: "No Reformation in Europe without Muslim theologians"
Mehdi Hasan delivered an oratorically brilliant if rather sanctimonious speech at the Oxford Union in May 2013, which now rings in the head like tinnitus in the wake of…
A few rocky facts belie Sentamu's sandy statist socialism
The Most Rev'd and Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, has edited a neat selection of essays on the current moral state of the nation. Entitled On…