Freedom of Speech

street preacher arrested uxbridge john sherwood

Stop arresting street preachers, and laugh at them instead

Another street preacher has been arrested for proclaiming the gospel in a public place. This time it was in Uxbridge, in front of the Underground station. We've been here before (well, not Uxbridge), so there's no need to reiterate all…

Freedom of speech is under threat, so what do we do about it?

February 15, 2021
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In the great pyramid of liberty and the incremental progression of human enlightenment, freedom of speech is often celebrated as preeminent among civil liberties, but it was preceded by freedom…

Wanted: Christians who can cause a little more offence

December 18, 2020
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Would Luther have been a blast on Twitter? Historian Tom Holland thinks so. In an edition of 'The Rest is History' podcast, he observes: "What happens is that Luther obviously…

Hate Crime Bill: SNP seeks to regulate dinner table conversation in the home

October 30, 2020
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There is something nasty in the SNP's woodshed; very nasty indeed. It isn't clear if it's a creepy person or a sinister political impulse, but it's nasty. Very nasty. Not…

If the SNP’s ‘Hate’ Bill becomes law, Scots’ freedom of religion will end

August 10, 2020
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The SNP's Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill is currently wending its way through the committees and procedures of the Scottish Parliament. It provides for the modernising, consolidating and…

Catholic school sacks teacher for saying Mohammed was a false prophet

August 4, 2020
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There is something very odd about this. Perhaps we haven't got the whole story, so it's necessary to tread carefully. But on the face of it Joshua Sutcliffe, a Maths…

Fawlty Towers don't mention the war john cleese goose step

‘Fawlty Towers’ censored by the BBC

June 12, 2020
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The famous 'Don’t mention the War' episode of the classic, brilliant comedy series 'Fawlty Towers' has been removed from the UKTV catch-up service. In that episode, hotel owner Basil Fawlty…

gabriel baraldi bournemouth poole students union pro-life tweet censored

Students’ Union president censured and censored over pro-life tweet

May 6, 2020
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Gabriel Baraldi is a student a Bournemouth & Poole College. According to his Twitter biography, he is a "Tri-National Green Conservative Christian Vegetarian". His bio also used to say "@BPCollege…

Franklin Graham ban: Rees-Mogg defends freedom of religion

February 14, 2020
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While the General Synod of the Church of England was repenting of its 'white privilege' and committing to 'net zero' carbon omissions by 2030, the Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP…

Manners maketh Man/Woman/Other

December 20, 2019
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At the State Opening of Parliament yesterday, television footage showed the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition leading a long line of their parliamentary colleagues into the Upper Chamber…

Islamophobia definition creates a backdoor blasphemy law: it will be used to outlaw all criticism of Islam

May 15, 2019
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Published below is an open letter to the Home Secretary Sajid Javid concerning the definition of 'Islamophobia' which has been proposed by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims.…

Why are there anti-Christian extremists on the Commission for Countering Extremism?

February 4, 2019
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"The Commission for Countering Extremism supports society to fight all forms of extremism", declares the Government website for the Commission for Countering Extremism. "It advises the government on new policies…

As Britain falls down the press freedom index, the Data Protection Bill could end it altogether

May 7, 2018
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"We note with dismay the UK’s poor ranking in the latest Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index," wrote Jodie Ginsberg, CEO if Index on Censorship, in a letter to…

jo johnson freedom of speech universities

Jo Johnson’s muddled and aimless thinking about freedom of speech in universities

December 28, 2017
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Universities Minister Jo Johnson delivered a much-trailed (..and here, here, here...) speech about the imperative of academic freedom of speech, which he says must be guaranteed on pain of universities…

Donald Trump is no neo-Nazi sympathiser: he’s just not a very good politician

August 17, 2017
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This is a guest post by Martin Sewell, a retired solicitor. ______ When the USA elected Donald Trump to be their new President, it was, to a significant degree, because…

LGBT Pride London: police attempt to remove ‘Allah is Gay’ placards for causing offence

July 16, 2017
483 Comments

"Pride is full of placards saying 'God is Gay', 'Jesus had two fathers', as well as those mocking the church and priests and pope," writes Maryam Namazie, spokeswoman for the…

Tory MP hates social media: “It gives a voice to people who don’t deserve one”

June 30, 2017
90 Comments

Gary Streeter is the Conservative MP for South West Devon. He is a committed Christian who helped found the Conservative Christian Fellowship. He now chairs the cross-party group Christians in…

As Theresa May preaches freedom to proclaim faith in Christ, street preachers are convicted of a public order offence

March 1, 2017
464 Comments

"How refreshing to hear a Prime Minister talk about their Christian faith, and sound like they mean it," writes Tim Stanley in the Telegraph. He continues: At a Downing Street…

Is it wrong to judge a blog by the comments it attracts?

January 9, 2017
539 Comments

"I guess I find it hard to take that particular blog very seriously really," wrote the Rev'd Canon Andrew Godsall, ministry development adviser in the Diocese of Exeter, of the…

Louis Smith is threatened and suspended for mocking Islam, and Theresa May preaches tolerance, balance and responsibility

November 3, 2016
103 Comments

This wasn't the first time that four-time Olympic medallist Louis Smith had been rebuked by his professional association British Gymnastics for breaching their Standards of Conduct. So when a video…