World Peace Day – what’s the point of that?
September 21st is the day the United Nations General Assembly decreed shall be set aside as the International day of Peace, or World Peace Day. "Let us all work together…
Justice
Corbyn’s mission is Christian socialism – but the country will never vote for it
"So enthused by @JeremyCorbyn4PM win today," tweeted the Rev'd Dr Giles Fraser, on hearing of the victorious re-election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party. "The world is a better place for it," he added, despite the global…
While the Church of England becomes a safe place for children, it is hell for those wrongly accused of abuse
"To address the whole culture of silence in Church is vital," writes the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in the Church of England Newspaper, "it is a form of…
There's one surefire way of silencing objectors to women bishops – without changing the liturgy
There is a serial objector who pops up at the consecration of just about every woman bishop in the Church of England, and he isn't even an Anglican. The…
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…
Synod 'No Confidence' motion looms in the secret trial of Bishop George Bell (RIP)
The Church of England has (at last) announced an independent review into its handling of its secret Cadaver Synod posthumous trial of the late Bishop George Bell (see here,…
Centenary of the Battle of the Somme: yesterday's youth died so that today's youth might be free
They didn't really stand a chance. They were sons, husbands, fathers, friends and boys – some as young as 18 – ordered over the top into the direct line of…
Vote Leave: take control. Believe in Britain, or bow down to Brussels
The debates are done: the hour is come. EU Referendum Day 2016 is here. Like the Church of England, this blog is impeccably neutral on the matter: it is…
EU Referendum: Sentamu preaches "moral responsibility" and Welby "peace and reconciliation"
Don't you just love the Church of England's concept of 'neutrality' in the matter of the EU Referendum? A whole sea of bishops has endorsed the Remain campaign (that…
Salt & Light: the gospel, the EU, and the misappropriation of God's word
Steve Thomas is the International Team Leader of Salt & Light - "an international family of churches together on mission". Their core commitments are impeccably orthodox and undeniably evangelical,…
Welby: witness gently for Jesus, and wait until you're asked (most of the time)
There's always a danger when you pick up a comment piece from a newspaper that you glance at a headline and form an opinion from a crass summary of…
The "absurd fiction" of the need for secrecy in the trial of Bishop George Bell
The living who are falsely accused of child abuse are slowly destroyed – physically, emotionally and spiritually. "I now have difficulty seeing myself being remotely employed, sociable, and relaxed…
Frederick Forsyth on the EU's "government by deception"
Author and former MI6 spy Frederick Forsyth appeared on the BBC's Any Questions panel a few weeks ago, but his comments were buried beneath Boaty McBoatface, tax returns and…
Palm Sunday: the Kingdom of God and a new social order
The Kingdom of God was heralded by the Messiah riding a donkey. By reason and provocation, He urged anyone who would fully accept that Kingdom to enter into its…
When did child abuse become the unforgivable sin?
The secret trial of Bishop George Bell still tolls. Having been convicted in absentia and post mortem of child abuse, we have since learned that the victim was a…
Vatican says UK is "better in than out" of the EU
"The Vatican wants Britain to stay in the European Union, the Pope's foreign secretary has declared." So writes the Telegraph, noting that Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with…
Anglican Primates pronounce, but the Holy Spirit prevails
The media bulletins are full of 'Episcopal Church suspended from the Anglican Communion', with a list of prohibitions and fulminations about 'second class Anglicans', with Giles Fraser reminding us…
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…
The Paris attacks are a reminder of our unwillingness to accept uncomfortable truths
Do you remember the story of Rachel Dolezal, the black US civil rights activist, who was outed by her parents earlier this year as actually being white? Five months…
The ironic lack of politics at Christians in Politics
I genuinely expected to be disappointed when I first found myself at an event organised by a Christian political group. Four years ago I put a blog together after…