No, Baroness Anelay. Freedom of belief is a fundamental right
Religio-political blogging is a pretty much a thankless task. You air your opinions in public in the hope that others will take note, listen and learn. If just a…
Liberal Democracy
The Divine Right of HM Revenue and Customs
One expected a tactical Conservative prime minister leading a pragmatic Conservative Party in an expedient Liberal-Conservative coalition to propose or perform the occasional un-conservative thing. It was reasonably politic, not to say politically reasonable. So when, in May 2014,…
Christians are the new lepers
Speaking at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Virginia last week, the next Republican nominee (if they have any sense) for President of the United States spoke of the increasing…
Without Douglas Alexander, who in Labour will stand up for the persecuted church?
With yesterday's release of the Labour Party's Manifesto, the run-up to the General Election is truly underway. Finally the parties are laying out their stalls in the light of…
Announcing @HolyVote – it's time to reclaim our religious liberty
Apparently, the 2010 General election was the first internet election. And if not that one, it is this one. And if not this one, then it is still to…
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…
What are 'Muslim values', Lady Warsi?
The problem is her article's timing, and that when David Cameron stretched out his hand in friendship and promoted and indulged her time and again, there was impatience, irritability…
Unbelievers and non-believers must be free to blaspheme with impunity
Our sufferings today are the prelude of those you, Europeans and Western Christians, will also suffer in the near future.. Your liberal and democratic principles are worth nothing.. you…
Nick Griffin votes Ukip? So what? 45% of British Satanists vote Conservative
"Is it true? Is Nick Griffin now a Ukipper?" tweeted staunch and loyal Tory Walaa Idris (@WalaaIdris), aghast, disgusted and ever so slightly delighted dismayed by the smeary associational…
Tories select anti-Israel activist who supports boycott and sanctions
When Kelly Tolhurst was selected in an "open primary" to fight the forthcoming by-election in Rochester & Strood, there was jubilation that the Conservative Party had found in her…
Ukip racism, bad; Labour racism.. well, I'll get back to you on that
"Are you intentionally out to give @UKIP an easy ride from a Christian perspective?" demanded someone called Peter Adams yesterday, in a terse Twitter response to the question: "Has…
Christians are called to be 'non-violent extremists'
We have been here before. In fact, the illiberal proposal raises its portentous head with such frequency that it feels almost teleologically predetermined. From Labour's assault on "hate speech"…
Why do left-wing clerics insult and alienate right-wing laity?
I don’t just disagree with Ukip. I despise them. I despise them for their smug Little Englander mentality. I despise them for their total absence of fellow-feeling towards vulnerable people…
Politics and Religion at the Conservative Party Conference
Melanie Phillips writes: I chaired a most interesting fringe meeting discussion this lunchtime at the Tory party conference on the intersection between religion and politics. Unfortunately Sajid Javid, the Secretary…
The flaw in the Fatwa on the so-called Islamic State
This really is quite magnificent. To those who insist Muslims cannot or will not integrate with or conform to British values, customs and traditions, this fatwa (= religious opinion; not…
The difficulties of dialoguing with Islam
"What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" asked Tertullian in his Prescription against Heretics (VII), as he sought to defend the purity of the gospel of faith from the faithless…
The Islamic State presents us with a wholly abnormal situation of national emergency
Say we catch the barbarous "Jihadi John" or "John the Beatle" or "John the Jailer" or whatever he's called. And say we then gather the evidence against him and bring…
As long as Obama spouts the fallacy that the Islamic State "speaks for no religion", we will never kill the root
It would appear that the barbaric Islamist who decapitated US journalist James Foley was a dude named John, probably from East London, who took a brief sojourn in Syria with…