BBC says it’s ‘unfortunate’ the Queen is Defender of the Faith
As the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Her Majesty the Queen entered their final day, the BBC gave us a running commentary on the Platinum Pageant as it crawled along the…
Religious liberty
‘The Lady of Heaven’ is Islam’s ‘Life of Brian’ moment
'The Lady of Heaven' is currently being pulled from cinema chains because it is considered 'blasphemous' by certain Muslims. They have a perfect right to protest, of course: this is a free country. But once again we see the assertion…
‘Legal but harmful’: making social media the arbiter of gospel truth
WARNING: This blog post is legal but harmful (potentially). If you proceed, there is a significant risk that the nature of the content might cause adverse psychological impact on an…
Rev’d Will Pearson-Gee: “I am not going to close our services”
As 2021 draws to a close, with Covid mutations multiplying, millions isolating, thousands dying, gas prices soaring, inflation pressing, poverty increasing, Putin and Xi agitating, and the Church of England…
Welby defends freedom of speech – ‘living out the Reformation truth’
The Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a debate on freedom of speech in the House of Lords today, in the context of so many contemporary challenges (and robust assaults) against it.…
When does talking or praying about sexuality become conversion therapy?
As the Government's consultation on their Conversion Therapy (Prohibition) Bill nears its end, there is a sense of confusion and exasperation, if not of fear and despair. Not among those…
Durham Cathedral demands Covid passports for Christmas worship
Durham Cathedral is dividing its flock into sheep and goats for Christmas. The Dean is setting the Covid-vaccinated sheep on his right hand, but the goats who lack an NHS…
Should you need a Covid vaccination certificate to attend church?
It was a question posed by the Rt Rev'd Peter Carrell, Bishop of Christchurch in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Seeking the corporate wisdom and discernment…
Train conductor sacked for referring to ‘alcohol-free caliphate’ on Facebook
Jeremy Sleath had worked for West Midlands Trains for 17 years. He was a Senior Conductor who had served his employer faithfully and admirably. He was sacked in September 2020,…
Why does the Government still not allow hymn-singing in Church?
"My Lords, regardless of matters of hindsight, does the Minister agree that prolonging the restrictions might be justified for certain reasons?" asked the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Rev'd Nick…
By sacking its Chaplain, Trent College, Nottingham, rejects fundamental British values
Trent College in Long Eaton, between Nottingham and Derby, is an independent Anglican school, which used to have a chaplain. He was the Rev'd Dr Bernard Randall, a former chaplain…
When the police enter a church, storm the altar and shut down worship, a line has been crossed
How hard is it to remain socially-distanced in a large church building? How hard is it to sit in pews in 'support bubbles' and leave enough space in front and…
Who is the prophet in the battle of Batley Grammar?
It is a curious headline in the Times. 'Prophet' is upper case, so the assumption is that all who see it will know to whom it refers. The word isn't…
Nicola Sturgeon broke the law in banning Christians from church
Thank God for Christian Concern, the Christian Legal Centre, and the intrepid Andrea Minichiello Williams. No-one else seemed to care about the SNP's ban on church worship – at least…
Wales lockdown isn’t only absurd; it denies freedom of religion
Tomorrow is your birthday. You've received a card from your Mum every single year of your life, without fail, even when you were abroad, and even when she was very…
Guardian ‘reveals’ Amy Coney Barrett is Roman Catholic (and takes her faith seriously)
The Guardian has revealed that Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, is Roman Catholic. Quite why they have only just cottoned on to this is something…
The curious case of Kristie Higgs: where is the Church of England?
Kristie Higgs is deemed to be a danger to children. So dangerous, in fact, that more than a year ago she was sacked for gross misconduct by the school where…
If the SNP’s ‘Hate’ Bill becomes law, Scots’ freedom of religion will end
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
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…
Students’ Union president censured and censored over pro-life tweet
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…