Respect

Boris Johnson’s ‘disgraceful slur’ against the Archbishop of Canterbury

The Prime Minister sat rather dejected in the House of Commons yesterday, and spent two hours iterating (and reiterating) how sorry he was for sharing the Cabinet Room of No.10 with a birthday cake on 19th June 2020. He often…

assisted suicide george carey rowan williams justin welby

Former archbishops split on assisted suicide, and there’s no Anglican via media

September 13, 2021
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In the red corner is George, Lord Carey of Clifton, Archbishop of Canterbury 1991-2002. He favours the legalisation of assisted suicide (or assisted dying, if you prefer) because "there is…

Chaplain Bernard Randall Trent College Nottingham

By sacking its Chaplain, Trent College, Nottingham, rejects fundamental British values

May 20, 2021
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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…

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…

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…

When did traditional morality become ‘fundamentalist’?

July 10, 2019
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It was a question posed by Professor John Milbank on Twitter a few days ago. Or, rather, it wasn't posed as a question, such as the 'when' inquiry into conceptual…

Jesus laptop tweeting CofE charter social media

CofE Social Media Charter neuters the prophetic and subsumes truth to ‘respect’

July 2, 2019
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"I just signed up to #CofECharter," tweeted the former Times religious affairs correspondent (and quite delightful) Ruth Gledhill, precisely 48 seconds after the Archbishop of Canterbury had announced his initiative…

Welby to MPs: ‘Respect the vote of the people and unite our country’

March 28, 2019
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By their 'indicative votes' ye shall know them. Last night MPs tried to determine what, if anything, they preferred to Theresa May's 'deal', and they said 'no' to everything. Motion…

Nigel Biggar on the degeneracy of academic civility

April 10, 2018
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Professor Nigel Biggar has written for the Times: 'Vile abuse is now tolerated in our universities'. He tells us: "The spitting hatred I suffered over my views on empire shows…

jo johnson freedom of speech universities

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

December 28, 2017
130 Comments

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…

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Charlottesville: white supremacists are fundamentally anti-American and anti-Christian

August 13, 2017
392 Comments

Charlottesville has gone downhill a bit since The Waltons: the town where John Boy negotiated his first bank loan, Jim-Bob learned about his dead twin brother, and grandma and grandpa…

Government to establish ‘Commission for Countering Extremism’ – Be afraid. Be very afraid

June 23, 2017
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"A commission for countering extremism will be established to support the government in stamping out extremist ideology in all its forms, both across society and on the internet, so it…

Piers Morgan on the “evil cult” of Scientology – why is Dianephobia not a hate crime?

June 22, 2017
289 Comments

"Why do you not want to read the violent paragraphs of the Qur'an?" Piers Morgan was asked by Ramthrax on Twitter after interviewing the 'hate preacher' Tommy Robinson. To his…

Christian parliamentary candidate in Bradford excluded from Muslim only election hustings

May 17, 2017
528 Comments

George Grant is the Conservative Party's parliamentary candidate in Bradford West. He also happens to be a Christian, and is thereby excluded from Bradford's Muslim Women's Council General Election hustings,…

Welby dedicates the next year of his ministry to the defence of freedom and Judæo-Christian values

November 29, 2016
259 Comments

You might almost have missed it – especially if your favourite spiritual sport is Welby Wanging, which is open to all people irrespective of age, sex, sexuality, race, creed, religion,…

Cameron's Christian values are devoid of liberty, spirit and truth

March 29, 2016
400 Comments

At least No10 bothered to issue an Easter greeting this year. Last year they omitted to do so, and then refused to reply to a number of the politest…

'Prevent Duty' teacher: "If you say homosexuality is wrong, you might be breaking the law"

September 24, 2015
293 Comments

Last Friday (18th September) the BBC Radio 4 Today programme discussed the Government's 'Prevent' strategy, which places a statutory obligation upon all schools and children's services to incorporate into…

The Church must challenge the State's fuzzy 'British Values'

September 23, 2015
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Fundamental British values have been defined by the Government as: “the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs." According…

A National Register of Faith Leaders? Government plans to vet all ministers of religion

September 16, 2015
229 Comments

There was an odd article in the Telegraph last week. Odd because the headline, photograph and content didn't quite cohere. Andrew Gilligan has apparently got hold of a leaked…

Cameron can no more "destroy the Caliphate" than he can abolish the New Jerusalem

July 21, 2015
190 Comments

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…