The big day is here. Marriage has become equal marriage and my gay friends now have the chance to join the club, should they choose to do so. It is still quite remarkable that it was less than two and a… Read More ›
Month: March 2014
9 years into an 18-month sentence and still waiting to be released: Life on IPP in the UK
Today’s guest post is by Neill Harvey-Smith. Neill works for the Church of England in Lichfield. He writes in a personal capacity and tweets @nhs999. ———— It is wrong that people who have served their time should remain in prison, if… Read More ›
“I’m stunned and horrified” – North Korean Christian tells MPs of their persecution
Yesterday the Minister for Faith & Communities, Baroness Warsi chaired the first meeting of the Foreign Office group on Freedom of Religion or Belief. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website, the group, which includes Mervyn Thomas, chief… Read More ›
It makes perfect sense that vicars are ranked as the happiest people
So the Rev. Adam Smallbone returned last night to BBC2 for what looks to be his final series as the long-suffering vicar of St Saviour-in-the-Marshes. Like so many others who have experienced the day-to-day life of living in a vicarage, I have… Read More ›
Churches can empower communities in ways that government overseas aid never will
This week, three of my fellow bloggers have travelled to Cambodia with Tearfund to visit communities living in poverty being transformed through the local church. They are meeting people who are being given a hand up from poverty thanks to… Read More ›
In our pursuit of justice for the poor we need to avoid the politics of jealousy and envy
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their… Read More ›
Addressing the taboo of death: “All of us are dying, some just don’t realise it”
The assisted suicide bill that is slowly progressing through the House of Lords made the headlines again last week. Looking at the coverage it was once again a reminder that part of the reason why there are such polarised views… Read More ›
Justin Welby and Pope Francis unite in a ground-breaking move against modern slavery
When you live in a country that is one of the most stable in the world, where the vast majority of us can go about our business without the daily fear of attack or abuse and corruption in our law… Read More ›
Developing a vision for Christian political engagement
Theos is a fantastic Christian think tank that seeks to inform the debate about the place of religion in society and does so with a good deal of intelligence and credibility. Yesterday I attended their God and Government conference, which… Read More ›
“It absolutely blew me away” – the power of prayer spaces in schools
Regular readers of this blog will know that I work in an education establishment and over the last few years since qualifying as a teacher I’ve seen time for anything other than academic work squeezed out bit by bit. My… Read More ›
Can we trust the decision over assisted suicide to politicians’ consciences?
In the words of Han Solo, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” On Saturday we were given the news from the Telegraph that the Government has decided to give MPs a free vote on Lord Falconer’s bill introducing assisted suicide…. Read More ›
I’m a Christian and this is why failing to vote is not an option
Following on from the last post in the I’m a Christians and this is why I vote… series where Frank Cranmer gave his reasons for not being able to bring himself to vote, Daniel Stafford, offers his views on why… Read More ›
Corruption… It’s complicated but we are all implicated
Today’s guest post is by the Rev. Joel Edwards on behalf of the EXPOSED Campaign. Joel is the International Director for Micah Challenge, a global Christian response to extreme poverty. Prior to his role within Micah Challenge, he was General… Read More ›
Discovering the meaning of Lent
Lent is upon us once again and it is good to stop for a moment irrespective of whether we’ve decided to do anything special over the period and reflect on its meaning. It is one of those occasions in the… Read More ›
Panorama reveals the overwhelming response of Christians to food poverty
Last night I sat down to watch Panorama on BBC 1 as it delved into the world of foodbanks and poverty. Most of the programme was spent in Bristol as it observed the various charities and groups (50 in that… Read More ›
God and Politics in the UK 