In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch in February 2011, the mayor, Bob Parker, vowed that the city’s famous cathedral would be rebuilt. Yesterday however, the Church authorities announced that they have decided to demolish the building completely. Some could suggest that it is wrong for people […]
Last week saw two legal rulings relevant to the religion versus secularism debate. The more widely reported one was the case of prayers being held at the start of council meetings in Bideford, Devon. The verdict was that councils can not hold prayers as part of their formal business because they only have the power […]
I haven’t quite got round to writing a piece on why I don’t agree with the Pope’s visit to the UK, which begins tomorrow. However, a letter in today’s Guardian quite succinctly makes many of the points I wanted to. I’m quite happy for the leader of any religion to visit this country, given our […]
Today is Mothering Sunday in the UK, on which people honour their mothers, often giving gifts and cards. However, unlike the American Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and is a 20th century invention, Mothering Sunday has much earlier origins as a date in the Church calendar, when people returned […]
It should have come as no surprise to the authorities that awarding Salman Rushdie a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours would cause protests from the Islamic world. Of course, this would be no reason not to reward a person deserving the honour. The United Kingdom is a country where free speech is valued. It […]
The latest figure for the average cost of a wedding stands at a staggering £17,000. Now, it isn’t often I can say I agree with what the Church of England has to say on an issue, but the Church has produced a booklet suggesting that people should spend less on their big day, and on […]
The release of the film version of The Da Vinci code has seen widespread condemnation by religious groups, in particular the Roman Catholic Church. The Church has set up The Da Vinci Code Response Group, which has condemned The Da Vinci Code as “fiction trading as fact”. There is also the news that one Christian […]
The most recent twist in the “cash for honours” saga currently afflicting the UK government has seen the the arrest of Des Smith, the man responsible for raising money for the City Academies scheme. Some people have asked why donors to the Labour party, or to the Academies, are so keen to buy themselves a […]
