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In the News

  • Independent: Half of Anglicans say there is nothing wrong with same-sex relationships
    February 15th, 2017

    Half of Anglicans believe there is nothing wrong with same-sex relationships, a survey shows.

    Ahead of the Church of England General Synod's debate on the issue of gay marriage on Wednesday, new data reveals that 50 per cent of Anglicans believe that same-sex relationships are "not wrong at all".

    The findings, which come from NatCen's British Social Attitudes survey, show that Anglican opinions towards same-sex relationships have been softening over time but acceptance is highest (73 per cent) among those with no religion. 

    Read more.

  • Christian Medical Comment: Sexual immorality is a first order salvation issue. It is time for The Church of England to go under the surgeon's knife by Dr Peter Saunders
    February 15th, 2017

    On Wednesday 15 February the Church of England General Synod will decide whether or not to "take note" of the House of Bishops' report on marriage and same-sex relationships.

    Within the Church, it is now very clear that the two main positions held are irreconcilable.

    On the one hand are the "conservatives", represented by the Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics, who hold to the biblical and traditional position of monogamous heterosexual marriage. 

    Read more. 

  • Mirror: Plans to cut the size of the House of Lords will stifle reform on cronyism, campaigners warn
    February 14th, 2017

    Plans to cut the size of the House of Lords risk being seen as "stitch up", campaigners have warned.

    Slashing the number of peers rather than scrapping cronies' appointments will be seen as a "shut off valve" to stifle further reform, according to the Electoral Reform Society.

    Read more. 

  • National Secular Society: Success! Gwynedd Council rethinks plan to impose church school on community
    February 14th, 2017

    Plans for a new 'super school' in Bala to have a religious designation have been shelved following widespread opposition to the proposal.

    In January the National Secular Society wrote to Gwynedd Council, urging it to protect community school provision and respect the wishes of non-religious parents.

    At a meeting of Gwynedd Council's Cabinet on Tuesday the decision was made to restart the consultation process with the governing bodies of local schools over abandoning the proposal to establish a Church in Wales school in the town of Bala.

    Read more.

  • Premier: Humanists launch new attack on religious programme
    February 14th, 2017

    A religious programme on the BBC has once again drawn criticism from humanists who are demanding that it includes non-religious perspectives.

    Thought for the Day briefly features each weekday on Radio 4's Today programme and it includes reflections from Christian and other faith perspectives.

    Launching a new letter to lobby the corporation, the British Humanist Association said "so long as it exists, it is entirely unacceptable to exclude some speakers just because they are non-religious."

    Read more. 

  • Prospect: Our obsession with sex robots degrades us all by Kathleen Richardson
    February 14th, 2017

    At a robotics conference in 2015, I was surprised to hear a presenter argue that the sci-fi film Ex Machina was a "love story." Ex Machina is about a wealthy programmer who builds a robot woman and invites his employee to take the Turing Test—which tests whether he can tell the difference between a human and a machine. The robot woman is locked in a room and cannot leave voluntarily. Her "rescuer" only wants to help her because he is sexually attracted to her. Rather than being a "love story," Ex Machina is really about domestic violence and sexual objectification, though evidently not all people think that.

    Read more. 

  • Anglican Mainstream: "I've changed": Luke's story
    February 14th, 2017

    We hear many voices in the church of those identifying as gay or same sex attracted, but the voices of those who want to change and have changed have fallen silent. This is the first in a series of stories of how people have, in various ways, moved away from same sex orientation and relationships. Each story is different and genuine; they are not intended to be prescriptive in terms of saying what should happen, but simply to allow personal experiences to be heard. Our first story is told by Luke from London. Do share it with friends and your church.

    Read more.

  • Oakleys: When it comes to the boundary of tolerance you have to choose by James Oakley
    February 14th, 2017

    How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. (1 Kings 18:21)

    It is logically impossible to tolerate differences of opinion when it comes to the acceptable boundaries of tolerance.

    Tomorrow, the General Synod of the Church of England will debate whether to take note of report GS2055, snappily titled "Marriage and Same Sex Relationships after the Shared Conversations".

    It is the next step in a long process, as the Church of England has held structured conversations on human sexuality, which had the tautolagous title of "shared conversations".

    Read more. 

  • GAFCON UK: GAFCON UK's response to the lobby group OneBodyOneFaith
    February 14th, 2017

    GAFCON UK welcomes the publication of the OneBodyOneFaith statement "A time to build".

    The statement is admirably clear in its wholesale abandonment of any pretence that OneBodyOneFaith has any respect for Biblical authority or any interest in the wellbeing of global Anglicanism.

    While "A time to build" suggests that it seeks "theological diversity" it in fact requires that the whole Church worldwide submit to a view that God has not spoken clearly in his Word about the nature of humanity and human sexuality.

    Read more. 

  • Anglican Mainstream: Manipulative, domineering revisionists must be opposed, not appeased by Andrew Symes
    February 14th, 2017

    I can already hear the shocked gasps from some as they read this title. "Oh, can't we have a nicer tone in this debate?", some are thinking, as they cover their ears, desperately thinking happy thoughts and hoping the whole nasty issue will go away.

    It has been said to me that just as Jesus was silent before his accusers, so that should be our example. Well, he was silent at key moments in his trial, but in his ministry there were plenty of times when he confronted and exposed the falsehood and hypocrisy of his opponents. And he did it publicly, not quietly in a corner. Peter and John courageously looked their accusers in the eye and told them that Jesus, whom they crucified, was risen, and was the only Saviour and Lord. Later, the apostle Paul was not afraid to confront those in Galatia who were following a false Gospel, and told of how "when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face". This year we are celebrating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther who called out the corruption and heresy in the church leadership and teaching of his day.

    Read more.