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In the News

  • Thy Kingdom Come is an extraordinary thing. It started in a small way last year, but this year the initiative aimed at involving Christians in prayer for conversions has exploded, sometimes literally; one church let off a rocket as a way of symbolising the ascent of their prayers to heaven. It's the same idea as incense, though a lot more dramatic.

    The event began on Ascension Day last week and is due to finish on Sunday, Pentecost. It has drawn in hundreds of thousands of people across the world, in 85 countries. On social media it has reached more than 3 million people. No fewer than 35 Church of England cathedrals are participating; Norwich, for instance, distributed candles to 400 parishes that committed to praying. Daily vidoes have been viewed 2 million times and almost 300,000 resource packs have been ordered.

    Read more.

  • With the General Election 2017 just days away Christian Today is zooming in on some crucial battleground seats where Christian candidates are in the spotlight.

    The east London seat of Bermondsey and Old Southwark is one of the more unusual seats in the 2017 General Election.

    For the first time in decades it is there is a genuine choice on offer between the main parties.

    Read more.

  • Manchester bomber Salman Abedi first met so-called Islamic State in Libya, a former friend has told the BBC.

    Mohamed el-Sharif, who also left the UK to fight in Libya, told the BBC's Quentin Sommerville that extremist recruiters "are looking for young lads to blow themselves up".

    Watch here.

  • The National Secular Society has criticised the BBC for allowing the first Thought for the Day slot of June to be used by the Church of England as a platform to promote its latest evangelism initiative.

    The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby spoke on Radio 4 about the Church's 'Thy Kingdom Come' campaign, which invites "more people to come to know Jesus Christ".

    NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans said, "It's bad enough that the BBC dedicates part of its flagship news programme to offer an unchallenged platform for religion, but allowing Thought for the Day to be used as free advertising slot for the Church of England really takes the biscuit. It further calls into question the appropriateness of this anachronistic and discriminatory slot."

    Read more.

  • The BBC has been accused of "left wing bias" following last night's election debate between the parties by those on the right and some on social media who claimed to be "middle ground".

    Leaders and representatives from seven parties faced a grilling from a Cambridge studio audience, with Prime Minister Theresa May sending Home Secretary Amber Rudd in to bat for her against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the other five politicians.

    The audience was selected by the polling firm ComRes and the BBC said it was made up of a representative mix of supporters from across the parties and those who have yet to make up their mind, as well as evenly split between those who voted to leave the EU and those who opted to remain.

    Read more.

  • "I think it's an extraordinary poll. It's the first time I've heard something like this," said Theresa May, somewhat aghast to hear that she has been voted by Christians the political party leader most like Jesus. Not physically, of course (the beardy sandals type is much more Jeremy Corbyn), but in her essential character integrity and policy advocacy, the Prime Minister is deemed to be more like the Son of God than any of the other UK party leaders.

    Looking at the line-up – Corbyn (Labour), Farron (LibDem), Sturgeon (SNP), Wood (Plaid Cymru), Nuttall (Ukip), Lucas/Bartley (Greens) – perhaps that isn't so difficult to believe. It isn't clear if options included the Northern Ireland parties, but maybe Nigel Dodds (DUP) and Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin) are unknown quantities to the interview sample.

    Read more.

  • Theresa May has told Premier there is "no way" Christianity is being marginalised in the UK while she is Prime Minister.

    In an exclusive, wide ranging interview the Conservative party leader once again talked about how her faith guides her and spoken of the integral part the Church plays in society.

    Speaking to Premier as the other party leaders prepared for Wednesday night's TV debate ahead of next week's vote, Theresa May once again outlined the role her Christian faith plays in her life, saying it is the same today as it was growing up in the vicarage where her father served.

    Read more.

  • The Archbishop of Canterbury is facing questions tonight over his links to an evangelical Christian under police investigation for beating young men.

    Following revelations by this programme four months ago, Justin Welby admitted he had worked with John Smyth at Christian holiday camps, but insisted he had "no contact at all" with the camps after 1978. New evidence now challenges this account.

    Watch here.

  • Our life doesn't just have meaning, all of life is meaningful in Christ who holds all things together.

    Watch here.

  • "Bless me, Robot, for I have sinned."

    "Do you want to receive absolution in a male voice or a female voice?"

    The penitent presses a button on a touchscreen torso, and BlessU-2 (as it is named) raises its arms, its hands light up, and the blessing is spoken (or printed, if you prefer) with a bit of eyebrow action. BlessU-2 can honour, laud and magnify in English, German, French, Spanish or Polish…

    Read more.