Free Republic

A SENIOR Church of England cleric whose father converted from Islam has attacked the world view of some Muslims, accusing them of incompatible double standards of "victimhood and domination". “Their complaint often boils down to the position that it is always right to intervene when Muslims are victims, as in Bosnia or Kosovo, and always wrong when Muslims are the oppressors or terrorists, as with the Taliban or in Iraq,” said the CoE's only Asian bishop, Michael Nazir-Ali. Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester in southeast England, was quoted today as saying because of a “dual psychology” in which some Muslims...

The Sunday Times July 23, 2006 It's a sin to fly, says church THE Bishop of London has declared it sinful for people to contribute to climate change by flying on holiday, driving a “gas-guzzling” car or failing to use energy-saving measures in the home, writes Jonathan Leake. Richard Chartres will encourage vicars to preach more green sermons and warn congregations that it is now a moral obligation for Christians to lead eco-friendly lifestyles. Chartres, who chairs the bishops’ panel on the environment, said: “There is now an overriding imperative to walk more lightly upon the earth and we need...

SENIOR Church of England bishop has delivered an extraordinary attack on his fellow church leaders, accusing them of pandering to a multifaith society. The Bishop of Rochester, the Right Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, says that the Church is suffering a "full-frontal assault" on its place in British society. However, bishops are failing to act, allowing key Christian activities in institutions such as prisons and hospitals to be reduced to a "multifaith mishmash". Despite a growing threat to Britain's traditional identity as a Christian country, bishops have found it impossible to act in unity or even discuss "ways of upholding the uniqueness...

Two days before Christmas, I was in a store in Vermont buying a last-minute gift when the owner’s twentysomething daughter walked in. “Thanks for the sweater, mom,” she said. “Kevin really liked his present, too.” “But it’s only the 23rd,” said the bewildered lady. “Mom,” sighed the kid, wearily. “How many times do I have to tell you? We always open our presents on the solstice.” A couple of weeks later, a neighbor of mine in New Hampshire got married. He’s a biker and a tattooist, and he’s deeply spiritual. So he and his bride were married in the middle...

There is a paradox about the current bout of media atheism. It is producing a great deal of sound and fury, but most ordinary, fair-minded people I talk to find it increasingly lacking credibility. Richard Dawkins has produced two films suggesting that religion, not the love of money, is the root of all evil and he has a new book on the subject out later in the year. Daniel Dennett has been touring the broadcasting studios plugging his book, Breaking the Spell, about the evolutionary origins and purpose of religion, and Lewis Wolpert has just written a book about believing...

The governing body of the Church of England voted to divest from any corporations that it contends support Israel's activities in Gaza and the West Bank. The idea of divestiture was ushered in two years ago by the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. The Israeli policy of retaliation against terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians sparked the Anglican move. “We agree with Kofi Annan (UN Secretary General) that the Israeli Defense Force’s targeting of terrorist leaders amounts to execution without trial,” Bishop Arnold Mann. “We want to send a message that the Jews should be doing as our savior Jesus Christ bade us...

BIRMINGHAM, AL: (1/13/2006)--The primate of Central Africa, the Most Rev. Bernard Malango, says the Episcopal Church will never repent and come in line with Scriptural faith, and blasted same-sex civil unions in the Church of England saying they could undermine the whole Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury's ability to hold the church together, fatally compromising Lambeth 2008. "They [ECUSA] think they are clever and we are ignorant. They believe that they can say one thing and do another and we will be confused and fooled. However, those of us who walked through ECUSA and Canada know what it...

Oxford, England--A senior vicar and key advisor to the Bishop of Oxford has been accused of a string of child porn offenses. A bespectacled Richard Thomas, 55, and a married priest, was arraigned in court on Monday and charged with eight counts of making and eight counts of possessing indecent pictures of children, according to the INS News Agency. Thomas neither admitted nor denied the charges during the short hearing at Didcot Magistrates' Court, Oxford. Thomas, who is Director of Communications for the Diocese of Oxford, advising Bishop Richard Harries said he would defend himself "vigorously" against the charges, which...

Why an Open Letter The Church of England is currently being torn apart by division caused by departure from Biblical teaching and historic Christian practice. In July the General Synod will vote on whether to call for legislation to permit the consecration of women as bishops. This change will further divide the Church since many believe it to be contrary to Scripture. However, in the letter we have sought to get back behind this one issue and address how the Church of England now permits changes in doctrine and practice. Obviously more could be said but we have tried to...

LONDON (May 12, 2005)-- Anyone would think that with the demise of the Pope has come another death, that of our national church. Read Ruth Gledhill's comments and send us your views - using the e-mail form at the bottom of this page In case you hadn't noticed, with the demise of the Pope has come another death, that of Protestant England. * Oh, so you hadn't realised? Your church is still standing, your services continuing on their weekly round, your vicar still paid his or her stipend. Well, maybe we shouldn't inquire too closely into that last one. But...

A chorus of outrage greeted Cormac Murphy O’Connor’s call to Catholics to ask parliamentary candidates about their views on abortion. The Archbishop of Canterbury entered the debate by stating his own anxieties about the present abortion law but he rejected the idea that the general election will be a ‘rerun of the US election of 2004 with a moral conservative panic dictating votes’. Whether the remarks by Rowan Williams will quieten the worries of Magnus Linklater and others who believe that it is irresponsible to raise abortion as an election issue is open to question. According to the Times columnist,...

Religious leaders are concerned the exorcism will be dangerous An exorcism will be shown for the first time on British television as part of a new programme, the Daily Mirror reports. But religious leaders have slammed the idea and said Channel 4's show, Exorcism, could be "very dangerous". The programme is being pitched as a serious scientific experiment as industry regulator Ofcom prohibits "actual demonstrations of exorcisms and occult practices" on TV. A Channel 4 insider told the newspaper: "The aim is to stage an exorcism for television to test the science involved. "It would involve the church and leading...

African and Asian clergy bring world mission home The Church of England is becoming a mission field for African and Asian clergy, who are making up an increasingly significant minority in dioceses across the country. Over 100 priests from the Global South are estimated to have arrived in parishes over the last couple of years, an investigation by The Church of England Newspaper has found. At least 20 African and Asian clergy have been posted to minister in parishes in the London diocese and around six have begun work in Chelmsford diocese. Out of the clergy who have moved into...

Anglican Mainstream meeting with Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary 19th July 2004 Anglican Mainstream is grateful for the generosity of the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary in making time available for a full discussion of the issues which Anglican Mainstream had raised with the Prime Minister about recent Church appointments. The following were present at the meeting: Dr Philip Giddings (Convenor, Anglican Mainstream UK); Rev Nick Wynne Jones (a Director of the Church of England Evangelical Council); Rev David Phillips (General Secretary of the Church Society); Rev John Coles (Chairman of New Wine); Canon Dr Chris Sugden (Anglican Mainstream International. It was...

Bishops plan his and hers Church By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent (Filed: 20/07/2004) Proposals to divide the Church of England into two - one part with female clergy and one without - are being discussed by Church leaders to avert an exodus of traditionalists when women become bishops. The Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, has told friends he believes such a scheme, though highly controversial, is probably the only way to hold the Church together if it decides to consecrate women. He has privately won support from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who agrees the options facing...

Evangelicals to shun Bishop of St Albans Number: 5725 Date: July 8, Evangelical clergy are making plans to keep the Bishop of St Albans out of their parishes following last Friday’s controversial installation of Jeffrey John as Dean of St Albans. The service to install Dr John last Thursday took place with only minor protests outside but many evangelical clergy boycotted the service. The Bishop of St Albans, Christopher Herbert remained defiant, declaring in his sermon that the reality of the call to Christian service is ‘confused’. Moses was a murder, he pointed out, and St Paul a religious thug...

Dr Williams, beware of false prophets (Filed: 04/07/2004) The Archbishop of Canterbury has again been pronouncing on British foreign policy. Last week, it emerged that Dr Rowan Williams had, with Dr David Hope, the Archbishop of York, written to the Prime Minister criticising "recent developments in Iraq and the Middle East". He singled out the "brutal and indecent" treatment of Iraqi detainees, and the alleged influence on the Bush administration of Christian Zionists, whose "interpretations of the Scriptures from outside the mainstream of the tradition" were "fostering an uncritical and one-sided approach to the future of the Holy Land". "Many...

Trouble in St Albans: a worm's-eye view By Colin Russell CEN Newspaper In the last few weeks the diocese of St Albans has been racked by controversy following the appointment of Jeffrey John as new Dean of the Abbey. More heat than light has been generated and many ordinary people are hurt, angry, fed up and confused. So this is an attempt to clarify some of the issues by a parishioner who has no official role at all in the dispute. A worm's-eye view can sometimes be useful, if only because there are an awful lot of worms. So what...

Parishes plan to turn the financial screw Number: 5724 Date: July 1, Evangelical churches are being provided with advice on taking fiscal action against their dioceses that could bring further ruin to the Church of England’s finances. Anglican Mainstream has issued guidelines for parishes considering withholding their quota contributions, asserting that such a protest against “unorthodoxy and poor stewardship” is biblically justifiable. A number of parishes in the Oxford diocese warned that they would stop paying their parish share following the selection of Canon Jeffrey John to be Bishop of Reading, and his appointment as Dean of St Albans has...

New Bible translation promotes fornication Archbishop of Canterbury praises version for 'extraordinary power' A brand-new translation of the Bible – praised by Britain's archbishop of Canterbury, that nation’s senior Christian voice – flatly contradicts traditional core Christian beliefs on sex and morality. Titled "Good as New," the new Bible is translated by former Baptist minister John Henson for the "One" organization, to produce what the group calls a "new, fresh and adventurous" translation of the Christian scriptures. Archbishop Rowan Williams The 104th archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams – leader of the Church of England – describes it is a...