The BBC interviewed Cardinal Murphy O’Connor on the radio this morning, see report (with link to audio): Cardinal warns of ‘new morality’.
Ekklesia has a news article on all this: Cardinal raises debate about church-government relations after adoption row and also this here.
Ekklesia has also published a comment article, Conscience and justice by Savi Hensman in which she analyses some of the implications of the Anglican archbishops’ recent letter.
The Telegraph has published an article claiming that Opt-out refusal ‘bans church from public life’.
Tom Wright’s rant to Ruth Gledhill (also summarised here) about the decision drew scorn from Jim Naughton who in a piece titled …or weird by Michael Jackson said:
…But being called arrogant by N. T. Wright, is like being called ugly by Jabba the Hutt.
This remark is a reference to an earlier critique of NTW which was titled N. T. Wright: Le Communion c’est moi.
And Savi Hensman has also sent an open letter to NTW which is reproduced below the fold.
27 CommentsSimon Barrow has written on Commentisfree: Learning to love again. Church agencies are turning against their own message. ‘Defeat’ at the hands of equality legislation may be the best spiritual outcome for them.
An earlier statement on Religious Adoption Agencies by LGCM is here.
From the Independent Why I wish a non-religious agency had arranged my adoption.
Also Dominic Lawson wrote Don’t be fooled: the Catholic Church is not bluffing over gay adoption and there was also this leading article.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports that Compromise on gay adoption is still possible, say bishops and Andrew Pierce wrote Speaking as an adopted gay Catholic . .
The Tablet carries a feature article A love found wanting by Martin Reynolds, and carries an editorial, Need for compromise:
16 Comments…The Government’s task, of which it is making heavy weather, is to balance the good of outlawing discrimination against homosexuals against the bad of seeing these excellent Catholic agencies close down. And they really would close: the bishops are bound by teachings and policies that are not theirs to change (and certainly will not be changed by this legislation). But most of what both sides want can be achieved by compromise. Gay couples will find plenty of agencies to welcome them, and the Catholic societies can continue with their good work in accordance with their consciences. So the battle boils down to the argument that to allow one exception, even on grounds of religious conviction, would undermine the new law as a whole. That is stretching the argument too far.
It is unwise for issues involving a genuine conflict of rights to be pushed to the point where there is total victory for one side and defeat for the other. But it would be well for the Catholic Church to recognise why its own position has become difficult to explain and defend. Its submission to Government makes reference to Catholic sexual ethics. Not long ago the Vatican published an ill-judged document that described the legal recognition of homosexual relationships as “the legislation of evil”. The Catholic Catechism says that Scripture describes homosexual acts as “grave depravity”. This is far removed from the temper of the times, and probably no longer even reflects what a majority of practising Catholics believe about homosexuals. Many of them have gay friends and gay relatives; Catholic mothers have gay sons. Some of the most devout are gay themselves…
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about Candlemas.
In the Guardian Face to Faith is by Aidan Rankin who writes that the ‘many-sidedness’ of Jainism could inoculate us against fundamentalist rigidity.
The Times has Rodrick Strange writing about how Ordinary loves reveal extraordinary truth of compassion. Also, Greg Watts writes about religious broadcasting.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times In support of the scapegoat.
The Guardian also has a fascinating book review by Diarmaid MacCulloch of Martin Goodman’s compelling account of two crucial centuries in Jewish history, Rome and Jerusalem. See Original Spin.
10 CommentsAndrew Brown writes about the Anglican archbishops’ statement: Is Rowan too subtle or too supple? It is in the nature of churches to regard themselves as higher moral authorities, but there’s no reason for the rest of us to go along with it.
Stephen Bates also writes about this: Gallantry after the battle. The Anglican archbishops’ intervention in the gay adoption row was an astonishing blunder.
Listen to an interview with Stephen Bates on the Guardian website here.
And, Elizabeth Ribbans on the Guardian Editors’ blog asks Was archbishop’s intervention a mistake?
Simon Barrow writes about it at Ekklesia: Adapting ourselves to adoptive grace. It would appear that the most senior figures in the English Catholic and Anglican churches have no real idea just how bad they look to a massive number of people right now.
Ekklesia also reports on what LGCM said, Catholic Church adoption policy seriously confused, says Christian group.
Changing Attitude said this in a press release.
In The Times Mary Ann Sieghart comments on The fallout from the gay adoption row. Jane Shilling also has some comments here. The leaders of Affirming Catholicism have a letter to the editor here.
Update
The full transcript of the BBC TV interview with Robert Pigott which was referenced earlier, hcan be found here.
Jonathan Sacks writes in The Times: A gentle reminder that soft answers can turn away wrath.
Chris Hardwick writes about Conscience in Face to Faith in the Guardian.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times about how The Bible is not a legal document.
26 CommentsAtheists: the bigots’ friends is the headline over a comment article in today’s Guardian by Giles Fraser. The strapline reads: Most Christians back gay rights – and to claim otherwise only boosts the fundamentalists.
The article starts:
41 CommentsMedia atheists are fast becoming the new best friends of fundamentalist Christians. For every time they write about religion they are doing very effective PR for a fundamentalist worldview. Many of the propositions that fundamentalists are keen to sell the public are oft-repeated corner-stones of the media atheist’s philosophy of religion.
Both partners in this unholy alliance agree that fundamentalist religion is the real thing and that more reflective and socially progressive versions of faith are pale imitations, counterfeits even. This endorsement is of enormous help to fundamentalists. What they are really threatened by is not aggressive atheism – indeed that helps secure a sense of persecution that is essential to group solidarity – but the sort of robustly self-critical faith that knows the Bible and the church’s traditions, and can challenge bad religion on its own terms. Fundamentalists hate what they see as the enemy within. And by refusing to acknowledge any variegation in Christian thought, media atheists play right into their hands…
In The Times Brian Davies writes about how Aquinas proves atheists are closer to God than they think.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about Sister Wendy in Like Rembrandt refusing to paint.
Ian Bradley writes in the Guardian that The linking of Britishness with religious identity could help integration.
Earlier this week, Giles Fraser reviewed the film Apocalypto for the Guardian: A Christian snuff movie that links blood with salvation. He also wrote in the Church Times about The Heath-Robinson route to decline.
Paul Vallely wrote for the Church Times about the recent church scandal in Poland: Know them by their disgrace.
7 CommentsJudith Maltby in the Guardian writes about Epiphany quoting 17th-century Cornish poet Sidney Godolphin.
Geoffrey Rowell in The Times also writes about Epiphany, quoting (among others) Lancelot Andrewes.
And Christopher Howse in the Telegraph finds that the Wilton Diptych is linked to Epiphany.
3 CommentsSacrifice, Law and the Catholic Faith: is secularity really the enemy? is the title of the 2006 Tablet Lecture by James Alison. You can read this lecture in full (except for the footnotes) here.
Another lecture sponsored by The Tablet nearly two years ago, on a related theme, was Rendering Unto Caesar – Catholicism, Politics, Law and Democracy by Aidan O’Neill QC. You can read that lecture in full here (and continued here), and also the other material preceding and following it, here.
8 CommentsIn The Times Katharine Jefferts Schori writes that A new year is a fine time to search for shalom, Isaiah-style.
See also this video at YouTube of Katharine Jefferts Schori, then Bishop of Nevada and Presiding Bishop nominee, answering the question: “What are the priorities for the new Presiding Bishop?” Recorded May 1, 2006. (hat tip JN)
In the Guardian John Sentamu writes that Ethics must shape our global economy.
Christopher Howse in the Telegraph writes about Our splendid but unseen synagogues.
18 CommentsThe Times has Pius Ncube of Bulawayo writing the Credo column: Homeless but not hopeless in Africa.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about Myrrh beyond the gloom. There is a leader entitled The babe in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
In the Guardian the Face to Faith column We must not forget that Bethlehem is under siege is written by Alan McDonald who is the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
The Guardian also has a leader, Beyond belief which is related to the front page report, Religion does more harm than good – poll.
(A related news report by Stephen Bates is Devout Poles show Britain how to keep the faith.)
The Church Times leader is Two cheers for sentimentality.
8 CommentsThe View from Fleet Street column for the Christmas issue is written this week by Stephen Bates. You can read it here at Religious Intelligence.
Enjoy.
6 CommentsGeza Vermes wrote in the Guardian’ Face to Faith column that Mary was probably not a virgin in the modern sense of the word.
Christopher Howse wrote in the Telegraph about a Remarkable piece of cardboard.
Jonathan Sacks wrote in The Times about Chanukah, in Candles in memory of a clash of civilisations.
4 CommentsAndrew Linzey has written for The Times about why Animals must not be scapegoats.
Also in that paper, Roderick Strange writes that Advent means no more hiding out in the hills and valleys.
Colin Slee writes in the Guardian about why banning Christmas is ignorant and counter-cultural, see Face to Faith.
Christopher Howse has his regular Sacred Mysteries column in the Telegraph. This week the title is Another kind of comfort.
2 CommentsStephen Tomkins is giving up Christmas for Advent, read the Guardian’s Face to Faith column.
In The Times Geza Vermes writes about The real Christmas story and Peter Townley writes about Ted Whickham in Sowing the seeds of mission on stony urban soil.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about church architecture, Ionic, Doric and Catholic.
The Church Times had this leader about the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Pope: Why they must keep talking.
3 CommentsThe TA item below about the new Northern Ireland regulations prompted quite a few reader comments about “evangelical” opposition to this legislation.
Stephen Bates wrote about just this last month in the Church of England Newspaper.
View from Fleet Street
article for CEN, 27.10.06
By Stephen Bates
Next March I am sure we shall all be commemorating what is arguably the greatest and most progressive social and moral reform ever achieved by Englishmen motivated by Evangelical zeal: it will be the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Men such as William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp – Evangelical Anglicans all – will be remembered for their determination to right a grievous wrong, as will those who inspired them, John Newton, the former slave ship captain who eventually repented and Olaudah Equiano whose autobiography opened English eyes to the horrors of the trade.
In preparation for this last week I attended a conference at Methodist Central Hall arranged by the Set All Free group, an umbrella body of Churches Together in England, which is coordinating the religious side of the commemoration. They – we –congratulated ourselves that England had pioneered the abolition movement, recollected that there is still more to be done – an estimated 12 million people around the world are still in one sort of indentured slavery or another – and adjourned for lunch.
As we did so, I was approached by a smartly dressed black man from the Evangelical Alliance who introduced himself and politely invited me to another press conference, this time one that the EA would be arranging, to launch its campaign to persuade the Government to exempt Evangelical Christians who run hotels and boarding houses from having to accept homosexual guests.
60 CommentsThe Times has an excerpt from Doing Theology in Altab Ali Park a new book by Kenneth Leech, A street theologian outside the city gates.
The Times also has: Fearless in the face of tyranny by Simon Caldwell about Abp Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, and Time to stand up for our beliefs by Cormac Murphy-O’Connor.
The Guardian has Mark Vernon writing about Thomas Aquinas in Face to Faith.
In the Telegraph Christopher Howse reminds us that Church of England bishops once banned the English Hymnal.
And from the USA, this column in USA Today When religion loses its credibility by Oliver “Buzz” Thomas.
6 CommentsIn The Times Geoffrey Rowell writes of An imperative call to Christian unity as Archbishop meets Pope.
In The Tablet there is a very valuable article by R William Franklin When Rowan goes to Rome.
The opinions of Rowan Williams on all this are in the Church Times.
There is also a leader column in The Tablet, related to the recent joint CofE-RC bishops meeting, Danger of Growing Paranoia.
In connection with all these see also the opinion of the editors of the Catholic Herald whose leader column is titled: An archbishop with whom we can do business.
Turning to other topics, the Guardian has a column by David Haslam on Hinduism. The Times has a column by Jonathan Romain on Judaism.
The Church Times has a column by Giles Fraser When the believers are the rebels. Another piece by Giles Fraser was his Thought for the Day on Friday on the BBC: Fundamentalism proposes a God built from layers of human insecurity.
71 CommentsJonathan Sacks writes about Remembrance Sunday in The Times: As guardians of our children’s future we must keep faith with the past. And Andrew Lloyd writes about it from Basra: Two minutes of silence under Abraham’s sky.
But other events also happen at this time of year. Christopher Howse explains in the Telegraph while debunking claims about Halloween being pagan, in Fenny Poppers and paganism.
A Church Times leader comments on the US elections: US voters turn against Bush.
A Guardian leader comments on religion: God’s squads:
… Individual faith is politically sensitised, to be called in aid by the Christian right trying to prevent Turkey joining the EU, as much as by those who genuinely see describing it as a problem as the first step to solving it. In this context, there is a heavy burden on Britain’s Christian tradition. To pretend there is no history of hatred between Islam and Christendom, nor any fundamental conflict in their theologies, is both absurd and dangerous. It has to be acknowledged. But it is a problem to overcome, not a legacy to be savoured. The assertion by the Anglican Bishop of Rochester, the evangelical Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, that Christianity is superior to other religions and that Britain must preserve its Christian heritage, is highly damaging. So was Frank Field’s claim at the launch of a new religious thinktank, Theos, this week, that Islam could not be English until it had been here for 1,000 years. Of course, Anglicanism is wrestling with its own internal difficulties. The evangelicals and liberals grow strident; hardliners may be reassured by Bishop Nazir-Ali’s remarks. But most Britons, whose Christianity is notional at most, are more likely to be repelled. A rising profile in the media is no guarantee of more parishioners in the pews. Church attendance, already below 10%, is predicted to fall to 2% by 2040…
Meanwhile on the Guardian’s blogsite, Comment is free Andrew Brown published two pieces:
The eternal turbulent priest which is about Lord Carey and also Rowan Williams. And Why God needs heretics.
Giles Fraser wrote in the Church Times about When the mask of Pastor Ted slipped off.
In connection with that, hat tip to Ruth Gledhill for digging out this excellent sermon of Sam Wells. Please note however there is a factual error in the first paragraph of the sermon, see comment below by Sarah Dylan Breuer for details.
17 CommentsIn The Times Whatever next? The afterlife is discussed by Roderick Strange and other religious representatives.
Diversity of belief is a very Anglican tradition says Martyn Percy in the Guardian.
Christopher Howse in the Telegraph reviews a new book about cathedral canons in Explosive mix of canons.
Andrew Brown writes on Comment is free about the risk of corruption in churches, see Soul providers.
Giles Fraser had a column in the Church Times headed Why do Evangelicals like purity?
Simon Barrow on Ekklesia takes a different tack to the discussion of The God Delusion with Turning God into a disaster area.
He also has published additional links to reviews of this book here.