Juries and justice

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Whilst much of our attention this last week has been on budget debates on tax and benefits and whilst our focus over the past few months has been on nationalist demonstrations, abortion, euthanasia and free speech of preachers, something else has been happening and we risk missing the significance of it. It was reported this… Continue reading Juries and justice

Reflections on the Budget

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Well, we now have the details of the budget.  The key headlines are that the Government are going to increase state benefits, especially by ending the two child cap on child benefit.  This was widely floated and no surprise. Some of the rhetoric against the move was concerning with questions along the lines of “I… Continue reading Reflections on the Budget

How did ‘pietism’ end up as a dirty word?

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If Puritanism has at times become an unfairly maligned “dirty word”, the same can be said of pietism. We frequently are told that there is this thing called pietism which is about individual piety and doesn’t care about society. However check out its roots, check out it’s influence on the Wesleys and the Great Awakening.… Continue reading How did ‘pietism’ end up as a dirty word?

Doug Wilson and Christian Nationalism

It’s not that long back that whenever I wrote or spoke about things like Doug Wilson, Federal Vision and Christian Nationalism that I would get the pushback “why are you even talking about them?” In recent weeks the pushback on Christian Nationalism has become “you need to be very careful about what you say about… Continue reading Doug Wilson and Christian Nationalism

Is C4M right to insist that religious marriages must be preceded by or include a civil/legal agreement?

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The Coalition For Marriage have put forward a proposal requiring there to be a civil ceremony prior to or during a religious ceremony and to forbid religious ceremonies from taking place without the legal bits being in place.  Now, I must admit that my first reaction was surprise that the Coalition For Marriage was still… Continue reading Is C4M right to insist that religious marriages must be preceded by or include a civil/legal agreement?

Finding the language to challenge political idols

One of the things I’ve noticed about Christian responses to flags appearing on lamposts, protests outside asylum hostels and the big Unite the Kingdom rally is that there has been a struggle to find out voice and get to the heart of what the issue is. There has been criticism of divisive and intimidating words… Continue reading Finding the language to challenge political idols

Reaching the right? What we are missing and a better way

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One of the things that has concerned me this past few weeks is the confusion about how we reach people with the Gospel whose political views are labelled “right wing” or more precisely “far right”.  There seems to be a take that you have got to go along with the political views expressed. I think… Continue reading Reaching the right? What we are missing and a better way

Angela Rayner and a politician’s fall

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On Friday, Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister resigned.  The previous week, the Daily Telegraph had started investigating her purchase of a new home in Brighton. Rayner had divorced her husband but for the sake of her family both parties had continued to use the family home.  However, Rayner had now purchased a property in… Continue reading Angela Rayner and a politician’s fall

Are we failing to evangelise The Right ?

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Aaron Edwards writes here about Evangelical attitudes to right wing politics and those on the political right. I have some sympathy in terms of the issue of attitudes.  I grew up in Bradford in a solidly working class, staunchly Labour area.  I ended up Conservative, partly as an act of rebellion! I joined the Conservative… Continue reading Are we failing to evangelise The Right ?