Stop worshipping at the foot of the magic money tree

It’s the 2017 General Election, the Tories had gone into the campaign, fully expecting a landslide victory but had then proceeded to self destruct whilst Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign had too off with the promise of investment and handouts. Central to the Labour campaign was the commitment to abolish student fees. Then you may remember that… Continue reading Stop worshipping at the foot of the magic money tree

Rishi’s gamble

Will you be off out for your half-priced meal in August? Don’t forget “eat out to help out.”  Rishi Sunak has turned into a kind of 21st Century milky bar kid, Nandos Chicken and your Beefeater steak are on him. Yesterday, the Chancellor announced some significant measures to help the economy avoid a deep recession… Continue reading Rishi’s gamble

Why I won’t be joining Christian Concern in taking the Government to court

A number of Christian leaders have joined with Christian Concern For Our Nation in taking legal action against the government for pursuing lockdown and the closing of church buildings during Coronavirus. I want to explain here why I disagree with the action and won’t be supporting it. First of all, on one level, I respect… Continue reading Why I won’t be joining Christian Concern in taking the Government to court

What is the abortion amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill all about?

Today the House of Commons is likely to consider an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill as it makes its way through parliament. Pro-life campaigners have highlighted this as being one of those most significant moments in the debate about abortion with the amendment potentially sweeping away any outstanding protections for an unborn child. But… Continue reading What is the abortion amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill all about?

Families, Children and Childlessness (Responding to Kevin DeYoung)

The other day, Kevin DeYoung penned these words in an article for the Gospel Coalition “Here’s a culture war strategy conservative Christians should get behind: have more children and disciple them like crazy. Strongly consider having more children than you think you can handle.”[1] Kevin was writing primarily for a US audience. The concept of… Continue reading Families, Children and Childlessness (Responding to Kevin DeYoung)

The end of the Department For International Aid (DFID) should encourage a bigger conversation about governments, aid and charity

The merger of the Department for International Development (DFID) into the Foreign Office was one of those worst kept secrets, a case of when not if.  In effect it’s a bit of restricting, a bit of musical chairs. Of greater importance than what departments exist in government, is the effectiveness of their objectives. This means… Continue reading The end of the Department For International Aid (DFID) should encourage a bigger conversation about governments, aid and charity

Free School Meal vouchers over the summer will not deal with the problem of poverty

Well done to Marcus Rashford, his campaign seems to have encouraged the government to extend provision of free school meal vouchers through the official 6 weeks holiday. If that means the result is that a number of children are properly fed over the summer then that is a good thing. However, this is not going… Continue reading Free School Meal vouchers over the summer will not deal with the problem of poverty

Kings and nations tremble at his voice

I’m reposting this article from 2016.  It offers reflection on how we respond to geo-political turmoil. The opening paragraph refers to the Brexit referendum, to David Cameron, Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump’s election as US President.  It seems pertinent today as we reflect back both on 4 years of turmoil. Brexit eventually happened… Continue reading Kings and nations tremble at his voice

Protest

Here’s our #AfternoonTea discussion on protests. Key points include There is a long tradition of marching and demonstrating as a means of making our voices heard. There are democratic freedoms allowing us to do this and benefits include that it gives a sense of action and participation beyond simply marking a cross at the ballot… Continue reading Protest

Why talk about public policy on a faith blog?

From time to time I engage with issues that are a little political on faithroots. In the past we’ve talked about Brexit, Presidential elections and the 2019 General Election (although by mailchimp as the blog wasn’t running at that point). Currently I’m engaging with the issues relating to Coronavirus and not just about the church… Continue reading Why talk about public policy on a faith blog?