Accountability

In his April 2015 Presidentialaddress to the Church in Wales' (CinW) Governing Body(GB), the Archbishop of Wales urged people to vote in the then forthcoming General Election:

"Archbishop Barry identified one of the tasks of the Church during the run up to the General Election as being to tackle voter apathy by engaging in the democratic process — encouraging people to vote, and helping inform them by holding hustings where politicians of all parties can be invited to respond on their attitudes to a whole range of subjects."

His encouragement would have had more weight if the democratic process were allowed to operate in the CinW. In theory members have a voice but in practice not so. For example, meetings held in dioceses across Wales to discuss same sex marriage options have been a farce, as were the 'consultations' on a Code of Practice (CoP). Seehere, here and here. If Barry doesn't like the outcome he reserves the right to ignore the findings. Consequently the Church in Wales has a meaningless CoP and if Barry has his way the CinW will allow same sex marriage in churches by persuading GB members to vote as he requires, regardless of the fact that some of the gay lobby voted out of personal preferences against the wishes of others and at least two dioceses voted to maintain traditional marriage. So much for Barry's idea of democracy.

This is how it works. Barry decides what he wants. He arranges for papers full of spiritual irrelevancies to be prepared as the basis for discussion but the outcome is for guidance only. That means, if the results are favourable they are used in evidence. If unfavourable they are ignored because the bishops, ie Barry, knows best.

This one man band approach has been an disaster for the CinW but unlike the secular world which Barry strives to emulate there is no accountability. Like a galley master beating the oarsmen for more effort the poor pew sitters are urged to give more and more to support a failing institution. Academic research claims that the CinW will be extinct in a generation leaving only the Church of England (CofE) to survive in the longer term but there is no spiritual lifeline as provided in the CofE for those who have not fallen under Barry's spell. In any other walk of life the chief executive would have done the decent thing and resigned. But decency is not a factor recognised by the bench of bishops.

The ordination of women was supposed to re-invigorate the Anglican Church, or if you believed the Ass Bishop of Llandaff, "the ordination of women will rid the world of homophobia, misogyny, brutalisation of women in all situations including those in war zones". Far from being homophobic, Church and State has an active gay lobby which grows ever more confident with LGBT issues constantly being pushed in schools where transgender has become the dominant issue and in churches where worshipers are branded as homophobic for believing that marriage is the union for life between one man and one woman. As for the brutalisation of women, apart from the treatment of women in Islam which too many bishops are keen to endorse as a legitimate faith despite biblical warnings, it has not concerned the CinW one jot that many faithful cradle Anglican women have been robbed of the Church they loved by the feminist takeover.

Also highlighted in the April 2015 GBreport was a report on the Representation of Women in the Church. Their recommendations on page 5 kick off with "The Bench of Bishops and the Governing Body must reaffirm the role of women in the Church, and monitor and review on a regular basis the appointment of women to senior posts" followed by nine other Recommendations, mainly about 'gender balance' and the need to be 'inclusive'.

Recommendation 4: Gender Equality and Training sums up the feminist cause in the Church. "Gender Equality must be reaffirmed as integral to the training of all ordinands, clergy and laity. Those in training as ordinands should be required to abide by the policy of the Church with regard to discrimination." That will be discrimination against anyone who in conscience cannot accept the sacramental ministry of women.

The CinW is obsessed by equality of opportunity in the workplace and being politically correct. The spiritual needs of faithful women and men have become an irrelevance. Ironically one of the few women to mention spirituality was the briefly Dean of Llandaff, Janet Henderson. Writing in the Llandaff Cathedral magazine,The Bell, in response to the Elerie Jones Report Dean Janet commented:

" Instead of writing a letter this month, the Chapter has asked me to report

on the recommendations. The brief given to Professor Jones and Dr HavenTang

did not cover a review of our worship, our education programme or

our staffing nor did it ask for any information about the opportunities

afforded by our deep Celtic roots and our potential place as a site of major

interest associated with the Celtic saints. I would tertekan that these areas are

also important - excellence of worship, good all age Christian education,

support and training for staff and the exploration of the riches that are

present in our archives and on site. I also see a great deal of opportunity

to develop our musical and artistic life and to be in partnership with

schools, colleges and universities. Read with these areas also in mind, the

report offers a basis for our future planning....

"I propose to hold a Vision Day on 1st June for all Chapter members and for

our newly elected PCC members at which we will be working on a

Development Plan for the cathedral. I will write more about this and offer

some of my own observations about the directions in which we should be

moving in the next issue of the Bell. Once the Chapter and PCC have

finalized the Development Plan, this will then be widely available for people

to see at the back of the Cathedral and on our website. So, if you have any

comments to make about any of this, please do send them to me or to

members of the Chapter and PCC before June 1st."

In the June 2013 edition of The Bell The Most Reverend Dr Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales, wrote "I did not expect to be writing this letter in The Bell but I know that many of you were shocked and saddened at Dean Janet?S resignation and I share in that sadnessdanquot;...."Unsettling as all of this has been, and it is deeply unsettling, we need to bear in mind, as I said at the installation service, and as one of you reminded me this week, that the church of God and this Cathedral has faced all kinds of difficulties and crises in the past but God has been steadfast in His care for us and assures us that whatever we face, He faces it with us and alongside us. In the end, it is His church and not ours."

Whatever the merits or demerits of comments made by commentators who have resorted to using this Blog as a means of airing their grievances, their comments suggests significant dissatisfaction. I do not know how representative commentators from the Llandaff Cathedral congregation are but even if only a disgruntled minority, they have brought to the attention of the casual observer a level of Christian stewardship at the highest level which appears wanting. But where is the accountability? There is none. There are no answers, just 'don't rock the boat'!

The Archbishop wrote in The Bell, "In the end, it is His church and not oursdanquot; emphasising that "the church of God... Has faced all kinds of difficulties and crisesdanquot;. The dilema is that the Archbishop treats the Church in Wales as if it were his Church, accountable only to himself. The Governing Body has become another tool of authoritarianism. The bench of bishops is either complicit or ineffectual. While this is going on the Church in Wales is dying. In his April 2015 GB address Dr Morgan posed the question, "If I exercise my right to say or write anything I like about you, what are the consequences for our relationship?"

There are times when people have to speak up for the faith. Something which appears to elude the bench of bishops. If nobody is allowed to comment the Church is left with the attitude "whatever the vicar/bishop/archbishop wants", seemingly oblivious to the fact that congregations continue to dwindle as the CinW is transformed from being an accepted part of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church into a secularised social club for the like-minded.

From Conger (here):  "Archbishop urges Christians to see the Bible through a skeptical eye:

"The Archbishop of Wales has urged the Governing Body of the Church in Wales to cast a skeptical eye on the Biblical prohibitions, saying the authors of Scripture were ignorant of modern committed same-sex relationships. In his 23 April 2014 Presidential Address Dr. Barry Morgan stated the “few texts we have in the Bible about same-sex relationships are very negative. Yet, it can be argued that homosexual relationships as we understand them in terms of committed, faithful, monogamous, long lasting relationships, were unknown in biblical times and what the texts rail against is sexual promiscuity and experimentation.” Jesus did not speak to the issue of same-sex relationships the archbishop averred, adding that it was not impossible for the church’s teaching on gay marriage to evolve as it had on divorce and remarriage. “Will we, as a Church, eventually adopt the same approach as far as same-sex relationships are concerned, as we have done about re-marriage after divorce, or is gay marriage in a different category from the re-marriage of divorced people,” Dr. Morgan asked. The archbishop’s address kicks off a formal round of debate on gay marriage within the Church of Wales. No decisions were taken at the meeting, but Dr. Morgan asked the debate be respectful. “Whatever our viewpoints, I hope that our discussions can be charitable."

The implication is, if it is fashionable, accept it, ignoring the real point of the Church which is to worship God and preach the Gospel, not conform to the latest secular fad. The Church should be guided by what the Bible does say rather than speculate around what is not said:

"The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor , especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." The converse is...... But there is no accountability in the Church in Wales so more of the same while the CinW becomes a ruin in the lifetime of our children.

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Same sex marriage. Cold feet or a return to sanity? Probably neither.

Cake decorations at a gay wedding. Photograph: Hector Mato/AFP/Getty

The above illustration appeared in The Guardian in 2006 under the heading "Gay marriage could improve health". Actually the article was more about civil partnerships which many applauded as a victory for natural justice. But a connection with same sex marriage (SSM) was being made as though there were little difference between them which is reminiscent of the position taken by those who pressed for the ordination of women.

It was argued that the difference between a deacon and a priest was small, merely saying a few words at the Altar with the authority to pronounce absolution as though neither had any great significance. After the ordination of women to the priesthood was accepted it was argued that if a woman could be a priest it was discriminatory to deny a woman priest the right to become a bishop. The fact that the Anglican Church had no such authority within the Apostolic Church was ignored because Provinces could take authority for themselves under their own constitutions while still professing to be part of the Apostolic Church in their Creed.

Following Western Anglicanism's acceptance of women deacons, priests and bishops, LGBT issues have become the dominant issue, something the Archbishop of  the Church in Wales has been keen to take forward, particularly his gay marriage agenda after bouncing through women bishop legislation. But are his revisionist policies coming unstuck?

Publishing the Agenda for this month's meeting of the Church in Wales' Governing Body a Provincial press release includes this surprise statement under "Other items on the agenda include":

'A report on same-sex marriage consultations which took place in each diocese this year, followed by a plenary debate. Please note: no decision on whether the Church in Wales will change its law to allow same-sex marriage (SSM) will be taken at this meeting – it is debate only.' [My emphasis - Ed.]

Cold feet or a return to sanity? Probably neither. Looking at the Report of the Standing Committee (Item 7) a different picture emerges with this statement:

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

[29.] The Committee was informed that, following the group discussions at the April 2014

Governing Body meeting and work carried out by the Standing Doctrinal Commission,

the Bench had consulted dioceses on three possible options for the way in which the

Church should relate to same sex partnerships in future:

1. No change to the Church?S current teaching and practice on marriage and

partnerships;

dua. To allow same sex unions to be blessed in the Church in Wales;

tiga. To allow same sex couples to marry in the Church in Wales.

[30.] The Committee received a report from the Bench summarising the results of the

consultation with dioceses. The Bench proposed that the results be circulated to

Governing Body members for this meeting when the Governing Body would itself be

invited to discuss the three options. There would be no motion for debate but, at the

end of the discussion, members would be invited to indicate in a secret ballot their

preferred option (and, if they so wished, their second preference). The results would be

announced at the meeting, and would then be considered by the Bishops at a subsequent

Bench meeting. The Bench would report back to the Standing Committee on its

proposed way forward in the light of the consultation. The Committee endorsed the

approach proposed by the Bench. [My emphasis - Ed.]

Readers may wonder why the report from the Bench summarising the results of the consultation with dioceses has not been made public. One would think they are of no concern to the Church members whose views are summarised. The implication is that the results were unacceptable to the Archbishop but by proposing that the results be circulated to Governing Body members to discuss the three options the Bench is likely to receive their desired result from like minded supporters despite the wishes of the Church in general.

Designed to show which way the wind is blowing, what is there to prevent one of Barry's acolytes proposing that a vote be taken? This is what happened when the devious Jackson/Wigley amendment scuppered any meaningful provision for Church in Wales Anglicans who have remained loyal to the Apostolic faith of the Holy Catholic Church. The bishops dropped their own proposals when they saw the wind was in their favour. Sadly the rest is history with the faithful struggling on the best they can supporting a Province which does not support them. But as long as the money rolls in who cares? Certainly not the bench of bishops.

So more skulduggery as witnessed in the deceitful Code of Practice manoeuvres to complete +Barry's secular agenda? In thisvideo the Archbishop refers to the Bench's two stage legislation which was supposed to make provision for those who are opposed to women bishops but abandoned after the the first part was accepted. Unscrupulous, devious and cunning it seems that nothing will deter Dr Morgan from achieving his secular objectives even if his policiesdestroy the Church in Wales in the process.

Little surprise, then, that members have become disillusioned giving rise to this comment which appeared in the Conclusion (Section 1) of the note after the Diocese of St Asaph's SSM deliberations:

"Clear support of traditional teaching

There is a clear group of about 19% of the respondents who reject any change in marriage doctrine and not only oppose the blessing of same sex unions, object to the unions themselves. Comments indicate that they do want change – but this is a significant change in the teaching and practice of the church to reinforce the traditional theology of marriage in preaching, teaching and pastoral practice. They state that the Bible is clear and so the church should be clear.

They fear that many will leave the church if any change in doctrine or practice is made.

In this reading Option 1 is a change option. Comments indicate a distrust of the leadership and membership of Church in Wales. They fear that society’s values are already ruling over biblical values. The call in the comments is for commitment to this option from all , at every level of the church, but especially in leadership. Comments speak of the surprise they feel that the Bishops seek to even ask the question when the Bible is so clear. For them there are no Options, only one Option – to be faithful

There are within the comments calls for celibacy of homosexual persons. One comment speaks the most loving response being to be firm and state that homosexuality is wrong. Comments suggest that Option 1 is the pastoral option. Comments said that blessing that which is condemned in the Bible is sinful and misleading."

It is not surprising then that the latest attendancefigures for 2014 show another 2% fall on the previous year along with a 11% Electoral Roll fall, a 15% fall in Confirmations and a 7% fall in Baptisms. Regular income is also down for the sixth successive year. The Report indicates that "regular giving is coming under increasing pressure as general attendance continues to fall and fewer members are required to meet the financial demands of parishes".

The road to ruin continues while +Barry claims "the church of God ... has faced all kinds of difficulties and crises in the past but God has been steadfast in His care for us". The 'church of God', yes, but who cares for the Church in Wales? Not the bishops.

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Trouble and strife

Unhappily married: Andy and Flo                                       Credit: daily Mirror

Andy Capp and Flo are unhappily married. Andy is a working-group figure who never actually works. Andy's hobbies include pigeon racing, darts, snooker (his cue's name is "Delilah"), football (which always involves fights with the other players, and frequently ends with Andy being sent off), occasional cricket and rugby, betting on horses, getting drunk in the local pub (often falling into the canal and being fished out by a constable, and always, seven nights a week, arriving home late as a result), ending up in the local jail, fishing (and not catching anything bigger than a goldfish), unsuccessfully mooching money from everyone for beer, unsuccessfully flirting with barmaids, picking up other bargirls, loafing on the sofa, and fighting with his long-suffering wife, Florrie (also known as "Flodanquot;).

Despite their difficulties Andy and Flo have have stuck together but their life together is a cartoon. The reality for others is no joke. A loveless marriage other than a marriage of convenience is a burden to both parties. When children are involved the atmosphere can be unbearable for them when constant bickering and worse takes place. This is the persoalan the Catholic Church has to resolve without the divisions that have split and weakened the Anglican Communion.

Two addresses "set down important markers" for Synod-2015 on its first formal day of work. The Rorate Caeli Blog sets out the Synod's most likely outcome "barring a miracle". Surely a miracle is needed. Watering down the faith can lead to no faith other than faith in one's own desires as witnessed in liberal Anglicanism whereas absolutism can be equally destructive as illustrated by Islam.

The alternative of living one's life in a loveless marriage and continuing to receive Holy Communion compared with a loving, happy marriage but denied the sacrament is a dilemma the Catholic Church must resolve without all the baggage that has gone with it in the Anglican Church, much of it brought about by liberal clergy.

"Church risks being seen as 'homophobic' if it doesn't evolve"said the Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan in his presidential address to members of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales in April 2014. "Gay marriage should be accepted in the same way that divorce and re-marriage has been" and added that quoting the Bible is not the way to settle debate on such emotive issues: "Some people have changed their minds for example on women’s ministry and same-sex relationships when they have experienced the ministry of a woman priest in the one case, or discovered their own son or daughter to be gay in the other".

Dr Morgan argued, "Holy scripture itself is far more nuanced, subtle and complex than we often realise. We cannot just quote biblical texts on different subject matters and think that settles an issue". But that is exactly what Dr Morgan did in 2008 when he quoted St Paul ("In Christ there is no bond or free, male or female, Jew or Greek") to justify his stance on women bishops: "I do not see how, having agreed to ordaining women to both the diaconate and priesthood, the church can logically exclude women from the episcopate".

If Synod becomes embroiled in similar arguments the Catholic Church will find herself in the same sorry mess as the Anglican Church. For outsiders, denying the sacraments to people who have remarried looks particularly harsh, especially when compared with the practice of annulment.

The Rorate Caeli blog referred to "squaring the circledanquot;. Can it be possible without detriment to the Church? Pray that it is.

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Interfaith discussions: the big problem

Archbishop Justin Welby with Dr Waqar Azmi (l) and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones (r) at the

Muslim Council of Wales dinner, Cardiff, Wales, 1 October 2015.    Photo Credit: Lambeth Palace

In his address to the Muslim Council of Wales (see previous entry), the Archbishop of Canterbury urged faith groups to "go the extra mile" for the common good. Speaking "as a Christian" Archbishop Welby spoke of the values that spring out of the person of Jesus Christ:

"The first of these springs from the fact of incarnation, that in Christian belief we understand that Jesus was at the same time both fully God and fully human, two persons in one nature. Incarnation is summed up in a title of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Not just God for us, but God with us in all the mess of the life in which we live." Full report here .

The event marked the 10th anniversary for Cardiff University’s Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK with its "mission to promote scholarly and public understanding of Islam and the life of Muslim communities in the UK". According to its Director, Prof Sophie Gilliat-Ray, we should understand that "poverty, lack of aspiration and Islamophobia are partly to blame for radicalisation of Muslims from Cardiff and elsewhere". Poverty and lack of aspiration are not peculiar to Muslims while Islamophobia is a construction to deflect honest questioning of a system of oppression and often the utmost cruelty when Muslims are in the majority but that does not prevent them from playing the victim.

Prof Gilliat-Ray has been appointed to a UK-wide commission which will be in Cardiff to hear from local Muslims what barriers they face getting involved in the societies in which they live (here).

When it comes to barriers, Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at Edinburgh ­University’s Divinity School gives an account of essential differences between Islam and Christianity in her book 'Christians, Muslims And Jesus'. From a reviewhere "Jesus is revered within Islam as the most significant prophet before Muhammad, and is seen as a key precursor in bringing the message of God’s unity and sovereignty to humanity. He is not, however, worshipped as God; and the ideas of the Incarnation, Resurrection and the Trinity led Muslim scholars to see in Christianity a surreptitious polytheism...The idea of the Crucifixion – that God could voluntarily elect to die – struck Islamic theologians, particularly of the Mu’tazilite school, as a paradox verging on blasphemy."

No meeting of minds there! While the charm offensive continues in this country, Muslims continue to persecute Christians abroad so the real dilema remains unaddressed as Islamic influence expands unabated.

Postscript [03.10.2015]

'Ancient Faith' Interview: Islam through the heart and mind of a convert to Orthodox Christianity - Part 1.

"In this two-part interview Kevin's guest is "George," who became a Sunni Muslim at age 14 and studied to become an Imam at a madrasa, studying Quran, Arabic language, Islamic theology, hadith, and jurisprudence. He left Islam and became an Orthodox Christian 20 years later. Among other things, Kevin and his guest discuss Islamic theology, common misunderstandings of Christianity by Muslims, differences between "orthodox" Islam and the Nation of Islam, the true understanding and practice in Islam of slavery and jihad, and the extraordinary journey that led "Georgedanquot; to Orthodox Christianity". Hat tip toFacing Islam Blog.

Postscript [04.10.2015]

More from the "Religion of peace" to "promote scholarly and public understanding of Islam":

Abroad - Christians fleeing Muslim persecution are finding just as much oppression in the refugee camps and shelters of Germany as they suffered in their home states. As the vast majority of asylum seekers are Muslims, many of whom have imported an adherence to sharia law with them, the few Christian co-travellers find themselves ostracised, abused, and even physically attacked. Full reporthere.

At home - A family who converted from Islam to Christianity say they are being driven out of their home for the SECOND TIME by neighbours who accuse them of blasphemy. Nissar Hussain, his wife Kubra and their six children claim they have become "prisoners in their own home" as neighbours attack them in the street, smash their car windscreens and throw eggs at their windows. Report here.

Postscript [05.10.2015]

'Ancient Faith' Interview: Islam through the heart and mind of a convert to Orthodox Christianity - Part 2.

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I'm a much much better person than you are...

The illustration may have an American slant but the sentiments are the same in Great Britain where the Anglican Church has becomefractured along the lines of the US Episcopal Church while most of the 77 million people worldwide belonging to the Anglican Communion remain faithful to the reformed Catholic faith that is Anglicanism.

Views based on scripture, tradition and reason are regarded by liberals as old fashioned, even offensive to some, so janggal accusations are flung at those who disagree with the liberal line implying that they lack compassion and are less worthy for not keeping pace with fashionable trends.

Well illustrated by the 'women priests' and 'women bishops' debates, 'No' is not an acceptable answer for liberals. So the war of attrition continues with attention now focused on same sex marriage (SSM). The media have played into liberal hands by taking the line that a majority in the Church in Wales are for SSM but the vote was not a vote of the membership. It was a vote of representatives of the membership, some of whom voted according to personal preference showing the extent of militant gay influence in the Church in Wales when many gay members are known to be against SSM.

For liberals the question has already been settled and it is only a question of time before they succeed in their latest campaign. Take this article for Wales Online, 'Why the church needs to move with the times when it comes to gay marriage':

"So, no Church in Wales gay weddings yet. But the debate goes on, promised Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan.

Indeed it will, for all Christian faiths, as they persist to swim against the tide of social change, especially among the young people leaving their pews in droves."

There are insufficient young people in the pews "to leave in droves" or to sustain the Church in the longer term even if the few (less than 1% of the under 18 population of Wales) remain. The pews are largely occupied by elderly worshipers who have no desire to join a different denomination because traditional Anglicanism is their expression of faith. Clearly the article was written from a position of ignorance by a person who has yet to learn that Christians are justified through faith not by rigging votes in denominational ruling bodies.

There are younger people in the pews, including gay worshipers which gives the lie to the claim that gay people are not welcome, clergy included. But the gay rencana has moved beyond acceptance through affirmation to becoming the required 'Norm'. Their campaign is not as obvious as in Women in the Church (WATCH) campaigning but runs as an undercurrent which seeks to move opinion towards "a more inclusive churchdanquot;, thus gaining the stamp of ecclesiastical approval for a well established minority, regardless of the effect on the Anglican Communion.

Postscript

See also "Warning to Synod voters: some ‘evangelicals’ are not as they seem" (here) for deception in the Church of England.

Postscript [27.09.2015]

Gay clergy who defied bishops by marrying their male partners run for Synod:

"They are among several openly gay clergy and lay people standing for the Synod in the run-up to a contentious debate as early as next year over whether the Church should drop its ban on same-sex marriage and the formal blessing of civil partnerships." Full articlehere.

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Interfaith meeting to aid the spread of Islam

A study undertaken by the Muslim Council of Britain has analysed the 2011 Census

to  reveal details of Britain's growing Muslim population.  Source: Mail Online

"The Muslim Council of Wales, an affiliate of Muslim Council Britain, is an accord of mosques, Muslim associations and institutions in Wales. It shall be informed and guided by the Sunnah in all its aims, policies and procedures".

From Wales Online: "Archbishop of Canterbury to address historic event in Wales at invitation of Muslim leaders. Justin Welby, will be joined by the archbishops of Wales, Scotland and Ireland in what is hoped to be a signal of interfaith cohesion...Muslim community leaders said they hoped the interfaith event at Cardiff City Hall, which coincides with the primates' visit, will send a message across Wales, the UK and internationally that inter-faith relations in Britain are strong, despite global tensions such as IS atrocities and the refugee crisis."

There is the whiff of Chamberlain's 'Peace for our time' about this gathering. The Muslim Council of Wales "shall be informed and guided by the Sunnah in all its aims, policies and procedures". That means no deviation from the Sunnah and the Koran, the spread of Islam by any means.

While religious leaders are engaged in conversation in Christian countries, Christianity is being crushed in Muslim countries. It is no coincidence that the main religion is Islam in the top 50 countries on the World Watch List of Christian persecution. This is explained by Dr. Peter Hammond in his book: "Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat". In Dr Hammond's list the United Kingdom is shown with a Muslim population of 2.7%. (At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs.)

By 2011 the Muslim population population in England and Wales rose to 5%. (From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply) leading to "Which restaurant chains have gone halal – and why?"

Christian Voice considers halal products from a biblicalperspective, something that Archbishop Welby should reflect on as he prepares his speech. The Bible is clear: Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." He also warned about false prophets: "They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. You will know them by their fruits".

Religious choice is not an option for Muslims. The number of Muslims in England and Wales grew by 80% to dua.7 million between the 2001 and 2011 censuses but there is a belief among some of Britain's Muslims that "leaving Islam is a sin and can even be punished by deathdanquot;. An investigation for the BBC has found evidence of young people suffering threats, intimidation, being ostracised by their communities and, in some cases, encountering serious physical abuse when they told their families they were no longer Muslims. Check "which countries still outlaw apostasy and blasphemydanquot; here.

In Muslim countries non-Muslims face death or are forced to pay a poll tax, the Jizya, if they refuse to convert to Islam despite there being "no compulsion in religion", a verse abrogated in the Koran. There is no evidence that the young able-bodied Muslims migrating to Europe have any desire to cast off the yoke of oppression. Indeed Saudi Arabia has pledged to build 200 mosques in Germany to accommodate the spread of Islam.

If Justin Welby wants to make a positive contribution to interfaith relations he should start by encouraging Muslims to show their solidarity with Christians by refusing to build any more mosques while Christians are being massacred and their churches destroyed.

Fat chance!Read on.

Postscript [30.09.2015]

According to a new nationwide online kuesioner of 600 Muslims living in the United States, significant minorities embrace supremacist notions that could pose a threat to America?S security and its constitutional form of government.

The numbers of potential jihadists among the majority of Muslims who appear not to be sympathetic to such notions raise a number of public policy choices that warrant careful consideration and urgent debate, including: the necessity for enhanced surveillance of Muslim communities; refugee resettlement, asylum and other immigration programs that are swelling their numbers and density; and the viability of so-called ?Countering violent extremism? Initiatives that are supposed to stymie radicalization within those communities.

Full details here.

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Wales, Wales and beyond

Vienna 1683                                                                                           Vienna 2015

An interesting article from Wales Online today for Welsh History Month, Gerald of Wales championed what he believed were the ancient rights of his church: "In the closing days of November 1199, the archdeacon of Brecon, Gerald de Barry – better known today as Gerald of Wales – arrived in Rome after a long and arduous journey from Wales. He had not come as a pilgrim to pray at the shrines of the saints, but as bishop-elect of St Davids to champion what he believed were the ancient rights of his church". One wonders what Gerald de Barry would make of the Church in Wales under Archbishop Barry and, indeed, modern bishops in general and of the problems facing the Church today.

Also of interest is a letter to the Editor of the Western Mail headed "Immigration crisis in Europe". This is a very emotional subject as viewers of last Thursday's Question Time will testify. It is a natural Christian instinct to take pity on the plight of others, especially the less fortunate. As commented on the Question Time programme, "we are all human beings" but many of the worst affected do not have the resources to flee to Europe. Those who do so appear well dressed with smart phones and a determination not just to get out of war zones but to decide which Christian country (for now) should be their ultimate destination. Beware the Trojan Horse?

Vienna 1653 saw a mighty last ditch battle against the Muslim Ottoman Empire in defence of Christianity but in Vienna 2015 Muslims are welcomed with open arms despite the butchery of Christians that continues in Muslim countries. Armed jihad or cultural jihad, the object is the same, Islamisation of the world by whatever means according to their holy book. Read "Islamic State reveals it has smuggled THOUSANDS of extremists into Europe" here.

Church of England bishops who failed to see the consequences of their actions in mimicking the liberal policies of the Episcopal Church of the United States have joined the emotional clamor to allow more migrants into Great Britain on a suck it and see basis. Meanwhile, David Cameron is accused of "McCarthyism" over extremism plans by UK's biggest Muslim group, the Muslim Council of Britain.

Bishop Cottrell assured the Prime Minister that the church has "troops on the ground" ready to help. Just the Church?

Express: People climb through windows of a train to try and get to Serbia [Getty Images]

Postscript [20.10.2015]

David Cameron rebukes Church of England bishops over refugee letterhere.

Postscript [23.10.2015]

Read Rod Liddle writing in The Spectator about his Question Time encounter with Simon Schamahere. The TV clip is excellent. Note also the designer clothing in the above picture.

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Muslims need not apply!

"Milk Tray man to swing back into action for new Cadbury campaign." - Reporthere.

Marking the centenary of the 'Milk Tray' brand, this could have been a golden opportunity for Cadbury to be up front about their sale of halal products to unsuspecting customers by using an actor in Muslim clothing to emphasise their advancement ofIslamic Shari?Ah.

The Cadbury products listed below have been certified halal but Cadbury Milk Tray is not among them so Muslims need not apply on this occasion because the product is suitable only forinfidels!

Bars

Cadbury Boost

Cadbury Crunchie

Cadbury Flake

Cadbury Luxury Flake

Cadbury Time Out

Cadbury Twirl

Cadbury Picnic

Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate

Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut

Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut

Cadbury Dairy Milk Snack

Cadbury Dream

Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramello

Cadbury Dairy Milk Milk Bubbly

Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly Mint

Cadbury Moro

Cadbury Moro Gold

Blocks

Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate

Cadbury Dairy Milk Milk Bubbly

Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly Mint

Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest

Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramello

Cadbury Dairy Milk Coconut Rough

Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut

Cadbury Dairy Milk Peppermint

Cadbury Dairy Milk Roast Almond

Cadbury Dairy Milk Top Deck

Cadbury Dairy Milk Turkish Delight

Cadbury Dairy Milk Crunchie

Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut

Cadbury Dairy Milk Snack

Cadbury Dream

Cadbury Old Gold 70% Cocoa

Cadbury Old Gold Dark

Cadbury Old Gold Peppermint

Cadbury Old Gold Roast Almond

Rolls

Cadbury Dairy Milk Roll

Pre-teens

Cadbury Caramello Koala

Cadbury Dairy Milk Freddo

Cadbury Dream Freddo

Cadbury Milky Top Freddo

Cadbury Peppermint Freddo

Cadbury Strawberry Freddo

Cadbury Furry Friends

Seasonal (Easter and Christmas)

Cadbury Dairy Milk Seasonal & Novelty products

Cadbury Dark Chocolate Seasonal & Novelty products

Cadbury Dream Chocolate Seasonal & Novelty products

Cadbury Beanie Characters

Cadbury Mini Eggs

Dream White Chocolate Seasonal & Novelty products

Cadbury Old Gold Seasonal & Novelty products

Red Tulip Milk Chocolate Seasonal & Novelty Items

Red Tulip White Chocolate Seasonal & Novelty Items

Chocolate Coated/Scorched Products

Chocolate Coated Fruit & Nut

Chocolate Coated Almonds

Chocolate Coated Peanuts

Chocolate Coated Sultanas

Pascall

Pascall White Marshmallows

Pascall Pink Marshmallows

Pascall Jubes

Pascall Wine Gums

Pascall Eclairs

Pascall Columbines

The Natural Confectionery Co.

Berry Bliss

Strawberries & Cream Bliss

Dinosaurs

Forbidden Fruits

Forest Fruits

Fruit Salad

Jelly Babies

Party Mix

Snakes

Sour Squirms

Citrus Slices

Unbearables

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Level playing field?

Church of the Virgin Mary in Tal Nasri, Syria and a Mosque in Peterborough

Two reports have caught my attention today, from the BBC's Newsbeat,What you can be flogged for in Saudi Arabia, and from ITV News,'Anti-Muslim hate is normal': research reveals impact of Islamophobic attacks.

According to the BBC report, British pensioner Karl Andree, 74, has spent more than a year in prison since being arrested by Saudi religious police. His family say they were led to believe he would avoid his punishment of 360 lashes because of his age but that is now in doubt. They believe the punishment would kill him. Mr Andree is asthmatic, has gout (a type of arthritis causing joint pain) and has survived cancer three times. His crime? He  was caught with homemade wine in Saudi Arabia. Alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia.  Mr Andree's daughter said her father was transporting homemade wine in his car in August 2014 when he was pulled over and arrested (here).

Some would argue that people residing in Saudi Arabia should abide by Saudi law, a strict interpretation of Sharia, where "It is illegal to evangelise Muslims; conversion to another religion is punishable by death. There are no church buildings and house churches are raided; Christians risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation and sometimes torture" (here).

It is different for Muslims in the United Kingdom. They enjoy freedom of worship along with special privileges, examples here andhere. Polygamous marriages with multiple wives are allowed for benefit purposes even though bigamy is a criminal offence in the UK.

The ITV report alleges that "Anti-Muslim hate is normal" while associating hate with "Islamophobic attacks". This is an erroneous and dangerous association designed to portray Muslims as victims and put Islamic excesses beyond criticism. There is nothing irrational about a distaste for Islamic notions of justice or of fearing Islamic attacks on innocent victims.

From the Telegraph's reportThree 'Isil-inspired jihadists planned Remembrance Day beheading in Britain': ...The men had been inspired by the ?Truly chilling? Fatwa issued by Al Adnani, a spokesman for Isil (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) - also known as Islamic State and Isis.

It called for the beheadings of the ?Crusaders? And to ?Strike their police, security and intelligence members? And to ?Slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him from a high place, or choke him or poison him?.

Such actions should be regarded as abominable by any rational human being of whatever religion or none. This is what motivates the rejection of Islam but it does not follow that all Muslims are rejected.

There is a world of difference between 'Anti-Muslim hate' and what is deemed to be Islamophobia, a construct to deflect any questioning of Islam while other religions are persecuted by Muslims. According to a Guardian report here the British Prime Minister is in danger of confusing Anti-Islam with Anti-Muslim. While reassuring Muslims that they are safe in Britian he would do well to reflect on the safety of Christians and their churches in Muslim countries.

David Cameron talking to young Muslim women at Jamia Masjid mosque in Manchester in 2013. Cameron has invited key Muslim figures

 to join a new community engagement lembaga. Photograph: Andrew Parsons/REX Shutterstock/Andrew Parsons/REX_Shutterstock. Credit: Guardian

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Simply stunning

My thanks to New Liturgical Movement for their link to this video about an "absolutely extraordinarydanquot; devotional object, a tiny portable shrine carved of boxwood, made in the northern Netherlands around 1510. Simply stunning.

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Armistice Day 2015

For your tomorrow, we gave our today.                                                                                   Image by Carolyn Haslett

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month.

We will remember them!

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PC Plod, the Bishop of Gloucester and Germaine Greer

Police Constable Plod is no longer. Nowadays he would be Officer Plod. We seldom if ever hear references to constables unless he or she is a Chief Constable. All are 'officers' with their unique form of police speak (here).

The Home Secretary recently gave the Police Force a hard time for not displaying the diversity apparent in our community but she missed the opportunity to advance the LGBT cause while bemoaning the shortage of colour and gender diversity in the ranks and upper police officer hierarchy (senior police staff). Echoing Alexander Boot (here), a male to female transgender constable may offer better protection than a mere slip of a girl if needed!

The notion that everyone could, or should, do anything regardless of abilitysuitabilityaptitude desire is supposed to ensure that we have the appropriate politically correct (PC) mix but this leads to ever more confusion.

The new Bishop of Gloucester, the first woman diocesan to sit in the House of Lords, sent back the first version of the writ of summons because it termed her a "right reverend father in God". She did not like the connotations of 'right reverend mother in God' so it was decided that she should be described simply as "bishop". Presumably it had not occurred to her that women bishops are a novelty accepted only by a tiny minority in the Universal Church and the oddity was that she was there at all.

Clearly not content with Jesus Christ's teaching that His disciples should pray "Our Father in heaven...", one of Rachel Treweek's first utterances in an interview before taking her seat in the Lords was that God should not necessarily be seen as a masculine figure. Choosing to take her lead from the Old Testament rather than the New Covenant she said "In the creation narratives, we’re told that God created human beings in God’s likeness, and then it goes on to talk about male and female."

"Male and female" is an old fashioned concept which has landed Germaine Greer in hot water with the LGBT community in Cardiff University for daring to express a view which contradicts theirs. As society tries to get to grips with the new found wisdom of choice rather than fact, more exceptions have to be made. Then reality strikes.

The question,Why Can't Two Gay Brothers Marry? is posed in Charisma News on the basis that "One of the strongest arguments against consensual adult incest is that incestuous unions could result in children with genetic defects, but since that concern wouldn't apply to same-sex couples, an Irish political leader has argued that gay cousins should be allowed to "marry." And that only begs the next obvious question: Why not gay brothers or gay sisters?"

My thanks to Anglican Mainstream (AM) for the Charisma News link but it was a subsequent AM link which raised my eyebrows in disbelief when I read about the first tampons for transgenders to permit the full female experience. It seems that the claim was a send up but for how long the way things are moving. One thing was missing however. To be fully appreciative a good punch below the belt would give the added pain experienced by many women. That is something at which the LGBT community is becoming increasingly adept, especially towards those who have enabled them to be where they are today.

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Physician heal thyself!

Credit: BBC/AP

The Archbishop of Wales has criticised former Prime Minister Tony Blair over his 'emphatic defence' of the Iraq war. Blair was 'gung-ho' on Iraq invasion, says the Archbishop. Mr Blair has apologised for mistakes in the conflict but says without invasion Iraq might have become another Syria. Dr Morgan said the implications of the actions should have been considered. Report here.

That's rich coming from the Archbishop who is primarily responsible for the current parlous state of the Church in Wales after imposing his liberal values on her. Could he not see the consequences of pursuing the same failed policies which led to the decimation of the US Episcopal Church? Wise after the event on Iraq he must have been willfully blind to events which result in the collapse of the historic Parish system in Wales and in less than 1% of the population of Wales attending the Church of which he is Archbishop.

Also, I very much doubt that the Archbishop and the Bench considered the implications of their emotional response to the "refugee" crisis. From theFacing Islam Blog: "As millions of more Muslims continue to flood the continent, they will not be limited to expressing their anti-Christian hostility on the unprotected dead in cemeteries, or on inanimate church buildings, statues, and crosses. Rather, as in the Islamic world, native Christians themselves will be hounded and persecuted, possibly into extinction".

Dr Morgan said "It would seem to me that if you are the prime minister, it's no good just removing one regime without thinking what's going to replace it". So what is to replace the Church in Wales afterextinction? It would seem to me that if you are Archbishop, Dr Morgan, you should ensure that members of the Church in Wales who wish to keep the faith benefit fromarrangements already established in England. Physician heal thyself!

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"Don't worry, be happy!"

"The first African-American presiding bishop of the US Episcopal Church was instated in a ceremony led by female bishops, openly gay reverends and even a Jewish rabbi. After a spirited opening by a gospel choir, Episcopal leaders filed into the imposing National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to the sound of guitars guiding a Spanish hymn and a Native American drumming preludedanquot;.

"Don?T worry. Be happy! God has not given up on the world, and God is not finished with the Episcopal Church yet," presiding bishop Curry declared. Report here. His sermon can be foundhere.

For a more realistic assessment of the occasion, readPresiding Bishop Michael Curry's Installation: The Desolation of the Episcopal Church from Sarah Frances Ives Ph.D for Virtue Online. In this report an Islamic leader, Dr. Alsanousi, asked God to help us understand the Holy Quran. He then went into long sentences which were assumed to be in Arabic and were not listed in the program. "Who knows what he said? I don't" commented Dr Ives.

A better understanding of the Quran should help Western leaders understand that it is not an Arabic version of the Holy Bible. The place of Christians, the people "of the Bookdanquot;, is described by an Islamic scholar in the following video:

“Abducting Women” and “Destroying Churches” is “Real Islam”—Iraqi Grand Ayatollah.

The video is taken from an article "Offensive Jihad: the insurmountable obstacle between Muslims and non-Muslimsdanquot; here. Far fetched? Not when Muslim inmates are already extorting 'infidel tax' from non-Muslims in the UK's toughest jails if they refuse to convert to Islam. Report here.

Understanding the Quran should be compulsory for ministers, political and spiritual, if we are to be happy and not worry.

Postscript [11.11.2015]

In addition to ministers political and spiritual we should add BBC executives:

"Why is the BBC letting the Islamic Human Rights Commission set the rencana?"

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Something to hide?

Picture Credit: Express/REUTERS?GETTY?AP

Hat tip to Anglican Ink via Anglican Mainstream for this report:

On 5 November in the House of Lords Lord Pearson (UKIP) called for a national debate on the nature of Islam. He asked the government whether, as part of their counter-extremism strategy, they will encourage a national debate about the nature of Islam, including whether the Muslim tenet of abrogation remains valid today.

The response from a number of members of the House was that discussing Islam would be counter productive and therefore that we should stay silent on radical Islam. Full reporthere.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport and Home Office (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con) said: My Lords, the Government?S approach and strategy to countering extremism is firmly based on further strengthening our relationships and work with the communities and organisations across the United Kingdom and together confronting, challenging and disrupting extremism in all its ugly guises.

In reply to Lord Pearson's claim that some noble Lords may not be aware that "abrogation means that where there is contradiction in the Koran, its later and more violent verses outweigh its admirably peaceful early texts" Lord Ahmad said "...With the exception of one verse in the holy Koran, every verse starts with the words: "In the name of God, the gracious, most merciful", which underlines the true sentiments and principle of that religiondanquot;. Lord Ahmad needs to look around more and consider what is happening "in the name of Goddanquot; in the Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Eritrea and Syria for a start.

There is more evidence in this Christian Post article which doubters may wish to read if they are not convinced: 'Unimaginable Horrors' Detailed in US Report on ISIS' Persecution of Christians.

Back in 2008 The Spectator reported on No-go Britain: "One of Britain’s best and most courageous men, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, said that there were parts of Britain which had become no-go areas for non-Muslims. For these comments he was met with widespread scorn and denial."

"Nick Clegg ? Then merely leader of the Liberal Democrat party ? Said the Bishop?S comments were ?A gross caricature of reality.? William Hague said that the Bishop had ?Probably put it too strongly?, while the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) accused him of ?Frantic scaremongering.? Unfortunately for Bishop Nazir-Ali's critics the offenders made videos of themselves proving Bishop Nazir-Ali correct.

In February 2015 the Gatestone Institute think tank published a fuller report "European 'No-Go' Zones: Fact or Fiction? Part dua: Britain". Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality said "We are sleepwalking our way to segregation. We are becoming strangers to each other and leaving communities to be marooned outside the mainstream."

Meanwhile, Christians in Middle East 'are facing genocide'. Also, from The Express, "Migrants flee incomprehensible violence but are they all victims?"

Are our politicians so desperate for votes that anything goes? If not a conspiracy of silence, perhaps there is something to hide that we should know about.

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LGB / T

I have been taken to task for being homophobic because I do not support same sex marriage so I was pleased to see this video which strikes back at homosexuals who like to claim that love justifies everything, misquoting the Bible for their own ends. The interviewer claims to be 'normal' because he is gay and 'married', a concept hotly contested by Milo Yiannopoulos, a 'conservative' gay who receives "really poisonous, vitriolic nastinessdanquot; from other gays and bomb threats from feminists for his views which is becoming typical of the behaviour of special interest groups as they try to ban orshout down speakers with whom they disagree.

My thanks to Breitbart for this informative video although the piece was headed "I AM SO DONE WITH THE TRANS OUTRAGE BRIGADE: WHY I?M SUPPORTING ?DROP THE T?". The transgender community it seems is irritating the gay community to such an extent that there is a call for a complete break.

Thrice married and the father of six children, Caitlyn Jenner is a modernwould be eunuch with female enhancements who was given the 'Transgender Champion'award at the American 'Glamour Woman of the Year' awards. The recentheadline "Caitlyn Jenner flaunts some serious side-boob as she dares to bare in black dress" is curiously at odds with her masculine voice and Y chromosomes which promptedGermaine Greer to argue that transgender women are not women but males dressed as females. So good luck to the 'Drop the T campaign' and to Milo Yiannopoulos and Germaine Greer as they argue for a return to sanity.

If those clerics who promote same sex marriage were to follow the example of Milo Yiannopoulos in encouraging heterosexual couples to get married that really would be a step forward.

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Head in the sand

Unfortunately it has taken theatrocities in Paris to concentrate the mind on the nature of Islam. In my entry last Saturday I posed the question 'Something to hide?' after the House of Lords rejected the idea of encouraging a national debate about the nature of Islam.

In September it was claimed that 1 in 50 Syrian refugees in Europe could be an Isis jihadist. Now it has beenreported that a Syrian passport was found on attacker who sought asylum in Greece as a refugee.

Not all Muslims are terrorists but too many Muslims have a warped idea of salvation believing that they will be rewarded in paradise for killing Kafirs.

It matters little that most Muslims are 'nice people' if their ideology permits a handful of Muslims to create the carnage witnessed in Paris. There must be a debate.

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World Toilet Day 2015

Toilet on the outskirts of Lima, Peru                                      Credit: REUTERS/MARIANA BAZO

This toilet outside a family home on the outskirts of Lima Peru hardly warrants the name.

See the 'Wider image' in 'Around the World in 45 toilets'here for some stark contrasts in what most of us take for granted.

Did you know?

• 2.3 billion people – around one in three of the world's population – don't have a safe, clean, private toilet.
• Last year Water Aid helped 3.1 million people gain access to toilets.
• Around 315,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation – that's almost 900 children a day.
• Every year, around 60 million children are born into homes without access to sanitation.
• For every £1 invested in sanitation, there's around a £4 return. Health is improved, fewer days are lost to illness, and girls stay on at school for longer.

If you want to know more or think you can help, please visit Water Aid.

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Not in my name

Source: Independent/PA

"Not in my namedanquot;. Of course not, but in the name of he who it is claimed "knows best"!

This is the key problem for non-Muslims. Are we 'kafirs' being deliberately misled in the same way that verses, or parts of them, are quoted from the Quran in an attempt to prove that Islam bears no fault.

When gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali they were heard to shout "Allahu Akbar" as they began their attack, the cry used before animals are slaughtered in the Muslim manner.

Of course these atrocities are condemned by 'moderate' Muslims, especially when they are a minority. They would be mad not to do so. Meanwhile Christianity is being systematically wiped out where it originated in the Middle East with claims that it is "on course" to disappear from Iraq and Syria. I hear no Islamic condemnation.

On 18 NovemberNewsnight considered [advance to 39 minutes] what we know about the Paris attackers, referring to an attack which "the perpetrators call jihad", raising the question of "the nature of religion and those who carry out cold blooded murder in its name". Professor Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University, complained that Muslims had been asked to condemn such atrocities for ten years since the 7 July London bombings. It may not have occurred to him but it occurred to me that there has to be a problem with Islam, one that is blindingly obvious to others because it has existed for centuries with Islamic conquests and occupations, using their own laws to justify their actions. Similar concerns are not expressed about Christianity other than harking back to the Crusaders who sought only to protect Christians and their Holy places from invaders.

In response to the Professor's suggestion that the West was somehow complicit for targeting 'Muslim' countries, historian Tim Holland queried why the Yazidis had been targeted. But there was no answer to that because it was all that Newsnight had time for! Clearly not as important as the sporting fixtures which dominate airtime.

The answer to the question of why the Yazidis were targeted is simple. Islam demands that a choice be made when Muslims have control under Sharia. - Become a Muslim, pay the tax or die while women and children are taken into slavery. The plight of the Yazidis had some initial media coverage but that quickly disappeared from the headlines as many of the Yazidi people have from the face of the earth. Not for them the open doors which have allowed Muslims to flood into Europe, including two 'refugees' who have since been identified among the bombers in Paris.

But being a Muslim carries its own risks. In February CP World reported that an ISIL policing unit in Mosul had severely disfigured the faces of 15 Iraqi women by pouring acid on them as a form of punishment after the women were caught without their faces being veiled appropriately, by ISIS standards.

There is no way out. Apostasy carries a death sentence. Those who escape risk being beaten. Nissar Hussain, 49, suffered a shattered knee cap and broken hand when he was attacked with a pickaxe handle outside his home in Bradford.

Lying for the faith is permitted but questioning is not. Outsiders are accused of Islamophobia if they dare to question Islam. Continuing death and destruction should be enough for anyone to raise serious questions even in isolation but when it is on a continuous basis one has to question people's motives.

In Islam Jesus is regarded as a prophet so why are His words ignored? Jesussaid: "Everyone who is committed to the truth listens to my voice."

Everyone deserves to know the truth. More honesty would save many.

Postscript [24.11.2015]

British women filmed 'urging young girls to join Islamic State terrorists in Syria'

and from the Jewish Journal:

Why are we abandoning the Christians?

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Thought for the Day

Credit: South Wales Argus

"A young man who recently converted to Islam told me that while he loved his new found faith, the worship the prayers and the discipline, one of the worst things about his new life was listening to the Friday sermon. He had yet to hear a sermon which actually engaged with the very real ethical issues which plague many Muslim communities, integration, identity, radicalisation as well as the more complex discussions around loyalty and belonging. Rather than address those very real problems, many imams were more obsessed with the length of beards, how much water you needed for ablutions or the dangers of men and women mixing. And it?S true, so many of these sermons are absurdly divorced from the painful realities of what?S happening around us. Many preachers refuse to acknowledge that even if militant Islamism lies at the margins of society, it has a cancerous effect on the whole of Islam and affects us all.

In all these sermons, there are copious references to the Prophet?S daily life. But if the prophet is to be a reference point, why not raise those other matters he is also reputed to have said, that a time would come when nothing would remain of Islam but its name, nothing of the Quran but its word, and that many mosques would be beautifully furnished but destitute of any guidance. Our witness to the faith today is preachers who use their sermons to encourage hate while calling Islam peaceful. We have young men who talk of the brotherhood of Muslims but kill innocents randomly simply because they can, conflicted Muslim states too busy both blaming the west and indulging the west. If this continues what will remain of Islam, a religion seemingly reduced to compulsory ritual without spiritual essence.

The Islamic world has become far less sophisticated in how it reads its own scripture and sources. In this lies one of the roots of religious fundamentalism and over the years, it has morphed into a harsh and cruel Islamism. The two are inexorably linked both deluding themselves that Islam will one day be dominant. There is no victory here only nihilism. Geopolitics may drive the violence, extremist militancy may be small in numbers, but innocents being slaughtered in the Arab world and in Europe has at its core an ideology where dying is more important than living. God is the greatest is a call to prayer, but it has also become a prelude to a death cult. Many ordinary Muslims remain baffled by global events, for them their faith remains a source of moral and spiritual growth, of giving and generosity. But last week?S tragic attacks in Paris, yesterday?S shootings, show that unless we are active in defending all that is good in our faith, there will be no faith to defend. With each attack Islamism won?T weaken the west, but it will hollow out the Muslim faith just that little bit more."

- BBC Radio 4Thought for the Day 19 November 2015.

Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations,

University of Edinburgh School of Divinity.

As Sadiq Khan the MP for Tootingsaid,  "Extremism isn't a theoretical risk. Most British Muslims have come across someone with extremist views at some point – and so have I. It's affected my personal life, my friendships and my career. People I knew as a boy have gone on to hold extremist views, and even to act on them in terrible ways."

The message attached to the rose in the illustration is a powerful one. The quotation has been used countless times as an Islamic condemnation of the Paris bombings. But it is only part of a longer verse in the Quran which is contradicted by the next verse 5:33 as explained here in response to a comment made on the Answering Muslims blog:

Verse 5:32 - On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.

Verse lima:33 - The punishment of those who wage war against God and His Apostle, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter.

Greater honesty as expressed by Professor Mona Siddiqui in 'Thought for the Day' would bring more credit to Muslims who protest that Islam is a Religion of Peace.

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Delusions

Delusion 1

Reluctantly, the US authorities have had to conclude that the shooting of 14 civil servants at a Christmas party in California was not the act of a disgruntled employee but one inspired by Islamic fundamentalism: "The investigation so far has developed indications of radicalisation by the killers and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorists organisations".

Nervousness in recognising the facts is understandable. How many more silent potential killers lurk among us? Predictably ISIS have claimed credit but the sad fact is that even when ISIS and all other fundamental Islamist organisations are defeated, the ideology still comes from the book Muslims are required to study from their earliest years. The answer is in proper education, enabling Muslims to question a faith which in Christian terms must be misguided. So long as people are allowed to believe that they can gain a place in paradise by murdering innocent people there will be no change.

In Christianity thegreatest of faith, hope and charity (love), is love. By contrast Islam rewards believers at the expense of unbelievers. The characteristics of love and forgiveness are embedded in Christian consciousness, even of nominal and lapsed Christians which leads them to welcome others who reject democracy and regard Christians as inferior. It is a delusion to think that Muslims would allow non-Muslims the same freedom that they demand in our midst yet to question their allegiance is condemned as Islamophobia. If believers cannot question their beliefs and come to their own conclusions they will be forever at the mercy of those who would control them, a devastating lesson learnt all too late by many Christians.

Delusion 2

The leader of the Labour Party was quick to take credit for Labour's victory in the Oldham by-election. Labour Deputy leader Tom Watson said "If this was a referendum on Jeremy Corbyn, then he has won. It was a decisive victory with our share of the vote going up. I hope our MPs look at this result." It was not a referendum. The local verdict was that the electorate simply had confidence in their local lad. It had nothing to do with Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.

The decision of Parliament to ignore the artificial border between Iraq and Syria was a difficult one for MPs. Mr Corbyn likes to base his authority on grass roots support but what is that worth when supporters resort to bullying tactics, sending threats and offensive material to MPs who voted according to conscience?

Delusion tiga

The Anglican Church in this country continues to grapple with the consequences of following the liberal lead of the US Episcopal Church. As attendance continues to decline in line with these liberal innovations the Church of England ("A Christian presence in every community") has even considered a Beeching style closure of churches, leaving a Christian presence in some communities.

The relentless pursuit of a liberal rencana in the Church in Wales where a policy of exclusion continues to operate has resulted in an exercise to keep the current episcopal elite and their supporters in the style to which they have become accustomed by substituting Ministry Areas for Parishes with lay people doing most of the work regardless of whether they are qualified to do so beyond a programme of rudimentary lay training.

Archbishop Morgan thinks it a wonderful idea (here, page 2): "So things are on the move and what has been fantastic about all this is how the parishes concerned have got excited about the prospect, embraced the vision and seen for themselves the advantages that accrue. That is much better than a centrally imposed plan that people do not own."

The question has been raised, "What hope for the Church in Wales?" -  When meetings do not address the problem of alienation there is something wrong with the organisation they exist to serve. Read the alternative view here.

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In season of warmth, a look at chilling, global war on Christianity

The aftermath of the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians   SourceTelegraph/Universal News

From The Rev. John Armstrong, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Columbus, Indiana writing in The Republic:

Pope Francis acknowledges it.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, confirms it.

Foreign leaders recognize it.

Human rights advocates, along with more than 80 members of Congress, insist that it is real.

But will the leader of the free world publicly admit it?

?It? Refers to the genocide against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities in the Middle East.

Genocide involves the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious class.

In addition to outright murder, genocide includes preventing births within the class and forcibly transferring children of the class to another group.

Can you say ?Boko Haram??

Recently, Pope Francis said, ?Today we are dismayed to see how in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world many of our brothers and sisters are persecuted, tortured and killed for their faith in Jesus.

?In this Third World war, waged piecemeal, which we are now experiencing, a form of genocide is taking place, and it must end.?

Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of the United Kingdom says, ?What is happening to Christians in (the Middle East) is the religious equivalent of ethnic cleansing.?

However, words such as ethnic cleansing and genocide are radioactive to many politicians, because they imply that we have a moral and legal obligation to use whatever means necessary, including military force, to end the atrocities.

Some in the West are slow to acknowledge Christian persecution because they are in the habit of thinking of Christianity as rich, powerful and socially oppressive, and therefore cannot imagine that Christians in many parts of the world are themselves oppressed.

But facts are stubborn things.

From West Africa to Indonesia, from Eritrea to North Korea, Christians are routinely subjected to violence, imprisonment and death, for no other reason than believing in Jesus.

German Prime Minister Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is ?The most persecuted religion worldwide.?

According to the International Society for Human Rights, a secular organization based in Frankfurt, Germany, 80 percent of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed against Christians.

Between 2006 and 2010, Christians faced some sort of discrimination in 139 countries, almost three-quarters of all countries on earth, according to the Pew Forum.

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts reports that over the past decade, an average of 100,000 Christians have been killed every year.

John Allen, associate editor of The Boston Globe, writes that the global persecution of churchgoers is the unreported catastrophe of our time.

According to Allen, it is ?The greatest story never told of the early 21st century.?

When will the world pay attention?

One church leader in the Middle East put it this way: ?Does anybody hear our cry? How many atrocities must we endure before somebody, somewhere, comes to our aid??

Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.

Pray for our government to use financial and diplomatic pressure against offending countries.

Pray for direct humanitarian assistance by our government and condemnation of these crimes against humanity.

Pray for Christian martyrs to be faithful unto death, and pray for their persecutors to be forgiven and to better understand the faith which they seek to destroy.

Think your friends should see this? Share it with them!

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Learned but thick?

The King Khalid Foundation domestic abuse advert slogan simply reads: 'Some things can’t be

covered – fighting women’s abuse together'                                                        Source:Telegraph

From the Telegraph: A two-year commission, chaired by the former senior judge Baroness Butler-Sloss and involving leading religious leaders from all faiths, calls for public life in Britain to be systematically de-Christianised.

It has been suggested that because Britain has seen a "general decline" in its Christian affiliation the time has come for public life to take on a more "pluralist character". Major state occasions such as a coronation should be changed to be more inclusive while the number of bishops in the House of Lords should be cut to make way for leaders of other religions.

The composition of the Lords Spiritual is currently being diluted under the cloak of equality to accommodate Anglican feminism so male bishops are likely to get the elbow to be replaced by male Imams sitting alongside women Bishops! To wreck Anglicanism in favour of feminism and then replace the Christian faith with an alien ideology which treats women and Christians as inferior not only abroad but in Britain is madness.

Ten years after Muhammad entered the list of the top 20 most popular boy?S names, Muhammad with its variant spellings has become the most popular boy's name in Britain indicating the extent of immigration and post immigration expansion. While Christianity is reported as in decline, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in England and Wales. Clearly it needs no encouragement from those deemed to know better.

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Trumped!

I am not a supporter of Donald Trump but I defend his right to say what he thinks so long as he does not incite violence. What he called for in his controversial speech was a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States "until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on", possibly indicating that he is as puzzled as are many of us as to why the "religion of peace" figures so prominently in most acts of terrorism.

In the following video the question raised is 'Why not hear about Islam from a woman who grew up as Muslim in the ME?' This analysis of Islam appeared recently in an Anglican Mainstream article '4 Insane Reasons Why Liberals Admire and Romanticize Islam'. It should help "representatives" in Trump's country, in Britain and elsewhere to figure out what is going on instead of simply repeating the mantra that Islam is a religion of peace. The fact that the majority of Muslims want to live in peace is irrelevant. Without a proper explanation Trumps critics are trumped.

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Quartet

Source: BBC Films

Amongst the burgeoning diet of murder, violence and intimidation on TV, last evening saw the screening of the BBC's comedy drama, Quartet, a delightful film with a happy ending for a refreshing change. Some of the best comedy lines are repeated in a Review here.

Under the cover of senility the cast are allowed to say what they think without fear of PC dictatorship, a spirit which helped us get through difficult times when Nazism was our greatest threat.

What a shame we have lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. Free speech is constantly being challenged. In our Universities special interest groups seek to determine the rencana while on the national stage Donald Trump is in trouble for expressing his opinion. Parliament will now discuss whether he should be banned from UK after a petition gained enough signatures to force a debate while radicals continue to pour out their hate of what is left of our democracy.

One of the most effective antidotes to hate is ridicule but such humour along with free speech is being suppressed for political gain. That is the dilema MPs need to consider.

Meanwhile, escape the gloom:

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Church in Wales Christmas farce

You could be forgiven for thinking this is a lineup of hopefuls demanding a part in a Church pantomime farce. In many ways it is.

Not to be outdone by their sister group, Women and the Church (WATCH), now more popularly known as Women in the Church (WITCH) having achieved their goal of feminizing the Church of England, this group is determined to do for the Church in Wales what WATCH has done in England but with nothing in return in the form of alternative Episcopal oversight as enjoyed in England. Indeed bishops of The Anglican Mission in England are not welcome in Wales. Bizarrely, homosexuality, same sex marriage and dialogue with Imams are all more acceptable to the liberal minded Church in Wales (CinW) episcopate.

Having achieved their aim, WATCH tried to unpick the agreement which enabled women priests to become bishops. Under that agreement everyone in the Church of England was to be given the opportunity to flourish. WATCH then tried to dictate the terms of the agreement until the ombudsman stepped in and sent them packing.

In the CinW pantomime the wicked WITCH, eagerly aided by the Archbishop of Wales, scuppered the chances of everyone being given the opportunity to flourish as soon as the goal of women bishops was achieved. Contrary to the wishes of the majority of CinW members, no provision was made for members who did not support the non-Biblical innovation of women bishops.

The pantomime plot is to convince everyone that "there is a long way to go before women ? Lay and ordained ? Achieve equality in the churchdanquot;, a prejudiced attitude that has no evidence to support it but with the Archgenie waiting in the wings to work his magic it is a claim that will no doubt gain support among the nodding majority. The aim is based on a process of positive discrimination so that even the most abysmal female candidate is preferred over outstanding male candidates, especially men who continue to follow the Apostolic teaching of the Holy Catholic Church.

The irony in the plot is that there is discrimination in the Church in Wales but it is not against women. They are the cause of the discrimination which is against cradle Anglicans whose faith has been sidelined to accommodate entrists using Anglicanism to promote their brand of feminism.

Note the comments of the Venerable Christine Hardman who "played an important role in getting the legislation to allow women to be Bishops passed by the Church of England". Her inauguration as the new Bishop of Newcastle took place on Saturday. From a report of the event:

Growing up on a London council estate, a young Christine Hardman admits she had nothing to do with religion. Church was so far removed from her life growing up, it was guarded behind a huge fence. “Church didn’t touch our lives on that council estate,” she said. “We weren’t a church going family and the only church on the estate had a big fence so I had nothing to do with it.”

"It was devastating, I felt so sad that the picture the outside world have of the Church of England was that message, that women can’t be Bishops I didn’t want people to see the church like that,” she said. Rev Hardman worried that the church would never be able to attract young people to worship and was alienating people with an idea which many found offensive".

Perhaps she had not noticed that the outside world could not care less about the Church except when applying their secular standards to a faith that has no interest for them until a convenient opportunity for advancement is spotted by some.

Similarly the Venerable Peggy Jackson had no religion before her husband deserted her. She said, "I was at a low in my life, I thought I would give the Church a go and I found the most wonderful welcome. I was feeling desperate and it was a lifeline at a very black time." Her thanksgiving is to punish cradle Anglicans who do not accept her interpretation of the Christian faith by seeking to exclude them.

So having "given the Church a go" the women of  WITCH, WATCH, MAECymru or whatever and their sidekicks remain as determined as ever to force their agenda at anycost, even the demise of Anglicanism in Great Britain.

What a farce!

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They still don't get

Memorizing Islamic texts which condemn other religions.                 Telegraph/Photo: REUTERS

"The Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, has asked officials to review home schooling amid fears that thousand[s] of children are having their minds ?Filled with poison? By radicalised parents. Between 20,000 and 50,000 children are thought to be educated at home ? But the Government has no idea of the exact number because parents are under no obligation to inform their local council.

Ms Morgan has already announced a crackdown on unregistered schools and “weekend madrassas” after some were found to be promoting extremist ideology. But senior government sources have revealed that home schooling is now “on the radar”.... The focus on home schooling highlights growing concern in government over the problem of children being radicalised by religious extremists abusing positions of trust to promote hardline doctrine." [My emphasis - Ed. Full report here.]

From theTelegraph in 2011: "Several madrassas ? Religious schools often run by mosques ? Use ?Excessively strict approaches to discipline? To keep children in line, it was revealed. Researchers said the imposition of hard-line rules on behaviour instilled a sense of ?Spiritual fear? In young people, marking them out from mainstream schools.

The study, by the Institute for Public Policy Research, found a number of examples of madrassas actually employing corporal punishment. A ban on physical beatings, including the cane, was introduced in the 1980s. But the legislation does not cover ?Supplementary schools?, including many madrassas, where lessons are taught for fewer than 12.5 hours per week."

What is being studied? This is the Conclusion from "Peace or Jihad? Abrogation in Islamdanquot;:

"The issue of abrogation in Islam is critical to understanding both jihad and da'wa, the propagation of Islam. Some Muslims may preach tolerance and argue that jihad refers only to an internal, peaceful struggle to better oneself. Western commentators can convince themselves that such teachings are correct. However, for learned Muslim scholars and populist leaders, such notions are or should be risible. They recognize that, in practice, there is compulsion in Islam. They take seriously the notion that the Qur'an teaches not just tolerance among religions, but tolerance among religions on the terms of Islam. To understand the challenge of the current Islamist revival, it is crucial for non-Muslims and moderate Muslims alike to recognize that interpretation of Islamic doctrine can have two faces, and that the Medinan face may very well continue to overshadow the Meccan face for a major portion, if not the majority, of contemporary Muslims."

Political and religious leaders need to understand that "...Everything in the Qur'an about forgiveness and peace is abrogated by verse 9:5 which orders Muslims to fight the unbelievers and to establish God's kingdom on earth." Once that fact is grasped it is evident that the "Islamic extremistdanquot; horrors witnessed are carried out according to the texts being studied.

Children in Britain should be educated according to British standards in the British way of life if we are to achieve any sense of integration. There is nothing to be gained by allowing children to memorize that their host nation is inhabited by less worthy creatures (apes and pigs) who deserve to die if they do not convert to Islam.

In theentry, "Why there will be no Merry Christmas wishes from 'ordinary' Muslims", twelve months ago I included video of an Imam explaining that in Islam, wishing each other a "Merry Christmas!" is "worse than fornication, drinking alcohol or killing someone" because Christmas celebrates the Incarnation which is rejected by Muslims along with the Crucifixion.

One has to wonder therefore why the Archbishop of Canterbury welcomed Shia theologians to Lambeth Palace at the culmination of three days of dialogue with Christian theologians. Expressing his appreciation for this dialogue, Archbishop Justin Welby said: "At a time of increasing fear and division in the world, it is ever more important that people of faith, Christians and Muslims, come together to work towards the common good for the betterment of all." What delusion. His sentiments are sound but can not be genuinely reciprocated by Muslims because it is contrary to their beliefs. It would have made more sense if he had followed a predecessor's example and demanded an explanation of why other faiths are persecuted in states where Islam dominates.

As Islam expands and Christianity wanes there is an unsettling change in attitude which regards Islam as fact and Christianity as fiction when there isIncredible Proof for Why You Should Have Faith in the Bible: "There are 16 total historians apart from Scripture that reference Christ. Almost everything about Christ we can find without ever going to the New Testament" and "There's more evidence that Jesus lived than Julius Caesar, yet no one doubts Caesar existed." Islam claims to be authoritative but denies historical evidence.

Christians know that false prophets will test their faith but our faith leaders entertain representatives of a supremacist ideology on an equal level which accords legitimacy to beliefs that, certainly in Christian terms, must be wrong because there is "only one way to the Father". Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There is no ambiguity.

What is needed is not an education system which permits children to memorize texts that demand all to convert or die but one in which faith can be challenged in the same way that Christianity has been challenged and proved to be true. Any faith which can not tolerate scrutiny must be suspect. Denying Muslims the truth is to deny them salvation.

This morning I read "Archbishop of Canterbury supports 'our Muslim brothers and sisters' ". ReadThe Logic of Islamic Intolerance for an explanation of why such trust is a perilous mistake.

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Just up his street

An announcement has appeared on the Church in Wales web site that Bazzer of Neath has now picked a girl from Neath to be the new Dean of Llandaff. - That must be another morale booster for Church in Wales clergy. An imported Ass Bishop and an imported lady Archdeacon although it has to be said that 'Peggy pilot' puts the Ass Bishop in the shade, not that that would be difficult according to local sources. So two out of three senior appointments to the ladies in Bazzer's campaign to feminise the Church in Wales along with the Church of England.

At least the new Dean was born in Wales but like Dr Morgan's other senior appointments recently, she has performed her ministry in England. Any suspicion that the Archbishop has simply picked a local girl is quickly dispelled after reading her blog where she writes about The Woman Bishops Debate. Based on a rudimentary knowledge of psychology she has decided that the tradition of the church is wrong and that solemn promises made to ensure that she was able to be ordained were made in error! The misrepresentation is on a scale that assured her of the favour of her new Archbishop. In his response to the outcome of the Women Bishops debate Dr Morgan had the gaul to use the motto of Credo Cymru ('Forward in Faith' in Wales), "Keep the Faith", in another simplistic piece in which he compares the holy priesthood of the one who stands at the Altar with a school teacher. For orthodox Anglicans such comments belittle our creedal catholic faith for purely political ends.

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, the One who senior clergy, bishops included, would see dethroned in the cause of secularism. That will not happen because those who think in such terms are but a tiny minority in the universal church however much they like to brag about their brand of secular Anglicanism.

Today is also Stir-up Sunday. How very true.

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They have only themselves to blame

Just one small wafer Ms Creosote?

As every Sunday school pupil knows, greed is one of the seven deadly sins. When Rowan Williams was humiliated by Women and the Church (WATCH) in July I sensed that the tide was about to turn. Every concession had been a step too far for WATCH. From 'a divided church' to 'demeaning women' then 'second class bishops', any excuse has been used to squeeze the opposition further. Listening to yesterday's debate it was clear that those in favour of women bishops wanted more than just that. Those opposed to the measure had no place in the church despite so-called assurances and solemn promises. Had they not been so greedy WATCH could already have achieved their goal and Archbishop Rowan could have retired a happy man. As one speaker put it, he would have voted in favour at every previous compromise but what was now on offer was not good enough. That summed up the mood. Enough was enough, so they lost.

Contrary to the hysterical headlines in the press, it was NOT a vote against women bishops. It was a vote against a lack of charity towards a substantial minority whose faith means more to them than their bishops and clergy realise. Going back to 1992, there were jubilant scenes among supporters of the ordination of women priests. That was passed by just two votes. Yesterday's vote dwarfed that margin by 200% a substantial majority! One could well argue that if the Holy Spirit was in favour of women priests, a popular cry, then the Holy Spirit must be categorically opposed to women bishops. But as we know, there is no logic in the ordination of women campaign, just prejudice. There is an honest assessment of the vote by a female trainee chaplain here. Without retracing ground covered this comment was very interesting: 'One argument kept ringing true: the claim that the pro-women campaigners were too quick to try and make the church like the world. Uncomfortably, I had to agree. Too many of those in favour of women bishops just sounded too… well… worldly'.

Writing in the Telegraph, Tim Stanley made a similar point: 'In the 21st century, what is the purpose of the village church? For much of the establishment of the Church of England, the answer seems to be “relevance” – they must earn their status in society by reflecting society's diversity of background and opinion. The great irony is that they want to make relevant something that is actually devalued by the attempt to make it relevant. God doesn’t do “relevance.” He just is – and, for most religious consumers, that’s what makes him so appealing'. Precisely!

In what I thought was a disappointing contribution to the debate after all the previous hype, the Bishop of Durham, Justin Welby, said: “It is time to finish the job and vote for this measure...the Church of England needs to show how to develop the mission of the church in a way that demonstrates that we can manage diversity of view without division; diversity in amity, not diversity in enmity”. Nothing was offered beyond the same old devalued promises. So far as the mission of the church is concerned Bishop Welby should reflect on the figures here. The mission of the church has accelerated rapidly downhill since 1992 following the introduction of women priests, so what is his point?

How the world sees the vote is illustrated by this coverage by Channel 4 News. It shows such appalling ignorance that one would have thought bishops and clergy would be keen to correct the misrepresentation but unfortunately they are part of the same problem, secularism. The Ch4 reporter Kattie Razzall remarked that "the secular world will not understand the decision that looks so out of step with modern society". She went on to describe the debate as 'a straight forward case of discrimination'. Interviewed by Jon Snow who showed an abysmal level of ignorance and understanding, Tony Baldry MP was at a loss to know how he would explain the vote to Parliament. Obviously the wrong man for the job then. This is the response to the vote from Parliament, again showing a lamentable understanding of anything sacred.

Looking at today's reaction to the vote, the House of Bishops has learned nothing. Statements such as "it seems as if we are wilfully blind to some of the trends and priorities of wider society" imply a form of secular Christianity in which scripture is useful only for mis-quoting selected verses while tradition and reason are forgotten. Our bishops and clergy are no longer fully representative of the church which is the problem where proper provision is concerned. Advancement is denied to those not singing from the same sheet. Ordinands are deterred by blatant discrimination. It should have come as no surprise therefore that the fair minded would see this for what it is, a gradual elimination of clergy opposed to the ordination of women. So much for their majority which is achieved by manipulation.

To illustrate how these secular Christians are obsessed with their own agenda, the Church in Wales has been brought into the controversy by the former Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries of Pentregarth. He has called for the Church in Wales to take the lead. He said: 'I think it would be very interesting and salutary if the Church in Wales over the next year or two had women bishops and the Church of England didn't' but what happened in England yesterday was a re-run of what happened in Wales in 2008 when their Governing Body rejected women bishops because proper provision for a significant minority was refused by their Archbishop. Dr Morgan maintains that position while advancing another cunning scheme he hopes will be approved in September 2013.

This goes to the heart of the problem. There is no negotiation; only a statement that 'this is as good as it gets'. There is more sympathy and support from Africa than we have from our own Archbishops. If they genuinely want to make progress this must change. There must be genuine negotiations to ensure that all may flourish in the church.

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