Jubilee Debt Campaign: Vulture Culture Update

Some good news for a change.I previously blogged here and here on Vulture Funds which profiteer by buying up the debts of heavily indebted poor countries cheaply then seek to recover the full amounts.In today's email: Vulture Funds - we've wonDear supporter,We’re...

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"We are all in this together" (13)

King Edward VII's Hospital (Private)The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (NHS)Not everyone is impressed with Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley 's plans for "improvements" in the NHS.[Warning: Those of a sensitive nature may be offended by some of the...

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Bishop of Manchester praises tradition in the church!

Contrary to reports in the MailOnline and elsewhere, Manchester Cathedral's Spirit of Life Festival on 2 May will not be featuring tarot card readers and crystal healers although there will be a fire-breathing vicar. - There's a novelty these days!It seems that the...

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Scam bags: legitimate or not?

Today we had yet another plastic bag delivery. As previously reported we regularly receive two or three requests a week to donate unwanted clothes; sometimes bric-a-brac. Most of these requests are scams which trade on people's charity for profit.My general guideline is to look...

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Suits you Sir!

The latest twist in the 'Royal Wedding' saga suggests that the Prime Minister will after all wear morning dress as protocol demands rather than a lounge suit when Prince William marries Kate Middleton. Forest sell-off, NHS reform anddress sense problems; the prime...

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Mothering Sunday to Mother's Day

The MailOnline is carrying a story about 'advances' in research enabling eggs to be stored so that women can have babies in their 50's. Mother-centred rather than child-centred sums up the commercial notion of Mother's Day which is not to be confused with Mothering Sunday...

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The NHS

As theTelegraphcorrectlypredicted, yesterday the Health Secretary admitted at the dispatch box that his personal crusade to change the Health Service was having the brakes applied by the Prime Minister. While most questioners on the government benches did their valiant best...

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Bystanders

In Great Britain, media stories of religious persecution are usually confined to cases of petty discrimination and to false propaganda. Few have the courage ofShabbaz Bhatti who refused to be a bystander.Some organisations are crying in the wilderness hoping their...

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'Michael Gove's "other reason" for opposing a mosque'

One of yesterday' blog entries onPolitical Scrapbook posed the question, "What are your other reasons [for opposing a mosque] Mr Gove? In this long running battle over building a mosque in Camberly there have been claims that the mosque would pose a security threat because...

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Beggars belief...

Hot on the heels of Cranmer's post, "Tis Pity She's a Whore - the Virgin Mary", I watched a video report in the Independent which gives details of  "a controversial book to be published on Good Friday [which] has caused outrage for its portrayal of Jesus as a bisexual drug...

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Khristós Anésti!

Have you wondered what Easter means to most people today?If you 'Google' "Easter" [images] the result will be displayed as above. Chocolate eggs and bunnies with a very small percentage of Christian imagery. Not unlike the 'bright'idea of the Bishop of Oxford who wants...

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Good Friday

Thenand now and there was a darkness over all the earth....

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Do you smell a rat?

Voters are lurching one way or the other over which system, AV or FPTP, is better for the country rather than simply considering which system is 'fairer'. Politicians I respect have come down on both sides, as do the arguments. To take the easy way out is not...

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Puzzle:

What links these four men?- Islam!The prime Minister and his Deputy are considering a plan to replace existing peers including Anglican bishops with a multi-faith chamber that would include Muslim imams.The two asylum seekers taking advantage of the British welfare...

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Pray for the Church in Wales

In his opening address to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales yesterday, their Archbishop, Dr Barry Morgan, warned of difficult times ahead. "Fundamental questions about the role and structure of the Church in Wales as it approaches its centenary will be addressed in a...

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For Christ's sake

Unlike Islam, when Christianity receives a bad press most people shrug their shoulders but the barnabasfund is doing what all Christians should be doing, standing up for Christ. Some pay the ultimate price but for the majority of us it should be sufficient to admit to being...

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A day to remember

Christ with His bride the church, William with his bride Catherine, brought together in a service of simple splendour. Pomp with taste treating the nation to beautiful imagery, music and prayer restoring Christ's church to how it should be, God centred and inspiring. Every blessing...

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Is to question this, Islamophobia?

Twelve dead, over 180 injured and God knows how many Bibles burnt. Thehypocrisy is mind blowing. Have you checked what barnabasfund is doing to save Christiani...

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"We are all in this together." (14)

The Prime Minister's conduct has not been without critici...

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The listening party?

Watching yesterday's debate on the future of the NHS it was hard to detect any hint that the Government had heeded the misgivings of professionals bar those they choose to listen to for the advice they wish to hear.Watching David Willett's performance on TV this morning he seemed...

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Modern Britain

'Great' Britain? - Alas, no longer according to the Lonely Planet company.Overpriced and lacking in quality. No surprise there for the seasoned traveller!Arriving back in Britain from the delights of foreign venues, many travellers have a reality check when returning to their...

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NHS reforms

The 'listening' exercise.PostscriptReactions to yesterday's re-launch from the Independent, Mirror and Guardi...

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The beautiful game

Er... not quite! More like this,this, or even this. Preferred scorePassion 1: 0Ag...

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Clegg the Loser?

One would have thought that the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, had had enough battering but he was back in the stocks yesterday with a draft bill to reform the House of Lords and was immediately attacked from both sides of both Houses as the Aunt Sally of the coalition.Ignoring voter apathy and the lack of enthusiasm for the Alternative Vote...

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Queen and Pawn

The visit of Her Majesty the Queen to the Republic of Ireland is a gesture that should cement improved relations with our nearest neighbour but a small minority of people in Ireland see Her Majesty simply as a pawn in their political game. Queen Elizabeth II is a remarkable...

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'The Beast'

The US Presidential limo offers all the security that is available but "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" as was evidenced when 'the beast' fell foul of US security getting stuck while crawling a over a security speed hump at their Embassy in...

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The Tracy Emin of horticulture?

Believe it or not, this is the skeleton of a garden feature at the Chelsea Flower Show which runs from 24 - 28 May 2011 and for which tickets are already sold out. Yes, the Chelsea Flower Show which is becoming ever more bizarre. I have never been but I know people who...

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Coptic warning

From Voice of the Copts, a salutary warning directed at Germany but equally relevant to all who fear the demise of Christianity in Muslim countries as already witnessed by the Copts in Egy...

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Religious tolerance in modern Britain

(Source Metroploitan Police)These Muslim thugs have been convicted after pleading guilty to GBH with intent after  battering a Religious Education teacher in the name of their God because he was not a Muslim. This did not take place in an Islamic State but...

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Balls up

Photograph: Ian Nicholson/PAEd Balls is up for it and rightly so. In answer to Ms Shoesmith's triumph at the Court of Appeal he said, "I judged, on the basis of that independent report [which 'catalogued catastrophic management failures on such a devastating scale'] -...

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Ministry and Calling Sunday (June 5)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ?Whom shall I send? And who will go for us??And I said, ?Here am I. Send me!? [Isaiah 6:8]Err.... not quite. A Church in Wales Press Release tells us that postcards will be handed around churches across Wales next Sunday as...

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“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. "

Sharing Tables event in Shotton, FlintshireA group of Christians and Muslims have shared a meal to show "solidarity" in an area that has seen protests about plans for an Islamic cultural centre.Meanwhile, in Milan, Italy,No illusions there!With the best of intentions many Christians...

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Vicars and tarts

An internet search will reveal that 'Vicars and Tarts' party costumes are still readily available despite no longer knowing which is the vicar! For many it was all a bit of innocent fun. The Vicars and Tarts party illustrated above was a refined affair but not all...

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Anti-Muslim hatred!

SourceIn the run-up to the announcement of a new 'Prevent' strategy, predictable outrage has been expressed about measures described as 'anti-Muslim hatred' by Nabil Ahmed of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies in a discussion on Newsnight yesterday evening...

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Atrocities against Christians

As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, draws attention to atrocities against Christians in the Middle East, closer to home we have yet more cases of white girls being groomed for sex by predominatelyAsian gangs who display Islamic rather than Christian...

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In one ear and out the other?

"We've gone direct to the British people - some Labour supporters, others not.And a lot of it wasn't easy listening.People were blunt with us.You've all heard it.Because week in week out, you are out there on the doorsteps.Talking to people about their concerns.You know they...

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