Faith groups say poverty must be a top election issue
Tackling poverty is not seen as a top priority by political parties canvassing for public votes, according to campaigners from faith groups who are working to combat economic hardship. Representatives told a Religion Media Centre briefing that poverty has not been an issue in this election and it has not been given the emphasis that it deserves. They said people in communities living at the sharpest end of poverty don’t feel heard by political leaders or hopeful as the election approaches. The briefing considered that poverty requires a massive rethink by the new government because welfare and benefits are not enough and minority communities are often disproportionately affected. All the links to the filmed recording, podcasts and article are on our briefing page here
Faith strategy urged for a great time of change
An open letter to the next UK government has been sent by a group of faith representatives calling itself “The Faith and Belief Policy Collective”. It urges “a profound and strategic reimagining of the role and contribution of religion and belief in British society”, to benefit all in the UK. The Collective was established by the Faith and Belief Forum, and the Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. It now represents 30 faith and belief groups. The letter asks the new government to consider itself facing a period of change like during the Second World War, when the Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple coined the phrase “welfare state” as part of his vision for a country prepared to consider the wellbeing of all its people. It will be officially launched tonight at an election hustings at St Martiin in the Fields at 6.30pm
Surge of Jewish support for Starmer
A poll of 2,717 Jewish people suggests that support for Labour among Jewish voters has surged to 46 per cent under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, up from a record low of 11 per cent when Jeremy Corbyn was in charge. The survey, commissioned by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR), said Labour’s share of the prospective Jewish vote was higher than the national average (42 per cent). Dr Jonathan Boyd, executive director of JPR, said there was “no evidence to demonstrate a significant shift in Jewish people’s political allegiances overall following the 7 October attacks in Israel, the subsequent war in Gaza and rising concerns about antisemitism in Britain.” Jewish Chronicle report here
Social media abuse makes us stupid says CofE report
Overuse of social media makes people “in danger of becoming stupid” according to a report commissioned by the Church of England. The review, Trust and Trustworthiness in the Church of England, was started in 2022 by Martin Seeley, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, and identified numerous divisions within the church, including dismay over the handling of gay rights and of abuse cases, and warned that these issues had led to a “culture of distrust”. Users of social media, the report said, were “insufficiently rigorous” in checking that the information they shared was accurate or reliable, which left people unsure who they could trust. Report in The Times here
Christians march to save wildlife extinction
Christian groups held a service of “prayer and lament for creation” before joining more than 60,000 marchers in London to protest against the drastic decline of the wildlife in the UK, and damage to the ecosystem. The Restore Nature Now march was organised by a coalition of environmental organisations including Extinction Rebellion, the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, and the National Trust. The service, entitled Creation Cries Out, was co-led by Fr Dominic Robinson, a parish priest of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair. Church Times report here
Ultra-Orthodox men must be conscripted, Israel Supreme Court rules
Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service. The decision could lead to the collapse of Binyamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, propped up by ultra-Orthodox parties which might withdraw support in protest. The ruling ends a system granting ultra-Orthodox men broad exemptions from military service while maintaining mandatory enlistment for the country’s secular Jewish majority, an arrangement considered discriminatory and causing a divide that has widened during the war. More than 600 soldiers have been killed since Hamas attacked on 7 October. AP report here
Former Catholic priest on island child sex charges
A former Catholic priest in the Channel Islands has been charged with 10 sexual crimes against a child on Jersey. Piotr Antoni Glas, 60, who now lives in Southampton, is alleged to have committed the offences between 2004 and 2007. He appeared before St Helier magistrates and was bailed to appear at the island’s Royal Court. Congregations across the island and the south of England were told about the allegations during last Sunday’s main mass, ITV News reports
Post-pandemic marriage rates rise
Marriage rates in 2022 returned to pre-pandemic levels in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics has found. Its latest statistics show there were 246,897 marriages in England and Wales: an increase of 12.3 per cent from 219,850 in 2019. Of those, the number of same-sex marriages was 15.9 per cent higher (a 7,800 rise, from 6,728 in 2019). Opposite-sex marriages in 2022 numbered 239,097: 12.2 per cent more than 2019 (213,122). Church Times report here
Louisiana sued over Ten Commandments ruling
Legal action is being taken against the state of Louisiana over a new law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms. Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, signed the law on 19 June, making Louisiana the only US state requiring such a display. Nine families, including several clergy, filed the action in the Baton Rouge federal court, seeking an injunction, Reuters reports. The complaint said the display violated the First Amendment of the US Constitution (“that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise”), and “simply cannot be reconciled with the fundamental religious-freedom principles that animated the founding of our nation”.
Congregationalist Olympic hero Liddell celebrated
A century after Scottish athlete Eric Liddell won gold in the 1924 French Olympics, his life has been celebrated at a service in Edinburgh. Liddell, a Scottish Congregationalist, refused to run in a heat for the 100-metre race because it was on a Sunday. The extraordinary story of how he then retrained for the 200 and 400 metres, winning bronze and gold respectively and breaking an Olympic record, was retold in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. The commemoration was held at St Giles’ Cathedral. The sermon was given by the Rev Lindsey Sanderson, the Moderator of the United Reformed Church National Synod of Scotland, who shared a biography of Liddell’s life and said she had been entranced by the multi-Oscar-winning film as a child. Members of Liddell’s family, including his daughter Patricia, were at the service.
Charity begins at home for Muslim food parcel charity
A British Muslim charity that distributes food parcels among the needy in its community says demand has been higher in the UK since Eid was celebrated this month. Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief, told the BBC that the month of Qurbani reminded Muslims of their commitment to those who find themselves in difficulty. In previous years, the charity has sent parcels of foods to countries such as Sudan and Pakistan, but this year its volunteers have had to concentrate on feeding people in the West Midlands and further afield who are struggling with the cost of living. So far, more than 6,000 parcels have been sent in the UK, with about a quarter distributed in the Birmingham area.
First bishop for Catholics of the Anglican tradition
The ordination of the first bishop of a special diocese created for Catholics of the Anglican tradition was held at the weekend. Bishop David Waller spoke of his joy and excitement at his congregation being “in full communion with the Catholic church” and promised to continue supporting the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham to grow and strengthen, while working out how to “satisfy the criteria and qualities” required by Rome. Report here
Mosque burglars jailed
Two men who twice broke into a mosque and stole more than £700 from charity boxes in Warrington, Greater Manchester, have been jailed. The Cheshire Constabulary commented: “Stealing charity boxes, and those from a place of worship is an abominable thing to do. Then to try again, just defies belief.”
