Belief in God continues to decline in the UK
Research by the Policy Institute suggests that belief in God has declined to just 49 per cent of the UK population, from 75 per cent in 1981. However, belief in hell and life after death has remained the same. The conclusion is based on a survey of 3000 adults in 2020, mapped against a survey of other countries. “Lost Faith? The UKs changing attitudes to religion” reveals the UK to be among the countries with the lowest belief levels. China is lowest at 17 per cent and Indonesia is highest at 100 per cent, while the USA figure is 82 per cent. The fastest decline in UK belief was observed among people aged over 50, while the young people under 24 are the last likely to believe in God, but more likely to believe in hell.
Review of Christ Church College feud suggests split between Dean and academics
A review of the long running dispute between the Dean of Christ Church College, Oxford, and its Governing Body, is recommending that in future the Dean should be responsible for the Cathedral and a “Head of House” responsible for the academic life of the college. The report, by Dominic Grieve KC, follows a long running feud between the former Dean Rev Martyn Percy and the governing body of academics. The College spent £6.6m over seven years in a bitter legal dispute, which ended with Dr Percy accepting a substantial settlement and leaving his job and the governing body receiving an official warning from the Charity Commission for misconduct and/or mismanagement in the charity’s administration. The review’s proposals for a new governance structure will now be considered by Christ Church College.
Hajj booking problems for British Muslims will be raised with Saudi ambassador
Technical problems booking travel packages online for the Hajj have caused complaints in Britain and the USA. The Saudi government allows bookings only online but the website crashed, bookings failed and monev transfers required completion before banks were able to complete the transaction. Middle East Eye reports multiple complaints and quotes people who have stayed up all night to see a booking through. Hyphen Online explains that the issue was discussed by the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) on Hajj and Umrah, with MPS committing to raise the issue with the Saudi Ambassador. The Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is an obligation in Islam, which should be completed at least once in a lifetime. Some of the packages cost £30,000.
US calls on Indian government to condemn religious violence
The United States State Department has published a report calling on India to condemn religious violence. It documents multiple examples including plain clothes police in Gujarat publicly flogging four Muslim men accused of injuring Hindu worshippers, Muslim-owned homes and shops being bulldozed by state government representatives following communal violence in Khargone, Christians arrested accused of forcing others to convert, Shiite Muslims arrested for marching in a procession without a permit, Muslims meeting in a house for prayer. The report comes out a month before the Indian PM Narenda Modi makes his first official state visit to the US since taking office in 2014. India has rejected the report saying it is biased and flawed.
Jewish Leadership Council vice president bids to be next Conservative mayor of London.
Daniel Korski, vice-president with the Jewish Leadership Council and formerly David Cameron’s deputy head of policy, has entered the race to become the Conservative candidate for London mayor. He told Jewish News that as the son of Polish Jewish refugees, who were expelled in the late 1960s, London had allowed him to get a house, a job and build success. But this was not possible for many people today and he wanted to fix it. Nominations close next week for conservative candidates with the winner being announced on 19 July. The London mayoral election is next year.
Putin’s “superstitious” bid to further his war campaign
President Putin has issued a decree ordering Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery to hand over Andrei Rublev’s 15th century icon, Holy Trinity, to the Russian Orthodox Church. The Telegraph quotes Russian author Ksenia Luchenko telling a radio station that the move is down to the President’s primitive superstition that this will aid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
