Archbishop tells Palestinian Christians she will seek peace and freedom they deserve
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, who is on a five-day visit to Palestine and Israel, has told Palestinian Christians that she will use her role as Archbishop to seek “the peace you desire and the freedom you deserve”. In a sermon at St Peter’s Anglican Church in the West Bank, she said: “Your faithful, hopeful resistance is also visible as fathers and mothers navigate the web of checkpoints daily to provide an income for their family, or to get their children to school to provide for their future, or as you gather to break bread together week by week in this church. All these acts of faithful resistance point to our hope in Jesus Christ and reflect your ongoing struggle for freedom and dignity”. Archbishop Sarah is there at the invitation of the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Dr Hosam Naoum, saying she brings the prayers and solidarity of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, and the assurance that Christians in Palestine and Israel are not forgotten. They will meet Palestinian Christians in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Israel, and will visit Nazareth, Bethlehem and Birzeit. On the first day, they visited healthcare centres and had a video call with the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza. They have met ecumenical clergy from Birzeit, Ramallah and Taybeh, who spoke about their experiences of ministry in the occupied West Bank. Dr Naoum said: “The Christian presence here is a living bridge down through the centuries, and having Archbishop Sarah alongside us strengthens our spirits as we navigate our daily challenge.
Andy Burnham’s ‘à la carte Catholicism’
The man tipped to be the next UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, was raised Catholic and shaped by a strong community, with a faith described by Liverpool politics professor Jon Tonge, as “à la carte Catholicism”. He said Burnham uses social teaching that comes with Catholicism, such as commitments to equality, fairness, anti-discrimination and a commitment to tackle homelessness, but he doesn’t subscribe to the social conservatism that is also associated with Catholicism, on subjects like same-sex marriage, abortion or trans issues – he adopts a “live and let live approach” instead. Professor Tonge was speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme, and said that Catholicism runs deep within Andy Burnham, describing the influence of Archbishop Warlock on him in the 1980s and the important impact of his meeting with Pope Francis. Community is at the heart of Burnham’s political philosophy, he said, but the national policies which arise from his values are still “up in the air”. Interview is here
Man charged after five Muslims attacked in Edinburgh
Counter terrorist officers are investigating after five Muslims were attacked in Edinburgh on Friday, in four separate attacks. Two of the injured men had attended prayer at Broomhouse mosque about half an hour before they were stabbed multiple times. A taxi driver was attacked at a patrol station when an axe was smashed through the window. Another was injured when shelves were pushed to the floor at another petrol station. CCTV footage shows a man abandoning his car and attacking a man getting off a tram and a delivery rider on an e-bike, while smoking and wielding two large knives. Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said there is “no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland.” And Omar Afzal, director of public affairs for the Scottish Association of Mosques, told The Scotsman that there is a “profound sense of shock, alarm and anger within Muslim communities across Scotland”. He said when prejudice is left unchallenged, individuals feel emboldened to act on hatred. A 38-year-old white Scottish man has been charged in connection with a number of incidents.
Warning of profound crisis of meaning as Artificial Intelligence expands
Matthew Sanders, founder and CEO of Longbeard and creator of Magisterium AI which explains the Catholic faith, has warned that the greatest danger of AI is “a profound crisis of meaning” where the link between work and survival is broken. In a lecture delivered as part of Together for the Common Good’s “Staying Human” series, he said Artificial Intelligence is changing the world of work, and with that the meaning that people find in their lives. He spoke of one prediction that most white-collar work will be automated within twelve to eighteen months, leading to one person doing the work of 100–200. But he said four things must remain human: decisions over human life, dignity, or future; being with another person in their need; formation of conscience and character; and local relationships in community. He said the church offers “structure, community, vocation and shared purpose”, with the parish as an anchor for meaning, neighbours and community life.
‘The Story of Everything’ exploring the origin of the universe, arrives on Amazon prime
A documentary exploring the origins of the universe and the complex patterns and beauty of life, has arrived on Amazon Prime Video after a limited US cinema release. Using film of galaxies, stars, oceans and nature, The Story of Everything features scientists and philosophers discussing whether the universe shows evidence of intelligent design. It’s directed by Eric Esau, backed by the US based Discovery Institute, which promotes intelligent design, and draws on ideas in Stephen Meyer’s Return of the God Hypothesis. In a series of interviews, it explores the Big Bang, the expanding universe, time and nothingness, and the complexities of DNA. The film does not explore religious claims, the Biblical story of creation in six days, or the idea of God, but it suggests the possibility of a guiding intelligence behind the cosmos. Reviewing the film in The Telegraph, Peter Stanford said there is much to provoke fresh thinking: “It will not, I confidently predict, turn an atheist into a believer in intelligent design. But it could well loosen a few bricks in the wall of certainty”.
Dominatrix on ‘Kink and Christianity’
Melissa Todd, a sex worker for 30 years after dropping out of a PPE course at the University of Oxford, has been explaining the links between “Kink and Christianity”. She told The Telegraph that she works as a dominatrix, makes 800 pornographic films a year and has many religious clients including clergy “who get spanked as well”. She says the church too often sees sex as a problem to be solved or an issue to be ignored, but there is much in common between kinksters and Christianity – both rely on honesty and consent. She said: “Wherever humans are, desire and power is an issue, so you have to acknowledge that, and it will make the church a safer place for everybody”. Article is here
