Gordon Brown says church support vital for providing warm places this winter
The former prime minister Gordon Brown is backing the Warm Welcome Campaign, where faith and community groups sign up to provide warm spaces for people unable to heat their homes because of rising fuel costs this winter. Writing in the Church Times, he says the need is overwhelming, as the fuel price cap and government handouts still leave a typical family, dependent on universal credit, short of £1,500 a year. He says church support is vital, as it has been for centuries, in campaigns for social progress and he has nothing but praise for churches opening their doors to the elderly and vulnerable, especially when they themselves face higher fuel bills. “It is by recognising the importance of the words of the Sermon on the Mount — and acting on them — that we make our country fairer and stronger,” he says.
Government urged to stop fascism and racism that stoked Leicester violence
The MP for Leicester East, Claudia Webbe, has urged the government to address “political right-wing nationalism from abroad, far-right fascism and racism” that she said were key features of the recent violence between Hindu and Muslim men in the city. Asha Patel reports on Leicester Live that the letter said: “Thuggery, political right-wing nationalism from abroad, far-right fascism and racism are key features of the disorder. The physical violence, damage to property, burning of religious flags, desecration of religious buildings, including of mosques and temples and racist nationalist chanting are unacceptable and have no place in a civil society.” Ms Webbe said certain communities had been falsely blamed through fake news, conspiracy theories and “vile hate material” on social media. The MP went on to describe discarded balaclavas and surgical blue gloves in the backstreets where the violence occurred, and said residents were living in fear, too frightened to leave their homes. She said it was time for the government to “stand against those who wish to pit communities against each other”.
Pope appeals for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine
Pope Francis has appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. In his Sunday address, he expressed concern at the military escalation and said the fact that there was now a nuclear threat was absurd, giving rise to “fears of uncontrollable and catastrophic consequences worldwide”. He deplored the annexations of areas in the east of Ukraine and called for respect for the territorial integrity of every country. He was “saddened by the rivers of blood and tears spilt in these months”, and the destruction that left families homeless, and people cold and hungry. He appealed to Vladimir Putin to “stop this spiral of violence and death”, to President Volodymyr Zelensky to be open to serious proposals for peace, and to the international community to use all diplomatic means to broker peace.
‘Strong demand’ for more news coverage on faith, survey finds
A global research study has found that more than half those surveyed believe the media actively ignores religion in its coverage of society and culture and it revealed a “strong demand across the world for more news media coverage on faith”. The Global Faith and Media Study was commissioned by the US-based Faith and Media Initiative and funded in part by the Radiant Foundation, both associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The survey was conducted by the global market research company HarrisX among 9,000 people in 18 countries, as well as interviews with 30 editors and journalists. The survey found 53 per cent believed media coverage actively ignored religion, with reasons ranging from tight budgets, a lack of diversity in the newsroom and a fear of “getting it wrong”. 63 per cent felt that high-quality content on faith and religion was needed in their respective countries. Read our report by Lianne Kolirin here
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints condemns abuse and defends its policies
Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told its annual conference in Salt Lake City, that abuse was “a grievous sin” that should not be tolerated and would bring down the wrath of God on perpetrators. The Associated Press reports that this was the first remark on abuse from a senior church leader since it published an investigation into how the church handled reports of sexual abuse, including information on how cases were referred to lawyers and the use of mandatory reporting laws. The president, aged 98, said the church had taken extensive measures to protect children from abuse and defended its policies. The church had earlier said AP’s investigation mischaracterised its policies.
Black History Month an ‘open goal’ for propagating faith
Black Christians can use Black History Month, taking place in October, as an “open goal” to propagate their faith, according to Richard Reddie, director of justice and inclusion at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. He says the Black History Month, in its 40-year history, has brought to light stories of the many Christians of African origin and their contributions to Britain. With a theme once revolving around the end of the slave trade, he suggests another highlight could be the prominence of black majority churches that “have transformed the socio-spiritual landscape of Britain and Ireland”, from house churches to large congregations in all large towns and cities. Churches Together has a set of resources on its website.
Brazil presidential election reflects Catholic and evangelical divide
The influence of the Roman Catholic and evangelical vote in yesterday’s Brazil presidential election is being closely observed. The contest is between the current right-wing populist President Jair Bolsonaro, a Catholic with strong links to evangelicalism and conservative moral views, and the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, born Catholic with roots in the trade union movement. The majority of evangelicals favour Bolsonaro, while Catholics favour Lula da Silva. Of Brazil’s 215 million people, 80 per cent identify as Catholic or evangelical, with the numbers of neo-charismatic evangelicals surging in recent years to about a third of the population. Writing for Unherd, Alex Hochuli, based in São Paulo, predicts that if Bolsonaro loses, a new right-wing populist will take his place, identifying Pablo Marçal, 35, a self-help guru who adopts evangelical language, as a likely contender. The results are due early on Monday.
Future of Religion in Britain – RMC annual lecture film now up on YouTube
The film of our annual lecture, when Professor Linda Woodhead considered the religious landscape of Britain emerging into the 21st century, is now up on YouTube. She said the 2021 Census is expected to confirm the trend already documented that Christianity is in decline in Britain, possibly falling below 50 per cent. Alongside this, British Islam is growing and finding its voice, non-religion is growing as Christianity has failed to provide credible answers, and “magic”, a category of religion including systems such as astrology and Wicca, is flourishing. The lecture was delivered on 20 September to an audience at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street. Our report of the lecture is here
