Bishops: we back same-sex marriage
Several Church of England bishops say they are in favour of same-sex marriage. The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, wrote an essay “Together in Love and Faith”, published in Church Times and available through the diocese, which says his views had been slow to change and caused genuine hurt. But he now believed that clergy should be able to bless and marry gay couples and clergy should be allowed to marry a same-sex partner. The Bishops of Worcester and Dudley, John Inge and Martin Gorick, have written to clergy in their diocese, saying the time had come for the church to celebrate and honour same-sex relations. “People do not choose their sexuality and all should be able to express it within loving committed relationships”, they said. The church has conducted a long consultation on the issue, involving all members, and is due to vote on allowing same-sex marriage at the General Synod meeting in February.
Lords warns government it must protect public service broadcasting
A House of Lords debate on public service broadcasting has seen the same level of anger and dismay at cuts to local radio as were witnessed in the Commons the previous day. The proposals would close local programmes in favour of shared regional shows, with Sunday morning breakfast programmes axed from one in each of the 39 stations to 10 shared over regions in England. The Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines, told the Lords there were questions of the impact of the cuts on local democracy, community cohesion and accurate reporting. He warned that unless the government ensured the cultural and democratic future of public service broadcasting, something that had taken a century to build could be lost in weeks. Hansard report of the debate is here
MPs demand immediate action to ensure Religious Education is provided in schools
MPs have called on the Department for Education to be more robust in ensuring that schools follow the statutory requirement for religious education. In a Westminster Hall debate, called by the Conservative MP Martin Vickers, MPs expressed “considerable concern” over the teaching of RE, after hearing that in year 11, one school in five reported offering zero hours on the subject. They spoke of the subject’s importance for fostering mutual understanding in British society and the wider world, where more than 80 per cent have a religious affiliation. Labour’s shadow education spokesman, Stephen Morgan, was concerned at data suggesting the recruitment of RE teachers was 20 per cent below target and challenged the government for its failure to introduce a national plan for RE.
Survivors of church abuse still not prioritised
The Church of England Independent Safeguarding Board has published its first report, Don’t Panic — Be Pastoral: An independent report into the experiences of victims and survivors. It was written by Jasvinder Sanghera, the board’s survivor advocate, from interviews with victims, survivors and people who have been accused of abuse. It says the church has failed to prioritise experiences of victims and survivors, some of whom continue to be in distress and suicidal, needing support. Changes to the clergy discipline measure need to be urgently addressed. And victims’ anxieties should be met with apologies, communication and simply “being believed”.
G20 religion forum pledges to become global movement
The R20, a gathering of global religious leaders mirroring the G20 meeting in Bali later this month, has come to a close after two days of discussions. Yahya Cholil Staquf, who chairs the Indonesian Muslim group Nahdlatul Ulama, which founded the event, told the final gathering that it would be developed into a global movement. He handed over the chair of the R20 to India. On the final day, the Indian delegate Ram Madhav, representing the right-wing Indian group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangah, is reported to have said it was untrue that India was persecuting minorities — it had always stood by the oppressed. Madhav, a former general secretary of the BJP, said India was the best place to take the summit forward. Until this year, the global faith forum preceding the G20 was the IF20, Interfaith Forum. It has issued a statement saying that it is attending the next G20 and every subsequent G20.
