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Fri, 22 Jun 2018
Huge Church of England cover-up of sexual abuse exposed
A report outlining how the Church of England recorded cases of sexual abuse is due to be published next month. It says a C of E review of 2010 looked at over 40,000 case files but concluded that just 13 cases of alleged child sexual abuse needed formal action.
BBC
MPs demand law for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland
Theresa May will come under renewed pressure today to legislate for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. A backbench bill by a Labour MP is waiting to return to the Commons, having previously been blocked by a single objection.
The Times (£)
Scheme for new voluntary aided schools in Shropshire
The prime minister has told Shrewsbury's MP of plans for a grant to support new voluntary aided schools, which are not subject to the 50% cap on faith-based admissions.
Shropshire Star
Scottish Child Abuse inquiry to be extended
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has been extended to ensure more survivors' voices are heard.
BBC
Town council prayer row in Glamorgan
Councillors are resisting a request for prayers to be said in the chamber prior to Barry Town Council meetings in south Wales.
Barry and District News
Iran's female football supporters allowed into World Cup stadium screening
Iran's female football supporters have made history in Tehran – for the first time in 37 years they were able to attend a sporting event in the city's Azadi stadium. But women are still not allowed in to stadiums to watch live events.
The Guardian
Rising nationalism behind spike in harassment of religious minorities, report finds
Restrictions on religion continue to increase around the world, a major new report warns today. The study by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre said nationalist parties or tendencies play an increasing role in harassment of minority faith groups.
Christian Today
Is China building 'political re-education' camps for Muslim minorities?
In China's Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, there have been reports of "re-education" camps where over 200,000 "suspects" are being held. This interview with researcher Adrian Zenz studies the veracity of the reports.
DW
‘When will anti-atheism be viewed as bigotry?’
Kevin Davis says an example of anti-atheist prejudice from the Boy Scouts of America reflects a type of open bigotry which is often applauded and celebrated.
Patheos
Thu, 21 Jun 2018
‘The urgent need for abortion law reform in Northern Ireland’
David Pannick QC says the recent Supreme Court judgment on abortion rights in Northern Ireland provides a compelling argument for law reform.
The Times (£)
‘Northern Ireland’s abortion ban is likely to worsen its mental health crisis’
Karen Galway and Sharon Mallon say research suggests we should be concerned about the impact of NI's abortion ban on women's mental health.
The Conversation
Prince Louis to be baptised
Prince Louis, the third child of the duke and duchess of Cambridge, is to be baptised on 9 July.
BBC
Sinn Fein row over abortion after party changes its policy
A high-profile anti-choice Sinn Féin politician in the Republic of Ireland has quit the party over its stance on abortion. Last weekend SF members backed a motion saying women should have access to abortions for a limited gestational period.
News Letter
Almost half of Jewish births are into strictly orthodox families
Families in the Charedi community accounted for 47 per cent of Jewish babies born in 2015.
The JC
Erdogan’s plan to raise a ‘pious generation’ becomes major election issue
President Erdogan will seek re-election in Turkey on Sunday. The steps he has taken to deepen religion's role in education have become a major campaign issue.
The New York Times
Iranian women fight for their right to be football fans at the World Cup
A group of nine fans have travelled to the World Cup to protest against the rules banning women from stadiums back home during each of Iran's matches.
Vice
Ugandan bishops to boycott Welby conference over same-sex relationships
Ugandan bishops will boycott a major conference being organised by the archbishop of Canterbury in 2020. The decision highlights deep divides within global Anglicanism, especially over how the church approaches same-sex relationships.
Christian Today
Top Philippine court hears landmark same-sex marriage case
The Philippines' top court has heard arguments for the legalisation of gay marriage, a historic first in the overwhelmingly Catholic nation.
Straits Times
Rights groups row with Nikki Haley over US decision to pull out of Human Rights Council
Groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have criticised the US for withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council. The US ambassador to the UN has in turn criticised them.
Blooomberg
‘Australian schools don't need chaplains, they need qualified counsellors’
David Zyngier says Australia should either remake school chaplaincy as a proper welfare programme or scrap it.
The Guardian
Legal case in Canada over ban on telling parents if children join gay support networks
A court is hearing a challenge to an Alberta law which bars schools from telling parents if their children join a gay-straight alliance. The alliances are peer support networks organised by students intended to help gay children feel welcome and to prevent bullying or abuse. Faith-based schools object to the ban.
CBC News
Wed, 20 Jun 2018
Theresa May praises Christianity’s role in public life
The prime minister has encouraged believers attending a Christian prayer meeting in parliament to engage in public life. She described the national prayer breakfast as "an excellent opportunity both to celebrate Christians' ongoing contribution to this country and to reflect on the role Christianity can play in contemporary public life."
Premier Christian Radio
John Bercow praises church leaders at Christian prayer meeting in parliament
The speaker of the House of Commons has praised both politicians and church leaders for their role in protecting freedom of religion in the UK. He was addressing the national prayer breakfast, the same event the prime minister attended.
Premier Christian Radio
UK’s first Christian legal charity will provide ‘biblically appropriate’ advice
The UK's first Christian law charity has been set up to provide official legal advice specifically for Christian organisations. Edward Connor Solicitors is linked to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches and describes its lawyers as "Christians first, solicitors second".
Christian Today
Religious groups respond to charge that their schools discriminate against non-religious
The Catholic Education Service has suggested it is not a problem for its schools to discriminate against children from non-religious families because secular schools exist. The Church of England has also refused to take on board criticism that some of its schools discriminate against the non-religious.
Schools Week
Brits uninspired by Michael Curry's royal wedding sermon, poll finds
A poll has shown that the recent royal wedding sermon by American bishop Michael Curry did not leave a lasting impression on Brits, despite the initial praise it received.
Premier Christian Radio
Hundreds of young girls are having their genitals mutilated in Bristol
Figures from NHS Digital suggest the number of new FGM victims identified by health professionals is increasing.
Bristol Post
First walk-in clinic for FGM victims opens in east London
Victims of female genital mutilation can now get help at a walk-in clinic at Whipps Cross Hospital in the London borough of Waltham Forest. The clinic has been described as the first of its kind in the country.
East London & West Essex Guardian
First protection order issued for male victim of forced marriage
A male victim of forced marriage has become the first man to be issued with a protection order for the crime.
Daily Mirror
UK’s Jewish community growing three times as fast as population, says report
Britain's Jewish community is growing three times as fast as the population as a whole and has "turned a corner" following a period of population decline, new research has revealed.
Jewish News
Large Charedi-led protest against requirement for schools to promote tolerance
Almost 7,000 Orthodox Jews in north London gathered for a communal prayer on education on Tuesday morning. The event featured criticism of Ofsted's efforts to ensure schools promote British values and praise of the prime minister for promoting faith in society.
Jewish News
‘The Global Anglican crack up’
Dennis Lennox says the divide in the world's largest Protestant denomination has widened beyond issues related to gay marriage.
The Spectator
Irish government apologises for hurt and stigma inflicted on gay men who were criminalised
Ireland's government has apologised to thousands of gay men criminalised by the state for their sexuality and for the hurt and stigma inflicted on them and their families.
The Irish Times
Tue, 19 Jun 2018
Faith schools 'discriminate against non-religious pupils'
Faith schools admission policies are discriminating against non-religious families by restricting their access to 240,000 school places, campaigners have claimed.
Tes
Minute's silence held to mark anniversary of Finsbury Park attack
A minute's silence will be held to mark today's first anniversary of the Finsbury Park terrorist attack.
BBC
Pope compares abortion to Nazi eugenics
Pope Francis has described abortion as a "white gloves" equivalent of the eugenics programmes of the Nazi regime in the last century. He has also praised the "holiness" of women who forgive their unfaithful husbands.
The Tablet
Southern Poverty Law Centre settles dispute with Maajid Nawaz and Quilliam
The Southern Poverty Law Centre has apologised and agreed to pay $3.375 million to Maajid Nawaz's Quilliam Foundation after admitting to falsely labelling his advocacy organization as "extremist".
Newsweek
Church of England accused of driving a hard bargain for spire use
Vodafone UK has accused the C of E of charging telecom companies extortionate prices to use their steeples to improve broadband and mobile connectivity in rural areas.
Premier Christian Radio
Allchurches Trust spends £750,000 bringing international bishops to conference in Canterbury
The Allchurches Trust, a registered charity which responds to requests for financial assistance from churches, has made a £750,000 grant available to help Anglican bishops from developing countries take part in an upcoming conference.
Christian Today
Birmingham-based Sikh charity faces management inquiry
A charity that supports Sikh communities across the UK is being investigated amid concerns about how it is being managed.
BBC
Headstones vandalised at Jewish cemetery as figures suggest rise in hate crimes across Greater Manchester
Yobs have vandalised nearly 70 headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Manchester as new figures suggest a significant rise in hate crime across the city.
Manchester Evening News
‘The Anglican Church has hardened its stance against same-sex marriage in Australia’
Muriel Porter says the Anglican Church has ramped up its discrimination against gay people to new heights in the aftermath of the legalising of same-sex marriage in Australia.
The Conversation (Australia)
Significant decrease in abortion rate in New Zealand
Abortion rates in New Zealand have been steadily decreasing since 2003, according to the country's official data agency. Experts say women in developed countries are having fewer abortions as contraceptive methods become more reliable.
Newshub
Mon, 18 Jun 2018
Commission freezes £6.5m of Orthodox Jewish charity’s assets
The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a Jewish Orthodox charity, Combined Funds Limited, and frozen its bank accounts after finding concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Civil Society
Westminster Abbey to host official Windrush thanksgiving service
A national service of thanksgiving will take place at Westminster Abbey in London on Friday to mark the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the SS Windrush.
The Telegraph
South Australia Catholic Church to ignore law on reporting confessions of abuse
The South Australian Catholic Church will not adhere to a change in law requiring priests to report confessions of child sex abuse, the acting Archbishop of Adelaide has said.
The Guardian
Man ‘offered gay cure therapy by his disability benefits assessor’
A disabled gay man has spoken out after he was allegedly offered gay cure therapy by his disability benefits assessor. He said the assessor told him about a television programme that featured a gay man who had been "cured", and handed him the address of a Christian website that included details about the 'cured' man.
Pink News
Gay woman ditches her dream of being an Anglican priest because Church teaches she is 'sinful'
A Christian rock star has abandoned her dream of becoming an Anglican priest because as a gay woman she cannot accept the church's teaching that homosexuality is 'sinful'.
Mail Online
World Cup 2018: 'Safe space' for LGBT football fans in Russia shut
An organisation providing a "safe space" for LGBT and ethnic-minority football fans in Russia says it was evicted from its premises in St Petersburg on the eve of the World Cup.
BBC
Canadian mosque targeted in arson attack
Police say a mosque has been set on fire in Alberta, Canada.
The Independent
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