Human Rights Act: Useful or Abolish?

Image courtesy of CoS

The Conservative Government are looking to get rid of the Human Rights Act. It only came into law, with much controversy in 2000, but it incorperates the post-war European Convention On Human Rights, inspired by Sir Winston Churchill (a Tory himself).

Billy Bragg, a lefty singer-songwriter and political activist wrote this on his Facebook:

"It’s farcical that the Tories plan to abolish the Human Rights Act. Every other major democracy has a Bill of Rights. We are apparently going to be offered a British Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. This ridiculous title suggests firstly that rights are not universal, that we alone in Britain can somehow have our own human rights that belong only to us and do not apply to nasty foreigners. Secondly, it implies that rights are not unalienable, that they are instead reciprocal, only earned by acting responsibly.

The biggest joke of all is that government is responsible for upholding human rights, not just for its own citizens, but for everyone who falls under its jurisdiction wherever it operates.

This is the bottom line for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ratified by the UN in 1948 and basis for the European Convention on Human Rights that the Tories hope to tame. Article Two states that every individual is entitled to the rights and freedoms set out in the UDHR, without distinction of any kind.

By seeking to introduce responsibilities into our Bill of Rights, the Tories make our freedoms conditional. This is a slippery slope, as, once unmoored from unalienable right, the conditions will be set by those in power. This undermines the whole premise of human rights – that they protect the individual from arbitrary use of power. It would be terribly ironic if, after winning the 2015 election, the Tories try to deprive us of our rights as we celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

If the Tories want to promote responsibility, then they shouldn’t be attempting to wriggle out of their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. It sends out the message that you can choose which laws you respect. Furthermore, it undermines Britain’s standing in the world, robbing us of any pretence of moral leadership in international affairs.

And it shows how worried the Tories are about the next election – they are willing to trash Britain’s reputation and reinvigorate the case for Scottish independence – all in the vain hope of outflanking UKIP on the right." (see <here>) 

The Daily Mirror addressed the question of "What has the Human Rights Act ever done for us?" and highlighted 9 cases where existing British law was not sufficient to protect people and how the Human Rights Act helped out: 

• It stops unfair extradition
• It protects our soldiers
• It gives us the right to have children
• It provides justice to rape victim
• It protects victims of domestic violence
• It stops Big Brother spying on us
• It supports the right to protest against war
• It guards against slavery
• It helps expose fatal failings in the system

Read in full <here>

One Tweeter suggested this: Imagine if news media pushed Human Rights Act as far as possible to check the State, instead of attacking the Act on behalf of the State? (see <here>)

Sadly it has to be asked, what is the real motive behind politicians getting rid of the Human Rights Act? Is it best intentioned? Or does it want more freedom to do as it wants? Do you think the HRA is useful for the people of Britain? What would Churchill make of this?
Read more <here> and <here>

Islmaphobia via Social Networks

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Social networks have undoubtedly changed the way we use the internet. However it is too easy to just click 'Share' or 'Retweet' without really thinking.

If it sounds very un-probable and totally unbelievable, it probably isn't true!

"An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true, and often possess horror implications that are believable to their audience." <link>

The best thing to do is to put a story into Google. If you get a number one hit for Snopes.com you can be sure the story is probably not true. Always do this before sharing a story or photo via social media. It's really important.

This is a great example that has been shared on Facebook...

Organisations such as Britain First have been particularly guilty of scaremongering about Muslims and immigrants.

Will you help stop this? THINK before you reshare.

Life in the UK Test

Images from YouGov

The lead up to the local elections has seen much debate about immigration. UKIP, in particular have grown in popularity due to their adverts asking questions about immigration and involvement in Europe; the Halal Meat 'scandal' (read <here>) has played into their hands. 

Scaremongering, often lead by the media, is often targeted at minority groups; they are made scapegoats for wider issues. Muslims are particularly targeted and several articles have been written looking at these stories of late, see <here>.

However it poses the questions about who is truly at home here in the UK? Who deserves to be living here?

Anyone who wants to settle here or apply for British Citizenship has to pass a test. It shows that they have a good knowledge of life in the United Kingdom and the English language. The questions are multiple choice and cover several topics about life in the United Kingdom.

The current test was introduced on 25th March 2013 and includes 24 questions chosen at random. You are allowed up to 45 minutes to complete the test and must get 75% to pass (18 correct questions from the 24 asked).

Take a practice paper <here>

Do you think it is right people need to take this test? Do you think it is a good way to test people who want to settle in the UK? Is there a better test which could be done? Do you think it is a 'solution' to the 'problem'?

The Halal Meat "Scandal"

The Sun have lead a campaign this week to 'expose' the 'secret' of Halal meat in various big name, high street shops. The Daily Mail have also followed pointing out that many are eating Halal without even knowing it.

Halal simply means 'allowed' and for Muslims, means that animals need to be slaughtered in particular way. Interestingly, a large section of the British population have now decided that they are animal rights campaigners and want to stop the killing of animals in this way as it may involve not pre-stunning animals.

Russell Brand recorded a short video with his thoughts:

A brilliant line from this was, "If you want to avoid halal meat become a vegetarian not a racist."

Many commentators on this story have highlighted the fact that this is simply another episode of Islamaphobia and religious division created by the press. This is a perfect story for UKIP in the run up to the election, I'm sure they'll campaign with a promise to eradicate this 'atrocity'.

It is another anti-Muslim frenzy which is not based on facts. Of the UK slaughters, less than 12% is done in Halal abattoirs without pre-stunning <see here>. The Daily Mail shouts: “More than 70 per cent of all New Zealand lamb in supermarkets is from halal abattoirs – a fact not stated on labelling.” But it doesn't bother to tell them that the slaughter of sheep without pre-stunning has been illegal in New Zealand since May 2010.

The reality is that those who are objecting are doing so on the basis that a prayer is recited over the animals before they are slaughtered. Admittedly this is a problem for some Sikhs (although the majority are vegetarian), although I am not sure this is who The Sun and Daily Mail are worrying about. It is simply another episode of misinformed propaganda to cause division and hated in the UK.Nigel Farage will be rubbing his hands in glee.

Do you think Halal meat would be an issue if it was associated with another religion? For example, would Pizza Express serving kosher (Jewish) food be front page news? Do you think people do need to be told how the animals they are eating are slaughtered? Do you really think it was a secret if Pizza Express told any customer who asked?

Read more: 

Sorry I'm not linking to The Sun or The Daily Mail!

Ban the Burqa?

A number of European countries have banned the burqa veils: France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands have various laws restricting their wearing in public places. Could the UK be next?

Lib Dem Home Office minister Jeremy Browne has called for national debate and possible ban from girls wearing veils in public places such as schools.

This was a reaction to the news that Birmingham Metropolitan College had dropped a ban on pupils wearing full-face veils due to protests.

 

The Qur'an and the Hadith require both men and women to dress and behave modestly in public, known as hijab. This has then been interpreted in many different ways by Muslim scholars and communities. Some communities do believe that a burqa is mandatory. If it is worn, it is often by young, unmarried women.

 

Any ban is likely to cause problems with the Muslim community. Mohammed Khaliel, founder of Islamix, a group that aims to build understanding between communities, said: "A small section of the Muslim community do believe that the face veil is mandatory... Now, why should I go and rip that off their face saying 'I don't think you should believe that'?"

 

The debate is a complex one with many comments already been made on the topic. Does it create division or unity for the UK population?

 

Do you think the burqa should be banned in the UK? Does it make society 'more free' by banning it? Do you think it is wrong to make young girls wear it at a young age before they really know what they are doing? Do you think it should be banned just in places like schools?

 

Read more <here>

*UPDATE* 17/9/13

The Sun demands vital reforms:

1) BAN veils in school, courts and hospitals

2) BAN them in airports, banks and secure areas

3) LET employer decide if ok in the workplace

4) BUT freedom to wear them in the street

Read more <here>

 

Full-face veils aren't barbaric – but our response can be

"It is crucial to distinguish such legitimate debate, and reasonable legal regulation, from political and legal responses such as those in France and Belgium that construct Muslim religious difference as barbaric – thereby targeting veiled Muslim women as the latest victims in Europe's long history of persecution."

 

Interesting Guardian Comment <here>

 

The Conscience of Guide Leaders: God or Not?

In June it was announced that Girls Guides would drop an allegiance to God in their oath. The Queen was to remain, but it was decided that to mention God was inappropriate; read more <here>. However a number of Girl Guide groups have close ties to churches and are run by Christians, as such they have decided to keep the 'to God' part and risk being expelled from the Girl Guides.

The promise to “love my God” has been scrapped and replaced with a pledge to “be true to myself” and to “develop my beliefs”. The idea being it allowed all Guides to make the promise with sincerity.

However a group of leaders from Harrogate, North Yorks, have decided that they plan to defy the change and continue to use the old pledge at the groups which meet in their church and are supported by a Christian community.

Adding to the situation, a volunteer leader, Jem Henderson, who is an atheist has accused the group of forcing her to take the old promise, against her conscience.

The Harrogate Guide leaders' response to this was, "No one need join Girlguiding, so removing the reference to God in the interests of inclusivity removes much of what we stand for."

They added: “Girlguiding has God at its core and anyone who has issue with this is free to start their own organisation.”

However the Girl Guides HQ have made it clear that the leaders risk expulsion from the guiding movement.

Do you think the group is right to use the old oath given they are part of, and supported by, a church community? Do you think the oath should include Christian links? The Guides has always had a Christian foundation, is it right to abandon it? Do you think it would be right to expel these Guide leaders?

Read more <here>

"Protection of the Rights and Interests of Elderly People"

The title of this blog post is the name of a law passed in China a few months ago, introduced to effectively force people to look after and visit their elderly relatives.

In Confucian philosophy, filial piety is a virtue of respect for ones parents and ancestors. It is seen as one of the most important of virtues and many folklore stories tell of individuals great love, service and dedication to their parents. However it is seemingly not enough to simply tell your children of these ancient tales, it also needs to be enshrined in law officials have decided.

The law has nine clauses that lay out the duties of children and their obligation to tend to the “spiritual needs of the elderly.”. It clearly states that children should go home “often” to visit their parents and send them greetings. Companies and work units should legally give employees enough time off so they can make these parental visits.       

It does not specify punishments, but already people are beginning to use this law to force their children to take care of them. A court in Wuxi found a couple guilty after they were sued by the wife's mother-in-law. They are now bound by a court order to visit at least once every two months to tend to her 'spiritual needs' and pay her compensation. One can only assume the subsequent visits have been more than a little awkward!

Much of this has come after many Chinese people have moved to the cities in search of work and left their parents in the countryside. Reports indicate that half of the 185 million people age 60 and older live apart from their children.

Do you think this is a good idea? Do you think it will help the problem? What aspects of this are a positive thing? What problems can you see?

Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/world/asia/filial-piety-once-a-virtue-in-china-is-now-the-law.html
  

Religion: Cause Of Evil, Not Force For Good?

The headline from a recent YouGov poll gave two key facts about young people in Britain:

• Religious figures have the least influence on their lives.
• More say religion is a force for evil than a force for good.

The 2011 Census suggested 59% of the population defined themselves as Christian and just 25% said they had no religion, but it seems that when looking at 18-24 year olds there is a very different picture.

Friends and family obviously dominated the question about who had most influence on their lives but only 12% feel influenced by religious leaders, which was far less than politicians (38%), brands (32%) and celebrities (21%).

Religion's reputation also seems to have suffered with young people, 41% agree that “religion is more often the cause of evil in the world” and only 14% say it is a cause for good.

When asked if they believe in God, only 25% said they did; 19% believed in some non-Godlike “spiritual greater power” and a further 38% claimed no belief no God or spiritual power whatsoever.

Amongst believers, the most represented denominations were Church of England (13%), then Roman Catholic (9%) and Muslim (4%).

The Huffington Post reported that A Church of England spokesperson said: "It is unsurprising that this sample of less than 1,000 people gives a different result than a Census of tens of millions of people. Even then these figures show more people choosing belief over non-belief."
Do you think this is an accurate picture? Do you think that 18-24 year olds are 'less religious' than the rest of the population? Why? Do you think their views are heavily influenced by the media? Do the the media portray a 'fair image' of religion? Why/not?

Read more at: http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/06/24/british-youth-reject-religion & http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/25/religion-cause-of-evil-force-for-good-_n_3494971.html

5y/o Peace Campaigner vs Westboro Baptist Church

Jayden Sink is the 5 year old daughter of Jon, who runs a philanthropic arts group called Fresh Cassette. After being told that the church across the street had a message of hate, she decided to set a goal of raising money to instead go towards a message of love and peace.

The Equality House stands across the road from Westboro Baptist Church's Kansas headquarters. It is owned by a group called Planting Peace who are a non-profit organisation dedicated to spreading goodwill and equality.

She put up a sign "Pink Lemonade for Peace: $1 Suggested Donation." and literally hundreds of people came and supported her. All money raised goes towards Planting Peace.

However the Westboro Baptist Church tried to shut her down, even calling the police and then shouting obscenities at those who arrived to support Jayden.

“Jayden represents the natural humanity we are born with," said Davis Hammet, Director of Operations at Planting Peace, "We come into this world compassionate, caring beings and only become hateful if we are taught to be.”

Donate <here>
Read more <here>

Why do you think as Christians the Westboro Baptist Church is so filled by hate? Do you think this act was deliberately antagonistic? Why do you think they had such a problem with the young girl selling lemonade?

The 'Mathematics' of Immigration

 

A spoken word poem by Holli NcNish has been doing the rounds on social media in the aftermath of the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich. People wanted a response and a reason to still fight for community cohesion.

 

In Hollie's own words:

 

"A poem about immigration, based on a guy I used to have to listen to when I worked in a clothes shop. The poem owes a lot to a book by economist Philippe Legrain called Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them: http://www.philippelegrain.com/immigr.... It's a good book, I wish we had it on the school curriculum."

The full lyrics can be found on the YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJX5XHnONTI - it ends poignantly, "And most times immigrants bring more than minuses."

Do you agree? Do you think the 'mathematics of immigration' are often made up? Who is to the blame? The media? How do you think the 'true value' could be shared?

Read more about Hollie here: http://www.holliemcnish.com/
Buy the track here: http://holliemcnish.bandcamp.com/album/mathematics

Tea, Biscuits & Conversation to Combat Extremism

The tragic death of Lee Rigby in Woolwich on 23rd May 2013 resulted in a state of disbelief for many in the UK. In broad day light, a loyal soldier was murdered by two men claiming to be acting in the name of Islam.

While thoughts and prayers were directed to the Lee Rigby's young family, there was also worry about the results of such a murder. Revenge and retribution were on the minds of some, the association of all Muslims with the attack was on the minds of others.

The EDL and the BNP are two organisations that looked to capitalise on these events to drive forward their agenda. They saw this an opportunity to divide communities further, something which was condemned by Rigby's family.

Russell Brand said on his blog:

"What the English Defence League and other angry, confused people are doing and advocating now, violence against mosques, Muslims, proliferation of hateful rhetoric is exactly what that poor, sick, murderous man, blood soaked on a peaceful street, was hoping for in his desperate, muddled mind.

The extremists on both sides have a shared agenda; cause division, distrust, anger and violence. Both sides have the same intention. We cannot allow them to distort our perception."

Indeed many argue the best way to react to such an event is to increase understanding of the people living in our communities, learn more about what it is that motivates one another, listen to each others concerns and worries.

One story which demonstrated this so well was that of the York mosque (pictured above). They were told that an EDL protest was going to take place outside their place of worship.

Imam Abid Salik said: "We did have a few people who did come to protest but when they came some of the members of the mosque went over and they engaged in a conversation.

"Some people went over with cups of tea and biscuits, they were talking for about 30 or 40 minutes and then they came inside, which was a really, really beautiful thing."

Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said the mosque's response was "fantastic" and that "Tea, biscuits, and football are a great and typically Yorkshire combination when it comes to disarming hostile and extremist views."

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-22689552

Do you agree that this is the way forward? How can people be encouraged to do this? How can organisations like the EDL be challenged on their views? What can organisations like Hope Not Hate do to help communities?

Do Unto Others: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus...

Billy Bragg, the Bard of Barking, has a new album out. The singer-songwriter, famous for his politics as well as his music has released a thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable album which touches upon religion in a few places. This is a topic Billy has never been particularly outspoken about, but perhaps reveals a universal truth in religion (and humankind), that everyone can appreciate and understand. 

The song 'Do Unto Others' is a clearly about 'The Golden Rule' and focus' on the Christian version of this teaching:

In the Bible, we are told
God gave Moses the...Ten great commandments whisper true truths!
But the greatest commandment of all
Is in the book of Lucas, cause I recall
Do unto others as you would them do unto you!
Do unto others as you would them do unto you! 

Now baby you don't believeIn the story of Adam and Eve
Who called up on science to prove it's all untrue!
But in the cold light of the day
Peaceful words still point the way
Do unto others as you would them do unto you!
Do unto others as you would them do unto you! 

So just lift up your eyes,
Don't pass by on the other side
Don't be about what you think these may do
With just a little bit of faith, and that's all it really takes
Do unto others as you would them do unto you!
Do unto others as you would them do unto you! 

Now the way the world is run
Too many people looking after number one
Don't seem to notice the damage that they do!
No, it's not widely understood
There is, there is a greater good
Do unto others as you would them do unto you!
Do unto others as you would them do unto you!

However, it's naive to think that this piece of teaching is only found in Christianity. It's hard to not agree with Billy that it is "the greatest commandment of all" and that despite science's claims and proofs,"peaceful words still point the way". However, many people don't realise that it is actually a key feature of many of the world's religions too (click on the image to enlarge):

To listen to the song, click here:

Do you think there can be such thing as a universal command? Is it important that all humans, regardless of religion try to subscribe to this simple idea of 'Do Unto Others'? Why do you think so many people still 'pass by on the other side'? Are there any occasions when this teaching doesn't work? Does it matter if people are religious or not to use this as their guiding principle?

Support Billy by buying his album: www.BillyBragg.co.uk

Boston Marathon Bomb & Islamophobia

This event shocked the world; the joyous celebration of Patriot's Day in the wonderful city of Boston suddenly interrupted by two explosions near the finish line of the Marathon.

I left Boston just last Friday morning and had walked past the scene earlier in the week, commenting on the restaurants offering bookings for the 'prime seats for the finish line'. Our Duck Tour guide told us how excited everyone was about the marathon and showing us where the finishers congregated.

I have blogged before about 'Where was God?' (read my post on the Sandy Hook shooting here) and the sentiments are true of this event. From a Christian point of view, God was most certainly evident in the marathon runners who finished the 26.2mi and carried on running to the local hospital to give blood (see here) or those who ran straight back into the blast area to carry out the wounded, not to mention the emergency services who could not have envisaged such scenes. In answer to some responses to this blog, this is an answer to the question, "If there is a God, where was He?" rather than an outright claim for his existence.

However, very quickly came the blame. Reports flooded Twitter that a Saudi Arabian man had been arrested; blame was almost instantly put on the Muslim community. It was amazing how quickly a large number of the Internet community instantly blamed Islamic terrorists.

The New Yorker have today (17/4/13) blogger about this, since the Saudi man was completly innocent. He was basically arrested and his house searched, his room mate quizzed for 5 hours because he was 'suspicious look'... apparently he was running away from the bomb scene, smelled like explosives (his wounds not being reason enough for this) and he asked if anyone was dead. He was also 'Arab-looking'.

The most powerful part of the blog for me was this, "... people who love him might have had to find out that a bomb had hit him when his name popped up on the Web as a suspect in custody. It is at these moments that we need to be most careful, not least." (The full article is here and well worth a read).

A friend posted this on Facebook, which I thought was very true:



This is the sad opening paragraph from The American Muslim site:

"Like millions of Americans across the nation, my heart dropped at the news of the bombings in Boston. As a mother, I was devastated for those who lost their children. As a spouse, I mourned for those who lost their life partner. And as a Muslim, I admittedly feared for the safety of my children and community from the inevitable backlash that would arise at the mere speculation that the suspect is a Muslim." (read more)

Even if it is discovered that the bomb was the responsiblity of Muslim terrorists, it seems increasingly that many are incapable of distinguisng between ordinary Muslims and these extremists. Fox News pundit Erik Rush Tweeted "Muslims are evil. Let’s kill them all." which caused a huge backlash (read more here). Officials have been very hesitant to blame anyone until more facts are known and certianly reactions like this are far from helpful. It is a clear case of Islamaphobia, an irrational fear of Islam.

This blog post is also a very good read on the outrageous reaction from some:
How not to be a jerk after the Boston Marathon bombing (or any other tragedy)

The BBC filmed some Boston Muslims talking after the bomb too (watch here).

Other theories are that far-right extremists are involved, using Patriot's Day, Tax Day and links to Boston's history as evidence (more on this here). 9/11 aside, nearly all terrorist attacks on America have been from white, often Christian, Americans.

It is clear that radicalism and fundamentalism must always be challenged and never tolerated. Whether Muslim or Christian, far-right or far-left... we must not divide our communities, especially without good reason.

Now is the time to direct our thoughts and prayers to those who have died, those who are injured and those who are hurting.

My message to the people of Boston who welcomed me so warmly last week, "Rise up, rise up..."

Bruce Springsteen plays "My City of Ruins" at Fenway Park, Boston, in 2012

Can Christians and Muslims share a place of worship?

An Aberdeen Church has take the unusual step of allowing Muslims to pray in the church. This is as the mosque is no longer big enough and people were having to pray outside.

The rector of St John's church, Rev Isaac Poobalan said, "One day when I was walking past the mosque, I found 20 or 30 people outside on the ground around the pavements with their hands and feet exposed. You could see their breath. When I spoke to people at the church about the situation, someone actually said to me this was not our problem, but I had seen it with my own eyes, so it was a problem."
The two groups have worked closely together over the years, offering joint services and initatives. Rev Poobalan grew up in India and had many Muslim and Hindu friends. He said: "Religion does not play a role when it comes to friendship and hospitality. They transcend the religious divide."

The Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, the Right Rev Dr Robert Gillies, said: "Internationally, the news speaks of tension and struggles between Islam and Christianity. Yet, here in Aberdeen, a mosque and a church have built bonds of affection and friendship. It must be stressed that neither has surrendered or compromised any aspect of the historic faith to which each holds. But mutual hospitality and goodwill exists."

It's important to remember the common root of Abraham in Christianity, Islam and Judasim:

Do you think Christians and Muslims should be working together more? Why do you think some of the congregation were unhappy? Do you think friendhship and hospitality do transcend religion?

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/18/aberdeen-muslims-christians-share-church

Same-Sex Marraige: Potential Implications

On 5th February 2013, MPs voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill by 400 to 175, a majority of 225. In now moves towards the House of Lords where it will meet strong opposition. However in all likelihood, the UK will have same-sex marriage in place at some point over the next few years.

This blog has already posted about the same-sex marriage <see here> and in particular the Catholic Church's view on it.

There will be much discourse, including celebration and outrage over the next few days. Here I will aim to collect some of the possible implications:

•  Michael Gove has expressed fears that the Government will be powerless to prevent primary school teachers from being sacked, if they refuse to teach children about gay marriage. <link>
• This will ultimately be an EU decision, and despite ministers claiming that "Teachers are able to, and entitled to, express their views about same-sex marriage and there’s no requirement at all for them to promote it but, obviously, we wouldn’t expect teachers to be offensive or discriminate in any way about anybody.". This confusion is not helpful, and the Government need to set out clear guidelines as to what is appropriate and what is not, with provision made for teachers conscience.
• Bishop Egan suggested that the legalisation of same-sex marriage "would in time have catastrophic consequences" for marriage and family life and could lead to the Catholic Church being forced to withdraw from the civil registration of marriages. <link>
• The result in this being, that to get married in a Catholic Church will purely be a sacramental procedure. To be legally wed, a couple will also need to visit a registry office.

Officially LESS Religious?

The statistics prove it, the UK is a very different place to 10 years ago. The 2011 census results have started to be released since late last year and now it becoming available in various different formats:

• The number who claimed to be Christian in 2001 was 72% (37.3 million), in 2011 it was 59% (33.2 million).
• Christianity is the only religious group who have decreased in number, but actually increased in Newham, Haringey, Brent, Boston and Lambeth.
• Over 240,000 people highlighted an 'other religion' on their census form - including 176,632 Jedi Knights. (Source)

.

Obviously the trends in the UK are similar in many European countries, but in many other parts of the world, religion continues to grow. 

So what are the results? Stories such as these: Air cadets rewrite their oath to remove God from pledge presumably? 

Secularisation is a key feature of UK society, that much is hard to deny. The questions will rest upon how the religious respond? Will this lead to conflict? Will secularisation continue at the same rate? Will the increase in growth from other religions affect the UK data for the 2021 census?

Changes in Upminster, UK:

Read more, including interactive representations: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/dec/11/census-2011-religion-race-education and http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/dec/11/census-england-wales-maps-religion

Can Muslims 'Reclaim' Jihad?

 

 

MyJihad is an organisation that is trying to change the public perception of the word jihad which has been distorted by extremists, both Muslim and anti-Muslim alike. It has taken out a number of bus adverts in Chicago.

 

As their website claims:

 

"Jihad means "struggling in the way of God". The way of God, being goodness, justice, passion, compassion, etc. It is putting up the good fight against whatever odds or barriers you face in your life. It is a central tenet of the Islamic creed that has unfortunately been widely misrepresented due to a) first and foremost, the actions of Muslim extremists, b) attempts at public indoctrination by Islamophobes who claim that the extremists are right and the rest of us are wrong, and c) a selective media that understandably focuses on the sensational."

 

They claim that the voices of moderate Muslims, living in the mainstream, are "either drowned out or diluted."

The MyJihad ads, feature young, attractive men and women with slogans such as "My Jihad is to build friendships across the aisle. What's yours?" and "My Jihad is to stay fit despite my busy schedule. What's yours?"

Here is a short video about the campaign:

 

 

Do you think think that MyJihad is a worthwhile campaign? Did you know what Jihad meant? Is Jihad misunderstood in the UK as well as in the US? Do you think the adverts will change peoples' perceptions? How do you think Muslims would feel about this?

Gay Mass: BANNED (?)

Back in March 2012, after several complaints, Archbishop Vincent Nichols reassured homosexual Catholics that the 'Soho' Masses would be continuing as long as they didn't "confuse" Church teaching.

At the time complaints were made because, "bidding prayers read by [a] transgendered person ... referred to celebrating 'diverse sexual orientations'" as well as claims that, "before the bidding prayers the priest said they celebrated 'being proudly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and proudly Catholic.'" (see here)

The Masses have been a hot topic of debate in the Church, with traditionalists trying to ban them. According to an in-depth BBC article, a group prayed the rosary, kneeling in the road outside the church where these services took place (read more here).

However it seems those who wanted the Masses banned have succeeded with Archbishop Nichols announcing that not only were the celebrations of the Eucharist to stop, but that the church where they took place being is being handed over to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the body set up by Rome to cater for those who have defected from the Church of England to the Catholic church.

A service, but not Mass, would take place for the homosexual community but the Archbishop is said to believe that the pastoral care of the lesbian and gay church community should now be uncoupled from the sacrament of Mass, and that the community should not be singled out to have "special" masses.

Some have claimed that it has caused a major division with the Church in Rome and this is the end result.

However a statement from the Soho Masses Pastoral Council indicates that the move in location offers even greater opportunities to minister to this particular community (read it here). As such the debate may well run...

Do you think homosexuals should be allowed their 'own' Mass? Why do you think homosexuals found comfort in this Mass? What issues can you see with homosexuals having their own Masses? How do you think this reflects upon the Church?

Read more: The Guardian and  The Catholic Herald

Volunteering at Crisis 2012

In December, I blogged about how my school was raising funds for Crisis as our Christmas fundraising initative (see here). This was really important to me personally as I have volunteered with Crisis nearly every Christmas over the last 12 years. 

In my time I have worked at venues across London, helped in set-up, used the 02/Millennium Dome as a shelter, been used as a poster boy, and got to sound-engineer The Cheek Girls:

 

However the most important part is always the truly amazing and inspiring time spent with the guests. They come from all walks of life, with all kinds of amazing stories. I'm lucky to be part of the activities team, we are tasked with putting the 'fun' in Crisis at Christmas. We run a whole range of activities including IT, art, music, games, sports, a library...

Take a look at this video to see a little of what Crisis at Christmas 2012 was all about:

A moment that will always stick with me this year is seeing a young girl (aged 19) who I had got to know as we spent time making a Christmas card, just after she had had her teeth checked and cleaned and her hair cut. I asked her how she felt and she just smiled and said, "Beautiful."

This summed up the work we do, making people feel human again.

There were difficulties, and hearing stories of the conditions in which many of the guests spend their nights during the rest of the year, drug and alcohol problems, abuse and so on is always hard. Introducing them to Skylight and the services on offer can be a genuine and very real step forward and a way of breaking the cycle that many guests are desperate to escape.

Leslie Morphy, Crisis chief executive said: "This year Crisis at Christmas was busier than ever. With homelessness on the rise, we would like to express our gratitude to our volunteers, donors and supporters for providing such an excellent service to our thousands of guests. In 2013 we will continue to deliver life-changing services and campaign for change".

Sacred Heart of Mary raised over a £1000 this Christmas and this will be spent on changing lives for the better. Thank you SO much.

Crisis at Christmas

My school, Sacred Heart of Mary (Upminster) have decided to support Crisis as our Christmas charity. Students are being encouraged to send less cards, buy cheaper wrapping paper and make donations in their form groups and RE lessons.

We are also learning about homelessness, and focusing on our Christian responsibility to help those in need. Reflecting on the way Jesus treated 'outcasts' such as Samaritans, tax collectors, lepers and sinful women gives us clear guidance on how to treat those in our society today who are on the edges of our communities.

We have been using a presentation (download here) based on some of the Crisis school resources (see here) and the RE prefects have put together a display board:

Crisis 2012 advert:

Crisis Open Christmas 2011:

Like Ed Sheeran, we are hoping the whole school community can support Crisis this Christmas. Students, staff and parents can make donations through the school finance office (in an envelop marked 'Crisis Christmas Appeal') or you can alternatively donate via Crisis direct: http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/donate.html - Just £20.48 buys a place at Crisis for a homeless person including shelter, meals, clothes and access to a whole range of services to help them break the cycle and start a new life.