Free Republic

A prominent Anglican cleric and gay rights campaigner known for contentious gestures has urged believers to pray for Prince George — age 4, and third in line to the throne — to find the love “of a fine young gentleman” when he grows up so as to advance the cause of same-sex marriage in church. Coming just days after Prince Harry — George’s uncle, and fifth in line — announced his engagement to Meghan Markle, a divorced American actress, the suggestion by the Very Rev. Kelvin Holdsworth seemed to illuminate once more the role of royal romance in Britain’s imagination...

"The fact that antisemitism has infected the body of the Church is something of which we as Christians must be deeply repentant.The Church has contributed to the spread of antisemitism, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby wrote this week in an essay for the Holocaust Educational Trust. The leader of the Church of England referred to antisemitism as "an insidious evil," adding that "it is a shameful truth that, through its theological teachings, the Church, which should have offered an antidote, compounded the spread of this virus." Welby, who has held his position since 2013, said that "the fact that...

The Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday that Britain must confront its historic responsibility for conflict in the Middle East. The Most Reverend Justin Welby said ‘our own responsibilities must be faced and acknowledged’ and singled out Britain’s behaviour during the First World War and its aftermath. The Archbishop also pointed to the British Empire, the global trading system, American culture and even Western championing of women’s and gay rights as factors which cause ‘humiliation’ and disaffection among some Muslims.

Claims that the atrocities of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have “nothing to do with Islam” are harming efforts to confront and combat extremism, the Archbishop of Canterbury has insisted. Religious leaders of all varieties must “stand up and take responsibility” for the actions of extremists who profess to follow their faith, the Most Rev Justin Welby said. He argued that unless people recognise and attempt to understand the motivation of terrorists they will never be able to combat their ideology effectively. It follows calls from a series of high profile figures for people to avoid using...

Claims that the atrocities of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have “nothing to do with Islam” are harming efforts to confront and combat extremism, the Archbishop of Canterbury has insisted. Religious leaders of all varieties must “stand up and take responsibility” for the actions of extremists who profess to follow their faith, the Most Rev Justin Welby said. He argued that unless people recognise and attempt to understand the motivation of terrorists they will never be able to combat their ideology effectively. It follows calls from a series of high profile figures for people to avoid using the...

Claims that the atrocities of the Islamic State have “nothing to do with Islam” are harming efforts to confront and combat extremism, the Archbishop of Canterbury has insisted. Religious leaders of all varieties must “stand up and take responsibility” for the actions of extremists who profess to follow their faith, the Most Rev Justin Welby said. He argued that unless people recognise and attempt to understand the motivation of terrorists they will never be able to combat their ideology effectively. It follows calls from a series of high profile figures for people to avoid using the term Islamic State –...

A former Archbishop of Canterbury has reiterated his view that assisted suicide should be legalised in the UK.Speaking in the House of Lords on Monday, Lord Carey of Clifton lauded countries with liberal euthanasia laws. A Bill to legalise assisted suicide was soundly defeated in the House of Commons in 2015 by 330 votes to 118. 'Out of step’Lord Carey admitted he was “out of step” with the Church of England, as he claimed that laws in Canada had put a stop to “the unnecessary prolongation of life, which for some is not worth the candle”. He made the comments...

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has suggested that the people who voted for Donald Trump and Brexit are a bunch of fascists. It’s always nice when someone of such eminent ecclesiastical authority confirms from on high something which many of us long suspected: that the Establishment really just does not have a f###ing clue – and that that’s why we were so right to vote for Trump and Brexit. If Welby had wanted to play a clever game, what he would have done in his speech to the General Synod is keep resolutely schtum about his position on contentious...

The Archbishop of Canterbury says he doesn't understand why so many Christians in the U.S. support President Donald Trump. Justin Welby told ITV's Preston on Sunday program that he "really genuinely" can't comprehend why fundamentalists have provided such a strong base for Trump.

LGBT charities and campaigners have welcomed the Church of England’s new guidance for schools urging them to refrain from making pupils conform to gender stereotypes. The updated guidance for the church’s 4,700 schools, titled Valuing All God’s Children, and timed to coincide with anti-bullying week, followed advice issued three years ago that covered homophobic bullying. It has now been expanded to include transphobic and biphobic bullying. The guidance met with outrage in some quarters, drawing sceptical newspaper headlines and furious commentary from some conservatives. But the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the guidance was “big progress for a church...

The Archbishop of Canterbury says he doesn’t understand why so many Christians in the U.S. support President Donald Trump. Justin Welby told ITV’s Preston on Sunday program that he “really genuinely” can’t comprehend why fundamentalists have provided such a strong base for Trump. Welby did say he would be willing to attend a state dinner in Trump’s honor if the president comes to Britain on an official visit. …

A Christian couple in the U.K. has decided to pull their 6-year-old son from a Church of England primary school in protest against the school's pro-transgender policies.Nigel and Sally Rowe from the Isle of Wight explained in a press release shared by the Christian Legal Center that the "deeply painful and very reluctantly taken" decision they took came after they received a "cold and shockingly inappropriate" response to their concerns.The Rowes are preparing for legal action and have contacted the Diocese of Portsmouth and the Church of England's Chief Education Officer after the school allowed children to dress and identify...

* Church of England suggests offering transgender Christians re-christenings * Move is believed to provoke a furious backlash among some traditionalists* Last year committee said rules that might stop people changing sex should be abolishedThe Church of England yesterday suggested it will offer transgender Christians ‘re-christenings’ with their new names. Vicars cannot re-baptise those who have changed sex but could use existing ‘services of welcome’ to announce a new name before God, the most senior official said. The advice is likely to be endorsed next month by the Church’s parliament, the General Synod. It will ease pressure on Archbishop of...

Fourteen retired Anglican bishops are criticizing the Church of England’s attitude to homosexuality, saying the church is not listening to the voices of gay Christians. They are responding to a report from the church’s House of Bishops, which calls for a “fresh tone and culture of welcome and support” for gays and lesbians, but says the church should not lift its opposition to same-sex marriage. In an open letter , the ex-bishops say that “while the pain of LGBT people is spoken about in your report, we do not hear its authentic voice.” …

Arguments over Easter date could make rows over same-sex marriage look easy, warns Bishop of Salisbury A prominent Church of England bishop has spoken out against plans by the world's main Christian denominations to fix the date of Easter to the same Sunday every year. Anglican primates agreed earlier this year to join discussions involving Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic leaders to set a common date for the festival for the first time. Such a move would not only simplify economic planning but unite different traditions around the world and end almost 2,000 years of theological controversy. However the Bishop...

Queen Elizabeth II opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in England because of her deeply held Christian values, a close friend has reportedly told a London-based newspaper. The UK Daily Mail published a story Sunday which claimed that the queen, who is also head of the Church of England, secretly opposed gay marriage but was in favor of civil partnerships. The unnamed "friend" said the monarch was frustrated by the fact that she could only "advise and warn" on the issue. "It was the 'marriage' thing that she thought was wrong, because marriage ought to be sacrosanct between a man...

The church, which is the worldwide head of the Anglican Communion, tweeted well-wishes for Dawkins, 74, and his family on Friday night, writing, “Prayers for Prof Dawkins and his family.” “The tweet was a prayer,” he wrote. “Nothing controversial in that.” Despite intending no ill will in sending the tweet, Arora said that a row quickly unfolded, with some claiming that the Church of England was “trolling” Dawkins over his illness. In the end, Arora said that the reactions made it apparent that there is profound confusion prayer. “What is clear in some of the responses is a misunderstanding of...

The first Roman Catholic service for more than 450 years is to be celebrated in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. First Catholic service for centuries to be celebrated in chapel of King Henry VIII. The Queen, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, recorded her 2010 Christmas broadcast in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace The first Roman Catholic service for more than 450 years is to be celebrated in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Nichols will celebrate Vespers and the Bishop of London, Dean of the Chapel Royal, will preach...

The Church of England is set to signal to members that speaking openly about their faith could do more harm than good when it comes to spreading Christianity. Stark new research findings being presented to members of the Church's ruling General Synod suggest that practicing Christians who talk to friends and colleagues about their beliefs are three times as likely to put them off God as to attract them. The study, commissioned privately by the Church of England and a coalition of other Christian groups, also found that four in ten British adults did not even think that Jesus was...

LONDON — Britain is no longer a Christian country and should stop acting as if it is, a top-level inquiry into the place of religion in society has concluded, provoking a backlash from politicians and the Church of England. A two-year commission, chaired by the former senior judge Baroness Butler-Sloss and involving leading religious leaders of all faiths, calls for public life to be systematically de-Christianized. It says the decline of church-going and the rise of Islam and other beliefs mean a “new settlement” is needed for religion in the U.K., giving more official influence to non-religious voices and those...