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* Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, implored members to vote for the motion * But the bishops rejected the move at a private meeting at Lambeth Palace * Dr Beardsley, of transgender group Sibyls, said many Christians would be hurtChurch of England bishops have blocked the introduction of a new prayer celebrating a transgender person's change of sex. The House of Bishops was strongly urged to draw up the 'baptism-style' services for sex-change Christians by the Church's 'Parliament', the General Synod, last summer. The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, was among senior figures who implored Synod members to vote for...

Reading: John 20:1-18 Theme: VICTORY AND PEACE OF THE RESURRECTION PRAYER: May I speak in the Name of the Son, in the Power of the Holy Spirit, to the Glory of God the Father. AMEN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1922 an estimated 33 million people were in danger of starvation in Soviet Russia. A story is told of Nikolai Bukharin, whom Lenin once called the "darling" of the Bolshevik Party, as head of the Communist International and Editor of the then leading newspaper, Pravda, and later in the 1930s, of Isvestia, at that time the government mouthpiece. Tradition has it that Bukharin...

Dear Prime Minister, The Church of England, along with others in the voluntary sector, including other churches and faith communities, have been in discussion with the government for some time over what has become known as the Sexual Orientation Regulations. Those discussions have been conducted in good faith, in mutual respect and with an appropriate level of confidence on all sides. Last week that changed. Speculation about splits within government, fuelled by public comment from government ministers, appears to have created an atmosphere that threatens to polarise opinions. This does no justice to any of those whose interests are at...

BBC frightened of criticising Islam, says archbishop By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent Last Updated: 2:21am GMT 14/11/2006 The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has accused the BBC of bias against Christianity and says the broadcaster fears a terrorist backlash if it is critical of Islam. The archbishop, the second most senior figure in the Church of England's hierarchy, said Christians took "more knocks" than other faiths at the hands of the BBC. Dr Sentamu claims Christians take ‘more knocks' at the BBC "They can do to us what they dare not do to the Muslims," he said. "We are...