Free Republic

Thomas S Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ordered to appear before British magistrates' court amid claims that the organisation's teaching amounts to 'fraud' A British magistrate has issued an extraordinary summons to the worldwide leader of the Mormon church alleging that its teachings about mankind amount to fraud. Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been ordered to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London next month to defend the church’s doctrines including beliefs about Adam and Eve and Native Americans. A formal summons signed by District...

Peter Tatchell, the gay activist, has given an interview about the history of gay rights in the UK in which he expresses the hope that the results of mandatory exams on gay ideology recorded on school children’s permanent records: Mancunian Matters reports: ‘Looking forward, past the past annals of progress he will discuss in Salford, Peter says the key to further progress is education. He said: “No child is born bigoted. Some become bigoted because of the bad influence of adults and peers. “To combat intolerance and bullying, education against all prejudice – including racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia –...

The ‘vigilantes’ of east London may have been Pythonesque, but the issue is deadly seriousThings are not going well in the world of vigilantism. A story from the Guardian tells us: The court had been told that Horner and the 23-year-old man drove alongside Joshua Bilton and Anna Reddiford in Bethnal Green and yelled at them through a megaphone. Horner shouted: “Let go of each other’s hands. This is a Muslim area!” The couple initially believed it was a joke but the group repeated the warning until they let go of each other’s hands. When they started holding hands again...

The Church of England is introducing a christening ceremony that removes the requirement on parents and godparents to “repent sins” and “reject the devil”. Critics claimed the new wording, designed as an alternative to the current liturgy, “watered down” the concepts of sin and repentance. The text, backed by the Most Rev Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is already being used in 1,000 parishes as part of a trial lasting until Easter, the Mail on Sunday reported. In the current version, in use since 1998, vicars ask parents and godparents if they “reject the devil and all rebellion against...

Dozens of Muslim protestors gathered to demand that businesses stop selling alcohol in a popular East London area yesterday. The group, led by former Al-Muhajiroun leader Anjem Choudary, warned restaurants and shops in the Brick Lane area that they face 40 lashes if they continue to sell the product, which is banned under Sharia Law. Around 60 men and women in burkhas handed over warning letters to Muslim-owned businesses in the area after the protest was initially delayed by a small number of English Defence League members staging a counter-protest. Controversial cleric Choudary was at the forefront of the protest....

Bishop Michael Nazir Ali, a Church of England former bishop of Rochester, has condemned a recent move by the British Girl Guides to abolish mention of God in their oath and force a small group of Christian dissenters to conform. Girlguiding UK announced in June that members would no longer mention God or “country” in the oath, but pledge to “be true to myself and develop my beliefs,” and serve the “community”. Although the decision brought in a record 839 complaints, the organisation has refused to back down, saying that mention of God was deterring new members. The change was...

Variations on the name Muhammad have shown to be the second most popular boys’ name in England and Wales. Three different spellings of the name are listed in the top 100 names for boys from the Office for National Statistics. The first most common is Muhammad, which is in 19th place on the table. Mohammed comes 26th and Mohammad is in 60th place. But overall the name was given 7,139 times in 2012, just 29 behind Harry – which took the top spot. Surprisingly certain classic names such as John and Peter did not make the list. In Wales, Jacob...

Tony Miano, a retired deputy sheriff from Los Angeles County, Calif., was arrested in London, England, earlier this week for preaching on abstaining from sexual immorality, both heterosexual and homosexual, in downtown Wimbledon. He was found to be in violation of Public Order Act Section 5, for "using homophobic speech that could cause people anxiety, distress, alarm or insult," Miano said in a YouTube video posted on Wednesday. Preaching from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, Miano spoke about sexual sins for 25 minutes before being cut off by Metropolitan Police officers who said that although preaching in itself is not an offense,...

LONDON — Gay marriage becomes legal in Britain as Queen Elizabeth II gives royal approval.

Link to Washington Post Article. There goes the British Empire. The Monarchy has fallen.

The president of Ghana is leading the charge as several African countries are making their stand against Britain’s threat that they either legalize homosexual acts or be excluded from financial aid. “I, as president of this nation will never initiate or support any attempts to legalize homosexuality in Ghana,” said President John Evans Atta Mills in an official statement to the UK government under Prime Minister David Cameron last Wednesday. Ghanaian President John Evans Atta Mills At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia at the end of October, which Prime Minister Cameron attended, the issue of homosexuality...

Police in Lancashire have told the owner of a Christian café to stop displaying Bible texts on a video screen, because it breaches public order laws. Officers attended the Salt & Light Coffee House on Layton Road, Blackpool, on Monday 19 September, following a complaint about “insulting” and “homophobic” material. The café’s owner, Mr Jamie Murray, says the officers did not specify which Bible texts had caused the offence. BreachHe says the officers told him that displaying offensive or insulting words is a breach of Section 5 of the Public Order Act, and told him to stop displaying the Bible....

Thousands of Muslims gathered in London on Saturday at a rally "to fight extremism and promote a moderate, inclusive version of Islam." The event's organizers, Minhaj-ul-Quran International, said prior to the event that some 12,000 Muslims are expected at Wembley Arena. The group's founder, Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, told journalists that killing innocents is forbidden in Islam and Muslims must integrate into the societies in which they are living.

Britain’s coalition government is aiming to legalize same-sex “marriage” before the next federal election in 2015, announced Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone on Saturday. The move comes after the “personal intervention” of Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, reports the U.K.’s Daily Mail. Same-sex couples in Britain have been able to access comparable benefits to married couples since 2005 when the country legalized same-sex “civil partnerships.” The government’s latest effort would focus strictly on changing the perennial definition of marriage. Mike Judge, head of communications for The Christian Institute, warned that the change will have vast implications for British society, particularly in...