Religion

  • Report: The Archbishop faces a new test

  • Power is given, power is taken away

    A strong theme in most biblical preaching in the UK is the removal of power. It’s done – in religious terms – if a people are judged by God to have zero credibility. The high walls come down. The armies are defeated. The kingdom is overcome.

    The teaching of this has reached a lot of people over the years. We get the humiliation some rulers feel in the process. We know of the jubilation that can result afterwards. We also know it’s more nuanced than that at times, like the Nativity.

    However, the lessons are played out in our modern lives too. The falling of some power bases. The titling of alliances this way or that. The failure of a plan to overtake. This is unfolding right before our eyes in every part of the world. These truths are always relevant to us.

  • Is the new Archbishop Dame Sarah Mullally?

    The Church of England has a leadership crisis. It occurs at every level. The ‘local’ Parishes are starved of real guidance. The centralised structures are gimmicky. It’s believed many clergy are unsupportive of the membership.

    This is a story I’ve found everywhere in the UK that I’ve stopped to talk to people about it. They aren’t unhappy with God. Their only problem is with his Church.

    The appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally will reassure some, and satisfy others. The express wishes of her leadership will no doubt embolden many to see faith in a new light. Her technical knowhow of people in groups is also a bonus for the club.

    However, the spread of a message is what’s needed now. The Bible is everywhere, in our times, but the spoken doctrine and pastoral care is in short supply. This may be something she can bring to the table, but will it get any further?

  • Long Report: The rise of Islamic Brotherhood

    The crisis Muslims have felt in corporate contexts has proved to be a divisive debate. For a long time, worshippers have discussed their misgivings in private. These meetings have proved to be the most stressful part of devotion for some. It’s because the issues are so large and complex.

    The notion that Islam prepares people for a holy war so called at any point in its history as a religion is flawed. It doesn’t convert people in and of itself. Many are drawn to the faith for personal reasons. They don’t feel a need to join organisations or even together with others. It’s not until a need is felt or a sincere cause is realised.

    Starting radicalisation

    The trouble is started by elder members of a community that feel things are wrong. This is often reported as the reason why. It’s detected by those who are present in meetings that give platform to such opinions being raised. They feel uneasy at the lack of clarity of some thoughts and the sentiments are not always locally based.

    The descent is rapid from there. It may be kept local but it’s likely that help will be called on from likely sources of agitation. The prominent country in this respect is Egypt. It’s where a group called Islamic Brotherhood is alleged to have started. It’s not the same as the organisation Muslim Brotherhood. It’s a lot worse. It’s vile in nature.

    It has succeeded in remaining out of the limelight because it has proved more useful that way. It doesn’t seek attention. It hasn’t looked for plaudits. It’s kept to a definition. It’s kept to its own ways. This has meant it’s spread – or reach – is profound. It reaches into most countries of the world.

    The purpose of those involved in it is to “start revolutions in people’s minds”, as one participant said to me. They seek to ‘counsel’ more than just Mosque attendance. They look for activity that promotes the causes of Islam. They suggest further work that makes more inroads into life and culture elsewhere from Muslim lands.

    Ending dreams

    The direction of credit for this is often back to the Brotherhood itself. They take on more and more prominence in private circles as they continue to reach more people. It’s a sort of evangelistic effort that builds over time. However it’s not for the goals of peace or tolerance.

    The personal ramifications are huge. Many simply end up in terrorism or terrorist circles. There’s no potential for Paradise or meaningful commonality in the course of it. There is a huge sadness about it because it breaks off friendships.

    It ends the concept of religious practice. It starts a process of decline into animosity, hatred, and war. The promotion of fighting is often explicit and the multimedia material they use is said to corrupt human nature. It’s a long way off from a walk to prayer for many Muslims.

  • Let’s help evangelicals rest easy

    The state of religious things is easily obtained. If you listen, many evangelicals for example feel beset by life. This means they feel set upon by others. This means they want to be free from being persecuted because of a simple difference of worship.

    There’s little to find to complain about with many of them. The way of evangelical life runs closely to many others. In fact, there are churches that pursue interaction along Christian lines. It unites them in social conventions for mutual benefit.

    However, life is difficult for the average evangelical. It’s not their churches that are restrictive. It’s others who doubt if they can fit in. Many pastors are capable in business but it’s not an accepted image of how it is for those who say they know religion.

  • The characters that shape us

    The religious life of the country is more shaped by people than we often like to say. The refrain in evangelical circles that only Jesus matters is only true in ecstasy. The reality is people shape our modes and opinions. We use them to help our context.

    Fmr. Archbishop Rowan Williams

    Former Archbishop Rowan Williams is responsible in part for popularising the notable characters that make English religious practice stronger. He draws on them for our own time because similar virtues are needed as the same vices are around.

    The standout characters that shaped early Anglicanism still ring true today, as do a growing number of ‘modern’ saints who writ large our sense of injustice, and exhaustion in the world. They frame our tumultuous times completely.

  • Pope attends Inauguration mass

    Pope Leo XIV has attended a “Mass of the Inauguration of the Pontificate” in Vatican City. It marks a formal start to his role as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

    Pope Leo XIV embracing his brother

    His appointment by Conclave vote has sparked controversy due to his American roots. He’s not considered inside the close circles of its hierarchy.

  • Terror is not a Jihad for Muslims

    Jihad is not something that’s communicated positively to today’s Muslim community. It comes up from time to time, but this is usually an expression of a desire for change.

    The act of revenge is not seen as having a place in Islam for most people. The main teachers of it don’t see it as a path for just any Muslim to take. There are states for that, and law courts.

    The Quran is a challenging text for the believer. It’s not a cookbook for anarchists. It’s not a handbook for politics. Its place is in the mind. It’s what most Muslims feel now.

  • What do evangelicals do now?

    A new Pope has arrived, and the Church of England will soon get its new Archbishop. Meanwhile, evangelicals will find themselves stuck between two worlds.

    It’s not easy to define what it is, and it looks set to get more complex.

    The moral issues are not its own necessarily. The troubles Churches find themselves in come of their own making. To wit, evangelical churches are used to having criticisms – and dealing with it.

    It doesn’t make for its future, anymore than it should be anyone’s expectation of it.

    The lack of direction is due to its lack of authority. It doesn’t seek leadership of the kind historic churches do. Albeit society tries to do so, it’s not subject to a village and its ideas on maturation.

  • Robert Francis Prevost announced as Pope

    A US Cardinal has been revealed as the new Pope in Vatican City. The appointment of Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV is a shock. He’s the first American to make it to the highest office.

    Via Times News

    His future is laid out in the coming days as he settles in. The Roman Catholic Church is said to be at a crossroads within itself, and is at war with liberals outside of it. Many hope he’ll work for peace.

  • Pope Francis given a last farewell

    Pope Francis was laid to rest in a solemn act yesterday in front of many thousands. His remains were buried in Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

    The end of his Papacy at 88 now paves the way for a Conclave to be held. It determines the next Pope, and the future of the Church.

  • Even the religious feel a lack of love

    The problem with religion is with religion itself. Any term or concept used by a radical is real.

    A blog doesn’t solve the problem. A sermon may not reduce tensions. Any lack of intervention means people suffer.

    Lives are lost in some cases.

    It’s due to lack of involvement of Police. It also comes because of apathy in a community.

    The loss of Pastors, husbands and wives, and children is now a recent memory in the UK. It’s an event no one looks forward to.

  • Pope Francis is lying in state

    In Vatican City, Pope Francis is lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica. It precedes his official funeral this Saturday.

    Associated Press

    In the coming days, many clergy are due to arrive for it. It forms an important moment for Catholics worldwide.

  • The world awaits funeral of Pope Francis

    After the death Pope Francis, preparations are being made for his funeral. It’s due on Saturday, and will mark the passing of a figure who sought to guide Catholics through contemporary troubles, and controversies.

    As the 266th Pope, he served as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. His leadership focused on issues affecting all Catholics. He made inroads in Europe, and further afield, helping to bring people to understand each other.

  • A lack of identity is a religious problem

    The societal breakdown caused by some criminals is not helped by a confusion in peopling churches that evangelicals have.

    In America, and increasingly here, there’s a growth zone for unidentifiable religion, and likewise, for those without ID who turn up without justification.

    The possibilities for the crooked are endless, but this is how our malaise sets in. The lack of clarity – even in a normal year – tells us a lot is amiss we cannot understand.

    There is no greater sign that the UK needs to reign itself in than the sprawling yet amateur enthusiasm for community-centred new expressions in religion.

    It’s not likely, but some criminals even find their home in it. However, it’s more of a neighbourhood in which to live than find a permanent place for our adversaries.