search

The Volcker Commission, the internal inquiry into the United Nation’s running of the $64 billion Iraqi ‘oil-for-food’ programme, has published its interim report.

In this report Chairman Paul Volcker claimed to have evidence of the corruption of UN officials, whom he accuses of having ‘seriously undermined the integrity of the United Nations’.

When was the last time you came across a website all about aircraft? Chances are that you never have, unless you have specifically searched for one. And that’s despite the fact that there are five million sites dedicated to flying machines.

This is the type of question that a group of internet evangelists hope to raise in churches across the world during a special focus day on April 24. Only the problems with which they are concerned are not those of the aviation enthusiast but how to get the non-believer to view Christian websites? And, even if they did, how to get them to stay long enough to learn something of the gospel?

David Baker

Date posted: 1 Apr 2005

The meeting in mid-February in Newry, Northern Ireland, attended by 35 of the 38 top bishops from across the globe, asked the US and Canadian churches to ‘voluntarily withdraw’ from a key ecclesiastical body for the next three years and to ‘consider their place in the Anglican communion’.

Some orthodox leaders had wanted tougher action to be taken, but the primates were advised by lawyers that there was no legal process by which any of the Anglican Communion’s 38 provinces could be suspended.

John Wesley arrived in Newcastle upon Tyne on May 28 1742. He noted the following in his daily journal: 'We came to Newcastle about six, and after short refreshment, walked into town. I was surprised; so much drunkenness, cursing and swearing (even from the mouths of little children), do I never remember to have seen and heard before in so small a compass of time. Surely this place is ripe for Him who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'

250 years after Wesley arrived in the North East, it is fair to say that little has changed, perhaps it is even worse. Visit any of the university campuses, not just at the weekend, and hundreds of students will be consuming copious amounts of alcohol, having numerous sexual relationships, but having little or no regard for their Creator. However, surely we must respond, not with condemnation, but like Wesley did, with the attitude that these people are 'ripe for him'.

Thomas Tallis was born in 1505. One of the first composers of English Protestant church music, his music is still much performed and recorded.

1555 was the peak year for the burning of Protestants under Queen Mary Tudor, some of whom are mentioned individually below. In all, about 290 died this excruciating death - men, women and even young people, and preponderantly working-class - and thereby ensured that Mary's attempt to re-establish Roman Catholicism died with her.

On Boxing Day, the great tsunami hit the coasts of countries around the Indian Ocean, bringing devastation and death. Here we carry reports from some Christians in the area.

Jacqui Hoole, who is acting principal of Baldaeus Theological College in Trincomalee in north-east Sri Lanka, writes:

For Christian students who are a part of the 2.7 million in Further Education (FE) colleges, CU life can be a hard slog.

The group is almost always small in number, they are less well-resourced than school or university CUs, and colleges are often deeply secular environments not used to the concept of a CU. However, as we have seen in recent years the labour is producing fruit, even if progress is slow.

As the final chord of the hymn dies away the congregation sits and, to everyone's surprise, the lights go out.

The voice of Buddy Holly singing 'That'll be the day' comes through the PA. The front projector screen lights up and starts scrolling through photo after photo of famous faces, each dead, with the date they died displayed underneath. Albert Einstein, April 18 1955; Elvis Presley, August 16 1977; Princess Diana, August 31 1997; Jill Dando, April 16 1999.

Recently I had an opportunity to put a question to Imam Mumtaz, the Imam of Streatham mosque, regarding the Muslim view of the sinlessness of the prophets. The Imam seemed to admit that, from an absolute standpoint, everyone is a sinner. This was the first time I had had an opportunity to speak face-to-face with a South London Imam.

Unfortunately, confrontation is a frequent feature of Christian-Muslim encounter. Therefore, opportunities for such discussion in a friendly atmosphere are rare. Real communication often just does not happen.