These articles were first published in our February edition of the newspaper, click here for more.
Parents at a Staffordshire school were told their children would be punished for racism – using a ‘Racial Discrimination’ note attached permanently to the child’s school record – if they missed a trip to a workshop on Islam, it was reported in late November.
The information was given in a letter, which was in part later apologised for by the head. The County Council reminded her about the parental right to withdraw children from religious activities.
Edward Malcolm, Presiding Bishop of the Church of England (Continuing), died on November 17.
The church was founded in February 1994 in reaction to the use of the Alternative Service Book and to the ordination of women. It holds to the unmodified Thirty- Nine Articles and to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The funeral took place on December 4 at Darlington Street Methodist Church, Wolverhampton.
It was reported in December that MSPs considering a Bill to redefine marriage voted down protections for public sector workers, charities and people considering adoption.
MSPs rejected, by four votes to three, a reasonable accommodation amendment to the Bill to protect public sector employees from being victimised over traditional marriage. MSPs will vote on the Bill for a final time later in 2014.
It was widely reported in late December that Marks & Spencer was planning to allow shop assistants to refuse to handle pork or alcohol if the individual’s Islamic religious belief prohibited them from so doing.
Broadly welcomed as endorsing freedom of religious expression in the workplace, commentators were keen to ascertain whether similar accommodation would be made for Jews, Christians, and those of other faiths in other areas of employment.
Film classifications are going to be changed following a recent consultation, it was reported on January 13.
The sexualisation of women raised most concerns, but the public’s attitude to bad language has softened, so lower age ratings may include more ‘adult’ language in future. The impact of horror will also be taken into consideration. 134 people contacted the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) after seeing The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe. The BBFC considered this to be a large number contacts about the content of one film.
All Souls Langham Place in London is having a time of outreach on March 2-9 with evangelist Roger Carswell.
They would love other churches to be involved. The week will include a chat-show element before Roger speaks. Guests include a paralympian, the former correspondence secretary of the Queen and the BBC’s Football Focus presenter, Dan Walker.
Tony Miano, a street preacher arrested in early 2014 has been bailed until April 22, allowing him to return to the USA.
He was preaching about sexual sin and included a comment on homosexual practice. A woman complained and he was arrested. He was part of a preaching team which included the twice recently arrested Josh Williamson.
The board of Evangelical Press (EP Books) has set up its missionary work as a formally independent organisation called EP Missionary Trust (EPMT).
EPMT is a separate charity under UK law and became fully operational on January 1. The decision to form EPMT allows it to attend to the specific needs and opportunities of EP Mission while retaining the synergy and co-operation with EP.