we can make resolutions, and that's by no means necessarily wrong, but ultimately most things we attempt in our own strength, we fail at. The changes that we most need are to our hearts rather than our habits, and it's God who can enable that. Even if our diets etc fail, God's resolution of our ultimate problem is not endangered by our weakness.

 

 

Trump’s attack on Venezuela 

Previously America was supposedly aiming to be "a shining city on a hill" (arguably a misuse of a statement from Jesus' words, about sharing the Good News He offers), theoretically seeking to do good in the world (though in fact many of its institutions and power holders have done horrendous things exploiting less wealthy nations). But Trump has abandoned any idea of that. Maduro may be evil - but Trump is invading on the basis of prospects for oil extraction, he is evil too. 

 

 

Reform UK want to ban halal food, but want to legalise fox hunting. It's not about animal rights, it's just more islamophobia 

I've heard lots of Reform supporters criticising the support for hunting, it's a brilliant way that their vote base can be weakened

yeah seems a really strange issue to put at the top of their list. 

 ndeed. It's totally rational to think that animal suffering is worse than people not being able to follow customs, but the sheer disregard for non British human beings' lives demonstrated some animal lovers baffles me. For instance, I heard someone the other day praising Starmer for opposing trail hunting and also for cutting overseas Aid. Foxes matter more than starving children to some people.

 

 

(in Christian Women's Facebook Group) 

As we enter the new year, what would your prayer be?  

I need wisdom. And it occurs to me that it's something we must keep on seeking continually - Solomon had it yet later did entirely the wrong thing by turning towards the pagan gods of his wives. God wants us to constantly pursue His presence and guidance 

  

 

Gogglebox's Siddiqui family flooded with support after heartbreaking death 

At this time of year in particular, people are remembering lost loved ones - that you use bereavement as clickbait is gross. I imagine that some people who've just been thinking about a deceased parent, child or spouse could be sertiously irked by you manipulating people into clicking onto an article about cats like this.

 

  

Sadiq Khan has been forced to defend London's New Year fireworks display  

"One, George Madgwick, said: "Chr**t, if ....""

So he, and I suspect others, aren't concerned about the disregard for God (the actual God), this really is just a hissy fit about flags. So many of the people who like to say "THIS IS A CHRISTIAN NATION" actually have no respect for Christ themselves.

 

 

'Shamima Begum is NOT British!' 

Of course she's British. British means from or of Britain. British doesn't only refer to people who behave well. Other criminals don't cease to be British. 

 

 

Farage New Year Speech 

I found it ironic that he celebrated the abolition of the slave trade, yet wants to hurt some of the African people who are suffering today by demonising asylum seekers and slashing Aid (I am, of course, well that only some African people are in extreme poverty, it's an endlessly diverse continent) 

 

 

(in Christian Women's Facebook Group) 

What is your response to someone thinking you are pushing religion on your children? 

To some extent, it may be impossible to avoid people thinking this, partially because they may have their view influenced by *other* things they've seen from "religious" characters previously; and/or because something in their heart is stubbornly opposed to God.

But I'd stress that kids can and will make up their own minds; and that the reason you want to tell them about God is because you believe He offers eternal joy and you don't want them to miss out since you love them. If the individual who thinks you're "pushing" believed in Heaven, and deeper joy in this lifetime, would they not hope that other people would experience this also?

If the person criticising you grew up with non-beleiving parents, how do they know - since they apparently think kids are brainwashed by parents - that their beliefs weren't pushed into them? And if they grew up with believing parents, but now don't believe, why do they think other young people (like your kids) couldn't make up their own minds too?

I grew up with Christian parents and attending Church - but it was only when I saw that there are good rational reasons (relating to science) for concluding Christianity to be reality that I actually believed.

 

 

 

People can choose to repent and turn to Jesus (whose death for us and resurrection we remember at Easter) irrespective of the words on chocolate packaging. The people who moan about Christmas and Easter being "cancelled" claim to support Britain's Christian heritage, they should know that according to Christianity it's Jesus who saves, saying we need to "save Easter" implies not knowing about it.

 

 

The Guardian Charity Appeal 2025 

It seems mad to me that - particularly at the end of a year in which International Aid has been so brutally cut, dooming millions to unnecessary death - the supposedly progressive newspaper isn't making its charity appeal about helping our world's most disadvantaged people, for whom each £ makes far more impact than it can here. 

 

 

Why Trump wants to save Nigeria’s Christians/The English church protects us all, yet is mute 

Trump is emblematic of the recurrent phenomenon of “religion” being misappropriated in endeavours to feign righteousness and attain dominance in the absence of authentic love of God (which would manifest in repentance, humility and compassion). Jesus railed against this. Yet Aid obliterating Trump’s cynical pretence of caring about persecuted Christians does not nullify the horrifying reality of their plight. Maurice Glasman deftly describes the impact of Jesus underlying our comparatively blissful society. It is the norm, though, to presume that He was merely a wise man, or fictional Father Christmas predecessor. What if, in fact, His witnesses shared the message that reached and reshaped our island - in spite of their being persecuted brutally like the aforementioned Nigerian believers - because they’d seen that He truly offers the greatest gift? 

 

 

Philip Pullman’s parallel worlds are never black and white 

Melanie Phillips astutely notes the irony of Phillip Pullman chastising religion whilst relying upon facets of a culture derived from it. An additional irony is that reality’s Oxford hosts an institute for "Apologetics" (OCCA), whereby scholars contradict the popular presumption that Christianity is fiction. A further irony still is in Pullman, like so many others, rejecting Christianity in its entirety on the basis of egotistic and power hungry clergy. Jesus recurrently argued with those who feigned religiosity for dominance - why does Pullman seemingly consider the phenomenon of some such individuals having infiltrated religious institutions since to be rationale for rejecting Him?

 

 

Britain has found a new ideological enemy: 14-year-old boys 

I too have been feeling perplexed by Starmer’s attestations of “moral” missions. If it is moral to demonstrate care for children by lifting the 2 child cap, how is it moral to plunge more severely impoverished children into far deeper poverty by slashing international Aid (which creates far more impact per £); or to decriminalise the killing of children days before birth? Who determines what is moral? The BMJ’s endorsement of FGM is demonstrative of Western society gradually abandoning moral absolutes - as is veneration by some of Trump. Previous generations of boys would have heard at school of the role model whose birth we commemorate this week, the loss of this moral framework might be amongst convalescing factors precipitating misogyny. Yet ultimately each individual determines their own behaviour, and many have rejected - and will reject - instruction from teachers. 

 

 

Couple beat 24 trillion to one odds to win lottery twice 

We accept incomparably more impossible odds. There are many parameters of the universe that must be within unfathomably specific margins in order for life to exist, yet many assume that we've all come to exist by chance alone. As summarised by TIME magazine: "The great British mathematician Roger Penrose has calculated—based on only one of the hundreds of parameters of the physical universe—that the probability of the emergence of a life-giving cosmos was 1 divided by 10, raised to the power 10, and again raised to the power of 123. This is a number as close to zero as anyone has ever imagined. (The probability is much, much smaller than that of winning the Mega Millions jackpot for more days than the universe has been in existence.)"
As an aside, people should avoid the lottery, and other forms of gambling, it's essentially throwing money away. William Wilberforce campaigned against it because he could see how it ultimately took advantage of people. 

 

 

These FGM apologists are western privilege personified 

Cuts to International Aid have precipitated in the decimation of programmes to mitigate the issue of FGM in the Global South. I’ve not seen the cohort enthusiastic to march “for women and girls” criticise this.
Condoning of the barbarity of FGM is evil. Donald “Grab by the” Trump is mistaken in implying that we face “civilisational collapse” on the basis of ethnic diversity - rather, the BMJ article is demonstrative of the broader phenomenon of the fringes of our elite institutions abandoning moral absolutes. If it’s immorally presumptuous to think that our concepts of good and bad are potentially objective, how do we know that it’s good to respect other cultures’ practices? The Christian moral values that have shaped our society are no white European invention, as we might be reminded whilst we commemorate a particular vulnerable child at Christmas.

 

 

If young Nigel Farage said racist things, he wasn’t alone 

On one of the occasions on which I spoke to Farage on LBC, he was endeavouring to solicit declarations of pride in our flag. I opined that there's an irony in this, since our flag bears a cross on account of St George legendarily commemorating Jesus' crucifixion, which He endured for our sin. Thus one might be inspired to humility rather than pride.
Farage has asserted that our country needs to regain "Christian values", crucial to genuine Christianity is repentance. So too is compassion for the marginalised. As Giles Coren notes, some children are racist - racism is ignorant. Farage might observe 1 Corinthians 13:11 and put away childish things by deploring his reported (well corroborated) comments, rather than demonstrating juvenile stubbornness - though I'm acutely aware that we each, myself included, have our own (all be they different) past sins to repent of also. 

 

 

Britain's King Charles lauds unity in diversity in his Christmas message 

It's vital to respect others. However it seems slightly ironic to talk about the similarities between "religions" on the day we remember Jesus' birth. In other "religions" the divine does not value lowly humanity so much as to be born in an animal shelter. And (in other "religions") humans must earn their way to paradise or enlightenment, by contrast Jesus offers us The Way through what *He* has done for us 

 

 

Labour scraps extra funding to help new mothers and babies 

Their Overseas Aid cuts will also hurt mothers and babies, in places where people could only dream of the NHS. The Government has money specifically for assuaging tabloid moaning. 

 

 

A desperate mother went to extraordinary lengths to save herself and her unborn child 

Though our NHS is very flawed, we're so privileged as compared to most of humanity. It's amazing how much more impact can be made per £ when we donate to organisations helping the most disadvantaged people in our world. 

 

 

Danny Kruger - On the persecution of Armenian Christians 

Thankyou for writing this.
Please note though, that as Christians we're called to care about those who are suffering, not Christians exclusively - yet Reform wants to further cut Overseas Aid to the very most disadvantaged people in our world (for whom each £ can make far more impact than it could here BTW) 

Action to help the poor is extremely important. But it doesn't have to be mediated by the state. In fact,  it perhaps shouldn't be. Gov aid is often inefficient or corrupt, or tied to imposing liberal values on countries that don't want them. 

Indeed, in theory it doesn't have to be. But in practice, because of the selfishness of the human heart, Government mediated Aid is necessary (just as, though our health service, education system etc are very flawed, the poor would suffer if - in our disjointed 21st century society - these services were left up to individual generosity). The British public gives more to animals than to human beings suffering amidst Global poverty. And far more money flows in the opposite direction https://gfintegrity.org/press-release/new-report-on-unrecorded-capital-flight-finds-developing-countries-are-net-creditors-to-the-rest-of-the-world/

I concur absolutely that it's an outrage that Western Aid is sometimes connected to LGBT ideology or abortion. Yet Reform is not advocating for *addressing the issues* with Aid, it's calling to virtually eliminate it. And when Aid is cut, ultimately people suffer, for instance https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/nov/07/aid-cuts-uk-rejected-atrocity-prevention-sudan-civilians-rsf-massacres-el-fasher

Some UKAid flows through Christian charities, it's not necessarily/inherently connected to our culture's liberal ideas on morality (and people in recipient countries are as able to determine their views and values as we are).

 

 

“We’re probably in the early stages of a Christian revival.”

I've been worrying about the faux Christianity and "Christian nationalism" (quotation marks because the phrase is an oxymoron IMO) on the rise, but I'm realising that God can (onviously) use all things for His glory. We have exciting work to do in pointing those with revived interest in Christianity towards Jesus Himself (The Gospel, as opposed to cultural Christianity alone).  

 

 

 

Oli, why are you doing this? You're better than this. I get that there's some despicable corruption going on with some individuals, but memes like this will nudge some observers towards fallaciously feeling that Somalians are inherently morally inferior. Stoking such ideas (ideas that are themselves theologically erroneous) is contrary to what Jesus calls us to. 

Oli, why are you doing this? You're better than this. I get that there's some despicable corruption going on with some individuals, but memes like this will nudge some observers towards fallaciously feeling that Somalians are inherently morally inferior. Stoking such ideas (ideas that are themselves theologically erroneous) is contrary to what Jesus calls us to. 

 

 

(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)  

I have a question which is bothering me and it’s the issue of belonging as a Christian

When I’m with friends that are non Christian I enjoy international travel, glitz glamour, high teas, the races, expensive restaurants and 1 cocktail or 2 when out on an evening or lunch . I enjoy that ‘soft’ lifestyle and I am so happy around my friends when we are fine dining , spending money , going shopping and mixing with the wealthy and elite. sometimes I feel out of place with some conversations brought to the table eg sex and relationships - I don’t believe in their way of life and don’t engage in such topics

But this is generally the only area which I feel uncomfortable with .

When I’m with church people, I feel a bit out of place there - I sometimes feel I’m a bit too flashy or ‘boujee ‘ and get that hunch that some may think of me as OTT and trying too hard to look nice (which I’m not trying I just love fashion and makeup and have always been since a teenager) . I find it very hard to be casual and dress down and just be that messy hair bun and jeans girlie.

Secondly , the conversations with the group of women in this context seem so dry and extremely conservative , there’s no fun but mundane talk about family , children, work etc and almost religious chit chat that makes me feel people are pretending to be holier than thou

What bothers me is my Christian family don’t fit into my life ideals of money wealth power and influence and with that , I then don’t have a solid Christian friend group. I feel stuck because I absolutely love God, have been a Christian all my life but I don’t seem to belong

Is there such a thing of being a fabulous , well to do woman who is also a strong Christian ?

I’m not sure if I’m making sense here but does anyone feel like this ?

Why are those your "life ideals"?

that’s what I aspire for and feel happiest 

Sorry that this will seem argumentative, but in all seriousness, why do you aspire to that?

It's not a part of your personal identity (as though you couldn't fit in elsewhere), most people feel attracted to luxury items and glamour. But Jesus tells us to seek Him, following Him is what we should aspire to. He warns that the love of money is the root of all evil (I am NOT saying that you are evil by the way!), He tells a rich man to give away all he has, He implores us to help the disadvantaged. We're told in scripture that "to whom much has been given, much will be required" - so if we have the privilege of wealth, God's plan is that we use it for doing good; and in the parable of the Talents Jesus shows that God wants us to steward what God has given us for His Kingdom.

Our culture is telling you not merely to wear clothes that are OK but that you should buy new things regularly, follow trends and seek elite brands - but our culture is wrong. Corporations want your money, don't let them mislead you. You don't need luxury to love life (particularly since we're so privileged, in the 21st century West, to have what we need and far more besides) and to be happy. In fact, there is far, far greater happiness through community, and most of all in Jesus' presence.

"Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewellery or fine clothes" 1 Peter 3:3 

I’m not sure what you are implying here. The Bible very clearly describes fine clothing , gold, beauty etc of many prominent Biblical God ordained leaders and figures. This scripture is a view / personal opinion of Peter and not at all a directive or command from God 

orry, why would you reject scripture on basis that Peter wrote it? Peter is relaying God's word, particularly as someone who knew Jesus so closely. Do you reject the rest of the Bible as "opinion"? Only a little is comprised of words spoken directly from the mouth of God, but when Jesus does discuss wealth He warns against it.

The references to Bible characters with elaborate jewellery are not supporting their jewellery, much of the Bible compromises accounts of people and events, not only guidance (whereas the aforementioned verse is guidance rather than description). And why, if you consider verses from the book of Peter to be only Peter's opinion, do you consider the verses you reference to be more than only "opinion"?

Again, luxury is, truly, not necessary to be happy.

proverbs 31 woman, king Solomon , King David …there are so many wealthy people in the Bible who would have had the finest of everything . King Solomon is even recorded as the wealthiest man alive even in today’s standards. So being well dressed, wealthy isn’t a bad thing at all. Jesus on his birth was given the most expensive gifts and prior to his death he was adorned with the most expensive fragrances and oils. You have missed addressing this element in my reply to you .

Regarding Peter, my point is Christians don’t fully understand scripture and context . An opinion by a Biblical author can be taken as something you WISH to practice but it isn’t a command directly from God. Paul said ‘I don’t think it’s right for women to preach ‘ that’s HIS opinion but that’s not words directly from God . Paul said this but it doesn’t make sense because the first preachers teachers or evangelists were actually women! Jesus when he left the tomb instructed Mary and other women to ‘go quickly and tell ‘ so if women weren’t to share the Word publicly to people, why would God allow Jesus to give women that mandate . In all, I’m saying we need to be careful about plucking scripture without context , same as your referenced 1 Peter 3:3

Hope my point is a bit clearer

As I wrote, the Bible recording those individuals doesn't mean that everything they did is supported. David slept with a guy's wife and had him killed, Solomon married pagans and adopted their false religion - would you say those "aren't bad things at all"? Jesus was given luxurious things, He didn't buy them for Himself - and HE IS GOD, we aren't. He was given those things because people were recognising His kingship, and like the aforementioned characters, monarchs are adorned in gold, that doesn't mean God directs it nor does it make it right for us to spend excessively on ourselves.

And again, why do you consider those parts of the Bible to be guidance and not consider Peter's words of guidance to be guidance? You're right that context matters, and Paul's other teachings show that that his comments on women preaching were specific to the particular church he was writing to, we can't just disregard scripture because we know the name of the writer (again, the OT passages you reference were also written by someone, they aren't "directly from God"). The statements that are directly from God - Jesus' words - indicate that we shouldn't love wealth.

And as I wrote, it's not necessary to have luxurious lifestyles to be happy. Charity shops have plenty of great clothes including designer items, makeup needn't be expensive, travel and pampering aren't required at all to have a good time. It's more joyous to spend our money on helping those in need - and there's deeper joy to be found in getting closer to Jesus. I'm not saying that I don't want you enjoy your life, I'm saying that you actually could enjoy it more.

 

 

My child moved from private to state school - I’ve saved £18k and prefer the parents

One could sponsor a child with a tiny, tiny fraction of that (only £1 per day) and transform their life - and reading their letters with a child here in the UK would help them to have a better understanding of the world and to be more appreciative of what they themselves have. 

is that what you do? 

Yes, 2 girls (I wish I could afford to sponsor more, personally I don't have £18k going spare). It's such a privilege that we can make an impact  

how do you decide which charity is most worthy of your money? There will always be someone else out there telling you that your money is better spent somewhere else 

Charities helping the world's poorest make far more impact £ for £. I give to several of these, after checking reviews of them by the Charity Commission etc. With sponsoring, I get plenty of letters from the kids 

 

 

What's the most useful thing you learned from your parents? 

The meaning of the name my Dad gave me - which is that through Jesus God offers us forgiveness and eternal life though we don't deserve or earn it 

 

 

Morocco push through to 3-2 victory against Jordan in the final of the Arab Cup 

Canary, what does have to do with "Disrupting power" or social justice? I don't remember when I last saw a post from you on the world's biggest humanitarian crisis (apologies if I missed it), but you think that people kicking a ball warrants more attention? 

 

 

Children are not born to hate ,it has to be learnt and the R/W are good teachers 

The amygdala in the brain can cause us to respond more positively to people who are familiar/like ourselves. Racism is a primitive instinct that we have a responsibility to overcome. 

 

 

Dave Chappelle: “the whites were quick to say this. They said, ‘Charlie Kirk is this generation’s Martin Luther King [Jr.]’ 

"The whites"? We have endlessly varying views, just as folk of other ethnicities do.

Indeed MLK and Kirk shouldn't be compared. MLK stood for justice and was hated by those who wanted society to remain unjust.

  

 

The best electric blankets and heated throws in the UK, tried and tested to keep you toasty for less 

Why are people upset about this? It's not a hardship to turn down the heating and to snuggle with blankets etc instead. And BTW, our planet is in trouble, we NEED to turn our home central heating down or we're accelerating far more uncomfortable conditions.

Having shelter, electricity and soft furnishings honestly renders us fortunate, there are folk in our world who could only dream of being so privileged.

 

 

Phil Vischer “Trump announces new warship class named after himself”We’re living in an SNL skit. 

Observing as a Brit in the UK, I feel I'd be presumptuous to imagine that I have a comprehensive understanding of everything going on with you guys. Online I encounter plenty of Christians (mostly on your side of the pond) asserting that Trump is on the side of Christianity and that we're "judging" if we suggest otherwise. But even if one somehow mistakenly thought his positions on migration, Aid etc were OK, his breathtaking egotism is plainly demonstrative of a heart that has not repentantly turned to Jesus (though obviously this is for God to judge and not me)
RE comedy, one of our Christmas comedy specials has been pulled from schedules, and the most popular theory to explain this is that a Trump joke might be needing removal now that he's suing the BBC. At least we'll have Kimmel chastising fascism in the alternative to the King's Speech that our Channel 4 broadcasts on Christmas Day. 

Our politics has been boiled down to the right wing equals Christian left wing equals communist. It’s insanely narrow minded and myopic, but that’s why they think trump is on the right ergo he’s defending Christianity. Things are incredibly stupid here right now. 

Yuh, I see a fair bit of that (and it's part of why I so appreciate @HolyPost_Media). What I find odd is that the US Left know that Jesus was a great guy who shared their concerns for the poor, and that MAGA Christianity is fake Christianity - yet they often aren't interested in actually finding out more about Him. They think He's on their side, yet still consider fake Christianity a reason to reject all Christianity. 
Here in the UK, we're just now seeing a fairly sudden appearance of the phenomenon (of the Right misappropriating Christianity), whereas our culture's previously been pretty secular and our politics devoid of religious references. It's particularly annoying seeing the word "evangelical" now being used to refer to supporters of Trumpy politics, plainly because of some Brits observing how the word is misused in America - when here in Britain it hasn't had these connotations at all previously. More importantly though, I'm wondering how those of who are Christian can point people towards the reality of Christ whichever side of the aisle they're on.

I’m afraid many of the “cultural christians” are trying to export the insanity from our country to yours apologies for that by the way. Many of the loudest angry Christians couldn’t tell you any of the early history of the faith but are absolutely sure they’re right. 

"Sure that they're right" indeed - I think a concern is not only that they're failing to live out Jesus' command to love our neighbours (a failure which is horrendous in itself) but also that pride, and the presumption that all which is wrong with the world comes from elsewhere, imply a lack of awareness of one's own sin and need of salvation. 

 

 

Who is Judge Dianne Hensley and why is she trying to overturn same-sex marriage in the US? 

If she actually were a Christian, this is not what she should be concentrating on. Jesus calls us to repent and follow God's guidance ourselves, and to tell others about His offer of eternal life through Him - not to try to force others to follow God's guidance.

(Of course, He also commands us to live our neighbours)

 

 

Yet Another U-Turn As Labour Backs Down Over Farmers' Inheritance Tax 

Yet they won't U-turn on the Aid cuts, which have many more times the impact per £, because apparently tey don't care about starvation and torture https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/nov/07/aid-cuts-uk-rejected-atrocity-prevention-sudan-civilians-rsf-massacres-el-fasher

 

 

Narinder Kaur - Whilst Britain hate on brown men..India is just wishing everyone a Merry Xmas 

Have you considered that making comments like this - accusing Britain as a whole of being racist - only serves to make some white people feel more strongly that people of colour hate them, and thus that they ought not support diversity and integration? Ie, POC less privileged than you could ultimately experience more hostility (not that this would be at all justified, obviously) because of you stoking hostility. The goal should surely be reducing the negativity that POC experience, not getting clicks. FTR, most Brits do not hate Brown men (which is not to deny that the racism which does exist is evil) - and India is not "just wishing everyone a Merry Xmas", some Indian Christians are brutally persecuted 
 

 

Pope urged Vatican cardinals to put their ambitions of power and personal interests aside and work instead on building communion 

Christmas is about Christ - who implored us to love supposed enemies, and to repent of sin the awareness of which should lead us to have more empathy for those with whom we disagree (since Jesus has shown love for us in spite of our sin, we should show love for others even if we disagree with them) 

 

 

I can't afford a middle-class life for my kids – Would I be a better parent if ...

No, it's actually not good for kids to be spoiled, they'd end up with less appreciation for all sorts of things.

There are children elsewhere in our world who are literally starving, or can't access basic education and healthcare. If British kids learn more about them, and the joy of helping them, everyday things they themselves have (like a choice of food, comfortable places to live, toys) will hold more enjoyment for them than if they're given everything they want.

 

 

Anti-colonial revolutionary....

We really, really don't hear enough about the situation with present day exploitation of the African continent. So much labour abuse and wealth extraction via our corporations and banks, yet our media and politics seem disinterested with those human beings who have the most melanin. 

 

 

How will Erasmus work for the UK and who can take part? 

The Government cuts to International Aid means that some of the world's poorest children will miss out on school, though it's amazingly cost-effective for us to facilitate it. I don't understand why there's not money for that, yet apparently there is money for British uni students (mostly from privileged backgrounds) to travel. The money spent on enabling each relatively wealthy student to have a cultural experience could provide essential education for dozens or hundreds of children in the less wealthy countries that our economy has enriched itself from. 

 

 

There is no longer famine in Gaza, a United Nations-backed hunger monitor announced

The biggest humanitarian crisis right now is in Sudan, why has that had so much less attention?

It's amazing how much impact we can make, per $, when we support people in our world who are starving - so it seems such a shame that those putting all of their time into raising awareness of Gaza don't also try to raise awareness of other crises.

again a racist comment,why do people who do nothing about any crisis try and make people feel guilty about helping one country,also there is no worse crisis in the world than gaza 

Please explain precisely what is racist about my comment. And why you mistakenly think that the situation in Sudan is not worse, when that is the opinion of official humanitarian bodies and far more human beings are affected. 

 

 

Those trying to misappropriate Christianity should be aware not only that Jesus implored us to love those of other backgrounds (see the parable of The Good Samaritan), but also that He died for our sin. Haterd of outsiders implies pride (which God opposes) and a theological error of thinking that the problems of humanity all come from others, whereas we should (as Christians) be conscious of our own sin.

 

 

(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)   

The Cost of Being a Real Christian by J.C. Ryle
It costs something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run. Conversion is not putting a person in an arm-chair and taking them easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. 

The battle is primarily against the sin that afflicts our own hearts (and Jesus has the victory). ATM I see many people (hence this comment, it's not intended as an argument with you Iyete) who seem to think that the definition of being a Christian is to battle Islam, but (whilst there are certainly things about Islam to be deeply concerned about) this is not what Christianity ultimately is. Jesus calls us to repent and follow Him, engaging in *conflict* with others was not the example He set. For us, leaving Egypt means freedom from sin that had enslaved us, in contrast to defeating a government or people group as some people seem to be focussed on. 

 

 

In God’s name: the rise of weaponised Christianity 

Whilst Charles indeed identifies as "defender of faith" rather than of "the faith", Jesus stated that He Himself is The Way, The Truth and The Life. But “Tommy Robinson” is much mistaken in implying that one is enjoined to this singularity by virtue of heritage - each individual, irrespective of nationality or ethnicity, decides personally whether to repentantly turn to Christ. If Stephen Yaxley Lennon/”Tommy Robinson” deigns to do so, he’ll see that Jesus was compassionate to outsiders, not pugilistic - it was those who feigned religiosity for reputation and power faced His ire. He did not call us to a culture war.
Christ has not been extracted from Christmas by migration, and ultimately Christianity itself migrated into Britain from the Middle East. As Christians, we are implored to have humility, not national pride. 

 

 

We can affirm Christian tradition without right-wing nationalism 

Whilst, as Richard Harries asserts, Christianity has fundamentally shaped our culture and values, “Tommy Robinson” is mistaken in his quest to “reclaim and celebrate our heritage, culture and Christian identity”. Jesus rebuked those who took pride in their heritage and thought it salvific (Matthew 3:9); in actuality Christian identity entails personal resolution to repentantly follow Christ, it cannot be inherited nor imposed. Our flag bears a cross ultimately because St George legendarily commemorated Jesus’ crucifixion - a peaceful Middle Eastern man barbarically slaughtered at the hands of white Europeans as He metaphysically bore the sin of all of us. Christianity is not ultimately to denigrate other cultures, but to be filled with humility as one turns to Jesus, with cognizance that the primary problem for humanity is not a solely external force but is sin, which pervades our hearts also. Were it not for the migration of Christianity into Britain from the Middle East, our festive carols would be devoid of the hope of salvation that the baby grew up to offer each of us.

 

 

Donald Trump is calling for Europe to save itself 

Melanie Phillips asserts that “Donald Trump is calling for Europe to save itself”, referring to “Christian civilisation”, yet fundamental to Christianity is that we cannot save ourselves. Rather than delusions of national (or other) superiority, or the misconception that humanity’s problems are external (to be kept out by stopping boats), Christianity is to have humility and gratitude, in the knowledge of what Christ has done. He died for all, because the problems of humanity are not foreign, sin afflict each heart.
Trump, and his success, epitomise the fall of Christian Western civilisation, demonstrative of the abandonment of values which facilitated its development. In the West, Christ’s teachings have been replaced by consumerism, as exemplified by allusions to selfishness esteemed as morally upright. Trump enthusiastically defies prohibitions on greed, boastfulness, slander and sexual incontinence. Which “principles” is he mitigating the erosion of? 

 

 

Nigeria's Christians

Though I've no personal connection to Africa, I'm grateful for your coverage of the plight of persecution victims in Nigeria - in contrast to the comparative silence of most media. It was unsettling, several weeks ago, hearing the BBC credulously regurgitating the Nigerian government's denial. Observing similar denials from some of my fellow Lefties has rendered me suspicious that resentment of Trump's cynical exploitation of antiChristian persecution leads to a refusal to listen to, ironically, less powerful voices within Nigeria than its politicians. As the writers of the letter you published (6th of December) testify, Boko Haram wishes to annihilate Christians, and those who believe that Black Lives Matter should care. 
In this season, we remember the Advent of He who implored Peace on Earth - but who also was so hated that Herod carried out mass murder. Jesus' message spread and survived millennia, because in spite of persecution by Romans, His followers had witnessed the Hope that Christmas carols speak of. At this time of year, we espouse goodwill, and charity for the vulnerable - this should not be confined to our borders. 

 

 

This is how to take on Tommy Robinson at Christmas  

Jesus was specifically referring to people from elsewhere when He implored us to love our neighbour.

And those who feel entitled or superior on the basis of their heritage have wholly missed the point of The Gospel. You cannot fix a society by keeping people from elsewhere out, because the problem with society is sin and that's an issue for *our own* hearts too. If a person is truly following Jesus, then in addition to wanting to adhere to His teachings about compassion, they'll have humility and gratitude in the knowledge of what Christ has done by dying in our place - rather than delusions of national superiority.

Tommy Robinson should read the Bible and check out, for instance, Jesus' reprimanding people for being proud of their heritage.

  

 

Church of England issues ‘Christmas is for all’ message ahead of Tommy Robinson carols rally 

Truly following Jesus will render one aware that the problem with humanity is not ultimately Islam etc (as much as there are things to criticise about that) but sin, which pervades our own hearts also. TR lacks not only the compassion for those from elsewhere that Jesus calls us to, but also the humility that surrendering to Him precipitates. 

yeah but what do you mean by sin? You can't rely on the Bible to provide a moral code ....basically it's just made up ! 

Where do you get your moral code from? 

I am a utilitarian and a liberal I am against repressing people who are different to me .....ie like gay people or transgendered ....I suppose it comes from my genetics and environment I've been brought up in 

I'm generally utilitarian too - but how do you know that you genetics and environment are morally correct?

No, I'm not American, nor would I identify as "religious"

 

 

Meghan Trainor has created a supposed Christmas song that encapsulates well the fundamental shift in the West's values that perpetually crosses my mind. She's proud that she's buying gifts for herself, in spite of already having "everything" (and boasting of her material wealth).

Whereas our culture previously deemed it good to eschew materialism and egotism, these are now celebrated as though virtuous - and they are closely entwined, in that commercial messaging that we're submerged in has manipulated us into thinking that we should *spoil* ourselves. Corporations profit from conning us into feeling that the right thing to do is to indulge ourselves. "Because you're worth it". The shifting ideology borne of this religion of capitalism pervades innumerable societal problems.

It's all the more galling at CHRISTmas, when we could instead be reflecting upon He who did the very opposite, relinquishing the ultimate luxury of Heaven to be born in an animal shelter.

 

 

Pope Leo XIV is infuriating MAGA Catholics 

Indeed, Jesus opposed the selfishness that MAGA demonstrates RE wealth and migration - but additionally, He taught that we each need to repent, that He offers us salvation (rather than it being connected to nationality or achievement), Trump demonstrates an attitude entirely opposed to the humility that following Jesus precipitates 

 

 

Flag linked to Christian nationalism, Jan. 6 hung at Education Dept 

"Christian nationalism" is an oxymoron. Genuinely seeking to follow Christ will lead someone to be humble, and recognise that the problem in our world is sin - including our own - the problem in our world is not simply a foreign force as nationalists imagine. Also, nationalism is idolatry. 

 

 

Trump’s heartless tweet about Rob Reiner should be Maga’s wakeup call 

Rob Reiner made a film on how politicians misappropriate "religion" for power, and Trump has proven the point. Jesus was arguing with those doing similarly back in His own time.

At Charlie Kirk's funeral, Erika Kirk talked about forgiveness for one's opponents - with yesterday's comments, Trump has demonstrated, yet again, that he's the antithesis of Christianity.

 

 

Striking doctors rejected calls to delay their walkout 

Because of our country's Christian heritage, it used to be believed that it's good to sacrificially exert oneself for those in need (such as the sick), now our culture implores people to instead seek as much as possible for oneself. 

 

 

Who Owns Jesus? Tommy Robinson and The Dirty Revival 

It's certainly true that people miss the point of Christianity when they imagine that Jesus only came to preach social justice - but I do see a lack of understanding of The Gospel from "Tommy Robinson" and his acolytes also. Truly following Jesus will render one aware that the problem with humanity is not ultimately Islam etc (as much as there is to criticise about that) but sin, which pervades our own hearts also. TR lacks not only the compassion for those from elsewhere that Jesus calls us to, but also the humility that surrendering to Him precipitates. 

did you watch any of the service? 

I've seen a few clips of singing, but how would this nullify what he's written? 

um, it is called 'repentance'...? 

I'd not seen him express repentance(?) Nor any evidence of it or change. Kudos to him for mentioning his sin on stage in that clip, but is he actually seeking to turn away from it? It looks, from his tweets, like he's only interested in bemoaning others.

Checking his feed again earlier today and spotting the attached (sorry, the picture quality seems to have failed)- he seems either dangerously confused or dangerously disingenuous. He's trying to flaunt support for Jewish people (frankly via an unhelpfully pugilistic retweet) whilst seemingly supporting a notorious antisemite, and Putin. His other tweets are littered with racism (not only disdain for Islam). Where are the Fruits of the Spirit? He claims he's putting Christ back into Christmas, but I can't see proclamation of Him amongst TR's many tweets, only insults.

I know I'm probably being too cynical, and I don't doubt that he could be heading in the right direction - but given that we're commanded to love our enemies and to b careful with our words, I can't help feeling that his current rhetoric online suggests that he really shouldn't be in a place of leadership ATM

 

 

Australia terror attack: 16 dead, including gunman, after father-son duo opens fire on Jewish community 

Such a horrifying attack. Hugest condolences to all affected. At this time of year many celebrate a *Jewish* baby who came to be Prince of Peace - yet some other ideologies imagine that they attain victory or paradise by enacting violence 

It was one of the followers of the same ideology who overpowered the shooter 

"the same ideology"? So you lump together violent terrorist extremists and decent peaceful Muslims? 

 

 

(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)  

My 9 year old came home from school today saying her class was taught that there are three genders - male, female, and transgender. I personally think it is far too young to be introducing this dangerous ideology. And to be honest I'm just sad my daughter is being exposed to this, and also learning about sexuality, when she is just a child.

How do I gently explain to her that trans ideology is not biblical, whilst also preaching tolerance and kindness towards the people who follow it

This is fundamental to The Gospel - human beings can be wrong yet still loved. If God can love us so much - when we're so wrong as to sin - that Jesus died for us, we can have neighbourly love and empathy for trans folk whilst disagreeing with them about sex/gender/transition. 

It's also crucial to learn that all of us can have feelings that aren't necessarily aligned with reality or with what's best for us - if a person who's biologically female but feels as though they're a boy, or vice versa, that doesn't mean that the feelings are correct or that medical intervention is caring, but we should also have the humility to recognise that we too can sometimes be mistaken about things. Sometimes you don't let your daughter have everything she might feel that she wants, and God doesn't give us everything that we feel we want - but that's because of parental love and wisdom. That our society presumes a person who feels they want to transition should be enabled to is not loving or wise.

Side note, I wonder what you mean RE learning about sexuality as a child(?) I was 6 when I learnt about sex, via a cute Christian kids' book called Who Made Me. I'm now 33 and still have no intention of ever having sex, so please don't worry that your daughter will necessarily be influenced towards sex by learning about it. And it's good for kids to understand what's going on in the world around them - ultimately you have far more impact on how they think

 

(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)   

Black Friday isn't particularly great - the important offer is that from Jesus who came to save us more than any price reductions.

But now it's Giving Tuesday, which makes far more sense.

We're still surrounded by adverts and other media trying to manipulate us into feeling that we're obliged to spend excessively on shopping from corporations - but God calls us to steward our resources wisely and help the disadvantaged. Did you know that there are many gift options (that is, all sorts of presents, inc books, handmade items etc) available from charities? Highstreet charity shops are awesome - but there are also now many items listed for charity on ebay as well as online charity shops (including many brand new items). On ebay, the left hand sidebar that allows filtering of search results includes "more filters" - click on which brings up a white box, where choosing "show only" allows one to tick a box for items which benefit charity (NB buying 2nd hand items - plenty of which are unused FTR, also mitigates the impact on our environment). I find it helpful to search for multiple items at once, bookmark the results page and revisit it.

The websites of The Leprosy Mission Great Britain (which is Christian), Oxfam Great Britain, FARA, Barnado's, Save The Children, Cancer Research UK, UNICEF, Woodland Trust, Mother's Union, Marie Curie, Premier Christian Marketplace and others have potential Christmas gifts in their online shops - so some of our Christmas present buying expenditure could contribute to supporting those in need (of course, there are also Christmas cards, wrapping paper and decorations for sale from charities).

It's also a great time of year to donate to charities - there are opportunities to have some donations doubled, such as via The Big Give https://donate.biggive.org/christmas-challenge-2025

On the Sunday before last, at the end of the evening online Church service run by Gisele Sterrett (which I highly recommend!), a participant in Uganda spoke about celebrating Christmas there. It's so great to be reminded of Christmas outside of our Western culture, where we're surrounded by advertising imploring us to buy labish new release/trending items. We could be joyous simply to have a few simple gifts and a range of food - and more thrilled still about real gift of CHRISTmas.

And to clarify, when I reference a range of food, we don't need all of the traditional items or for the table to look like an advert - in Uganda they are grateful simply to have meat available at Christmas, as they often don't. 

There is nothing wrong with sales. I grew up in a house where my mum shopped all year round for savings for birthdays and Christmas. Many people rely on sales. I stock essentials from discount stores and sales like black Friday.
The whole concept of Christmas gifts means we both give and receive. Kids get involved in gift giving, whether hand made or bought, thinking what people want etc as well as receiving.
Most churches and schools do collections for food banks, for charities etc in various ways.
But Christmas isn't just about giving and receiving gifts, it's also about thinking how we treat people in general. Hope, peace, joy and love. A time of forgiveness and redemption. 

What do you think my point was? You seem angry, and I'm not sure what you're accusing me of trying to say. Why would I be opposed to price reductions? I'm an extreme cheapskate, unless I'm buying gifts or from charities I only buy things when they're significantly reduced in price. We should buy things at reduced price rather than full so that we have more money to donate. Black Friday is not simply a sale - the vast majority of items in Black Friday events are cheaper at other times of the year - Black Friday is a marketing gimmick solely designed to get people to buy things that they otherwise might not have. Obviously plenty of people, such as yourself, might use it only to get things which you need (and I merely said that it's not particularly great, I didn't demonise people buying things), but broadly speaking it's a facet of consumerism having become a bigger focus than Christ at Christmas.
What point are you trying to make, in response to mine, when you refer to giving and receiving, and food banks?
My point was that since most of us are buying gifts, it's good to know that we can sometimes get some of them via charities instead of corporations, so causes can be helped with some of the money we're going to spend. I'm not sure why you've found that objectionable(?)
And I certainly didn't suggest that people shouldn't make recurring donations to charities, why have you suggested that I did? My point RE donations was to let people know that right now there are opportunities to have donations doubled, so that for each £ a person gives, a charity can receive £2 thanks to philanthropists. Charities absolutely do want/need/expect to receive extra donations at this time of year.
Since you mention cards - though this is whataboutism - their environmental impact is miniscule by comparison (and they're typically easy to recycle) 

 

 

The far-right agitators travelling to Calais to abuse small-boat migrants 

Urgh, they really need to stop misusing the Cross.

Jesus died on the Cross (NB, a peaceful middle Eastern man slaughtered at the hands of white Europeans) because of human sin, which exists in all of our hearts, the problems of humanity are not foreign.

 

 

Should every town have a street preacher? 

That would depend on whether they're thoughtfully pointing people towards The Gospel, or just shouting.

What matters is not merely that we speak truth, but that others hear The Truth - because of listeners' prior experiences, they may misinterpret us if we don't give careful thought to how exactly we convey the message. We're told in Scripture to use our words wisely. It is absolutely vital that people hear about Jesus, but we should be seeking His wisdom in all of our efforts.

I have, for instance, seen a street preacher whose placard decries evolution - even whilst there are questions to be asked about Darwinism, such placards deter onlookers from taking Christianity seriously and don't nudge anyone to contemplate Christ.

 

 

C of E to challenge Tommy Robinson’s ‘put Christ back into Christmas’ message  

Absolutely. Genuine Christianity means choosing to repent of one's sin and turn to Christ - which renders us humble and eager to emulate His example. It's not about thinking oneself superior and in a civilisational war.

 

 

What would you ask if you had time with the PM? 

I understand that your Dad was a toolmaker. Such workmanship is fundamental to creating so many of the things that we see around us. In studying science, I came to feel that - particularly because of the interdependence of molecular systems - there must also be a mind who has made the far more complex things that we observe around us in the natural world. Thus I was led to become a theist; I understand that you're an Atheist, and certainly don't wish to seem to be disrespecting your belief - rather, I'm curious as to what has led you to your beliefs(?)

Separately, in the last year I've heard him rightly decry the horrors facing victims of war in Ukraine, and relative poverty facing son children in Britain. Why has he cut Aid to other victims of conflict (such as that in Sudan) and to more severely impoverished children in our world (for whom each £ can make far more impact than it can here)?

 

 

Toffee Crisp and Blue Riband no longer called ‘chocolate’ after recipe change 

I'm SO frustrated that it's this which our media obsesses over, rather than shining light on the exploitation of cocoa labourers. Corporations are getting away with horrifically endangering and underpaying workers who make our chocolate possible, even child slavery is involved. If the media moaned about this, the pressure on corporations could influence change - but instead they talk only about trivia.

PS - Fairtrade Foundation is worth signing up to for petitions

 

 

Worried about toy trends and Christmas expectations?..tips to help you navigate and ease the pressure of gift-guilt

Why guilt? If kids get everything they want, it's harder for them to appreciate things.

There are children elsewhere in our world who have nothing, and we can give to them via charities like Operation Christmas Child UK - doing so also helps us to feel more joy in what we have