Tuesday, 16 December 2025

First audit of the war doesn’t look good for US 
When the IRGC invokes "the name of God, the almighty, the merciful", it emulates the religious authorities with whom Christ argued for attempts to utilise God as a means of attaining dominance whilst not in fact following Him. Increasingly, Trump's administration is doing this also.
 
 
President Donald Trump appears to have deleted a Truth Social image that showed him as Jesus Christ healing sick people 
Trump presumes that God is on his "side". But Jesus didn't teach this concept. The battle is ultimately not between Westerners and others - it's against the sin each of us and we all need to repentantly turn to Jesus, the true victor.
Jesus continually argued with those who, like MAGA, feigned religiosity - rather than actually trying to follow God - to attain power.
 
 
"Access to abortion" in the first several weeks of pregnancy isn't entirely the same as celebrating the killing of a preborn human whilst asserting that they were developed enough to hear music. 
 
 
The patient is convicted of child abuse, anyone arguing that the problem here is a healthcare worker using the pronouns she believed to be correct should consider whether they're truly on the side of the vulnerable. 
 
 
It's not social justice to support tiny vulnerable human beings being killed by more powerful human beings. Reform are wrong about most things, but not this.
Abortion in the first few weeks of pregnancy is one thing - but it's currently legal up to 24 weeks. Look up babies born prematurely at 24 weeks and consider if you really think that this should be legal.
 
 
Believing that God's guidance is for sex to only be within hetero marriage doesn't mean having any less neighbourly love for those who think/act otherwise (though I know that some have failed - or not tried - to demonstrate Christ-like behaviour). God disagrees with some of the behaviour of EVERY person, yet also loves each person beyond measure (so much that Jesus died for us) 
 
 
BBC’s Pilgrimage is a beautiful picture of difference that doesn’t have to become division 
It is, though I can't help worry that non-believing members of the public who watch might mistakenly be led to think that theism is about odd rituals and personal feelings. The celebrities always say plenty of seriously misinformed things, and there's often no one in the show addressing these fallacies 
 
 
Farage : Easter 
What does Reform UK think Christianity actually is?
Christ told us to love our neighbours, specifically referencing those from elsewhere, yet Reform wants to cut Aid to the world's poorest people. Jesus told us not to be proud of our heritage (Matthew 3:9) but to repent.
 
 
Decent shame kept us honest, now it’s extinct 
We have just commemorated our shame being borne by Christ - as prior generations heard whilst growing up, our wrongdoing accrues a debt, but Jesus offers to pay it on the cross (it is not insignificant). Contrastingly, younger generations are inculcated during formative years with the ideology of an absence of such justice - though it must be stressed that most young people nevertheless have a conscience and many have admirable values. Commercialism's ascent has entailed our increasingly being imbued with the marketeer's message that we're entitled to whatever we feel we'd like.
 
 
Beware the politician bearing a cross 
Fraser Nelson rightly observes that some political figures now brandish a cross alongside a "the clash-of-civilisations narrative". Yet the two don't align. On the cross, Jesus was victorious in a wholly different battle, that against our sin. Thus we should have humility, and recognise that we are not endowed with righteousness by dint of heritage - in fact Jesus rebuked those who took pride in theirs (Matthew 3:9). He also repeatedly chastised those who feigned religiosity for the sake of power.
Jesus implored us to love our "neighbours", referring to those of ostensibly rival cultural groups (see the Good Samaritan), and He urges each person to repentantly turn to Him. Muslims are not prohibiting anyone from doing so.

 
Jews should not have to fight antisemitism alone 
Observing the rise of the Manosphere, I'm struck that it correlates with the abandonment of the previously widely respected teachings of a particular historical figure, who happened to be Jewish. 
 
 
The new Archbishop of Canterbury shoulders a heavy cross 
When Justin Welby became Archbishop, I had the privilege of being the first member of the public to as him a question in a radio phone-in - and I lament that I asked a question about same sex marriage. In fact, what is paramount is The Gospel. The Archbishop's fundamental responsibility is to direct people towards God - in an era in which so many people understandably yet mistakenly presume the fallacy that His existence is contrary to science, or unimportant. Whatever the failings of the Church, observers should be cognizant that Christ perpetually argued with religious authorities - thus any unChristlike behaviour within the institution should not be conflated with Him 
 
 
Left and right are misreading Muslim Britain 
Sonia Sodha correctly observes the erroneous oversimplification of Muslim Britain by the Left and by the Right. I hypothesise that, in an era in which we have so much information immersing us continually, we are prone to generalising groups of others as a coping strategy. Some on the Left deem all Muslims innocent victims of societal racism, spurred on to do so in retaliation to the animosity of some on the Right. In reality Muslims are as varied as the rest of the population. 
Thousands of people congregating in Trafalgar Square, other than for a public performance, arguably is inherently an act of dominance - this doesn't mean that the individuals at the event, nor in the wider Muslim population, have a conscious  aim to dominate the country. 
Imminently, Trafalgar Square will host an enactment of Jesus' death and resurrection - since the religious tradition of our nation is one that entails cognizance of our own sin, not the pretence, demonstrated by Farage and his acolytes, that humanity's problems are the preserve of an imported religion.
 
 
'Not a Christian': 5 responses to Trump's 'praise' of 'Allah' on Easter Sunday 
Jesus says that out of the heart, the mouth speaks, and that a good tree produces good fruit - Trump's hateful and boastful rhetoric demonstrates that he is not trying to follow Christ.
His policies are also indicative of someone not trying to adhere to Jesus' teachings - note that Jesus taught us to help those in need, including those from elsewhere, yet Trump has doomed millions of people to death by terminating (rather than amending flaws in) USAID.
 
 
If only there were also outcry across media about workers mistreated elsewhere in the supply chains of what we buy. Labourers in poorer parts of our world are continually overlooked 
 
 
Council accused of ‘marginalising the Jewish community’ by signing a deal with West Bank city after the October 7 attacks 
Why would you not instead support one of the places in our world where there's extreme suffering which is overlooked?
 
 
US and Iran agree to provisional ceasefire with Tehran saying it will reopen strait of Hormuz 
NB - in addition to the hell this is causing for those in the nations hit directly by the war, it's also putting folk elsewhere through hell because it's hindering shipments of Aid to (largely overlooked) places where there's starvation. 
 
 
No child should be aborted. 
Recently I was in conversation with someone who's 23 weeks and another individual - the 2nd person asked about whether the baby has feet yet, and whether it still has a tail. They're an educated individual, it struck me as demonstrative of how widespread misunderstandings about the preborn could be. 
 
 
Is the UK a religious country? 
"Religion" means different things to different people. Jesus didn't come to instigate traditions and rituals, we can't earn our way to Heaven - instead He died to make our salvation possible. However, most Brits aren't interested, and mistakenly presume that there's no rational basis for believing in God or the resurrection. 
 
 
Folk should look into this for themselves. I thought it seemed absurd to believe that Jesus rose from death, but came to see that the historical case is solid. 
 
 
(in Christian Women's Facebook Group) 
I heard a preacher explain why as Christians we say he "Jesus is risen "
And he said its because God it not just the God of the past , he is the God of now and the God of the future
It's fundamentally important that what Christ has done transcends time, since His sacrifice for us is applicable now and in the future, long after the event. God created time and is not bound by it..  
 
 
Pope Leo issues clear message to Donald Trump in Easter Sunday address 
Donald Trump needs to read what Jesus actually said. Trump mistakenly presumes that God is on his side - but Jesus said that each of us need to repent and turn to Him, as well as teaching that we should help the poor (Trump has done the very opposite of this by terminating USAID) and love our neighbours (Trump spews hatred instead). 
 
 
US is showing early warning signs of a genocide against trans and non-binary people, according to experts 
Guys, I understand the concern (and I strongly believe in treating trans folk with compassion and hate that some people don't), but misusing the word *genocide* is not going to help, it will add to mockery and stubbornness amongst those who you need to become more sympathetic.
Please contemplate genocides ("geno" refers to ethnicity, so it's not relevant in the situation RE gender identity) such as the Holocaust and Rwanda and don't give the impression of not taking these mass murders seriously by equating them with bathroom restrictions. Note that the Slippery Slope is a logical fallacy, one thing happening does not prove that a more severe thing will happen.
 
 
Slightly confused by some of this(?) Jesus made the point that following God was about repentantly turning to Him, not adherence to elaborate rituals. But each to their own of course. 
 
 
Why did the Son of God have to die for our sins to be forgiven? 
The human brain isn't going to be able to wholly comprehend and describe metaphysical matters, though we should continually seek to immerse ourselves in the questions of The Cross. Ultimately when we're honest with ourselves, we know that we've sinned and need Jesus. 
 
 
Pope Leo washed the feet of 12 priests in a Holy Thursday ritual, using the moment to urge Catholics to stand with the oppressed. His remarks followed criticism of the Trump administration over the war in Iran and a call to end the fightin 
It's frustrating that folk have often ignored "Christianity" because of behaviour by people calling themselves "Christians" yet not actually trying to follow Christ. Kudos to the Pope for doing better at this than many other religious leaders. 
 
 
A Reform UK government will end Labour’s VAT raid on churches 
Good RE Church VAT. But what does Reform UK think Christianity actually is?
Christ told us to love our neighbours, specifically referencing those from elsewhere, yet Reform wants to cut Aid to the world's poorest people. Jesus told us not to be proud of our heritage (Matthew 3:9) but to repent.
 
 
Charity watchdog must bare teeth to misogynistic imams
As a fellow Baptist, I'd urge the minister mentioned to be cognizant of the Biblical women praised for active rather than submissive lives. And yet, in stating that a wife ought to submit to her husband's leadership, he is not mirroring the Imams who endorse husbands beating their wives as Iqbal implies. We have leaders in parliament, they do not beat us.
 
 
Fairness should be based on need, not race 
Our Government has cut Overseas Aid from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3 (in spite of the reality that far more impact can be made with a given amount of funding through Overseas Aid than when it is spent elsewhere). Recently it's transpired that one of the consequences of this is the termination of The Global Health Workforce Programme, which supported healthcare training in six African countries. Initiatives axed last year due to the Aid cut included atrocity prevention in Sudan, and action to tackle Female Genital Mutilation. Starmer's prefacing the reduction by citing Ukrainians (who we should, of course, support) imply that human beings with the most melanin are devalued. Why do Black lives not matter to our Government? Why do "fashionable anti-racism" advocates neglect the aforementioned issues? 
 
 
Wear an extra jumper — just don’t ask for an energy bailout 
My Grandmother - like many of the wartime generation - would be appalled that anyone would refrain from an additional jumper and expect subsidised heating. In fact, that we have such endless access to cheap jumpers and other attire is itself demonstrative of how privileged we are. I remember visiting Mozambique, and noticing that most children wore clothes that had been disposed of in the West - one small boy wore an old Lesbian and Gay Pride festival T-shirt. If Reeves had “compassion” she would not have Overseas Aid to people in the very most disadvantaged parts of our world, where each £ can make many times the impact it can make here.


Paapa Essiedu on his Harry Potter trolls: They say, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you’ 
Horrifying racism. And how thoroughly primitive does a person have to be to care so much about an actor's melanin?
Ultimately, Globally, those with the most melanin are the most exploited, disadvantage, and overlooked - as the human race we need to stop this irrationality.


Prince William hopes he can "draw a line in the sand" when it comes to questions about his faith
Ultimately each person must decide for themselves whether to repentantly turn to God. Man people either mistakenly presume that they're Christian by birth; or that it's all nonsense. In fact there are good reasons, espoused by academics, for concluding that God exists, and also that Jesus rose from death - people should weigh this up for themselves 
 
 
White working class boys STILL at bottom of the class - 'warning not listened to' 
The issue is cultural - research shows that white kids themselves aren't as keen to try their hardest in school as kids from other backgrounds. We aren't disadvantaged as white people, we're less likely to bother. 
 

“When I was in second grade, my teacher made us pray"
Prayer is conversation with God, there's no logic in making someone pray. Children, and everyone else, must decide for themselves whether to turn to God - teachers could share the rational arguments (from science and philosophy) supporting His existence, but no one can dictate another person's choice on this. 
 

"Previously, illegal abortion counted as a violent crime"
It IS violence to kill a small human.
In the 1st month or 2 they might arguably not be considered equivalent given the lack of development of organs and neural function - but this law change includes ALL preborn humans, including those who are able to hear music, suck their thumbs, etc etc. Premature babies are rightly kept alive - yet this law change means a woman may kill exactly the same small human.
PS I'm not going to spend time arguing.


"President doing work of Jesus" 
God can use anyone in His complex plans, but it is grave (and blasphemous) misuse of scripture to claim that Trump is anointed to precipitate Christ's return. And importantly, Trump is antithetical to Jesus. His extreme pride is demonstrative of a rejection of The Gospel, as are comments he's made.
Jesus asserted that the ultimate war is against sin, it's not a military battle (nor is it Westerners vs Muslims, as some evidently imagine). Jesus is the victor, not human armies.
He also taught that we cannot foresee exactly when the end will come - but any individual's end could hypothetically be imminent, so perhaps Trump should personally repent. 
 
 
Reform UK still lacks a mature political prospectus 
Richard Tice exemplifies Reform's dearth of maturity by incessantly referring to "net stupid zero". Fortunately, most children are more scientifically enlightened regarding climate change than Reform. Reform's slogan's citing "Judeo Christian values" are also indicative of their hot air, since their policies and rhetoric are not aligned with Christ's teaching. 
 
 
Tourette’s is cruel but offers insight into what it is to be human 
As AI advances, the question raised by Tom Whipple, of what it is to be human is imperative. Amidst my being housebound with Anorexia, in which I experienced my brain being out of my control (in parallel to Tourette’s, though I do not mean to derogate from it), I listened to academics debating the notion that our evolution could not have been wholly by undirected mechanisms. Our brains are indeed fascinating - yet there may be more to our personhood as human beings. 
 
 
Ramadan v Lent quip masks a serious issue 
Whilst Libby Purves rightly identifies the anxiety of many regarding the excessive deference demonstrated towards Islam, the complainant to Bedford council has misunderstood Lent. It is a time of personal reflection on Christ, who died for us and rose, defeating sin and death. He has won victory - no ostensible encroachment by Islam negates this nor prohibits any of us from repentantly turning to Him. Asked about tax, Jesus implored "give it to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's" - I wonder if He might've advised that whilst a council could be held to account regarding potholes and bin collections, we need to take personal responsibility giving recognition to God.
 
 
Women's safety
To blame immigration is an insult to the women who've been hurt by misogynistic violence and who are being used for a fallacious political argument. We might like to think that sin is something foreign that comes in from elsewhere but it is a universal problem, including in our own hearts.
We are privileged to live in a society impacted by Jesus' teachings - because of Him, our culture knows that mistreatment of women is wrong, whereas it was deemed acceptable previously in our part of the world. Yet there has always been violence against women in spite of Jesus being a role model due to human sin. An contributing factor to the problem worsening now is that He is no longer our society's role model - this isn't because of migration.
 
 
Left can’t resist being on wrong side of a war 
The Lancet has recently reported projections that 22 million people will die needlessly by 2030 due to cuts in Overseas Aid (by nations including our own). This, not the death of the Ayatollah, is what anyone serious about social justice should be concerned about.
 

Trump lashes out by condemning Starmer as ‘no Churchill’
Tomorrow/today (the 5th of March) marks the anniversary of the speech in which Churchill coined "special relationship". He opined that US troops guard their families and raise them with mindfulness of "the Lord, or upon ethical conceptions". Trump endlessly contradicts the Lord (all the while audaciously selling Bibles) and has no ethical conceptions. He has said that he is constrained only by his own morality". I don't think it's Starmer who's primarily to blame for the special relationship's decline. 
 
 
Yes, Britain needs more babies – but Reform’s nasty plans for women won’t help 
Polly Toynbee refers to "breed[ing] more white Christian babies", but contrary to Reform's Ideology, Christianity is not congenital. Christ calls us to be "born again", since we are not made Christian by birth but by choosing to repentantly turn to Him. Reform's rhetoric and policies are indicative of an antithetical worldview, as they espouse pride in heritage (condemned by Jesus in Matthew 3:9) rather than the humility borne of recognising one's own sin. And of course, the Black population of the UK has a higher proportion of committed Christians than the white population. 
 
 
Why do we need International Women’s Day? Apart from misogyny and Christian nationalism, you mean? 
"Christian Nationalism" is an oxymoron. A person who thinks themselves inherently righteous by virtue of their nationality is contradicting The Gospel, as well as Jesus' teachings about loving one's neighbours (specifically folk from elsewhere, as taught in the parable of The Good Samaritan), and the prohibition of idolatry.
Jesus engaged women with respect, such as was atypical in His setting and appeared first to women upon His resurrection (as an aside, had The Gospel writers fabricated His resurrection, they would not have attested that women saw Him first, given the sexism of the time). The egalitarianism of the early Church was startling to observers, and Christianity's teachings about the equal dignity of male and female instigated a change in Western culture away from the violent objectification of women which had previously been accepted.
Power hungry men might seek to utilise "religion" to justify themselves, but Jesus argued frequently with those who feigned religiosity for dominance.
 

I’m not baptised, but this is why I go to church 
Esther Walker has an aversion to enthusiastic conversation about Jesus, yet she espouses several sentiments aligned with His message. She observes that some Church members have treated others abominably, and Jesus repeatedly chastised those who feigned religiosity for the purposes of dominance rather than seeking to follow God. She also expresses concern that we cannot be perfect - this is why Christ died for us.
My own childhood did include Church going - yet I myself needed to examine the rational reasoning supporting God’s existence and Christ’s resurrection to be convinced to continue with Christianity. Personally I prefer guitars to bells and smells, but God has created humanity with diverse tastes. 
 
 
Mark Rowley: Why I asked home secretary to ban the al-Quds march 
Free speech is not the only value which matters, and our democracy is not buttressed by protests in support of a dictatorship. "Al Quds" translates as "Jerusalem", bringing to mind the imminent Palm Sunday, in which we remember crowds assembling as Jesus entered the city. Within a week, people bayed for His blood, demonstrative perhaps of the fickle and riotous nature of crowds. Jesus taught that the ultimate battle is against our sin, contrasting with the conflict generating territory disputes espoused by those on either side of the Palestinian conflict (which the Al Quds march is claimed to be about). 
 
 
Keir Starmer wants kids to vote! 
Voting reduces reoffending in excons, because it makes people feel like a part of society and that they want to behave responsibly. Why wouldn't you want teens to feel this way?
 
 
Pope Leo XIV has sent a strong message to US President Donald Trump 
 Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. If Trump were acting to reduce the harm done by the evil Iranian government that would be great, but that isn't Trump's motive and the outcome looks likely to be more violence
 
 
M&S has launched a cookie dippy egg cheesecake for Easter – here’s my review 
I really wish the news media would spend more time reporting on the issues of exploitation of labourers within cocoa supply chains. You could help pressure change. What a few reviewers think of the taste of some products is not news. 
 
 
‘SNL’ sketch sees controversial celebrities claim they have Tourette’s after BAFTAs N-word incident 
Amazed that this has been produced in 2026. Over here in the UK, where the event actually happened, the majority opinion has been sympathy for the Tourette's sufferer and anger at the BBC and BAFTA (IMO, not enough simultaneous sympathy for Black folk, which is *also* needed). They obviously think they're progressive for attacking JK Rowling (I'd personally disagree), yet they're so backwards they can't comprehend a disability. 
 
 
Democrat darling James Talarico called the flag “a complicated symbol,” But Jimmy Failla says there’s nothing complicated about Old Glory
If someone doesn't think flag use is complicated they're being deliberately ignorant. Flags are plainly used for political messaging, sometimes with the intention of sending strong messages against folk from elsewhere. 
 
 
There has been some great stuff from the BBC recently, such as episodes of Songs of BBC Songs of Praise including snippets of actual teaching and the News report into misuse of crosses by the far right. But there have also been several serious misuses of the word "evangelical" in recent years - indeed more literacy is needed. Personally I'd like to see more content on the overlap of science and theism, and more Christian characters in Eastenders etc.
NB There's an RE kids' show, TreasureChamps, which includes Jesus' parables - and given other kids' shows also, the BBC is, whilst very flawed, very important
 
 
Trump is antithetical to Jesus. His extreme pride is demonstrative of a rejection of The Gospel, as are comments he's made.
Jesus taught that the ultimate battle is against sin, it's not a military battle (nor is it Westerners vs Muslims, as some seem to think). Jesus is the victor, not human armies.
He also taught that we will not know exactly when the end will come -but any person's end time could potentially be any day, so we ought to be focussing on seeking Him and pointing others to Him, not making predictions.
 
 
These people (like those in the photo) need to stop waving crosses. Jesus died on a cross for our sin, trying to use it as a symbol of nationalism wholly misses the point. 
 
 
Ultimately, St George legendarily wore a cross because Jesus died for humanity's sin on a cross. So it's ironic that some people wave it around while feeling so proud of themselves and superior to others, all the while behaving in ways antithetical to what Jesus taught yet claiming this is a "Christian country"
 
 
Why don't celebrities use their platforms to raise awareness of crises that don't already have attention?
What does saying "Free Palestine" achieve, given that everyone already knows about it? Many more people are suffering in Sudan, yet they're ignored - why?
If one's motivation is to tackle the suffering of human beings, why not talk about the larger number of human beings who aren't already widely known about?
And if celebrities care about suffering human beings, why do they spend so much on themselves rather than living like average Westerners and donating the difference to causes helping the world's most afflicted people?
 
 
Reform/Restore/Advance have missed the point. Most of my fellow native white Brits have abandoned Christianity, mistakenly thinking it myth without exploring the academic support for God's existence and for Jesus' resurrection - and people don't like the idea that God sees their sin. Migration is not the cause of the decline of Christianity at all.
Furthermore, pride - including feeling superior by virtue of heritage - is antithetical to The Gospel. We should be conscious of our sin and humbly grateful that Jesus offers righteousness in God's sight via His sacrifice in our place - we are not at all made righteousness on the basis of nationality.
"Do not say, 'we have Abraham as our father'" (Jesus lambasting those taking pride in their heritage in Matthew 3:9). We aren't Christian by birth, we must decide to truly turn to Jesus.
Note that Jesus repeatedly argued with "religious" folk who He pointed out were not actually committed to God and who instead misappropriated religious institutions to attain dominance over others.
Also: The Right's plans to further cut Aid to the world's poorest people are antithetical to Christ's teachings. 
 
 
Nationalists may claim “to put Christianity at the centre”, but they are akin to those whom Christ repeatedly chastised for feigning religiosity whilst not truly endeavouring to follow God. In addition to His commands to love those from elsewhere and to eschew the love of money, Reform disregards Jesus’ teachings that righteousness is not borne of our heritage, and that we should be repentant rather than proud. 
 
 
Whilst Libby Purves rightly identifies the anxiety of many regarding the excessive deference demonstrated towards Islam, the complainant to Bedford council has misunderstood Lent. It is a time of personal reflection on Christ, who died for us and rose, defeating sin and death. He has won victory - no ostensible encroachment by Islam negates this nor prohibits any of us from repentantly turning to Him. Asked about tax, Jesus implored "give it to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's" - I wonder if He might've advised that whilst a council could be held to account regarding potholes and bin collections, we need to take personal responsibility giving recognition to God.

Jesus ultimately sacrificed Himself for humanity - is Blair aligned with this? Christ implores each person to repentantly turn to Him - the egotism of Blair, and of the Reform members currently claiming "Judeo-Christian values" belie such humility. 
 
 
Richard Tice exemplifies Reform's dearth of maturity by incessantly referring to "net stupid zero". Fortunately, most children are more scientifically enlightened regarding climate change than Reform. Reform's slogan's citing "Judeo Christian values" are also indicative of their hot air, since their policies and rhetoric are not aligned with Christ's teaching. 
 
 
Janice Turner references Christian teachers who might refuse to oblige a child's request to be referred to as the opposite of their biological sex. It's fundamental to Christianity that disagreement is not necessarily demonstrative of disdain - God loves us whilst disagreeing with some of our behaviour, and in turn we must have compassion for those whose actions or beliefs (such as that one may be in the wrong body) are erroneous. Whilst I was hating my own body throughout my teens - believing that it was vital to eschew body fat -  teachers, parents and doctors did the very opposite of affirm my conviction, thus I am still alive. Inadvertently blocking my puberty - not by choice but via starvation - rendered me osteoporotic; I don't see how paving the path for children to hurt themselves is "care".

  
No, because there is no such thing. The phrase is an oxymoron. No one can serve 2 masters, if one’s foremost allegiance is to country it is not to Christ. Our identity is in Him, not in heritage, we long for His Kingdom rather than longing to turn back the clock in the United Kingdom. Jesus chastises those who have pride in their ancestry (Matthew 3:9). If we feel - as rhetoric from Christian Nationalists indicates they do - that heritage grants us inherent righteousness, we’ve missed the Gospel. Of course, it’s also crucial that when asked who one’s neighbour is, Jesus referred to an individual of a perceived opposing nationality. Furthermore, those who argue that barbarism is imported and wave crosses at Tommy Robinson marches should contemplate that a peaceful middle Eastern man was slaughtered on the cross by some of our fellow white Europeans; as well as that Christianity migrated into Britain. 
 
 
As Danny Kruger mentioned last year, parts of The House of Commons evolved from a Chapel - like Notre Dame, a building to contemplate God (though in fact “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands” Acts 7:48). Kruger’s new party speaks of “Christian values” whilst demonstrating an absence of them - and as he stated in his speech, our country as a whole has largely abandoned the foundation of our values. Perhaps a fraying building is emblematic of the loss of something of deeper significance.
 
 
Paul Goodman cites “Christian extremism in parts of the United States” - however the disturbing movements to which he refers are, by definition, not Christian, since they are evidently not truly seeking to follow Christ and rather to appropriate His name as a facade of nobility. Identifying as X does not necessarily prove one to be X, just as Trump identifying as a genius does not make him one. Jesus continually argued with those who feigned religiosity as a means of asserting dominance, and we observe this pattern throughout human history, including amongst the MAGA movement. Christ embodied peace sand taught us to repent - thus developing humility rather than the pride demonstrated by nationalists; and He implored us to love our neighbours and enemies. Contrastingly, Muhammed undertook battle to further his movement - yet most Muslims are themselves peaceful and positive contributors to our society. 
 
 
I wouldn't consider myself a "good" white person, to cite the end of this clip - but I am constantly wondering why there's not more concern shown for the human beings in our world who are most impoverished or exploited. Why has Sudan so rarely been in the news, though it's the biggest crisis in our world right now? Why don't we hear about those being harmed by the corporations extracting minerals for our tech, about the labourers providing our cocoa etc, about those who still don't have clean water?
(I get the point that the video clip was actually making, I just needed to rant)
 
 
It's remarkable to me that Esther Rantzen is *still* relying on chastising opponents of the bill for being "religious". Perhaps it betrays the reality that our nation's respect for human life is derivative of our Christian heritage; she'll be well aware that opponents of the bill are concerned about the vulnerable, and according to her, opposition to the bill is "religious" 
 
 
"The Iranians"? How utterly stupid to lump together a whole population, many of whom are suffering horrendously because of their government. I presume that you mean the Iranian government, and it's weirdly brain-dead not to have said so. 
 
 
It's insane that Trump is trying to take credit for The Quiet Revival, his ignorant arrogance is hilarious.
And his attitude and policies are antithetical to what Jesus teaches
 
 
How does one determine who is "a white version"? Most screen personalities are paid far more than is necessary (which is, of course, not to excuse any inequality that does exist as she alludes), the priority for humanity should be lifting up those within the Global South in extreme poverty rather than there being so much in the media about millionaires getting more. 
 

Man arrested after ‘serious axe incident’ at Manchester mosque  
The far Right say "this is a Christian country" whilst demonstrating that they're the opposite of Christian.
Human history is full of behaviour like this attacking those of other groups - but our country's values were shaped by a middle Eastern man who commended us to love our neighbours and supposed enemies.
 
 
Jesus often challenged people by asking them questions. Maybe He'd have asked the racist why they think themselves superior to those of another ethnicity, this might nudge them to realise their stupidity. 
 
 
Yes, tell them that what they wear doesn't stop them being boys. 
 
 
It's complicated - we do have a duty to care about social justice, but for celebrities, taking a position on politics is unlikely to impact change, it's more likely that it'll only make those who disagree stop listening to them, which means they can't communicate The Gospel to as many listeners 
 
 
Why ascribe human consciousness to animals? They don't have the emotional/moral/intellectual dimensions that humans do. We should treat them with care, but not expect them to care about us. Dogs are evolved to people please. 
 
 
Christianity is not about political power.
Christ's teachings have hugely impacted our culture, introducing values that we now see as the norm, such as concern for the vulnerable, that weren't widespread previously in the Western world. But ultimately He told us to choose to repent and turn to Him - not to fight others for dominance. He argued with those who pretended to be "religious" for the sake of attaining power over others.
Heritage does not make a person an actual Christian - and there are many folk of very different heritage who are far more committed to Christ than most of the native white population.
It's not true at all that "Britain is losing its Christian values because of the “sheer quantities of people that came to the country in a short period of time”, most white Brits gave it up, and the Churches that are growing are mostly those with many folk from elsewhere. 
 
 
I support this policy - but ultimately, Churches have been struggling because most of the native white population ignores God. Many mistakenly presume Christianity to be myth without looking at the academic reasoning supporting it. What matters most is whether people choose to turn to Jesus, not buildings. 
 
 
Good grief. No, actual Christianity is to choose to follow Christ. Most white Brits gave it up (many mistakenly presume Christianity to be myth without looking at the academic reasoning supporting it), and the Churches that are growing are mostly those with many folk from elsewhere. 
 
 
Having money doesn't mean one needs to spend it on oneself, it would be more exciting to use it to help the world's most disadvantaged people 
 
 
I think that the world doesn't care enough about the human beings with the most melanin. I can't see a better explanation for how little some of the biggest injustices receive. So much suffering could be reduced, but it's ignored. 
 
 
PS - Sponsoring a girl in one of the least privileged parts of our world enables us to protect girls who are vulnerable today. Perverts hurting girls is a recurrent problem, but we could fight it as well as being furious with Epstein's friends.
 
 
Farage has called working from home 'nonsense' 
Some jobs are using one's brain rather than one's physical presence, but I guess he's not familiar with that
(To clarify, I'm not saying that jobs done in person don't require brain power, only that Farage isn't using much)
 
 
Please note - each of has the choice of actually turning to Jesus ourselves, what Charles or the PM are doing RE marking these days ultimately doesn't actually matter (other than to them themselves) 
 
 
I don't understand why he went from rightly highlighting folk who are literally starving (in certain parts of Africa, though of course it's a very varied continent) to instead calling for more money and attention for himself. The very poorest people in our World are far more disadvantaged than folk here, and for them each £ makes many times more impact - but he's seemingly given up working to help them. 
 
 
Please note - each of has the choice of actually turning to Jesus ourselves, what Charles or the PM are doing RE marking these days ultimately doesn't actually matter (other than to them themselves)
 
 
Well said Grace, I would never vote reform, Carol doing her usual ranting glad she is up against someone who stands up to her without resorting to her style. 
I really didn't say enough about the complexity of the small boat situation, I wish I'd had more time to point out the necessity of *compassion for genuine refugees* alongside concerns about gangs misleading some others into thinking the streets are paved with gold.
I think Carole's just there to irritate us, she's personified ragebait.
 
 
The sad reality is that for some people with some degree of bias, even subconscious, seeing this will (irrationally) bolster their prejudicial sentiments even if a different version of the ad with a white guy exists elsewhere on TfL 
Could you not say the same about the white guy ads though tbh. I mean an indirect policy that only white men should be used in ads about sex pests seems like it might stigmatise that group. 
Because there are enough examples of white men of all character types in our media, this ad won't have that impact. By contrast some people are still unfamiliar enough with Black folk that the characters they do see can shape their presumptions. And there aren't enough people who both aren't white men and have power for the stigmatisation you hypothesise to pose a significant threat.
 
 
Trump doesn't care at all about these people, he's already sentenced millions of African folk to death by ending USAID and referred to their countries as "sh*tholes". He's doing this^ to score points with Christian voters - were it to actually help that would be awesome, but there's already been some evidence that he's actually making the situation worse. 
 
 
I do not understand why many of the situations with the most human suffering - plenty of which are affecting folk within parts of Africa (though I'm very aware that it's a hugely varied continent) - are virtually ignored. There are still some people in our world without clean water to drink, or who are literally starving, or who are being grossly exploited in dangerous mines or plantations so that we can buy things, etc etc - and our media/politics ignore them. 
 
 
You ARE incredibly rich. That income puts a person in the top few % of humanity in terms of wealth. Our culture has us looking at the few individuals in our world who are stupidly rich, and we forget those who are in extreme (not relative) poverty 
 
 
Why would one give money to UK businesses rather than towards tackling current slavery and extreme poverty within regions of Africa? We should tackle injustices today that ripple from history, but we cannot repair history, and there's existing suffering we should be addressing. Do we care about the Black human beings in the greatest need or about showing off to our neighbours?
Additionally, we have our own sin to repent of, sin is not derived from ancestry. I suspect that part of the call for reparations might result from a Spiritual framework that centres connection with ancestors.
 
 
I have Asperger's (Autism) and ADHD - whether or not I could use privileges for disabled folk when at theme parks (a 1st world privilege) hadn't crossed my mind, all I'm thinking about is the fact that I'm desperate to work hard yet keep on being rejected in job applications (as are many of those of us who are neurodiverse). Does stuff like this^ just add to other people subconsciously thinking that we're too different to contribute to society? 
 
 
I concur with James Marriott - we're tempted to assign blame exclusively to others (in this case, inarguably dangerous tech bosses and their nefarious algorithms), in reality, we need simultaneously to counter evil within society and also to recognise our own inherent flaws. If we don’t take the planks out of our own eyes, we won’t be able to tackle the tech in everyone else’s. 
 
 
And he won't apologise. Trump has said that he thinks he'll get to Heaven if he achieves certain things - in fact Jesus taught that salvation depends on repenting and turning to Him 9since He died for our sin). Trump refusing to ever show contrition or humility shows how fake his pretence to be on the side of Christianity is. 
 
 
I wish. They also constantly espouse their opposition to climate action.
And they claim to want to bring back "Christian values" whilst they demonstrate the precise opposite.
it’s Christian values USA style… 
It's not Christian, by definition, it's a continuation of a problem Christ opposed rather than adherence to Christ. He repeatedly argued with the"religious" folk who He pointed out were not actually committed to God and who instead misappropriated religious institutions to attain dominance over others.
There are plenty of American Christians critiquing Trump, I recommend Holy Post Media, for instance
  
 
If a person has "deep Christian faith" (I'm not sure Charles does) it doesn't need praising. Christianity means acknowledging that we've sinned and repentantly turning to Jesus, He achieves our salvation, not us, so we're blessed rather than being deserving of "praise" ourselves. 
 
 
Wow, this is totally missing the point. People don't know God and you're worried about what they're wearing? They need to hear about Jesus, not fashion - and sneering like this only serves to deter people from Christianity because they are going to think it's judgemental and silly. 
 
 
I've always felt that I'm not feminine enough, and I'm very conscious that I don't look pretty enough according to society's ideals regarding being female - but it's been good to have the certainty of knowing that in spite of that insecurity, female is what I am, because it's defined by biology and not stereotypes. Rhetoric like hers implies that people who don't meet certain standards might not count as women, when in reality a woman *can* be less stereotypically feminine since being a woman is in our chromosomes irrespective of feelings or appearances. However I feel is a way that a woman can feelcan feel because I am a woman, it's not any indication of being less of a woman.
 
 
Whiteness, according to how the English language works, means being white. And trying to redefine it to assign political concepts like this does nothing but nudge some white people further towards the dangerous far Right voices who suggest they'll keep them safe amidst perceived hatred of white skin - ie, this^ type of comment ultimately fuels a problem suffered by POC, but perhaps you don't care about that and sneering patronisingly to boost your ego is what matters. 
 
 
AN Wilson implies a false dichotomy between politics and tradition. God supersedes both. He also transcends the liberal progressive/conservative/traditional binary. Indeed the Church need not necessarily debate Dawkins, particularly since fellow Oxford professors alongside other academics have proffered rebuttals to his assertions - but it is the duty of the Church to point the population towards God. Jesus did not prioritise religious customs nor buildings, precious as these can be.
I had the privilege of being the first member of the public to ask Welby a question (subsequent to his ascension to Archbishop) in a radio phone-in. I regret that I foolishly asked a question relating to politics and same-sex marriage. I should instead have drawn attention to Jesus (and if only those who hold power within the institution were all genuinely seeking to follow Him, the issue which ended Welby’s term would have been averted). The CofE should proclaim that Jesus offers something infinitely greater and longer lasting than the beauty of tradition.
 

Search for British girl, 7, swept out to sea in Morocco hampered by storm  
To those questioning her being British - the ENGLISH language (are you familiar with it?) dictates that "British" means "of Britain", therefore a child born in Britain is British. Personally I'm not a fan of hijabs (I mention this only because I'm guessing that it's the reason that people are questioning the girl being described as British), but if that is what you think matters right now you have issues.
What do you think "British values" are if you don't care about a child drowning?
 
 
Our society's moral framework was significantly shaped by a specific Jewish man. It seems now that our culture is rapidly abandoning previously held moral ideals, with the popularity of Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes epitomising this. The ideal of loving one's neighbours, even one's enemies, is being replaced in many minds by the notion that opposing supposed foes renders one virtuous - hence the aforementioned influencers; the zealous vitriol against Israelis from one side of the political spectrum and against migrants on the other.
 
 
The concept of “eternal conscious torment” is frequently believed to be a facet of Christianity, but as Sarah Ditum mentions, it is an invention of the Church and not aligned with The Bible. My own belief in Christianity developed amidst my experience of Anorexia (with convalescence affording time to examine academic debates), experience which included 2 involuntary spells in Eating Disorders Units. Patients who refused food were restrained and fitted with a nasogastric tube, through which calorie dense “milkshake” was pumped. Thus I’ve been perplexed as to why hunger strikers have instead been allowed to starve themselves. I respect their fortitude, yet it seems somewhat anachronistic to reject food through choice in an attempt to raise awareness of how torturous the hunger of others in our world is.
 
 
Ubiquitous as the phrase has become in certain forms, “Christian Nationalism” is an oxymoron. To genuinely follow Christ precludes idolatry of nation or ethnicity. Christ opposed those who feigned religiosity for the purposes of asserting dominance - and He implores each of us to choose to repent turn to Him, as our heritage does not render us righteous. He chastised those who boasted of their ancestry (Matthew 3:9); He rebuked tribal prejudices whilst commanding charity to those of other nationalities (Luke 10:25-37); and in contrast to the far Right’s militarism, He meekly allowed Himself to be executed - a peaceful Middle Eastern man suffering due to the barbarity of our fellow Caucasians (Romans) and (to the wrongdoing of each of us across humanity. 
 
 
The notion that rationality or science and following Jesus are mutually exclusive is popular but fallacious. It certainly is true that consumerism has reshaped the collective Western psyche, contrasting with prior ideals (all be they rarely held to) of adhering to Christ’s teachings. Yet, whilst Kruger’s new party claims to support “Christian values”, Reform demonstrates no awareness of them, and seeks to attribute blame for Britain’s brokenness to folk from elsewhere. Like political spin, it may be appealing to think ourselves intrinsically righteous, with all problems arising externally, but at both a population and an individual level, this is a falsehood. 
 
 
There are human beings in our world who are literally starving to death, so it's tragic that our mainstream media, unlike Premier, ignores most of humanity's disadvantaged people whilst finding time for celebrity gossip. Yet it's a potential blessing for us, since it's an opportunity to be reminded to resolve or avoid family disputes of our own. Of course, some situations necessitate estrangement due to abuse - and God has called us to live in peace (1 Corinthians 7:15) - but seeing the sad situations of celebrity family feuds could prompt us to ruminate on the good news that God's forgiveness of us means we should forgive others (and His help may enable us to do so)


A cartoon created to warn young people about extremism...Amelia
Why was she created with purple hair? The Right continually mocks coloured hair. It makes one wonder if the original creator was out of touch with those they were trying to reach.
 
 
Trump says he should own Greenland because of Nobel prize snub in letter to Norway PM
It increasingly appears that he could be the antiChrist...
Though we should talk more about how Western corporations and banks have been stealing other nations minerals and more. Trump seeking to plunder Greenland for its rare Earth minerals is evil, unfortunately such larceny is not entirely new

 
As much as Trump proposing to take Greenland is insane and evil, I'm increasingly feeling that the hand wringing seems somewhat odd in light of how other colonialism is overlooked. Some nations which were colonised in the past continue to be grossly exploited by Western banks and corporations despite supposed independence 
 
 
UN says 35 million Nigerians risk hunger after global funding collapse 
Largely due to Trump, who wants to pretend he's the saviour of Nigerian Christians....
NB Jesus told us to help those in need, and He specifically included those who don't share of own nationality.
Aid can make many times more impact per $ than money spent in the West, it's a privilege that we can make an impact.
 

Labour block Andy Burnham's bid to return as an MP in a by-election
Whilst Starmer has been talking about enabling us to afford to go to restaurants more often, human beings elsewhere in our world are literally starving to death and Starmer/Reeves have cut Aid (which can do many times more per £ than money spent here) from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3%. Under them the party has abandoned what Labour stands for.
 
 
In a post on X...migrants from the “third world” 
I am so, so disgusted by how "third world" is now being used as a pejorative to denigrate and dehumanise. In reality the third world exists in no small part because of the inhumanity of some people from OUR part of the world, who invaded and pillaged theirs. And the exploitation is still going on, in spite of the empire ending


We're asking if unvaccinated children should be kept out of school
We are so, so privileged - elsewhere in our world there are little children who suffer needlessly because of a lack of access to basic vaccinations. 
 
 
Our country is broken, it has lost its values - and it's not because of Muslims or immigration, it's because we (the native white population) have increasingly abandoned previously held ideals of selflessness and normalised selfishness as morally good.
 
 
Yes. It's not as though people voted for their MPs on the basis of supporting Assisted Dying - and why should the opinions of the public be deemed more important than the lives of the vulnerable anyway? 
 
 
The government has cut its programme to tackle FGM in the poorest parts of our world https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/98/international-development-committee/news/210729/ending-government-funding-for-fgm-prevention-programme-puts-women-and-girls-at-serious-risk-committee-chairs-warn/ (amongst other cuts made to Overseas Aid) - why should they spend many times more giving cash to women in the wealthiest generation* of our wealthy country whilst little girls are being brutalised?
(NB you needn't tell me that "not all 50s born women are rich", I'm well aware of that, but the payment is being demanded on the basis of age, not need)
*https://ifs.org.uk/sites/default/files/output_url_files/BN257-How-and-why-might-the-wealth-of-different-generations-be-expected-to-differ.pdf
 
 
Sex sells, thus our media has been shoving it in people's faces and instilling the lie that it's necessary for enjoying life for decades. This falsehood has contributed to endless problems. 
 
 
Critics of Trump, and of his British acolytes, correctly point out that their pretence of alignment with Christianity forgets that Jesus commanded love of the other. Fundamental to Christ’s teaching also is that we must repent - Trump, like many of instinctively feel, that our own morality suffices, but he should remind us that subjective morality is inadequate. That objective morality exists is posited by some philosophers as an indicator (in contrast to the notion that theism merely evolved) of a moral law giver - God - and Regan utilised a Biblical phrase when he asserted that America should be a “shining city on a hill”.  Trumpism is antithetical to The Gospel, but demonstrative of broader trends; we’re reverting towards Stone Age individualism.
 
 
Trump has now declared that only "his own morality" constrains him. What is this, exactly? Reagan in referred to America as "a shining city on a hill". Arguably this was a misuse of an originally Biblical phrase partially about sharing the Gospel of what Jesus offers beyond this life, yet its use was demonstrative of an aspiration to be a positive entity in the world. Contradictorily, numerous US institutions and power holders have instead avariciously exploited less wealthy nations. But Trump cares only about "his way" and has abandoned any notion of benevolence entirely.  
 
 
Prior to the secularisation of our society, one might have pondered the mysteries of the Universe’s Creator (science enabled novel discoveries as we deepened our understanding of the creation around us). In recent decades, materialism has superseded, and our culture presumes that there is nothing beyond this life whilst ubiquitous advertising manipulates us into constantly craving novelty. But unending social media content in itself doesn’t satisfy, and something in our design longs to feel that we are on the side of a moral cause - whatever new moral framework we’ve constructed for ourselves. In quest of ever more extreme stimuli (and assurance that we’re on the side we deem good, wrestling what we deem evil), we can fall down rabbit holes - we might need to touch grass.

 
Whilst we observe a pretence from opportunistic political agitators that Christianity is a matter of identity politics by which one distinguishes oneself from Muslims (reminiscent of the faux religion against which Jesus railed in its hollow and proud exuberance), in reality it is first and foremost a personal commitment to repentantly follow Christ.
It may be difficult to feel certainty of God given that we cannot observe Him with the sensory tissue nor scientific instruments with which we perceive the natural world - He is not comprised of the matter and energy that these detect. But those who don’t believe might evaluate for themselves the reasoning advanced by theistic scientists and philosophers for concluding God to be reality, just as a certain radio station exists irrespective of its signal waning in the Chilterns.
 
 
Is it not inevitable that celebrities increasingly influence public discourse? Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year is Parasocial, many people are emotionally attached to celebrities and in turn look to them for direction on deep issues. Where else would they look, in our secular society? We seem to have been designed to instinctively crave a moral framework - and the Government’s numerous recent references to “moral mission” are indicative of this. But who determines what is moral? In lieu of an ultimate Creator of morality, people seek to follow favourite celebrities, and in turn politicians feel obliged to adhere. 
 
 
I certainly recall the Twitter skirmish between JD Vance and Rory Stewart, I was heartened to see the latter's gently worded but comprehensive and astute rebuttal to the former's risible assertion about Christian principles.
A phrase from Jesus' teachings was utilised by Reagan in his oft quoted reference to America as "a shining city on a hill". Arguably this was a misuse of the phrase, which was partially about sharing the Gospel of what Jesus offers beyond this life, yet its use was demonstrative of an aspiration to be a positive entity in the world. Indeed there's been rife hypocrisy in that numerous US institutions and power holders have instead grossly exploited less wealthy nations (including plundering of natural resources).  But Trump has abandoned any notion of benevolence entirely. Millions will die due to his Aid cuts - and now the world is being taught that avarice rules. The "good old days" were preferrable.
 
 
Indeed, Christianity has shaped Western society - and we can be oblivious to this, just as we might not consciously contemplate the air we breathe having always been immersed in it. Though, whilst it has permeated civilisation, Christianity is not primarily defined by civilisational battles (contrary to what certain political voices increasingly imply). Christ did not seize territory nor implore battle against conflicting religions, He urged His listeners to personally repent and follow Him. This is of one's volition, irrespective of being in a "Christian country". I was taken to Church as a child, but did not believe until I encountered rational reasoning for concluding God's existence, and Jesus' resurrection, to be realities. Many Brits presume Christianity to be myth - and defiance against perceived restraints on liberty might render one hopeful that there is no God, yet many Christians experience greater freedom upon turning to Jesus "So if [Jesus] sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). 
 
 
No, *the Christian God* loves humanity so much that Christ died for us.
People misappropriating *religion* for power are the issue, Jesus argued with them frequently.
 
 
Because the job market and economy are tougher. And plenty of public voices and media outlets think normalising it is compassionate - it isn't. Women should not be stigmatised, but the industry itself should be.
 
 
What's incomparably more concerning, as much as I love chocolate and hate price rises, is that labourers (including children) are grossly exploited in the production of cocoa. We should be angry with the corporations mistreating and underpaying those workers, not that we ourselves need to search further for bargains on chocolate. 
you can buy fair trade.. 
Indeed, but that won't solve the problem. The exploitation will still exist, as other customers are buying non Fairtrade. The issue isn't my conscience, it's the reality for those suffering - what's needed is for the corporations to be forced to end the abuse. 
 
 
Jenrick says that the country is broken. The brokenness of our country is the departure from previously held values. On Thursday, Jenrick lied outright when he told the Tory Whip that he wasn't about to defect (reported by The Times).
Reform says that we need to return to "Christian values" and we do, but Reform doesn't know what they are. First and foremost is repentantly following Christ, Farage can't even apologise for saying that Hitler was right - of course, actual Christian values also include honesty, selflessness, and loving one's neighbour (from elsewhere)
(For clarity, I am by no means suggesting that these values are exclusive to Christians)
 
 
(in Christian Women's Facebook Group)  
What does it mean to be a godly wife? Not based on old patriarchal and misogynistic expectations, but actual biblical description/standards, and how are some ways that you live this out? 
"Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" Ephesians 5:25
"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." Colossians 3:19
"For this is how the holy women of the past...put their hope in God and were submissive to their husbands...Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honour as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life" 1 Peter 3:6
As Christians, we *all* need to have humility and not put ourselves first, in contrast to what our culture says. In married couples, BOTH parties need to sacrifice for the other.
Obviously, some men have used the snippets about wives submitting to claim that they should get to boss their wives around - but the Bible is actually pairing commands to wives with commands to husbands (even though, at that time, it would have been accepted that men could dominate), so that they *both* have responsibilities to support and care for each other. And obviously, God is the ultimate authority; no husband has the right to pressure his wife to disobey God, nor to treat her as though she weren't an image bearer. 
 
 
Sin should be discussed, and that doesn't mean that supporting it. I an NOT saying that divorce sin, I'm making the point that talking about something isn't promoting it.
There are sadly are some people for whom it's necessary, and they should have guidance that's as Christ like as possible.
 
 
'Autistic Barbie' is just capitalism doing what it always does.  
What sticks in my mind is that there's a link with eating disorders. Dumb as it sounds, Barbie influenced my toddler brain's perception of what a good shape is whilst I was growing up (though obviously other factors contributed also); & the compulsive/rigid nature of Autism keeps me trapped in my eating disorder. This toy feels insulting in multiple ways (of course, it's also insulting to assert that Autism is about noise cancellers and fidget spinners, and suggesting it is dangerous) 
 
 
Reform constantly claim they're "defending girls" by criticising migrants - but their plan to further cut Overseas Aid will hurt some of the most vulnerable girls in our world. 
 
 
When I was in my teens, Dawkins was popular - but his arguments are fallacious, and in reality there are rational reasons for concluding Christianity to be reality, as much as it's hard to get our heads around.
Right now there are 2 things happening simultaneously - political opportunists claiming to be defending Christianity as part of their hatred of Islam; and, by contrast, actual seeking of God by some other individuals.
 
 
It's far better for them if they do, ageing is exacerbated by reduced social interaction and activity.. And their opportunities for cheap homes etc have been far greater than the generation currently having kids. 
 
 
We should put concern for the vulnerable before anxiety - that means getting vaccinated to contribute to herd immunity and reduce the likelihood of passing an illness onto someone at higher risk than oneself. 
 
 
I'm afraid that his recent tweets suggest (though I'm very aware that I can't know for certain, and what matters is what's going on between him and God and not my opinion) that he's not trying to follow Jesus.
Note, Christianity is not primarily about war against Islam. Jesus didn't spend all His time condemning the false religion (Roman paganism etc) that existed in His society, He told people to personally repent and to follow Him.
 
 
No, our access to Twitter has not been curtailed, nor has our free speech.. Though I know you like to imagine that your country is so much better by imagining terrible things in other Western countries. 
 
 
All these U-Turns - but not on Overseas Aid cuts, though (£ for £) that money makes many times the impact of money spent here, for people facing far more brutal difficulties than ours. 
 
 
Not good IMO. I was diagnosed aged 13, 20 years ago, and I've never had noise-cancelling headphones or fidget spinners - knowing what my weird brain is like, I think this doll could have made me feel like I should have done, whereas it's been better to try to learn to manage noise etc (I know that this may well not be possible for some kids with ASD, I'm not saying that no one should use noise-cancelling headphones etc). And unfortunately the things we struggle with are far more complex than this.
 
 
Apologies if this seems like whataboutism, but if Starmer cares about women and girls he wouldn't have cut Overseas Aid programmes including the one to tackle FGM 
it is whataboutery. This was cut by the Conservative party, and Labour are discussing reinstating foreign aid, including this, once the economy is more stable! 
Seriously? Cameron set it at 0.7% of GDP. BoJo/Sunak cut it to 0.5%. Labour put in their manifesto that they'd restore it - instead they cut it to 0.3%. Saying that they plan to restore it when the economy is better is meaningless, and FTR Sunak said the same thing. Note that the Labour government has magically found the money to Uturn on its Farmer's tax plan, on fuel payments for the elderly, on benefits cuts, on pubs... but the budget that makes far more impact £ for £, helping far more disadvantaged people, isn't being restored. 
 
 
Which standards? The JRF standards are an absolute joke, I don't spend their recommended minimum amount for weekly socialising in a year. Some people in our world are literally starving.
 
 
Personally I'm instinctively unspiritual, and when I was a teen, Dawkins's Atheism was the trend - but I discovered that there are rational reasons relating to science for concluding that God exists.
NB, I'm not going to spend time arguing, as much as I know people love to mock theists, I have other things to do
 
 
It's great evidence that certain people claim to want to "protect women and girls" don't actually care. But if the government cared about women and girls, they wouldn't have cut overseas Aid. Efforts to tackle FGM, which is worse than fake bikini photos, have been shuttered because of Aid cuts.
 
 
Splashing water on a baby's head doesn't recruit them. Each person can and will decide on their own beliefs - all the more so in our era of endless access to different opinions and information.
Personally, I think that it makes more sense for Baptism to happen when a person has made a personal choice - but baptising a baby doesn't harm them or infringe their rights, it's done out of tradition, love, or both.
I didn't believe (in Christianity) until I encountered evidence - but being taken to Church as a child was a positive experience. If the author of this piece formed her own views, why does she think other people can't?
 
  
Quarterback C.J. Stroud has addressed questions about whether God is "blessing" his team 
God doesn't give a toss about who wins a sports game. He may work through the lives of sports players, but winning wouldn't prove greater faith and losing wouldn't prove a lack of it. 
 
 
Pope Leo XIV decried “diplomacy based on force” and a growing “zeal for war” 
I hope that people aren't deterred from Jesus by MAGA which claims to be Christian yet clearly isn't. Jesus frequently argued with those who feigned religiosity for power. 
 
 
"Transgender people in the US are at risk of genocide" 
Please, please note that most people who disagree with self-ID, hormonal treatment for kids who identify as trans, etc, are not actually willing any *harm* to trans folk. 
 
 
Sarah Mullally warns assisted dying law would put vulnerable at risk 
It's amazing to me that people think that others always do what they actually want to do, Plenty of us feel inescapably compelled to do things that we don't want to do, and feel guilty if we don't adhere to those compulsions. Imagine the mental anguish of those elderly folk who'll mistakenly feel, if this becomes an option, that they ought to end their lives...
 
 
The Church Should Be Leading the Immigration Conversation. Here’s How  
I think that, in addition to the fact we're called to love our neighbour, hatred of migrants is an issue in that it implies that s8n is a problem that enters by crossing borders. If a person is focussing on the supposed crimes of folk from elsewhere (as those who shout against migrants do) and imagining that we Westerners are somehow more civilised, have they genuinely recognised the sin in their own hearts?
 
 
@husnain_asif, snuck into a migrant hotel and explains why people 'shouldn’t be nervous' living near one 
The less evolved part of the brain can feel that what/who is unfamiliar is more dangerous. And we might like to think that we are inherently good - in reality human evil or sin are independent of ethnicity. We are *privileged* to live in society influenced by the teachings of a man 2000 years ago who treated women with respect that was unusual at the time - but each person can still behave horrendously even in a culture with good values, and our culture is rapidly abandoning its values to valorise selfishness instead. 
It's so interesting how the anti-migrant brigade continually moans that the government has refused to record data on the nationalities of offenders, then also claims there's data on the nationalities of offenders. 
 
 
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 - and continue to do -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.
 
 
May be an image of text that says "THEY CANCELLED CHRISTMAS DON'T LET THEM TAKE EASTER Cadburys NON DENOMINATIONAL CHOCOLATE HOLLOW SHAPE 金優 SAVE EASTER!" 
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).
 
 
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).  
 
 
Image 
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.
 
 
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 
 
 
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 
 
 
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? 
 
 
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. 
 
 
"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.
  
 
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.
 
 
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. 
 
 
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 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
 
 
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 
 
 
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) 
 
 
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. 
 
 
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. 
 
 
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. 
 
 
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. 
 
 
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.
 
 
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? 
 
 
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.
  
 
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 
 
 
"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. 
 
 
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.
 
 
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. 
 
 
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
 
 
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.
 
(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) 
 
 
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.
 
 
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.
 
 
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.
 
 
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
 
 
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
 

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