UK & Ireland in Brief

Paul Minter, from Bexhill, has produced a mock-up of a Bible (currently unpublished), divided into five easy-to-read sections to help people access it more easily, it was reported in May. ‘I got the idea of producing the Bible in five paperback natural sections: the Law with 187 chapters, the History 249 chapters, Poetry 243 chapters, the Prophets 250 chapters, and New Testament with 260 chapters’. Paul, a carer for disabled and autistic children, added he was ‘passionate’ about getting people reading the Bible daily for the rest of their lives.

Atheist scientist Richard Dawkins denied in May that he is too aggressive in his views, and instead called on atheists to ‘take on some of the gentle decency of the Church of England’. He critiqued the problem of being labelled racist when one criticises Islam, condemning the persecution faced by many who choose to renounce Islam. ‘In the case of immigrants from Syria and Iraq I would like to see special preference given to apostates, people who have given up Islam. They are in particular danger’, said Dawkins.

The BBC’s output is ‘too Christian’ and more room should be made for content from other faiths, the corporation’s head of religion and ethics said in May. Aaqil Ahmed, a practising Muslim, has compiled a report suggesting that Islam, as well as Hinduism and Sikhism should get more air-time. Ahmed said that Christianity remains the ‘cornerstone’ of religious output, above other faiths, but added that the output should be linked to the composition of society.

The number of people who say they have no religion now outnumbers the Christian population of England and Wales, according to the British Social Attitudes survey reported in late May.

The people that identified themselves as having no religion reached 48.5% in 2014, up from 25% in 2011, while Christians now make up 43.8% of the population.

A former Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner is appealing a ruling which found her guilty of serious misconduct after she asked to pray with the family of a murder victim it was reported in May.

A disciplinary hearing at the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner's Office ruled Yvonne Mosquito had acted unprofessionally by requesting to pray with the family of teenager Kenich Phillips during a visit to their home.

Christian charities are claiming the advertising industry is biased against them, as buses across England are set to carry adverts praising Allah this Ramadan, it was reported in early May.

The Christian Institute and Christian Concern, as well as the former MP Ann Widdecombe, have said the decision is unfair after three major cinema chains refused to play a Church of England advert for the Lord's Prayer in December 2015.

It was reported in early June that Strathclyde Pro-Life Society has been banned from the campus.

CitizenGO have made a petition to Sir Jim McDonald, Chancellor and Vice Principal of the University of Strathclyde Glasgow, asking him to intervene in a matter relating to the University of Strathclyde Students’ Association (USSA), who currently will not affiliate any group which campaigns in favour of the human rights of the unborn.

Asking children to attend Christian assemblies undermines their human rights, according to a United Nations committee.

A new report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expresses ‘concern’ that pupils in the UK are legally required to take part in a daily act of collective worship, which is ‘wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character’. David Burrowes MP described the criticism as ‘ludicrous’ and said the Government can ‘respectfully put those kind of reports in the bin.’

Almost two-thirds of Scots are opposed to the controversial Named Person scheme, a new poll by the Scottish Daily Mail has found.

According to the poll, 64% of Scots believe the scheme, which appoints a state guardian to every child from before birth up to age 18, is an ‘unacceptable intrusion into family life’. Fewer than one in five people (18.5%) thought the scheme was not intrusive.