Transgender attack
The Christian Institute/en
Date posted: 1 Nov 2017
A shocking attack on a 60-year-old woman
by pro-transsexual activists was widely
denounced in the media.
The Times’ columnist Janice Turner witnessed Maria MacLachlan being punched
and kicked as she met with others to discuss
government plans to allow people to legally
self-identify their gender. Turner said the
attack reveals the lengths to which activists
will go to shut down debate.
the
attending
those
and
MacLachlan
meeting hold the view that men who say they are women are still male, and believe
allowing men who identify as female to enter
female-only spaces (e.g. toilets and changing
areas) puts women at risk. This has seen
them labelled as Trans-Exclusionary Radical
Feminists (TERFs).
news in brief
Marriage campaigner
Coalition for Marriage (C4M), the UK’s largest pro-marriage organisation, appointed a
new Campaign Director in late September.
Thomas Pascoe, a former journalist and
manager of an
international development
project, replaced Colin Hart. Mr Pascoe has
been advising C4M on its campaign strategy
Vital research not allowed
EN
Date posted: 1 Nov 2017
On 23 September it was reported that a psychotherapist had a university research proposal approved and then turned down with the claim that it ‘would be politically incorrect’ to publish results concerning people reversing their ‘gender reassignment operations’.
James Caspian, a psychotherapist who has worked with transgender and transsexual people for over ten years, wanted to conduct research for a Master’s degree in counselling and psychotherapy at Bath Spa University. His research proposal was influenced by a conversation with Dr Miro Djordjevic of the Belgrade Centre for Genital Reconstructive Surgery who in 2014 conducted an unprecedented seven reversals at his clinic.
news in brief
Council prays to Allah
At the opening of a Full Council Meeting in
Oldham
in the summer, Islamic prayers
were led by an Imam.
The new Mayor of Oldham is a Muslim
and the Imam-led prayer repeats the pattern
of the Mayor before last, who was also a
Muslim. The Qu’ran section read out talked
about ‘those who have gone astray, and those
who have earned [Allah’s] anger’ traditionally
interpreted
as meaning
Jews
and
Christians. Therefore the Council, were in
effect, being encouraged to not be like Jews
or Christians.
REASONABLE TREATMENT?
en staff
Date posted: 1 Aug 2017
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) published new guidance for pharmacy professionals on 22 June.
It provides a kind of ‘reasonable accommodation’, something that many Christian pharmacists feared would be dispensed with despite the consultation process earlier in the year.
Aftershock
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Sep 2017
General Synod met in July and was generally
reckoned
shocking by
evangelicals.
Motions were passed both in relation to
liturgy for transgender people and counselling for gay people which were considered
theologically
vacuous
by many.
Evangelical amendments on both were
rejected. Most bishops said little.
I wrote an analysis for Christian Today
(google ‘Church of England Synod was so
shocking’).
Radical inclusion?
Rob Munro
Date posted: 1 Aug 2017
Superficially we did the usual things: passing obscure legal provisions.
For example, there was giving official permission not to have to wear robes at main services (which I realise you all have done faithfully up until now); the valiant effort to put something to do with mission on the agenda. We even had the obligatory ‘current affairs’ motion, this time from the Archbishops following the surprises at the General Election, generally calling for more prayer and appropriate lobbying.
Evangelical options
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Jul 2017
Let’s consider some possible futures for Anglican evangelicals concerned about the Church of England.
Option 1: Remain and resist
This is the strategy from Lee Gatiss of Church Society, Bishop Rod Thomas and many others. In this view, the battle is not lost. As I write, the next bishops’ report on marriage and sexuality is awaited. Southwell bishop Paul Williams – who spoke at a Proclamation Trust conference a few years ago – says: ‘Whatever some would like to claim, the Church of England is and remains faithful to the teaching of Scripture on these matters…’ The new document ‘will be deeply rooted in and faithful to Scripture,’ he claims.
HOW LONG HAVE WE GOT?
Barnabas Fund / en
Date posted: 1 Mar 2017
Freedom of the press is necessary for a healthy society.
The ability to report both incidents of anti-Christian persecution and the ideology motivating such attacks is central to what organisations like en and Barnabas Fund have done for many years.