There have been calls from evangelicals for the Archbishop of Canterbury to step down after he spoke in support of gay sex. Archbishop Justin Welby told former Labour spokesman Alistair Campbell, in his podcast The Rest is Politics, that his views on sexuality had evolved and that he now believes "that all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship and whether it's straight or gay".
How should followers of Jesus respond in a time of political turmoil and cultural fragmentation, when the loudest voices often drown out the wisest? We don't need to guess. God has revealed what the Lord requires of us, and Jesus demonstrated the practicalities of it. God's people must keep justice, loving mercy, and humility at the forefront of our ethics as a compass to guide us.
Gratitude is powerful medicine. It is like oxygen for the soul. We don’t thrive without it. We are hard-wired to say "thank you". Psychologists now confirm what scripture has always taught: grateful people are happier, healthier and more hopeful. In contexts of rising conflict, gratitude is a healthier way forward. Ask the Holy Spirit to form that fruit in you for your benefit and those around you.
The rise of politicians from America to Russia claiming to champion Christian values and peace yet preaching hatred and division is polarizing families, churches, and communities even far beyond their own countries. Something like this has happened before. Will we Christians learn from recent European history and seek first Christ's kingdom or continue to ride the slippery slope to human totalitarianism in our contexts?
The Tall Poppy Syndrome has been popularized and exported from Australia but it is endemic in us all and it literally makes us unwell. An antidote can be found throughout Scripture. Rather than drawing others to join us wallowing in misery, we can repent from the Tall Poppy Syndrome and flourish alongside the flourishing.
A church in Rome that meets in a former shop is appealing a Supreme Court ruling that they pay thousands of dollars in taxes because the worship site is for commercial use only.
Today (Oct.17) the United Nations (UN) marks International Day for the Eradication of Poverty with a theme, “Ending Social and Institutional Maltreatment Acting together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies.” The day gives a moment to reflect on the experiences of people in poverty, according to a UN statement, and think of practical applications to implement sustainable development goals to “promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.”
Former General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) Daniel Bourdanné has been celebrated as a ‘visionary leader, a faithful servant and a friend’ to many that interacted with him.
A British army veteran who served in Afghanistan was found guilty today (Oct. 16) of praying silently near an abortion clinic in England.
Nottingham University in England has put a “trigger warning” for students enrolled in a learning module about “Chaucer and his Contemporaries c.1380–c.1420” because the studied literature contains “expressions of Christian faith.” The Mail on Sunday newspaper reportedly revealed the warning after making a freedom of information request to the university.
Christian apologist and math academic Professor John Lennox has challenged the views of evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on the issue of ultimate justice. The two academics have debated in person before, but Lennox quoted Dawkins when addressing the issue of suffering, in his latest email circular as President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA).
A massacre in the Sudanese town of El Fasher has worsened the refugee crisis in South Sudan as more people escape the war in Sudan, according to Christian Aid.
