World Council of Churches condemns separate killings of two Catholic priests in Africa
The World Council of Churches has condemned the recent killing of two Catholic priests in Africa – one in South Sudan and the other, less than a week later, in Cameroon. Jesuit priest Fr Victor-Luke Odhiambo, who was the first Kenyan Jesuit priest and was principal of the Mazzolari Teachers’ College and acting superior of […]
Drought drives desperate Afghans to marry off children for money – UN
Thomson Reuters Foundation Afghanistan’s worst drought in decades has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and is pushing families to marry off their children in exchange for dowries in order to survive, the United Nations said on Tuesday. About 223,000 people have been uprooted from their homes in the drought-hit western provinces […]
BOOKS: AN INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL THEOLOGY
DARREN CRONSHAW looks at an introductory guide to practical theology…
Christians join in 16 days of activism to end violence against women
Christians from across the world have joined in 16 days of activism against gender-based violence as part of a campaign to end violence against women. The 16 days commenced on Sunday – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – and run until 10th December – Human Rights Day. The initiative runs alongside existing faith […]
Virtual map converts calls to UK helpline into slavery hotspots
Thomson Reuters Foundation Calls to Britain’s anti-slavery helpline will be mapped in real-time and show human-trafficking hotspots in a drive to raise public awareness and hone government spending to combat the crime, the social enterprise behind the project said on Monday. An online map will allow members of the public and local government bodies to see what […]
Australian Christian Lobby says support for religious freedom exemptions for faith-based schools “could not be clearer”
More than 20,000 parents, grandparents and students have signed an open letter to the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten urging no changes be made to religious freedom exemptions for faith-based schools, according to the Australian Christian Lobby. Martyn Iles, managing director of the ACL, said that to remove religious freedom […]
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS WRONG
In our society ‘stranger danger’ and ‘coward punches’ gain lots of media attention. Yet if you knew the statistics, you would know that it is more dangerous at home around those who are supposed to love you, than out in the community. Time to end the silence. PICTURE: Gabriel Benois/Unsplash (Posed by model). Domestic violence affects more […]
US IMMIGRATION: AFTER ARREST OF PROTECTED IMMIGRANT, SANCTUARY CHURCH MEMBERS CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE
YONAT SHIMRON, writing for Religion News Service, reports on protests in the wake of the arrest of an undocumented migrant, Samuel Oliver-Bruno, who had spent almost a year in church “sanctuary”…
Charities say Malawi plans to gag critics with “draconian” law
Thomson Reuters Foundation Charities in Malawi have accused the government of trying to rush through a “draconian” law ahead of next year’s elections aimed at muzzling criticism and stifling advocacy groups. They say the proposed legislation will give the government sweeping powers to interfere with the work of non-governmental organisations in the southern African country, […]
ESSAY: BREXIT – WE HAVE A DEAL, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
MAL FLETCHER, writing from London, says it’s time for politicians to explain what the deal between the UK and EU over Brexit really means…