Religion
Why was a GCSE student disqualified for criticising halal meat?
We have to talk about the schoolgirl who was disqualified from a GCSE exam on the grounds that she had…
What I learned talking to Boris Johnson about religion
I don’t pretend to have had extensive discussions about religion with our new Prime Minister, but I did have a…
The curious reaction to a niqab-wearing homophobe
Are we allowed to criticise the niqab yet? This question crossed my mind as I watched that viral clip of…
Billy Connolly and the death of free speech
I hope readers will forgive me for returning to a subject I addressed here recently. It was a reflection on the…
What terminal cancer taught me about life
“I’m sorry,” said the doctor, “you have large tumours in numerous places. We can’t operate or cure you. You have…
The return of plainchant
‘I’m still warmed up from last night,’ said Sophie Bevan early on a Sunday morning in the practice-room behind the…
Why Peter Sellars’s staging of the St John Passion – which I sang in – was deeply flawed
It has been my privilege over the past two weeks to sing in the chorus of the Orchestra of the…
Why don’t we talk about Van Gogh’s Christian faith?
Vincent Van Gogh has been airbrushed by the secular arts media. I have not yet seen the new exhibition at…
The false equivalence between ‘Islamophobia’ and anti-Semitism
I have been travelling in the Middle East for the last few weeks and slightly regret returning to the maelstrom…
The shame of the Parkfield school protesters
An estimated 600 children were withdrawn for the day from a primary school in Birmingham last week. A rather disturbing video…
My suggestions for Justin Welby’s Brexit prayers
Would anyone like to join me in the “Five Days of Prayer” that Archbishop Welby has announced to mark the…
Why I find the George Pell verdict hard to believe
Sorry. I just don’t believe it. The conviction of George Pell – still Cardinal Pell – last December, on which…
How agnostics can help save the Church of England
General Synod has repealed the old law that every Anglican church must hold a Sunday service. It’s not really the…
Victoria Bateman’s naked Brexit stunt isn’t feminist
Dr Victoria Bateman’s naked Brexit stunt should not be seen in terms of modern feminism but in terms of early…
Why the Pope’s visit to Abu Dhabi matters
Today, the Pope celebrated mass in Abu Dhabi and you do know what that means? It’s a mass in the…
Damian Thompson: my sister on fighting cancer with faith
The photo above is of my sister Carmel and me having tea a few days after our mother’s funeral. She…
Does Theresa May’s Anglicanism explain her muddled Brexit?
Ever since ‘Brexit’ was first breathed, there have been comparisons with Henry VIII’s break with Rome. At first such comparisons…
The real reason atheists want to be on Thought for the Day
Oh God. Or maybe not. There’s a letter in the Guardian today from assorted unbelievers asserting their right to a…
Why is Canada letting Isis fighters off lightly?
What is the difference between the SS and Isis? A big one, it seems, in the eyes of Canada, where…
The Catholic right will go to any lengths to discredit the Pope
There comes a point in the tsunami of abuse allegations about the Catholic clergy when you have to say, stop…
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