Religion
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An estimated 600 children were withdrawn for the day from a primary school in Birmingham last week.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General Synod has repealed the old law that every Anglican church must hold a Sunday service.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…
Why Britain’s Jews look to France with fear
The Jewish New Year begins on Sunday and to mark the festival of Rosh Hashanah, Emmanuel Macron visited the Grand…
Jordan Peterson is too negative about Western morality
Jonathan Sacks’ radio series Morality in the 21st Century is a useful introduction to the subject, with some good contributions…
Pope Francis has his work cut out to appease the church’s critics
No one on earth could fulfil the expectations that have been invested in the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland.…
The Spectator Podcast: China’s new diplomacy
This week, China agreed to consider a trade deal with Britain post-Brexit, but does a closer relationship with China expose…
Is it wrong to criticise Israel?
The Labour Party’s tangles over anti-Semitism and Zionism raise basic questions about Western values that are routinely ignored. But sometimes…
Is losing your religion really good for wealth?
According to the Times, a new academic study finds that nations become richer when they become more secular. It contests…
An atheist goes on a Christian pilgrimage. What’s the point?
The young writer Guy Stagg threw in his job a few years ago to undertake a pilgrimage to Jerusalem via…
Justin Welby needs to get off the fence
My opinion of Justin Welby has been rising over the last few years. At first he seemed a text-book public…
Jacob Rees-Mogg and the liberal inquisition
Trying to make Christian politicians squirm is a favourite occasional sport among political broadcasters in Westminster. The former Lib Dem…
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