Killers and rapists to be freed early.
‘Reckless’ scheme could see up to 6,000 serious criminals released to tackle prisons overcrowding crisis
Saturday, June 27, 2026
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Sonnet: My Saviour.
I could not earn the favour of the King,
Nor wash away the stains of secret shame;
Yet to my broken soul, the angels sing,
As mercy calls me softly by my name.
Yet to my broken soul, the angels sing,
As mercy calls me softly by my name.
No debt remains, for Jesus paid the cost,
A gift poured out, unmeasured and profound;
He sought the weary, blind, and deeply lost,
And in His saving grip, my heart is found.
A gift poured out, unmeasured and profound;
He sought the weary, blind, and deeply lost,
And in His saving grip, my heart is found.
This wondrous grace is anchor to my days,
It lifts me up when strength begins to fail;
It turns my heavy sigh to songs of praise,
And walks beside me through the darkest vale.
It lifts me up when strength begins to fail;
It turns my heavy sigh to songs of praise,
And walks beside me through the darkest vale.
Freely redeemed, from legal chains set free,
His boundless grace is everything to me.
His boundless grace is everything to me.
Tanzania.
Fri 26 Jun at 17:00
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Friday, June 26, 2026
Good To See.
Christian artist removed from her own exhibition over transgender remarks settles with council.
A Christian artist who was removed from her own exhibition after expressing opposition to childhood gender transition has reached a legal settlement with Watford Borough Council. CT.
We Need To Target Being Blameless and Pure.
14) Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15) so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16) as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour in vain.
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They Kept This Quiet. I Didn't Even Know That Anybody Had Been Taken!
Tearful Psychic Predicts ‘UFO Mothership’ Will Abduct Hundreds During Scotland-Brazil World Cup Game.
Thursday, June 25, 2026
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Atheist? Agnostic? - Dare You Watch This Film?
The film that will make you believe in God.
Can science explain everything? Prime Video’s ambitious documentary The Story of Everything suggests the answer may be a complicated one
The Story of Everything asks whether science has become too quick to dismiss faith
Peter Stanford
See more
Published 20 June 2026 5:00pm BST
There is increasing evidence – a mix of anecdote and data – that what once seemed like the inevitable decline of religion in secularised Western society has recently been, if not quite reversed, then at least paused. Something in these anxious, divided times in which we live seems to be stirring. There are reports of rising numbers of young people going to church. Prominent scientists, for so long the prophets of a godless future, are coming out as Christians (including the widely admired psychiatrist Dr Iain McGilchrist). Pope Leo’s anti-AI stance has struck a chord with a generation not usually prone to listening attentively to papal pronouncements.
Set against such a backdrop, the timing of the visually stunning 100-minute documentary The Story of Everything makes perfect sense. Aspiring to capture the zeitgeist, it is awash with exquisite footage from space, the deep oceans, and the world’s forests and fields, and even the odd cartoon animation. It’s all interspersed with appearances from a cast of two dozen leading scientists (and others) from across the disciplines, exploring with differing degrees of approval the theory that some sort of hidden hand or intelligent design lies behind the universe.
Released in US cinemas on April 30 for a limited run until May 6, The Story of Everything did reasonable, if not sell-out, business. It received largely positive, if patchy, coverage in mainstream outlets including the Wall Street Journal. Disappointingly, it failed to secure a UK cinema release but has now appeared on Amazon Prime Video.
No one in the film quite nails the name of God to this animating spirit behind the universe because The Story of Everything is at pains to avoid sounding preachy, or like a documentary variation on Mel Gibson’s ultra-sincere but much-lampooned 2004 film The Passion of the Christ. But he, she or it hovers there in the ether and there are moments when director Eric Esau, whose past credits span fact and fiction, might have trusted audiences more and allowed mention of the Almighty
Instead, he films the contributors talking softly and ever so reasonably. (Bizarrely, these include PayPal and Palantir founder Peter Thiel, here busy bemoaning the corroding influence of materialism.) Esau places them in a highly stylised, fashionable set that feels like an upmarket late-1960s or early-1970s hotel, all à la mode retro Scandinavian sofas and muted colours. The concept seems to be to send a reassuring message to fashion-conscious chattering classes that they need not be afraid this film is something stitched together by a parish hall committee keen to refill the pews or fix the roof.
The return of the God question
And what of the core argument it wants to make? The Story of Everything takes its cue from a 2021 book, Return of the God Hypothesis, by philosopher of science Stephen Meyer, based at the conservative but secular Discovery Institute in Seattle. Yet, for the sake of fairness, it also includes arguments that contradict those of the main contributors. So we get montages of scientists of yesteryear such as Fred Hoyle, who rejected the Big Bang theory and instead argued for a steady-state universe – in contrast to the now widely accepted theory that the universe began in an extremely hot, dense state before expanding to form matter, stars and eventually planets such as Earth.
Once you lean into its unusual subject matter, The Story of Everything is quietly seductive, but you have to keep your wits about you to separate the wheat from the chaff. The case for a rethink is built slowly, via four chapters with multiple sub-sections, and some are more compelling than others. Everyday language – “all gardens require a gardener” – carries you along when the arguments get too dense.
Where the film makes its strongest case
There are three core ideas explored. And one big omission. Let’s get that out of the way first. Because the producers are targeting a broad audience, they ignore the passionate belief in the creationist wing of Christianity that the Genesis account of God spending six days creating the world, complete with Adam and Eve, is literal truth rather than metaphor. Its absence from the film has already caused a backlash in the United States, with fundamentalist preachers and social-media users warning followers to avoid cinemas showing this work of the Devil.
For the rest of us, the story begins by exploring whether, rather than being static as was once believed, there is evidence that the universe is expanding – an idea that gained traction in the early 20th century after astronomer Edwin Hubble used increasingly powerful telescopes to study distant galaxies. The film then argues that this expansion points to an originating event or “First Cause” and turns to intelligent design advocates, who suggest that a supernatural – rather than natural – explanation may lie behind it. In other words, though it is left unsaid, God may have set in motion the Big Bang around 13.8 billion years ago.
The second pillar of wisdom in the film concerns the “fine-tuning” that has created our solar system – how the sun, the planets that circle it and the comets are not in some random order, as might be expected from a chaotic Big Bang, but rather are carefully balanced, with Earth in just the right place to enable human life. Mars, one contributor suggests, was a prototype for human habitation but was simply too hot and dry to sustain life. If there is fine-tuning, surely that means there is a fine-tuner?
Having grown up on the Adam and Eve version of creation at my Irish Christian Brothers school in Catholic Liverpool, I have always steered clear of any argument suggesting that religion or the Church has anything to say about how the world came into being. Stick to the social teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, try to follow it, keep an open mind on the afterlife, but don’t, whatever you do, get involved in whether it really took God six days to make the Earth. It was a guaranteed losing wicket.
Perhaps that is why The Story of Everything really started to get its claws into me. And that was before we move on to Crick and Watson’s discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure – such an astonishingly complex structure, it is convincingly argued, that it could not simply have evolved out of chaos. This takes us into what is referred to as the “beauty problem”. Essentially, the Earth and its systems are so perfectly designed, the balance so finely calibrated (until human beings start interfering with it), and the sheer beauty of the planet so gratuitous, when simpler, plainer systems might have done just as well to ensure survival, that it becomes difficult to accept they were the result of the cosmic equivalent of a random multiple-car crash. Hard to disagree with that, I felt.
Between documentary and persuasion
At a time when the evidence for climate change is hard to ignore, however much we might like to, this final part of the film takes on the emotional power of a David Attenborough wildlife documentary.
It is also in this final section that the subtle persuasion which runs throughout this clever film begins to edge towards the manipulative. It can justifiably claim to sit on the right side of the documentary/sales pitch divide. But only just. One or two dissenting voices in that Scandi-heaven studio (rather than confined to archive footage) would have helped, while still allowing food for thought.
For those with the stamina to digest 100 minutes of often dense science, there is still much in The Story of Everything that provokes fresh thinking, and that can only be a good thing. Its bias, after all, is no more pronounced than that of those scientists who stingingly dismiss talk of a “mind behind the universe” as “pseudoscience” (by which I assume they mean selective in the evidence produced).
By the end, I could think of no reason why British distributors were not picking it up and showing it in cinemas, where the brilliance of its cinematography can best be appreciated. If they doubt there is an audience, then I would suggest there has never been a better time in recent decades to test whether that assumed secular mindset in society is becoming less fixed.
The failure to give it a go makes me question whether there might just be a hint of no-platforming going on here. You can hear the reasoning. “Don’t give space to arguments that differ from the accepted norm.” It is rather like the BBC’s decimation in recent years of its once-busy religious affairs department. It was decided on high, seemingly on a whim and without much consultation, that there is no longer an audience for religion on TV. A better question might have been whether the corporation was commissioning the right programmes to attract the 33 million people in the 2021 and 2022 censuses who described themselves as religious.
The Story of Everything may just offer a winning format to solve that conundrum. It will not, I confidently predict, turn an atheist into a believer in intelligent design. But it could well loosen a few bricks in the wall of certainty. There is enough plausible challenge and enough good science in there to make you think again. Next time the origin of the Earth comes up in conversation, I for one will not be ducking out.
The Story of Everything is available to buy on Amazon Prime Video. DT.
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Threats Against Church Leaders.
Church leaders threatened by militants in run-up to Colombian presidential election, says rights group
CSW is urging the new Colombian President to reinstate special protection measures for religious leaders.
I Could Vomit.
Over a million abortions took place in the US last year.
DIY abortions now account for over a quarter of all abortions in the US. CT.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Remembering Those Murdered and Their Families.
First memorial to Christians killed in Nigeria unveiled.
The unveiling of a memorial to the Christians killed in Yelwata, Nigeria (Photo: Facebook)
In what is believed to be the first of its kind, a new monument honouring the victims of religious persecution in Nigeria has been erected in the nation's Benue State.
The monument was unveiled in Yelwata, which last year was the scene of a massacre of 270 men, women and children. The attack took place on Father’s Day and is believed to have been the work of Islamic militants.
The names of all the victims are engraved upon the monument, which was unveiled by missionaries from the group Equipping the Persecuted.
Judd Saul, the founder of Equipping the Persecuted, said, “Their names are now engraved in stone so they will never be forgotten.
"This monument stands as a testament to their lives, their faith, and our commitment to ensure the world remembers what happened. The persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ must stop.”
The unveiling was attended by representatives of different faith communities as well as survivors of the massacre. The moment was also a chance to distribute aid, as it is estimated that the attack also led to the displacement of around 3,000 people.
Despite being approximately 50 per cent Christian, Nigeria is one of the most dangerous nations in the world in which to be a Christian.
Open Doors ranks the country the 7th worst in the world for the persecution of Christians. More people are killed or kidnapped for their faith in Nigeria every year than in all other countries combined.
Many parts of the country see high amounts of violence from Islamic militants or simply from armed bandits. While Christians tend to bear the brunt of the violence, Muslims have occasionally been victims as well, sometimes because they would not go along with the militants.
Last year the Nigerian president declared a national emergency and pledged to increase security in a bid to bring an end to the violence. The US carried out a number of targeted strikes against militants over Christmas in response to the mistreatment of Christians.
CT.
Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus.
Five Christian footballers using football’s biggest stage to point people to Christ.
(Photo: ToshibaTV)The World Cup is underway, capturing the attention of millions of fans across the globe. Every four years, the tournament sparks passion, drama and national pride, creating unforgettable moments. Yet amid the goals, trophies and celebrations, some players are using football’s biggest stage to point beyond themselves and give glory to God.
For these footballers, faith is not simply a private belief reserved for Sundays. It shapes how they handle success, respond to setbacks and use their platform. Here are five Christian players to watch at this summer’s World Cup.
Marc Guéhi (England)
England defender Marc Guéhi has become one of the most respected defenders in world football. Born in the Ivory Coast before moving to the UK as a child, Guéhi was spotted by a Chelsea scout at the age of six and developed through the club’s academy system.
After a successful spell at Crystal Palace, where he captained the club to FA Cup success in 2025, Guéhi moved to Manchester City and is a key figure for England's national team at the 2026 World Cup.
His Christian faith has been central to his life from an early age. His father, John Guéhi, pastors a church in South London, and Marc has often spoken about the influence of his upbringing. He regularly has Bible verses inscribed on his boots, including Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon forged against you will prevail.”
Guéhi made international headlines when he wrote “Jesus loves U” on a Rainbow Pride captain's armband during a Premier League fixture. While the gesture resulted in a reprimand from the Football Association, it also sparked widespread discussion about faith, freedom of expression, and Christian witness in professional football.
Bukayo Saka (England)
Few players have captured the hearts of England supporters quite like Bukayo Saka. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Saka came through Arsenal’s academy and has become one of the club's brightest stars, helping them secure the Premier League title during the 2025-26 season.
Internationally, Saka has been a crucial player for England, featuring in the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 finals and scoring three goals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite his rapid rise, Saka consistently places his faith above football. In an interview during the 2022 World Cup, he said: “It's really important to obviously have the presence of God in me all the time, and it gives me more confidence that God’s plan is perfect so I can go on the pitch and know that God has my back.”
Saka has repeatedly spoken about the importance of his Christian faith and the role it plays in every area of his life. At Arsenal, he has been part of a group of Christian players affectionately known as the “Bible brothers,” alongside Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Teammates have often noted how his faith influences his attitude, humility and character both on and off the pitch.
Christian Pulisic (United States)
Nicknamed “Captain America,” Christian Pulisic has become the face of American soccer.
Raised in Pennsylvania, Pulisic moved to Germany as a teenager and developed at Borussia Dortmund, where he emerged as one of the Bundesliga's most exciting young talents. A transfer to Chelsea followed in 2019, and since joining AC Milan in 2023 he has become one of Serie A’s standout attacking players.
For the United States men's national team, Pulisic has already established himself among the country’s greatest players, becoming one of its leading goalscorers and helping guide the team into the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup with a decisive goal against Iran.
Throughout his career, he has frequently spoken about his dependence on God. After a Champions League match in 2021, Pulisic said: “I've had to continue to prove myself over and over again. But, as always, I reach out to God and He gives me strength. With that behind me, nothing can stop me, really.”
His comments reflect a recurring theme among many Christian athletes: confidence rooted not in personal ability alone, but in trust in God's presence and purpose.
Alisson Becker (Brazil)
Brazil has produced some of football's greatest players, and goalkeeper Alisson Becker is widely regarded as one of the best in his position.
Alisson began his career with Internacional in Brazil, winning the Campeonato Gaúcho in 2014 and 2015 before moving to Roma in Italy in 2016. His performances earned him a transfer to Liverpool in 2018 for what was then a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. Since arriving at Anfield, the team has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup, while also receiving the Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award.
Now Brazil's first-choice goalkeeper for a third consecutive World Cup, Alisson remains outspoken about his faith. Writing about his Christian journey, he explained: “Real faith came to me later in life. Faith is not something that can be seen, or even put into words. It is a force that is more powerful than just a feeling of emotion, or a slogan. It is the complete trust in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.”
His faith is evident beyond public statements. In 2020, Alisson baptised Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino in the swimming pool at his home. He has also spoken about the difference between religion and a personal relationship with Christ, saying: “I'm not religious. I'm a follower of Christ. Religion is often tied to traditions that have clouded the true message of Christianity. Jesus is far greater than religion.”
Noah Sadiki (DR Congo)
At just 21 years old, Noah Sadiki represents one of the rising stars of this World Cup.
Born in Brussels, Sadiki progressed through Anderlecht's academy before spells with Union Saint-Gilloise and Sunderland. Since joining Sunderland in 2025, he has quickly adapted to Premier League football and earned praise for his energy, athleticism and technical ability.
Although he represented Belgium at youth level, Sadiki chose to play internationally for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 2026 tournament marks a historic moment for the nation, which is making its first World Cup appearance since 1974, when it competed as Zaire.
Sadiki is also unapologetic about his Christian faith. “I feel well talking about my faith because it's giving me peace and I thank every day my Lord and Savior to give me another day to enjoy the sport I did since I was young,” he said.
Following his first Africa Cup of Nations appearance, journalists asked him about the secret behind his strong performances. Rather than giving a lengthy answer, Sadiki simply held up his Bible.
Final thoughts
The World Cup is often a showcase of extraordinary talent, national pride and sporting drama. Yet for these players, the tournament is also an opportunity to bear witness to something greater than football.
Whether through Bible verses on boots, public testimonies, baptisms, post-match interviews or simple acts of gratitude, these players remind fans that faith and sport do not have to exist in separate worlds.
As millions tune in to watch the action unfold, they will be hoping to lift football’s most coveted trophy. But they are also among a growing number of players seeking to use the world's biggest sporting stage to point people towards Christ.
CT.
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SIR – The full extent of the folly of Ed Miliband’s net zero zealotry was laid bare this week.
Despite enormous capital expenditure, wind farms generated low amounts of energy because the wind didn’t blow, and solar infrastructure turned out to be less efficient in hot weather.
That left us importing power at more than six times the normal price (“Heatwave Britain forced to rely on EU to avoid power cuts”, report, June 25). So much for energy security.
Roger Gentry
Weavering, Kent.