What A Terrible Thing To Do, Bish!

Bishop accused of blacklisting chaplain over sermon on identity politics.

Staff writer   23 February 2023 

 Bernard Randall(Photo: Christian Legal Centre)

An employment tribunal is to hear the case of a former school chaplain who says he was blacklisted from officiating in the Church of England after giving a sermon on identity politics.

Bernard Randall will tell the tribunal, taking place on Thursday and Friday, that he has been unemployable as a Church of England priest after the Bishop of Derby, Libby Lane, allegedly refused to allow him to work as a minister following his dismissal from Trent College in Nottingham.

The college sacked Randall and reported him to Prevent, the government's anti-terrorism scheme, over a 2019 sermon in which he told students that it was ok to question ideological LGBT teaching.

He says that the diocese failed to defend him and instead blacklisted him as a "safeguarding risk" to children.

He also claims that the diocese has never specified what the allegations against him were or shown evidence of wrongdoing.

A diocesan safeguarding risk assessment is reported to have concluded that Dr Randall posed a "reputational risk" to the Church of England and that the Church could be "a risk factor to itself" because of its historic stance on marriage and human identity.

A preliminary hearing at the East Midlands Employment Tribunal this week will decide whether the actions of the Bishop of Derby fall within the remit of an employment tribunal.

Speaking ahead of the hearing, Dr Randall said he had been deeply hurt by the Church of England.

"I'm being charged with wrongthink," he said.

"There is no allegation that my behaviour towards any person has ever fallen below proper standards. Only my thinking is being checked. Even the Spanish Inquisition told people what the charges were.

"People in the Church are accusing me of the crime of thinking what the Church thinks; because I preached what the Church teaches, they think I am too dangerous to be allowed to preach in any Church.

"The Bishop of Derby has shown moral cowardice in refusing to stand up for the goodness of the Church's own teaching, and totally failed to support and vindicate me. Sadly, the C of E seems to care more about its reputation in the secular world than showing spiritual leadership."

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is backing Dr Randall's case, said: "Bernard is one of many faithful Church of England ministers who have been targeted for believing and defending the Christian views on sexuality, gender and marriage.

"On paper, the Church of England believes and teaches exactly what Bernard said. But in practice, ministers like him are put through cruel safeguarding procedures as if believing the church's own doctrine makes him a danger. The bishop failed in any way to stand up for Bernard and is effectively seeking to end his ordained ministry.

"The further the Church of England goes in muddling and abandoning its own teaching, the more people like Bernard will be forced out through these tortuous and unreasonable processes.

"We will stand with Bernard and all others who continue to live and speak out the Christian faith in public life for as long as it takes." 

The Diocese of Derby has been contacted for comment. CT.

Blasphemy? - Pah!

 https://www.christiantoday.com/article/priest.accused.of.blasphemy.freed.from.prison.after.paying.exorbitant.bail/139872.htm

Birdie.

 

Please Help Dr Samson.

 Your gift will help people in Myanmar, and around the world, to live without fear.

Reverend Dr Samson knew he was taking a risk. He’s one of the most prominent and outspoken Christian leaders in Myanmar/Burma, a long-term contact of CSW’s, and a courageous defender of human rights. And that has made him a target for the ruling military junta. As he tried to board a flight to Thailand for medical treatment last December, he was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned. He’s believed to have been targeted to prevent him airing his views outside the country.  Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise - after all, it wasn’t the first time the military had targeted him. But to arrest, jail and prosecute one of the country’s most prominent Christian pastors is a sign of how hostile this regime is to the Church. Could you give £4 to help us keep campaigning for Rev Dr Samson’s freedom – and the freedom of many others like him? Make my gift Since the military coup two years ago, the situation in Myanmar has become desperate.   Rev Dr Samson is one of 17,572 people who’ve been arrested and imprisoned as part of an extensive crackdown on activists, political leaders, journalists and anyone else the military regime perceive as a threat or critic.  Since the coup we have tirelessly campaigned and advocated for the people of Myanmar, calling for international action which will cut the lifeline to the military regime. And we’ve seen breakthroughs - 19 countries supported a UN Resolution calling for the flow of arms to the military to be cut – a key ask of CSW’s advocacy and campaigning. But there’s still much more to be done. Your gift means we can continue to speak up, refusing to back down until decisive action is taken – action that leads to real freedom for people being targeted for their beliefs. By giving just £4 you are helping people in Myanmar, and around the world, to live without fear. Together, we can work for a peaceful Myanmar. A Myanmar in which everyone is free to live without fear. A Myanmar where everyone is free to believe.  Grace and peace, Scot Bower CEO P.S. We know that these are difficult times for some of you – we are so grateful for all you continue to do. Thank you!

The Letter Kills But ...

 

The Awesome Stanhope Forbes of The Newlyn School.

Pure Racism. How Come These 'Clever' People Can't See That For Themselves?

Cambridge blocked white students from applying for course.

University has since told The Telegraph that it reversed its position after concerns were raised.

ByEwan Somerville25 February 2023 • 4:00pm

The University of Cambridge barred white working-class students from one of its postgraduate courses, The Telegraph can reveal....

Well, It Is Nearly Seven Years Since The Brexit Vote!

Rishi Sunak declares It’s time to complete Brexit's 'unfinished business'

Rishi Sunak hopes to persuade the DUP to share power with Sinn Fein in order to get Brexit business done.

By DAVID WILLIAMSON - SUNDAY EXPRESS POLITICAL EDITOR

22:30, Sat, Feb 25, 2023

To Release This Evil Man Would Be Loathsome.

 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21516535/james-bulger-jon-venables-race-against-time/

The Fifty Quid Weekly Shop?

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11791043/How-make-50-shop-week-mother-three-money-guru-whos-saved-fortune.html

Always Pray For Heretics - We Need To See Them Saved As Much As Anyone Else.

Bishops are departing from orthodox teaching. Evangelicals must stand firm and pray for the Church of England

By Gavin Calver, CEO, Evangelical Alliance.

Excellent. Why Should Taxpayers Have To Fund Those Who Refuse To Work?

 Learn work skills or face benefits cut, jobless told.

‘Carrot and stick’ bid to tackle unemployment

Benefit claimants will be required to spend a fortnight on an intensive programme designed to get them back into work or risk losing universal credit payments under government plans to reduce unemployment. Ministers are piloting plans foruniversal credit claimants to attend a two-week programme... Times.

Smirk!

 Sir Keir Starmer changes his tune on Shamima Begum’s right to return.

Labour leader previously said stripping her of British citizenship was the ‘wrong decision’, but now says national security must come first. DT.

It's Okay, Kemi, She Has Apologised.

Equalities minister defends Kate Forbes over gay marriage beliefs.

Staff writer   23 February 2023 DT.

  

(Photo: STV)

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has said she will not condemn SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes over her views on same-sex marriage.

Speaking at a Politico event, Badenoch said that while she felt differently on the issue, she understood the religious perspective and that to stop people from being able to express it would be "overly draconian". 

Forbes, Scotland's finance minister and a committed Christian, has come under pressure over her views since announcing her bid to become the next SNP leader following Nicola Sturgeon's resignation. 

Challenges.

 https://www.christiantoday.com/article/tackling.testing.situations/139868.htm

Indeed!

 

Birdie.

 

Churches! From One Extreme To Another.

Southern Baptists oust Rick Warren's Saddleback Church for naming a female pastor.

Adelle M Banks   23 February 2023

(Photo: Saddleback Pics)

Saddleback Church, the megachurch long led by Rick Warren, has been ousted from the Southern Baptist Convention for naming a woman to its pastoral team, against SBC teaching.

The Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee decided on Tuesday to approve the recommendation from the denomination's credentials committee that the Lake Forest, California, church "be deemed not in friendly cooperation with the Convention, on the basis that the church has a faith and practice that does not closely identify with the Convention's adopted statement of faith, as demonstrated by the church having a female teaching pastor functioning in the office of pastor."

Stacie Wood, wife of Andy Wood, who replaced Warren as lead pastor last summer, has the title of "teaching pastor."

Saddleback was one of five churches that were declared to no longer be in friendly cooperation because of a woman having a pastoral role. One church, Freedom Church in Vero Beach, Florida, was ousted "based on a lack of intent to cooperate in resolving concerns regarding a sexual abuse allegation," the Executive Committee stated. CT.

Yowza!

Victory for deputy head teacher sacked for restraining 'out of control' pupil who hit and kicked him as he wins unfair dismissal claim.

• In April 2022, Mr Kitchener was sacked without notice for gross misconduct
• Employment judge Michael Atkins concluded he had been unfairly dismissed 

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

PUBLISHED:  01:14, 25 February 2023

South Park Team Trembling?

 https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/02/21/nolte-reports-say-harry-and-meghan-might-sue-south-park/

I Stopped Buying Bisto Some Time Ago.

Now Bisto is £5.50! Stunned shoppers say gravy is the 'new Lurpak' after price hikes by 50.9% - as average basket of everyday items rises by £21. 

Figures showed around 50 Bisto products have seen sharp increases in price since the new year across leading supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda. Mail.

Blogger: There are very good reasons not to buy Bisto:

1) I do not regard it as 'the best' - not even close.

2) Frequent changes of tub sizes and messing around with prices, apparently to confuse people, is on a par with some of the tricks used by Heinz - consider their: salad creams, baked beans and tomato soups etc. We no longer buy this exploitative brand either.

3) Bisto appears too to have recently entered the ranks of the Wokeists.

4) Tragically, these sorts of prices have a huge knock on effect to both other brands and the supermarkets' own brands. The latter are staples for so many people in the country who are on the poverty line.

A Thought. Could Senior Leaders of The FBI Be Charged With Hate Crime?

FBI's memo of 'radical Catholics': Abhorrent targeting of unpopular beliefs.  Hedieh Mirahmadi, Exclusive Columnist. CP.

Thursday, February 23rd.

  | MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

In another stunning revelation about government overreach, a whistleblower exposed an internal FBI memo identifying Radical Traditional Catholicism (RTC) as a potential breeding ground for terrorists or what they call, Racially Motivated Violent Extremists (RMVE). By way of background, the government’s definition of a “violent extremist” is the following: 

“US-based actors who conduct or threaten activities that are dangerous to human life in violation of the criminal laws … intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, and influence the policy of a government … by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping…” 

As a subject matter expert in this field, I know firsthand that the government decided on the expression “violent extremist” to avoid associating the religion of Islam with terrorism. It was also helpful because it was broad enough to encompass those who committed ideologically motivated violence for many other reasons, including racial superiority or the protection of animal rights. In the field of counter-terrorism, it is grossly inappropriate to directly associate an entire religious group with violence because a single member or group of individuals engage in criminal behavior. The FBI, in particular, has a legal prohibition against targeting individuals based on religious beliefs. This memo includes a warning to that effect: 

“Potential criminality by certain members of a group referenced herein does not negate  … the constitutional rights of the group itself or its members. The FBI does not investigate, collect or maintain information on US persons solely for the purpose of monitoring activities protected by the First Amendment.”  

Despite the warning, this FBI analyst provides an inflammatory definition of Radical Traditional Catholic doctrine to supposedly educate the reader about why its members are potentially dangerous. “RTCs are typically characterized by a rejection of the Vatican II; disdain for most of the popes elected since … and frequent adherence to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and white supremacist ideology.” Citations include several left-leaning news articles and the often biased research of the Southern Poverty Law Center. There is no evidence that this religious group has committed a single act of violence. The author also acknowledges this memo is the first to identify the RTCs as a threat. The accusations made in this document were so alarming I looked up the organizations and doctrine for myself. 

As a disclaimer, I have no personal knowledge or experience with the divisions in the Catholic church and its doctrine. However, I did spend most of my professional career researching ideologically motivated violence. I can recognize when a group uses inflammatory language to incite followers into criminal behavior. After reading and listening to several of the groups listed in the memo, it is shocking that the FBI legal counsel approved this document as credible. To summarize, most groups dubbed “RTCs” are upset with how Vatican II abolished many of the ancient practices that survived centuries. They felt like subsequent Catholic leadership was throwing away long-held traditions, which included the Latin mass. They see it as a breakdown of the traditional Catholic values on everything from gender relations to sexual promiscuity and even abortions. Another theme amongst these “RTC” groups is a rejection of the post-Vatican II movement towards ecumenicalism, which claims all religions are equal and worship the same God. It fails to acknowledge the primacy of Jesus Christ for salvation or his Lordship. Many of the debates between Catholic scholars on the future direction of the church sound very similar to the ones we have in mainstream churches across America. The concern over corrupt cultural norms seeping into the church is happening everywhere, regardless of denomination.  

One organization posted content about the historical conflict between Judaism and Catholicism to justify their objection to improved relations between the two communities. Their reasoning stems from the crucifixion of Jesus and the subsequent persecution of the Church. It is a religious conflict that dates back 2,000 years. As despicable as these ideas may be, the groups did NOT advocate violence whatsoever and made no association with being white or with racially motivated groups like the KKK. In fact, white nationalist groups historically despise Catholics as much as they do Jews or Blacks, so associating these two movements together is ridiculous. Furthermore, to claim that a traditional Catholic opposed to liberalism means that a person is an antisemite is a gross misstatement of the ideas and principles behind conventional Catholicism. 

Thankfully, 20 Attorney Generals from around the country wrote a scathing letter to the DOJ and FBI condemning the unconstitutionality of the focus on one religious community based on its beliefs and the suggestion to cultivate spies inside the Catholic church who can report on their activities. Though the FBI claims it has retracted the memo, the letter dismisses that action as simply a ruse to cover up its already committed malfeasance. The signatories demanded accountability to ensure the Catholic community was not persecuted or subject to bias and hostility within the FBI. 

It is important for all Americans, especially the Church, to realize that everyone is a potential target once the government starts characterizing deeply held religious beliefs as the impetus for violence. Many people dismissed the overly aggressive targeting of January 6 attendees because it was associated with Trump, whom they disliked anyways. However, this memo demonstrates that if our government decides to investigate a group of people based on their “unpopular” beliefs, all Bible-believing Christians may be in danger one day. Americans take pride in protecting religious liberty as the cornerstone of our society. It is abhorrent for any branch of the US government to behave contrary to that principle.

Hedieh Mirahmadi was a devout Muslim for two decades working in the field of national security before she experienced the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and has a new passion for sharing the Gospel.  She dedicates herself full-time to Resurrect Ministry, an online resource that harnesses the power of the Internet to make salvation through Christ available to people of all nations, and her daily podcast LivingFearlessDevotional.com.