Religion

Lawyers for dumped Wallabies star Israel Folau have lodged an unfair dismissal claim against Rugby Australia. Applications were filed with the Fair Work Commission on Thursday against both the national and NSW governing sports bodies, following the 30-year-old's sacking last month after he posted comments on social media about homosexuals. 'No Australian of any faith should be fired for practising their religion,' Folau said in a statement. Folau's claim comes as One Nation New South Wales leader Mark Latham blamed Qantas and Rugby Australia sponsors for the sacking.   Lawyers for dumped Wallabies star Israel Folau (left with wife Maria) have lodged an unfair dismissal claim against Rugby Australia One Nation New South Wales leader Mark Latham (pictured) has blamed Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and other sponsors of forcing Rugby Australia to sack Folau Mr Latham read a statement he claimed was written by RA chief executive Raelene Castle under parliamentary privilege in the NSW … [Read more...] about ‘No Australian should be fired for their religion’: Israel Folau launches unfair dismissal claim after he was sacked from his $4million rugby contract for ‘homophobic’ post

It takes something special to unite Richard Dawkins, Giles Fraser, David Cameron and the archbishop of Canterbury in a common cause, but that’s what Britain’s three biggest cinema chains have accomplished. Their refusal to screen an advert for prayer has provoked scorn and damnation – or, in more Anglican terms, “disappointment”. Yet, strange as it sounds, I think the cinemas have done the Church of England a huge favour: they’ve given it the dose of reality it desperately needs. The C of E has no right to any special treatment. We still await constitutional disestablishment, but it’s clear that we are in the midst of a cultural disestablishment. The sooner the Anglican church grasps this, the better it will be for all of us. Looking at hard numbers, the sociologist Linda Woodhead asserts that the big shift started in 1989. We have now reached the point where the majority of under-30s in the UK identity as having no religion. Woodward says that … [Read more...] about We need the Church of England more than ever. That’s why we need it to die

Between 1947 and 2005, the US evangelist Billy Graham, who has died aged 99, conducted more than 400 crusades around the world, preaching to millions of people. He was one of the first western Christian leaders to speak beyond the iron curtain, first in Hungary, then in Poland and Russia. In 1973, more than a million people attended the closing ceremony of his crusade in Seoul, South Korea. He gained access, with great difficulty, to China in 1988 and North Korea four years later. Like thousands of others in the UK, I first heard Graham at Earls Court stadium in 1966, on one of his London crusades. Though fewer had turned up than to Harringay stadium in 1954 (when he ministered to more than 1.3 million people in three months), the numbers were impressive. The glamour of expensive and skilful hype, lighting and music, and support from local religious leaders, drew the crowds. Graham was handsome and eloquent, but his proclamations were strident, and his theme – “what would … [Read more...] about Billy Graham obituary

When Billy Graham stands before the judgment seat of God, he may finally realize how badly he failed his country, and perhaps his God. On civil rights and the environmental crisis, the most important issues of his lifetime, he championed the wrong policies. Graham was on the wrong side of history. The world’s most famous evangelist let his apocalyptic anticipation of the coming kingdom of God blind him to the realities of living in this world. For Graham, the Bible had a clear message for Christians living in what he believed were humans’ last days on earth. Individuals alone can achieve salvation; governments cannot. Conversions change behaviors; federal policies do not. These convictions shaped the evangelist’s views on civil rights. In the late 1950s, Graham integrated his revivals and seemed to support the burgeoning civil rights movement. This is the Graham most Americans remember. But as the movement grew, expanded and became increasingly confrontational, the … [Read more...] about Billy Graham was on the wrong side of history

Who would have thought it: Germans enthusiastically applauding refugees arriving from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. An atmosphere of hospitality, warmth, and joy prevails in overfilled train stations. The country has impressed the world with its countless volunteers and huge willingness to give. A great influx of migrants, of all things, has set Germans' suppressed feelings free. Compassion, mercy and charity come out on top in the center of Christian Europe. Widespread positive images overshadow news of burning refugee shelters. And what's more, over two-thirds of people in Germany approve of opening borders to men, women and children who have been persecuted, abused and who have risked their lives. This is one of the rare moments in which one can feel pleased about the country. The Germans and their fears For time being, one of Germans' greatest fears seems to have vanished despite the many arrivals: an ethic of responsibility has overshadowed concerns that the majority of the … [Read more...] about Opinion: Believers respecting believers