Tuesday, 20 January 2015

EA welcomes dropping of Page 3

EA welcomes dropping of Page 3

Tue 20 Jan 2015

By Antony Bushfield

The Evangelical Alliance, which represents more than two million evangelical Christians across 79 denominations, is welcoming the apparent decision by The Sun newspaper to drop Page 3.

Britain's best-selling tabloid has been publishing topless models on its third page for the past 44 years.

But after campaigns and criticism from several groups including churches the newspaper appears to have decided to stop.

The Sun has refused to confirm the report in today's Times, which says "Friday's edition of the paper was the last that will carry an image of a glamour model with bare breasts on that page".

Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, says that if the report is correct then he 'lauds' the newspaper.

"The reality is that Page 3 is the thin edge of a very big wedge - the multibillion pound porn industry and after a whole generation it is finally coming to an end," he said.

"The discontinuation of page 3 represents a victory for all women, and for all of us who have long campaigned for a more decent and respectful press in the UK.

"But ending the print version is not just enough, Rupert Murdoch needs to go the next step and remove it from the online version as well. These actions would help to move us towards a more responsible media and a more civil society."

The Christian man of the future

The Christian man of the future

What kind of man does the Church of the future need? And what does our children’s work need to look like in order to keep these men? Christian Vision for Men’s Carl Beech thinks it’s time to man up and face the reality of a feminised Church

So, the good people at Premier Childrenswork dropped me a line and asked me to pen a feature on…take a deep breath: ‘What kind of men do we need in the 21st Century? What does an effective children’s work look like? What needs to change?’

Hmmm, that’s a tough one, I thought to myself. I know, I’ll turn to the Twitterati and get their advice. That’ll work. So, 140 carefully crafted characters hit Twitter. You’ll find the responses below:

‘Enable him to be conscious of stereotypes and inequality. Raise him to love Jesus and others well, and be kind and able to show feelings’ (M)

‘Children need to see faith matters to you when they are six or seven. Don’t think they’ll suddenly be impressed by you at 14’ (M)

‘Bold and biblical’ (M)

‘Brave and kind and humble. Who aren’t passive but are able to think critically’ (F)

‘Let them do challenges and fail, let them adventure and grow confident’ (M)

‘Humility’(M)

‘Too much to put into 140 characters, mate!’ (M)

‘Discover who God intended them to be, whether artist, mechanic, church leader. Each calling unique and valuable’ (F)

‘Men who lead purposeful lives, who use their God-given gifts rather than use passive lives of others’ (F)

‘Integrity, patience, kindness, fairness’ (M)

‘Embrace the world and bless it and not hide away in fear of sin’ (M)

‘Stop playing with stereotypes and inequality. Be kind and able to show feelings’ (F)

‘Teach them to respect others. Teach them to take responsibility for actions. Teach them to apply themselves in everything’ (M)

‘Depth and challenge; honesty and humility. Loving and respecting women’ (M)

‘Courage, security, confidence, hope, perseverance, honest, loving, all in perspective’ (M)

‘Men of the word, men of headship in the family, men who work for the glory of God’ (M)

‘Responsibility, duty and pulling your weight are not taboo words!’ (M)

‘Courageous, authentic and highly loving, which means we need to be always modelling courage, authentic and high loving. Starts with us’ (M)

'Keep Your Religion in the Closet' Says NYT Editorialist

'Keep Your Religion in the Closet' Says NYT Editorialist

Not going into the closet, stand your ground

"I support the right of people to believe what they do and say what they wish—in their pews, homes and hearts."

So says an influential New York Times journalist.

In other words, "Keep your religion in the closet."

In his Jan. 10 Times editorial, "Your God and My Dignity: Religious Liberty, Bigotry, and Gays," Frank Bruni writes, "I've been called many unpleasant things in my life, and I've deserved no small number of them. But I chafe at this latest label: A threat to your religious liberty."

He finds it "absurd" that the simple act of two men or two women joining together in "marriage" not only runs counter to our creed but actually runs roughshod over it. Yes, "the deference that many politicians show to such thinking is an example not of religion getting the protection it must but of religious people getting a pass that isn't warranted."

In what sense is this an unwarranted pass?

According to Bruni, who has a big problem with what he calls "religion's favored status" in America, when we refuse to participate in any aspect of same-sex unions, we are using our "religious beliefs ... as a fig leaf for intolerance." This would apply to a justice of the peace who refused to perform the ceremony to a photographer who refused to shoot the event.