"We are all in this together." (6)

Bonus time!

Britain's poorest households may soon pay a higher tax rate than major banks according to TUC calculations. Chancellor Osborne, the banker's friend, has confirmed that this trend will continue.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The beginning of the end of the Church of England?

"Church cuts bishops where Muslims outnumber Christians by seven to one" was the headline in The Telegraph yesterday. "In some parishes in the Diocese of Bradford, more than 70% of residents are Muslims, while just 10% are Anglicans."

In 2008 quoting from 'Religious Trends', The Telegraph reported a prediction that "practising Muslims will outnumber worshipping Christians in Britain within 30 years." By 2035, there will be about 1.96 million active Muslims in Britain, compared with 1.63 million church-going Christians. The think-tank warned that 4,000 churches could close by 2020 if congregations continue to shrink at current rates.

The Church of England's Dioceses Commission Report does not suggest closing its cathedrals but the future looks bleak despite their conclusion [12.2] that "It continues to be the vocation of the Church of England to provide a Christian presence in every community.We envisage a structure that would enable the Church of England to engage more coherently with the people and communities of West Yorkshire and the western half of North Yorkshire, and with the institutions of civil society there."

For how long will that policy be sustainable?

Postscript

According to the latest estimates reported in The Telegraph (28 Dec 2010) there are now 2,869,000 Muslims in Britain so there are already 1.24 million more Muslims living here than the 1.63 million church-going Christians quoted above.

Burning issues

Watching books burn is an unpleasant experience for those old enough to recall newsreel footage of Nazi excesses. With e-books and Library deposits the notion of denying or limiting knowledge to others is a thing of the past in the free world. Now the act is more a gesture of principle or defiance as dangerously demonstrated by the obscure US pastor who caused worldwide uproar by threatening to burn copies of the Koran and encouraging others to do likewise.

Just the suggestion had Islamic people on the streets waving placards and threatening violence particularly against against US troops. There is an odd contradiction here. The pastor had the freedom to exercise free will in a free country but was shackled by public opinion and political pressure. Islamists on the other hand have no qualms about desecrating non-Islamic religious symbols or even killing people just for being Christians.

As we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain we remember those who fought and died in the war against tyranny. Today we face a different tyranny, the threat to freedom of expression. Islamic fundamentalists are succeeding in muzzling everyone but themselves. The slightest hint of criticism is regarded as abuse yet Islamic abuse is rife, particularly in Iran. If as claimed, Islam is a religion of peace, protestors could demonstrate that forcibly by taking up the cause of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, sentenced to death by stoning, or is a book, however sacred, more precious than a life?