Fairtrade taking off in new countries; On patrol: the seaside God squad; Muslims warn gay marriage plan will cost SNP votes; Welcoming the Olympics: All the Bells; Steel-worker’s son is new vicar at Port Talbot; Once, the chief rabbi represented all British Jewry. No longer
Fairtrade taking off in new countries
More and more people are choosing to buy Fairtrade goods according to the latest figures from Fairtrade International
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/fairtrade.taking.off.in.new.countries/30305.htm
On patrol: the seaside God squad
We meet the volunteer ‘street pastors’ hoping to combat anti-social behaviour in Whitstable
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9408838/On-patrol-the-seaside-God-squad.html
Muslims warn gay marriage plan will cost SNP votes
The Christian Institute – The Scottish National Party (SNP) will lose the support of Muslims if it pushes ahead with plans to redefine marriage, Muslim leaders have warned.
Muslim leaders from across Scotland met Nicola Sturgeon, the party’s Deputy First Minister, at Glasgow Central Mosque to express their position on the issue.
Bashir Maan, a prominent figure in Glasgow’s Muslim community, said: “We have made it clear to Nicola Sturgeon that we have been very pro-nationalist but if they go ahead with this we will not be happy.
“There are about five or six thousand Muslims living in her constituency and we hope that she will listen to us.”
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/muslims-warn-gay-marriage-plan-will-cost-snp-votes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+christianinstitute+%28The+Christian+Institute%29
Welcoming the Olympics: All the Bells
Churches across the UK are being urged to join together on the first day of the Olympics by ringing their church bells to welcome the games.
http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/7/18/Welcoming-the-Olympics-All-the-Bells
Steel-worker’s son is new vicar at Port Talbot
The son of a former steel-worker is coming back to serve as a vicar in Port Talbot this week. Revd Mark Williams will be inducted as vicar of St Theodore, Port Talbot, by the Archbishop of Wales
http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/7/18/Steelworkers-son-is-new-vicar-at-Port-Talbot
Once, the chief rabbi represented all British Jewry. No longer
Guardian – The falling-out over gay marriage demonstrates that Jonathan Sacks’ successor will be only the head of a centrist rumpNext year the present chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, will retire. The search for his successor is well under way. I am reliably informed that one candidate has already been ruled out as being “too orthodox”. Other possible contenders have ruled themselves out, believing that the office is a poisoned chalice. In truth the office of chief rabbi – much misunderstood by the world at large and not properly understood (in my experience) even by many Jews – is no longer what it once was. This has recently been underlined by a very public row triggered by Sacks’ response to the Home Office consultation on gay marriage. Towards the end of last month, as the consultation period neared its end, it became clear that the beth din (ecclesiastical court) of the United Synagogue, together with its rabbinical council, had officially urged the government to reject the proposal to legalise gay marriage.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/jul/13/chief-rabbi-gay-marriage