Homophobia is new sectarianism in Northern Ireland; Inquiry over Belfast boxing club’s claims of harassment; It’s back to school for young Presbyterians; Queen’s University to receive rare CS Lewis letters
Homophobia is new sectarianism in Northern Ireland
Belfast Telegraph – Liam Clarke writes: A veteran Church of Ireland cleric has backed David Cameron’s calls for same sex marriage — saying homophobia has become Northern Ireland’s “new sectarianism”. Canon Charles Kenny has spoken out about the attitude to the gay community from within his own Church, claiming that bias was distorting the Christian message.
In the interview, he said many bishops within the Church of Ireland were privately “on the pro gay lobby side”.
“They know that theologically speaking the people who oppose it are absolutely bonkers and ill-informed but they won’t say this in public because they don’t want to rock the boat,” he added.
He said that two Northern Ireland bishops who genuinely held conservative views on the issue were Ken Good, the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, and Harold Miller of Down and Dromore.
Canon Kenny is the Secretary of Changing Attitudes Ireland, a Church of Ireland organisation with the stated aim of “working for the full affirmation of lesbian and gay persons within the Church”.
More at:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/homophobia-is-new-sectarianism-in-northern-ireland-16199858.html
Inquiry over Belfast boxing club’s claims of harassment
Irish Times – The Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) and the North’s sports department are to investigate complaints by a boxing club in a loyalist area of Belfast that it has been subjected to 10 years of sectarian and racist harassment by nationalist boxing supporters.
The Sandy Row Amateur Boxing Club near central Belfast has published a detailed 57-page report outlining what it described as a “decade of chronic sectarianism that has terrorised” many of its members. It has also complained members from different ethnic backgrounds have suffered racist taunts when fighting in some nationalist areas.
The club, which has about 90 male and female members, was established in 1998.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0820/1224322499072.html
It’s back to school for young Presbyterians
Newsletter – ‘Back to school with God’ is a new resource being promoted by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, in association with Scripture Union which is being piloted in a number of churches this autumn, but which everyone is being encouraged to use.
Its aim is to focus the support and encouragement of the local church on everyone involved in any aspect of education whether it is the pupil nervous about starting back in September, the teacher planning for another term, the support staff making their preparations, the governor anxious about the budget or the family and friends of pupils trying to give them the help they need.
The resource has been developed in partnership with Scripture Union Scotland and involved a collaborative group including the Presbyterian Church’s boards of Education and youth and children’s ministry, the youth assembly SPUD and Scripture Union Northern Ireland.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/churches/it-s-back-to-school-for-young-presbyterians-1-4179567
Queen’s University to receive rare CS Lewis letters
Letters written from Belfast-born writer CS Lewis to a friend will be donated to Queen’s University on Monday.The ten rare letters were sent in the 1940s to his friend, Captain Bernard Acworth.CS Lewis is best known for his children’s series The Chronicles of Narnia. Captain Acworth’s son Richard and granddaughter Phyllida will hand the letters over in a ceremony.