A House of Commons Select Committee has asked why £1.85 million was taken from the international aid budget to fund Pope Benedict's 2010 visit to Britain.A report published by the House of Commons International Development Select Committee has questioned why £1.85 million was taken out of the government's international aid budget to fund Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Britain last year -writes Trevor Grundy.Liberal democrat MP Malcolm Bruce, who chairs the International Development Select Committee, told the BBC:"The Department for International Development (DfID) budget is basically targeted at reducing poverty in poor countries and the money should be used to benefit poor people in the most effective way that’s possible. Contributing to the cost of a state visit by the Pope to the UK makes no such contribution."In a comment on the report, published on Parliament's website, the cross-party committee said that when reviewing the department's accounts,"the MPs were ... surprised to discover that the Pope’s visit was paid for in part by money supposed to be for overseas development aid (ODA). The Committee is demanding a response from the Government as to what the £1.85 million, transferred to the Foreign Office for the papal visit, was spent on and an explanation as to how this was ODA compliant."A spokesperson for the Catholic Communications Office (CCO) in London, which represents the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, told ENInews that it would make no comment on the news. A representative of the Scottish Media Office of the Bishops Conference in Glasgow said no one was available to comment.A report in The Scotsman newspaper quoted an unidentified spokesman for the Catholic Church as saying:"It is a matter for the government how it pays its share,"a reference to the estimated £10.2 million it cost the British taxpayer to host the Pope and Vatican officials.The Rev Ian Galloway, the Church and Society Convener of the Church of Scotland told ENInews:"When I heard about this, I found it difficult to believe. This is an extraordinary confession by the government. It is utterly unacceptable and hard to explain to those whose suffering would be alleviated had this money been used as intended."Anas Sarwar, the MP for Glasgow Central, who also sits on the Select Committee and was involved in raising money for the Pakistan floods, described the findings as"shocking".He said he was"proud"that the papal visited started in Scotland, but was concerned that the government had broken a promise to protect international aid:"There is no getting away from it, this is going to pose severe difficulties when it comes to making sure every pound is well spent."[With acknowledgements to ENInews.ENInews, formerly Ecumenical News International, is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.][Ekk/3]

70 religious representatives and 25 organisations have issued a statement in response to the violent death of gay rights activist David Kato in Uganda.Some 70 religious representatives and 25 organisations have issued a statement in response to the violent death of the gay rights activist David Kato in Uganda.They are calling on religious leaders"to speak, act and urge their faithful to reach out in compassion towards those who are marginalised for any reason and to resist all attempts to promote intolerance and hatred."The statement comes into circulation as Ugandan police continue to argue that Kato's death was the result of a burglary, and following the arrest of a man charged with the killing.David Kato was beaten to death in his home in Kampala on Wednesday, 26 January. His death, whatever its cause, has highlighted the discrimination and violence faced by sexual minorities in Uganda and elsewhere - fuelled by the statements and actions of some religious leaders, critics say.Kato was a leading human rights activist in Uganda. He had recently won a court case against a Ugandan newspaper for publishing his photo, with his name and address, along with those of other gay people, with the caption,"Hang Them."In Uganda, homosexuality is illegal and an anti-homosexuality bill introduced last year called for the imposition of life imprisonment for homosexual activity and even the death penalty in some cases.David Kato was also a Christian and involved in interreligious social action.Peter Prove, Executive Director of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA), noted that from the experience of the EAA's HIV and AIDS campaign, discrimination against people on the margins of society, such as men who have sex with men, drug users and sex workers, have fuelled the HIV pandemic because it discourages individuals from receiving the information and services for prevention and treatment that they need."From this practical standpoint, we see that respecting human rights is essential - and indeed, given the universal religious understanding of God-given human dignity, religious leaders and organisations should be at the forefront of efforts to overcome stigma and discrimination and associated violence,"Prove stated.The statement, which was prepared by the EAA's HIV and AIDS strategy group, acknowledges that the official investigation is ongoing but states,"we abhor and denounce all violence such as that which took David's life - and especially if such violence is motivated by discriminatory attitudes towards people on the basis of their sexual orientation or marginalisation in society."The statement calls on"all governmental, civil and religious authorities in Uganda and around the world to speak out against hate, stigma and discrimination, and instead, in words and deeds, recognise and promote the essential worth and dignity of every person."Signatories include organisations such as the World YWCA, Church of Sweden, La Federación Argentina de Iglesias Evangélicas, United Church of Christ Wider Church Ministries, Norwegian Church Aid, Christian AIDS Bureau of Southern Africa (CABSA) and Cordaid. Among the individuals signing the statement are Rev. Martin Junge, General Secretary, The Lutheran World Federation; the Rev Dr. Calvin Butts, III, Chair of the Board, National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. (USA); Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha; Bishop Emeritus Dr Gunnar Stålsett, Moderator, European Council of Religious Leaders; Rev. Dr. Seppo Rissanen, Executive Director, Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission; the Rt Rev John Christie, Moderator, Church of Scotland; Berit Hagen Agøy, General Secretary, Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations and Canon Gideon Byamugisha, Goodwill Ambassador on HIV and AIDS for Christian Aid, UK.Other religious leaders have also spoken out in reaction to Kato's murder, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates of the Anglican Communion, who have stated that"no one should have to live in fear because of the bigotry of others."Those signing the EAA statement conclude,"We pray that David's death will galvanise a swift and uncompromising global reaction against hatred and violence and help to create a world of peace with justice which is safe for everyone to call home."The full text of the statement follows:As people of faith, recognising and upholding the God-given dignity and value of every human life, we are appalled by the violent death of leading Ugandan social activist David Kato. As religious communities and organisations working to strengthen the global HIV response and to challenge stigma and discrimination that undermines that response, we mourn the loss of a courageous activist in the struggle for dignity and human rights that are essential to overcoming the HIV pandemic.Fundamental to all religions is a respect for human life and dignity. Our faith proclaims that all human beings are made in the image of God. While we await the outcome of official investigations into David's murder, we abhor and denounce all violence such as that which took David's life - and especially if such violence is motivated by discriminatory attitudes towards people on the basis of their sexual orientation or marginalisation in society.We call for a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances of David's death, and for those responsible to be brought to justice. We urge all governmental, civil and religious authorities in Uganda and around the world to speak out against hate, stigma and discrimination, and instead, in words and deeds, recognise and promote the essential worth and dignity of every person. We call upon religious leaders to speak, act and urge their faithful to reach out in compassion towards those who are marginalised for any reason and to resist all attempts to promote intolerance and hatred.We pray that David's death will galvanise a swift and uncompromising global reaction against hatred and violence and help to create a world of peace with justice which is safe for everyone to call home.The full list of signatures can be found here (*.PDF Adobe Acrobat file):http://www.e-alliance.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/docs/Press_Release/2011/K...[Ekk/3]

Darwish Appears on"Fox&Friends,""Hannity"Among Other National News OutletsContact: Brimstone Services, 615-941-8207, pr@brimstoneservices.comNASHVILLE, Feb. 4, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Egyptian-American human rights activist and author Nonie Darwish is speaking out on the current political upheaval in Egypt. Darwish has made several national news appearances this week, including the FOX News Network's"Fox&Friends"and"Hannity."Co-founder of Former Muslims Uni Source: Brimstone Services

Funding for vital advice services for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK will be slashed by over 60 per cent from 1 April 2011.Funding for vital advice services for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK will be slashed by over 60 per cent from 1 April 2011. The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) is cutting its funding for refugee charities, including the Refugee Council, who have warned of the devastating impact this will have on people seeking saftey in the UK, as well as the wider voluntary sector and society.From April, funding for advice services for newly arrived asylum seekers will be cut by 62 per cent, funding for initial accommodation services will be halved, and contracts for the Refugee Integration and Employment Services (RIES) will end completely from September.The Asylum Support Partnership, which is made up of the Refugee Council, the Welsh Refugee Council, the Scottish Refugee Council, Refugee Action and the North of England Refugee Service (NERS) is calling for the government to reduce the unprecedented scale of the cuts, and to give us more time to implement the changes.Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, said: “Savage cuts to the refugee charity sector will force people who have already fled torture, conflict and persecution in their own countries to suffer even further while seeking safety in the UK.“This is unacceptable. Asylum seekers and refugees depend on the specialist services and expertise of refugee charities to enable them to rebuild their lives.“Despite urging the government to reduce the unprecedented scale of these cuts, and to give us more time to implement the changes, we are extremely disappointed that cuts at a local and national level to our vital services will nevertheless go ahead as planned. While we are pleased the government has agreed to fund us at this level for an additional year, we remain concerned about the scale of the cuts and short timescale they have given us in which to reduce our services."She added, “We understand these are challenging times, but we are gravely concerned cuts this deep will not only devastate the organisations that provide asylum seekers with a lifeline, but will a have a serious and lasting impact on the wider voluntary and public sector.“Sixty years on from the UN Convention for Refugees, which has saved countless lives, it is imperative our government continues to protect those seeking refuge in the UK today. They must do this by ensuring the organisations that support them can carry on with their life-changing work,” said Ms Covey.[Ekk/4]

Anti-poverty campaigners have handed George Osborne a large jammy dodger biscuit after an opinion poll named the chancellor Britain's worst tax shirker.Anti-poverty campaigners have handed George Osborne a large jammy dodger biscuit after an opinion poll named the chancellor Britain's worst tax shirker.War on Want presented the biscuit at Tory party headquarters in London, along with representatives from the Public and Commercial Services trade union, including leader Mark Serwotka, the website False Economy and the group UK Uncut.These organisations, as well as the TUC, conducted a public opinion poll on the top ten tax shirkers, which Osborne won with 2215 votes, more than double his nearest rival, Arcadia tycoon Sir Philip Green, who attracted 1057 votes.Barclays came third with 690 votes, Vodafone fourth (564), HM Revenue& Customs fifth (501), Boots sixth (307), KPMG seventh (306), Google eight (264), SAB Miller ninth (228) and HMV (141) tenth.Simon McRae, senior campaigns officer at War on Want, said:"This poll shows that people have had enough of the chancellor's failure to act on tax dodging. While we face savage cuts in public services and jobs, millionaires and large corporations are allowed to get away with dodging tax. Unless George Osborne wants to be remembered as the biggest tax shirker of them all, he must close down tax havens and launch a blitz on tax dodges."Serwotka, whose union is fighting cuts in tax jobs and offices, said:"Millionaire George Osborne is the worthy winner of a contest to highlight the unfairness of a system which allows the very wealthy to get away with depriving our public finances of billions of pounds while the rest of us are told there is no alternative but to slash public services."False Economy's campaign director Clifford Singer said:"It's brilliant to see such a range of groups now working together to target tax avoidance, from the nimble direct action protestors of UK Uncut to established, membership organisations like PCS and War on Want. As the cuts bite, more of us are asking why the very wealthiest are allowed to live their lives to a different set of rules to everyone else - and the finger is pointing at George Osborne."Osborne was nominated for his failure to scrap the domicile rule, dubbed a"tax avoiders"charter by the Tax Justice Network.Ten individuals and organisations were nominated for their part in contributing to the £120 billion which Britain loses each year through tax evasion, avoidance or uncollected revenue.The poll was hosted on the False Economy website, set up to track and coordinate anti-cuts activity across the UK and provide resources about the alternatives to spending cuts.[Ekk/4]

Armed forces chaplains play a crucial role in providing pastoral support to people who face danger and death on a daily basis. But chaplains'independence is compromised by the fact that they are members of the forces themselves. Churches that take a stand on wider issues of peace and war are rarely willing to question the ethics of the armed forces. Why has this situation arisen? And how can we change it?A retired army chaplain told me a story he knew about a wounded soldier in the Korean War. The soldier was told he had less than two hours to live, and someone sent for the nearest chaplain, a Baptist.The chaplain talked with the wounded man about families and football, but the man said desperately, “Talk to me, padre, talk to me”. The chaplain continued to chat, before the soldier again said, “Talk to me, padre, talk to me”. Somewhat confused, the chaplain asked the soldier want he wanted to talk about. The man shouted “I'm dying, you bloody fool! You're supposed to talk to me about God!”.The anecdote illustrates one of the peculiarities of miltiary chaplaincy. Unlike most ministers, armed forces chaplains often serve people who face the danger of death on a daily basis, in a way unimaginable to most of us. Pastoral care is vital for members of the armed forces.While admiring chaplains'bravery and dedication, this should not stop us recognising the problems with the way military chaplaincy is structured. Chaplains do not only serve the forces – they serve in them. They take officer ranks and swear oaths of allegiance to the monarch. The position of chaplains is compromised by the loyalty they pledge to the state.This is particularly concerning for those of us in non-conformist denominations, given the importance we have long attached to independence and conscience. Jesus'teaching is full of parables and challenging questions which provoke us to think, not to accept the views of those above us without question.My conversations with chaplains have made me aware that they often act subtly to encourage a place for conscience. A Royal Air Force chaplain told me of how he had backed up a pilot who had refused to bomb a group of people who he believed to be civilians rather than combatants. But the very fact that he cannot reveal the details of such incidents says a great deal about what is wrong with the armed forces.As an insitution, the armed forces are deeply hierarchcial, encouraging obedience and depriving their members of rights that are fundamental in other areas of employment. After an intial period, army recruits are unable to leave for over three years. While they are technically able to leave if they develop a conscientious obejction to war, research suggests that many are unaware of this right in practice. This makes it all the more worrying that the UK is the only country in Europe to recruit soldiers at the age of sixteen.The researcher David Gee concluded in 2007 that “recruitment draws mostly on young people from sixteen years of age living in disadvantaged communities, with many recruits joining as a last resort”. He found the risks and ehtical complexities to be downplayed in recruitment literature, in which “killing is de-personalised and obscured through euphemisms”.Why do churches not take a more critical approach to this situation? The answer may lie partly in a fear of appearing hostile to the armed forces, but the embedded nature of military chaplains only makes it harder to challenge the status quo.It is not only pacifists who find this worrying. Christians sincerely adhere to different views on the ethics of warfare, but can unite to support changes that maintain Christian independence and commitment to peace and human dignity. What measures can churches take?Firstly, I suggest we urgently need a system in which chaplains are not themselves members of the forces. However much they respect the forces, they should not owe any automatic loyalty to the institution or the state. Declaring allegiance to no-one but Christ, they would be free to speak out more clearly against abuse and injustice.Secondly, churches can also provide chaplains to theunarmedforces – the aid workers, human rights monitors and others who risk death in war zones while never picking up a weapon. They include Christian Peacemaker Teams and the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), who aim to make nonviolent contributions to conflict resolution.Thirdly, Christians can speak out against certain practices of the forces – which may mean speaking up for the rights of the forces'own members. We can promote a right to leave after a reasonable notice period. There is a growing campaign for the minimum age for enlisting to be raised to eighteen – denominatinoal endorsements would be a big help. And with churches playing such a big role in Remembrance Day, we can help to ensure that the day is not misused to romanticise the armed forces and gloss over ethical problems.Fourthly, churches can make clear that they will take a stand against military authority if they judge this to be required by the demands of conscience, justice and faithfulness to Jesus'teaching. The United Reformed Church, Methodist Church and Baptist Union have, through their Joint Public Issues Team, spoken out strongly against the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system. This is admirable. But that witness could have an even greater impact if all three denominations declared that, if UK troops are ordered to deploy nuclear weapons, their chaplains would encourage them to refuse the order to do so.These measures should help to secure churches'independence and values while ensuring that members of the armed forces continue to be provided with much-needed pastoral care.When John Henry Newman was asked to drink a toast to the Pope, he famously said that he would drink a toast to conscience, and then to the Pope. In the same spirit, I offer a toast to military chaplains and to those they serve – but to conscience first.---------(c)Symon Hillis associate director of Ekklesia and an active supporter of Forces Watch, a new network concerned with the ethics of military recruitment, atttitudes to the armed forces and the rights of forces personnel. Seehttp://www.forceswatch.net.A slightly different version of this article appeared originally inReformmagazine in November 2010. Seehttp://www.reform-magazine.co.uk.

Methodists and Quakers have criticised government plans for minimum pricing of alcoholic drinks, insisting they will do little to tackle alcohol-related problems.Methodists and Quakers have strongly criticised the government's plan to introduce minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks. They say it will be largely ineffective as it will not relate to the strength of alcohol in any particular drink.Under the plan, which applies only to England and Wales, shops and bars will be banned from charging less than ‘cost price'. The minimum price for a can of lager will be 38p. The policy is based on a commitment made in the Conservative Party manifesto.But critics say that the minimum prices set by the government are so low that almost no retailers will have to change their prices as a result. They also point out that the minimum price for a can of lager will be the same regardless of the percentage of alcohol it contains.The Methodist Church and other groups prefer a minimum price per unit of alcohol. This could make stronger alcoholic drinks more expensive than low-alochol ones.The Scottish government introduced a proposal along these lines last year, but it failed to pass the Scottish Parliament. Plaid Cymru, which backs this alternative, suggested this week that the minimum price per unit should be set at 50p. Plaid MP Hywel Williams said this would prevent supermarkets using alcohol as a loss leader, while protecting local pubs.James North, speaking on behalf of the Methodist Church, toldthe Friend, an independent weekly Quaker magazine, that the government's policy"will do virtually nothing to save lives, reduce alcohol-related violence and prevent accidents".Helena Chambers of Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs (QAAD) told the same magazine that a minimum price of 50p per unit"would make a much more substantial difference to both health and crime".In response to suggestions that this would unfairly target people on low incomes, Chambers insisted that"people of all economic groups buy cheap alcohol".Home Office minister James Brokenshire described the government's policy as"an important first step"and"not the end of this". But he has already ruled out the option of minimum pricing per unit.The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has welcomed the government's initiative as a"pragmatic solution".James North, while reiterating Methodist backing for minimum pricing per unit, said that the issue went beyond matters of price. He called for a"social revolution"in attitudes to alcohol. He added,"There needs to be a wider recognition that alcohol misuse is a serious issue for our whole society, not just a visible minority who drink cheap alcohol in public places".[Ekk/1]

On 3 March 2011, the Welsh people vote in a referendum about the future of Wales. They have the chance to claim better powers for their Assembly. Aled Edwards explains why Christians and people of good faith want to see that happen, and why there is a moral imperative for change in terms of the most vulnerable in society.On 3 March 2011, the Welsh people vote in a referendum about the future of Wales. They have the chance to claim better powers for our Assembly. At present we need permission from London before it can make laws in certain areas. That can take a very long time.A ‘Yes’ vote will help take Wales forward by speeding up the system of decision making to allow Assembly Members to get on with the job. If there’s a No vote, Wales’ voice will be weakened.There is considerable support for a positive ‘Yes’ (http://www.yesforwales.com/) within the churches. ‘Clergy Say Yes - Clerigion yn Dweud Ie’ is mobilising support – and there are powerful moral reasons why, for people of all persuasions.Post-devolution Wales has become a more inclusive and welcoming community increasingly shaped by a shared commitment to equal opportunities and human rights. That shaping has given devolved Wales its defining characteristic and has sometimes taken it beyond Westminster’s comfort zone. Continuing to constrain this dynamic by voting ‘no’ in March poses a moral question.Here’s why. Fearing a protest by the Welsh Defence League the following day, a vigil was held on the streets of Newport in October 2009 with the support of the Assembly’s Faith Communities Forum. Such a broad multi-ethnic event had never been held in Wales before. When it was affirmed that all had a right to be different and had an equal right to belong - Welsh flags were raised high in celebration. For some who were there, the moment defined a generation.A year earlier, research published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission - while highlighting that some prejudices still persisted in Wales - provided a largely encouraging picture. TheWho Do You See?report showed that the people of Wales have a strong sense of togetherness and are largely comfortable with people from all backgrounds.Much has been said about a growing economic inequality between Wales and the rest of the UK. This matters, but comparisons are odious.In the early 1930s Wales had a death rate eleven points above that of England and Wales combined; forty years later, in the early 1970s, that disparity was almost exactly the same. This didn’t make the NHS a failure – after all, people lived longer. It just shows that British society remained doggedly unequal.Since the 1970s, the income inequality gap in Britain has widened. It peaked particularly during the early 1990s.In this, Britain has the ignominy of being a world leader. It is this grotesque inequality, fuelled by offshore tax havens worth over ten trillion dollars to some of the world’s richest individuals, that divides Britain. It has not been devolution’s efforts to redistribute wealth and to relieve such a massive inequality. Unchecked, this inequality will divide even further and have a disproportionately adverse affect on Wales.The groundbreaking bookThe Spirit Level, may offer a helpful insight into why Wales has forged a distinctive equalities and human rights agenda since 1999. It is not rocket science. The book’s authors, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, found that even within the most materialistic of cultures, people want society to move away from greed and excess towards a way of life more centred on values, community and family.When the National Assembly came into being – with its unique constitutional requirement to pay due regard to equal opportunities and human rights – it functioned as a magnet, attracting partners in civic society. They discovered Welsh government, each other and a shared agenda. All of a sudden, Muslims became friends with Christians. They forged relationships with others motivated by values rather than faith. Out of this dynamic, flowed a plethora of policy initiatives.This fusion began to re-shape Welsh society at speed. As early as 2000, the Assembly passed secondary legislation placing a duty on schools to exercise their functions with due regard to equal opportunities – several years ahead of the British gender equality duty legislation.Events fuelled the fusion. There were calls for a powerful Children’s Commissioner following the publication of the Waterhouse Report into child abuse in north Wales. There were even louder calls for the Home Office to uphold basic human rights following the outrageous placing of asylum detainees in Cardiff prison. Significantly, following the way in which the UK Ministry of Agriculture handled the 2001 foot and mouth crisis, powers over animal health issues were transferred to the Assembly. The powers genie was out of the bottle right from the beginning – driven by tragic events and people, not by politicians.Alongside this dynamic, communities were changed. Improved community relations led to significant improvements in the reporting and prosecution of race and disability hate crimes.In response, Westminster lent legislative support creating a Children’s Commissioner and an Older People’s Commissioner but it also constrained, especially around issues relating to the Assembly’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Paul Chaney of Cardiff University’s independent research for the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2009 highlighted the emergence of a Welsh equalities agenda distinct from Westminster and more suited to the everyday needs of Wales.Wilkinson and Pickett’sThe Spirit Levelmay also explain why Welsh First Ministers have good approval ratings. It isn’t because the Welsh have an exceptionally high pain threshold. It’s because we are all affected very differently by the income differenceswithinour own society from the way we are affected by the differences in average incomebetweenone rich society and another. EqualitywithinWales matters.Wales may have been exceptional in having so many women AMs. Indicative of a deeper change, it now has a mean-based full time gender pay difference that is around half that of the UK.Although immigration is not devolved, Wales has become a world leader in training over 130 refugee doctors through its groundbreaking scheme enabling most to be employed within the NHS. While granting the Welsh language official status, Wales has become a leader within the UK in enabling displaced people to learn English. This is the future.------------©Aled Edwardsis a leading ecumenist and equalities campaigner in Wales. Since the advent of the National Assembly in May 1999 Aled has written and commented extensively on a number of issues affecting modern Wales. He has also contributed to several TV and radio debates particularly on human rights, race relations, devolved Welsh governance, the plight of asylum seekers and refugees in Wales and the continuing work of Wales'faith communities in a rapidly changing society. Aled is the Chair of Displaced People in Action. His website is:http://www.alededwards.com/

President Mubarak has said he will not seek re-election when the country goes to the polls in September 2011. That's not soon enough for the anti-government protesters who have given him until today - Friday 4 February - to stand down.

Christians and Muslims have been fasting for peace with justice in Egypt. But what on earth has giving up food got to do with changing the world? The answer, suggests Simon Barrow, is that it helps re-shape our desires as human beings, and therefore our political and spiritual orientation.Coptic churches in Egypt, ecumenical groups in America, evangelicals in Britain, and now Christian students across the world - all have recently been involved in initiatives of'fasting and prayer'for peace with justice in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East.In a strongly materialistic, utilitarian and functionalist culture, such behaviour - choosing to go without nourishment for a period of time - might seem rather odd. One more example of the peculiarity and insularity of a'religious'mentality, perhaps. Reckon so? Stop and think again.First of all, in western societies it has been activists rather than faith communities who have often been at the forefront of recovering fasting - not as an individualistic act of piety, but as a specific, embodied way of reconnecting the personal and the political, the spiritual and material, in the struggle to see right prevail in the world.In this way, personal and group abstention has in recent years been part of the active campaign for remission of the global debt burden on the poor. It has strengthened the pro-democracy monks in Burma. It has featured on protests outside asylum detention centres. It has also been used as a way of galvanising action over Darfur - and now for Egypt.At its best fasting is, very directly,"hungering and thirsting for justice"(as the Sermon on the Mount expresses it). It involves putting your body on the line in a clear and empathetic way. It is also deeply bound up with prayer, which is about opening ourselves to the hopeful purposes of God in face of a broken and marred world.No doubt those who hold an incorrigibly negative view of"things spiritual"will be tempted to dismiss fasting as mere punitive self-abuse for the gullible. Needless to say, its history, practice and impact is rather more complex than that.Self-denial can be abject, pointless or pitiless, of course. In the gospels, Jesus sharply warns against its manipulation by religious authorities who enjoy their own power to cajole people into obedience, while ignoring real human need and good.Rightly understood, however, fasting is a life-changing practice of personal self-examination and social re-orientation. It embodies (quite literally) the liberating discovery that we human beings are not simply the sum total of our appetites, but have been given the capacity to transcend such things in solidarity with those who are presently denied the very food and justice they desperately need.In this way, it can helps us to reach beyond self-satisfaction and self-absorption towards the kind of transformative love that operates beyond limited or merely tribal affections - God's unbargainable, universal love, in other words.Fasting is therefore an integrative discipline, focused on how we think with our bodies, not with disembodied and unaffected minds (the conceit of a certain naive conception of autonomous reason) or in some kind of airily'spiritualistic'way (the delusion of self-centred religiosity).Moreover, it is increasingly recognised that human consciousness and decision-making is inextricably bound up with our bodies, and with our being relational creatures -"dependent, rational animals", as the moral philosopher Alasdair Macintyre has put it.There is genuine freedom in rediscovering this. But how do we learn it? Not just with our heads or by theory alone, but by exploring and directing our yearnings and actions, personally and corporately, through practical disciplines. Going without food for a period, as part of a clear focus on life-reorientation and the search for change, can be one of those practices, many would testify.In a voraciously consumer society, where luxuries rather than necessities are the preoccupation of a majority, fasting is politically poignant in another way, too. When the quest to possess and devour more and more takes over, our personal, economic and social priorities are fundamentally altered. In contrast, fasting points us in the direction of sharing and the otherwise unimaginable politics of"enough is enough"(the title of Bishop John V. Taylor's sadly neglected book from the 1970s).As a distinctly'spiritual'practice with broad roots, fasting also readily connects with'secular'initiatives like Buy Nothing Day (which takes place every November) and other grassroots attempts to resist the"thou shalt have no other jeans than mine"culture. That, by the way, is the wonderful title of an article by the late German theologian Dorothee Soelle. It appears in a collection of essays edited by humanist social theorist Jurgen Habermas, calledThe Spiritual Situation of the Age.What people are learning through"hungering for justice"is that trying to come up with policies for a better world is not enough. We need changed people who have the will, desire and discipline to make them work - and to make the sacrifices of restraint (for example in our use of the earth's resources) that some will entail. This involves re-shaping our desires as human beings, not just our political aspirations.At a fundamental level, that re-shaping is what prayer and fasting (and indeed the upcoming period of Lent) seeks to enable.-------------(c)Simon Barrowis co-director of Ekklesia.

Christian students from across Britain are gathering for the Student Christian Movement conference - the first since last year's surge in student activism.Christian students from across Britain are travelling to Derbyshire today (4 February) for the annual conference of the Student Christian Movement (SCM). Organisers say that the number of bookings indicates the largest turnout for at least twenty years, following the surge in student activism in the last year.The conference, entitled'Still Small Voice'takes place from 4-6 February at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire.SCM has strongly condemned government plans to treble the cap on university tuition fees. As protests against the fees escalated in the autumn, SCM backed nonviolent direct action against fees, citing the example of Jesus'protest in the Jerusalem Temple.Together with the Christian thinktank Ekklesia, they suggested that active nonviolence was a better way forward for students than either giving up or resorting to violence.Kenneth Leech, socialist Anglican priest and social justice activist, will be the keynote speaker at the conference, addressing the theme of'Prayer and Action'. Other speakers include the feminist theologian Nicola Slee.There will be a range of workshops, many run by students and young people. They involve themes including Orthodox prayer, community organising, mental health, Bible reading and spiritualities of resistance. There will also be a Campaigns Corner, and a Prayer Walk around the grounds.The conference falls at the end of Poverty and Homelessness Action Week, which runs from 30 January – 6 February.Organisers say that the conference comes amidst “an exciting time of renewal and growth for SCM”.National Co-ordinator, Hilary Topp said that SCM, through its network of groups and individual members, provides students with “an opportunity to explore their faith, and work together for justice and peace in the world”.She added, “We are delighted to be welcoming Ken Leech to conference this year and are looking forward to hearing his experiences of the links between prayer and action”.The SCM event comes only a week after students and university chaplains came together in Birmingham for the National Methodist Student Conference (28 – 30 January). The conference, entitled'Paving the Way', discussed the future of the church and included talks from the Rev Alison Tomlin, President of Methodist Conference.Workshops included choral singing, guidelines for eco-living and prayer drumming. The conference was the first of its kind for several years and was set up solely by students from the Methodist Society of the University of Birmingham, receiving no funding from the Church itself but instead becoming a grassroots movement."The weekend has been very encouraging, especially to see that there are young people in the Methodist Church who want to be involved,” said Cara Taylor, a Methodist student at Cambridge University, “We are not alone, and our church is growing”.Paul Parker, from Bangor University Methodist Society, added, “You can’t underestimate how uplifting it is, as a student, to meet other people in a similar situation, because it can be quite isolating”.Students from Durham and Cambridge have now signed up to host the Methodist student conference for the next two years. They say this shows that students are ready to continue to support a church which has long been portrayed as a dying tradition. The Methodist students are now calling on the church to recognise them as a body and to engage in active support of student ministry.Many of the Methodist students are also involved in SCM which is Britain's oldest national student organisation, having been established in 1889.SCM are one of a number of groups keen to emphasis the role that Christians are playing in resisting the current government's economic agenda. Last year saw the launch of Common Wealth, a network of Christians opposed to the coalition's cuts.[Ekk/1]

Contact: Melody H. Scalley, 757-678-7200, melodyscalley@stampac.usMEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 2, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Bishop E.W. Jackson Sr., Founder and President of STAND - Staying True to America's National Destiny is accusing homosexual activists of anti-Christian bigotry and hatred. Recently, homosexuals have attacked Chik-Fil-A for supporting pro-family groups and events. They are calling for boycotts, banning the business from college campuses and labeling the owner and bu Source: S.T.A.N.D

"What would happen to Christians under the Taliban-like rule of the Muslim Brotherhood?"-- Faith J.H. McDonnell, IRD Religious Liberty DirectorContact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.orgWASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- As millions of Egyptians take to the streets demanding their right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and democratic governance, the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) exp Source: Institute on Religion&Democracy

Contact: Jerry Dykstra, Open Doors USA, 616-915-4117, jerryd@odusa.orgSANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 1, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Carl Moeller, president/CEO of Open Doors USA, calls the current violence in Egypt challenging for Christians there and is calling on the church in the West to unite in prayer for believers and the future of the country."While the huge protests in the streets against the government of President Hosni Mubarak have not been targeting Christ Source: Open Doors USA

Contact: Dr. Peter Hammond, Frontline Fellowship, 021-689-4480, admin@frontline.org.za CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Jan. 31, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Biblical Worldview Summit near Cape Town was held in a forest in the mountains, near a lake. The Biblical Worldview Summit was an intense Leadership Training programme which stretched minds and muscles, presenting daily challenges for problem solving, obstacle crossing and other team building exercises. Every day began with p Source: CCN