Free2Pray

A Green Party MSP, supported by the Scottish Government, is proposing a Bill to ban peaceful prayers and offers of help near abortion clinics in Scotland.

The Bill proposes a jail sentence of up to two years for anyone who even silently prays near an abortion clinic. Catholics in England have already been arrested under similar laws there.

If the Government is allowed to decide when and where people can pray this is a serious threat to religious freedom.

If the principle is established in this Bill, it could easily be applied to Corpus Christi processions or other forms of Catholic social justice work if politicians decide they don't agree with what is happening.

It is vital that as many Catholics, and all concerned for freedom of speech and assembly, make a response to this dangerous Bill.

Register here for this session to find out how to respond.

Event organised by the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office.

 

Mini-Course: Searching for Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Professor James Edwards, a fascinating speaker and a leading biblical scholar from USA, will lead a five-day mini course for those who are searching for Jesus.

Using the Gospel of Mark as his base, Prof. Edwards will show how Jesus fits into the history of first century Palestine, and using literature and archaeology from the period will help those who are looking for Jesus to find and encounter him. Get your ticket here.

Prof Edwards

James Edwards is a native of Colorado.

He speaks in church, conference, and community settings, for two decades he was Contributing Editor at Christianity Today.

He has authored more than one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular, and New Testament commentaries for Community Bible Study.

His books have been translated into Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

He also has led a dozen study tours to Israel, Turkey, and Greece. He was named to the North Dakota Humanities Council for his studies on the Holocaust.

He has received teaching and research awards from Sears-Roebuck, Templeton Award in Science and Religion, German Academic Exchange Service, Pew-Gordon, and Membership in the Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton. At Jamestown and Whitworth, he received awards from both faculty and students for teaching excellence.

Get your ticket here.

 

Mini-Course: Searching for Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Professor James Edwards, a fascinating speaker and a leading biblical scholar from USA, will lead a five-day mini course for those who are searching for Jesus.

Using the Gospel of Mark as his base, Prof. Edwards will show how Jesus fits into the history of first century Palestine, and using literature and archaeology from the period will help those who are looking for Jesus to find and encounter him. Get your ticket here.

Prof Edwards

James Edwards is a native of Colorado.

He speaks in church, conference, and community settings, for two decades he was Contributing Editor at Christianity Today.

He has authored more than one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular, and New Testament commentaries for Community Bible Study.

His books have been translated into Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

He also has led a dozen study tours to Israel, Turkey, and Greece. He was named to the North Dakota Humanities Council for his studies on the Holocaust.

He has received teaching and research awards from Sears-Roebuck, Templeton Award in Science and Religion, German Academic Exchange Service, Pew-Gordon, and Membership in the Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton. At Jamestown and Whitworth, he received awards from both faculty and students for teaching excellence.

Get your ticket here.

 

Mini-Course: Searching for Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Professor James Edwards, a fascinating speaker and a leading biblical scholar from USA, will lead a five-day mini course for those who are searching for Jesus.

Using the Gospel of Mark as his base, Prof. Edwards will show how Jesus fits into the history of first century Palestine, and using literature and archaeology from the period will help those who are looking for Jesus to find and encounter him. Get your ticket here.

Prof Edwards

James Edwards is a native of Colorado.

He speaks in church, conference, and community settings, for two decades he was Contributing Editor at Christianity Today.

He has authored more than one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular, and New Testament commentaries for Community Bible Study.

His books have been translated into Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

He also has led a dozen study tours to Israel, Turkey, and Greece. He was named to the North Dakota Humanities Council for his studies on the Holocaust.

He has received teaching and research awards from Sears-Roebuck, Templeton Award in Science and Religion, German Academic Exchange Service, Pew-Gordon, and Membership in the Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton. At Jamestown and Whitworth, he received awards from both faculty and students for teaching excellence.

Get your ticket here.

 

Mini-Course: Searching for Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Professor James Edwards, a fascinating speaker and a leading biblical scholar from USA, will lead a five-day mini course for those who are searching for Jesus.

Using the Gospel of Mark as his base, Prof. Edwards will show how Jesus fits into the history of first century Palestine, and using literature and archaeology from the period will help those who are looking for Jesus to find and encounter him. Get your ticket here.

Prof Edwards

James Edwards is a native of Colorado.

He speaks in church, conference, and community settings, for two decades he was Contributing Editor at Christianity Today.

He has authored more than one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular, and New Testament commentaries for Community Bible Study.

His books have been translated into Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

He also has led a dozen study tours to Israel, Turkey, and Greece. He was named to the North Dakota Humanities Council for his studies on the Holocaust.

He has received teaching and research awards from Sears-Roebuck, Templeton Award in Science and Religion, German Academic Exchange Service, Pew-Gordon, and Membership in the Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton. At Jamestown and Whitworth, he received awards from both faculty and students for teaching excellence.

Get your ticket here.

 

Mini-Course: Searching for Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Professor James Edwards, a fascinating speaker and a leading biblical scholar from USA, will lead a five-day mini course for those who are searching for Jesus.

Using the Gospel of Mark as his base, Prof. Edwards will show how Jesus fits into the history of first century Palestine, and using literature and archaeology from the period will help those who are looking for Jesus to find and encounter him. Get your ticket here.

Prof Edwards

James Edwards is a native of Colorado.

He speaks in church, conference, and community settings, for two decades he was Contributing Editor at Christianity Today.

He has authored more than one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular, and New Testament commentaries for Community Bible Study.

His books have been translated into Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

He also has led a dozen study tours to Israel, Turkey, and Greece. He was named to the North Dakota Humanities Council for his studies on the Holocaust.

He has received teaching and research awards from Sears-Roebuck, Templeton Award in Science and Religion, German Academic Exchange Service, Pew-Gordon, and Membership in the Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton. At Jamestown and Whitworth, he received awards from both faculty and students for teaching excellence.

Get your ticket here.

 

Mini-Course: Searching for Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Professor James Edwards, a fascinating speaker and a leading biblical scholar from USA, will lead a five-day mini course for those who are searching for Jesus.

Using the Gospel of Mark as his base, Prof. Edwards will show how Jesus fits into the history of first century Palestine, and using literature and archaeology from the period will help those who are looking for Jesus to find and encounter him. Get your ticket here.

Prof Edwards

James Edwards is a native of Colorado.

He speaks in church, conference, and community settings, for two decades he was Contributing Editor at Christianity Today.

He has authored more than one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular, and New Testament commentaries for Community Bible Study.

His books have been translated into Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

He also has led a dozen study tours to Israel, Turkey, and Greece. He was named to the North Dakota Humanities Council for his studies on the Holocaust.

He has received teaching and research awards from Sears-Roebuck, Templeton Award in Science and Religion, German Academic Exchange Service, Pew-Gordon, and Membership in the Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton. At Jamestown and Whitworth, he received awards from both faculty and students for teaching excellence.

Get your ticket here.

 

Ecumenical Prayer Service for Peace

Scottish Chistian leaders will join Rt Rev Kenneth Nowakowski, Eparchial Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community in Great Britain, to pray for peace.
This Ecumenical Prayer Service for Peace takes place at St Mary's Cahtedral Broughton Street (next to John Lewis) at 7pm on Friday 24 February.
"Our principal intention is to encourage earnest prayer for peace in Europe, and in particular to assure our suffering Ukrainian brothers and sisters of our human and spiritual solidarity with them." - Archbishop Cushley.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place from from Wednesday 18 to Wednesday 25 January.

It is organised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and this year’s theme is praying for unity amidst injustice.

Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary of CTBI said: "For this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we are guided by the churches of Minneapolis as we seek to explore how the work of Christian unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society.

"Through this resource, the CTBI writers’ group has also focused our attention on the 30th anniversary ofthe murder of Stephen Lawrence, which we mark this year.

"The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better.

"As we join with other Christians around the world for this year’s Week of Prayer we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism
continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone."

Prayer

God of justice, Empower us to be agents of your grace and mercy Bless us with the courage to relinquish our power. Bless us with the humility to stand with the oppressed. Bless us with the integrity to love our neighbours as we ourselves would seek to be loved.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ,18-25 January. Resources and info at www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer

Bishops urge Scot Gov to reject 'Conversion Therapy' report

Responding to the publication of the Scottish Government’s ‘expert’ advisory group’s report on “Ending Conversion Practices”, Scotland’s Catholic Bishops have issued the following statement.

Statement

The Church is pastorally sensitive to the experience of people who identify as homosexual. They are to be met with compassion and particular care and support in the challenges that come with all that life brings them.

The Church supports legislation which protects people from physical and verbal abuse. The advice of the expert committee, however, seeks to extend the scope of such legislation in a way that is gravely concerning in regard to freedom of religion and expression.

A fundamental pillar of any free society is that the state recognises and respects the right of religious bodies and organisations to be free to teach the fulness of their beliefs and to support, through prayer, counsel and other pastoral means, their members who wish to live in accordance with those beliefs.

The conclusions of the Scottish Government’s ‘expert’ advisory group on “Ending Conversion Practices” are gravely concerning.

If accepted, legal counsel has warned that they would outlaw pastoral care, prayer, parental guidance and advice relating to sexual orientation, expression of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, other than that which is deemed by the state to constitute “affirmative care”.

These proposals, if passed by the Scottish Parliament:

Moreover, the ‘expert’ advisory group is unclear what is meant by the term ‘conversion practices’ and this will create a chilling effect and may criminalise advice or opinion given in good faith.

Existing legislation rightly protects all people from physical and verbal abuse, however, these proposals go much further.

In urging the Scottish Government to reject this report, we are drawn to the recent words of  Pope Francis who has pointed out: “There is a risk of drifting into what more and more appears as an ideological totalitarianism that promotes intolerance towards those who dissent from certain positions claimed to represent 'progress', but in fact would appear to lead to an overall regression of humanity, with the violation of freedom of thought and freedom of conscience.”

Bishops Conference of Scotland, Monday 16 January 2023