Ruth Gledhill - Times Online - WBLG

The 'gnostic gospel' of Gafcon

Michael Poon's recent article on the Global South reveals a possible divergence between South East Asia and the African provinces. But it also contains this remarkable assertion: 'Gafcon holds before the Communion a new and unfamiliar utopia that is post-modern to its core. Webmasters and web bloggers render synodical processes irrelevant. They preside over web blogs in the virtual worlds of their own fabrication. Its power in shaping public opinion on ecclesiastical authorities simply cannot be ignored. A communion that is no longer dependent on patient face-to-face encounters and governed by geographical proximity: it is a Gnostic gospel that renders the Cross in vain.' 

Addiction - a spiritual disease

This is Chimchar, my favourite character on Pokemon. He lives in a little red and white ball, and emerges on command to 'fight' the Pokemon of other trainers. A couple of days ago he 'evolved' into Montferno. 'Explorers of darkness' is what comes up if you go the website linked to above. This game is addictive.

I'ld like to buy a glass or two for whoever it was that first uttered the phrase, 'the demon drink'. We've moved on from Sharia this week, but one of the little-discussed aspects of Islamic law in this whole debate was the ban on alcohol. There are few Muslims who belong to Alcoholics Anonymous in the West. So could it be that Sharia works?

Belief in the net

Julia Duin, religion editor at The Washington Times since 2003, has started a new blog, BeliefBlog. Her blog comes amid reports that my own boss, Rupert Murdoch, has bought the faith-based website Beliefnet, founded in 1999 by Steve Waldman. Tonight, Tuesday, the Bishop of London the Right Rev Richard Chartres will deliver an important speech at the journalists' church of St Bride titled Faith in the Media. Rarely has religion been more prominent in the media than today, and News Corp's interest in Beliefnet, thought to be a good advertising revenue generator, indicates how seriously this is all being taken. Bishop Chartres has set up a College of Communicators at St Stephen's Walbrook, also home to the Londoninternetchurch.com.Bishop Chartres is also, as far as I know, the first CofE bishop to have his own blog, lthough strangely, his new communicators' college doesn't seem to have a website. (I'll miss his speech because I'm going to watch Obe wan Kenobe play Iago in the Othello first night at the Donmar - now that is what I call heaven - but I've read it and recommend it to all communicators in religion.)

A rant on the unutterable scandal of car alarm systems

About ten years ago, I bought a Toyota Avensis. It cost more than £20,000. This week I am accepting £30 for it and sending it for scrap. Why? Read on to find out.

Manchester Cathedral returns fire on Sony

(Update 15/6: Sony have responded by offering to demonstrate game to Manchester clergy. See end for details.) Since we broke this story in The Times on Friday night, never mind Manchester Cathedral, the world has become a battlefield for Sony. (Update: Tony Blair has now joined in the row.) I understand there have been hundreds of protests direct to Sony HQ in Japan, a place where temple desecration, and the implied insult to ancestors, is a calumny of the highest order. A source tells me that already, shareholders are planning to punish the company by dumping stock. There is no sign of this yet on the markets though, where the latest is the Sony share price is actually up. Sony chiefs in the UK have been discussing the affair all morning, and are to have a definitive meeting at 3pm today, Monday. Read on for the letter the Dean and Chapter have sent. See also our latest update compiled by Joanna Sugden. Also below I've done a round-up of what the blogs are saying. Two of the best are Bryan Appelyard and an interesting techie one on The Guardian for the comments in particular. Matt Wardman has the best analysis I've seen so far of the legal implications, and has excelled on the background and links with his second post. Meanwhile, Pigeon Campaigns UK have written in protest to all English cathedrals about the shooting with a real gun of a real live pigeon in full view of diners in the refectory of Norwich cathedral. Hilarious, except I guess for the pigeon. See end of this post for details.

Gun battle in Manchester cathedral

Watch this gun fight in Manchester cathedral, in a city where the clergy are among those battling an escalation of gun violence, then read on for the background. For the Dean's letter threatening legal action against Sony, see here.

Religion in the Blogger awards

The Blogger's Choice awards are up and running again, and while this is a contest I do not expect to win - so many bloggers out there dislike the msm and I've never even won a game of Monopoly - I have at least been nominated, as has Irene Lancaster, celebrating the first anniversary of her own blog. In fact, I might as well tell you, as you can find out for yourselves by looking, we nominated each other. But hey, what's wrong with that? I am languishing at the bottom of the religion section with one vote, a vote that I gave myself. I fully expect to stay there. But some of the blogs at the top are pretty good, and this is an opportunity to do a little round-up of some of the most interesting.

GodTube

By Joanna Sugden

It was Internet Evangelism Day yesterday and techy Christians were encouraged to use their own version of the video sharing site YouTube to spread the Word. But this video from the site looks more like Beadle's About does church.

Muslim task force, French riots and 'Respect'

Imams are to take to streets in 'roadshows' and an Islam Online website is to be set up to counter extremism among Muslims in Britain. The solution to the 'criminal radical extremism' that exists is not less Islam but better-informed Islam, says the Government task force made up of leading Muslims including Yusuf Islam, the former pop singer known as Cat Stevens. Meanwhile, a leading RC interfaith adviser from France has blamed secularism rather than religion for the riots. In a country where devout Muslim women cannot even wear their headscarves in schools any more, he said at a conference in London today that the problem is not too much religion, but too little.