How the leaders of faith communities give way to the temptation to use their position and talents to offer easy answers to complex questions

I have been travelling in the Philippines where news of increased troop levels and warfare in Iraq reaches us. Although it has been many months since I was in Baghdad, where I listened to the stories of detainees, I have a clear image of the increased burden of violence. I imagine with horror the columns of military vehicles weaving their way in narrow streets where homes and storefronts of my friends' neighbourhoods abound.

Tony Blair announced on Monday (29th January 2007) that faith-based adoption agencies will not have special exemptions from the new Sexual Orientation Regulations, but that they will have a ‘transition period' of 21 months before the SORs come fully into force at the end of 2008. He also paid tribute to the work of agencies motivated by religious faith, and stated that it was important to ensure that the expertise and services of these groups was not lost.

Nine years ago “probably the most controversial, brilliant, independent-minded and principled politician of his age” died. This was how the Birmingham Post described the devout Anglican Enoch Powell, who believed it would infringe the rights of those he championed to be subjected to anti-discrimination legislation, and spoke out forcefully.

One of the reasons I wanted to come to Palestine with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) was to help children get to school and protect them from soldiers who caused them trouble. However, being a good peacemaker, I also came wanting to work hard at loving my enemies. My plan was to try to see the humanity of these soldiers and identify with them as individuals rather than as faceless, uniformed bad guys.

Let's be clear about this: I am opposed to the use of violence to resolve political, cultural, social, ideological, or theological disputes. Or any dispute for that matter. I can never agree with militant Palestinian leaders who rationalize the use of terror as a legitimate form of armed struggle against oppression and occupation.

Theo Hobson argues for a faith that welcomes freedom from religion

Recently I have had the great pleasure of meeting up again, for the first time since March 2006, with Jim Loney from Canada and Harmeeet Singh Sooden from New Zealand. One year ago this weekend we were companions in kidnap and held in close confinement in Baghdad where we had gone as members of a Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation.

How religious language exposes both our hopes and fantasies

Love it or loathe it, the media will be full of the World Cup over the next month, as football-lovers and football-haters make their respective preparations for Germany 2006