Latest News
Religious civil partnership proposal put forward
Religious groups including Quakers could be allowed to carry out civil partnerships for same-sex couples, if an attempt to change the law is successful. The proposal appears in an amendment to the Equality Bill currently going through Parliament. No religious element has been allowed in civil partnership ceremonies...
Trade union wants better protection for God’s workers
The treatment of staff in religious organisations is under the spotlight, following an anti-bullying campaign launched by a trade union representing thousands of ministers and priests. In addition, Church Action on Poverty (CAP) says that many faith groups are still failing to pay a living wage. Unite, Britain’s...
Weapons company joins 10:10 coalition to reduce emissions
An arms company faced derision and criticism after presenting itself as ethical by signing up to the 10:10 climate change campaign last year. MBDA Systems have pledged to cut their carbon emissions by ten per cent during 2010. The 10:10 pledge has been signed by a wide range of organisations, including businesses,...
Surprise, surprise – sceptical columnist attracted to Quakers
Guardian columnist Jessica Reed has surprised her readers by expressing a strong attraction to Quakerism – despite having been a longstanding atheist. It seems that the Quaker Quest course in Friends House had a profound effect on her. Writing on the newspaper’s website last week, she described how her...
New faces at the Friend
The trustees of the Friend are pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Kirk-Smith of Lisburn Meeting, Ireland Yearly Meeting, as our new editor, to take over on the retirement of Judy Kirby in early summer. Ian is a committed Friend who has considerable experience in journalism and broadcasting and...
Travelling together
2010: a personal comment
A view from Copenhagen
A cacophony of colour, music and chanting flooded the streets of Copenhagen on Saturday 12 December as 100,000 activists marched to the city’s Bella Centre, where the UN Climate Change Summit is taking place. I travelled to Copenhagen with over a hundred other Christian Aid supporters from the UK. We marched...
Christmas Cheer from Copenhagen?
Climate change is a complex, messy and huge problem. At the time of the Friend going to press, the antidote being brewed in Copenhagen seems complex, messy and inadequate. Negotiators are working on two main documents. Both are full of the square brackets used to indicate alternative possible wording and...
Quakers ‘Wave’ to the world
Quakers were anything but silent last weekend as they made their presence felt in the ‘Wave’ through London designed to draw attention to climate change. At least 300, including 100 young Friends, gathered together with Quaker banners and placards in Trafalgar Square and then Hyde Park at the start of the march...