Are Protestants free to criticise Catholicism?
The death of a Pope is a time for assorted reflections on the Catholic Church. Protestants can be wary of speaking up. Even the word 'Protestant' is not a very familiar one these days. Sure, most of us know that the Church of England is Protestant, and that Luther was Protestant and that the Reformation was the birth of the Protestant movement. But the Church of England doesn't draw attention to its Protestant identity. There's a vague sense that to do so would be bigoted. For doesn't Protestant mean anti-Catholic?
The last proud Protestant was Ian Paisley – and even he softened in old age. It is now widely felt to be embarrassing that the British constitution has an anti-Catholic aspect (the monarch is still not allowed to be a Catholic, though the ban on marrying a Catholic has recently been lifted).
So the old sectarianism is dead and gone, to the relief of all, and mutual respect reigns supreme.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
4 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow demonstration takes place to 'remember Gaza's lost men'
The Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee (GGEC) organised the national demo to coincide with Father's Day on June 15. Ahead of today's event, they said: "This coming Father's Day, we gather in red to honour all the men slaughtered in Gaza, to demand decisive sanctions against Israel, forcing it to halt the extermination, and to assert the internationally-recognised right of all Palestinians to resist their genocidal elimination." (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest) Those taking part were asked to wear red. The demo began at Glasgow Green at the McLennan Arch at 12.30pm today (June 14) before a march into the city centre started at 1pm. Rabbi Elhanan Beck and Rabbi Haim Sofer joined the march and were pictured at the front of the crowd. (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest) The two men were greeted by members of the GGEC arriving at Glasgow Central Station on Friday, June 13. A post shared by the Committee on Instagram read: "Both men are anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews who fervently oppose genocidal Israel and stand in unshakeable solidarity with the Palestinian people." They also spoke at the demo in Glasgow Green alongside Adam Al Khateb and Hussein Ezzedine Rabbi Beck was pictured holding a sign which read: "Judaism condemns the state of 'Israel' and its atrocities." Other signs by those taking part had statements such as "stop Gaza genocide", "it's not a war, it's a genocide", and "stop bombing Iran". (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest) (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest) (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest) (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)
Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Telegraph
Scrap ‘two-tier' anti-racism guidance for police, say Tories
Police chiefs' 'two tier' guidance that tells officers to treat black and white suspects differently must be scrapped, the Tories have said. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has claimed the advice is 'morally indefensible' and would ' put the public at risk '. He has written to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, urging her to back a Tory amendment to her crime and policing Bill, which would give the Government powers to order the withdrawal or rewriting of the guidance. The guidance declared police chiefs' commitment to 'racial equity' did not mean 'treating everyone the same or being colour blind'. Instead, they called for 'equality of policing outcomes' for different ethnic groups 'by responding to individuals and communities according to their specific needs, circumstances and experiences'. 'Community trauma' The report, setting out police chiefs' ' anti-racism commitment ', also stated officers must now 'consider cultural impact and community trauma when using their powers'. A home office spokesman said: 'Every police officer in our country swears an oath to uphold the law with 'fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality', and there is no guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council or anyone else which tells them to do anything different. In particular, it is categorically false that the police are told to apply the law differently to anyone based on their ethnicity.' But Mr Philp said the implication of the guidance was that offences by ethnic minorities should in some cases be ignored. 'The document explicitly says the police should not treat everyone 'the same' or be 'colour blind'. This is itself racist and enshrines two-tier policing in practice. It is morally indefensible and will put the public at risk,' he said. 'The police anti-racism commitment also talks about the police 'criminalising' people. This is completely absurd. People criminalise themselves by committing crimes and the police should do everything in their power to bring criminals to justice.' He said the Tory amendment to the crime and policing Bill would give the Home Secretary the power to amend or require the withdrawal of any code of practice issued by the College of Policing or any document issued by the National Police Chiefs' Council intended to direct policing practices. In his letter, Mr Philp said: 'Please confirm that you will ask the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing to withdraw this racist and two-tier guidance and support our amendment to give you the power to override them if they refuse.' 'Without fear or favour' It follows a two-tier justice row over the sentencing council where Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, intervened to change the law to overturn its guidelines that she said could have given preferential treatment to defendants from ethnic minorities. When previously challenged over the police guidelines, Ms Cooper said the police already had to swear an oath to act impartially and use their powers 'without fear or favour'. Gavin Stephens, the chairman of the NPCC, said the commitment would mean more effective policing. 'People from black communities have the lowest levels of confidence in the police, are under-represented in our workforce and are more likely to experience police powers such as stop and search or use of force,' he said. 'This historic and ongoing mistrust between the police and black communities risks, for example, people not reporting things to the police if they are in trouble or not aiding our efforts to catch criminals. 'Explaining or reforming race disparities and addressing mistrust with black communities will mean we are more effective at fighting crime and protecting all communities.'
The Herald Scotland
12 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Rainy weekend in forecast for 'No Kings' protests, DC Army parade
The storms are in time for the planned parade in D.C. celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, also falling on Trump's 79th birthday. The parade costs $40 million and will feature tanks and troops rolling through downtown with Trump looking on from a specially built reviewing stand. The same day, protests are planned in 1,800 communities in all 50 states are expected to be the largest and most numerous anti-Trump demonstrations since he took office in his second term. The so-called "No Kings Day" protests will center with the largest in Philadelphia, where forecasters said Saturday will look "cloudy, showery, drizzly, and humid." Here's what the weather will look like for this Saturday's day of demonstrations: Will it rain on Trump's parade? The Army's anniversary event is set to begin at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The morning and afternoon will be filled with a fitness competition, music performances, an event recognizing Medal of Honor recipients and a ceremony with cake cutting. The festivities then transition into a parade in the evening. The parade will start on Constitution Avenue in downtown D.C. at 6:30 p.m. and last until 7:45 or 8 p.m. It will be followed by an enlistment ceremony and fireworks. See the full schedule: What time is Trump's DC military parade? Forecasters at the National Weather Service in the Baltimore-Washington office said D.C. will see drizzling rain and showers for much of the day on Saturday. In the morning through 11 a.m., there will be areas of drizzle. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., eventgoers should expect showers, and a possible thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Rain during the day could amount to between one-tenth and one-quarter of an inch, forecasters said. The high temperature is expected at 83 degrees. There is about a 75% chance of precipitation and a chance of thunder after 6 p.m. when the parade is scheduled. The region will be coming off a flood watch in effect starting Friday night evening through the overnight hours, when the D.C. metro area is expected to get 1 to 3 inches of rain, with some areas seeing as much as 5 inches. More: Rain or shine? Trump offers update on weather's impact on military parade Many 'No Kings' protests could see rainy weather With much of the country expecting rain showers and thunderstorms, many of the protests planned for Saturday could get caught in bad weather. Temperatures are expected to range from highs in the 60s and 70s in the Northeast to the triple digits in some parts of the Southwest. In Philadelphia, where the largest No Kings Day protest is planned to kick off at about noon, forecasters said the high temperature is expected to be 72 degrees and showers are likely on Saturday. A possible thunderstorm could also roll through after 2 p.m. The chance of precipitation is 60% during the day Saturday. There is also a risk of scattered severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging wind gusts across parts of the central and northern High Plains on Saturday afternoon and evening, the Storm Prediction Center said. Parts of the southern and central Plains could also be hit with storms. Cities in the areas of most risk include Rapid City, South Dakota; North Platte, Nebraska; Gillette, Wyoming; Sheridan, Wyoming; and Spearfish, South Dakota. All those cities have planned No Kings Day demonstrations, according to organizers. See the national rain forecast
