Civil & Human Rights - Anglicanism.org

The rise and rise of autocracy

The rise and rise of autocracy

The Editor - The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes: Democracy is the de jure status of the world with only Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Brunei, Afghanistan and the Vatican not claiming that system. The question must therefore arise as to what democracy really is? Increasingly, with a tightening of centralised state control, bringing the judiciary under governmental oversight and electoral manipulation, democracy appears more like a veneer of legitimisation for what are otherwise autocracies. We might initially cite as examples former communist states such as China or Russia but more worrying are countries such as Turkey, or even in the European Union, Hungary and Poland where the drift towards autocracy is growing. The term democracy is from the ancient Greek δημοκρατία. This can be broken own into dêmos (the common people) and krátos (force or might). Under the ruler Cleisthenes in 508 BC we first have Athenian democracy. Since then the freedom of the people has been hard fought both for and against. In truth the default position for most of human history has been autocratic rule by monarchs and dynasties. Democracy is a fragile flower that is always in danger of withering and reverting to autocratic rule. ...

2023-05-31T21:59:35+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Fundamentalism|

Are we heading for World War III?

Are we heading for World War III?

The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson (Editor: Anglicanism.org) writes: Amongst the many crises currently gripping the world a good number are linked directly or indirectly to the unprovoked disastrous invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin. It is important to attribute the onslaught on Ukraine to one man as, despite the existence of ultra-nationalists of a fascist disposition in Russia, broadly speaking the invasion does not seem to have universal enthusiastic support on the part of the people. Moreover, in a country starved of non-state impartial media many seem simply to have accepted (but little more) the official line. Of course, it is difficult to ascertain exactly what is going on and the famous dictum of Churchill in 1939 that Russian is “a riddle, wrapped inside a mystery, inside an enigma” still stands.

2022-10-21T22:17:58+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|

Call for the President and Prime Minister to resign

Call for the President and Prime Minister to resign

The Bishops of the Church of Ceylon write: We note with deep concern the deterioration of the state of our economy and the sheer sense of apathy with which those in power are approaching the plethora of problems faced by the people of our land.

2022-11-17T23:54:53+00:00By Rodrigo, The Rt Rev'd Dushantha|

A LATTER DAY PAUL WRITING TO HIS FRIENDS NEAR AND FAR FROM WELLINGTON, AOTEAROA

A LATTER DAY PAUL WRITING TO HIS FRIENDS NEAR AND FAR FROM WELLINGTON, AOTEAROA

Paul Oestreicher writes: This seems a good moment gratefully to share with you some of the milestones on my pilgrimage, as my OBE citation says, for ‘peace, human rights, reconciliation, and the Church’. These are the things that will continue to motivate me. A state award – I had already received a German one – is only acceptable as an affirmation of these values and of all those who have worked with me to embody them.

2022-10-21T22:21:05+00:00By Oestreicher, The Rev'd Canon Paul|Tags: Letters|

Church and State – Church versus State?

Church and State – Church versus State?

Editorial June 2022 - The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes: The British Prime Minister, apparently stung by the whole bench of Anglican Bishops in the House of Lords, has denied that it is his wish to expel them from the British second chamber. Rumblings amongst Boris Johnson’s ministers have followed the publication of a letter from 25 Bishops stating that the policy of sending some migrants who arrived from across the English Channel is ‘immoral’.

2022-11-18T21:10:54+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|

Statement on recent political developments in Sri Lanka by the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Ceylon

Statement on recent political developments in Sri Lanka by the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Ceylon

Whilst the rest of the world is understandably engaged with the war in Ukraine, trouble is emerging in Ski Lanka where the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Ceylon express their concerns ...

2022-10-21T22:22:42+00:00By Fernando, The Rt Rev'd Keerthisiri|

Statement on Clergy Conference 2022 by the Church of Ceylon

Statement on Clergy Conference 2022 by the Church of Ceylon

While the country’s problems have been brewing for years, spillovers from the crisis in Ukraine have sent the island nation over the edge

2022-11-17T23:56:30+00:00By Fernando, The Rt Rev'd Keerthisiri|

Will God or his Church intervene in Ukraine before it’s too late?

Will God or his Church intervene in Ukraine before it’s too late?

Editorial: The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes. Rowan Williams former Archbishop of Canterbury 2003-2012 appeared with an ash mark still on his forehead on Ash Wednesday, 2nd March urging senior Orthodox church leaders outside Russia to stand alongside archbishops, patriarchs and the Pope in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine ...

2022-10-21T22:23:35+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|

Is equality of opportunity ever achievable without tighter regulations on targeted marketing? – Is there more we can do to protect the vulnerable?

Is equality of opportunity ever achievable without tighter regulations on targeted marketing? – Is there more we can do to protect the vulnerable?

Nicola Hughes writes: For every student studying business since 1980 Kotler and Armstrong’s Principles of Marketing has been a necessary purchase – Marketing as an industry is constantly changing and in an unsurprisingly business savvy way K&A regularly updated the ‘’Marketing Bible” so students couldn’t borrow outdated copies from the library. I didn’t have the same problem while studying Theology!

2022-11-17T23:59:31+00:00By Hughes Nicola|

Truth and Reconciliation for Today

Truth and Reconciliation for Today

The Rev'd Canon Richard Truss, Guest Editor, writes: Where is the church’s voice in public affairs? We do see occasional episcopal pronouncements, and occasional letters in the press. But most of the attention the past year, when any has surfaced at all, has not been on what the church and theology might have to say to the rest of society, but on what is seen as the dire state of the Church itself - the future of the parish, the financial crisis and even conjectures as to whether it can survive at all?

2022-11-18T00:01:25+00:00By Truss, The Rev'd Canon Richard|