Richard Dawkins should be wary of presuming to judge who is a genuine Christian and who isn't.
Jesus's most prominent opponents, the Pharisees, spent a great deal of time and energy telling their contemporaries who was and who was not a true Israelite.
Working on the Sabbath? You're not in. Mixing with the unclean? You're out. Not tithing your dill and cumin? You fail. Jesus himself was repeatedly faced with the same accusation. He couldn't possibly be a real Israelite, let alone a true prophet. Just look at ... read more
"Leon Trotsky thinks you're hotsky", and other Valentine's Day messages.
The five must-read blogs from today, including Obama's new budget, Dawkins' religion poll, and public trust in Osborne.
1. Moody's puts Britain on negative watch: this will strengthen George Osborne
The key point is that voters trust George Osborne more than they trust Ed Balls, says the Telegraph's Daniel Knowles.
2. How Obama's new budget fits into the UK debate
Coffee House's Jonathan Jones looks at where Obama now stands on deficit reduction, spending cuts, and debt.
3. read more
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Is the government really committed to open data?
While Tom Watson has urged Labour to endorse an expansion of Freedom of Information in its next manifesto, the government is heading in the opposite direction.
In a submission to the Commons justice committee, the Ministry of Justice has floated the idea of charging people for FoI requests. It's an odd move given the coalition's apparent commitment to open data and ... read more
Inflation falls to 3.6%, the lowest level since November 2010.
As expected, inflation has fallen to its lowest level for more than a year after the VAT rise was stripped out of the calculation. The RPI rate fell 0.9 per cent to 3.9 per cent and the CPI rate fell 0.6 per cent to 3.6 per cent (see graph).
The latter is still significantly above the Bank of England target rate of 2 per cent, so Mervyn King has had to ... read more
Love is in the air with this Valentine's Day parliamentary serenade.
Hat-tip: Guido ... read more
With Britain's credit rating on negative outlook, the Chancellor's reputation is on the line.
So much for George Osborne's claim that the UK is a "safe haven". Moody's decision to place Britain's AAA credit rating on "negative" watch explodes the Chancellor's delusions. There is now roughly a 30 per cent chance that the UK's credit rating will be downgraded in the next 18 months. Given that Osborne chose to make our credit rating the ultimate metric of economic stability, ... read more
The ten must-read pieces from this morning's papers.
1. No one is above the law - and that includes The Sun (Independent)
Politicians are still in awe of newspapers, fearful of them like children in the playground, writes Steve Richards.
2. Any strategy for growth must include decent childcare for all (Guardian)
Reversing our dwindling birthrate would do much more for the economy than making people work longer into old age, ... read more
The media's monstering of transgender people is finally being challenged.
Whatever the long-term results of the Leveson inquiry, one appearance may prove a turning point for an increasingly visible and (hopefully) decreasingly vulnerable population. When Helen Belcher presented Trans Media Watch's submission last week, explaining the largely negative practices and consequences behind more than a hundred news items about transgender (but mainly transsexual) people, it felt like a turning point for a group no longer ... read more
A new poll puts the Mayor of London two points ahead of his Labour rival.
Boris has regained the lead but the London mayoral election remains too close to call. Last month's YouGov poll put Ken two points ahead (51 per cent to 49 per cent), this month's puts Boris two points ahead. With three months to go, the rivals are neck-and-neck in the closest election since devolved government was restored to London.
The full data ... read more
The five must-read blogs from today, including an unusual meeting of minds on Syria.
1. Syria puts al-Qaeda and west on same side
Jon Snow notes that the extraordinary situation in Syria has created unexpected agreements.
Those who can least afford it are bearing the brunt of unemployment and cuts in real wages, says Stewart Lansley at False Economy.
The poacher who did much ... read more
People are losing control of the public spaces they love. Give local councils a say over betting shops.
Dear Mr Pickles, I'm writing to invite you to Peckham. People here feel that their high streets are being inundated with betting shops. They feel that they are losing control of the public spaces they love. They look to me and my fellow councillors for leadership, but at present we don't have any meaningful powers to change things. You have the ability to grant us that authority, and ... read more
Biblical evidence LOL Aristotle and Newton were both athiests in the same vein as Einstein i.e. god is equal to the universe but not independent from it.
From gmac, 15 February 00:04
Well written articel. We shoud indeed be weary of trying to "look into people's souls" and label them.
From Graeme Hancocks, 14 February 23:37
Isn't it time we broke up the Bank of England's monopoly on printing money? I've got a printer, I could do some QE too. Why on earth not?
From kenny jenkins, 14 February 23:30
Can the UK achieve it’s commitment to carbon reduction targets by 2020?
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