United Kingdom

Atheist Christopher Hitchens has fallen ill from pneumonia, thus cancelling his scheduled appearance in London with his good friend, actor and writer Stephen Fry.

The two were set for an upcoming interview at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday.

FORA.tv and Intelligence2 UK announced a change in the program after learning about Hitchens’ sickness, stating that they had good and bad news on their website. more >>

A ban that once restricted all gay men from donating blood in the United Kingdom has been partially lifted by the Department of Health after a recent study conducted by the advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs concluded that it had no reason to exclusively ban gay men from donating.

Gay men are now eligible to donate blood, but those who have had sex with another man in the past 12 months, with or without a condom, are not. The change will be implemented in Wales, England and Scotland this week, but Northern Ireland has not yet decided if it will go forward with removing the restriction.

"Our priority as a blood service is to provide a safe and sufficient supply of blood for patients," said research director of NHS Blood and Transplant Dr. Lorna Williamson in a statement. more >>

The ban on gay ceremonies in religious institutions in England is set to be lifted. According to reports, liberal MP Lynne Featherstone will make the announcement later today. However, the removal of the ban will not be official until Dec. 5.

Members of the Church of England have already voiced opposition to the idea of having gay ceremonies in their house of worship. The Church of England has stated that it has “no intention” of hosting civil ceremonies within their churches.

However, British Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone stated that "no religious group will be forced to host a civil partnership registration, but for those who wish to do so this is an important step forward.” more >>

The Dean of St. Paul’s cathedral said yesterday amid tremendous scrutiny for the way the Cathedral is handling the Occupy London protests that his position has become unsustainable.

The historic St. Paul’s Cathedral has faced heavy blows over the last few weeks when Occupy London protesters made the landmark's doorstep the base of their crusade. Graeme Knowles, the Dean of St. Paul’s cathedral, said in a statement, “Since the arrival of the protesters’ camp outside the cathedral, we have all been put under a great deal of strain and have face what would appear to be some insurmountable issues.”

“I hope and pray that under new leadership these issues might continue to be addressed and that there might be a swift and peaceful resolution,” Knowles added. more >>

A web-based project allowing the British public tohandwrite the Bible from Genesis to Revelations for the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible will reach Oxford Monday, days before the completed version will be presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

At two designated venues, St. Michael at the Northgate Church and St Mary Magdalene Church, people will have the opportunity to write at least two verses of the Bible with a digital pen.

“The People’s Bible” tour, a roving project aimed at reconnecting the people with the Bible, is a joint venture between the Bible Society in England and Wales and the Scottish Bible Society. It began at Edinburgh Castle on June 19 and will end at Westminster Abbey on Nov. 16. more >>

While the British society has become increasingly intolerant of religious views and expressions, the first Muslim woman to serve in the cabinet says Britain should become a country where people are not ashamed of saying they are Christians.

“We need to create a country in which people can be unashamedly proud of their faith – where they don’t feel that they have to leave religion at the door,” Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who is also co-chair of the ruling Conservative Party, said in an article in Daily Telegraph Saturday. “That means being proud of Christianity, not downgrading it.”

At the back of her mind was perhaps the argument that Christian expressions are antithetical to the “multicultural” Britain. “It is a mistake to assume that you compromise your identity the more you try to understand others,” she wrote. “The stronger your understanding of your neighbour, the stronger your own religious identity becomes. For many years, I have been saying that the stronger we are as a Christian nation, the more understanding we will be of other faiths.” more >>