In fact, the Christmas nativity is now more likely to feature aliens, fairies, or a flamingo rather than characters from the traditional Bible story.

A poll by Mumsnet showed that only a third of UK schools now hold a traditional nativity.

The survey revealed that 47 per cent of schools offer an “updated nativity”.

In an attempt to stop the erosion of Christ from the Christmas story, this week, St James Church in Muswell Hill, North London have been putting on an immersive telling of the first Christmas.

Using dramatic scenery and props, they have made the church’s interior look like 1st Century Bethlehem.

Joseph in his workshop St James, Muswell Hill

Over 900 primary school children have taken part this week and met actors dressed as characters from the bible story.

King Herod at St James, Muswell Hill

Ashley Nichols, head of children’s ministry at St James and the man behind the ‘Christmas Experience’, told Premier the original story is the best version to tell children:

He said: “We just need to make it creative in the way we tell the story, we need to engage children’s hearts in how we tell it well.

“It’s not a boring story – so we shouldn’t make it like that.”

Nichols says that the experience has been very well received by the children:…

Imad Kamal Sadeq, 49, and his 21-year-old son, David, were killed late on Wednesday after a row on a construction site near a church that the policeman was guarding.

Reuters are reporting that the policeman was in custody after authorities reviewed CCTV footage from the church’s security cameras.

The construction site is in Egypt’s Minya province, 75 miles south of Cairo.

Coptic Christians are calling for the state to provide more protection to believers in the area.

They say that they suffer discrimination from Egypt’s Islamic majority which fuels attacks by militants.

The head of the local diocese, Archbishop Macarius, who led the funeral prayers, demanded a response from authorities.

He said: “We call for all armed police officers assigned to guard churches to be checked. Are they qualified to carry live ammunition, so that they don’t become a source of danger rather than protection.”

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The allegations date back to 2011 when the brothers were accused of posting disrespectful material online.

They fled the country and were on the run for four years, however they were later arrested when they returned home.

Both brothers have been in District Jail Jhelum since 2014.

Qaisar has three children with his wife Amina while Amoon is married to Huma who is a teacher at the Cathedral School, Lahore.
 
Their case was heard on December 13 by the Additional Session judge Javed Iqbal Bosal, who found them guilty and sentenced them to death.

The case was heard inside the jail due to security reasons.

The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) is pursuing their case.

CLAAS has decided to challenge the decision as soon as possible. It claims in blasphemy cases the judges always remain under threat from religious fanatics and that is why the trial judges convict those accused of blasphemy.

Nasir Saeed Director of CLAAS, said: “We have seen this in the recent case of Asia Bibi, who was similarly convicted by the lower court and it took her years to reach to the Supreme Court to get justice. I am afraid now Qasir and Amoon will have to wait years to get justice”
 
“Pakistani President Dr Arif Alvi has already said that the government would not amend the law. This means the killing of innocent people will continue despite growing opposition to the law…

The Most Rev Justin Welby said it was “central to our future” as a country that the divisions were healed.

The Archbishop, speaking in the House of Lords, called on the Government to establish a “reconciliation unit” which would work across Whitehall departments and with humanitarian organisations and faith groups to bring people together.

The leading Church of England cleric, speaking at the start of a debate on role of reconciliation in British foreign, defence and international development policy, said: “This has been a week of deep division, and reconciliation will be something that, although applied to foreign policy in this debate, must become central to our future in this country.

“I hold firm to the belief that we can create a society where mutual flourishing is possible, disagreeing well is central and respecting the difference is paramount.”

He added: “Reconciliation is needed before, during and after conflict, preemptive reconciliation is essential.

“I think it was Bill Shankly who said ‘I teach my lads to get their retaliation in first’; we need to learn to get our reconciliation in first.

“Reconciliation happens from the top of society down, from the bottom of society up and from the middle of society out. It must include women, youth and minorities. If any group is left out, peace is not sustainable.”

“What is needed is a joined-up approach to…

Annan Old Parish in south west Scotland displayed the nativity for the first time this year. They put it up as lots of other local churches have stopped displaying the Christmas scene. However the main character, baby Jesus, and his manger have been stolen.

Police Scotland described it as “crime that will shock the town”.

One of the members of the church discovered that the baby Jesus and manger was missing at lunchtime on Thursday. Rev David Whiteman, minister at Annan Old Parish confirmed that the baby Jesus had been there on Thursday morning but was gone by the afternoon.

Rev Whiteman told Premier: “I’m really disappointed, someone said ‘you must be angry’, but I’m not. I’m just disappointed that someone would steal a manger and Jesus out of a nativity scene”

“It’s not really of any value. I can’t see what they would want to do with it. The only conclusion I can come to is that someone has taken it for a prank, but I can’t understand why they would want to do that”.

To steal the manger with the baby Jesus was by no means an easy task.

Rev Whiteman said: “It’s all wired up to the electrics; they’ve had to take the electrics out because it was all bolted down – it wasn’t easy to take it. I can’t understand why someone would go to so much effort.”

No one was at the church over lunch time, or was watching the nativity that is in the grounds by the churches main…

The humanitarian aid organisation accused the Government of “double standards” in its response to the conflict which has seen Riyadh fighting against Houthi militia across the border.

Leader of Christian Aid’s global peacebuilding programme, Karol Balfe told Premier: “We need to see a clear change in approach.

“The British government’s putting business interests first – above the safety of people in Yemen – with absolutely devastating consequences for the civilians of Yemen.”

New research published by the charity on Friday found three in five British adults believe the UK should stop selling military equipment to Saudi Arabia. The poll was conducted by ComRes.

‘The British government is still complicit in arms sales which go to some of the most troubled areas of the world.’ – our Chair, Dr Rowan Williams. Read our new report: https://t.co/xGSnlgECtp #WeAreThePeacemakers pic.twitter.com/6ANXZrP70b

— Christian Aid (@christian_aid) December 14, 2018

Several countries including Germany, Belgium and Sweden have already agreed not to sell arms to the Saudi-led coalition – which has been fighting rebels since 2015.

According to the United Nations, as many as 14 million people in Yemen could be on the brink of famine, while it is estimated more than half of Yemenis lack enough food.

While welcoming diplomatic efforts made by the UK to resolve the conflict, Dr…

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, was asked whether he had suppressed a 1968 note relating to an alleged incident involving Father John Tolkien, son of novelist J.R.R Tolkien.

The note had come to light in legal advice to the cardinal, then archbishop of Birmingham, while considering a civil claim by an alleged victim of Fr Tolkien’s.

Asked about the allegation he failed to disclose the existence of the note to the complainant, the cardinal said: “In the context of the claim and the discussions with the solicitors, my priority was to get that settled and when that was settled I simply didn’t give the matter any further thought.

“For which I apologise.”

The note was drafted by Archbishop of Birmingham Maurice Couve de Murville, as part of a 1993 investigation, suggesting he had sight of information about the 1968 allegation.

No action was taken against Fr Tolkien in the 1990s, and he retired from the priesthood some six months after Archbishop Couve de Murville was told of the allegation.

Fr Tolkien, who died in 2003, was believed to have denied claims he made a group of scouts strip naked.

The alleged abuse happened in the 1950s, when Fr Tolkien was based in Sparkhill, Birmingham.

But evidence which investigators believed suggested the priest may have admitted abuse emerged in the note, which came to…