Faith leaders including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Vincent Nichols have welcomed a new report which calls for better support for asylum seekers. It comes from a commission set up to consider how refugees might be helped to integrate into society more easily. It makes a series of recommendations and suggests that the current system creates barriers to asylum seekers who want to quickly make good use of their existing skills and qualifications. The government says it's committed to ensuring refugees can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK.
It's 300 years since J S Bach's setting of the Passion narrative from St John's gospel was first performed on Good Friday at the St Nicholas Church in Leipzig. This week many of the UK's cathedrals and churches will be marking the anniversary by performing it. The composer, conductor and singer, Bob Chilcott celebrates the work and reflects on what is one of the most revered of all musical settings of the Passion.
Does religious education at school help young people when they get a job? Lord Karan Bilimoria, a former president of the CBI, thinks it can. He believes RE helps young people to navigate the complexity of modern belief and the diversity of worldviews in the UK today. The businessman, who is from the Zoroastrian tradition, has launched a campaign urging employers to support higher standards in religious education. We hear from Lord Bilimoria, and also from the National Secular Society who feel there are better ways to equip young people for the workforce.
Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Jonathan Hallewell and Alexa Good Editor: Dan Tierney
Gaza Christians; Trump bible; Easter Island
Pope autobiography; Extremism definition; Sir James MacMillan
Ramadan in Gaza, Leaving Faith Helpline, Alternative Mothering Sunday
Gaza aid; Brit Awards; UK Islamophobia
Vatican secrets; Interfaith row; AI and beyond the grave
Israel Gaza conflict; Rochdale Labour; Rave in the nave
Asylum Conversions, the Power of Prayer, 'Sexualised' Jesus
Asylum conversions, Jaz from Traitors on Sikhism, Siobhan McSweeney on St Brigid
C of E safeguarding concerns, Nicaragua Catholic Church crackdown, Jesus in pop music
Cathedral charging; Last Christians in Gaza; Muslim Comedian Ola Labib
The ethics of surrogacy
Does religion do more harm than good?
Tackling the rise in homelessness
Christmas in Bethlehem, 800th anniversary of the nativity scene, The stories behind our favourite carols
Israel-Gaza latest; C of E same sex blessings; the rights and wrongs of 'Surveillance Santa'
Gaza Christians; American Sikh; Ethics of War
Power of religion at Cop28; Shane McGowan's Catholicism; Near-death experiences
Same sex church blessings; Religion in Dr Who; Antonio Banderas on playing King Herod
Same Sex Blessings in the Church of England
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