If nature can’t survive, then neither can we

Saphora Smith reacting to the 70-per-cent loss of global wildlife populations since 1970, The Independent, 13 October

The reality is that a three- or four-year-old little white girl can hurt me. As soon as I step into that room, I am vulnerable. My melanin is on show. . . I want to think of myself as a big, strong, man but the reality is, when it comes to my melanin, it’s a vulnerability that I wear all over my body

Anonymous GMH cleric interviewed for the Living Ministry study If It Wasn’t for God, published 21 October

I’m deeply sceptical about trickle-down theory. You know, if you cut money for the rich, ever since [John Maynard] Keynes wrote his general theory in 1936, whenever it was, he showed very clearly that the rich save if they’ve got enough to live on. So if you want to generate spending in the economy, you put more money into the hands of those who need the money to buy food, to buy goods, to buy basic necessities

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, interview in The Guardian, 17 October

Could the phrase “let me be clear about this” be made a criminal offence please?

Jonathan Clark, Bishop for the Falkland Islands, Twitter, 17 October

When I hear Christianity being used to justify homophobia, or racist attitudes, or Christian symbols being adopted by extreme political groups, I want to weep at what feels to me a desecration of what I hold most dear

David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 6 October

The reclassification of modern slavery as basically an issue of illegal immigration flies in the face of evidence from the referral system where almost all cases this year have been genuine and the largest group last year was British children. These are deeply vulnerable victims

Simon Burton-Jones, Bishop of Tonbridge, Twitter, 13 October

Institute for Fiscal Studies research indicates that, although the poorest tenth of households spend an average of 4.8 per cent of their income on gas, a tenth of this group spend 12 per cent or more of their income on gas. It is staggering in this context that there is even a discussion to be had about whether benefits should be increased in line with inflation. The alternative is quite simply to drive huge numbers of people into appalling poverty

Ben Ryan, C of E’s Home Affairs Policy Adviser, Yorkshire Post, 19 October

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