LATEST EDITION OF IMPACT PUBLISHED

The latest CPF quarterly e-zine has been published and includes an interview with Brian Trudgian on the slave trade and articles on evangelising civil servants, climate change, and a review of 2007. To receive IMPACT for free via email, go to our website - www.cpfhome.com - to find out more about IMPACT and how to contact us to subscribe.

Amazing Grace

Saw Amazing Grace at the cinema last night (and missing the last episode of Life On Mars in the process) and I have to say that it is quite a good film. It was very clever in the way it didn't show actual slaveships operating, and yet made it very clear how they were used and what happened.
The acting and some of the dialogue was also good. I esp liked the scene where a Bill on blockading French ships using US Flags of Convenience was put through the Commons and Lord Tarleton, recognising it was a clever manovere by the abolitionists, vainly searches the Commons to whip up MP's into the Chamber, only to find most of them had been invited to a day at the races.
If I do have a major concern though, it is the accuracy. Fox died in 1806, the final time the Bill was put through the Commons was in 1807, and yet there he is, making a speech at the end, praising Wilberforce. Not only that, but shouldn't the Duke of Clarence be sitting in the Lords, not the Commons!
Apart from that, a film you must see if you haven't already. 7/10

Paul Burgin, CPF Co'Ordinator

Getting One's Priorities Right!

Last night on Question Time the former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, joked about missing the House of Lords vote on the new casino law proposals. Yesterday’s vote in the Lords went against the Government’s proposals for a new Super Casino and several other large casinos across the UK by only 3 three votes. Considering such a tight margin in the Lords, Carey was asked how he had voted but said that he had not been in the Lords at the time of the vote. When questioned further about why he was not in the Lords at the time Carey said that he was watching the film Amazing Grace. Meanwhile, Carey’s successor, Archbishop Rowan Williams, had been standing up in the Lords speaking out against the casino proposals, specifically on the tenuous link between casinos and regeneration. Although the film about William Wilberforce is probably worth a watch it’s a pretty poor reflection of Careys priorities, particularly as he was speaking against casinos on Question Time and has been given the opportunity and responsibility to vote in the Lords. This could raise further questions by those who believe that there should not be non-elected bishops in the House of Lords and even disestablishment.

Aidan Liriano, CPF Co'Ordinator

Apologies and the slave trade

First published on Paul Burgin's blog.

It's good that this weekend has been spent remembering the 200th anniversary of the vote to abolish the slave trade (more of my thoughts on this can be read here), but the question has arisen as to whether it is right to apologise, considering it happened so long ago and those responsible are long since dead! I certainly question paying reperations as where does the money go?The honest answer is I don't know, but I do believe it is right to have a statement of sorrow and regret at the very least as to do otherwise at this time would be a bit crass and it is at least a sign that we have moved forward in attitude.

FREEDOM DAY!

In the third and final extract from articles for the forthcoming IMPACT e-zine, this article looks at slavery past and present, in the lead up to Freedom Day:

The film Amazing Grace will help us to understand the efforts that Christian campaigners like William Wilberforce made to abolish the transatlantic slave trade, but we must not forget that Christians also made efforts to maintain slavery.The work of Christians who sought to liberate people from slavery isn’t over. In the 21st century modern day slavery continues. Worldwide there are 12.3 million victims of forced labour, and 2.4 million people are trafficked each year, 1.2 million of whom are children. People are trafficked into many different situations including prostitution, begging, forced labour, military service, domestic violence, forced illegal adoption, and forced marriage.

You can read the full article in the March edition of IMPACT, which will be distributed to those on the CPF e-mailing list on Monday 12th March. It is free to add your name to the mailing list and you can do this by emailing us at cpf-online@excite.com. Please put 'CPF' in the title of the email.