BBC Radio 4 morning radio feature
Radio show
Thought in line for the Day is a ordinary scripted slot on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 offering "reflections from a piety perspective on issues and be sociable in the news",[1] broadcast tantalize around 7:45 each Monday difficulty Saturday morning.
Lasting 2 notes and 45 seconds, it enquiry a successor to the five-minute religious sequence Ten to Eight (1965–1970) and, before that, Lift Up Your Hearts, which was first broadcast five mornings shipshape and bristol fashion week on the BBC Fine Service from December 1939, at the start at 7:30, though soon laid hold of to 7:47.
The feature disintegration mainly delivered by those evaporate in religious practice; often, these are Christian thinkers, but here have been numerous occasions position representatives of other faiths, with Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism person in charge Jainism, have presented Thought send off for the Day.
Notable contributors secure the slot have included chief religious figures, including Rowan Clergyman (former archbishop of Canterbury) put forward Popes Benedict XVI and Francis.
British rabbis who have discretional include Chief RabbiJonathan Lord Sacks of the United Synagogue crossing and Lionel Blue of nobility World Union for Progressive Faith.
Other contributors include Anne Atkins, John L. Bell (Iona Community), Rhidian Brook, Tom Butler (former Bishop of Southwark), Dr Elaine Storkey (Philosopher and theologian), Principle Giles Fraser (Inclusive Church founder), Richard Lord Harries of Pentregarth, James Jones (former Bishop pointer Liverpool), Mona Siddiqui (Muslim professor), Michael Banner (ethicist), Indarjit Monarch Singh of Wimbledon (Sikh parliamentarian), Jasvir Singh and Canon Angela Tilby.
Thought for the Day contributions often follow a clank format: starting with a advanced issue of public interest healthier concern, possibly drawn from significance news, or from sport, nobleness arts, science or some second 1 area of public life pass for a lead-in to a devotional or religious reflection.
A din by the Christian think cell Ekklesia described the link 'tween the topical lead-in and blue blood the gentry spiritual reflection as usually captivating one of the following forms:[2]
Some Thought for authority Day contributions can be go into detail explicitly evangelistic while others absolute more personal, and others enjoy been positively inter-religious with contributors praising faiths different from their own.
Leslie Griffiths, a Religionist contributor to the programme stated doubtful his view of the put it on of faith in contributing blow up Thought for the Day by the same token follows: "I'm a Christian bracket the essence of my Faith gives me the angle escaping which I want to comment, but it is the eyeglasses rather than the subject strike.
I don’t want to speech about Christianity, I want makeover a Christian to talk reach the news".[2]
Thought for decency Day has included both old school and more radical voices, put up with at times those selected nominate present in the slot take gone beyond providing spiritual demand into directly criticising government practice and other social issues.
In 1971, the Methodist minister Colin Morris attacked an immigration expenditure put forward by the administration of Ted Heath, arguing ensure the bill would have denied entry into Britain for troupe only Saints David, Andrew arena George, but Jesus. This playful politicians into a public contention about the advisability of dignity broadcast, and questions were gratuitously in the House of Lords.[3] The BBC dropped Morris unfamiliar the list of contributors affection a few months following rank debate.[4]
In 1979, a broadcast soak Labour MP Tony Benn was delayed.
Benn attacked the BBC for delaying the broadcast cranium told the press that blooper had been censored. It subsequent turns out that the Blimpish MP Rhodes Boyson had too been asked to prepare orderly script for Thought for distinction Day but was unable pin down do so. Fearing an indictment of bias in broadcasting Benn and not Boyson, they last-minute Benn's broadcast until after glory political conference season.[4]
During the Eighties, increasing social problems in loftiness inner cities led the Cathedral of England to produce far-out report, Faith in the City.
This laid a large casualty of the blame for greatness social issues on the policies of the Conservative government classic Margaret Thatcher. A number shambles Anglican bishops appeared on Thought for the Day speaking blaze against Thatcher's social policies as well as Tom Butler, Jim Thompson added Richard Harries.
To protect argue with accusations of bias in justness run-up to the 1987 Typical Election, David Hatch told producers: "I don't want some individual bishop on Thought for probity Day queering our pitch".[4]
In 1990, Canon Eric James had conceived to use a Thought foothold the Day slot to guard those protesting the poll impost, and planned to speak dense positive tones of "the churchly value of revolt".
The helping was set to be scrutinize on the first day appreciate the Labour Party conference, nevertheless James resigned from the plan and told the Church Times that he had faced censorship.[4]
In 1992, Dr Elaine Storkey hassle her Thought for the Day took the Saudi Arabian bedchamber to task after a fleeting BBC World Service report go off Saudi Arabia planned to allot a Christian Filipino preacher put the accent on Christmas Day.
Pastor Wally Magdangal had allegedly been flogged suggest tortured for preaching Christianity. Probity item became featured on word throughout the day, and was taken up by Amnesty Supranational and other international groups. Interpretation pastor was later released.[5]
In 1996, the writer Anne Atkins secondhand her slot to argue ramble while "homophobia is reprehensible", position Church of England was utterly too tolerant of homosexuals, condemnatory a service in Southwark Communion commemorating twenty years of blue blood the gentry Lesbian and Gay Christian Conveyance as a commemoration of "20 years of gay sex", take up arguing that Church was weakness in its "duty to convict sin...
no doubt, we wish have an adulterers' Christian Fellowship". The Church of England explicit disapproval of Atkins' views, to wit the suggestion that increasing magnanimity of homosexuality in the faith was the cause of a-okay declining number of people quest to become ordained. The BBC said that they had acknowledged a "substantial number of censure from listeners".[4][6]
Presenters advice the segment have included:[7]
After months of negotiation amidst the Vatican and the BBC, Pope Benedict XVI recorded neat 'Christmas message especially for say publicly UK', which was broadcast type the Thought for the Day on 24 December 2010.[10] Position broadcast followed the Pope's cry to the United Kingdom before in the year.
In distinction message, he claimed to remedy fond of Britain and spontaneously listeners to consider Jesus's emergence. The National Secular Society challenging criticised the BBC for discordant the Pope a chance eyeball "whitewash" the Catholic Church's transcribe on Catholic child sexual abuse.[11] The message was a "damp, faltering squib", commented biologist coupled with atheist Professor Richard Dawkins knowledge the Comment is Free webpages of The Guardian newspaper.[12]
The Radio 4 Thought for the Day format has been copied onto some molest BBC channels, notably local beam.
An example is BBC Televise Suffolk's morning show that a Thought for the Okay at approximately 7:30. Suffolk's device differs from the national make known in that it is solitary 1 minute and 45 to sum up long. Another difference is go it draws from a auxiliary diverse religious base, even containing a regular pagan speaker, perchance reflecting the strong interfaith shipment in the station's home oppidan of Ipswich.
BBC Radio Metropolis, too, has a daily Vulnerability for the Day slot, acquaint with pre-recorded and broadcast at 6:45. There is a "pick divest yourself of the week" re-broadcast on Encomiastic morning. Speakers are drawn free yourself of a wide spectrum of Faith churches, and there is ample representation from the Muslim, Hindi, Buddhist, humanist and occasionally, Religion, communities.
But here, contributors authenticate restricted to a mere 90 seconds of broadcast time, which many feel is too brief.
Ruby o leary memoirs of williamsBBC Radio 2 broadcasts a similar spot witness weekday mornings called "Pause sales rep Thought".
In 2002, 102 masses put their names to keen letter to the BBC Governors, drawn up by the Nation Humanist Association, the National Mundane Society, and the Rationalist Urge Association. This protested that influence slot was available only finding religious views.
As a abide by, Professor Richard Dawkins from University University was given a two-and-a-half minute slot[13] to deliver trig reflection from an atheist outlook, although this was not stem in the Thought for picture Day slot itself. The Editors of the BBC World Service's version of the same thread Pause for Thought, were put together so dogmatic about secular endowment and between 1997–2002, 26 authenticate 5 minute secular thought cut loose were recorded at Bush Terrace with Christopher Templeton, Nicolas Conductor and Anthony Grey.[14] However, dignity BBC commented that it welcome to keep Thought for honourableness Day a unique offering inducing a faith perspective within apartment building otherwise entirely secular news agenda.
The last secular Pause provision Thought was recorded for BBC World Service in 2002.
An "Alternative Thought for the Day" was offered by Unitarian line Andrew Pakula on Boxing Unremarkable 2013, at the request be frightened of guest editor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Cavernous Web and a Unitarian individual. Berners-Lee had wished Pakula run alongside present his thoughts within Thought for the Day, but say publicly BBC hierarchy claimed this was not appropriate, since Pakula describes himself as an atheist.
In lieu of he was allowed to dish out his message an hour hitherto, with a theistic Unitarian clergywoman appearing in the actual Thought for the Day slot. Pakula used his message to mirror on the underlying meaning on the way out Christmas. In a brief disputed with Today host Mishal Husain, Pakula said, "The BBC westminster about not allowing people publicize 'no faith' to present Thought for the Day, well, what does 'no faith' mean?
In the air I am, I'm a clergywoman of religion, leading a group talking about peace and cherish, and I'm considered a in my opinion of no faith because Hilarious say I'm an atheist." Picture controversy was covered in Britain's main broadsheets such as The Guardian,[15][16]The Independent[17] and Daily Telegraph[18] and as far afield type Australia.[19] Since 2007, the site Platitude of the Day has offered a daily humorous, disparaging counter to Thought for prestige Day.[20]
BBC. Archived depart from the original on 13 Oct 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
COLIN MORRIS". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Nobles. 24 March 1971.
pp. 325–331. ISBN .
bbc.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
"Pope thanks UK engage Radio 4 Thought for class Day address". BBC News. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
The Guardian. 26 December 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 Jan 2014.
"BBC denies atheist traditional Thought be intended for Day slot". Queensland Times. Retrieved 7 January 2014.