George Pitcher



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Full name: George Pitcher

Area of interest: Religion

Journals: The Daily Telegraph

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Website: Telegraph.co / George Pitcher

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Current position/role: Religion Editor


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Other activities: C of E priest

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The Daily Telegraph:
Column remit: Religious issues - "George Pitcher combines being The Daily Telegraph's Religion Editor with his role as a priest in the Church of England and firmly believes that people of faith should be the most persistent critics of religion."

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Website: Telegraph.co / George Pitcher

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Day published: Thursday (in print)

Regularity: Weekly

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Articles:

 * doctor Howard Martin and Dignity in Dying have more in common with Harold Shipman than they care to admit'' - 21st June 2010
 * Bloody Sunday soldiers were morally worse than IRA terrorists'' - 16th June 2010
 * responsibility for those 'healthy urges''' - There may be fewer abortions, but most women are left to deal with them on their own - 14th June 2010
 * my view of the NHS'' - Despite all the criticism, the NHS works very well when you really need it to - 7th June 2010
 * an Easy Rider in search of riches'' - We may mourn Dennis Hopper but, please, let's not mourn the 'counterculture' - 1st June 2010
 * remedy for Britain's short-haul headache'' - Travellers must find new ways to Channel-hop so that we're not at the mercy of the airlines - 24th May 2010
 * Field is too uncompromising for this job'' - The new 'poverty tsar' won't last long in an administration that's built on expedience - 17th May 2010
 * have a duty to children to fix our broken care system'' - As research shows children are born with an innate morality, it is our duty to nourish it - 11th May 2010
 * Higgins and the problem with the 'Big Society''' - If bankers and MPs are just looking out for number one, why the surprise when the likes of the snooker player John Higgins are accused of dodgy dealings - 4th May 2010
 * time for grandees of the Rich List'' - Let us invite our wealthy guests to show this country how grateful they are to live here - 26th April 2010
 * ash cloud: A calamity that brings us down to earth'' - Along with the volcanic ash and cancelled flights should come humility - 19th April 2010
 * cutbacks are a bitter pill to swallow'' - A 'make do and mend' approach to patient care will only get worse after the election - 12th April 2010
 * the bereaved must battle bureaucracy'' - The loss of a loved one is compounded by bungling insensitivity - 5th April 2010
 * we follow Jesus out of the comfort zone?'' - Easter is a time to reflect Christ's compassion for the wretched - 2nd April 2010
 * Christians aren't persecuted, but they are held in contempt'' - The Government should afford Christianity the same respect as other religions - 29th March 2010
 * 'fatwas' give Christians a bad name'' - Writing poison-pen letters to an atheist author is not going to convert anyone - 22nd March 2010
 * orders for a pint in the country pub'' - Lowering the legal limit is an absurd idea – and Lord Adonis should get out more - 15th March 2010
 * are still doing jobs men don't want'' - Sexism has returned – but not in the way the martinets of new feminism say it has - 8th March 2010
 * owners test is barking up the wrong tree'' - Proposed new rules for the dog-owning classes are a model of useless state interference - 1st March 2010
 * should have faith in the Christian vote'' - The electorate may be moving in mysterious ways - 22nd February 2010
 * sad that Alexander McQueen has died, but 'fashionistas' are just freaks: there, I've said it'' - This wholly pointless and sordid industry has a highly inflated opinion of itself - 16th February 2010
 * Terry's corporate sponsors are no moral guardians'' - This isn't a sex scandal but a financial scam - the Premiership is all about greed - 8th February 2010
 * suicide is not about consumer choice'' - We cannot allow the euthanasia lobby to ride roughshod over the democratic process - 1st February 2010
 * putting my faith in David Miliband's choice'' - He may be an atheist, but the Foreign Secretary has chosen a Church school for his son. Good for him - 26th January 2010
 * take more than Bruce Willis to save Haiti'' - Aid workers can't fix disasters overnight. These heroes deserve praise and patience - 18th January 2010
 * are family - not fashion accessories'' - Breeding pets as prize-winners is one sure sign of a dysfunctional owner - 14th January 2010
 * better food for the soul than going without'' - Snow limits horizons and possibilities like a New Year's diet which does us good after the excess of Christmas - 11th January 2010
 * bullied clergy call the holy helpline?'' - A union is offering to assist victims in the vestry, but is it necessary - 5th January 2010
 * restless subjects want a 'shadow king''' - Unlike his father, Prince William is cut out to be a new millennial monarch - 4th January 2010
 * Balls has seen the light on marriage'' - The angels will be dancing over Ed Balls's Damascene conversion to the cause of holy matrimony - 28th December 2009
 * the very right to believe is under fire'' - Perversely, the Equality Bill seeks to bar individuals from practising their faith - 21st December 2009
 * lost Christians have found new homes'' - People are actually thinking about what they believe and why – which is good news - 17th December 2009
 * too late to reinvent yourself, Mr Blair'' - Christian faith can transform people, but it cannot change their past - 14th December 2009
 * lesbian bishop need not mean Anglican handbags at dawn'' - Canon Mary Glasspool, who lives openly as a lesbian, has just been elected as an assistant bishop in Los Angeles. This is good news for the Church - 7th December 2009
 * 'just war' that was illegal and immoral'' - If nothing else, the Chilcot inquiry will expose Tony Blair's taste for conflict - 30th November 2009
 * show of force from a top copper'' - To keep politics out of policing, the police must first keep out of politics - 23rd November 2009
 * a corporation where greed is still good'' - While bankers and MPs show contrition for their excess, BBC executives still act like the French aristocracy - 23rd November 2009
 * exactly are atheists so scared about?'' - Christians aren't indoctrinating their children, just trying to make sense of the world - 20th November 2009
 * to square up to a rampant Rome'' - Dr Williams must challenge the Pontiff over his raid on Anglo-Catholics - 16th November 2009
 * fat cats are still shamelessly purring'' - Bankers who bleat about personal profit at this time of crisis give grave offence - 9th November 2009
 * for a greener and fairer land'' - The Church of England should be more radical when campaigning on the environment - 3rd November 2009
 * is a stumbling block for Anglicans on the road to Rome'' - If gay Anglican priests object to women bishops so much, they will have to abandon their partners - 26th October 2009
 * incriminate the BNP – not indulge it with Question Time'' - Giving the British National Party the platform it craves could backfire - 19th October 2009
 * could they treat an old soldier like this?'' - The NHS has to be less regimented about who qualifies for palliative care - 12th October 2009
 * John, that joke isn't funny any more'' - John Cleese's comedy tour reveals far more about his own failings than his ex-wife's - 5th October 2009
 * Wooltorton's death shows how we have lost respect for life'' - The pro-suicide lobby has successfully usurped what generations of humankind have known as the sanctity of life - 2nd October 2009
 * is not an accessory - it's an alternative'' - The comfort of Christianity is not on special offer at a supermarket near you - 28th September 2009
 * deathly cabal threatens the sanctity of life'' - Diluting the law on suicide without proper debate is the first step on a bleak path - 21st September 2009
 * right royal snub to the culture of celebrity'' - Congratulations to the Windsor newly-weds on spurning a 'Hello!'-style wedding - 14th September 2009
 * intervention from the scientists'' - George Pitcher celebrates the work of two academics who focus on the human benefits of religious belief - 7th September 2009
 * fake autumn leaves are no scandal'' - There's a big difference between a little artifice and cynical manipulation - 3rd September 2009
 * farewell to Noel Gallagher – and goodnight to Gordon Brown'' - There's an uncanny link between the life and times of Oasis and New Labour - 31st August 2009
 * is good when it creates wealth for all'' - The greatest moral failing of the banks is that they exist to serve themselves alone - 17th August 2009
 * is a loveable Biggs, but it's not Ronnie'' - If the train robber produced one good thing in his life, it appears to be his son - 10th August 2009
 * networking is driving us all apart'' - it is not only youngsters on Bebo who are losing the ability to form healthy relationships - 3rd August 2009
 * Lottery players to chase their dreams'' - Don’t patronise the poor for buying scratch-cards – they know the odds - 27th July 2009
 * the lord for his timely conversion'' - There will be more joy in heaven that Lord Myners has repented than over 99 righteous members of this Government who feel they need no repentance - 20th July 2009
 * marry in haste and divorce at leisure'' - Tory plans to enforce a cooling-off period for couples will not strengthen the institution of marriage - 13th July 2009
 * no pride in bashing gays, Bishop'' - If you're reading, Bishop Michael, I really didn't want to have another pop at you about your trenchant and sometimes bizarre views about what constitutes Christian truth - 6th July 2009
 * makes it so much easier to forgive and forget'' - If criminals can show remorse we're much more likely to be lenient - 3rd July 2009
 * is no dignity in assisted suicide'' - There has been much reticence among religious leaders in general and the 26 Lords Spiritual who sit in the House of Lords in particular about getting involved in this debate again - 29th June 2009
 * the young bloke in the pub wants the BBC to clean up its act'' - The liberal elite that runs the corporation now has a chance to reflect the public mood - 26th June 2009
 * William needs to be tougher than Diana'' - Street thugs must be condemned before being offered a helping hand - 22nd June 2009
 * good claret, Bishop, is a menace to no one'' - The greatest health risks are being run by the truly vulnerable: those in their twenties having happy-hour skinfuls and surviving on a midnight kebab, as well as those with congenital weaknesses - 15th June 2009
 * is no dignity in assisted suicide'' - Lord Falconer is wrong. Our lives are not our own to do with as we wish - 1st June 2009
 * expenses: Things the Archbishops never told us'' - Dr Williams was making a good point about self-respect when he was misquoted - 26th May 2009
 * us spare Archbishop Nichols' blushes'' - We are heartily sick of advisers who bully others with foul-mouthed abuse - 18th May 2009
 * remain over BBC religion post'' - A month ago I argued on these pages, in quite strident terms, that someone called Aaqil Ahmed should not be appointed to the new job of head of commissioning for religion at the BBC. At the weekend, he was given the post. As Ozymandias once said: "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" - 13th May 2009
 * Pope brings the Truth to the Middle East - not a peace plan'' - critics of Pope Benedict have the wrong idea about his role in the modern world - 11th May 2009
 * flu is not the end of the world'' - Panic over swine flu has its roots in punishment of the Biblical variety. Let's all calm down - 4th May 2009
 * Times Rich List 2009: Who cares if Robbie Williams is worse off?'' - A listing of the mega-rich seems a pointless indulgence at a time like this -27th April 2009
 * Brown could do with a little help from God'' - 20th April 2009
 * Aaqil Ahmed shouldn't run the BBC's Religion & Ethics Department'' - I’m sure Mr Ahmed is a good and devout man - but his work is silly and lightweight - 12th April 2009
 * hope British agriculture doesn't go the way of the Royal Show'' - Farmers will have to do more to adapt to the 21st century to help the countryside thrive again - 6th April 2009
 * bishop retires; a rebellion fizzles out'' - Dr Nazir-Ali's departure signals the end of Anglicanism's damaging schism - 30th March 2009
 * class war must be condemned, not understood'' - Our hapless Government has left a vacuum for the anarchists to fill - 27th March 2009
 * of Tunbridge Wells? Not yet'' - In search of bargains in a town that appears untouched by the credit crunch - 23rd March 2009
 * yes, but Josef Fritzl is chillingly ordinary'' - Josef Fritzl has committed the foulest crimes imaginable. But it's his sheer banality that is truly terrifying - 19th March 2009
 * Labour's health politburo is too bossy'' - The Government should leave us to decide for ourselves what we eat and drink - 16th March
 * can't see the funny side of Red Nose Day'' - Giving to good causes such as Comic Relief should be characterised by humility rather than smugness - 9th March 2009
 * hearts go out to the Camerons'' - David and Samantha Cameron find themselves in that dark pit of grief today and our hearts go out to them on the dreadful loss of their six-year-old son, Ivan - 26th February 2009
 * Goody needs a chance to be truly brave'' - The hullabaloo surrounding Jade Goody's last days is robbing her of dignity - 23rd February 2009
 * children are more likely to feel alienated than radicalised'' - Any attempt to radicalise Muslim children is very worrying but we should be careful to avoid paranoia - 21st February 2009
 * crunch heralds a new moral economy'' - The global economic crisis is providing business leaders with some elbow room to behave properly - 17th February 2009
 * protect our memories from doctors'' - Past traumas may haunt us, but we should be wary of blanking them out with therapeutic drugs - 16th February 2009
 * Thatcher's golliwog comment was offensive and racist, but how many heard it?'' - The BBC's reaction to Carol Thatcher's comment was hysterical - 6th February 2009
 * bless the nurse who offered prayer'' - Nurse Petrie should not be censured for offering to pray for a patient - 2nd February 2009
 * peers: Don't let those sleazy lobbyists off the hook'' - Attempting to corrupt a politician is not just nasty, it is bad business practice - 30th January 2009
 * soldiers should lay off Sir David Attenborough'' - Fundamentalists who send hate mail to Sir David Attenborough are the modern equivalents of the Christian Luddites who attacked Darwin - 28th January 2009
 * right to riches born of vanity and pride'' - The Westminster row over expenses is about more than greed. It highlights the shameless self-regard of those in power - 23rd January 2009
 * British pray better than Americans'' - American public prayer is a political act, but a more reserved public prayer life may even be more authentic - 22nd January 2009
 * Obama's faith, like Lincoln's, is uncertain'' - A pragmatic view of religion and how to use it is shared by both men - 17th January 2009
 * Obama's homage to Lincoln runs deep'' - A mastery of the many meanings of faith and how to use it are shared by both men - 16th January 2009
 * Carey acts as peacemaker for once'' - Lord Carey has said something clear, constructive and helpful about religion - 12th January 2009
 * Tony Blair deserve a medal?'' - When the former Prime Minister picks up his Medal of Freedom in the US next week, let's hope he has the good grace to feel uncomfortable - 9th January 2009
 * bishops show Anglican compromise'' - The Church of England has announced that it intends to press ahead with the introduction of women bishops, while providing "complementary" male bishops - 31st December 2008
 * comments on homosexuality must not overshadow inclusiveness of Christmas'' - It goes with the job of being a top Christian leader that only the juiciest bits on the secular agenda attract the critical attention - 24th December 2008
 * Rowan Williams 'speaks truth to power''' - Once seen as an out-of-touch and dithering academic, Dr Williams has recently found his voice - 22nd December 2008
 * is not always a sin'' - Drink might kill us, but it needn't and there's nothing wrong with enjoying alcohol - 20th December 2008
 * suicide documentary is indefensible'' - The broadcast of Craig Ewart's assisted suicide is is not ground-breaking, it's in the same category as live web suicides - 11th December 2008
 * shouldn't dispense comfort'' - there is little point to victim impact statements such as that by Hannah Foster's mother - no matter how harrowing the stories - 27th November 2008
 * God and science for Claudia Castillo's new windpipe'' - The new windpipe for 30-year-old Claudia Castillo is grounds for the greatest celebration of human scientific endeavour - 20th November 2008
 * Prince of Wales must keep the faith'' - 'Defender of Faith' is a dangerous and naïve compromise - 15th November 2008
 * child's right to life must be protected'' - Don't tell me that a child has a right to die before its rights to live have been thoroughly and satisfactorily explored and tested - 12th November 2008
 * election: Barack Obama's historic victory could change the face of faith in America'' - 6th November 2008
 * cheapen life with off-the-shelf humans'' - cloning technology is putting us on a slippery, and very tempting, slope - 5th November 2008
 * Williams was serving Christ, not proselytising'' - 22nd October 2008
 * bishops face 'flying bigots''' - Supporters of female episcopacy may have won the battle but they haven't yet won the war - 6th October 2008
 * should note the balance between serving God and Mammon'' - Our church leaders need to be careful that they don’t applaud money-makers on the way up the market, only to turn on them when the market crashes - 25th September 2008
 * returns from liquid assets'' - Putting your money into wine is a good idea - 24th September 2008
 * Society has lost its reason'' - In pandering to scientific biogtry the Royal Society has betrayed its core ethos - 18th September 2008
 * all want to know how Earth was made'' - the findings of yesterday's experiment to recreate the Big Bang will benefit theologians as much as the most secular of scientists - 11th September 2008
 * women with top Church of England jobs'' - Today’s report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), revealing that the number of women in the most powerful jobs is now falling - 4th September 2008
 * Charles pits faith against GM crops'' - The Prince of Wales is wrong to see science as the enemy of economic conscience, still less of faith - 14th August 2008
 * were you when they crucified Georgia?'' - If you're going to organise an invasion, do it in August: not even the Pope will leave his ski chalet - 13th August 2008
 * Lambeth Conference: Bishops who give and take a beating - There are moments in any political conference – and I think that we should stop pretending that the Lambeth Conference isn’t a political one – when warring factions show their true colours - 30th July 2008
 * Anglicans struggle to find a safe place for sex - Bishop Clive Handford, a former primate of Jerusalem and the Middle-east, struggles with describing how the working group he chairs is going to find a way to hold the Anglican Communion together - 28th July 2008
 * Church beats Hazel Blears at ‘interfaith issues’ - The Government launched its latest inter-faith “Framework for Partnership” with a blizzard of New Labour buzz-words that sound energetic, but signify nothing - 22nd July 2008
 * Rumours of Anglican death prove premature - A month ago, the Lambeth Conference was being hailed as a funeral pyre for the Anglican Communion, but the Church has proved resilient - 21st July 2008
 * Archbishop bridges Muslim divide - It is little wonder that Dr Williams’ open letter to Muslim leaders and scholars yesterday should have been leapt upon and examined closely - 16th July 2008
 * Church of England must not bottle women vote - he Church of England must grasp its gender nettle today because it owes decisive action to both its women clergy and to its traditionalist Catholics - 7th July 2008
 * Should women become Church of England bishop - Two opposing views by George Pitcher and Rev Dr Peter Mullen on the ordination of women bishops - 4th July 2008
 * Charles Darwin was not the father of autheism - As we celebrate the anniversary of Darwin's theory of evolution, let us honour him as an original thinker - 30th June 2008
 * Anti-gay bishops are after power, not truth - Leadership in the West is “a mess and unable to understand the post-colonial reality”. The best thing to do would be to “dismantle” the western establishment to usher in a post-colonial world - 26th June 2008
 * Hard-line bishops make a mess of it in the Holy Land - If it was being held in a brewery, it’s a fair bet that the organisers of the supposedly greatest threat to authority in the Church since the Reformation would not be feeling particularly tipsy - 20th June 2008
 * Let’s not condemn Muslim children by accident - There is logic but also danger in the thesis that if Muslim parents took more responsibility for their children’s upbringing they would not be perverted by extremism would not arise - 11th June 2008

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