Alannah Francis

  • Pope Francis to launch his own official Instagram account

    Pope Francis to launch his own official Instagram account

    Instagram will be able to add another high-profile user to its list when the Pope joins the photo sharing site later this month. Pope Francis who already has a Twitter account, which he began tweeting from in March 2013, will be launching his own Instagram account on the 19 March.

  • Six scientists on the relationship between science and religion

    Six scientists on the relationship between science and religion

    The argument that to believe in God and to believe in science is irreconcilable is one that believers of every faith are used to (and tired of) hearing. Here's what six famous scientists have said on the subject.

  • 7 songs from popular culture which feature Bible verses

    7 songs from popular culture which feature Bible verses

    The Bible has a long and wide-reaching history of influencing and shaping music from hymns of the past to pop songs of the present. The inclusion of direct Bible quotes in hymns, worship songs and commercial Christian music is something that we'd naturally expect but the incorporation of biblical references in music isn't unique to Christian culture.

  • 3 ways Christians can use social media for good

    3 ways Christians can use social media for good

    We're forever being warned about the dangers of technology and the negative impact that it can have on almost every area of our life and health. It can have a detrimental effect on our physical wellbeing - the disruptive effects that using social media can have on our sleeping patterns have been widely documented.

  • Should Christians stop trying to be perfect?

    Should Christians stop trying to be perfect?

    If there's one thing that we can all agree on as Christians, it's that we aren't without fault. Grace is at the centre of our faith and it's in spite of our faults that we received it. So if God knows that we're not perfect and that we'll never be, should we stop aiming for perfection?

  • 7 Bible verses which teach us about heaven

    7 Bible verses which teach us about heaven

    What comes to mind when you think about heaven? White clouds, pearly gates, everyone clothed in white, angels? It's not hard to become obsessed with heaven - how we get there, what it looks like, who we'll meet there - and it's not hard to get it wrong when it comes to describing or defining it.

  • 8 Bible verses which remind us of the importance of charity

    8 Bible verses which remind us of the importance of charity

    Most of us consider ourselves to be generous people. Yes, there's always a little extra we could give but between our online donations to our Facebook friends' marathon fundraising pages, our enthusiastic purchase of our colleague's homemade baked goods at the work charity bake sale and our weekly contribution to the offering at church each Sunday, we're not doing to badly. Or are we?

  • How can we incorporate faith into our working life?

    How can we incorporate faith into our working life?

    We know we need to incorporate our faith into everything we do and that includes our work. But it can be difficult to see how our faith can fit into our working day, especially if our jobs have no obvious or direct connection to our faith.

  • Should higher education and religion be kept separate?

    Should higher education and religion be kept separate?

    Higher education institutes are traditionally places where students have the freedom to express themselves, their interests and explore complex and sometimes controversial ideas. With the wide mix of students and staff members, it's inevitable that religion, a major feature in global politics and everyday life, becomes a central component for so many students.

  • 13 Bible verses which reveal four of God\'s different attributes

    13 Bible verses which reveal four of God's different attributes

    There are a wealth of examples which we can draw upon to illustrate the various facets of God's personality. In addition to other attributes, the Bible teaches us that God is loving, all-powerful, good and omnipresent. Here are some verses which expand on these four characteristics and reveal the nature of the God of the Old and New Testament.

  • Should Christians watch horror movies?

    Some Christians believe that scary movies are the work of the devil or at the very least they open up the door to him. But are horror movies really all bad?

  • 7-year-old\'s ability to recite the Bible is \'gift from God\'

    7-year-old's ability to recite the Bible is 'gift from God'

    A 7-year-old girl has been recognised for her ability to recite Bible verses from memory on demand. Her unusual talent was first discovered by her grandmother who began testing her Bible knowledge on the way to school when she was aged 5.