Over the Easter period a new faith versus science controversy has hit the headlines. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill would allow scientists researching treatments for Alzheimer's disease, MS and similar degenerative diseases to create human-animal hybrid embryos. Stem cell research, which many scientists believe has the potential answer to these diseases, has slowed down recently because of a severe shortage of donated human eggs which allow scientists to collect stem cells from human embryos.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the head of the Scottish Catholic church, used his Easter Sunday sermon to accuse the government of "an unprecedented attack on the sanctity and dignity of human life", and to warn that the research could lead to the creation of hybrid babies and experiments of "Frankenstein proportions".

Reinhard Bonnke is a German evangelist who leads crusades in Africa to huge audiences of half a million or more, specialises in healing miracles and claims 9,120,000 registered decisions for Christ from five 5-day crusades.

He has released a video of the story of Daniel Ekechukwu, a Nigerian pastor, who died from injuries sustained in a car accident, was certified dead and injected with embalming fluid but was raised from the dead three days later when his body was carried into the church building where Bonnke was preaching.

It has recently been announced that a Yale Divinity course has been designed to explore and study theology in the Harry Potter books.

Danielle Tumminio, a Yale Divinity School graduate student who instructs a course called 'Christian Theology and Harry Potter' would argue that the stories are religious allegories.

Her course uses all seven Potter books to examine Christian themes such as sin, evil and resurrection.

In the classical lexicon of awareness and diversity training there is a favoured exercise that is termed 'The Elephant in The Room'. In the exercise, the trainer will share with group participants the scenario of a fictional dinner party where there is a large African elephant sat in the corner of the room.

At the dinner party, which is one of those achingly polite middle class functions beloved of Alan Ayckbourn, the dinner guests proceed to talk about every topic under the sun except for the screamingly obvious - namely, the elephant in the room.

Gianfranco Girotti, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary (basically, the Catholic Bureau of Sin and Absolution), has announced a list of seven modern mortal sins.

Catholics define mortal sin as "a grave violation of God's law". Although there is no definitive list of mortal sins, many believers accept the broad seven deadly sins or capital vices laid down in the 6th century by Pope Gregory the Great - lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, anger, envy and pride.

A working List of Mortal Sins includes not only these spiritual sins but other grave violations of God's law such as murder, masturbation and missing mass, divorce, doubt and denying submission to the Pope, terrorism, theft and taking advantage of the poor.

I think that the Church needs to be committed to engaging in honest and critical debate over this controversial exhibition. We should not rush to be critical before examining the facts.

Body Worlds 4 is an attempt to combine science with art. It has some scientific significance and raises interesting moral and philosophical questions, not least about human identity. However, the values that underpin the exhibition are questionable for any person of faith.

Should sports stars who have been banned for drug abuse ever be allowed to represent Britain again?

There is currently some disparity even within one sport. The British Olympic Association imposes a lifetime ban on anyone found guilty of using drugs. In contrast, in British athletics more generally, athletes who have served their ban - usually two years - can compete again.

A few years ago I ran a housegroup on the theme "What I cannot believe". Over six weeks we discussed the Genesis account of Creation, Virgin Birth, Miracles, Resurrection, Prayer and Life after Death.

We examined what it is that non-Christians believe that Christians are supposed to believe and discovered that none of us did...

The popular media have had a field day at the Archbishop of Canterbury's expense over his recent foundation lecture at the Royal Courts of Justice [Archbishop's Lecture]and the associated interview on BBC Radio 4's The World at One. [Archbishop's BBC Interview]

The Sun newspaper has branded him "gullible, foolish and downright dangerous" and has included a form entitled "Clergy Discipline Measure" on which its readers are encouraged to make a complaint of misconduct against the bishop.

The complaint in The Sun's words is that "He has destroyed his authority and credibility as leader of the Church of England and given heart to Muslim terrorists by suggesting that Britain should accept aspects of Sharia law".

I suspect that most folk reading this will appreciate that things are not well with the Prison Service at the present time. The Prison Officers are feeling increasingly marginalised by the systems they have to operate under (their strike of last year was not totally about pay) and there is a good deal of worry about working conditions and the clientele that they have to deal with.

And now the government have decided to build three new so-called 'Titan' prisons - each with a capacity of around 2,500 places. The extra space generated is expected to give a total prison place capacity of around 96,000 by 2014.