What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.

What is the War Cry?

The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.

War Cry

Issue No 7619

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major

Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow

Production Editor: Ivan Radford

Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku

Staff Writer: Emily Bright

Staff Writer: Claire Brine

Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk

Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston

Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Tel: 0845 634 0101

Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org

Founder: William Booth

General: Brian Peddle

Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn

WATCHING nature, as well as humans, reveals that ‘it is hard work being a parent’, writes War Cry contributor Barbara Lang ahead of Mother’s Day tomorrow (19 March).

Fans of wildlife documentaries may agree. The popular shows often focus on mother-offspring relationships in the wild. A tiger tries to manage her ‘challenging’ cubs. A hippo protects her new calf from a ‘quarrelsome’ older calf. An elephant is prompted by ‘her instinct’ to stay with her dying baby.

Some aspects of such documentaries have, however, attracted criticism. Two years ago a group of academics looked into the BBC series Dynasties and, while not rejecting entirely the recognition that humans and animals share certain traits, queried whether a preoccupation with the personalisation of individual animals gave a distorted view of wildlife. They argued that it was possible both to entertain and educate.

There are many ways of exploring the world. But need they be at odds?

Research published only last year by think tank Theos found that ‘the British public are more likely, by a proportion of 2:1 to think that science and religion are incompatible (57 per cent) than compatible (30 per cent)’.

Science writer David Hutchings has explored why such a longstanding mistrust exists – and he tells us in an interview why it is false. The truth, he says, is that there is a ‘very strong link between Christianity and scientific progress’, and, when engaging in science or faith, people need to employ their hearts and their minds. He believes that ‘God loves science, because he has – for some reason – designed a world that is discoverable. And he has given us the ability to make discoveries.’

Perhaps even the news that faith and science are compatible will be a new discovery for some people – or perhaps there is another discovery, or rediscovery, to be made in what Barbara Lang writes, that, whatever our family past, ‘each of us is loved and cherished by God’.