Amid the moral turmoil and instability surrounding News International, there is a message for our own times in the steadfast pursuit of truth shown by the Seekers who gathered to listen to George Fox on Firbank Fell in 1652, says Jill Segger

The Channel 4 footage Sri Lanka war crimes footage showed graphically what happens when ordinary people are regarded as mere pawns who can be sacrificed in a contest between rival commanders, says Savi Hensman, reviewing the evidence. But all human life is precious and such degrading practices must be outlawed

The ‘Big Society’ is becoming a fresh political battleground over the summer, says Simon Barrow. Shrinking the state by galvanising more money and resources from private citizens through volunteering, delegating and contracting is central to the Prime Minister’s approach – both to running the country and to keeping his own party together. But the strategy is beset with disagreement, and a huge 'reality gap'.

Concerns about young people have made the news this week. There are fears of "sexualisation" and "radicalisation". Both words imply that young people cannot make choices themselves, but only passively accept what is imposed on them. And they distract attention from the policies of a government which is set to wreck the opportunities of countless young people.

Point-scoring and opportunist politics alienates the electorate, says Jill Segger. If the "new politics" of May 2010 is to have any meaning, politicians and party activists must find a way of combining the legitimate battle of ideas with a more consensual and creative approach to the common good.

To tackle homophobia, we need to understand it. Recent years have seen a backlash against LGBT rights in the UK. This is partly because changing views on sexuality have become a focus for people alarmed by the declining status of what they regard as Christian morality. But it's not a morality that has much in common with the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus.

Sharing ideas at a local, regional and national level, and discussing how to respond to the threat of cuts, will not always be easy, says Savi Hensman. But it is vital if those who are poorest and most vulnerable are to be protected and a government-led agenda based on false premises appropriately resisted.