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New Labour leader Ed Miliband does not believe in God, he has said. He had previously said his religious views were a ‘private matter’, and his declaration means two of the three leaders of major British political parties are self-proclaimed atheists. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also confirmed he does not believe shortly after being named Liberal Democrat leader, while David Cameron last year said religious faith was ‘part of who I am’ but admitted he did not go to church regularly. The Labour leader's atheism puts him in stark contrast to his predecessors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, for whom religion was a central part of their lives. Mr Miliband and brother David are of Jewish descent, but religion did not play a large part in their upbringing by their Marxist father Ralph Miliband. David has said publicly he is an atheist, and was the target of some criticism for sending his son to a Church of England school. Pray: that our nation's leaders recognise by God’s Grace the nation’s spiritual dimension. (Ps. 57:8) More: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100929/tuk-ed-miliband-i-don-t-believe-in-god-6323e80.html
Drugs are everywhere and far too easy for teenagers to get hold of, warn the grieving parents of a teenage girl who died after taking ecstasy. They criticised websites for glorifying the effects of drug use and blamed peer pressure for the death of their daughter, 16-year-old Serena Harding. The judge, sentencing three men for supplying the teenager with drugs, said the ‘misguided individuals’ were part of a culture which believes that taking drugs such as ecstasy is harmless. Miss Harding collapsed after taking ecstasy whilst on a night out with friends to celebrate her exam results. Mr and Mrs Harding warned: ‘It’s too easy for teenagers to get hold of drugs. Drugs are everywhere and somebody will always know somebody who will sell you some.' Three men were sentenced for supplying Miss Harding with the drugs, one of whom was said to be a close friend of Miss Harding.
Pray: for the authorities that they will be able to find the source of these dangerous drugs blocking the supplies and jailing those responsible. (Rom.13:5)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/drugs-are-too-easy-to-get-hold-of-warn-grieving-parents/
A new strain of gonorrhoea that is resistant to antibiotics has been discovered by scientists. The bacterial infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, with thousands of Britons becoming infected each year. Gonorrhoea can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancies and increased susceptibility to HIV. Dr Magnus Unemo, who led the team behind the discovery, described the find as ‘alarming’ and the researchers warned that the strain is likely to become a ‘global threat to public health’. He added: ‘While it is still too early to assess if this new strain has become widespread, the history of newly emergent resistance to the bacterium suggests that it may spread rapidly unless new drugs and effective treatment programmes are developed.’ Dr Unemo’s disturbing findings were presented at the 19th conference of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research in Quebec, Canada. Scientists are now trying to combat the infection using different drugs.
Pray: for those researching this disease that they may find a way to treat it. (Is.57:19)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/drug-resistant-sex-disease-discovered/
A petition of half a million signatures supporting the traditional definition of marriage has been handed in to Downing Street . The petition by the Coalition for Marriage supports the legal definition of marriage as the ‘voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others’ and expresses opposition to any attempt to redefine itn - It was signed by over 550,000 people. While the list of signatories was submitted to Downing Street, the full petition of names and addresses will be handed in to the Home Office as it is too large to deliver to No 10, filling more than 30 A4 boxes. The petition was launched on 20 February in response to the Government's plans to redefine marriage. Although the petition was submitted, it remains open and www.C4M hopes to reach a million signatures in the coming months. It comes just before a public consultation on redefining marriage closes on Thursday.
Pray: for a favourable response to this petition and for further signatories to sign-up in the months ahead. (Heb.13:4)
A senior Conservative MP has slammed the coalition Government’s proposal ‘to do away with traditional marriage’. On Thursday the Equalities Office revealed that it will ‘formally look’ at redefining marriage so that homosexual couples can get the same certificate as married people. The Government will also consult on plans to allow civil partnerships to be registered in churches for the first time. But Edward Leigh MP has questioned why the Government is trying to ‘mangle’ marriage, warning that it could have devastating consequences for those who adhere to the traditional definition. Mr Leigh, a former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, described the move as ‘mangling the language of marriage so that, for the sake of the tiny number of gay people who prefer marriage to civil partnership, everyone else in society must have the definition of their own marriage altered forever. Pray: that the Government will not abandon widely held views of marriage to favour a small minority. (Ro.7:22) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/dont-mangle-definition-of-marriage-warns-senior
Franklin Graham has called on Christians to be faithful in preaching the Gospel message as he visited the UK to launch this year’s Operation Christmas Child an annual Christmas initiative aiming to deliver 8 million shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts for children in impoverished communities around the world, including parts of Europe. ‘Secularism has conquered much of Europe and the West and it came in overnight,’ he told reporters. ‘As evangelicals and Christians we need to be more outspoken than we’ve ever been about our faith and not be ashamed.’ Mr Graham said some schools in the UK had dropped out of the project because they were upset about the Christian faith being shared with children receiving the boxes. However, he said: ‘I don’t apologise for sharing Christ. This is who we are. This is what we do.’ Mr Graham encouraged everyone giving a box to say a prayer for the child receiving it. ‘For many of these children, it’s the first gift they’ve had in their lives.
Pray: for all those involved in Operation Christmas Child and for the children as they receive their gifts. (Ps.100:5)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/dont.be.ashamed.franklin.graham.tells.uks.christians/30714.htm
Teenagers in Doncaster are being encouraged to list 101 ways to show love without having sex on their prom night. In a refreshing change from the ‘take a fist-full of condoms’ approach, NHS Doncaster has launched an ‘It’s Your Prom Night – Get it Right’ campaign. The campaign aims to encourage youngsters, aged between 15 and 17, to discuss ways of expressing their love. Suggestions put forward by pupils have included going for romantic walks on the beach, writing a poem and sending flowers. The campaign is an attempt to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in the borough. Bronwynn Slater, of Doncaster Primary Care Trust, said: 'Prom night can be a very special and emotional occasion for teenagers and they often want to share these moments with their boyfriend or girlfriend. But there are lots of different ways that they can show their feelings for each other without having sex’.
Pray: that this campaign will prove successful and set a new path for attempts to reduce teenage pregnancies. (1Co.13:4-7)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/doncaster-teens-encouraged-to-show-love-without-sex/
Christian development agencies are urging the Government not to divert aid money to peacekeeping operations. The plans were unveiled this week by Prime Minister David Cameron who is under pressure to save the Armed Forces from further spending cuts. However, charities are warning that the move could jeopardise stability in regions benefitting from British aid. Justin Byworth, Chief Executive of World Vision UK, said: “The Prime Minister's correct that security and peace are essential, but long-term stability is about far more than peacekeeping. "In reality, it’s a complex mix which includes nutrition, health, education, and protecting vulnerable children, which all help to prevent conflict and empower people to cope with challenging circumstances. “Spending on peacekeeping from the aid pot is already limited by international standards. We’d be concerned if this statement means these standards are being challenged.” Christian Aid warned that linking aid to military spending in fragile states could put aid workers on the ground at risk.
Pray: for legislation to be revised so that Christians can serve their communities as Christians – not in a way that forces them to ‘leave their faith at the door'. (Pr.31:9)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/dont.use.aid.money.for.peacekeeping.pm.told/31697.htm
Anti-poverty campaigners delivered a copy of the Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to George Osborne. Alan Pinch, a Quaker, Stephen Pennells, a Roman Catholic, and Graham Martin, an Anglican, are all supporters of Church Action on Poverty. They fear that Britain may be returning to the levels of poverty and contempt for the poor described by Dickens in A Christmas Carol. The trio cycled to the Chancellor's constituency office in Knutsford where they dropped off the festive classic. The 20-mile journey started at Manchester's Albert Square Christmas Market and stopped along the way so that members of the public could sign a statement to the Chancellor. Pinch said: ‘Chancellor Osborne is at severe risk of turning into a modern day Scrooge, and we want to add our voices to the many calls for him to change track.’
Pray: that the message behind this topical one will be taken seriously and encourage the Chancellor to change track. (Ecc.8:1)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/dont.be.a.scrooge.christians.tell.chancellor/31213.htm
One in 10 emergency calls to police are categorised as domestic violence related, rising in some areas to a fifth of all 999 alerts. The figures, obtained following freedom of information requests, have prompted fresh demands for a long-term strategy to tackle Britain's 'hidden crime.' Home Office data reveals that more than a million British women a year experience domestic violence, although experts believe the vast majority of incidents remain unreported. However, domestic violence conviction rates in the five years to 2011 stood at just 6.5% of incidents reported to police. Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, said: 'Last year the domestic violence rate was twice as high as the burglary rate. Two women every week are killed at the hands of their abuser in England and Wales, yet it still isn't given enough priority to keep people safe.' Cooper is currently consulting on ways to better protect women, saying too much complacency surrounds the issue.
Pray: for all those affected by domestic abuse and for measures to be taken to reduce the level of such abuse. (Col.3:19)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/nov/24/domestic-violence-emergency-calls-data