Displaying items by tag: North America

Fifty-eight people have died and dozens have suffered in a chemical attack in Syria. Assad denied using any such weapons. Putin insisted Russia was not in the vicinity. Observers in Syria point the finger at it being a Syrian strike. Syria first used chemicals in 2013. It prompted purposeful discussion that came to nothing. Tuesday’s attack provoked President Trump to react within 48 hours - a major shift in America’s foreign policy. On Thursday night the USA launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian airbase where the warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks were based. The UK knew in advance of the airstrike but was not involved. Russia knew in advance and were seen moving vehicles out of the area. They are calling the strike a violation of international law. Since the USA gave Russia and the UK warnings that a strike would happen and where it would happen, it was not a surprise military action. Whether it will be interpreted as an outright military act or a political strike, we should indeed pray into this fluid and tense situation.

Finally, after years of apathy and inaction, Washington is extending its hand to help Christians in the Middle East. US president Donald Trump recently announced that persecuted Christians will have priority when it comes to accessing refugee status. Christians and Yazidis are exposed to genocide at the hands of IS and other Islamist organisations which are moving into a vast campaign to enslave non-Muslim minorities and destroy their cultural heritage. Finally, self-interest and oil interests will take a back seat, with the UN and the USA showing solidarity with Middle East Christian refugees.

At a ‘creation care fair’ at St Cuthbert’s Church in Toronto, Anglicans and community members had opportunities to ask church and secular leaders how they were responding to the challenge of climate change, with many questions about whether or not the Anglican Church of Canada will divest from fossil fuel companies. Its General Synod will be making a decision about this in 2019. While the Canadian Church and government address environmental challenges, President Trump signed an executive order to return to coal fuel. The order directs the US Environmental Protection Agency to begin re-evaluating immediately the Clean Power Plan that was published just ahead of the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in France. The Plan was to reduce US power plant emissions dramatically over 25 years, and was a bargaining tool when negotiating the Paris climate accord.  See:

At a time when Google, Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds are crowded with negativity, Frankly Faraci is an inspirational new Dove Channel show that can be found across the web on tablets, TVs, smart phones, and laptops. It premiered on 21 March, and promises to uplift and entertain audiences of all ages. They want to encourage viewers that good does still exist - and remind them that God can use anyone who is willing to be part of His plan. There is a perception that Christians are judgmental, angry, holier than thou, and finger-wagging, but non-Christian viewers will see that Christians are amazing and fun and cool and the kind of people that they would want to hang out with. The show has an unhidden agenda, to push back against all the negativity. It is hoped that families will tune in and children learn that the sky's the limit, as the programme gives them great role models to look up to. That's really the heart of what they want to do.

Motions against ‘Islamophobia’ are not legally binding but extremists are demanding them as laws. Shutting out any criticism against hardliner behaviour in the West actually means giving extremists a license to commit atrocities. Resolution M-103, seeking to condemn ‘Islamophobia,’ was introduced recently in Canada’s House of Commons, sparking a controversy. A similar motion, labelled M-37, was later tabled in the Ontario provincial legislature and was passed. Like its predecessor it demanded that lawmakers condemn all forms of Islamophobia and reaffirm support for the Anti-Racism Directorate, in order to address and prevent systemic racism across government policy, programmes and services. It is feared that hardliners supporting this form of censorship and other restrictions required by Islamic sharia law aim to blur the line between genuine bigotry and criticism of core problems such as anti-Semitism, violence against women and minors, female genital mutilation, child marriage, etc. Canada already has laws to curb any discrimination or abuse against individuals or groups.

A Christian couple in Oregon were fined $135,000 (£109,000) for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. Aaron and Melissa Klein, who own a local bakery called Sweet Cakes in Oregon, maintain that they did not refuse to serve the gay customers; they only refused to participate in making a cake for their wedding. They have decided to appeal against the ruling, with First Liberty Institute attorney Hiram Sasser representing them. They said, ‘We have no litmus test for customers. We serve everybody no matter who they are, from every walk of life. That’s part of being open to the public. These two women were in fact return customers.’ The couple cannot discuss the case due to a gag order.

A national poll has found that while there is deep disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over whether Christianity is central to American identity, a majority of the population (seven out of ten) agrees that the country is losing its identity as a whole. Democrats, independents and Republicans agree that there is confusion as to what American identity actually is. Only one in ten Americans has a biblical worldview, and overall Christian religious beliefs were ranked near the bottom in terms of what is critical to the national identity, with only 40% saying a culture grounded in Christian religious beliefs is extremely important.

All 100 members of the US Senate are asking for President Trump to provide help for the Jewish community, in the light of a number of bomb threats against Jewish community centres . They have signed a letter requesting the White House to act decisively over these threats. The letter stated, ‘We are concerned that the number of incidents is increasing. Failure to address and deter them will place innocent people at risk and threaten the financial viability of Jewish Community Centres (JCCs), many of which are institutions in their communities.’ The letter also calls on the White House to reach out to Jewish centres and institutions with victim assistance, grant opportunities, or other methods of enhancing security measures and improving preparedness.

Among all homeless families in the USA, over three-quarters are headed by single women with children; about 30 percent of children in the foster care system would be discharged if their parents were properly housed. CityHouse in Delray Beach, Florida, is now providing transitional housing and support for those who would otherwise be homeless and at risk of having their children placed in foster care. Families at the Avenue Church had been providing shelter for such children. ‘We would take that child till the mum or dad got better. But what we discovered was that it was really the mum that needed care as well,’ explained Casey Cleveland, lead pastor at the church. In 2013 a small apartment building was secured with enough units to house five single mothers and their children, and CityHouse was established. The mothers must demonstrate a willingness to make a positive change in their lives, pay a small amount of rent, and attend weekly Bible studies on the property.

President Trump named Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States, to replace Justice Antonin Scalia who died last February. Gorsuch currently serves on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and has the backing of pro-life and conservative groups. Trump recognised the importance of the decision, saying, ‘He is the man our country needs to make sure the rule of law and the rule of justice are followed. After defence of the nation, appointing a justice is the most important decision a president makes.’ Gorsuch pledged that, if confirmed, he would uphold the Constitution of the United States. There is likely to be strong opposition from the Democrats and other liberal groups when his confirmation is voted on. See