Further to our report in last week’s Prayer Alert that Manchester Cathedral was to host a new age festival, it has come to light that the reports were not accurate and had been sensationalised by much of the media including our source. The Spirit of Life is a Christian festival offering a balanced programme of different spiritual traditions including Taize, choral evensong and contemporary spiritualities. There will be workshops that will provide Christian perspectives and offerings on how ancient spirituality meets contemporary culture at this unique event. The event offers a clear Christian alternative to the usual Mind, Body Spirit events with performances, meditations, stalls and workshops throughout the day. There will be no tarot card reading or fortune telling at the event. All contributors are Christians, many of them by ordained clergy, nuns, Catholics or evangelicals and all have undergone a rigorous application process by the organisers.

Pray: that the truth will out and all who attend will find that truth by the revelation of God’s Holy Spirit. (Gal.1:11)

More: http://www.manchestercathedral.org/events/73/the-spirit-of-life

Most people support the idea of holding a referendum to decide whether marriage should be redefined, a new poll has shown. In a recent survey commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage, 54 per cent agreed that redefining marriage should be put to a public vote. Of those surveyed, only 26 per cent disagreed with the idea of a referendum of the people. The Coalition for Marriage, which campaigns against the Government redefining marriage, says the results aren’t surprising. Campaign director Colin Hart said: ‘This poll follows a series of bad news stories for the PM’s profoundly undemocratic plans.’ He added, ‘ordinary men and women have never been able to cast a vote on the issue as neither the Conservatives, Lib Dems, or Labour included this proposal in their manifestos and they are fed up with being told it is going to happen regardless of what the majority of people in this country believe.’

Pray: for the political leaders that they will listen to the majority of the people and allow for a referendum on redefining marriage.

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/majority-want-gay-marriage-referendum-poll-shows/

Government welfare and tax changes, together with lower than forecast wage growth, will leave the majority of children in the UK living in families below the breadline by 2015, according to new Trades Union Congress research. Tax and welfare reforms alone - both existing and future changes - will be responsible for nearly half a million more children living below the breadline, says the TUC. In 'A Bleak Future For Families', the research finds that the cumulative impact of government policies and slower than forecast wage growth over the course of this parliament will mean that 690,000 more children will be living below the minimum income standard - the level of income needed to achieve a minimum acceptable standard of living in the UK - by 2015. TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Families are suffering the tightest squeeze in their living standards in nearly a century.” See also last week's Prayer Alert 'Archbishop of Canterbury attacks Government welfare reforms'.

Pray: for Government to ensure that children are not adversely affected by economic policies. (Pr.19:17)

More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18176

A major study has confirmed that the absence of a father figure can be damaging to a child’s life, and that the love of a father is equally important to the emotional well-being of children as that of a mother. The study, which reviewed 36 studies from around the world, found that the absence of fatherly love in a child’s life can have serious psychological consequences which persist into adulthood, since rejection in childhood has the most ‘strong and consistent effect on personality and development’. The study suggests that rejection from a father can cause long-term problems for children that last for decades, including anxiety, insecurity and low self-esteem. The study found that such children tend to shut themselves off emotionally, and consequently find it harder to build relationships later in life. Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, said: ‘The study confirms what has been known for decades - that two natural parents in a life-long marriage provide the ideal conditions for raising children.

Pray: for wider recognition of the importance of stable families with a mother and a father especially by government. Also pray for those who are in single parent families particularly those who are unsupported in any way. (Eph.6:1-4)

More: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/social/major-study-shows-children-need-love-from-fathers-as-much-as-mothers

The Magistrates Association will put forward a motion to scrap the Bible from the court oath in October. The motion has been met with wide criticism especially as the last census revealed that an overwhelming 60% of people in British were of Christian faith and that such a move would undermine Britain’s Christian heritage in favour of secularism. Many critics have argued that parts of British law itself were founded on the Bible, a standard which has infiltrated and determined our morality, lifestyle and tradition for many centuries. If this is taken away, one only has to question what secular standard will take its place. The Magistrates Association which represents 23,000 lay agistrates will this month discuss concerns that many people do not take the oath seriously. Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester said: ‘This could be the slippery slope towards the increasing secularisation of society. Where will it end - with the Coronation Oath?’

Pray: for the Association as it considers this decision that they will not reject the basics of law based upon the Bible. (Is.54:17b)

More: http://www.theway.co.uk/feature.php?id=9348&this=Magistrates_Association_to_discuss_scrapping_

Police expected to mount their biggest operation in the town's history, as thousands of English Defence League activists from across England will descend on Luton. Anti-racism campaigners are holding a counter demonstration in Luton also on Saturday. Unite Against Fascism, which is organising the event, says it expects supporters to travel from across the country. Luton councillor Mahmood Hussain said, ‘This event is creating more fear than anything else, especially among the elderly who have seen the pictures of what has happened at these events in the past. Everyone is very much concerned about what could happen because you only have to look at the record of this group to see what we face'. Community leaders and politicians have been working with different community groups in Luton since the EDL announced it was going to stage the protest.

Pray: for the people of Luton this weekend and against confrontational, violent protests. (Je.29:7)

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/31/edl-protest-luton-fears-disorder

The National Lottery has given £205,000 to fund a two year research project which will make spiritual ‘healing therapies’ available on the NHS. The project, led by charity Fresh Winds, is designed to identify the effectiveness of a Buddhist ‘healing’ technique (called Reiki) by testing the method on 200 patients suffering from bowel disorders at NHS Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. The National Lottery will brief the NHS on the research findings next year ‘to inform their decision whether to introduce elements of complementary therapy into the management of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.’ The controversial therapy, which has been termed by critics as another form of ‘voodoo’ involves the running of hands over the patient’s body (without touching) to radiate ‘healing energy’ which allegedly works ‘like a gentle set of jump leads’ and relieves symptoms of pain.

Pray: that the healing power of the Holy Spirit would be recognised as superior to alternative therapies. (Act.10:38: Mt.10:1)

More: http://www.theway.co.uk/feature.php?id=8541&this=Lottery_money_given_for_spiritual_healing_therapies_to_NHS

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has warned, ‘New equality laws are forcing religious people to flee the country because they are being denied the freedom to live in accordance with their beliefs’ The Orthodox Jewish leader claimed that anti-discrimination policies had fuelled an ‘erosion of religious liberty’ in Britain that was leading to a new ‘Mayflower’, a reference to the flight of the persecuted Pilgrim Fathers to America in the 17th century. His comments follow growing alarm from leading religious figures over the increasing influence of equality laws. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has called on the Prime Minister to review equality legislation amid concerns that religious freedoms and Britain’s Christian heritage are under threat. Speaking to the House of Commons public administration select committee, Lord Sacks also said, ‘I share a real concern that the attempt to impose the current prevailing template of equality and discrimination on religious organisations is an erosion of religious liberty.’

Pray: that rapid social change would not alter religious practices that have been in place for many years. (Lk.1:50)

More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8609531/Chief-Rabbi-Equality-laws-leading-to-new-Mayflower-exodus.html

Lord Patten the new chairman of the BBC waded into the growing row over secularism, saying atheists are ‘intolerant’ of religion. Lord Patten a former Cabinet minister and practising Catholic said that he felt he was regarded as ’peculiar’ over his faith. His comments come amid a deepening battle over the freedom of religious belief in the British Isles. He will take control of the BBC Trust next month. He is the highest-profile political figure to enter the debate over what is seen as a creeping attempt to remove Christianity from public life. His comments angered secularists who expressed concern that his faith could affect his ability to remain objective in making decisions. Speaking last week at Our Lady of Grace and St Edward in Chiswick on the theme, ‘Faith and Public Service - Christian witness in the wider world’, he said he was dismayed by the attitude of secularists to the Pope's visit last year.

Pray: that God would use Lord Patten in his role at the BBC and many other Christians in the media to be His vessels of hope in the face of secular values. (Ps.33:8)

More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8469734/Lord-Patten-attacks-intolerant-secularists.htmll

Local bureaucrats who have no sense of Britain’s religious history are squeezing faith out of public life, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned. He says those who think religion is ‘automatically a problem in our public life’ often lack an understanding of Britain’s Judeo-Christian heritage. Speaking in the House of Lords, Dr Rowan Williams said a generation of administrators and local officials has grown up with ‘little or no sense’ of ‘how our political and legal history’ is shaped by its relationship with Judaism and Christianity. He said that ‘failure of understanding’ is one of the reasons for ‘the reluctance in recent years to develop effective partnership between statutory bodies and faith groups in the work of social regeneration’. He did however say that there were signs of improvement in the area. The Archbishop has previously accused the Government of treating religious faith as a ‘problem’ and an ‘eccentricity’ practiced by ‘oddities, foreigners and minorities’.

Pray: for the re-establishment of Biblical faith in public life. (2 Pe.1:21)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/rowan-williams-local-officials-sideline-religion/