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Government figures released last week show a sharp increase in the number of homeless families over the past year. In 2012, 34,080 households with children were accepted as homele ss, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year. At the end of 2012, 76,790 children were living in temporary accommodation, an annual increase of 11 per cent. Currently every fifteen minutes another family find themselves homeless. The figures also show an increase in the number of families living in bed and breakfast accommodation, up 29 per cent since the same time last year. Official guidance to local authorities says bed and breakfast temporary accommodation should be avoided ‘wherever possible’. Lack of privacy, inadequate provision for cooking and washing means it is ‘not suitable’ for families with children or for pregnant women ‘unless there is no alternative accommodation available and then only for a maximum of six weeks.’
Pray: for all those who are facing the difficulties of homelessness that suitable accommodation will be found and they will come to realise that God will be their provider. (Ps.104:1-3)
Sharia law is undermining the ‘concept of judicial equality’ at the expense of the vulnerable, a prominent peer has warned. Baroness Cox says Britain no longer operates ‘under a single legal code’ and that Sharia is ‘effectively a parallel quasi-legal system operating within some Muslim communities’. The warning comes after an undercover investigation revealed that two imams were prepared to marry a twelve-year-old to grown men ‘under the aegis of Sharia law’. Lady Cox, in an article for the Daily Mail, cautions: ‘No society can function effectively with a parallel quasi-legal system, with some people having, in practice, drastically diminished legal rights because of their religion and their gender.’ She adds: ‘In so many ways, Sharia law treats women as second-class citizens, whether it be in inheritance rights or divorce. ‘According to Sharia law, for instance, a woman’s word counts for only half the value of that of a man.’
Pray: for a resolution to this issue that restores judicial equality for all. (1Jo.5:3)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/peer-sharia-courts-subvert-british-law/
Sharia courts are putting women at risk of violence from abusive husbands, the Crown Prosecution Service has warned. The courts, which issue rulings according to Islamic law, have been found to be giving Muslim women advice which experts warned may place them in danger. Undercover filming in some of the 85 councils operating in mosques and houses across the country has revealed that the courts, which are run by sharia councils, are ruling in favour of men meeting estranged wives or having access to children when they have found to have been abusive. Sharia law has no formal place in any of Britain’s legal systems. However, the investigation found courts in London which follow it were making rulings on domestic and marital issues according to Islamic law which appeared at odds with English family law. It is suggested that sharia courts may act contrary to English courts in matrimonial and child care issues.
Pray: for sharia courts to operate within British law and to ensure that the safety of women and children is of the highest priority . (Ac.10:43)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9976822/Sharia-courts-putting-women-at-risk-CPS-warns.html
Proposed laws against clothing that sexualises children would be impractical, parenting experts have warned the Government. MPs would struggle to draw up rules on the acceptable length of skirts or height of heels that could be worn by young girls, it is claimed. It emerged at the weekend that the Government is to commission a review of inappropriate products and images targeting girls as young as 10. The chief executive of the Mothers’ Union, Reg Bailey, will produce a report on the ways in which children are put under pressure by retailers and advertisers to grow up too fast. This could lead to industry standards being established or individual businesses being prosecuted, while parents could be given new powers to challenge inappropriate adverts or products. Pippa Smith, co-chairman of Safermedia, said: ‘Unfortunately children are quite a high priority on the marketers’ list. I think there’s got to be willpower with the Government’.
Pray: for clarity in formulating standards and laws that will see an end to much of the commercial sexualisation of children. (Jn.17:15)
Sexually explicit song lyrics are encouraging vulnerable young girls to experiment with sex, according to a psychologist. This latest warning by Dr Jane McCartney is likely to add to concern about the increasing sexualisation of the nation’s children. Warning about the dangers of explicit lyrics, Dr McCartney said: ‘I think it is making children think this social behaviour is the norm and the danger is when you have girls listening to girls singing about it.’ The psychologist also warned that the suggestive lyrics, used by artists such as Lady Gaga, could give girls the impression that they are in control, when the stark reality is often quite the opposite. Dr McCartney’s warning echoes the findings of a previous report, commissioned by the Home Office, which warned that children are being harmed by exposure to violent and sexual images.
Pray: for our young people that, with quality support they will be better able to resist the sexual pressures put on them. (Pr.10:17)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/sexual-lyrics-lead-young-girls-astray/
The costs of sexual freedom and relationship breakdown to the taxpayer and wider economy total some £100 billion annually; about twice as much as alcohol abuse, smoking and obesity combined. This is the astounding conclusion of the latest ‘Cambridge Paper’, ‘Free sex: Who pays? Moral hazard and sexual ethics’ by Guy Brandon. Rather than addressing moral issues Brandon employs a utilitarian approach and attempts to quantify its financial impact. He argues that sexual freedom ‘represents an enormous moral hazard and, as a result, unsustainable and unjust public expenditure’. Furthermore, these costs are imposed on society as a whole, rather than borne solely by the individuals most directly responsible. Brandon concludes that the moral hazard that arises from our society’s uncritical endorsement of sexual freedom results in massive public costs. He suggests the Christian sexual ethic of faithfulness and stability offers a pragmatic answer to a failing culture that generally views Christian standards as hopelessly out of date.
Pray: that this paper will add to the rising tide of evidence that abandoning God’s rules for living can only lead to the breakdown of society. (Ro.13:13)
More: http://pjsaunders.blogspot.com/2012/01/sexual-freedom-and-relationship.html
Sexism is so widespread in the UK that it affects "most aspects" of the lives of girls and young women, a report from Girlguiding says. "Sexual harassment is commonplace, girls' appearance is intensively scrutinised and their abilities are undermined," says the report. The report Equality for Girls is based on a survey of more than 1,200 girls and young women aged seven to 21. Girlguiding chief executive Julie Bentley called it a "wake-up call". She said: "This cannot be dismissed as something that girls and young women just have to deal with as they grow up." “Girls needed to live in an equal society if they were to flourish and fulfil their potential to be leaders in all walks of life”, added Ms Bentley. Girls identified sexism as a priority issue for their generation, with three-quarters saying sexism affected most areas of their lives, says the report.
Pray: for greater awareness of this problem and a serious commitment to overcoming such sexism.. (Gal.3:28)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25138455
Hundreds of people turned out at a public meeting against plans for a sex shop near a small English village. Sex shop company Cocktails Limited wants to open a store close to Sawtry, which has a population of just 6,000. Local MP Shailesh Vara gave his support to locals who say a sex shop would ‘cast a shadow’ over Sawtry. Ward Councillor Darren Tysoe, who chaired the public meeting, said a ‘unanimous and strong message’ had been delivered that ‘we don’t want a sex shop in Sawtry’. The sex shop is planned for a former Little Chef building just off the A1. Keith Walters, a former councillor, said: ‘Sawtry is a quiet, rural, family-friendly village. ‘It’s not big enough to have a bank or building society and can’t have cable TV. But apparently, someone can impose a branch of the largest sex shops in Europe against our will.’ Pray: for the District Council to heed and respond positively to the views of the local people of Sawtry. (Ep.5:3) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/sex-shop-close-to-village-opposed-by-locals/
Sex education resources should be licensed to ensure they are age-appropriate, an MP has said, following concern among parents about ‘inappropriate’ materials. Andrea Leadsom’s comments come in the same month that a report by The Christian Institute highlighted shocking resources being pushed by public bodies for use in schools. One such resource encourages primary school pupils to learn about anal intercourse, oral sex and prostitution. (See Prayer Alert 11-2011) Mrs Leadsom, the MP for South Northamptonshire, asked if the Education Secretary Michael Gove was ‘aware of the great concern of some parents about the inappropriate material being shown to their five-year-old and seven-year-old children under the guise of sex and relationship education’. Education Minister Tim Loughton replied, saying he shared some of her concerns. He noted the current Government review into personal, social and health education, of which sex and relationship education is a key part, and said he would welcome the MP’s further input into the review. Pray: that those in authority will be given Godly insight when preparing teaching materials for the young. (Pr.3:21)
A mother has taken her seven-year-old daughter out of school after she was shown a cartoon featuring a couple chasing each other around a bed and having sex. According to The Daily Mail, seven and eight-year-old students watched the controversial Channel 4 sex education DVD, ‘Living and Growing’, at their local elementary school. A voice-over on the DVD describes the sex as ‘exciting’. Lisa Bullivant, from Legbourne, Lincolnshire, was so upset by the content, she took her daughter out of East Wold Primary School and placed her with another school. Bullivant said, ‘The cartoon was very graphic. My daughter was frightened and children have unfortunately been copying what they have seen. Parents should have been given the decision of whether the video should have been shown or not.’ She added, ‘There is no educational, psychological benefit or need for children of this age to have full knowledge of what sexual intercourse entails.’ (See also Prayer Alert 11.2011) Pray: that material that is considered controversial should not be taught without wise discernment. (Tit.1:11a)