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‘Not Ashamed of the Cross’ campaign is urging the Government to support historic Christian values in Europe while 400,000+ signed the Coalition for Marriage petition asking the Government to support historic Christian values at home. In 2012 Christians in Parliament need our prayers more than ever. On Easter Sunday former Government Minister Gary Streeter gave his testimony in a national newspaper, ‘My hand was healed by God, as he challenged The Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) stance against Healing on the Streets claim that God heals today being unfounded and breaking the law. 'My wife put her hand on my back and prayed for me and job done.' He also asked ASA if they would rebuke football fans who prayed for Fabrice Muamba. We can praise God for Mr Streeter’s challenge and pray for more Christians in positions of authority to speak out when Christian truths are challenged by our policymakers.
Pray: for Christians in the Government to stay true to Christian ethics and for the Prime Minister to act on his words, ‘Britain needs the values of the Bible more than ever.’ (Jas.2:17)
A top advocate for Muslim women’s rights has welcomed Baroness Cox’s Bill, which is designed to curb the problems caused by Sharia courts operating in England and Wales. Cassandra Balchin, co-founder and Chair of the Muslim Women’s Network-UK, said that in her work with Muslim women, she had found ‘anecdotal evidence of gender discriminatory arbitration and this included family cases’. Lady Cox’s Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill is designed to stop a parallel legal system taking root and it also aims to ensure equality before the law for women. Cassandra Balchin has claimed for some time that Muslim women in Britain suffer from fewer rights in the UK than in many Muslim countries. She also welcomed other aspects of the Bill, chiefly the proposed provisions to penalise false claims to legal jurisdiction. ‘Unlike the arbitration tribunals, Sharia councils have no legal status’, she said. (See 26-2011 Insight Article
Pray: for the success of this Bill and that God’s righteous authority would overrule. (Is.42:21)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/muslim-women%E2%80%99s-advocate-backs-bill-to-tackle-sharia/
Britain's national faith is being ‘eroded’ by politically-correct individuals seeking to remove religion from society, a Muslim doctor has claimed. Dr Taj Hargey has warned that numerous secularist groups are sidelining Christianity in the country. He claimed that this was leading to the destruction of the ‘strong moral compass’ and ‘once famous community spirit’ present in the nation. He stated that rather than protecting religion, those in charge are instead contributing towards its marginalisation. ‘I am Muslim. But even as a non-Christian, I can see all too clearly the shameful way in which Britain's national faith is being eroded,’ he explained. ‘The over-riding impression is that the state increasingly favours minority religions over Britain's own.’ A number of religious organisations have spoken out against the introduction of new legislation in the UK which they believe seeks to marginalise Christianity from society.
Pray: that Christians continue to speak out and fight against marginalisation of our faith. (1Ch.19:13)
More: http://www.theway.co.uk/feature.php?id=8034&this=Muslim_says:_Christian_faith_is_getting_'eroded'
Prison officers have warned of Islamic ‘gang culture’ in jails after figures showed the number of Muslim inmates has rocketed compared with other faiths. Stats obtained by the Sunday People reveal convicts in England and Wales who say their religion is Islam have passed the 11,000 mark for the first time. The total for Christians is 43,235, according to data given out under freedom of information laws. Prison officers’ association general secretary Steve Gillan said: ‘There is clear evidence of gang culture and a radicalisation of young men. They use the name of religion as an excuse to behave badly and in a threatening manner. Muslims in jail numbered only 3,681 in 1997 but last year there were 11,278. ‘Terrorists in maximum security jails have increased dramatically in number. It puts pressure on prisons at a time of cost cuts and overcrowding. This has been reflected in problems involving some Muslim gangs.’
Pray: against any growth in gang culture and radicalism amongst the prisoners. (Heb.13:3)
More: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/muslim-prison-numbers-soar-staff-1982124
The only Muslim Cabinet minister has said Britain should become more Christian. Writing in The Telegraph, Baroness Warsi suggested it was ok for Christians to be proud of their religion and that having a strong faith identify could help people to better understand people of other faiths. ‘We need to create a country where people don’t feel like they have to leave religion at the door. That means being proud of Christianity, not downgrading it,’ she said. ‘It means encouraging people to say that their faith inspires what they do. It means supporting religious charities in delivering public services in schools, hospices and rehabilitation.’ Lady Warsi’s message will be assuring to many Christians who have felt under increasing pressure in recent years to keep their faith private, while others have perceived a tendency towards respect for Muslims and intolerance towards Christians. Lady Warsi suggested that Christians should not feel they have to water down their faith.
Pray: for God to give the Christian church and its members greater confidence to proclaim the faith. (Heb.10:35)
Muslim leaders have been criticised by a University of Oxford academic for not doing enough to tackle extremists. At the same time a parliamentary committee has attacked a central plank of the Government’s counter-extremism programme by arguing that its ‘Prevent’ strategy has ‘stigmatised and alienated Muslims'. Nick Chatrath, a researcher at Oxford’s Faculty of Oriental Studies, claims in a paper to be published this week that in the face of growing radicalisation in Britain, Muslim leaders are ignoring extremists’ points of view and glossing over some of the more unsavoury parts of Islam’s ancient texts. In an essay in next month’s Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Mr Chatrath calls for a more open engagement by moderate Muslims with the arguments of extremists. Mr Chatrath says: ‘Moderate Muslim leaders are doing a poor job of tackling extremism in Britain.’ He called on moderate community leaders to do more to counter this.
Pray: against those who promote extreme ideas in any form that they would be moderated. (Ecc.7:18b)
More: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7082139.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797084
Angry mums have blasted a primary school’s plan to show pupils an explicit sex education video, and warned that it could cause children to experiment sexually. The video, a Channel 4 production called Living and Growing, shows a naked cartoon couple chasing each other around a bed and then having sex, while a voice-over gives a detailed description of the action. Cliff Lane Primary School was planning to show the video to seven-year-old pupils, but outraged mums were left horrified after they saw the graphic DVD during a consultation. Emma O’Brien, whose seven-year-old son attends the school, said: ‘There are some body parts kids don’t need to know yet. They shouldn’t be taught that.’ Bryony Surtees, the acting head teacher, responded to the objections, saying: ‘We wanted to be open and honest about this sensitive issue as we are mindful that some parents have very strong views on this matter’.
Pray: that the schools authorities would respond to the parents' objections. (Ps.34:17)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/mums-anger-at-plan-to-show-sex-ed-video-to-primary-kids/
Last month the Advertising Standards Authority told a group of Christians in Bath that they could not continue to make any claims in their advertising which state or imply that, by receiving their prayer, people could be healed. The group, called ‘Healing On The Streets Bath’, were specifically banned from using their leaflets which stated: ‘Need healing? God can heal today! We believe that God loves you and can heal you from any sickness.’ Atheist Hayley Stevens took offence at the group’s adverts, complaining to the ASA that the claims by the Christians could 'not be substantiated'. Her complaint was upheld and the ASA ordered the group to stop stating on their website or in literature that God can heal. Now three Christian MPs, Gary Streeter (Con), Gavin Shuker (Lab) and Tim Farron (Lib Dem) have written to the ASA asking them to produce ‘indisputable scientific evidence’ that prayer does not work, otherwise they will raise the issue in Parliament. (See Prayer Alert 06-2012)
Pray: that the work of HOTS will continue unhindered and that the ASA will reverse it’s decision. (Jn.16:33)
A report by a committee of MPs has rejected proposals to raise the minimum age of military recruitment to 18. But Forces Watch, an NGO working on ethical issues around the armed forces, has suggested that the wording of the report reveals a lack of clarity over the law in this area, even among MPs and senior officers. The MPs on the Committee on the Armed Forces Bill disagreed with each other over raising the minimum age of enlistment from 16 to 18. In the end, the majority were opposed to an increase and they recommended no change. The Committee reported that they have raised concerns with the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen. Sir William Rollo. Forces Watch has suggested that William Rollo's evidence was itself unclear as to which provision this refers to. In law, a Discharge As Of Right (DAOR) applies to recruits under 18 for only the first six months of service. Pray: for our young soldiers that God would protect them and that the military authorities who make decisions on their behalf would be given wisdom. (Jas.3:13)
MPs have confirmed that a controversial public order law that criminalises ‘insulting’ words or behaviour will be reformed to give greater freedom of speech. The move follows the Government giving way on the issue last month, after a vote in the House of Lords. The bid to change the law was spearheaded by Reform Section 5 – a campaign supported by The Christian Institute, the National Secular Society, the Peter Tatchell Foundation and others. Reacting to the news, Simon Calvert, the Campaign Director for Reform Section 5 (RS5), said it was ‘a great victory for free speech’. He also commented: ‘This is a fulfilment of the Home Secretary’s promise to accept the amendment, which was passed by the House of Lords in December. We can now say, officially, that Reform Section 5 has achieved its goal. The amendment cannot now be overturned, and so will become law later this year.’
Pray: that the outworking of this bill will bring a greater freedom of speech. (1Pet.3:10)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/mps-confirm-public-order-law-reform-in-free-speech-victory/