Displaying items by tag: Religion

Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis has been warned by campaign group Right to Life that if the government introduces abortion that surpasses what is legally required, the group will take legal action. The current proposals would allow abortions on demand for any reason up to either 22 or 24 weeks, but abortions for disabilities, including Down's syndrome and cleft lip, would be available up to birth. A poll has shown that 58% of Sinn Féin voters and 54% of DUP voters want their country’s new abortion laws to allow a termination only when the mother’s life is at risk. Only 5% of all voters support introducing abortion through the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, as outlined in the proposed framework.

The Archbishop of Canterbury suggests the following items for prayer on Sunday 15 March in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer: a) For the work of the Holy Spirit in drawing people to faith in Christ. b) For equality of opportunity, and for the Church to represent fully the rich diversity of the communities it serves. c) For the work on climate change, particularly in the light of the CofE’s commitment at General Synod to go net zero in carbon emissions by 2030. d) For us to grow the youth presence and ministry in the Church. e) For those who are deprived and marginalised, and for a continued Church presence in areas where financial challenges are felt most keenly. Please also pray for wisdom for all who are preparing for the 2020 Lambeth Conference, which episcopal brothers and sisters from all over the world are due to attend. See also

Christian Concern’s ‘Stand and Speak’ series running up to Easter wants Christians to put the love of Jesus at the heart of society. We often think politics, laws, and public policy are untouched by concepts like love. It would be a stretch to describe love as the primary characteristic shown by MPs, civil servants, or judges as they go about their work. But the connection between these parts of society and love is stronger than we often recognise. Jesus said we should love God with all that we have and love our neighbour as ourselves. He himself drew attention to love as the principle underlying all of the law of Moses. It is Christ-shaped love that we aspire to. We long to be like him, willing to give up our own comfort to see others do well. That is why we sometimes say things that no one else will say - not for the sake of being controversial but because love demands it, that we speak truth to power, in love.

In response to coronavirus, 60 million Italians have been told to stay at home until 3 April, except for work and emergencies. As Italy deals with a total lockdown, gospel opportunities are flourishing. The vice-chairman of Italy’s Evangelical Alliance said, ‘Often our challenges bring with them opportunities. We've never experienced a time of openness towards spiritual conversations as we have in the past few days.’ The Diocese of Rome has cancelled the celebration of all Catholic masses and announced a day of fasting and prayer with a special televised mass. People are struggling to handle fear, anxiety and despair. That, of course, is a pain, but it brings opportunities for the Gospel to be shared, and also to be lived out. Although we may not go around to homes, we can phone, we can use technology, we can try to stay close to people as much as possible’.

As well as targeting individuals for exercising their freedom of religion and belief, Tajikistan’s regime also targets Christian communities. For example, the Full Gospel Protestant Church's two buildings in northern Tajikistan have both been confiscated. One of them had a vision in 2018 for a kindergarten to open there - but in 2020 there is still no sign of it. Between August 2019 and January 2020, the state fined leaders of four Protestant churches between £574 and £902 each (the average monthly offering in some of these churches is £41, the average monthly salary about £123). ‘They were fined for arranging a translation of the Bible into modern Tajik’, a local Protestant said. The translation is needed as some Christians think that other translations use archaic words and some passages are unclear.

Afghanistan’s population is 99.9% Muslim, containing 72 unreached people groups. There are 48,000 mosques and no churches. Any belief contrary to Islam is illegal. Converting from Islam to Christianity results in death. Christian believers gather and worship in secret. Yet extremist violence has caused many Muslims to question their faith. Though impossible to document, it is undeniable that the Church is growing and Muslims are turning to Christ. Some encounter Jesus in dreams and visions; others hear the Gospel through Christian radio. Christian relief agencies also share the love of God through meeting the nation’s immense physical needs; some have died as martyrs. Amid great persecution, there are several thousand believers in Afghanistan today. War and violence are almost routine, and many have given up on anything ever changing. That is what made the recent historic agreement between the United States and the Taliban so monumental. 

She was picking fruit on a sweltering summer’s day in June 2009 with Muslim women when a dispute arose over a shared cup of water because the Muslim women would not drink from a cup that they considered ‘unclean’ as it had been used by a Christian. This culminated in Aasia Bibi being accused of insulting Muhammad. ‘My husband was at work, my kids were in school’, she recalled. ‘A mob came and dragged me away. They made fun of me.’ ‘I am not angry at all, I’ve forgiven everyone from my heart and there is no hardness in me. I learned how to be patient after having to leave my children behind.’ These are the gracious words of Aasia Bibi, the Christian mother-of-five who spent nearly eight years on death row in Pakistan, falsely accused of ‘blasphemy’.

Giving Stream have launched 'Farming Food Bank' where church members buy a retail hamper from their church for £30 and another hamper is donated to local families in need. The hampers include 15 balanced meals. Giving Stream's Colin Kaye said, ‘We have the farm, butchers, chefs, equipment, and expertise to produce food. Churches have congregations and a local feeding programme or plans to launch one. This project links us all together, working as one, in the name of Jesus.’ Giving Stream will install a walk-in freezer on church premises at the company's cost; they will stock it with two different products - a retail hamper, which can be bought, and a free food hamper, used for donations only. Every time a retail hamper is sold a free meal hamper is donated to the church, who then feed people who are hungry.

Scotland's Destiny Church has begun fundraising for £150,000 to enable them to take legal action against Edinburgh Council, believing the case will have ramifications for the UK Church. It stems from the recent cancellation of a booking made at the city's Usher Hall for the church’s annual SURGE conference with Gavin Calver and Larry Stockstill. The cancellation came after the venue said it had received complaints linked to comments Mr Stockstill had previously made. He is a preacher, author, and pastors' mentor who runs a church-planting network. According to the Times, Stockstill has described same-sex relationships as ‘offensive’, ‘repulsive’, and ‘deeply grievous’. See Destiny Church, a thriving Pentecostal network focusing on evangelism and social action with congregations across Scotland, has been criticised by the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Security agencies are using ‘Yarovaya Law’ to impose harsh restrictions on evangelical Christians to tackle ‘extremist’ activities. The law demands permits to enable meeting outside registered religious buildings - outlawing house churches and prayer meetings. The law gives security agencies access to private phone conversations and text messages. There are few Protestants who have not been impacted by the law. A Moscow pastor with a congregation of 50 who are interrupted most Sundays by police said, ‘Authorities dressed as civilians knock on our door, asking to come in and “pray”. If we refuse they film us turning them away and use the footage against us. If we let them in they take pictures inside the church to identify ways that we are violating the law and must pay fines for “illegal missionary activity”’. Meanwhile President Putin’s revised constitution wants gay marriage to be forbidden. It will be put to a public vote. See