Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Young girls are still being sacrificed on the altars of multiculturalism and political correctness. A recent Sunday Mirror story says that child grooming is still going on after all the outcry in recent years, and police are still failing to act. Authorities don’t keep details of abusers in Asian communities for fear of ‘racism’. Council staff view the abused children as ‘prostitutes’ not victims. Recently police failed to investigate a complaint five times until an MP intervened. The number of victims in Rotherham’s child sexual exploitation has recently risen to 1,510. The worst examples are of criminals being excused because of their culture; a Muslim man in Nottingham who raped an underage girl was spared prison after the judge heard that he had been taught in an Islamic faith school that women are worthless. Islamic values were used by a judge to undermine the fundamental principle of one law for all. See also https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-worst-ever-child-grooming-12165527

23 March is day 720 of Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe’s confinement in Evin prison, nicknamed ‘The Iranian torture factory’. In September she was approved for early release, but Boris Johnson’s comments caused Iranian authorities to believe she was a spy and new charges were made. Her situation became political news, generating a petition of 1.5+ million signatures for her release. Mr Johnson visited Iran ‘to leave no stone unturned’, but an Ayatollah’s fiery Friday sermon described him as a ‘liar and clown’, leading to demonstrations across Iran and the UK. Inside the prison phone calls to and from Nazanin by family were banned and medical visits were cancelled. Just before Christmas, she was told she was ‘eligible for parole.’, but this came to nothing. Nazanin is a Christian suffering post-traumatic stress, being cruelly treated physically and emotionally; pray for her spirit to be strong. See also the article ‘Under Islamism’ in the World section.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking to an independent enquiry, has warned that child sex abuse by priests will 'destroy the Church' if it continues, adding the Church of England's current safeguarding powers to protect children 'probably needs re-looking at'. In cutting terms Welby warned that those who didn’t protect children would 'answer on the day of judgement'. 'That probably doesn't mean much to some people here’, he said. 'But I think about that every day. Those who do children harm would do better to have a millstone put around their neck and be thrown into the sea rather than face the judgement that God will give them. The reputation of the church, the reputation of a person, the reputation of an institution, is as nothing compared to the call to obey God in Jesus Christ in the way we love and care for people. Everything that goes against that will, in the end, destroy the Church.'

Europe’s march towards a post-Christian society has been starkly illustrated by research showing that a majority of young people in a dozen countries are not following any religion. A survey of 16- to 29 year-olds found that in the UK only 7% identify as Anglican and 10% as Catholic. Young Muslims, at 6% and rising, are on the brink of overtaking those who consider themselves part of the country’s established church. The UK figures were partly explained by high immigration - one in five Catholics in the UK was not born in the UK, neither were most of the Muslims. The figures were in a report, Europe’s Young Adults and Religion, by a professor of theology who said, ‘The new default setting for faith in the UK is no religion, and the few who are Christians see themselves as swimming against the tide.’

Many intercessors believe we are on the tipping point of a spiritual awakening in the Church, a time to change what we say, do, and pray into God-anointed actions, words, and prayers that bring powerful change to our communities. For anointed talks by Malcolm Duncan at the recent ‘Time 2 Turn’ conference for intercessors, click on the ‘More’ button to download the podcasts. He reminded us that the word of God brings restoration, so we must preach the word faithfully. He said that if God's people do not humble themselves, do not pray by the power of His Spirit, do not seek God's face in every decision, and do not turn from compromising His word, then He will not hear their prayers and will not heal their land. We have entered a season to turn in obedience to life-changing prayers and actions.

Easter is a great opportunity for evangelism. Pray for the body of Christ across our nations to recognise every opportunity to talk to the people they meet regularly about Easter’s actual meaning. Pray for each church denomination to be anointed by God to go where He sends them. Pray for a fresh Holy Spirit enabling so that God’s people do all that He has called them to do, and for the Church to use all its resources to impact with power the lives of those who do not yet realise the price Jesus paid for them. May each Easter service be an occasion of supernatural discovery of biblical truths. Pray also for church-based courses and initiatives like Alpha to explode onto the social scene, building influential life-changing bridges in communities not yet touched by Holy Spirit-led evangelism. May the Church see prayer and mission powerfully united, achieving amazing results.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia linger critically ill in a UK hospital after being poisoned by nerve agents developed and produced in Russia. Mrs May said there was ‘no alternative conclusion’ than to believe Russia was ‘culpable’ for the poisonings. Russia called the allegations ‘insane’, while refusing to explain how Russian nerve agents had been used. Putin’s defiance prompted the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from the UK. America said Russia’s actions ‘fit a pattern of behaviour whereby Russia disregards international rules-based order, undermines sovereignty and security in countries worldwide, and attempts to subvert and discredit Western democratic institutions and processes.’ Because of a hostile political climate the UK intends to build a new ‘Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’ in Porton Down (where the nerve agent used on the Skripals was identified). The Russian foreign minister said that Russia would expel UK diplomats ‘soon’. Pray for ‘retribution and revenge’ tactics to end. See: and

An inquiry heard that ‘toothless’ monitoring of convicted paedophile priests meant they were able to continue leading Anglican church services even after being banned from doing so. The inquiry into child sexual abuse was told that Rev Roy Cotton was restricted from public ministry to avoid contact with children, but it was ‘difficult’ to enforce. Fiona Scolding QC, the lead lawyer for the Anglican strand of the inquiry, is examining how the CofE handled allegations of sexual misconduct stretching back to the 1950s, first focusing on the Diocese of Chichester. But the issue is not confined to just one diocese. There have been published reports of systemic problems, a lack of safeguarding, and dysfunctionality.

In a recent speech, Ofsted claimed that extremists are using religion to pervert education and indoctrinate young people. Singling out the Christian Institute, which was wrongly labelled Anglican, it condemned ideological indoctrination by Christian extremists, and said that schools have a responsibility to ‘tackle those who actively undermine fundamental British values or equalities law’. However, under the Equality Act 2010, religion is listed as a protected characteristic, alongside such things as sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, age, and race. Ofsted’s apparent prioritisation of LGBT rights over other protected characteristics not only denies this but, by extension, seeks to alter or oppose the law. An Ofsted spokesperson said, ‘We must tackle those who actively undermine fundamental British values or equalities law.’ Ofsted appears to believe that expressing religious belief is not endorsing British values. Pray for parents to continue to have their children educated in line with their own religious and / or philosophical beliefs.

The Mary Magdalene film - released in the UK on 16 March - is a biblical film depicting of one of ‘the most misunderstood spiritual figures in history’. Many believe it is a potential awards contender, with the majority of praise being reserved for Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Jesus Christ. This film presents Mary Magdalene as a young woman who leaves her fishing village on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to join Jesus, who teaches forgiveness and love in his mission to bring about the Kingdom of God. With the disciples she follows Jesus to Jerusalem, where he cleanses the Temple of money lenders, declaring that the Kingdom of God is not to be bought and sold. Fearing that Jesus’s actions will incite a popular insurrection, the authorities arrest and crucify him. Mary goes to the tomb on the third day and sees the risen Christ.