Displaying items by tag: Religion

Canadian father Steve Tourloukis - who featured in television commercials for the Coalition for Marriage - has been fighting a legal battle since 2012 to protect his parental rights and religious freedom. The legal battle has just come to an end, but not in the favour of Mr Tourloukis - or Canadian religious freedom. He initially sent a letter to the school board asking that his children be opted out of the sexual education programme, since many of the messages in the class directly conflicted with his religious beliefs. He specifically mentioned that he was concerned about the ‘discussions or portrayals of homosexual/bisexual conduct and relationships and/or transgenderism as natural, healthy or acceptable’. When they refused his request, he took them to court, but Ontario’s appeal court has ruled against him, and against the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

President Putin told representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church: ‘Over the past few years the Russian state, alongside the Russian Orthodox Church and other religious organisations, has provided humanitarian aid to Syria. It is very important that peaceful life is re-established as soon as possible, so that people can return and begin rebuilding churches and temples.’ Putin also stressed that most of the historically Christian areas have been liberated. Syria’s Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has shrunk from 30% to an estimated 10% of the population, after being driven from their homes or forced to convert to Islam. Syrian Christians lived in Syria for centuries before Assad, but only reached the highest levels of government when Syria was democratic. Despite being a minority they have long belonged to Syria's elite, and joined prominent political groups.

There is huge power in the words we speak. The ambitious crown prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia called Iran's supreme leader ‘the Hitler of the Middle East.’ An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman accused the ‘adventurist’ prince of ‘immature, inconsiderate, and baseless remarks and behaviour.’ Rivals for control of the Middle East, Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia are presently engaged in proxy wars in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. Kim Jong-Un’s ballistic bluster and President Trump’s ‘fire and fury’ has created more tension in Asia, while Pope Francis was cautioned not to utter the word ‘Rohingya’ in Myanmar. We are asked to pray for the world's leaders to understand fully the power that their words have to hurt or to build up, to cause conflict or to ease tension. May they heed the advice of many seasoned and wise counsellors.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who resigned after a row over whether gay sex was sinful, gave this year’s Theos Annual lecture on 28 November. One of his comments was: ‘Genuine Christianity has always has been countercultural, going against the norms of the day. In Revelation 17, we read about the final fall of Babylon: materialistic, complacent, ambivalent towards the poor and vulnerable, self–satisfied, and proud. The Babylonian empire had been dead for hundreds of years by then, so why mention it? Because Babylon stands for every empire, every society where human beings choose to live for themselves and not for God. So Babylon in 90 AD was Rome, and today it is our society, and as Christians we are to live as aliens in such a land.’ He also said that Christians are deemed ‘dangerous and offensive’ by the public.

Aid agencies are appealing for food, medicine, and construction materials for shelters as the latest round of violence against Rohingyas continues. One agency writes, ‘The situation constantly changes; we are delivering long-term aid within Myanmar for the Rohingya community. We also have teams in neighbouring Bangladesh to support those fleeing violence.’ Pope Francis, on a four-day visit to Myanmar, did not publicly mention the plight of the Rohingya by name. Khin Maung Myint, a Rohingya activist, said he was disappointed: ‘not in Pope Francis, but in the advisers who have dissuaded him from bringing up the plight of the Rohingya people.’ The Pope talked about forgiveness and ignoring the desire for revenge, without mentioning the violence, gang-rape, massacres and arson against the Rohingya.

‘Nawaz Sharif has been ousted from government several times, but he has returned to Pakistan, leaving his wife in an English hospital dying of cancer. The High Court ousted him on corruption charges, and he is banned from taking any political office; but his party (the major party) have changed the parliament’s constitution so that Nawaz can become its president. They also passed a stricter Islamic law, making it much harder for Christians and other minorities. The present temporary prime minister has little backing. There is no control in the country. Terrorists are crossing back and forward across the border. When US secretary of state Rex Tillerson came to meet Pakistan’s military on the Afghan situation, he was undercut by Pakistan’s government who demanded that he speak to it only. The military is held in favour by much of the populace.’

There are seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses in North America and Europe. They believe that Jesus is an inferior being, the Holy Spirit is simply a force of Jehovah, and that Jesus was resurrected in spirit, not in body. They trace their origin to Charles Taze Russell who believed that Christ’s second coming occurred in 1874. He spread his ‘New World Translation’ of the Bible and the Watch Tower magazine. Russell’s groups took the name Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931 to reflect their proselytizing focus. Though Witnesses identify themselves as a part of Christianity, many Christians consider them a cult, associated with occasional inconvenient knocks on the door or groups on street corners offering literature. But they are God’s beloved, beautiful creations who are in need of the truth of Jesus Christ.

The village where 305 worshippers were killed by Salafi militants on 24th November had been warned against hosting Sufi gatherings. Salafi Muslims follow an ultra-conservative Islam and believe Sufis are heretics. This attack, the worst in Egypt’s history, was the security forces’ second failure in five weeks, following 50+ policemen being killed in a Muslim Brotherhood militants’ hideout. After that incident President el-Sisi demoted his army chief of staff. Washington told el-Sisi that the Egyptian security forces’ preparedness was clumsy and predictable, saying that in the fight against terror and guerrilla groups quicker action is needed, combining precise intelligence and commando forces. The Egyptians are still very far from employing advanced methods; they responded to the attacks by bombing IS vehicles.

Children who have been abused by Jehovah's Witnesses were told not to report it by Elders. Men and women from across the UK said they were routinely abused but the religion's rules protected perpetrators. A child abuse lawyer believes there could be thousands of victims who have not come forward because of the ‘two witness’ rule. But there is rarely a witness to the crime of rape. The organisation said it did not shield abusers. Louise Palmer, waived her right to anonymity. Louise was born into the organisation along with her brother Richard, who started raping her when she was four. She told her parents and elders in the congregation. ‘I asked, 'what should I do? Will you report it to the police, or do I tell them?’ They strongly advised me not to go to the police because it would bring reproach on Jehovah.’

Lebanon has a delicate shared power tradition of a Maronite Christian President and Sunni Muslim Prime Minister. On 5th November Prime Minister Saad Hariri suddenly disappeared, fearing assassination and turned up in Saudi Arabia, claiming he is free and will soon return to Lebanon. His sudden resignation coincides with an aggressive purge of rivals by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his anti-corruption drive. Iran backs Hezbollah, who play a dominant role in Lebanese politics. There is heightened tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Hariri ‘said’ he hoped his resignation was a positive shock between the nations. Many doubt the authenticity of the statement; fearing Lebanon's crisis will set the stage for a Middle East calamity. Christians usually suffer in these regional conflicts. Windows International are asking people to pray for: -truth and transparency to emerge as Lebanon and other countries seek answers to Hariri's strange disappearance; -Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his family’s safety and freedom of movement.