Displaying items by tag: Religion

In 2015 the Government refused the appeal of the Anjuman-E-Islahul-Mislimeen Trust against Newham Council’s decision to refuse them planning permission for the development of the largest place of worship in Britain. The court of appeal refused to permit a ‘statutory review’ of that decision, then refused Islamist Tablighi Jammat’s (TJ) last-ditch legal attempt to overturn the injunction against them. By rights TJ should put in a new planning application for mixed use, remove the temporary mosque, and stop using the site as a place of worship. However, TJ are going to the European court of human rights (ECHR) to try to keep alive their dream of a mega-mosque in West Ham. On Saturday 5 May Christians will attend an open-air prayer meeting overlooking the proposed site.

Ashers Bakery in Northern Ireland, which was found to have discriminated by refusing to make a ‘gay cake’, had their appeal heard by the supreme court on 1 and 2 May. They challenged the 2014 ruling over their decision not to make a cake iced with the slogan ‘Support Gay Marriage’. Appeal court judges upheld the original decision in 2016. The Christian owners of the bakery argued, ‘We didn't say no because of the customer; we'd served him before, we'd serve him again. It was because of the message. But some people want the law to make us support something with which we disagree.’ Their QC David Scoffield said, ‘They have been penalised by the state for failing to create and provide a product bearing an explicit slogan “Support Gay Marriage”, to which they had an objection of conscience.’

Brunei is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coastline, the country is completely surrounded by Malaysia. In 2014 the government announced the phased introduction of a penal code based on Sharia law, which will eventually include hudud penalties such as amputation and death by stoning and potentially the death penalty for apostasy. It is about to implement the next stage of this process. The Islamic Religious Council and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah signed off the measure on 10 March. Implementation was delayed, but now appears to be going ahead, despite international pressure and criticism from Brunei citizens on social media. Christians comprise around ten percent of the population of the oil-rich state, where there are already tight restrictions on teaching Christianity. Pray for protection, spiritual maturity, and Biblical training for those leading the underground Church.

God does amazing things through his Church, often when different denominations work together in unity. Christians who work in this way find they are blessed. This was shown when Bristol HOPE brought together 1,400 volunteers from 3 to 7 April, to take part in a city-wide mission in 25 communities on 170 community projects, 25 events, and 15 family fun days. It resulted in more than twenty people becoming Christians; they are now being followed up by local Bristol churches. The volunteers included 500 young people from Soul Survivor, serving alongside local churches and organisations to bless the local community, putting Jesus’ love into words and actions.

Nepal has eight of the ten highest peaks in the world. The Himalayas cross northern Nepal, and rugged terrain makes remote communities extremely difficult to access. Six years ago *A, a Nepali Christian leader, climbed to the top of a peak and in the fading dusk saw lights flickering in villages across the side of the mountain. He realised no-one had shared the Gospel in those areas. Beyond that mountain there’s another, and then another, all the way to Tibet where there are many villages that have no witness to the Gospel, no believers, and no Church. Together with a discipleship mission training programme they shared the news of Jesus Christ in that area. People were receptive, and they prayed for a number of people who were healed. Now there are seven churches in that area, working together to disciple new believers.

Institutions like the Church are putting their reputations ahead of victims of child sexual abuse, said an interim report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on 25 April. They examined 21 British institutions, including the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. Religious institutions were the third largest group of abusers, after schools and children's homes. When it came to the effect on victims' faith, the report said, ‘Victims and survivors may question their religion and spiritual beliefs, particularly where the perpetrator was connected to their religion or faith. They may also use religion and faith as a coping mechanism for resilience and recovery.’ The CofE's deputy safeguarding bishop welcomed the report and said, ‘As a Church we will be studying the report and the panel's recommendations carefully, particularly those which suggest specific changes to help us as an institution to give children better protection from sexual abuse.’

Betel UK is a Christian charity helping men and women trapped in addiction. 44-year-old Kim says, ‘I came into Betel hoping to stay for two weeks to get off drugs. Fourteen years later, I'm still here! God has captured my heart and completely transformed my life. Now I live a life that was once unimaginable to me. I'm the women's supervisor here. I love seeing people being transformed by the power of the cross. I'm married with two beautiful daughters, and my life is focussed on the Lord and His plans for me. I once heard a speaker saying, “I don't want to go where God's presence won't be”. That's my heart. I lived without the Lord for so many years and now I can't imagine life without Him. I was once trapped in addiction and darkness, but through Jesus, I now have a freedom I never knew was possible.’

At 9am on the fourth day of the ‘Hot Fire Special’, a long queue outside a basketball stadium in Taipei waited to enter and fill over 6,000 seats. Christians from home and abroad were praying in unison in a four-day call, ‘Lord, send fire’. In the front row, on the field, in the back row, hands raised high, hands low, standing, sitting, crouching, with loud shouts or struggling to cry - ‘Lord! Come to us! Come and fill us!’ They shouted, ‘We will give God a space to intervene in our hopeless life’, and ‘There must be a space reserved for God to work in our hearts.’ Pastor Zhang Zhenhua said, ‘When God has a great plan, He will not give you strategy in advance, He gives you a vision. God uses visions to motivate dead faith.’ Thousands in the stadium had a vision for God’s fire to fall on their nation, for the resurrection work of the Holy Spirit.

There are many Christian ministries in Tunisia but only one officially recognised Christian body, a training ministry called the Augustine Association, which managed to get registration during the upheaval of the Arab Spring. Christians mostly gather for worship in homes, but some are too fearful of persecution to attend such meetings. After many postponements, municipal elections will be held on 6 May. Tunisian Christians ask for God’s hand to be over these elections so that their country will once again become a blessing for the whole region, as it was in the days of the early Church. The media reported that over 75% of the registered candidates are under the age of 45, with over 50% under 35. The high number of young fresh politicians running for election for the first time came as a shock to the political parties and blocs, and indicates potential changes in the coming years. See

Ten people were killed and fifteen injured in Toronto’s North York district on 23 April, after a white rental van deliberately drove along the pavement and into the crowds of pedestrians who were outside enjoying the warm spring weather. The rampage lasted 26 minutes before police apprehended Alek Minassian, the driver. Archbishop Colin Johnson said, ‘I weep for those who have died. I join in prayer for those who are physically injured or suffering emotionally from having witnessed such carnage, and for having lost loved ones. It is hard to comprehend such violence.’ Throughout Toronto, churches have opened their doors to offer prayer and pastoral care. Pray for those who will be suffering in the coming weeks from trauma, fear, confusion, anger and heartache.