Born-again Christians whose adopted children have been taken into care say they are being persecuted for their religious beliefs by social workers. In one case, parents say social workers accused them of causing emotional abuse with their strict parenting methods, which included smacking a child’s hand and punishing children for swearing by putting soap on their lips. They claim they were described as ‘cult’ members by social workers despite their church following the Alpha Course, the dominant strand of evangelism in Britain, followed by 20m people worldwide, including the adventurer Bear Grylls. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the campaign group Christian Concern, said: ‘We are seeing a worrying trend whereby Christian parents are being treated with suspicion because of their faith’.

People with learning disabilities, admitted to hospitals for assessment and treatment, have been badly let down by the government. More than two years after since its response to the abuse of patients at the Winterbourne View hospital, the government has failed to meet its core commitment to move people out of mental health hospitals and into the community by June 2014. In a joint statement, the charities Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, said a report by the National Audit Office that there are still 2,600 inpatients in mental health hospitals in England showed ‘abject failure’ to tackle the issue. Ministers agreed in 2012 that any inpatients with a learning disability or challenging behaviour would be better off cared for in the community, not locked in an institution as if they were prisoners. Pray for legislative options to give people with learning disabilities and their families a stronger voice and more rights.

The BBC has been accused of treating religion as the ‘fag end’ of its priorities at a time of massive global upheaval after announcing it is to scrap its high-profile position of head of religion to cut costs. Aaqil Ahmed, the first Muslim to hold the post, and one of the most outspoken BBC executives, has been told his role in commissioning programmes is to be axed as part of a shake-up. Religion is to make an unlikely alliance with science, business issues and history under the oversight of a new head of ‘factual’ programming. The Church of England has voiced alarm at the move, arguing that the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris illustrates starkly how it is impossible to understand world events without a grasp of religious motivation. The Rt Rev Nick Baines, the Bishop of Leeds, said it was ‘staggering’ that the corporation was considering cutting the role, something he said appeared to be motivated by ‘ignorance’.

Rev Wena Parry, 75, was told that stickers saying ‘Christ Must Be Saviour’ and ‘Christ For Me’ could be regarded as ‘modifications’ and could invalidate her insurance policy. Rev Parry, from Cymmer in Neath Port Talbot, told BBC Wales' X-Ray she believes she has been treated unfairly because of her religious beliefs by Age UK insurance. ‘There might be somebody within that company that hates Christianity.’ she said. Age UK denied there was a religious motive behind the move. Rev Parry says the large signs on the bonnet and sides of the car help spread the gospel message. ‘Every opportunity I have I want to tell people about Jesus. I reckon there must at least a million people who have read the texts on my car,’ she said. She was warned: ‘The policy may be declared void’.