Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

The Inspectorate of Constabulary has said ‘inconsistent’ approaches to policing fraud in England and Wales leaves people at high risk of scams. One officer told its inquiry that a crime was not a priority if it didn’t ‘bang, bleed or shout’. Police said ‘significant’ work was under way to address the problems. By 2017 identity theft had reached epidemic levels. Recent police statistics show that over £190,000 a day is being lost in the UK by victims of cyber-crime, with people in their 30s the most-targeted group. The elderly are ‘under siege’ from scammers. Inspectors visited 11 police forces and other agencies that tackle fraud. One force filed 96% of the cases it received from a national intelligence bureau without further investigation, despite inspectors finding a good deal of evidence, including names of suspects, in some of the cases. Another force had only two dedicated fraud investigators.

Professor Martin Siegert from the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London said that the last time CO2 levels were as high as they are now, there were trees at the South Pole, sea levels were 20 metres higher than they are now, and global temperatures were 3C-4C warmer. If we keep carbon emissions going at the current rate, by the end of the century we will have 1,000ppm, compared to the low 280ppm level of CO2 prior to the industrial revolution. The Bible says God created the light, land, sea, vegetation, fish, birds and every living creature and ‘saw that it was good’. The earth and everything on it reflect the wonder of God; our concern for creation should be rooted in our worship of the God who made it all.

On 27 March, MPs voted on a series of eight different Brexit options and rejected them all. The next morning Conservative MP Stephen Crabbe said, ‘We would have been leaving tomorrow had people rallied round and supported the prime minister. Instead, different groups of MPs were all holding out for their own versions of Brexit, and that’s a recipe for chaos.’ Our God who rules the nations is not a God of chaos. We can pray for the UK to be ruled by people with the discernment to maintain order (Proverbs 28:2). We should remember that the debate now is focused on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU. The conditions of the future relationship between the country and the bloc, assuming the UK leaves at all, still have to be negotiated.

The Church of Scotland has issued a new prayer in light of the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit as MPs appeared to remain in deadlock, despite Theresa May's offer to quit. The prayer reminds us that the date will arrive and will pass, and that time is in God’s hands. When we worry and feel paralysed by not knowing, we can ask Him to remind us that He is the God of all possibilities. We are to turn our eyes to look beyond 'us', to a world in which God’s love transcends every border and barrier. We pray that ‘in every place, in everyone, in everything, in every corner of Your creation, You are. For our times are in Your hand. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.’

Justin Welby has tweeted that it is easy to tell MPs how badly they are doing and abuse and threaten. Instead of that, he urged people to pray for them, because as they have to decide for us they deserve our respect. He said, ‘Let us pray for them, for a decision that has widespread support, and for a process that brings national agreement.’ He has told the House of Lords that ‘there is a requirement for national reconciliation’. He has also urged Remainers and Brexiteers to get together this weekend. The CofE wants to get people who disagree over membership of the bloc to ‘chat over a cup of tea and pray for our country and our future’.

Tell MAMA supports victims of anti-Muslim hatred, and also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents. It highlights the rise in instances of harassment or abuse online, being targeted on public transport, being physically attacked, having property damaged, experiencing discrimination at work, school, or university, and receiving hate mail by post or email. Tell MAMA’s director, Imam Atta, says, ‘We are in deeply worrying times where people are looking for certainty, but what they are getting is instability at a political and societal level. At times like this, minority groups are the ones who suffer the anger of those looking to vent their fears, insecurities and concerns’. Its annual report gives examples of ‘Twitter bots’ seeking to cause disruption and division in communities, give false perceptions, and actively promote anti-Muslim hatred. Pray that neighbours would learn from each other’s differences and find common ground in their community.

A House of Lords committee has been considering the effectiveness of the Bribery Act. It concludes that, although it is an effective piece of legislation, there is a danger that any future discussions around it could be used as a backdoor to watering it down. As the UK prepares to leave the EU, looking for new export markets and trade deals, it is more important than ever that British business is conducted fairly and in line with global standards. Many in business understand the damage that bribery does to their companies, the markets and the lives of ordinary people. But there is still space to make our anti-bribery framework even stronger.

An Iranian man seeking refuge in the UK has had his claim refused by the Home Office who wrote to say that his decision to convert to what he described as ‘peaceful’ Christianity and to leave Islam because ‘there is violence, rage and revenge’ was inconsistent. The letter quotes verses from Exodus, Matthew and Revelation as examples ‘inconsistent with a peaceful religion’. Recently an Iranian woman was rejected because the assessor believed her ‘faith was half-hearted' and did not think she was a true believer. She was mocked for admitting Jesus could not protect her from the country's tyrannical regime. The Bishop of Durham asked how a government official can arbitrarily pick bits out of a holy book and use them to trash someone's heartfelt reason for coming to a personal decision to follow another faith. See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6844623/ANOTHER-Christian-asylum-claim-rejected-official-questioned-faith.html

Currently the draft Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Regulation is going through Parliament. Parents opposing the government’s proposals to impose RSE on children as young as four are now joined by Barnabas Fund and others to campaign and raise awareness of the proposals. The UK has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates and teenage abortion rates in Western Europe; epidemic teenage STI; frightening levels of child addiction to pornography; and diagnosable child mental illness. Historically, changes came with the availability of birth control followed by the 1967 Abortion Act. Free love ruled, with skyrocketing teenage pregnancies. The 1993 Education Act ruled that all State schools must include education on AIDs and sexually transmitted diseases. Teaching now emphasises the ‘sexual rights of children’ and tolerance for things that were previously branded perversion. Children are bombarded with information they have no way of processing or assessing for themselves. Please continue to pray into this situation. See https://vfjuk.org.uk/news-updates/individual-rights-and-intolerance/

Many are asking, ‘How can we pray for an orderly solution to Brexit when the leaders of our nations appear to be tirelessly holding opposing forceful opinions?’ Now is the time to ask God to replace confusion with order and replace chaos with clarity. Pray that the outworking of every emotion and frustration among MPs and in the EU will facilitate the fulfilling of God's purposes. God is Lord of Heaven and earth, He is righteous, just and merciful; nothing is impossible for Him. In faith we can ask Him to bring boundaries, borders, and the sovereignty of the UK into His intention for the future. You are also reminded of the National Call to Prayer for the UK during the week of 24–30 March. May God revive us with fresh revelations of the depth of His love and authority that comes from Heaven when we pray.