The National Union of Teachers (NUT) wants all schools actively to promote gay marriage and for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) rights to permeate the school curriculum beyond lessons on sex education. Protection against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is already firmly enshrined within the Equality Act (2010). For the NUT this does not go far enough. It regards the promotion of LGBT rights as so important that it is prepared to ditch the rights of those, such as many faith groups, who do not support gay marriage. In order to promote the rights of one group forcibly, promote the rights of one group, other groups of people, far greater in number, have to be discriminated against. Pity the poor teacher who will lose his livelihood because his conscience prevents him from actively promoting gay marriage. Pity the faith school that has to choose between closing its doors or betraying its religion. Pity the helpless parent whose child will be subjected to politically correct and Orwellian thought control.
British superbug outbreak 'could kill 80,000'
09 Apr 2015
A Government report warns that tens of thousands could die because of new strains of bacteria and viruses resistant to drugs. Up to 80,000 people in Britain could die in a single outbreak of an infection due to a new generation of superbugs, according to an official Government forecast. In total, some 200,000 people could be infected if a strain of disease resistant to antibiotics took hold, according to official forecasts which reveal the potential casualty toll for the first time. Scientists are increasingly concerned about the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which makes routine antibiotics or anti-viral drugs ineffective against diseases that have formerly been brought under control. It would mean that the huge gains made since the discovery of penicillin in curbing conditions such as pneumonia and tuberculosis and rendering surgery and childbirth safe could be lost.
7:14 - Election Prayer UK
09 Apr 2015
On Thursday 7 May, the people of Britain decide on their future - on Wednesday 6 May, we get to pray for it - This is a call to the Church to come together in prayer for our nation. From the heart of Westminster to the farthest reaches of the land, God is calling His Church to rise. That's what '7:14 – Election Prayer UK' is all about. It's a vision to see Christians of every denomination and none come together for an hour of prayer. For the whole Church, young and old, rich and poor, of every race, background and political persuasion to unite in seeking The Lord. Not inside, out of sight, unseen, behind four walls, but outside, in the public square, 'a city on a hill', 'a light on its stand!' On the eve of the General Election, we'll gather on Parliament Square on 6 May 2015 from 7.14pm - 8.14pm. If you'd like to organise an event where you are, contact:
Nearly half of IS Europeans are from France
16 Apr 2015
While IS has had unprecedented recruiting success across the world and particularly across the western world, some countries have been easier than others. The latest estimates suggest France is easily the most significant European nation for them. The report, coming out of France’s domestic intelligence services, estimates that 1,430 French fighters are fighting for IS in Iraq and Syria, nearly half of the 3,000 Europeans they have overall. Such estimates are always a bit problematic on exact numbers, as international spy agencies have limited insight into the overall operations of IS, however, they reflect trends pretty successfully. French officials say that of the 1,430 fighters some 200 are believed to have returned to France and many are believed to be active in recruiting others or planning attacks domestically. (Pr.11:14)
Survey reveals voting priorities of Christians
16 Apr 2015
A new survey of voters who identify as Christian has revealed some of the issues most likely to influence their votes in the General Election. The poll found that 90 per cent of Christians believe a party’s ‘commitment to protecting freedom of conscience’ is important. It also revealed that 81 per cent of Christians think that Britain ‘seems to be going in the wrong direction morally’. More than 60 per cent of respondents agreed that it is ‘harder to be a Christian in Britain today’ than it was in 2010 at the last General Election. More than a third agreed with the statement: ‘I would have considered voting Conservative but gay marriage has put me off doing so’. And almost 80 per cent thought that David Cameron was wrong to say that gay marriage was ‘among his proudest achievements in 2014’. 40 per cent said a party leader having a ‘personal Christian faith’ would influence their vote, rising to nearly 50 per cent when applied to their local candidate.
Churches are still viewed as a ‘soft touch’ by paedophiles hunting for victims, despite tighter child-protection measures after a series of abuse scandals, one of Britain’s leading experts on the issue has warned. Justin Humphreys, the head of safeguarding at the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) said convicted paedophiles often seek out places of worship on their release because of members’ belief in forgiveness. Although churches now routinely carry out criminal-record checks for volunteer positions such as Sunday school teachers, Mr Humphreys said they are ‘undoubtedly’ still missing out on large numbers of people who pose a threat to children, but have never previously been caught. Churches of all denominations are still guilty of ‘naivety’ on the issue of sexual abuse despite the revelations, he added. A recent random survey by the CCPAS found no examples of churches carrying out the level of full scrutiny in application processes that it recommends.
In a blog post entitled Mission Agencies 2050, the former executive director of Wycliffe UK, Eddie Arthur, compared declining church attendance in the UK since 1970 with the sharp rise in the number of mission agencies coming into existence during the same period. There are more and more agencies seeking support from a shrinking constituency. This is not sustainable even in the short to mid-term, much less by 2050.’ He added: ‘It isn't rocket science to suggest that the number of mission agencies based in the UK will decline drastically over the next 35 years.’ Most agencies will go by 2050. The demographics are against us. ‘Arthur suggested that too many agencies were trying to do the same sort of thing, that they should refocus on supporting indigenous Christians and that they should prepare for radical change. ‘The hardest thing in the Christian world is to stop doing something,’ he said.
Justin Welby: 'Islamic State is deeply evil'
23 Apr 2015
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, described Islamic State (IS) as ‘deeply evil’, after news broke on Sunday that 30 Christians had been killed by the jihadist group in Libya. The Archbishop travelled to Egypt on Saturday to meet with religious and political leaders in the country, and express his condolences for the murder of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya in February. While he was there IS released another of its propaganda videos, purporting to show around 15 Ethiopians being beheaded, and another group of the same size being fatally shot in the head. In the video the victims are referred to as ‘worshippers of the cross belonging to the hostile Ethiopian church’. Country authorities have said that they were likely to have been migrants travelling through Libya in the hope of reaching Europe.