Conversion therapy and acceptance
22 Feb 2019
A survey to understand ‘the impact of religious belief on people’s understanding and acceptance of their sexual orientation’ by a charity promoting equality and religious diversity found that 20% of conversion therapy patients attempted suicide. The scale, severity and age at which children are exposed to therapy are worrying. Both the Church and the NHS offer conversion therapy to reduce people’s attraction to others of the same sex. On 4 February gay Christian David Bennet’s autobiography was advertised as a book to challenge the Church. David holds the tension of an orthodox reading of the Bible with passages highlighting that homosexual people of faith are also part of God’s divine conspiracy to reveal His love to humanity. In his opening acknowledgements, Bennet says he hopes the book will change the pressures and prejudices faced by LGBs. On 15 February Mike Davidson spoke to the BBC about the film ‘Once Gay’, which had caused demonstrations at its première. See
On 19 February CSW organised a protest outside Nigeria’s high commission in London, commemorating one year since the abduction of Leah Sharibu. 14-year-old Leah was the sole Christian among 110 girls abducted from their school in Dapchi by a Boko Haram offshoot. While all the other classmates were released the next month following government negotiations, Leah was denied her freedom as she refused to convert as a precondition for her freedom. She has been held in captivity ever since. In September 2018, Boko Haram issued a final ultimatum on her life after executing a fellow hostage. She was eventually spared, but only after the group executed another hostage and declared that Leah and an abducted humanitarian named Alice Ngaddah were to be their slaves for life.
Church leaders' conference
22 Feb 2019
Church leaders are being encouraged to join their peers for an overnight conference that seeks to help ministers of the gospel release and channel the power within their congregations. As the body of Christ in a country that is presently trying to break through a whole host of challenges, including those around uncertainty and division, Evangelical Alliance member Share Jesus International (SJI) has sensed that it is the right time to hold the Ekklesia conference. It is SJI’s first event of this kind, and it will bring together interdenominational leaders and speakers from many different churches for a programme of prayer, worship, teaching, storytelling, and more.
Vatican: first-ever abuse conference
22 Feb 2019
Catholic bishops are meeting to discuss the Roman Catholic church's response to the sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy for the first time. The Vatican says it wants four days of reflection and discussion with survivors and it is likely to be a defining moment for Pope Francis. Before the conference, Archbishop Eamon Martin offered a message to survivors and victims of abuse in Ireland asking for forgiveness and ensuring that church activities are as safe as possible for children and vulnerable people. Meanwhile women in the Contemplative Sisters of St John who were sexually abused by priests when younger, then silenced, are now speaking out. CNN has spoken to several women who say they are victims of the devastating sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse they suffered within the community. See
Europe: Huawei and 5G security
22 Feb 2019
President Trump wants Europe to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from their next-generation 5G information networks, citing security risks (giving China power inside telecommunication networks where they could modify or steal information or conduct undetected espionage). US secretary of state Mike Pompeo warned of consequences for countries that don’t toe Washington’s line on the issue. Nevertheless, Germany may allow Huawei to operate in its 5G network plans, and the UK thinks the security risks of using Huawei resources are manageable. Huawei set out ambitious plans for Europe at a festive evening to mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year. ‘Europe is like a big, lively family. We feel happy to be a part of it, and look forward to growing together with it,’ said a Huawei representative. See
Syria: what next?
22 Feb 2019
In 2014 Abu Jaber's al-Shaitat tribe stood up to challenge IS in their oil-rich lands. IS hunted 700 - 1,000 men, shot some and beheaded others, filming their slaughter as a lesson for others. The 90,000 members of the al-Shaitat tribe in villages along the Syria-Iraq border were defeated. IS was at its peak, holding an area the size of Britain. Abu Jaber went on the run. Now is the moment that he has waited for - he wants revenge. IS’s defeat is of great global significance. However, for the sons, nephews and cousins of the al-Shaitat men who were massacred, it is an intimate affair. The victory has levelled towns and villages, leaving hundreds of civilians dead. We can pray for God to send mission workers to the area to help with rebuilding homes and transforming the lives of communities; giving hope, healing wounded souls and creating spaces for healthy rebirths.
Philippines: justice for children
22 Feb 2019
In January bold judgments in Philippine courts have been protecting children, and global collaboration is tackling a form of modern slavery that was unimaginable before the digital age. Trafficking convictions, secured in courts across the Philippines, held four Filipina women accountable for abusing and exploiting children, and sharing that abuse with predators around the world who were willing to pay. The Philippine government receives thousands of cybersex trafficking case referrals like these every month - cases in which paying customers around the world can easily connect online with an adult in the Philippines who has access to vulnerable children. With just an internet connection and a webcam or mobile device, these traffickers abuse boys and girls, or force them to perform sex acts, for the foreign customers who are paying to watch. The cases reaching court judgments last month represented over a dozen young survivors - the youngest only three years old.
Saudi Arabia: app for men to monitor women
22 Feb 2019
On 16 February Saudi Arabia defended a mobile app that allows men in the kingdom to track female relatives after rights groups and a US lawmaker criticised tech giants for offering it. The Absher app provides services for ‘all members of the society - including women, the elderly, and people with special needs’, according to the interior ministry. It is currently free, allows users to renew passports and visas, and eases a variety of other electronic services. But critics said that the app enables abuse against women and girls by allowing men to track their movements. US senator Ron Wyden called on Apple and Google to remove the app, arguing that it promotes ‘abusive practices against women’. Saudi women must have consent from a husband or male relative to renew passports or leave the country.