Canada: religious freedom denied
08 Dec 2017
Canadian father Steve Tourloukis - who featured in television commercials for the Coalition for Marriage - has been fighting a legal battle since 2012 to protect his parental rights and religious freedom. The legal battle has just come to an end, but not in the favour of Mr Tourloukis - or Canadian religious freedom. He initially sent a letter to the school board asking that his children be opted out of the sexual education programme, since many of the messages in the class directly conflicted with his religious beliefs. He specifically mentioned that he was concerned about the ‘discussions or portrayals of homosexual/bisexual conduct and relationships and/or transgenderism as natural, healthy or acceptable’. When they refused his request, he took them to court, but Ontario’s appeal court has ruled against him, and against the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
President Putin told representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church: ‘Over the past few years the Russian state, alongside the Russian Orthodox Church and other religious organisations, has provided humanitarian aid to Syria. It is very important that peaceful life is re-established as soon as possible, so that people can return and begin rebuilding churches and temples.’ Putin also stressed that most of the historically Christian areas have been liberated. Syria’s Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has shrunk from 30% to an estimated 10% of the population, after being driven from their homes or forced to convert to Islam. Syrian Christians lived in Syria for centuries before Assad, but only reached the highest levels of government when Syria was democratic. Despite being a minority they have long belonged to Syria's elite, and joined prominent political groups.
USA: southern California’s explosive fires
08 Dec 2017
Hundreds of firefighters are working around the clock to battle fast-moving wildfires in southern California, and wind gusts of 80mph are expected to make matters worse. Wildfires across hillsides quickly incinerated neighbourhoods; over 110,000 people were evacuated in one county on 6 December. Prayer is needed for the overworked firefighters coping with explosive fire growth; for the crews from other states and the National Guard giving assistance; for the thousands of families now sheltering in community buildings, and the provisions needed for their comfort; for those who have had their homes destroyed; and those mourning lost families and friends. Ecologist Alexandra Syphard said, ‘Canyons cutting through the hills align diagonally with the direction of the Santa Ana winds and turn into fire funnels. Fire is part of life for the cities spread across the hills. At the end of a summer of droughts, with Santa Ana blowing, we have ideal conditions for the type of wildfires we’re experiencing every year.’ See
Global: the power of leaders’ words
08 Dec 2017
There is huge power in the words we speak. The ambitious crown prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia called Iran's supreme leader ‘the Hitler of the Middle East.’ An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman accused the ‘adventurist’ prince of ‘immature, inconsiderate, and baseless remarks and behaviour.’ Rivals for control of the Middle East, Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia are presently engaged in proxy wars in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. Kim Jong-Un’s ballistic bluster and President Trump’s ‘fire and fury’ has created more tension in Asia, while Pope Francis was cautioned not to utter the word ‘Rohingya’ in Myanmar. We are asked to pray for the world's leaders to understand fully the power that their words have to hurt or to build up, to cause conflict or to ease tension. May they heed the advice of many seasoned and wise counsellors.
Theos annual lecture 2017
01 Dec 2017
Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who resigned after a row over whether gay sex was sinful, gave this year’s Theos Annual lecture on 28 November. One of his comments was: ‘Genuine Christianity has always has been countercultural, going against the norms of the day. In Revelation 17, we read about the final fall of Babylon: materialistic, complacent, ambivalent towards the poor and vulnerable, self–satisfied, and proud. The Babylonian empire had been dead for hundreds of years by then, so why mention it? Because Babylon stands for every empire, every society where human beings choose to live for themselves and not for God. So Babylon in 90 AD was Rome, and today it is our society, and as Christians we are to live as aliens in such a land.’ He also said that Christians are deemed ‘dangerous and offensive’ by the public.
A new day dawning
01 Dec 2017
Over the years Prayer Alert has highlighted prayer requests from ‘Cry Out Now’. Your prayers protected believers and birthed many disciples across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. At a recent Cry Out Now prayer conference, a lady at the hotel heard their worship and was drawn to the room. She said she felt that God was there. After some women shared with her, she gave her life to Jesus. They also prayed for a group of believers who were standing on a large map of the region that they came from. Once the prayer time was finished, there were tears on the map. The conference was called Harvest Rain, and during the sessions there was physical rain across Lebanon. Also people working among the Bedouin shared encouraging stories of getting opportunities, for the first time, to share the gospel and pray for the sick.
Friday Focus: hope for enquirers
01 Dec 2017
Peter challenges us to ‘be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks’. Sometimes the questions are not easy. The Christian Enquiry Agency is here to help. Our website (www.Christianity.org.uk) gives enquirers individual answers to their questions about Christianity, a Gospel of Luke if they request one, details of a local church, or prayer for any issue.
(Peter Graystone, Christian Enquiry Agency)
A royal engagement
01 Dec 2017
Students and staff at Immaculate Heart Girls’ School in Los Angeles were buzzing with the news that a previous student was marrying into the British royal family. Meghan Markle studied there from age 11 to 18. On 2 December 1936, the royal engagement of Prince Edward and American divorcee Mrs Simpson was announced: within eight days Edward had abdicated. How times have changed as this week the royal family, politicians, media, and the public celebrate the news that next year an American divorcee will marry Prince Harry. The Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed there will be a church wedding.