Churches challenge Government on food poverty
15 Jan 2016
Hundreds of churches have joined a campaign for ‘the right to food’ as an estimated two million people in the UK are malnourished and three million at risk of becoming so. Church Action on Poverty has initiated a campaign for the right to food for all families in Britain. The Government is legally bound by international human rights law to secure enough food for everyone, but the Trussell Trust has fed over one million people between 2014-15 via food banks. They attribute that to a number of things, but in particular benefit delays, benefit changes and low income. They say that churches and charities operate foodbanks and offer food parcels to hundreds of thousands of people, but this cannot be a long-term solution. A growing list of organisations have called for stronger and more coordinated action, to provide food aid and to press national and local government to secure everybody's human right to adequate food.
A radical overhaul of the UK’s anti-money-laundering system is needed if the UK is to close the door to the billions of pounds in corrupt money coming into the country every year, according to a report by Transparency International UK (TI-UK). The majority of sectors covered in this research are performing very badly in terms of identifying and reporting money-laundering. Major problems have been identified in the quality, as well as the quantity, of reports coming out of the legal, accountancy and estate agency sectors. There are ineffective sanctions and low fines in relation to the amounts being laundered. Laws are failing to be effective deterrents. Of the seven HMRC-regulated sectors, the total fines in 2014/15 amounted to just £768,000. The research highlights that 1/3rd of banks dismissed serious money laundering allegations without adequate review, and there were only fifteen suspicious cases reported through art and auction houses.
The persecution of Christians across the world continues to increase, according to the publication of the 2016 World Watch List. The CEO of Open Doors said that persecution levels have risen rapidly; every year over 100 million Christians are persecuted because of their beliefs. The most notable increases are in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Eritrea. Open Doors has urged the Government to do everything possible within their spheres of influence to affect this situation. David Cameron said standing up for religious freedom is a priority for his government. ‘We are committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief as one of the foundations of human rights. No matter what faith we follow, charity, compassion, responsibility and forgiveness are values which speak to us all.’
Faith leaders pay respects to David Bowie
15 Jan 2016
Showman David Bowie was enigmatic about his religious views, yet his recent death from cancer brought tributes from the Church. Blogger Tom Kershaw noted, ‘Bowie is more disenchanted with religion than he is with God.’ Justin Welby said, ‘I’m very saddened to hear of his death; I remember listening to his songs and relishing the impact he had.’ The president of a leading evangelical school in New York City tweeted a photo of himself performing a Bowie song, and one of the first to note his passing was a senior Vatican official who tweeted lyrics from Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ that finished, ‘God’s love be with you.’ Bowie is reported to have said, ‘Questioning my spiritual life has been germane to what I was writing.’
In a twisted new set of online guidelines, Islamic State leaders are urging its followers in the West to pretend to be Christians before committing lone wolf terrorist attacks. A 58-page terror pamphlet entitled ‘Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahedeen’ instructs its adherents to trim their beards, wear Western-style aftershave and even pretend to be Christians by wearing cross necklaces in order to avoid arousing suspicion and ensure success in their operations. It reveals some of the ‘best places’ to carry out terror attacks - such as loud nightclubs - and the guide provides disturbing tips for future jihadists. Over the past year IS has released dozens of online documents, instructing their followers on everything from how to build a bomb factory to how to cross into Syria via Turkey without being caught.
A missionary writes, ‘These days the choices young Pashtun (Afghan) men and women have are limited. The economy has taken a hit due to investments by NGOs and government ending.’ He quoted a young man with a degree in engineering saying, ‘I have no chance of getting a legitimate job in Afghanistan. I can work for the Taliban, who pay $300/month, or for IS who pay $700/month. I cannot get a visa to live or work in another country. I could try to flee Afghanistan illegally to Europe. What would you recommend?’ Years of war and many misguided humanitarian efforts have left the country and its people in an unsustainable situation. Some young men have gone to the UAE to work in construction jobs. It usually costs them $2,000 to pay for the opportunity to live with 8-10 other men in a two-bedroom apartment or in a labour camp outside the city.
George, a Queensland street preacher, was arrested last Friday, despite being authorised to preach under the state’s Peaceful Assembly Act. He had preached there on previous occasions without complaints but a police sergeant told him to move on after he mentioned sins listed in 1 Cor. 6:9,10 - adultery, slander, theft, greed, swindling and homosexual conduct. The sergeant said he had offended members of the public by saying that homosexuality and other religions were not God’s way. ‘We have people here who are of other religions. Your words are causing anxiety. A member of the public has had a go at you, and you are antagonising him by quoting from the Bible.’ The group organiser explained that they had official authorisation and under section 45 of the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act, police could not lawfully give a ‘move on’ order. George refused to move on, was handcuffed and arrested for disobeying a police direction, and will appear in court later this month.
Syria: besieged towns
15 Jan 2016
This week two convoys of forty lorries reached the outskirts of the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya, carrying flour, medical supplies and hygiene products. On Monday the UN found ‘horrifying conditions’ while delivering the first batch of aid to the 40,000 people trapped by government forces. A smaller convoy is en route to two other towns under siege by rebels in Syria’s northwest, as part of a deal between the warring parties. The priority for Thursday's aid delivery to Madaya was wheat flour and medical assistance. The UN's humanitarian co-ordinator has called for all sieges in Syria to be lifted. Pray for this relief not to be a ‘one-off’; pray for the sieges to be lifted; pray for people across Syria struggling to survive; and pray for the safe evacuation of hundreds who are in need of urgent medical treatment.