Jesus depicted as a transgender woman
26 Feb 2016
A play called ‘The Gospel according to Jesus, Queen of Heaven’, performed in a Manchester C of E church and portraying Jesus as a transgender woman who refers to God as ‘mum’, has been called a sacrilegious effort to promote homosexuality. The play is a one-woman show performed by Jo Clifford, an acclaimed Scottish playwright and professor who has changed gender from male to female. Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, said that an artistic performance offensive to Christians does not of itself amount to grounds for seeking to prevent it taking place. Former Bishop of Rochester, Rt Revd. Michael Nazir-Ali, said, ‘It is clear from the Gospels that the identity of Jesus is male, his ‘mum’ is Mary, and he always refers to God as 'Father', so to suggest otherwise is contrary to Christian teaching.’ See also:
Defeat looming for Government on Sunday trading
26 Feb 2016
The Government's second attempt to liberalise Sunday trading laws could be defeated before reaching the House of Commons, Christian Today understands. Despite accusations of a ‘lack of transparency’ and a ‘gross abuse of power’, business secretary Sajid Javid re-introduced the proposals as a last-minute amendment to the Enterprise Bill after strong opposition had forced the Government to withdraw its first attempt in November. Now a senior source close to the campaign against these proposals has told Christian Today the government is facing defeat again. A number of Conservative MPs on the committee currently scrutinising the bill could well rebel against the Government's amendment, the source said. The proposals would permit local authorities to relax Sunday trading regulations, allowing stores to treat Sunday like any other day. The Church of England has said there is no convincing evidence that the change would bring economic benefits.
Prison Service and ‘legal highs’
26 Feb 2016
A prison's problems with new psychoactive substances (NPS) have led to high levels of violence, according to a HM Inspectorate of Prisons report which said that the availability of ‘legal highs’ could also overwhelm health services at HMP Ranby, in Nottinghamshire. The report highlighted six suicides in seventeen months. NPS chemically mimic drugs that are already banned. The jail holds 1,000 men. Too many are held in large house blocks, with staff saying they felt unsafe. The number of violent incidents, including assaults on staff, was higher than in other similar establishments. The National Offender Management Service said that since an inspection in September the number of inmates had been reduced by 120 and staffing numbers increased. However, NPS remain a real concern, and the Prison Service is introducing a new testing regime across the country in April. Pray for the the police as they attempt to disrupt supply chains and take robust action against anyone found supplying or using NPS in prisons.
London: anti-Trident rally tomorrow
26 Feb 2016
This year Parliament will decide on whether or not to replace Trident, the UK’s nuclear weapons system. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) reported polls showing a majority of the public opposing Trident replacement. In recent weeks, the US Defence Secretary stated: ‘Nuclear submarines allow Britain to continue to play an enormous role on the global stage. It is important that its military power matches its standing, and we are very supportive of it. The UK’s submarine fleet contributes to the special relationship that Britain has with the US.’ Tomorrow the leaders of the Labour Party, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru will mount the same stage in Trafalgar Square to speak to tens of thousands of people who have signed up to attend a 'Stop Trident' rally organised by the CND. They argue that building a new, sustainable and post-nuclear Britain must take priority.
The Queen - a glimpse into her faith
26 Feb 2016
English royalty rarely speak of their beliefs, but Queen Elizabeth II has written about her faith in a foreword to a new book entitled The Servant Queen and the King She Serves. She wrote, ‘I have been - and remain - very grateful to you for your prayers and to God for His steadfast love. I have indeed seen His faithfulness.’ The book, which gives readers a glimpse into Her Majesty's religious beliefs, was jointly written by three Christian charities - HOPE, the Bible Society and LICC. It will not be used for commercial gain, a condition that had to be met in order for the Queen to agree to write the foreword, in which she also refers to problems in the Middle East, saying the world is seeing suffering on an unprecedented scale. The Bible Society will publish the book in April, marking the Queen's 90th birthday.
Iran: elections - things we should know
26 Feb 2016
Today Iranians are voting for a new parliament and for the body that appoints the country's most powerful official, the Supreme Leader. These ballots are the first since the lifting of sanctions and will indicate the direction the country is heading. MPs divide into two blocs, either supporting a moderate agenda or taking a hard-line stance. Since the nuclear deal, struggles between these two have intensified. President Rouhani needs a good working relationship with parliament to make things happen; he needs the backing of MPs to push through economic reforms and to support his bid for re-election next year. Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, has been in poor health, and the Assembly of Experts (Iran's top clerical body) may have to choose a successor. He is very powerful - commander-in-chief of the armed forces - and appoints heads of judiciary, the state broadcaster, and half of the members of the Guardian Council who vet candidates for presidential and parliamentary elections.
Iran: 450 new believers baptised
26 Feb 2016
More than 240 Iranians were baptised recently in two large celebrations in the Iran region. According to Elam Ministries a further sixteen were baptised in a smaller service, and about 200 more are to be baptised at a fourth celebration. These baptism services are joyful day-long gatherings, with sessions of worship, preaching, prayer for the nation of Iran, Holy Communion and shared meals. In a separate story, Elam Ministries announced that 30,000 copies of the ‘Action Bible’ have come off the press. This version of the Bible for children and youth was launched in Persian in 2013 and has been incredibly popular. Another 150,000 New Testaments were also printed recently, ready for more evangelism in the Iran region.
Syria: US - Russian truce plan
26 Feb 2016
The USA and Russia announced plans for a cessation of Syrian hostilities to take effect tomorrow. It excludes IS and Nusra Front. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon welcomed the announcement, which followed a failed attempt to restart peace talks by Staffan de Mistura in Geneva. De Mistura said, ‘We can now relaunch, very soon, the political process needed to end this conflict.’ Under the cessation terms, parties would indicate their agreement to the United States and Russia by noon Damascus time today, and the truce would take effect at midnight. To succeed, the deal will require both countries to persuade their allies on the ground to comply. Fighting and airstrikes s continued this week, according to a British-based monitoring group. Meanwhile, the Turkish government has said it doesn't think a deal will be respected by all.