The UK Scouts Association has launched a public consultation on whether an alternative non-religious pledge should be introduced for atheists. The existing Scout Promise reads: ‘On my honour, I promise that I will do my best, to do my duty to God and to the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Scout Law.’ But the National Secular Society wrote to the Scouts in March to say that atheist children and potential leaders were being excluded because of the reference to God. The Scouting movement is 105 years old but numbers of children joining are on the increase. Membership is up from 444,936 in 2005 to 525,364 this year. There are a further 35,000 young people on waiting lists. UK Scout Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt said, ‘We are regularly seeking the views of our members and we will use the information gathered by the consultation to help shape the future of Scouting for the coming years.’

Pray: that pressure from a small atheist minority will not cause the movement to revise its founding principles. (1Cor.3:10)

More: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/social/scouts-consider-removing-god-from-

Wigtownshire Women's Aid started as a counselling service 25 years ago but quickly extended its operations to women’s refuges. Co-ordinator Hazel Maider said they continue to see the need for this service rise in south west Scotland. ‘In part I think some of it is due to people being more aware of ‘abusive relationships’ now and should be asking for help sooner than they did in the past. ‘The service has been praised by the region's Deputy Chief Constable who said the role played by non-statutory organisations such as Women's Aid was vital. Women’s Aid UK reported - 2 women a week are killed by a current or former male partner - 1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime, many of these on a number of occasions - one incident of domestic violence is reported to the Police every minute.

Pray: for crimes against women to receive increased attention, and for more professionals to be trained in recognising and addressing abuse within families. (Ps.140:4)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-19049586

Scotland has the second highest percentage of teenage abortions in the world, new statistics show. A study from researchers in the US revealed 24 per cent of all abortions in Scotland occurred in the under-20 age group. Only Cuba had a higher proportion of teenage abortionsfigure, at 29 per cent. Report author Gilda Sedgh, of the Guttmacher Institute in New York, said: ‘We can only speculate that the levels of unprotected intercourse among adolescents are relatively high in Scotland’. The study showed that 15 to 19-year-olds make up just 15 per cent of the total population of Scotland, and yet account for almost a quarter of all Scottish terminations.

Pray: that the trend for teenage abortions be reversed and adolescent education improved.

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/scots-teen-abortion-percentage-second-highest-in-world/

Cases of sexually transmitted infections in Scotland have trebled in the space of just ten years, prompting critics to call for a re-think in sexual health policy. The sharpest rise was in cases of genital chlamydia, with the number of diagnoses rocketing from 5,676 in 1999 to 18,277 in 2009. During the same period diagnoses of genital herpes increased from 933 to 2,627, while diagnoses of gonorrhoea nearly doubled. In addition, between 1999 and 2010 the number of HIV-infected people more than doubled from 156 to 360. John Deighan, parliamentary officer for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, said: ‘The more we find out about the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections the more worrying the picture that emerges. The distorted ideas of sexual liberation which have been popular for a few decades have taken a terrible toll on the lives of many people’.

Parents who believe in traditional marriage are being sidelined by draft sex education guidance, Scotland for Marriage has warned. The pro-marriage group said under the proposals, teaching about marriage will be downgraded in sex education. Scotland for Marriage also warned that teachers who have concerns about the issue will not be protected. ‘The new draft sex education guidance is a real shocker, and shows where things are heading’, the group said. The organisation also voiced concerns that the new guidance undermines parental rights. It said children could be taught certain aspects of sex education in other classes despite parents removing them from formal lessons on the topic. The draft Government guidance on Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education has been released following the Bill to redefine marriage in Scotland. The guidance removes reference to children learning about ‘the value placed on marriage by religious groups and others in Scottish society’.

A Scottish pastor has criticised the Scottish Government’s decision to give £1.6 million to a homosexual organization’s school campaign. Rev David Robertson, minister of St Peter’s Free Church in Dundee and director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, warned that the decision to give so much taxpayers’ money to Equality Network will further undermine Christianity and do little to stop bullying. He commented: The Equality Network have a definition of homophobia which means that anyone who disagrees with their position is homophobic. For example, I am not homophobic but am opposed to the redefinition of marriage. The Equality Network has now been given money, not to combat homophobic bullying, but to promote their own views and to suppress any other view. Ironically this is more likely to increase bullying than to decrease it.’ The Scottish Government is not giving money to combat other kinds of bullying.

Pray: that the funding allocated to this group will be withdrawn as it promotes homosexuality alone to the detriment of Christianity.

More: http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/index.php/scottish-minister-condemns-1-6-million-grant-to-homosexual-group/

A senior Catholic clergyman has voiced strong opposition to the Scottish Government’s proposals to introduce homosexual ‘marriage’. Bishop Tartaglia, of the diocese of Paisley, argued that should the Government allow for homosexual ‘marriage’, it would not deserve the trust of the Scottish people. The Bishop used tough language to challenge the State’s authority, saying that: ‘Marriage is an institution which does not owe its existence or rationale to governments or legislatures. Governments do not have the authority to say what marriage is or to change its nature or to decree that people of the same-sex can marry.’ The Bishop also warned ministers that churches may be forced to solemnise homosexual partnerships against their will, a claim which has been denied by supporters of the proposals. His comments followed those of the Archbishop of Glasgow, who said over the weekend that homosexual ‘marriages’ would be ‘meaningless’ as it would not result in the creation of a natural family.

Pray: that Church leaders will continue to speak out boldly against any action that would degrade marriage. (Heb.13:4)

More: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/sexual-orientation/senior-scottish-catholic-voices-opposition-to-homosexual-%E2%80%98marriage%E2%80%99

In his Easter Sunday homily, delivered in St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith O’Brien stressed the ‘common ancestry’ of all Christians as he paid tribute to friends in the Church of Scotland and reiterated the Catholic Church’s commitment to finding full unity. ‘Together in the face of aggressive secularism to maintain our Christian heritage and culture in our great country,’ he said. Pope Benedict XVI warned of aggressive secularism during his visit to Britain last September, when he told Catholics that they must recognise the challenges that confront them on the path of Christian unity as well as in their task of proclaiming Christ today. Cardinal O’Brien said he had been contacted recently by a Presbyterian minister in the Church of Scotland who had contrasted the British Government’s promise to act against the persecution of Christians in other countries while apparently ignoring the increasing marginalisation of Christians in the UK.

Pray: that the Church denominations would continue to work together in promoting the Gospel . (Ps.133)

More:http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/scottish.cardinal.condemns.aggressive.secularism/27878.htm

Cardinal Keith P. O’Brien of St. Andrews and Edinburgh has challenged the Scottish government to hold a nationwide referendum on same-sex 'marriage', following its commitment to schedule a vote for independence, reports Catholic News Agency. ‘Clearly, if it is sensible to hold a referendum on independence, it is crucial that we have one on marriage. It is the only way the country can move forward on this issue,’ Cardinal O’Brien said. The country’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, has so far said he ‘tends towards’ supporting the policy. However, he is also committed to taking onboard those views expressed during his administration’s public consultation on the issue. That three-month process garnered over 77,000 submissions – the highest response rate to any consultation since the devolved Scottish Parliament was created in 1999. It is also three times the number of public responses received for the governing Scottish National Party’s recent consultation on its flagship policy of Scottish independence.

Pray: for the call for a referendum to be successful in upholding Christian marriage. (Dt.23:2)

More: http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue16884.html