Atheist to present BBC’s new Bible series
The BBC has chosen an atheist Hebrew scholar as the presenter of its new series on the Bible. In ‘The Bible’s Buried Secrets’ Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou will guide viewers through some of the latest archaeological discoveries in the Middle East and consider how these may shape the world's understanding of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Some of the topics to be explored by the programme include the origins of the story of the Garden of Eden and the historical context of King David and his kingdom. According to The Telegraph, Dr Stavrakopoulou makes a number of assertions in the programme, notably about Eve. ‘Eve, particularly in the Christian tradition, has been very unfairly maligned as the troublesome wife who brought about the Fall,’ said Stavrakopoulou, a senior lecturer in the Hebrew Bible at the University of Exeter. ‘Don’t forget that the biblical writers are male and it’s a very male-dominated world. Women were second-class citizens, seen as property.’ Pray: that Dr Stavrakopolou will herself discover the truths of the Bible and that the Holy Spirit would speak through her. (Jn.4:24) More:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/atheist.to.present.bbcs.new.bible.series/27634.htm
Archbishop calls faithful to self-denial during Lent
In his pastoral letter to the Catholic Church, the Archbishop said repentance, self-denial, almsgiving and prayer were ‘part of the recipe’ for Lent. He said the season helped believers prepare to celebrate afresh ‘the great events of our faith’ – the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. He asked Christians to think about how they could get involved and ‘learn again all that separates us from Christ’. Prayer too is crucial, he said, admitting that many Christians could find it difficult to commit to a period of prayer and reflection but encouraged them to ‘try it and see’. ‘I am fully aware of the pressure on time which we all feel. It is difficult to fit more into a busy routine,’ he said. ‘Yet Lent itself helps us to address this issue. Creating moments and times of space for prayer and reflection gives us new vitality and focus with which to return to our routine obligations.’ Pray: for us all to heed this message irrespective of denomination and to use Lent as a time for prayer and reflection. (Ps.141:2)
Bigger Conversation
People across Great Britain are getting ready to take a fresh look at the Gospel of Matthew during Lent with the Big Read. It is part of the Big Bible project, an online digital community that promotes regular Bible reading and engagement with contemporary culture. This year, it’s gone national on Twitter and Facebook and with multimedia resources available through the Big Bible blog, has a ‘blend’ of physical and digital materials. The Project is launching this year’s Big Read with Tom Wright's Lent for Everyone: Matthew. As well as using the book, house groups will be able to take advantage of free online study materials from a range of contributors, including week-by-week group resources, videos and audio reflections, and a challenge to carry that learning through the week. Big Bible offers a great opportunity to dust off your bible, share with your friends and neighbours and learn more about what God wants for your life. Pray: for the success of this project and that many people will re-open their Bibles and refresh their relationship with God. (Lk.24:45) More: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.newsDetail&newsid=492
Tax policy is damaging family life
Christian social policy charity CARE has criticised the ‘unfair’ treatment of married couples in the tax system. In an analysis, the organisation raises concerns over the tax burden on families where one parent stays at home to look after the children. The tax burden on such families stands at around 39% higher than that on comparable families in the other 33 countries in the OECD. The organisation puts the increase down to changes to the tax system introduced by the Coalition, including its decision to lower the higher rate threshold and scrap child benefit for families where one parent earns more than £42,000 a year. While the tax system protects the poorest, it said the changes would disproportionately hit married couples on modest incomes. ‘This failing is damaging family life, trapping children in poverty and hitting those on middle incomes the hardest.’ says CARE Chief Executive Nola Leach. Pray: that the government would be granted wisdom and fairness in the treatment of married couples. (Pr.29:14)
‘Marriage’ erased from statistics
The word ‘marriage’ has vanished from Government statistics on conceptions. The official figures instead lump marriages and civil partnerships together under the label ‘legal partnership’. The new figures show there were around 900,000 conceptions in England and Wales in 2009. Background notes reveal that only 218 of those were attributed to someone in a civil partnership. The Office for National Statistics, which released the information, said for birth and conception statistics it ‘does not distinguish between civil partnerships and marriages’. The move is likely to concern those who point to evidence of the benefits of the institution of marriage. In 2003 Labour ministers said they wanted to see the word ‘marriage’ no longer used on official documents, claiming it led to discrimination against homosexuals. Last month Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said his department would reintroduce references to marriage on official forms and pieces of research. Pray: for official recognition of the importance of marriage within society and to resist the progressive erosion of marriage in the name of political correctness will come to a halt. (Heb.13:4) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/marriage-erased-from-official-conception-statistics/
Forced marriages 'at record high'
dealing with the largest number of cases of forced marriage and honour-based violence they have ever seen. In the past 12 months, the Force has dealt with 49 cases of forced marriage, up from a typical 30-35, with new cases almost every week. The four Welsh Forces have been involved in about 60 cases, with four in north Wales in six months. The figures are released to coincide with International Women's Day. A forced marriage, as opposed to an arranged marriage, is where either bride or groom, or both, do not consent to a wedding and are coerced into accepting it. In many cases they are told they will bring their family shame or dishonour if they refuse. Ch. Supt. Neil Kinrade, head of South Wales Police's communities and partnerships department, said forced marriage was a ‘hidden harm’ among some sectors of the community. Pray: for the police as they have to handle these difficult situations and for all those forced into marriage.
France: Sarkozy defends Christian heritage
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made headlines in France by returning to a theme once common with him, but that he seemed to have abandoned: the importance of France’s Christian heritage, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Speaking before a crowd of dignitaries in the ancient town of Puy-en-Velay, a key location in the history of French religious devotion, Sarkozy vigorously defended the importance of the Christian contribution to the cultural foundations of France. ‘Christianity has left to us a magnificent heritage. I am the president of a secular republic, but I can say this because it is the truth. I am not proselytizing,’ he told the group. He added, ‘Chartres, Amiens, Reims, Strasbourg, Paris, none of these towns would be today what they are in the eyes of the French and the eyes of the rest of the world without these cathedrals on which the faithful and tourists always converge.’ Pray: that President Sarkozy’s comments on the importance of Christian heritage would be widely accepted. (Ps.119:111)
France: Sarkozy defends Christian heritage
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made headlines in France by returning to a theme once common with him, but that he seemed to have abandoned: the importance of France’s Christian heritage, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Speaking before a crowd of dignitaries in the ancient town of Puy-en-Velay, a key location in the history of French religious devotion, Sarkozy vigorously defended the importance of the Christian contribution to the cultural foundations of France. ‘Christianity has left to us a magnificent heritage. I am the president of a secular republic, but I can say this because it is the truth. I am not proselytizing,’ he told the group. He added, ‘Chartres, Amiens, Reims, Strasbourg, Paris, none of these towns would be today what they are in the eyes of the French and the eyes of the rest of the world without these cathedrals on which the faithful and tourists always converge.’ Pray: that President Sarkozy’s comments on the importance of Christian heritage would be widely accepted. (Ps.119:111)
Turkey: Protestants still face hardships
A senior Turkish Protestant has said his country's small Christian churches still face severe hardships, despite recent pledges by the government to improve protection of religious rights. ‘We can't deny certain positive steps - since 2005, we've been able to apply for legal status as registered associations,’ said Zekai Tanyar, executive board chairman of Turkey's Association of Protestant Churches. ‘But full religious freedom is still a long way off here, and all Christian denominations face difficulties. Government officials assure us they'll look into our problems, such as by offering us police protection. But no attempt is being made to present us in a more positive light.’ In an ENI interview, Tanyar said Protestants differed from Turkey's Armenian and Greek Orthodox Christians, since most came from recent Muslim Turkish backgrounds, rather than from ethnic minorities, and did not have historic claims to churches and properties in the country. Pray: for God’s Church in Turkey that it would find ways of fulfilling its calling despite the difficulties. (Ps.33:12)
Turkey: Protestants still face hardships
A senior Turkish Protestant has said his country's small Christian churches still face severe hardships, despite recent pledges by the government to improve protection of religious rights. ‘We can't deny certain positive steps - since 2005, we've been able to apply for legal status as registered associations,’ said Zekai Tanyar, executive board chairman of Turkey's Association of Protestant Churches. ‘But full religious freedom is still a long way off here, and all Christian denominations face difficulties. Government officials assure us they'll look into our problems, such as by offering us police protection. But no attempt is being made to present us in a more positive light.’ In an ENI interview, Tanyar said Protestants differed from Turkey's Armenian and Greek Orthodox Christians, since most came from recent Muslim Turkish backgrounds, rather than from ethnic minorities, and did not have historic claims to churches and properties in the country. Pray: for God’s Church in Turkey that it would find ways of fulfilling its calling despite the difficulties. (Ps.33:12)