Praying for our education system
A September Department of Education press release said, ‘Millions of pupils returning to the classroom this term are being taught a new forward-thinking, knowledge-rich national curriculum that will give them the knowledge and skills to succeed in modern Britain.’ The new curriculum is designed to raise standards for children aged 5 to 16, especially the poorest, and hopes to provide a broad and balanced education ensuring that all pupils gain core knowledge across a range of key subjects for a better start in life. The curriculum is less prescriptive, allowing teachers to concentrate on what they do best - teach.
Queen Elizabeth II now the longest-reigning UK monarch
Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of England in 1952 and holds the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England plus a symbolically authoritative position in the Church of Scotland. Her duties are to appoint archbishops, bishops and deans of cathedrals. This seems to make her an Anglican; however, she also holds honorary membership of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Queen expresses a deep commitment to the principles of Christianity and during her millennium Christmas address said, ‘To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.’
Assisted dying: Archbishop urges MPs to reject bill
The UK will cross a ‘legal and ethical Rubicon’ if the law on assisted suicide in England and Wales is changed, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. MPs will debate the Assisted Dying Private Members' Bill on Friday 11 September; it proposes to allow doctors to help terminally ill patients to die in some circumstances. Justin Welby said the bill would mean that suicide was ‘actively supported’ instead of being viewed as a tragedy. He and the heads of other Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh groups believe the bill goes beyond merely legitimising suicide to actively supporting it and they have issued a joint letter urging MPs to reject it. The Archbishop said that asking doctors to aid suicide would be a change of monumental proportions both in the law and in the role of doctors. ‘This respect for the lives of others goes to the heart of both our criminal and human rights laws and ought not to be abandoned,’ the archbishop said.
Berlin: Asylum seekers converting to Christianity
Hundreds of Muslim refugees are converting to Christianity in a Berlin church. Pastor Gottfried Martens has seen his congregation at the evangelical Trinity Church grow from 150 to more than 600 in just two years, describing the number of conversions as a 'miracle.' One of these converts is Mohammed Ali Zonoobi, a carpenter from Shiraz, Iran, who was recently baptised. For Zonoobi and his wife Afsaneh their baptism marks a new beginning. Zonoobi is one of hundreds of mostly Iranian and Afghan asylum seekers who have been baptised at Trinity Church. However, there are concerns that some are not genuine converts, rather professing a Christian faith to boost their chances of staying in the country. Martens acknowledges this possibility, but says that, once in church, most people do engage and that around 90% of converts continue attending after they have been baptised.
Europe’s migrant crisis
Europe is facing the world’s biggest refugee crisis since the second world war and it is being propelled by wars and persecution. Last autumn the EU suspended full-scale maritime rescue operations in the Mediterranean, believing that their presence was encouraging more migrants to risk the sea journey from Libya to Europe. However, people kept on coming (4% increase during the paused rescue missions). Millions of people are travelling to escape violence, poverty and conflict in their homeland. Their journeys have caused thousands of deaths. The European Commission has called for EU states to take in 40,000 migrants expected to arrive in Italy and Greece over the next two years. On Wednesday EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker proposed that 120,000 additional asylum seekers should be distributed among EU nations, with binding quotas. Several nations are anxious and undecided about resettling programmes for nationals seeking asylum and in need of international protection. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34193568
Greece faces emergency
Images of a small boy washed up on a Turkish shore flashed around the globe as a tragic representation of the current Mediterranean migrant crisis in which Greece is at the epicentre, with over 230,000 migrants surviving the treacherous journey to its shores in 2015. But Greece’s emergency goes far beyond this influx of migrants. Greece is racked with impossible debts, with no easy solutions. A legislative election will be held on Sunday 20 September, after which major decisions will need to be made. Greece stands at a crucial moment in its history. However, the greatest threat to Greece is not economic, political, or social. It is spiritual. Even though the evangelisation of Europe started here, less than 0.5% of Greeks are evangelical today. The Orthodox Church, though large, is often devoid of true life and faith. Greece stands today at the edge of a dangerous precipice.
BBC will broadcast in North Korea
The BBC's decision to broadcast a daily news bulletin into North Korea has been welcomed by the World Watch Monitor (they report on Christians under pressure for their faith), who said it was the ‘best possible thing’ for people who wanted to see an improvement in North Korea. The BBC proposes ‘significant future investment in the World Service to areas with a democratic deficit in impartial news’. The broadcaster's director general said a daily radio news programme in North Korea was a key part of the plans and the organisation is going to ‘take risks, push boundaries’, and ‘not be afraid of controversy’. The executive editor of the World Watch List said that North Korea, of all the countries in the world, is probably one of the most restricted in terms of what they know about the outside world, because that view is almost entirely controlled by their government.
Healings and visions in the Arabian Peninsula
One evening, Hammad went to bed as usual. However, he woke up feeling that someone was watching him. Thinking someone was in his room near his bed, he looked towards his window. There, in the window, he saw Jesus. Hammad looked at Jesus, and Jesus looked at him. He cannot tell you what he looked like: all he could remember were the eyes. The next day Hammad appeared at a Christian friend’s house and said, ‘I'm ready to make the decision,’ Although Hammad had already been convinced according to the Bible and the Qur'an, he couldn't quite make the decision to accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. When the Lord showed up, that convinced him. This is just one story of many where the Lord is revealing himself, not just in the Arabian Peninsula but across the nations where Muslims are searching for the Living God.
Pray for our universities
Some disturbing facts about our universities: *100 extremists a year lecture at UK universities: *fanatics are given a platform to spread hatred of the West despite ministers demanding crackdown on radicalism; *last year, there were 123 speeches by extremists at leading universities; *more than twenty university students were convicted of terrorism last year, and the University which has had the most extremists is Queen Mary, in east London. Universities should be the best place to challenge extremist ideas, yet this is not happening. Extremism on university campuses is a very serious issue. Researchers carried out an exhaustive survey of social media and university websites and other literature to log speaking events. Evidence shows the speakers expressing views such as claiming that there is ‘a Western war against Islam’. They support individuals convicted of terrorism offences, and express intolerance or opposition to non-believers. Hardliners also oppose democracy and speak in favour of sharia law.
Vulnerable people not being supported by police
Up to a quarter of a million vulnerable people are not being supported by an ‘appropriate adult’ while in police custody, a Home Office report suggests. It said lack of awareness and a shortage of trainees meant that police often ended up questioning adults with mental illness or learning disabilities without one. Appropriate adults are trained volunteers who help with communication during police interviews. They are supposed to ensure that mentally vulnerable people who are arrested or questioned understand what is happening, and that their legal rights and welfare are safeguarded. They were introduced in the 1980s following miscarriages of justice involving vulnerable people. Local authorities are required to provide appropriate adults whenever children are in contact with police and there is no parent or guardian present, but there is no duty to do the same in respect of vulnerable adults, many of whom only have the comprehension of a child.