Teachers 'face sack' for refusing to endorse gay marriage
Schools will be within their statutory rights to dismiss staff that wilfully fail to use stories or textbooks promoting same-sex weddings, it is claimed. Aidan O’Neill, a senior QC and expert on religious freedom and human rights, also warned that parents who object to gay marriage being taught to their children will have no right to withdraw their child from lessons. In a
report he said that any decision to redefine marriage would have far-reaching consequences for schools, hospitals, foster carers and public buildings. The most serious impact is likely to be felt in the church where vicars and priests conducting religious marriage ceremonies could be taken to court for refusing to carry out a gay wedding, he said. The conclusions - in legal advice commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage - come amid continuing fall-out over Government plans to tear up the centuries-old law on marriage.
Pray: for all those who are being challenged for their faith in the workplace. (Mt.10:20)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9531803/Teachers-face-sack-for-refusing-to-endorse-gay-marriage.html
Teacher probed over her gay marriage views
A Christian teacher from London is under investigation because she refused to give a lesson telling children that all opponents of gay marriage are homophobes. The unnamed teacher didn’t think that it was a “fair characterisation of the debate”, she says, but is now under investigation at her school. She is also under suspicion for being a member of a church, and a colleague is demanding to know whether it impacts her job. ’The head teacher investigated the incident and concluded there was no case to answer. Another colleague, who is also a union rep, then followed up the complaint, and has formally raised additional concerns about the teacher's Christian beliefs and her membership of a church demanded an investigation into whether membership of the church had any negative impact on her job as a teacher. That investigation process is currently underway.
Pray: for the teachers currently being investigated and that this case will very quickly be rejected as spurious and that there is no case to answer. (Matt.5:10)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/video-teacher-probed-over-her-gay-marriage-views/
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)
Tax plea to Chancellor
Church representatives delivered a letter to Chancellor George Osborne on Monday asking the Government to tackle tax avoidance in order to ‘close the gap’ between the rich and the poor in the UK. Among the signatories was the President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev Leo Osborn. While welcoming the Coalition Government’s commitment to protect the poorest and most vulnerable people from the impact of the current spending cuts, Church leaders said they were concerned that the cuts were nevertheless having a ‘severe impact’ on many of the people they worked with on a daily basis. ‘In this climate, as Churches, Christian organisations and individual Christians, we are increasingly concerned about the impact that tax avoidance and tax evasion are having on the public purse,’ they said.
Pray: that tax avoidance will be tackled by the Chancellor and Government. (2Cor.8:13)
Tatchell defends demoted Christian
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has come to the defence of a Christian housing manager who was demoted over remarks he made on Facebook opposing same-sex marriages. (See Prayer Alert 43-2011) This is the fourth time that Tatchell has come to the defence of Christians who have become embroiled in controversy. Last year he spoke in defence of Dale McAlpine a street preacher. He also opposed the prosecutions of Harry Hammond and Shawn Holes. In the latest case, Adrian Smith, a Christian, was found guilty of gross misconduct by the publicly funded Trafford Housing Trust saying that allowing gay weddings in churches was ‘an equality too far’. Also at the weekend another gay rights group criticised Trafford Housing Trust and urged the Trust to give Mr Smith his job back. The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said: ‘Trafford Housing may have acted with the best of intentions here, but we believe they have overreacted.’
Pray: with thanks for those who have spoken out against the overreaction by many under the guise of equality and that Adrian Smith would redeem his rightful seniority. (Ps.66:1-3)
Target for 1,000 ‘Mission Resolutions’
Church Mission Society is looking for 1,000 people to make Kingdom-minded resolutions this New Year. The ‘We Are Saying Yes’ campaign is being launched to inspire people to make resolutions that put a bit more of God’s mission into their everyday life. Some of the suggestions on the campaign website including praying for the person in front in the supermarket queue, joining a campaign, making friends with someone of another faith, and fasting from impulse buys. CMS web manager Jeremy Woodham said: ‘So many people have given up making resolutions because they think they’ll never keep them. We’re giving people the chance to make a resolution that matters – and providing a space for them to share tips, ask for prayer and tell their stories. We think the impact of 1,000 people taking a small step in mission could have a fantastic ripple effect.’
Pray: for many more than 1,000 people to commit to this original approach to mission. (Is.48:15)