Parents fear 'sexualised culture' of music videos
Many parents fear music videos have become too sexualised and violent, the founder of a parenting website has said. Siobhan Freegard, of Netmums, said parents were not prudes, but felt things had "gone too far". In a survey of some 1,500 website members, most (82%) said their children had repeated sexual lyrics without knowing their meaning. And three-quarters said they tried to stop children watching music videos. Ms Freegard said parents were most angry that their children were being exposed to "lewd viewing" on programmes shown before the 21:00 watershed for family viewing. "Modern parents aren't prudes - they know sex sells," she said. "But there's a strong feeling that things have gone too far now. It's toxic to tell young kids casual sex and violence are something to aspire to." Most (75%) of parents with daughters said very sexual pop acts were teaching girls they would be "judged on their looks, not their achievements or personality".
Pray: for this issue, that is regularly raised by concerned groups, to be noticed and acted upon by all authorities to tackle the problem in a meaningful and positive way. (1Pe.3:3-4)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24836571
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Pagan wins 'family life' human rights case
An American woman who claims to worship Norse gods has won the right to stay in Britain because of her ‘family life’ with her boyfriend and his wife. The Home Office refused Emily DiSanto, permission to stay in Britain because the law bans polygamous relationships. But now she has won an extraordinary legal case in which she is allowed to remain on the basis
of her human right to family life. Emily now shares Alan and Anne-Marie Caulfield’s marital home in south-east London with his two children – one by each of the women. The case is the latest example of how human rights laws are being used to overturn the decisions of ministers in immigration cases in what critics say are dubious circumstances. This decision also shows the definition of family life is now widening far beyond the conventional couple with children and has implications for immigrants who believe in polygamy, which is still practised in parts of the Muslim world and – illegally – by breakaway Mormons in the USA.
Pray: for God’s hand on the lives of these people and also for the courts to recognise the primacy of monogamous marriage in our society. (2Sa.22:31)
Pagan police get right to take festivals as holiday
Police officers have been given the right to take days off to dance naked on the solstices, celebrate fertility rituals and burn Yule logs if they profess pagan beliefs. The Pagan Police Association claimed yesterday that it had been recognised by the Home Office as a ‘diversity staff support association’ - a status also enjoyed by groups representing female, black, gay, Muslim and disabled officers. Endorsement would mean that chief constables could not refuse a pagan officer’s request to take feast days as part of his or her annual leave. The eight pagan festivals include Imbolc (the feast of lactating sheep), Lammas (the harvest festival) and the Summer Solstice (when mead drinking and naked dancing are the order of the day). Problematically, the pagan festivals also include Samhain (known to non-pagans as Hallowe’en), a day when police leave is often cancelled because of the high incidence of vandalism, violence and antisocial behaviour.
Pray: that the problems caused by all these diverse requests will not damage working relationships or effective policing.
(Pr.28:19)
Padded bikinis for 7-year-olds dropped after outcry
Primark has been forced to withdraw padded bikinis for seven-year-olds after critics condemned the store for fuelling child sexualisation. The Children’s Society slammed the popular high street chain for ‘premature sexualisation and unprincipled advertising’. A child protection consultant who works to help victims of paedophilia said: ‘It never fails to amaze me just how many High Street household names are now prepared to exploit the disgusting ‘paedophile pound’.’ Parents warned that children were facing pressure to grow up too soon. Penny Nicholls, director of children and young people at The Children’s Society, said: ‘We know from our research that commercial pressures towards premature sexualisation and unprincipled advertising are damaging children’s well-being. The evidence shows that adults feel children are more materialistic than in past generations, while children themselves feel under pressure to keep up with the latest trends.’
Pray: for our youngsters and against pressures that promote the premature sexualisation of our children. (Eph.5:5)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/padded-bikinis-for-7-year-olds-dropped-after-outcry/
Outrage over BBC’s new lesbian show
A controversial new BBC lesbian drama which showed two women having sex next to a corpse has left TV viewers appalled. BBC 3’s Lip Service, aimed at viewers as young as 16, began airing this week and has attracted complaints from scores of viewers. Actress Laura Fraser, who plays a character called Cat, said: ‘I started to feel like I was making a porno film. At the end of a day I was thinking ‘what am I doing for a living?’ The BBC describes Lip Service as being a ‘bold’ drama ‘about the sex lives and love affairs of twenty-something lesbians living in contemporary Glasgow’. The show has attracted a number of complaints, one viewer describing the funeral parlour sex scene as ‘stomach churning’. Harriet Braun, the show’s creator, claims that the show is as realistic as possible. She said: ‘It was important, I wanted it to reflect real life.’ Pray: that the BBC comes to recognise that it should set standards rather than follow minority foibles. (1Ti.6:20) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/viewers-outraged-over-bbcs-new-lesbian-show/
Outrage after Amazon sells paedophile guide
An e-book which billed itself as a guide for paedophiles has been withdrawn from sale by prominent online retailer Amazon.com after horrified customers called for a boycott of the site. The book, entitled The Paedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover’s Code of Conduct, had been available for the retailer’s electronic reading device since October. The e-book claims that paedophiles are misunderstood, and offers advice about how to avoid falling foul of the law. Though Amazon.com has now withdrawn the contentious publication, other highly controversial books can still be bought through the online retailer. Amazon initially appeared to be reluctant to withdraw the book, saying in a statement, ‘Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.’ Pray: for Amazon to review their decision and to ban texts that support illegal activities. (Dt.7:12) More: More http://www.christian.org.uk/news/outrage-after-amazon-sells-paedophile-guide-online/