Belfast flag protest riots 'a disgrace'
Rioters have been warned against ‘holding Belfast to ransom’ after a petrol bomb attack on a police officer by suspected loyalists which is being treated as attempted murder. A gang of 15 men targeted, surrounded and smashed the unmarked vehicle on Monday night outside the offices of Alliance Party MP Naomi Long in Newlands Road. It was the worst incident in nine nights of violence in parts of east and south Belfast involving loyalists who took to the streets again in protest against a decision to restrict the flying of the Union Flag at Belfast City Hall. In a statement to the House of Commons, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said that while the matter was a sensitive issue, the clashes would not be tolerated. ‘There can be absolutely no excuse or justification for this kind of thuggish and lawless behaviour,’ she said. ‘It is a disgrace. We condemn it unreservedly and it should stop immediately.’
Pray: that God would stay the hand of the enemy and bring about a peaceful resolution to this situation. (2Th.2:9-10)
More: http://news.sky.com/story/1023570/belfast-flag-protest-riots-a-disgrace
Belfast cathedral to host Day of Prayer for Syria
The ongoing conflict in Syria has prompted a number of prayer and worship events around the globe, with Belfast next to have a special Day of Prayer for the country locked in civil war. St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast will be hosting a Day of Prayer for Syria on Wednesday 23 October. An estimated quarter of Syrians have left their country in huge numbers for neighbouring countries. According to the Lebanese government, it has received nearly a million as refugees. St Anne's Cathedral is inviting people from across Belfast and beyond to visit the cathedral at any hour of the day to pray and hear readings from a number of guest speakers. To end the day, a Service of Reflection will take place with Psalms-based prayers for those affected by conflict and persecution.
Pray: that the call to pray will lead many to seek the Lord for Syria and the refugees in neighbouring countries. (Eph.6:18)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/belfast.cathedral.to.host.day.of.prayer.for.syria/34341.htm
Bedroom tax should be axed, says UN investigator
During a visit to the UK the United Nations' special investigator on housing has told the British government it should scrap the bedroom tax, after hearing ‘shocking’ accounts of how the policy was affecting vulnerable citizens. Britain's record on housing was also worsening from a human rights perspective, Raquel Rolnik, the UN special rapporteur on housing, said in a Guardian interview after presenting her preliminary findings to the Government. After speaking to dozens of council house tenants in Britain during her visit over the past fortnight, Rolnik said she was particularly concerned by the impact of bedroom tax, officially known as the new spare room subsidy. The policy was introduced by the Government in April, and is designed to charge tenants extra for under-occupying homes that are supposedly too large for them.
Pray: that the Government will reconsider its decisions on the so called bedroom tax. (Lk.20:22)
More: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/11/bedroom-tax-should-be-axed-says-un-investigator
Bedroom tax has pushed one in three council tenants into arrears
Nearly one in three council housing tenants affected by the bedroom tax have fallen behind on their rent since its introduction earlier this year, according to new figures released on 17 September. Figures provided by 114 local authorities across Britain in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests by False Economy show that since the bedroom tax was introduced this April, over 50,000 council housing tenants - 31 per cent of all tenants affected by the tax in these areas - have been pushed into arrears. However in some areas the proportion of tenants that have been pushed into arrears is far higher. In Barrow, three-quarters of all council house tenants affected by the bedroom tax have been pushed into arrears since April. With emergency funding from councils rapidly drying up, the situation is likely to get far worse over the coming months, warns False Economy. (See Prayer Alert 37-2013)
Pray: that the government will take notice of the serious problems that are being caused. (Lk. 20:22)
More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19083
Bear the load together’ says Archbishop
‘The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas sermon to call on rich and poor alike to share in the hardships brought on by the financial crisis and cuts in public spending. Reflecting on the mutual dependence of humans, Dr Rowan Williams urged people not to give in to the temptation of abandoning others to suffering, whilst they secure their own safety. ‘Faced with the hardship that quite clearly lies ahead for so many in the wake of the financial crisis and public spending cuts, how far are we able to sustain a living sense of loyalty to each other, a real willingness to bear the load together?’ he said. ‘How eager are we to find some spot where we feel safe from the pressures that are crippling and terrifying others? ‘As has more than once been said, we can and will as a society bear hardship if we are confident that it is being fairly shared.’
Pray: for a sense of fairness and justice throughout all levels of our society as we face financial cutbacks. (Am.5:24)
BBC's unholy row over Halloween
The BBC has been criticised for giving too much coverage to Halloween. Not the occasionally terrifying outfits that the Strictly Come Dancing contestants were treated to last weekend but a news report about a coven of witches who gathered to celebrate Samhain, the turning of the year from light to dark. The decision to allow so much airtime to the minority event in Weymouth, Dorset, was questioned at a time of a 16% cut in the corporation's budget. 'I understand the BBC might choose to concentrate on something for one day, but I consider it to be symptomatic of a much bigger problem across the BBC,' said Christian Institute spokesman Mike Judge. 'They downplay Christianity and up-play paganism which is unreflective of British society. It does create an atmosphere where it's OK to marginalise Christians.' We can only hope that Christmas gives the corporation a chance to redress the balance. Pray: for the BBC to ensure programme planning better reflects the requirements of a mainly Christian nation. (Mi.5:12) More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2010/nov/02/bbc-halloween-row