USA: Trump charged with racketeering
Georgia prosecutors have charged Donald Trump and 18 others with attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss. Trump is facing thirteen new charges, including racketeering. Racketeering is organised crime where someone makes money through illegal activities. Penalties are prison terms - five to twenty years, or £197,000 fines - which can help persuade subordinates to cut deals with the prosecution in exchange for lesser sentences. Organised criminal activity is prosecuted under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Rico) Act; this includes convicting mafia bosses. When the court proceedings take place, they will dominate the next presidential election - making it a campaign unlike any other.
Pakistan: over 100 arrested after churches burned
Over 100 people were arrested in Jaranwala after thousands of Muslims burned churches and vandalised homes. The unrest was sparked by claims that two Christian men tore pages from the Quran. The historic Salvation Army Church was still smouldering on 17 August, one day after the riot. The ruins are surrounded with barbed wire, The situation remains tense. Public gatherings have been restricted for seven days. The men accused of damaging the Quran have been charged with blasphemy, punishable by death. An accusation of blasphemy can result in widespread riots, lynchings and killings. Yassir Bhatti, a 31-year-old Christian, was one of those forced to flee their homes. ‘They broke the windows, doors and took out fridges, sofas, chairs and other household items to pile them up in front of the church to be burnt. They also burnt and desecrated Bibles, they were ruthless.’ Videos on social media show protesters destroying Christian buildings while police appear to look on.
Woman without pulse miracle
In an Instagram testimony a young lady testified before the congregation about a miracle she witnessed in a street outreach. One Friday night, she and her team were in the street to worship God, preach the Gospel and lead people to Christ. But after the outreach finished they noticed a commotion. Police were surrounding a lifeless lady on the street. One of their team members felt a conviction from the Holy Spirit that they needed to pray for resurrection. So, they went closer and began praying for the lady, who still had no pulse. She had been dead for ten minutes already, but they began to declare life for her. At first nothing happened, but they didn’t give up. They kept praying. A few minutes later, the lady’s eyes opened. It was a miracle. She began to breathe again.
USA: revival among Generation Z
Generation Z grew up with iPads and iPhones. They are connected to technology. American Survey Centre calls 1/3rd of this age group 'religious nones' (no religious affiliation). A summer camp leader says, ‘It’s essential we preach and teach the Bible, sharing the love of God to them when they're young - before the world has a chance to beat them up, chew them up and spit them out.’ This year, 3,000+ campers accepted Jesus as their personal saviour at Crossroads Summer Camp. The camp leader attributed this surge in salvations to the goodness of God compared to what the world has to offer. The Crossroads leader said,‘I think they've seen the materialism of our world. The ideologies that are being shoved down their throats. They're all empty. When they feel the presence of God, when they taste and see that the Lord is good, nothing else will satisfy them.’
Embryos should not be treated as commodities
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) regulates UK fertility treatment and embryology research. They want laws regulating fertility treatment and research to have less strict inspections and be inspected less regularly. Given the ethical controversies surrounding fertility treatment and embryo experimentation, Christian Concern believes regular inspections should continue and not simply be based on an opinion about current risks. HFEA also wants to store embryos in a research bank so that they can be allocated to research projects when needed. But Christian Concern believes life is sacred from conception and should not be treated as a disposable commodity. The proposed clause opens a way to create embryos for eventual destruction without valuing human life. These are not pieces of biological matter, they are human beings made in the image of God. As Christians, we are called to care for the most vulnerable, those overlooked or manipulated by others.
'They ask for directions - we point them to Christ'
A group of Christians in Hampshire who took over the local tourist information office when it was in danger of being closed say it has become a valuable way of engaging people with faith. Their organiser said, ‘Tourist information centres everywhere are closing because everything is online. But older people prefer to go to a tourist information centre to pick up a leaflet etc. When we took the centre over from the council they were delighted. We open on reduced hours, giving out leaflets and selling books to pay the bills. It's now quite a ministry. People come in asking questions like where are the toilets, or when does the next bus go? Then they start coming up with issues that as Christians we feel qualified to signpost them in the right direction’.