Nathan Hughes, writing for the STRATFOR online journal, described the huge logistical challenges for the U.S. and other coalition partners in the landlocked nation of Afghanistan where “hundreds of shipping containers and fuel trucks must enter the country every day from Pakistan and from the north to sustain the nearly 150,000 U.S. and allied forces stationed in Afghanistan, about half the total number of Afghan security forces. Supplying a single gallon of gasoline in Afghanistan reportedly costs the U.S. military an average of $400, while sustaining a single U.S. soldier runs around $1 million a year (by contrast, sustaining an Afghan soldier costs about $12,000 a year).” No wonder that the U.S. President Barack Obama announced June 22 that the process of reducing military forces in Afghanistan would begin this month. Hughes worries that “though the initial phase of the drawdown appears limited, minimizing the tactical and operational impact on the ground in the immediate future, the United States and its allies are now beginning the inevitable process of removing their forces from Afghanistan. This will entail the risk of greater Taliban battlefield successes.”
Please pray for wisdom for the 50-nation coalition and the Afghan authorities and that the Taliban will become disillusioned with the conflict, giving up their misguided struggle to take over the nation so that peace and healing can come to this austere and isolated area of the world.
Court to hear Christian radio advert ban case
A Christian radio station has been allowed to go to court to challenge a ban on an advert which asked Christians to report experiences of workplace marginalisation. The Radio Advertising Clearance Centre (RACC) banned the ad from being aired, ruling that it was ‘politically motivated’. But Premier Christian Radio rejects that, saying the ad addresses a legitimate issue faced by Christians. The ad was due to be aired during May 2010 in order to inform debate during the general election campaign. It said: ‘Surveys have shown that 60% of active Christians are being increasingly marginalised in the work place. We are concerned to get the most accurate data to inform the public debate. We will then use this data to help make a fairer society.’ The station was initially denied leave to challenge the ban in court, but that decision has now been overturned. Pray: that this opportunity to challenge the ban on this advert would be successful. (Ps.20:2) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/court-to-hear-christian-radio-advert-ban-case/
Prayer for the Olympics
With just 400 days to go before the start of the London Olympics, the Church of England has released a prayer for those preparing for the 2012 Games. It asks God to be with the athletes, their supporters and families, and the thousands of churches preparing to organise Olympics-themed events in their communities. The Church of England is just one of the members of ‘More Than Gold’, which supports churches of all denominations around the UK with resources and ideas as they prepare to engage with the Games. The Revd Duncan Green, the Church of England's Executive Olympics Coordinator, said: ‘It has been wonderful to see so many attend the More Than Gold training conferences and leave excited and enthused by what they have heard. This prayer will encourage churches and all those preparing for the 2012 Games.’ The Torch Run See for example an opportunity to cover the country in prayer.
Pray: for all those working with More Than Gold that their outreach during the Games will be amazing. (Mk.16:15)
INSIGHT ARTICLE: Opposition to British Christianity
The Shard, a developing skyscraper that will transform London's landscape, is a potent symbol of the growing significance of Islamic finance, according to the Financial Times. Dwarfing all other tower blocks at 1,016ft (310 metres), the new landmark near London Bridge, will become the highest building anywhere in the European Union. The project has been financed by sharia-compliant investment with a consortium of Qatari investors who have paid £150m to secure an 80% stake in the project. The Financial Times states that the Shard 'has typified the role played by Islamic finance in not only supporting, but defining a new era in the UK construction and property industry'. It also claims that there are certain conditions on the types of businesses that are allowed to occupy the completed building. The Shard is currently 280 metres high and is scheduled to be completed by May 2012 where it will form a stunning backdrop for the Olympic Games. Read article: For further INSIGHTS into subtle corrosion to our Christian heritage in the UK click the info buton below. Pray: that the Church will be made aware of those undermining our faith and beliefs. (2Ch.20:20b) Info: http://www.prayer-alert.net/info/oppositiontobritishchristianity1.pdf
If you want big society, you need big religion
Faith communities may encourage their members to contribute to society – but can politicians harness their benefits? Robert Putnam, Harvard professor of public policy, has been in London, channelling the wisdom of social capital at No 10, as well as talking at St Martins-in-the-Fields on Monday evening. That venue is the big clue to his latest findings. It could be summarised thus: 'if you want big society, you need big religion. In the US, over half of all social capital is religious. Religious people just do all citizenish things better than secular people, from giving, to voting, to volunteering. Moreover, they offer their money and time to everyone, regardless of whether they belong to their religious group. It could be, of course, that the religious already have the virtues of citizenship. The evidence is that strong faith communities make for both strong interfaith and wider social links'.
Pray: for governments both national and local to recognise the importance of encouraging and working with faith groups. (2Co.9:2)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/23/big-society-needs-big-religion
Archbishop calls for action on UK poverty
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has called for action to be taken to address UK poverty levels. He spoke out as churches up and down the country prepare to hold services marking ‘Poverty Sunday’ on Sunday 26 June. Writing for the Guardian newspaper the Archbishop said rising poverty was not necessarily linked to unemployment levels, stating there was a ‘significant problem in our country where even those who work hard are not able to put food on the table for their families’. The Archbishop said ‘I’d like to challenge people to call for justice for those living in poverty. Be generous not only with your wallet, but with your time, your words, your actions. We need to remember that poverty isolates people, reducing their ability to engage in social and community life.’ Pray: for a positive response this Sunday especially during the current economically difficult times. (1Sa.2:8) More: http://www.archbishopofyork.org/articles.php/2093/archbishop-calls-for-action-on-uk-poverty
RE is being 'killed off' in schools - report
The future of religious education in schools looks ‘bleak’ unless the Government takes remedial action, a new report has warned. The report by the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) says that RE was already being marginalised as a result of Education Secretary Michael Gove's decision to leave it out of the English Baccalaureate (EBac). RE has been a core subject for all pupils since 1870, but NATRE warned that it is ‘set to disappear’ from the curriculum of many secondary schools. Its survey of nearly 2,000 state maintained secondary schools found that a quarter are not providing statutory RE for 14 to 16-year-olds, a statistic that is expected to rise during the 2011/2012 academic year. The report stated that entries to GCSE level RE have dropped by more than a third in academies and community schools in the last year. In schools where entry levels fell, more than half attributed the drop to RE being excluded from the EBac. (See Prayer Alert 11-2011)
Pray: that this report will lead the Government to take action to encourage the return of RE as a core subject. (Dt.4:9)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/re.is.being.killed.off.in.schools.report/28218.htm
Scotland tops world cocaine use
The Scottish government said levels of cocaine use had been falling as Scotland has again topped the world league for cocaine consumption. Figures published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) show 3.9% of Scottish residents aged between 16 and 64 used the drug in the past year. That was a higher proportion than in any other country and compares to 2.5% for England and Wales. The figures also showed Scotland with a rate of heroin use twice that of the rest of the United Kingdom. The UN's annual World Drug Report was published in New York as part of the organisation's attempt to understand the trans-national nature of the drug trade which, it says, requires to be tackled globally. Pray: for the authorities to get a grip of this problem. (1Jn.2:26)
Greece: Legalities could sink bailout
A case against the EU deal has been brought by German plaintiffs, and the Greek vote could mean nothing if a court case launched by a group of German citizens derails Germany’s financial contribution to the bailout. The group, led by a member of parliament for the Christian Social Union party, includes legal academics led by Nuremberg constitutional law professor Karl Albrecht Schachtschneider. They argue that the bailout is unconstitutional both in German and European law. In the first instance, they argue the process by which the €22bn contribution to the Greek bailout package that was approved by Germany was improper. Also the moves infringe upon their rights as German citizens. They lean on article 125 of the Lisbon Treaty ’no bailout’ clause which expressly forbids the EU or a member state from undertaking the responsibility of covering the debts of another member state. Pray: for all that is hidden to be revealed and for leaders to use sound judgment and Godly insights pronouncements. (Pr.8:14-16) More: http://www.cityam.com/wealth-management/legal-battle-could-yet-sink-the-greek-bailout
Greece: Legalities could sink bailout
A case against the EU deal has been brought by German plaintiffs, and the Greek vote could mean nothing if a court case launched by a group of German citizens derails Germany’s financial contribution to the bailout. The group, led by a member of parliament for the Christian Social Union party, includes legal academics led by Nuremberg constitutional law professor Karl Albrecht Schachtschneider. They argue that the bailout is unconstitutional both in German and European law. In the first instance, they argue the process by which the €22bn contribution to the Greek bailout package that was approved by Germany was improper. Also the moves infringe upon their rights as German citizens. They lean on article 125 of the Lisbon Treaty ’no bailout’ clause which expressly forbids the EU or a member state from undertaking the responsibility of covering the debts of another member state. Pray: for all that is hidden to be revealed and for leaders to use sound judgment and Godly insights pronouncements. (Pr.8:14-16) More: http://www.cityam.com/wealth-management/legal-battle-could-yet-sink-the-greek-bailout