Swearing and violence on TV
Viewers find violence on TV ‘acceptable' according to a BBC poll of a mere 300 people, including children of 11. The poll claims that sexual violence on screen is seen as ‘part of life' as long as it is not ‘gratuitous'. These findings are based on flimsy evidence but will feed into programme makers' guidelines. Ofcom has been accused of giving broadcasters a green light to swear after consulting only 130 people. Its study included special input for minority groups like those who are transgender or travellers and suggested that people were willing to tolerate various swear words on TV throughout the day. (See Prayer Alert 1910) Vivienne Pattison, Head of Mediawatch UK, said: ‘No one has ever complained to me there is not enough violence on the telly. But I hear a lot from people who think there is too much.' She condemned the decision to consult children: ‘Big themes should be decided by people who are at least old enough to vote’. Pray: that planners portray the role models shown on TV to inspire audiences to follow God's way. (Mt.4:10) More: http://www.mediawatchuk.org.uk/
Scottish assisted suicide Bill
Scotland remains steadfastly opposed to legalised assisted suicide according to the responses of a Holyrood consultation. The End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill, proposed by independent MSP Margo MacDonald, would allow the terminally ill and those who are ‘permanently physically incapacitated’ to seek assistance in ending their lives. A public consultation on the controversial Bill has revealed that 86 per cent of the consultation’s respondents, some 601 people and organisations, were opposed to the Bill. Gordon Macdonald, Public Policy Officer for the pro-life group Care Not Killing Scotland, welcomed the response, saying: ‘We are very pleased there has been an overwhelming body of evidence against the Bill’. The most common objections raised by the respondents was that the Bill, if passed, would allow children as young as 16 to commit suicide. The Church of Scotland cautioned that 16-year-olds, who are considered too young to drink or drive, are not ‘emotionally mature’ enough to make such decisions. Pray: for protection and sanctity of life to be respected by our governors. (Ge.1:26) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/fresh-blow-to-scottish-assisted-suicide-bill/
Bishops: Share the Good News
The Church of England’s long history of witnessing to the unique significance of Jesus Christ is a duty that continues in today’s multi-faith environment, reiterates a new report. It affirms that missionary activity has always been a hallmark of the Anglican Church’s life and should continue to be so. The report’s foreword notes that: ‘the fear of getting it wrong should never obscure the Christian’s commitment to the good of all and to making Christ the centrepiece of that good. Too much reticence is as untrue to our history and our vocation as too much stridency.’ The document draws on case studies from across the country, where dioceses and parishes are actively engaged in inter-faith dialogue by expressing a ‘sensitive confidence’ about the Christian faith. The report suggests that there is a real desire among people of other faiths to hear about the beliefs which motivate Christian action and witness. Pray: for us all to speak out our belief in the Gospel message. (Mk.16:15 )
Marriage and family breakdown
Turning the tide of marriage and family breakdown is impossible. Is it? This is the theme of the Family Education Trust AGM and Conference this year. Sir Paul Coleridge, who is a senior judge in the Family Division of the High Court, and who has argued that promoting marriage as ‘the gold standard’ of family structures is long overdue, will address the conference. Also speaking will be Dr Arik Sigman who is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He will be talking about his book ‘The Spoilt Generation: restoring adult authority in child development’. Lisa Bullivant will also be speaking about her bold public stand against inappropriate sex education at her daughter’s primary school. The Family Education Trust AGM and Conference is being held this Saturday 26 June in London. Pray: for those attending this conference, that they and others will receive informed opinion on the restoration of family and marriage. (1Ti.3:4)
ITV: One hour of religion this year
ITV will broadcast just one hour of religious programming this year while Five will not show any, the channels have admitted to the Church of England. Adding to fears that Britain’s commercial television stations no longer see the value of traditional shows about faith, Channel 4 has scrapped the post of Commissioning Editor for Religion. The channels say audiences are no longer interested in programmes solely about religion, so they cannot afford to continue making them. It leaves the BBC as the main provider of religious documentaries and acts of worship on television whose public service licence requires BBC1 and BBC2 to broadcast 110 hours a year. However, BBC’s coverage of spiritual matters has been criticised by senior clergy who says it risks treating Christianity like a ‘rare species’. ITV and Channel 5 both cite economic pressures to target larger audiences as the reason to cut religious broadcasting that attracts smaller audiences. Pray: for ITV management to rethink their schedules and retain some religious broadcasting. (Gen.4:7)
Councils drop opening prayers
Leicester City Council, in addition to Enfield Council, has banned Christian prayers at the opening of council meetings. Colin Hall, Leicester’s new Lord Mayor and member of the National Secular Society (NSS) says: ‘I personally consider that religion, in whatever shape or form, has no role to play at all in the conduct of council business.’ Jayne Buckland, Mayor of Enfield, has chosen to replace the prayers with poetry readings in a bid to ‘support and encourage the arts'. Last month it was revealed (See Prayer Alert 1910) that the NSS was trying to use the courts to ban the North Devon Council of Bideford from starting its meetings with Christian prayers. London’s Mayor Boris Johnson slammed the NSS’s campaign, pointing out that Parliament has prayers before its meetings, and that it is helpful for both believers and non-believers. These examples reflect the growing influence of the NSS on our civil life. Pray: that Christian prayers will be reintroduced by future civic leaders where they have been banned. Pray about the anti-Christian influence of the National Secular Society. (Lk.18:7-8) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/council-drops-prayers-for-poetry-readings/
Emergency budget
The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s emergency budget has met a lukewarm response from some Christians fearful that its impact will be felt by those least able to afford it. The Chancellor presented the severest budget for nearly 30 years outlining tax hikes and painful cuts to public spending. Paul Morrison, a member of the Methodist Church’s Joint Public Issues Team, said the taxation burden should be put on the people who could afford it rather than those least able. Chris Sheldon, Deputy Chief Executive of Kingdom Bank, welcomed the efforts to reduce the nation’s massive deficit. ‘I am pleased to see that the government is taking the issue of balancing the country’s income and expenditure so seriously,’ he said. ‘It is a strong biblical principle that we should not spend more than we can afford and that applies to the country in the same way that it applies to individuals’. Pray: for us to balance the collective responsibility we hold to address the national deficit whilst protecting the most vulnerable. (Pr.1:3) More:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/emergency.budget.draws.mixed.reaction.from.christians/26157-2.htm
Moldova: Proclaiming the Gospel through sports.
This office received news of ‘Sports Ministry’ that is evangelising young people in closed countries. ‘Let me share news from a Christian ministry we are doing in Moldova through a sports club. We have 32 instructors teaching annually over 1500 students in Moldova, Afghanistan, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates. The first hour of the ‘sports’ training is inductive bible study and during 13 years many accepted Christ and are active in their churches and in the ministry in their own countries. As the founder and president of the sports club I examine all the students when they take their tests. At a recent exam in Moldavia for 30 students and their parents, reported that they seriously studied the Word as well as developing in the sport.’ The BBC reported world football has a generation of players bringing God onto the pitch, such as the Brazilian player Kaka who celebrates victories by revealing a T-shirt saying, ‘I Belong to Jesus’. Fifa would rather religion stayed out of football. Praise: God for ‘hidden’ ministries in the world, and ask Him to send out more workers into the sports harvest fields. (Mt.9:37)
Moldova: Proclaiming the Gospel through sports.
This office received news of ‘Sports Ministry’ that is evangelising young people in closed countries. ‘Let me share news from a Christian ministry we are doing in Moldova through a sports club. We have 32 instructors teaching annually over 1500 students in Moldova, Afghanistan, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates. The first hour of the ‘sports’ training is inductive bible study and during 13 years many accepted Christ and are active in their churches and in the ministry in their own countries. As the founder and president of the sports club I examine all the students when they take their tests. At a recent exam in Moldavia for 30 students and their parents, reported that they seriously studied the Word as well as developing in the sport.’ The BBC reported world football has a generation of players bringing God onto the pitch, such as the Brazilian player Kaka who celebrates victories by revealing a T-shirt saying, ‘I Belong to Jesus’. Fifa would rather religion stayed out of football. Praise: God for ‘hidden’ ministries in the world, and ask Him to send out more workers into the sports harvest fields. (Mt.9:37)
Saints on the street
Baptist churches have been encouraged to set aside a number of Sundays each year to get out into their neighbourhoods and meet people who would not normally come to church. The future president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Revd Chris Duffett has launched an evangelistic project called Saints on the Street (St St). 'As the vast majority of people in the UK do not go to church, St St projects take church to the vast majority,' he explained. 'Our hope is that St St may become a vision for Baptist churches in the UK to set aside some Sundays in the year where the morning service is used to engage with people who wouldn't consider going to church.' Recently he invited shoppers in Peterborough to walk along a VIP red carpet to give them the message that God thinks they are 'Very Important People'. Forty copies of Mark's Gospel were given away. Praise: that this Baptist outreach may be effective in bringing the good news to the unchurched. (Isa. 52:7)