Key free speech vote on 'gay hatred' law
The House of Lords is expected to vote next Wednesday (23 April) on a free speech amendment to the proposed 'homophobic hatred' law. (Source: Christian Institute)
Please pray for the success of this cross-party amendment which has been tabled by Lord Waddington and supported by the Bishop of Winchester.
Click here for briefing document (Christian Institute)
Google close to becoming UK's biggest ad company
Internet giant Google is rapidly becoming Britain's biggest advertising business, but won't let Christians advertise their pro-life views.
Criminals allowed to foster but smacking couple banned
The council which recently banned a Christian couple from fostering because of their views on smacking will happily consider couples with a criminal record.
Rhys murder: blame loss of family values, says local MP
The local MP of Rhys Jones, the murdered Liverpool schoolboy, has blamed a lack of family values for the teenage gang culture that has blighted the local area.
Social breakdown consigns 3-year-olds to bleak future
A generation of children is set for a life of crime and poverty by the time they are three years old, with family breakdown a major cause, a new report warns.
Family breakdown makes children join gangs
Family breakdown and a lack of father figures could be to blame for pupils joining gangs, a report by a teachers' union says today. Children as young as nine are being drawn into organised crime for protection and to gain a ‘sense of belonging’ because of the lack of positive role models at home, it is claimed.
click here for more details (source: Telegraph)
Scientists want embryos Bill to allow the "ultimate incest"
Same sex couples could 'create' their own biological babies, and a person could even be both mother and father, if fertility scientists get the go ahead.
Quarter of Scots aged 15 have tried cannabis
Ten per cent of Scottish 15-year-olds regularly smoke dope and more than a quarter have experimented with the drug, a major new study has found.
Cross-party opposition to lower age of consent in NI
A cross-party group of MLAs has joined leading voluntary organisations in urging the Northern Ireland Office to abandon unpopular plans to lower the age of consent in the Province.
Religious Liberty: Incitement to homophobic hatred
The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, currently in the House of Lords, introduces a new offence (Clause 126) of inciting hatred on grounds of sexuality. It is essentially an incitement to homophobic hatred offence. There are very real concerns that if this becomes law Christians could be found guilty of ‘inciting hatred’ towards gay people for simply saying that engaging in same sex sexual activity is ‘sinful’ and contrary to God’s Word.
Please find attached Nola Leach’s Call to Action Letter we sent out earlier this week. The letter contains more information about what you can do to promote religious liberty in this country.
Abortion Report at Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Austrian MP Mrs Gisela Wurm’s controversial Report on abortion, which effectively calling for it to be recognised as a human right and for all States to allow access to abortion on demand, - was adopted substantially unamended by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on Wednesday afternoon by 102 votes to 69 with 14 abstentions
Abortion Petition
Please also consider signing the Alive and Kicking (CARE is a member) abortion petition. It calls on Parliament to support amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to reduce the numbers of abortions in the UK (currently 200,000 a year).
Click here to access the petition
Consultation on charity 'public benefit' test
The Charity Commission has launched a 'sector specific' consultation which specifically focuses on how the new 'public benefit' test will apply to religious groups.
Click here for Charity Commission's 'sector specific' guidance.
A general consultation on 'public benefit' ended last June. This second, more specific, consultation will close on 30 June 2008.
The Charities Act 2006 removes the presumption that religious groups are for the 'public benefit' and are therefore charitable. In the future, a religious group will have to demonstrate 'public benefit' in order to be a charity.
April's Evangelical Alliance PQ and Prayer & Campaigns newsletter is now available.
Articles include:
Can we have Faith in Politics?
Trusting in Politics - Andrew Selous, MP
Should Abortion be a Right?
Scotland - Anti-Poverty Strategy
www.eauk.org
Blair gives his life to religion
Tony Blair says the promotion of interfaith dialogue is "the rest of my life's work".
Mr Blair said he had focused his efforts on religion because, along with his own personal interest in the subject, combating climate change and eradicating poverty - both also interests of his - were "well-trodden ground".
"I see this over time as the rest of my life's work."
Click here for more details (source: The Australia news website)
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