These articles were first published in our September edition of the newspaper, click here for more.
Local Labour leaders in Plymouth have removed prayers from the beginning of council meetings, as ‘part of the process of modernisation’.
Prayers will be 15 minutes before the meeting officially starts at 2 o’clock. A local Conservative councillor strongly criticised the move, slamming ‘the thoughtless rush for change’.
97% of abortions carried out in the UK last year could have been illegal, a pro-life charity chairman said in early August.
Professor Jack Scarisbrick referred to the latest Department of Health statistics which show that abortions were mostly performed on mental health grounds. But the latest Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidelines say women with an unexpected pregnancy are no more or less likely to suffer adverse psychological consequences if they have an abortion or continue with the pregnancy.
In late July the STEP development team of Tyndale House Cambridge, launched the Beta-test version of a new free Bible study resource.
The software is designed especially for teachers and preachers who don’t have access to resources such as Tyndale House Library, which specialises in the biblical text, interpretation, languages and biblical historical background and is a leading research institution for Biblical Studies.
David Cameron held a reception in July for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender campaigners at Downing Street to celebrate the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.
During his speech at the party, the PM also expressed his intention to export same-sex marriage around the world, especially to Commonwealth countries.
Equalities Minister Maria Miller, said in late July: ‘This autumn, [the government is] starting our LGB&T Call for Evidence, a consultation on what the next steps need to be and where government needs to prioritise.’
One activist responded, calling for the subjugation of religious beliefs that disagree with homosexuality. A Pink News writer contributed an article which said: ‘The first step is to acknowledge that human rights come before beliefs; if you did that, no consultation would be needed’.
Sikhs have been advised to deregister their temples as wedding venues to avoid being sued for not carrying out same-sex marriages, it was reported in late July.
The group, Sikhs In England, gave the advice, warning that government protections on the issue might be worthless. Sikh temples could continue to perform religious weddings, but they would carry no legal weight.
An Emmy-nominated mini series from the US called The Bible is due to air on Channel 5 soon, it was reported in August.
The ten-hour series has been a phenomenal success in America, seen by more than 95 million viewers. The Emmy awards will take place on September 22, where it will compete against five other programmes. The trailer for the series can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hThfoBzWxw
Premier Christian Radio is launching a 24/7 national Christian helpline called ‘Premier Lifeline’, a confidential telephone helpline offering support and prayer from a Christian perspective.
They are recruiting volunteers, providing training and upgrading their systems to be more effective. Contact: peter.kerridge@pre mier.org.uk