Headlines from
Christian Concern For Our Nation (CCFON)
and the Christian Legal Centre (CLC)
CCFON and the CLC regularly highlight stories of concern to Christians and our Nation.
Some of the most recent are listed below, for your information, prayers and/or action.
They were compiled by Andrea Minichiello Williams of CCFON and CLC.
8th May 2009
Media Centre
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Interview with
Phelim McIntyre on his 'choice for change' to leave a homosexual lifestyle
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Controversial
'Dr Death' Phillip Nitschke wants to make suicide information more available in
the UK. Lively TV debate |
Dr Saunders
opposes Dr Nitschke's desire to offer suicide information
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Should sex
education be compulsory for all children irrespective of their faith
views? |
Rev George
Hargreaves debates whether Britain would be a better place if everyone had a
faith |
CCFON Action
CCFON: Act Now for Free Speech: Coroners and Justice Bill in the Lords
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To find more information on the ‘Chilling Effect’ on free speech of the Coroners and Justice Bill and how you can help to stop it, click here. |
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CCFON: Equality Bill
Please pray that MPs who understand the need for measures to combat the marginalisation of Christianity and the “trumping” or overlooking of Christians’ rights by other rights, will attend and speak in the debate on Monday. For example, the Minister forgot to mention “religion or belief” in an announcement on the new Bill (click here) and the pictorial representation of ‘religion or belief’ in the Equality Bill Easy Read guide is a person using a prayer mat—presumably a Muslim: click here and see picture on page 4.
Royal College of Nursing assisted suicide consultation – last chance to let the RCN know what you think
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The Royal College of Nursing is running a major consultation to ask what their members think about the important issue of assisted suicide. Please note that the consultation closes on 22 May 2009. If you have not already responded to the consultation you can complete the RCN online survey by clicking here. For further information please click here. |
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Bioethics
Radio 4: The Law and the Unborn. Law Lecturer, Dr Jacqueline Laing, bravely defends the embryo.
CCFON: Government Publishes Response to Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Consultation on Regulations in New Act.
End of Life
CCFON: Controversial pro-euthanasia activist holds his first DIY suicide workshop in UK.
Evening Standard: Another ‘Dr Death’ is planning to host suicide workshops in UK.
Abortion
Daily Mail: Morning-after pill the choice for 50% of young women.
Christian Today: Twisted clergy, deception and abortion.
Blasphemy – Ireland
Irish Times: Churches not consulted about blasphemy law proposal.
Church & State
Scotsman: Church on a mission to put an end to 'recession' in western faith.
Catholic On-Line: Commentary: Christianity in a pagan world.
Education
Daily Telegraph: Church of England publishes 'crammer's prayers' to help stressed exam students.
Religious Intelligence: Sex education to be compulsory in British schools.
One News Now: US school website promotes homosexual agenda.
Family
Guardian: Commentary: Homosexual ‘marriage’ would undermine a sacred institution.
Pal Item News: Commentary: Homosexual ‘marriage’ opens door to moral chaos.
Islam
Daily Mail: Officers stripped of stop and search terror powers over fears of angering Muslims.
Daily Mail: Muslim dentist 'refused to treat female patients unless they wore Islamic dress'.
Israel National News: Anti-jihad scholar angers Muslim member of Knesset.
FSM News: Commentary: Muslim youth in Germany: aggressive machos.
BBC News: UAE fines car crash victim who lost baby.
Religious Liberties
Daily Mail: The hospital that banned paintings of churches.
Lancashire Telegraph: East Lancashire atheists miss bus as 'No God' advert turned down.
The Times: Commentary: God is back: How Ned Flanders won the evangelical crusade.
Sexual Orientation
BBC News: UK young lack awareness on HIV.
The Herald: MSPs split over homosexual minister as petition attracts over 7000 signatures.
Scotsman: Homosexual rights campaigner among 8 guilty of catalogue of child abuse.
Social
Daily Telegraph: Children who view adult-targeted TV become sexually active earlier in life.
The Times: Female binge drinking has nearly doubled, a study finds.
1st May 2009
CLC Cases
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Action
Advertisements for the morning after pill are being screened on television.
CCFON: The advertisement encourages women to think that having sex without adequate contraception is a worry that can easily be eliminated by a trip to the local pharmacy.
No mention is made of the STDs that a woman might catch through casual sex; no mention is made of the fact that emergency contraception may terminate a young life and no mention is made of the pain, bleeding or other side effects that may be experienced by using the medication.
OFCOM's "standards objectives" relevant to advertising should prevent the broadcasting of advertisements that may be misleading, harmful or offensive by television and radio services and should protect persons under the age of 18. Please see section 319(2) Communications Act 2003 at the following link: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2003/ukpga_20030021_en_29#pt3-ch4-pb16-l1g319.
To see CCFON article, click here: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=727
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The advertisement can also be viewed here on YouTube: |
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Please write to the Advertising Standards Authority, by using their online complaints form:
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/how_to_complain
Sexual Orientation
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Daily Mail: David Cameron to be first Tory leader to join Gay Pride march.
Virtue On-Line: Reparative Theory works, says Dr Nicolosi.
Christian Today: Christian psychotherapists under fire from 'totalitarian' homosexuals in Germany.
Time Magazine: Commentary: Will homosexual marriage pit church against church?
Daily Mail: Lessons about homosexuality will be compulsory from age of 11.
Religious Liberties
Daily Telegraph: Atheists target UK schools to challenge Christian societies and collective worship.
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Abortion
Daily Telegraph: Couple sue NHS over birth scan failure.
CNA: Pro-lifers assaulted while collecting signatures against abortion.
Bioethics
Daily Telegraph: Blind British boy seeks stem cell treatment in China.
Canada News: Adult stem cells successfully treat multiple sclerosis patient.
Daily Mail: Storm over embryo ‘bank’ which could be used as a body repair kit.
Daily Mail: Grandmother saves brother by becoming the world's oldest stem cell donor
Faith & Economy
Christian Today: Christian donors giving more despite recession.
Family
The Voice: Shocking statistics reveal future of the family in Britain.
Family Research Council (Video): Obama: 100 days of change for the family.
Daily Telegraph: Couples with children outside wedlock 'should be married by the State'.
Islam
Christian Today: 14-year-old Christian girl raped and forced to convert to Islam.
CNS News: Islamic scholars wrestle with death-for-apostasy issue.
Mortgage Solutions: Islamic bank looks to Scottish brokers.
Sunday Herald: Law firm finds a way to bring Islamic mortgages to Scotland.
BBC News: Jewellery shop raid prompts Muslim veil ban.
Islam On-Line: Spain’s first Muslim guide the first move by European country.
Social
The Times: Commentary: Sunday shopping has not made us better or happier.
STV News: Most Scots think family breakdown causes crime.
Scotsman: It is not just the economy that's broken – our society is too, says David Cameron.
24th April 2009
Media Centre
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Choice for
Change. Dr Nicolosi, Narth, defends the right to change from unwanted same sex
attraction. |
Choice for
Change. Dr Nicolosi, Narth, defends the right to change from unwanted same sex
attraction BBC Radio 4 Today Programme
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Andrea Williams,
CCFON, in discussion about Christians' roles in the workplace being marginalised
for standing up for what they believe in Premier Christian Radio , 18 April 2009 (47m 49s) |
Mark
Mullins, CCFON, on live debate about role of homosexual teachers in our
schools |
Announcements
The Coroners and Justice Bill-Concerns on Free Speech and the Legalising of Assisted Suicide.
The Second Reading in the House of Lords expected on the 27th of April has been delayed and has no announced date yet,(possibly now during the week beginning the 18th of May or the 1st of June).
For updated information, please check the following link which provides all details on this Bill (including dates and progress):
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/coronersandjustice.html
(Progress Table, Lords 2R = House of Lords Second Reading).
Please
click here to see CCFON Action Pack
Abortion
CCFON: Controversial TV advert for the morning after pill screened despite serious opposition
Daily Telegraph: Catholic bishop attacks plan to offer girls 'morning after' pill.
The Times: Doctors attack embryo screening 'postcode lottery'.
Bioethics
CCFON: Controversial fertility doctor claims to have implanted women with cloned human embryos.
Sexual Orientation
CCFON: Beauty queen lost crown for believing marriage should be between a man and a woman.
The Times: Church of Scotland magazine backs homosexual partnerships.
Bioethics
CCFON: Controversial fertility doctor claims to have implanted women with cloned human embryos.
Church & State
Christian Today: Humanist joins BBC committee on religious broadcasting.
Daily Telegraph: Prime Minister accepts that the Church has its place, says George Pitcher.
Education
BBC News: Religious festival days may close schools.
The Times: Commentary: Should UK schools shut down for Islamic festivals?
End of Life
Family
BBC News: Archbishop urges parents to change attitudes towards parenting.
Daily Telegraph: It will take a brave politician to save the traditional family, says Kathy Gyngell.
Islam
CCFON: Iranian President Uses UN Anti-Racism Conference to Brand Israel ‘Completely Racist’
Pakistan Christian Post: Taliban militants kill two Christians in armed attack on Christian colony.
Christian Science Monitor: What are US students learning about Islam?
Mortgage Solutions: Pink Home Loans authorised for Islamic funding.
BBC News: Islam a political target in Norway as the country is facing 'sneak-Islamisation'.
This is Wiltshire: Residents speak out against Muslim centre.
Religious Liberties
18th April 2009
CCFON Media Centre
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TV Minister, Rev
Samuel Noble, is attacked by Muslims after on air discussion over Christianity
on Asian TV channel in London |
David Booker
suspended from homelessness charity for sharing his views on homosexuality with
colleague BBC Radio 2 Matthew Bannister , 15 April 2009 (9m 31s) |
CCFON
Promotional Video |
Christian Legal Centre Case
Homelessness charity suspends David Booker, a Christian from Southampton, for answering questions about his faith to a colleague at work. The Christian Legal Centre is supporting Mr Booker.
For more information please click on the following link
http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=723
Adoption
Daily Mail: Roman Catholic adoption agencies cut ties with church over homosexual equality laws.
Bioethics
Guardian: Stem cell discovery raises hopes of restoring female fertility.
Church & State
The Times: Nick Howard: From Tory boy to God’s enforcer.
Daily Telegraph: Do not marginalise faith, says new Catholic Archbishop.
Christian Today: Church call for better understanding between church and society.
Daily Telegraph: Who should run the BBC’s Religion & Ethics Department?
Education
Daily Telegraph: EU directive could open up faith schools to non-believers.
BBC News: Behaviour experts to help schools.
Daily Mail: The GSCE course for schoolgirls thinking of having a baby.
BBC News: Commentary: Are kids all right or all wrong?
Daily Mail: Celebrity culture is fuelling violence and sex among children, says Government advisor.
BBC News (Video): Tougher rules for unruly students.
Daily Mail: Channel 4 drawing series will show full frontal nudity before 6pm.
End of Life
Daily Mail: Suicide clinic boss told ‘you can’t stock lethal drugs’.
Faith & Economy
Daily Mail: Recession shows us value of self-sacrifice, says Archbishop.
Daily Telegraph: People turning to religion for economic advice.
Family
Daily Telegraph: Death of the traditional family.
The Times: Why choosing to be a career woman could harm your chances of having a baby.
Daily Mail: Families so busy the only time they spend together is watching TV.
Guardian: Nurses to help teenage mothers to cope with life.
Daily Telegraph: Nearly third of young men live at home, statistics show.
Islam
Reuters UK: Timeline: Milestones in rise of Islamic finance.
Reuters UK: Lloyds of London eyes Islamic reinsurance.
Sunday Mercury: ‘Preacher of hate’ to front Birmingham Islam seminar.
Daily Telegraph: Commentary: Let’s not die for timid and misguided political correctness.
Trade Arabia: Islamic finance eyes EU opportunities.
Reuters: Dubai Financial Center seeks to boost Islamic finance education.
Christian Today: Christian journalist in hiding for refusing to convert to Islam.
Social
Daily Telegraph: Coronation Street criticised for attacking Christianity on Easter Sunday.
The Press and Journal: Porn is giving youngsters a distorted view of ‘perfection’.
BBC News: Britons 'living in fear' as record numbers suffer from anxiety.
11th April 2009
CCFON Media Centre
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TV Minister, Rev
Samuel Noble, is attacked by Muslims after on air discussion over Christianity
on Asian TV channel in London |
David Booker
suspended from homelessness charity for sharing his views on homosexuality with
colleague BBC Radio 2 Matthew Bannister , 15 April 2009 (9m 31s) |
CCFON
Promotional Video |
Christian Legal Centre Case
Homelessness charity suspends David Booker, a Christian from Southampton, for answering questions about his faith to a colleague at work. The Christian Legal Centre is supporting Mr Booker.
For more information please click on the following link
http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=723
Adoption
Daily Mail: Roman Catholic adoption agencies cut ties with church over homosexual equality laws.
Bioethics
Guardian: Stem cell discovery raises hopes of restoring female fertility.
Church & State
The Times: Nick Howard: From Tory boy to God’s enforcer.
Daily Telegraph: Do not marginalise faith, says new Catholic Archbishop.
Christian Today: Church call for better understanding between church and society.
Daily Telegraph: Who should run the BBC’s Religion & Ethics Department?
Education
Daily Telegraph: EU directive could open up faith schools to non-believers.
BBC News: Behaviour experts to help schools.
Daily Mail: The GSCE course for schoolgirls thinking of having a baby.
BBC News: Commentary: Are kids all right or all wrong?
Daily Mail: Celebrity culture is fuelling violence and sex among children, says Government advisor.
BBC News (Video): Tougher rules for unruly students.
Daily Mail: Channel 4 drawing series will show full frontal nudity before 6pm.
End of Life
Daily Mail: Suicide clinic boss told ‘you can’t stock lethal drugs’.
Faith & Economy
Daily Mail: Recession shows us value of self-sacrifice, says Archbishop.
Daily Telegraph: People turning to religion for economic advice.
Family
Daily Telegraph: Death of the traditional family.
The Times: Why choosing to be a career woman could harm your chances of having a baby.
Daily Mail: Families so busy the only time they spend together is watching TV.
Guardian: Nurses to help teenage mothers to cope with life.
Daily Telegraph: Nearly third of young men live at home, statistics show.
Islam
Reuters UK: Timeline: Milestones in rise of Islamic finance.
Reuters UK: Lloyds of London eyes Islamic reinsurance.
Sunday Mercury: ‘Preacher of hate’ to front Birmingham Islam seminar.
Daily Telegraph: Commentary: Let’s not die for timid and misguided political correctness.
Trade Arabia: Islamic finance eyes EU opportunities.
Reuters: Dubai Financial Center seeks to boost Islamic finance education.
Christian Today: Christian journalist in hiding for refusing to convert to Islam.
Social
Daily Telegraph: Coronation Street criticised for attacking Christianity on Easter Sunday.
The Press and Journal: Porn is giving youngsters a distorted view of ‘perfection’.
BBC News: Britons 'living in fear' as record numbers suffer from anxiety.
11th April 2009
Archbishop's Homeless Charity Suspends Christian for Answering Questions about His Faith to Colleague at Work
An employee at a Christian ‘homeless’ charity, whose Patron is the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been suspended for answering questions about his faith to a colleague at work.
More >
9th April 2009
Parliamentary Update
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Coroners and Justice Bill
Please write to Members of the House of Lords to protect free speech and prevent assisted suicide. Issues in House of Lords at the end of April. |
Immigration Rule Change for Visiting Preachers
In the light of recent entry clearance refusals to visiting Christian speakers it is important to have in mind that under Rule 46G(iii)(g) of the Immigration Rules it is open for visiting ministers/church workers to enter the UK as a business visitor to undertake some preaching or pastoral work as a religious worker provided the person’s base is abroad and he is not taking up an office, post or appointment and the other requirements of the visitor’s rules are met.
For more information please click on the following link:
http://www.ccfon.org/docs/Changes_to_the_Immigration_Rules_for_Church_Workers.pdf
Nurse Consultation on Assisted Suicide
The Royal College of Nursing is running a major consultation to ask what their members think about assisted suicide, after several attempts to change the law and legalise assisted suicide in the UK have been made. If you are a nurse please respond.
Find out more by going to www.rcn.org.uk/assistedsuicide - consultation closes on 22 May 2009.
You will find additional information at the Care Not Killing website at the following link http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/?show=690
Abortion
BBC News: Teen abortions at five-year high, latest figures show.
TC Palm: Commentary: Abortions impact mothers.
Bioethics
Daily Telegraph: Ethical adult stem cells to be used to patch up holes in bones.
The Times: Stem cells: will hope triumph over hype?
Church & State
BBC News (Video): Secularists call to remove NHS funding from hospital chaplains.
Daily Telegraph: Commentary: Ignore our Christian values and the nation will drift apart.
BBC News: Faith groups in environment talks.
Independent: Religion has a key part to play in ensuring economic recovery.
Education
Christian Today: National Union of Teachers to vote against faith schools.
Daily Mail: Parents are to blame for the problems in British schools, teachers claim.
Guardian: Commentary: Good education begins at home, not school.
Daily Telegraph: Parents must be tougher to mend Broken Britain, says senior Conservative MP.
End of Life
The Times: Dignitas founder plans assisted suicide of healthy woman.
Daily Telegraph: Commentary: Dignitas and the awful truth about ‘happy endings’.
Telegraph & Argus: Debbie Purdy to appeal to House of Lords re assisted dying.
Family
Daily Telegraph: Same sex couples names to appear on birth certificates.
Daily Mail: Family in 11th-hour legal battle to halt brothers' adoption by homosexuals.
Guardian: Poor families are facing food crisis, says charity.
Islam
Daily Mail: Mohammed cartoonist accuses BBC of 'appeasing Muslim fanatics'.
Christian Today: Cartoon portrays Christians as ‘Islamaphobic’.
The Star: Mosque plans thrown out by the Court.
London Daily News: British prison system a 'comfortable home' for Islamic terrorists.
Business 24/7: Forum calls for growth of Islamic finance to substitute Wall Street model.
Front Page Magazine: The United Nation’s jihad against free speech.
Scotsman: Islamic bank launches Sharia mortgage in Scottish expansion.
Christian Post: Ex-Muslim warns West of plot to impose Islamic law.
BBC News: Islam row bishop 'has no regrets'.
Sexual Orientation
Daily Telegraph: Tony Blair says Pope’s views on homosexuals are wrong.
Baptist Press: 'Gay marriage' colliding with parental rights and religious liberty, experts say.
New Vision: UNICEF distributes book supporting teen homosexuality.
One News Now: Obama appoints homosexual activist to faith-based office.
Social
Daily Telegraph: Premier League accused of 'disdain' for Christians over Easter Sunday matches.
Daily Mail: Faith schools ‘should be phased out to stop segregation’, says teachers’ union.
Derry Journal: Religion can make people healthier, says Bishop.
InfoTech News: Internet turning teens ‘porn stars’?
Daily Telegraph: 5,000 school girls ‘put in hospital by alcohol’.
Daily Telegraph: Commentary: We are in danger of entering a new Dark Age and ‘valuephobic’ culture.
2nd April 2009
Media Centre
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Wandsworth
Council employee suspended for discussing God at the workplace
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BBC One 'Big Questions' , |
Alex
Spak, CCFON, asking a question on BBC World debate over the financial crisis
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CLC Cases
CLC is supporting a homelessness Prevention officer with Wandsworth Council who has been suspended from work for nearly two months for encouraging a homeless woman with an incurable medical condition to look to God for help, after doctors told her they’d given up hope.
For further details please click at the following link: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=716
CCFON News
CCFON and CLC Responded to the HFEA Consultation on Proposed Regulations Covering the Storage of Gametes and Embryos, Licensing Appeal Procedures and Disclosure of Information for Research:
http://www.ccfon.org/docs/CCFON_and_CLC_HFEA_Consultation_Response.pdf.
Thank you to all who responded to this consultation as a result of our bulletin, please pray for a favourable outcome.
CCFON: The BBC is planning to replace the head of religious programming with a Muslim who is known to support multiculturalism and a greater presence for Islam in the media. Please see our web article http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=719 for information on writing to your MP to oppose this move.
Abortion
The Times: Abortion video used in fight against law change in Spain.
Daily Mail: How abortion debate is hijacked by pro-choice campaigners.
Bioethics
South Coast Today: Commentary: Embryonic stem cell research makes children livestock.
Church & State
BBC News: Markets need morals and family values, says Prime Minister.
Daily Telegraph: Britons suffer 'cultural amnesia' about Christian art, says Rev Michael Nazir-Ali.
BBC News: Conservative MP attacks politically correct Church leadership.
The Times: Former Lord Chancellor calls for disestablishment of the Church of England.
Education
This is Local London: Parents demand sex education class opt out clause.
This is Bristol: Naked men line-up at Bristol school to help with sex education.
Independent: Little Britain 'makes pupils behave badly'.
End of Life
Daily Mail: Suicide is a marvellous opportunity, even for healthy people, says Dignitas boss.
Guardian: ‘Dr Death’ sells euthanasia kits in UK for £35.
Family
Daily Mail: How married couples will soon be outnumbered by people who have never wed.
BBC News: Family life 'harder' than 20 years ago.
Christian Post: Dictionary redefines ‘marriage’ to include same-sex couples.
BBC Daily Politics (Video): Debate on limiting family sizes.
Christian Post: What is God’s purpose for parenting?
BBC News: Sweden becomes fifth European country to re-define marriage.
Islam
Banking Times: Islamic Bank of Britain announces assault on UK mortgage market.
Yorkshire Post: Police to check schools for militant Islamic pupils.
Washington Times: Editorial: The UN tackles religion.
Daily Mail: Special investigation: Headteacher and ‘hidden Muslim agenda’.
Daily Telegraph: Commentary: The resignation of Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali is a victory for Islamism.
World Net Daily: Islam and the death of Western Civilization.
Fox News: Islamic law’s influence in America a growing concern.
Social
Daily Mail: Thousands of young teenage girls hospitalised after binge drinking.
Religious Liberties
BBC News: Archbishop accuses BBC of ignoring Christians.
Sexual Orientation
Daily Mail: Rights group wants deal to allow Royal gay couples to have a civil partnership.
Guardian: Homosexuals warned over HIV increase.
Sexual Purity
Daily Mail: Internet ‘turning teenagers into pornography copycats’.
Daily Mail: Commentary: Condoms, pills ... but how about restraint?
Daily Telegraph: Commentary: We're in a state of sexual confusion.