Council rejects calls to ban prayers at the start of its meetings
Wellington Town Council has rejected a controversial motion calling to scrap the traditional saying of prayers at the start of its meetings. Independent councillor Pat McCarthy claimed compulsory Christian prayers discriminated against atheists and people of other faiths, and said he wanted a separate service before meetings with official council business starting 15 minutes later. The Council decided to reject the calls as none of its members was in favour of the ban. Rt Revd Mark Rylands, the Anglican Bishop of Shrewsbury, said: ‘I fully support Council members in continuing to offer prayers before their meetings begin. The saying of prayers before meetings is an integral part of the British system of government. ‘Prayers remind councillors that they are answerable not only to themselves but also to those beyond the Chamber. Those who pray remind themselves they are answerable to God’
Praise: God for all those who have supported our Christian roots of prayer. (Ps.88:13)
More: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=1077
Christian preacher who said that homosexuality is sinful walks free
Common sense and the rule of law have prevailed after charges were dropped against a Christian preacher who said that homosexual conduct is sinful. Dale Mcalpine, 42, was arrested and had to repot before the courts after a homosexual police officer arrested him on 20 April 2010 for saying that homosexuality is going against the word of God. He was held in a cell for several hours before being charged with a public order offence. On 13 May 2010, charges against Mr Mcalpine were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as preaching peacefully that homosexuality is a sin is not against the law. In response to the CPS’s decision, Mr Mcalpine said: 'It's good news. I'm relieved the police and the Crown Prosecution Service have finally seen sense. It was a ridiculous charge and I should never have been arrested in the first place. The whole thing was like fiction. It was surreal'. Praise: God for answered prayer. (1Cor.6:9) More: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=1080
Christian preacher who said that homosexuality is sinful walks free
Common sense and the rule of law have prevailed after charges were dropped against a Christian preacher who said that homosexual conduct is sinful. Dale Mcalpine, 42, was arrested and had to repot before the courts after a homosexual police officer arrested him on 20 April 2010 for saying that homosexuality is going against the word of God. He was held in a cell for several hours before being charged with a public order offence. On 13 May 2010, charges against Mr Mcalpine were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as preaching peacefully that homosexuality is a sin is not against the law. In response to the CPS’s decision, Mr Mcalpine said: 'It's good news. I'm relieved the police and the Crown Prosecution Service have finally seen sense. It was a ridiculous charge and I should never have been arrested in the first place. The whole thing was like fiction. It was surreal'. Praise: God for answered prayer. (1Cor.6:9) More: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=1080
Syria: Defender of Palestinians
Syria claims to be the true defender of the 550,000 Palestinian refugees living there and is home to several Palestinian political organisations. However, the relationship between the two countries is strained. In general the Palestinians are poorer than the Syrians around them. Not having respect from the rest of society, makes them more passionate about returning to the Occupied Territories. Palestinians have not been allowed to revisit the occupied territories nor have Palestinians coming from the Occupied Territories been allowed to visit Syria. Palestinians in Syria have two choices; never visit family and see the homeland, or find ways to work around the rules and hope they do not get caught. It has been a generation since anyone in Syria has actually lived in the ‘original’ Palestine, but today’s youth tell you what town they are from and when their family became refugees. It is instilled in them that their destiny is ‘return to Palestine’
Pray: that Palestinians in Syria will discover their eternal citizenship through Jesus and that believers in Syria successfully share Christ’s love. (Heb.11:16)
More: http://www.cryoutnow.org/images/shoutforjoy-english.pdf
