Pagan police get right to take festivals as holiday
Police officers have been given the right to take days off to dance naked on the solstices, celebrate fertility rituals and burn Yule logs if they profess pagan beliefs. The Pagan Police Association claimed yesterday that it had been recognised by the Home Office as a ‘diversity staff support association’ - a status also enjoyed by groups representing female, black, gay, Muslim and disabled officers. Endorsement would mean that chief constables could not refuse a pagan officer’s request to take feast days as part of his or her annual leave. The eight pagan festivals include Imbolc (the feast of lactating sheep), Lammas (the harvest festival) and the Summer Solstice (when mead drinking and naked dancing are the order of the day). Problematically, the pagan festivals also include Samhain (known to non-pagans as Hallowe’en), a day when police leave is often cancelled because of the high incidence of vandalism, violence and antisocial behaviour.
Pray: that the problems caused by all these diverse requests will not damage working relationships or effective policing.
(Pr.28:19)
Middle East: Reconciliation
This weekend Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation - who promote reconciliation among Palestinian and Israeli believers through the life and teachings of Jesus - are asking readers of Prayer Alert to pray for 40 Israeli and Palestinian young adult believers who are gathering in Cyprus to study one of the most controversial issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: historical narrative. Historical Narrative is often misunderstood, contradicted or denied. The young adults will pray, worship and study together and learn to enhance the body of the Messiah in the country. Please pray for their increased understanding among both the Israelis and Palestinians and that the two would be united in fellowship.
Pray: for unity between our precious brothers and sisters living amongst such animosity and division. (Ps.133)
More: http://www.musalaha.org/
Pakistan 2: Christians beaten and implicated in ‘fake’ police case
On Easter Sunday Christian families on their way to church were attacked by a gang of ‘radical local Muslim youths’ who hurled insults at them for being Christian and celebrating Easter. The men’s comments became ‘perverted’ towards the girls and women. A few Christian youths asked the men to stop mocking, then fighting broke out resulting in some Christians being critically injured and rushed to hospital. Ironically the Muslim men lodged a case with the police against ten of the Christian men and despite some of them being hospitalized with serious injuries they were arrested, charged, and jailed. Bail was granted on April 22nd. Well placed local sources requesting anonymity said, ‘rich, powerful and politically dominant radical Muslim men of the Faqira clan were hurling death threats and threats of dire consequences on the impoverished Christian families and the Christians were ‘still living under the shade of death of horror.’
Pray: for the Christian families to be strengthened emotionally and spiritually under the pain of unjust suffering. (1Pe.3:14)
Pakistan 1: Christians illegally arrested
Police detained three Christians on false charges of alcohol possession in Sialkot last week at the request of their Muslim employer. The men objected to their boss demanding they work on Sundays. The factory owner seemed to object to the crosses the Christians wore since they began work for him last year. He used to look at the cross with strange looks. Since February no one has been allowed to wear a cross at work. In March he began demanding that only the Christian employees come to work on Sundays. When two workers objected Factory owner Rana Ejaz promptly accused them of selling alcohol, which is forbidden to Muslims in Pakistan and illegal to sell without a permit. They were arrested, severely beaten and asked to give a false statement that they sold alcohol. The factory owner reportedly said, ‘I did all this on the advice of the SHO, Zulfiqar, so that I could terminate the Christian workers.’
Pray: that God would strengthen Pakistan’s Christians as they continue to demonstrate reason for the hope that they have in Jesus. (2Pe.1:2)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/pakistan/19189/
