"Sinister and Immoral" Children's Bill Deserves
Voter Condemnation say Christian Democrats
Support by Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats for compulsory
teaching of Whitehall-led sex education in schools is "sinister and immoral",
according to the Christian Peoples Alliance and will count against the secular
parties at the General Election. The Christian Democrats are also critical of
measures to intrusively regulate home-schooling families. Responding to the
passage of the Children, Schools and Families Bill, through the House of
Commons on Tuesday, Dr Tom Rogers of the CPA National Executive said that
many Christians will see the big three parties as "morally bankrupt" and unworthy
of electoral support:
"It is both deeply insulting and untrue for Ed Balls, the Education Secretary to claim
that Catholic and Anglican schools "teach homophobia". Bullying of all kinds is
intolerable and should be dealt with firmly when it happens. But teaching children
that sex outside of God's institution of marriage is sinful does not foster hatred - it
liberates children to follow a path that avoids hurt, exploitation, disease, sterility
and the tragedy of abortion."
Under the Bill, sex education will become part of the national curriculum and control
over the content of lessons will be removed from school governors and handed to
Whitehall. All publicly-funded schools will be forced to teach children how to access
contraception and abortion services. The schools will also be forced to teach children
that unmarried unions are equal to marriage, with church teaching put as one view
among many.
Dr Rogers, who also sits on the National Executive of pro-life group SPUC, condemned
the Bill for undermining the primary responsibility of parents to teach their children. He
says that the 'exemption' won by the Catholic Education Service for church schools has
produced an unworkable compromise. He also accuses politicians of betraying hundreds
of thousands of children in non-church schools, who will now be exposed to a national sex
education curriculum that has already failed to cut record numbers of teenage pregnancies,
STDs and teenage abortions.
"The depth of the onslaught against Christianity in Britain is shown by recent Conservative,
Labour and Liberal Democrat statements saying that they will demand children in faith
schools are taught a curriculum that equates co-habitation and homosexuality with marriage.
"It is a sheer illusion of the Catholic Education Service to imagine that church schools will be
able to teach SRE according to a Christian ethos. Nothing in the Bill, even with the window
dressing amendment, guarantees a biblical approach. The amendment merely says schools
may teach "in a way" that suits their ethos, but the substance they teach must be according to
the curriculum, which requires children are given the message "how to use it, where to get it"
about contraceptives, abortion, and gay associations.
"The Bill, in its present form, should be withdrawn and policies put in place which promote the
traditional family unit, with marriage as a life-long union between one man and one woman; and
which encourage children and teenagers, at appropriate levels of maturity, and with respect to
parental rights, to come to a full realisation of the truth and meaning of human sexuality, in line
with the order of creation as God has ordained it."
ENDS
For more information: Dr Tom Rogers 07941 966292 or 07873 625396
or visit www.cpaparty.org.uk
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Political Animal
I took the Political Animal quiz on www.susa.info,
My Report
'Your personalised cabinet of political characters was:
Margaret Thatcher
You favour the view that Godly laws are needed to improve the moral climate of society. If we can create a righteous nation, social justice will naturally flow out of that. Politically this position has some things in common with 1980s Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who believed in strong government but felt that economic decisions should be left up to individuals and the free market.
George W Bush
When the bible talks about righteousness, it often holds up a concern for the poor and needy as a primary example of 'righteous acts'. Unless Christians represent 'good news to the poor', our claims to moral authority can sound hollow. American President George W Bush identified himself as a committed Christian, but suffered from accusations that his government favoured the rich and privileged both domestically and globally.
Mary Whitehouse
You are convinced that political leadership is vital to ensure that our society retains its Christian foundations. Mary Whitehouse campaigned for moral standards in the media for over 40 years. Although frequently criticised, she was ultimately respected by TV bosses and is credited as a key influence in 'forcing broadcasters to justify what they did'.
Recommended Resources
There are loads of things you can do to explore this connection further: books to read, organisations to investigate, even political parties to join. The following resources have been selected for you based on the answers that you have given:
SUSA - the video
Susa booklet 'A City on a Hill'
Making contact with your elected representatives
SUSA individual resources manual
Conservative Christian Fellowship
Getting involved in the Conservative party
CARE
Amazing Grace - the story of William Wilberforce
Getting involved in political campaigning
Christian Concern For Our Nation
Getting involved with police and criminal justice'
My comments are that here are indeed three people for whom I have great respect. However no-one will ever steer me back to the Conservative Party. I am a conservative. They are not. The site did not steer me to the CPA where my party membership is now.
My Report
'Your personalised cabinet of political characters was:
Margaret Thatcher
You favour the view that Godly laws are needed to improve the moral climate of society. If we can create a righteous nation, social justice will naturally flow out of that. Politically this position has some things in common with 1980s Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who believed in strong government but felt that economic decisions should be left up to individuals and the free market.
George W Bush
When the bible talks about righteousness, it often holds up a concern for the poor and needy as a primary example of 'righteous acts'. Unless Christians represent 'good news to the poor', our claims to moral authority can sound hollow. American President George W Bush identified himself as a committed Christian, but suffered from accusations that his government favoured the rich and privileged both domestically and globally.
Mary Whitehouse
You are convinced that political leadership is vital to ensure that our society retains its Christian foundations. Mary Whitehouse campaigned for moral standards in the media for over 40 years. Although frequently criticised, she was ultimately respected by TV bosses and is credited as a key influence in 'forcing broadcasters to justify what they did'.
Recommended Resources
There are loads of things you can do to explore this connection further: books to read, organisations to investigate, even political parties to join. The following resources have been selected for you based on the answers that you have given:
SUSA - the video
Susa booklet 'A City on a Hill'
Making contact with your elected representatives
SUSA individual resources manual
Conservative Christian Fellowship
Getting involved in the Conservative party
CARE
Amazing Grace - the story of William Wilberforce
Getting involved in political campaigning
Christian Concern For Our Nation
Getting involved with police and criminal justice'
My comments are that here are indeed three people for whom I have great respect. However no-one will ever steer me back to the Conservative Party. I am a conservative. They are not. The site did not steer me to the CPA where my party membership is now.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Last month's violence in Jos.
Click on the title for youtube video. Beware it is bloody in parts.
See http://lapidomedia.com/media-coverage-of-the-jos-carnage-is-short-on-facts for a good article on the troubles in Jos.
See http://lapidomedia.com/media-coverage-of-the-jos-carnage-is-short-on-facts for a good article on the troubles in Jos.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Hacked
The last few days my blog has been hacked. Until I get it sorted please note that any posts here which are adverts are from the hacker, not me.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
CLC Victory for London Church Noise Battle Out of Court
Christian Legal Centre reports,
'For the second time in as many months, a London Council served a Noise Abatement Notice against a Church perceived to be singing too loudly.
In May 2009, Waltham Forest Borough Council issued Immanuel International Christian Ministries with a ‘noise abatement notice’ ordering them to worship ‘more quietly’ or be prosecuted. On appeal
at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday 8th February, the Church was successful in amending the Notice.
The notice was amended in the Church’s favour and stated that the Council must agree volume limits with Church leaders and an independent sound engineer in the coming weeks. The new notice will enable the Church to worship without a constant fear of being fined and prosecuted on a very subjective basis. This case has established an important principle that local authorities must have substantive evidence of excessive noise, rather than act subjectively on a few complaints without any objective evidence.
The Council’s delay in reaching a common sense settlement, out of court has severely affected the life of the Church, forcing them to reduce the quantity and duration of weekly services and the church, as a charity, has not been able to hire out the premises. The Church has also spent over £10,000 on sound reducing measures and repeatedly asked for clear and specific guidance from the Council. The Church was originally built in 1894.
The Council Notice had been served against the church following repeated complaints from just one neighbour—a Muslim man who lives in the Church’s former manse. The Church immediately decided to appeal the notice and contacted the Christian Legal Centre, who instructed leading human rights barrister, Paul Diamond, to lead their legal team.
The Christian Legal Centre appealed the notice to the magistrate’s court in October 2009. When this appeal was dismissed, a further appeal was launched in the Crown Court. By amending the notice in the Church’s favour, the Court established an important principle—namely that any decision to serve a Noise Abatement Notice must be objectively verifiable by means of an independent Sound Level and not at the subjective whim of an Enforcement Officer.
Speaking after the case, Pastor Dunni said: “We are grateful for the assistance of the Christian Legal Centre and are happy with today’s success. However, we are also frustrated that things have had to get this far before the Council agreed to be reasonable with us. We have been trying to reach a solution with the Council and our neighbour for months but it has taken two court decisions—costing the Council and its taxpayers thousands of pounds—for them to start working with us. We are glad that common sense prevailed at the Court and we will work with the Council for a sensible resolution.”
Andrea Williams, Director of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “The Christian Legal Centre has been increasingly concerned at the use of Noise Abatement Notices to limit Church growth and is concerned that these acts may be motivated by opposition to Christian teaching. This case demonstrates that the courts are not prepared to accept vague notices such as the one issued by the Council. To be told by a local authority that you must stop noise of an ‘excessive volume’ on threat of being fined and prosecuted does not accord with the principle of legal certainty. Hopefully, this decision by the Court will warn other Council’s that they cannot use such vague notices to prevent the normal running of a Church.”'
Christian Legal Centre
http://www.christianlegalcentre.com
'For the second time in as many months, a London Council served a Noise Abatement Notice against a Church perceived to be singing too loudly.
In May 2009, Waltham Forest Borough Council issued Immanuel International Christian Ministries with a ‘noise abatement notice’ ordering them to worship ‘more quietly’ or be prosecuted. On appeal
at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday 8th February, the Church was successful in amending the Notice.
The notice was amended in the Church’s favour and stated that the Council must agree volume limits with Church leaders and an independent sound engineer in the coming weeks. The new notice will enable the Church to worship without a constant fear of being fined and prosecuted on a very subjective basis. This case has established an important principle that local authorities must have substantive evidence of excessive noise, rather than act subjectively on a few complaints without any objective evidence.
The Council’s delay in reaching a common sense settlement, out of court has severely affected the life of the Church, forcing them to reduce the quantity and duration of weekly services and the church, as a charity, has not been able to hire out the premises. The Church has also spent over £10,000 on sound reducing measures and repeatedly asked for clear and specific guidance from the Council. The Church was originally built in 1894.
The Council Notice had been served against the church following repeated complaints from just one neighbour—a Muslim man who lives in the Church’s former manse. The Church immediately decided to appeal the notice and contacted the Christian Legal Centre, who instructed leading human rights barrister, Paul Diamond, to lead their legal team.
The Christian Legal Centre appealed the notice to the magistrate’s court in October 2009. When this appeal was dismissed, a further appeal was launched in the Crown Court. By amending the notice in the Church’s favour, the Court established an important principle—namely that any decision to serve a Noise Abatement Notice must be objectively verifiable by means of an independent Sound Level and not at the subjective whim of an Enforcement Officer.
Speaking after the case, Pastor Dunni said: “We are grateful for the assistance of the Christian Legal Centre and are happy with today’s success. However, we are also frustrated that things have had to get this far before the Council agreed to be reasonable with us. We have been trying to reach a solution with the Council and our neighbour for months but it has taken two court decisions—costing the Council and its taxpayers thousands of pounds—for them to start working with us. We are glad that common sense prevailed at the Court and we will work with the Council for a sensible resolution.”
Andrea Williams, Director of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “The Christian Legal Centre has been increasingly concerned at the use of Noise Abatement Notices to limit Church growth and is concerned that these acts may be motivated by opposition to Christian teaching. This case demonstrates that the courts are not prepared to accept vague notices such as the one issued by the Council. To be told by a local authority that you must stop noise of an ‘excessive volume’ on threat of being fined and prosecuted does not accord with the principle of legal certainty. Hopefully, this decision by the Court will warn other Council’s that they cannot use such vague notices to prevent the normal running of a Church.”'
Christian Legal Centre
http://www.christianlegalcentre.com
Saturday, February 06, 2010
A letter from Archbishop of Jos, Rev Dr Ben Kwashi
The Archbishop of Jos, Rev Dr Ben Kwashi had a fine article in Christianity Today. Click on the title for the link. Now he has written a very fine letter.
2 February 2010
Dear Friends,
Peace and greetings.
As a person who has invested in lives – in men and women, young and old, people who were heading for destruction, drunkards, drop-outs, drug addicts, rich and poor, people of all categories, but people to whom through the grace of God we ministered the gospel of salvation, and who were then transformed, and changed to become valuable tools for further investment in the community – now, to see such lives destroyed aches my heart. In all my years of ministry God has called me to bless people, to invest in social community developments, in the building of schools, clinics, co-operatives for farmers, in setting up small scale businesses in villages and towns – and to see all these destroyed and come to nothing grieves my heart. I am even more grieved when I see great potential, great opportunities in lives in which God would have demonstrated his grace and power being destroyed by the machinations and evil calculations of some reckless and godless but cowardly and faceless people. I am pained and grieved.
I cannot but thank God for the elders of my generation who trained us to build, to develop ourselves and to look ahead for a brighter future for Nigeria. The sponsors of today’s acts of evil and those who arm these young people will be judged, whether in this life or in the life to come, because God is a righteous God.
It is fast becoming fashionable to look for reasons, whether remote, far-fetched or imaginary, in order to discredit the Christian gospel and the church. In 2001 in Jos a girl was said to be crossing a place of Muslim prayer on a Friday, and the next thing we knew was that churches were being burnt down. The confused fighting that ensued between communities, and several other issues which emerged and out of which different people wanted to settle different scores, all found a scapegoat in the church, and very soon it became labelled as a “religious crisis”. In 2008 an election collation process was interrupted in Jos North and even though this was a purely political matter, the church was the first target. Again the cheap excuse was to label the whole matter as a “religious crisis”.
This year Malam Kabiru chose to build his house on a Sunday morning; it was a structure not far from an E.C.W.A. Church and a simple misunderstanding that could have been so easily resolved there and then, soon became a matter for guns and cutlasses, resulting in several lives lost and an unquantifiable amount of property destroyed. Again, it was easy for the international media and those who do not wish this nation well, quickly to set in motion a polarization between religious communities and to build walls of division between peoples. This was done with the sole aim of hastily laying blame on the church and covering up evil deeds with powerful propaganda, with a total disregard for lives, property and homes lost, and for wounds which require healing. The media mentioned the worst stories, as if by doing so they have made a significant contribution to healing, reconciliation and peace. It is a glamorous failure on their part. Moreover they have failed to take up stories such as those of Christians who were kept safe in a mosque for three days until the crisis was over, or of over a hundred Muslims who were kept safe in a church until the curfew was lifted. They have totally ignored communities in Jos, Bukuru and the environs who came together as Christians and Muslims, with local police involvement, to agree on sitting down together, living in peace and harmony, and in covenant to settle all disputes on any matters amongst themselves without violence or bloodshed.
I have heard some people say: the crisis is all about settlers and indigeneship, and I wonder what that has to do with M. Kabiru’s building and the church? Was there a fight before the plot of land was sold to him? I wonder what that has to do with the production of arms, fake army uniforms, and the destruction of lives and property. Is that not a matter for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to resolve? Why should that cause the church to be so viciously attacked and attempts made to destroy the gospel of peace? Some have even said that it is the search for political supremacy. My question remains: why attack the church? The church, the gospel of Jesus Christ and Christians are the wrong targets.
I am convinced, I am persuaded, that there is no gospel if all that is seen is destruction. There is no gospel if man is not reconciled to God and man is not reconciled to man. There is no gospel if peace from God the Father is not brought to man and if peace is not given from man to man. I believe with my whole heart that there is no gospel of revenge or retaliation or vengeance. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God, so that whoever believes in the gospel, no matter the nationality or the locality of that person, the gospel will be seen in his or her life, and the fruit of that gospel will be seen in righteousness, holiness, service, development, health, physical and spiritual blessings that accompany the person in the community. The Christian gospel does not destroy: it builds and brings life in all its fullness to everybody without discrimination of race or sex, age or background.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
The Lord be with you,
+The Most Rev. Dr. Benjamin A. Kwashi
Archbishop of Jos
2 February 2010
Dear Friends,
Peace and greetings.
As a person who has invested in lives – in men and women, young and old, people who were heading for destruction, drunkards, drop-outs, drug addicts, rich and poor, people of all categories, but people to whom through the grace of God we ministered the gospel of salvation, and who were then transformed, and changed to become valuable tools for further investment in the community – now, to see such lives destroyed aches my heart. In all my years of ministry God has called me to bless people, to invest in social community developments, in the building of schools, clinics, co-operatives for farmers, in setting up small scale businesses in villages and towns – and to see all these destroyed and come to nothing grieves my heart. I am even more grieved when I see great potential, great opportunities in lives in which God would have demonstrated his grace and power being destroyed by the machinations and evil calculations of some reckless and godless but cowardly and faceless people. I am pained and grieved.
I cannot but thank God for the elders of my generation who trained us to build, to develop ourselves and to look ahead for a brighter future for Nigeria. The sponsors of today’s acts of evil and those who arm these young people will be judged, whether in this life or in the life to come, because God is a righteous God.
It is fast becoming fashionable to look for reasons, whether remote, far-fetched or imaginary, in order to discredit the Christian gospel and the church. In 2001 in Jos a girl was said to be crossing a place of Muslim prayer on a Friday, and the next thing we knew was that churches were being burnt down. The confused fighting that ensued between communities, and several other issues which emerged and out of which different people wanted to settle different scores, all found a scapegoat in the church, and very soon it became labelled as a “religious crisis”. In 2008 an election collation process was interrupted in Jos North and even though this was a purely political matter, the church was the first target. Again the cheap excuse was to label the whole matter as a “religious crisis”.
This year Malam Kabiru chose to build his house on a Sunday morning; it was a structure not far from an E.C.W.A. Church and a simple misunderstanding that could have been so easily resolved there and then, soon became a matter for guns and cutlasses, resulting in several lives lost and an unquantifiable amount of property destroyed. Again, it was easy for the international media and those who do not wish this nation well, quickly to set in motion a polarization between religious communities and to build walls of division between peoples. This was done with the sole aim of hastily laying blame on the church and covering up evil deeds with powerful propaganda, with a total disregard for lives, property and homes lost, and for wounds which require healing. The media mentioned the worst stories, as if by doing so they have made a significant contribution to healing, reconciliation and peace. It is a glamorous failure on their part. Moreover they have failed to take up stories such as those of Christians who were kept safe in a mosque for three days until the crisis was over, or of over a hundred Muslims who were kept safe in a church until the curfew was lifted. They have totally ignored communities in Jos, Bukuru and the environs who came together as Christians and Muslims, with local police involvement, to agree on sitting down together, living in peace and harmony, and in covenant to settle all disputes on any matters amongst themselves without violence or bloodshed.
I have heard some people say: the crisis is all about settlers and indigeneship, and I wonder what that has to do with M. Kabiru’s building and the church? Was there a fight before the plot of land was sold to him? I wonder what that has to do with the production of arms, fake army uniforms, and the destruction of lives and property. Is that not a matter for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to resolve? Why should that cause the church to be so viciously attacked and attempts made to destroy the gospel of peace? Some have even said that it is the search for political supremacy. My question remains: why attack the church? The church, the gospel of Jesus Christ and Christians are the wrong targets.
I am convinced, I am persuaded, that there is no gospel if all that is seen is destruction. There is no gospel if man is not reconciled to God and man is not reconciled to man. There is no gospel if peace from God the Father is not brought to man and if peace is not given from man to man. I believe with my whole heart that there is no gospel of revenge or retaliation or vengeance. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God, so that whoever believes in the gospel, no matter the nationality or the locality of that person, the gospel will be seen in his or her life, and the fruit of that gospel will be seen in righteousness, holiness, service, development, health, physical and spiritual blessings that accompany the person in the community. The Christian gospel does not destroy: it builds and brings life in all its fullness to everybody without discrimination of race or sex, age or background.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
The Lord be with you,
+The Most Rev. Dr. Benjamin A. Kwashi
Archbishop of Jos
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