Turkish Christians still experiencing discrimination
Compass Direct News (CDN) is reporting that despite some promising developments, Christians in Turkey continue to suffer attacks from private citizens, discrimination by lower-level government officials and vilification in both school textbooks and news media, according to a study by a Protestant group. In its annual Report on Human Rights Violations, the country's Association of Protestant Churches notes mixed indicators of improvement but states that there is a ‘root of intolerance’ in Turkish society toward adherents of non-Islamic faiths. ‘The removal of this root of intolerance is an urgent problem that still awaits to be dealt with,’ the report states. ‘There is still a lot of room for improvement,’ said Mine Yildirim, a member of the legal committee for the association. The report documented 12 attacks against Christians in 2011, including incidents in which individuals were beaten in Istanbul for sharing their faith, church members were threatened and church buildings attacked. None of the attackers has been charged.
Pray: for Christians in Turkey that God would protect them from discrimination and spiritual attacks. (Ps.86:14)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/turkish.christians.still.experiencing.discrimination/29341.htm
Turkish Christians still experiencing discrimination
Compass Direct News (CDN) is reporting that despite some promising developments, Christians in Turkey continue to suffer attacks from private citizens, discrimination by lower-level government officials and vilification in both school textbooks and news media, according to a study by a Protestant group. In its annual Report on Human Rights Violations, the country's Association of Protestant Churches notes mixed indicators of improvement but states that there is a ‘root of intolerance’ in Turkish society toward adherents of non-Islamic faiths. ‘The removal of this root of intolerance is an urgent problem that still awaits to be dealt with,’ the report states. ‘There is still a lot of room for improvement,’ said Mine Yildirim, a member of the legal committee for the association. The report documented 12 attacks against Christians in 2011, including incidents in which individuals were beaten in Istanbul for sharing their faith, church members were threatened and church buildings attacked. None of the attackers has been charged.
Pray: for Christians in Turkey that God would protect them from discrimination and spiritual attacks. (Ps.86:14)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/turkish.christians.still.experiencing.discrimination/29341.htm
Report from Cry Hollywood
It is amazing to think that this time last week thousands of us were gathered together at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City lifting up the name of Jesus. The unity, love, faith, passion and power that everyone walked in was awesome! Thank you again. We will never be the same. Since last Thursday, testimonies of how lives were shifted and hearts transformed have been pouring in. We are so thankful.
A PROPHECY ABOUT COMING RAIN:
The week before TheCRY, we had 2 prophecies given to us saying that there would be rain after TheCRY Hollywood and that this would be a sign that God had heard the prayers and that the land was being cleansed. When we opened the curtains on Friday morning we were greeted with, you guessed it, rain! Our team could not remember a day since January that it rained like this. Shortly there after reports came of flash flood warnings in the area as well. It seems God was giving tangible sign that He had heard our prayers. And should we be surprised, He promised He would (Mt. 18:19), and we are so full of faith as we look to the next months and years to watch the answers to prayer unfold!
Please join us in continuing to keep Hollywood and this sphere in prayer. Prayer really does change everything. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? We will be sure to keep you posted on upcoming events that carry the spirit and DNA of TheCRY Hollywood. This was not a moment, it was a movement.
Children's worker forced to resign over Sunday working
A 57-year-old children's worker who was forced to resign over her desire not to work on Sundays appeared before an employment tribunal on Monday. Celestina Mba worked for over three years at the Brightwell Children's Home in Morden, a respite home for children with disabilities. She was forced to resign in 2010 after her employer chose to no longer accommodate her Christian beliefs. Her beliefs were initially respected by her employer, the London Borough of Merton, who were informed before she started the job that she would have difficulties working on a Sunday. But the Council later changed its mind and she was forced to choose between her job or her faith. Andrea Williams, Director of the Christian
Legal Centre said: ‘This is another case where we see intolerance towards the Christian faith and a lack of willingness to make accommodation for it.’
Pray: that the ruling by the employment tribunal will be reversed and justice would prevail. (Job.9:19)
