Put Morality First
Writing a New Year message in Yorkshire Post, The Archbishop of York said that morality must come first. He said, ‘I am not one for unattainable New Year’s Resolutions. They can only be temporary fixes, based on blind optimism rather than on what is sustainable.... after a few days the promises are broken. Personal good intentions and national well-being should go together. A strong society needs decent ideals, too. We need strong morals and a shared purpose which is grounded in more than what is on the bottom line of a balance sheet in Whitehall. If we want to build a strong country, we need to ensure the foundations are solid. Candidates for election should ‘put morality ahead of politics, science, and economics’ and that ‘the only genuine core of all our actions – if they are to be moral – is responsibility......Our country was built on Christian faith and morals, and we should not only be grateful for this, but also celebrate this fact.’
Pray: for a reclaiming of Christian morality by a society that finds itself victim of amoral greed and violence. (Ps.25:9)
More: http://www.archbishopofyork.org/articles.php/2307/archbishops-new-year-message
Staggering abortion rate among UK's teenagers
Data released by a European research group has revealed how European countries compare with respect to teen abortion rates and the findings have placed the UK under fire. The UK had the second highest teen abortion rates at a rate of 22.1 per cent, and it has also been reported that a quarter of all abortions in the UK are from teenagers, according to Mail Online. Interestingly, Greece, which shares similar abortion laws to the UK, had the lowest teen abortion rates with a rate of only 4.1 per cent. Trevor Stammers, a lecturer in medical ethics and former chairman of the Christian Medical Fellowship, slammed the UK for its high teen abortion rates. He said that the privatisation of abortion surgery has become a large moneymaking industry, and suggested that some teens are often encouraged to opt for the controversial elective surgery to generate revenue.
Pray: for God’s guidance as we seek solutions to the alarmingly high rate of teenage abortions. (Je.42:3)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/staggering.abortion.rate.among.uks.teenagers/29111.htm
Fall in number of Christians in Britain
The number of people describing themselves as Christians has dropped 10% in England and Wales over the last five years. In 2005, 77% of the population said they were Christian, but according to the Citizenship Survey published this week, that figure fell to 70% in 2010. The government-commissioned survey looked at the views of more than 10,300 adults. In the same period, the number of people saying they have no religion rose by 6%, from 15% in 2005 to 21% in 2010. Christians were also far less likely to practise their religion than those of other faiths. Those most likely to practise their religion were Muslims. Despite the fall in people affiliating themselves with Christianity, those who do are more committed, with an increase in the number of Christians saying they go to church regularly, from 31 per cent in 2005 to 33 per cent in 2010.
Pray: for the Holy Spirit to move among the people revealing the light that brings life. (1Jn.1:1-7)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/fall.in.number.of.christians.in.britain/29082.htm
Archbishop warns of broken bonds and abused trust
Preaching the Christmas Day sermon at Canterbury Cathedral Dr.Rowan Williams said the need to learn lessons had been made important by the riots and banking crisis. The most pressing question facing Britain is ‘who and where we are as a society, because bonds have been broken, trust abused and lost.’ In contrast to the fragmenting society, the Archbishop went on to say, ‘the language of the Book of Common Prayer offers society the means of binding together our obligations to God and to one another, in a dense interweaving of love and duty joyfully performed’. Adding, ‘We’re much the poorer for forgetting it and pushing it to the margins as much as we often do in the Church.’
Pray: that in 2012 the church would be more visible, prodigals would return and Christian teaching would be acted upon by those inside and outside the church. (2Cor.3:12)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/archbishop.warns.of.broken.bonds.and.abused.trust/29085.htm
