Christianity the last bastion against ‘totalitarianism’
An Austrian think tank and non-governmental organisation is warning that freedom of religious expression is ‘at risk’ in Europe from secularist intolerance on the left. Public expressions of religious belief by Christians are growing in Western Europe, the cradle of Christendom. Gudrun Kugler, a lawyer and director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe says that ‘Europe Christianity is hated because it is the last obstacle to a new vision of secularity which is so politically correct that it verges on totalitarianism. Christians are increasingly marginalized and are appearing more often in courts over matters related to faith. So I think that we are heading for a bloodless persecution.’ Dr Massimo Introvigne, of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe, said this week that European Christians are not being ‘oversensitive.’ Discrimination against Christians in Europe, he said, ‘is more subtle’ than in countries where they are outright persecuted, but it is real. Pray: for all Christians as they battle secularism and anti-Christian persecution across Europe. (Ac.4:29)
Hungary: Churches reach out to Roma
Hungary's new centre-right government has allied itself with the churches in a drive to create jobs and pull Roma (Gypsy) communities out of poverty. The BBC's Nick Thorpe reports that social work by the churches is already helping to improve the lives of Roma in eastern Hungary. The Hungarian government is due to sign a deal with the main churches to allow them to apply for state funding for educational, social and labour programmes. So for the first time, the churches can get involved in job creation. Hungary's 800,000 Roma - many of them destitute - are a priority. The government wants to get a million Hungarians back to work in the next 10 years - 200,000 to 300,000 of them Roma. Hungary's State Secretary for Social Inclusion, Zoltan Balog, is himself a Protestant pastor. ‘It will be the job of the churches to go to the communities with their own proposals,’ he says. Pray: for these initiatives by the Government and Church to help the Roma that God would bless them.
Hungary: Churches reach out to Roma
Hungary's new centre-right government has allied itself with the churches in a drive to create jobs and pull Roma (Gypsy) communities out of poverty. The BBC's Nick Thorpe reports that social work by the churches is already helping to improve the lives of Roma in eastern Hungary. The Hungarian government is due to sign a deal with the main churches to allow them to apply for state funding for educational, social and labour programmes. So for the first time, the churches can get involved in job creation. Hungary's 800,000 Roma - many of them destitute - are a priority. The government wants to get a million Hungarians back to work in the next 10 years - 200,000 to 300,000 of them Roma. Hungary's State Secretary for Social Inclusion, Zoltan Balog, is himself a Protestant pastor. ‘It will be the job of the churches to go to the communities with their own proposals,’ he says. Pray: for these initiatives by the Government and Church to help the Roma that God would bless them.
SOUTH SUDAN—Announcing the Birth of a Nation
Sudan Support Network (www.givengain.com) reports:
It's final and it's true. The amazing referendum results announced this Sunday in Khartoum. There is a host of reasons to praise God related to the referendum. To just think of some of these:
• The high percentage vote of the registered voters.
• The incredibly high percentage vote in favor of secession.
• The ABSOLUTE zero number of legal complaints about the referendum process and results.
• The degree of acceptance that the referendum was in essence free and fair by the Khartoum government and the high level of support of that from the people in North Sudan.
• The almost lack of news coming out of Sudan, indicating the global acceptance of developments in Sudan.
• The high level of commitment by the people of Southern Sudan to move towards declaring independence on 9 July 2011.
• The mature leadership of the Southern Sudanese Government in seeing the referendum through from start to finish.
• The apparent high levels of commitment from both the Governments of North and South Sudan to cooperate on transition to the new dispensation.
• The high level to which this is and was a bloodless transition. This was THE key prayer focus in the build-up to the referendum. It reminds a lot of the miraculous peaceful transition to a democratic state in South Africa in 1994.
• The extent to which God has answered prayers for the referendum.
The way has been opened for the people of Southern Sudan to declare their independence in July this year.
Besides joining in with all the praises listed above, please pray:
1. For the new South Sudan President Salva Kiir that God would give him servant’s heart, great wisdom and discernment, and success in building up South Sudan.
2. That post-referendum arrangements regarding the sharing of oil revenues, demarcation of borders, and the status of the border region of Abyei will be resolved fairly and amicably.
3. That both North and South Sudan will have a good relationship and never to become enemies.
4. For Christians to know the freedom of worshiping God without fear for their lives.
