Bear the load together’ says Archbishop
‘The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas sermon to call on rich and poor alike to share in the hardships brought on by the financial crisis and cuts in public spending. Reflecting on the mutual dependence of humans, Dr Rowan Williams urged people not to give in to the temptation of abandoning others to suffering, whilst they secure their own safety. ‘Faced with the hardship that quite clearly lies ahead for so many in the wake of the financial crisis and public spending cuts, how far are we able to sustain a living sense of loyalty to each other, a real willingness to bear the load together?’ he said. ‘How eager are we to find some spot where we feel safe from the pressures that are crippling and terrifying others? ‘As has more than once been said, we can and will as a society bear hardship if we are confident that it is being fairly shared.’
Pray: for a sense of fairness and justice throughout all levels of our society as we face financial cutbacks. (Am.5:24)
Legal system discriminates against Christians
The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, warned that the death of ‘religious literacy’ among those who made and administered the law had created an imbalance in the way in which those with faith were treated compared to sexual minorities. Highlighting the case of Gary McFarlane, a relationship counsellor who was sacked by Relate for refusing to give sex therapy to a homosexual couple, he said that the judiciary now went out of its way to protect the rights of minorities. At the same time, for the first time in British history politicians and judges were largely ignorant of religion and so failed to appreciate the importance Christians placed on abiding by the scriptures rather than the politically correct values of the secular state. The Bishop’s concerns were underlined by Lord Woolf, a former Lord Chief Justice, who agreed that in some legal cases the balance had gone ‘too far’ in tipping away from Christians.
Pray: that lawmakers and enforcers will ensure that fairness and balance between political correctness and Christian beliefs will be restored. (Pr.16:11)
Human rights and Christian values
Christian assemblies in schools could be scrapped if campaigning atheists and teachers get their way. According to the National Secular Society, a legal requirement for pupils to take part in a daily act of collective worship ‘of a broadly Christian character’ discriminates against young atheists and non-Christians, and infringes human rights. The Association of School and College Leaders has also suggested assemblies should end, and the British Humanist Association is campaigning on the subject. But the most direct attack on religious assemblies, which represents yet another assault on Britain’s historic Christian values, has come in a letter to Education Secretary Michael Gove from Keith Porteous, executive director of the National Secular Society. This week, former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf joined the Bishop of Winchester in saying the Bench had gone ‘too far’ in curbing the rights of Christians to demonstrate their faith at work. (See story above)
Pray: that human rights would not be used to attack this nation's Christian values. (2Ch.20:12)
Education report debunks secular neutrality myth
Secularism isn’t a neutral force in education and it attempts to exclude faith from the classroom risk of anti-religious indoctrination, according to a new report by a professor of education. Prof Trevor Cooling’s report, entitled Doing God in Education, also criticised opponents who claim that faith schools shouldn’t be able to consider religious criteria when selecting pupils. The report, published by the theology think-tank Theos, argues that all education is value driven and shaped by school leaders. It cautions: ‘The objection to so-called neutral approaches, then, is that they privilege secular worldviews and are in danger of implicit anti-religious indoctrination. ‘They are not, in other words, neutral.’ Commenting on the report Paul Woolley, the think-tank’s director, said: ‘The idea that education is religiously neutral or objective is indefensible. ‘Teaching is shaped by our understanding of which virtues we should practise, what qualities we should value, ultimately of what kind of people we should be.’
Pray: for the value of good religious education to be recognised and its place in the school curriculum to be ensured. (Ti.1:13)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/education-report-debunks-secular-neutrality-myth/
