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In the News

  • Telegraph: Church backs sex education as senior bishop says sexualisation of children means they can no longer be 'shielded'
    March 1st, 2017

    The Church of England has backed sex education in schools, as one of its senior bishops and leading authority on education has said that the sexualisation of children means they can no longer be "shielded".

    The Bishop of Ely, the Rt Revd Stephen Conway the Church of England's lead on education, has urged Christians to move with the times and accept that "what might have held in previous eras" is no longer the most effective way of keeping our children safe and preparing them for life in the modern world.

    He said that while it is "only natural" to want to "shield children as long as we possibly can”, but added that parents must not ignore the reality that “even primary school children are becoming exposed to online pornography".

    Read more.

  • Guardian: Sex education to be made compulsory in secondary schools
    March 1st, 2017

    Children will be taught about healthy adult relationships from the age of four, with sex education made compulsory in all secondary schools, though faith schools will still be allowed to teach "in accordance with the tenets of their faith", the government has announced.

    Politicians and charities welcomed the radical overhaul of sex and relationship education but some secular campaigners expressed concern about the opt-outs that could be available for faith schools, saying the government needed to ensure some pupils were not left vulnerable.

    MPs across all parties had lobbied for the change, calling the previous guidance published in 2000 hopelessly inadequate for a modern world in which children can be exposed to pornography, online grooming and abuse at the touch of a button and at an increasingly young age.

    Read more.

  • BBC: 'Why compulsory sex education is important to faith schools and LGBTQ pupils'
    March 1st, 2017

    The rise in internet porn and sexting has prompted the government to make sex education compulsory in England's schools.

    Campaigners are celebrating the ruling, saying giving more children access to sex and relationship information from an early age will be beneficial.

    It means faith schools, where sex education has previously been limited, will now teach pupils about sex.

    Read more.

  • Life News: 40 days for pro-life prayer campaign starts in 344 communities around the world
    March 1st, 2017

    As 40 Days for Life enters its tenth year, a new 40-day campaign of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion begins today in 344 communities around the world, as Christians pray outside abortion centers, Planned Parenthood offices, and other public sites. This is the largest spring campaign thus far for this mission.

    "Of particular note is the fact that some 134 of these peaceful prayer vigils will be taking place in front of Planned Parenthood facilities in the United States," said 40 Days for Life president Shawn Carney. "Planned Parenthood’s brand is at an all-time low and 2017 is not shaping up to be a good year for the abortion giant and its CEO, Cecile Richards."

    In a recent interview, Richards indicated that because of the changing political climate in the United States, her organization is preparing for the worst-case scenario. She has also referred to those who participate in public pro-life activities as "extremists."

  • Telegraph: Islam will be largest religion in the world by 2070, says report
    March 1st, 2017

    Islam is the only religion growing faster than the world's population, and it will be the largest in the world by 2070, research has found.

    US-based Pew Research Centre analysed demographic change among the world's major religions and found that the world's population of Muslims will grow by 73 per cent between 2010 and 2050, compared to 35 per cent for Christians, the next fastest-growing faith.

    The world's population will grow by 37 per cent over the same period. If those rates of growth continue past 2050, Muslims will outnumber Christians by 2070, the report found.

    Read more. 

  • Life News: Groundbreaking genetic test could lead to killing more girls in abortions
    March 1st, 2017

    New genetic tests that allow women to learn the sex of their baby early in pregnancy could lead to more targeting of girls for abortions, a London bioethics organization reported this week.

    The blood test, known as non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), is performed around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy, and can detect the unborn child's sex and certain genetic disorders, RT reports. The tests are highly accurate and less risky and invasive than amniocentesis, according to the report.

    Growing use of NIPT led the London-based Nuffield Council on Bioethics to explore potential problems with the testing. The council’s report, released Wednesday, urges the British government to set certain restrictions on the testing to help prevent discrimination.

    Read more.

  • Christian Today: Fresh battle over abortion decriminalisation looms in Parliament
    March 1st, 2017

    A fresh battle over abortion is looming in Parliament with an attempt to decriminalise abortions completely.

    Labour MP Diana Johnson's bill looks to go further than the 1967 Abortion Act and will be heard for the first time as a 10-minute rule bill on March 13. Johnson insisted the law would not remove current restrictions on terminations such as the 24-week gestation limit.

    She told Christian Today: 'My 10 Minute Rule Bill is seeking to decriminalise the law on abortion applying to women and doctors. The law covering abortion relates back to the 1861 Offences Against the Persons Act, which is over a hundred and fifty years old and means that England and Wales has some of the harshest criminal sanctions in Europe connected to abortion.

    Read more.

  • Denny Burk: "Beauty and the Beast" to feature an "exclusively gay moment"
    March 1st, 2017

    If you and your children enjoyed Disney's live-action version of Cinderella, perhaps you have been looking forward to the March 17 release of the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, news has leaked that might temper that enthusiasm.

    The director of Beauty and the Beast, Bill Condon, has told a British publication that the new movie will contain an "exclusively gay moment." According to Condon, Gaston's sidekick LeFou will be involved in a subplot in which he is wrestling with his sexuality.

    Read more.

  • Archbishop Cranmer: As Theresa May preaches freedom to proclaim faith in Christ, street preachers are convicted of a public order offence
    March 1st, 2017

    "How refreshing to hear a Prime Minister talk about their Christian faith, and sound like they mean it," writes Tim Stanley in the Telegraph. He continues:

    At a Downing Street reception for religious leaders on Tuesday, Theresa May said that people must feel able "to speak about their faith, and that absolutely includes their faith in Christ."

    "Faith in Christ?" I took an involuntary breath. Did you mean to say that Prime Minister? It sounds so, well, faithy.

    Read more.

  • Premier: Convicted preacher vows to return to the streets
    March 1st, 2017

    An evangelist has vowed to return to the streets, one day after being convicted of public order offences in Bristol.

    In an exclusive interview with Premier, Mike Overd also suggested the Crown Prosecution Service is persecuting believers.

    He told Premier's News Hour: "I'm, God willing, out this week and will continue to do so until he calls me home or raptures me."

    Read more.