AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* BRITAIN BECOMING POST CHRISTIAN

* ISLAMIC GUNMEN KILL CHRISTIAN AID WORKERS IN PAKISTAN

* WOMAN CONCEIVED IN RAPE TAKES MESSAGE TO THE UNITED NATIONS

* KOREAN BABY DIES AS PARENTS RAISE VIRTUAL BABY INSTEAD

* EXTRA SMALL CONDOMS FOR 12 YEAR OLD BOYS GO ON SALE IN SWITZERLAND

* MOROCCO: 33 CHILDREN FORCIBLY ABANDONED AS CHRISTIAN ORPHANAGE CLOSED

* ASK ANYTHING SUNDAY NIGHT MEETINGS ADDRESS SENSITIVE SPIRITUAL ISSUES

* FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY EXHORTS CHRISTIANS TO STAND FOR THEIR FAITH

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BRITAIN BECOMING POST CHRISTIAN

According to the National Centre for Social Research, the number of people in Britain describing themselves as Christian has fallen by 16 percent in the last 25 years, says Jenna Lyle writing for Nat Cen, Britain’s leading independent social research institute. It’s work covers all areas of social policy which aims for a society better informed through high quality research. The survey of more than 4,000 people across Britain found that the number of people describing themselves as Christian has dropped in the last 25 years from 66 per cent to 50 per cent.

NatCen said the drop was due largely to the steady decline in numbers belonging to the Church of England, with only 23 percent of those surveyed describing themselves as Anglican today in comparison to 40 percent in 1983. “Half of those who described themselves as Anglican said they never attended church at all and less than one fifth said they attended church once a month,” Lyle reports. Non-Christian faiths have seen a small increase in affiliation, from two percent to seven percent. Immigration growth amongst ethnic minorities had contributed to the growth.

The number of Britons saying that they do not belong to any particular faith rose from 31 percent in 1983 to 43 percent today. Lyle writes that NatCen also conducted the survey in the US, where it found ties to religious faith to be far stronger than in Britain. Sixty-one percent of Americans said they had ‘no doubt’ that God exists, compared with just 17 per cent in Britain, while 37 percent of Britons described themselves as atheist or agnostic, compared with only eight percent in the US.

While 70 percent of Americans said they adhere to a particular religion, believe in God and attend religious services, just 26 percent in Britain said the same. Lyle said that the survey also identified what it called the ‘fuzzy faithful — those who identify with a religion, believe in God or attend services, but not all three. In the US, fuzzy faithfuls make up 24 percent of the population, compared with 36 percent in Britain. In Britain, 73 percent of those surveyed felt people with strong religious beliefs were often too intolerant of others, compared with 66 percent in the US.

In spite of the decline in people identifying with the church in Britain, 79 percent in Britain and 95 percent in the US still think religious faith provides comfort in times of trouble. The separation of Church and state is favoured by 67 percent in Britain and 66 percent in the US. Professor David Voas, who analysed the survey data, said: “Americans and Britons are surprisingly similar in many of their attitudes. “Most people believe religion has personal and social benefits, but faith should not be taken too far. Many domains are seen as off limits to clerical involvement.”

Source: Assist News

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ISLAMIC GUNMEN KILL CHRISTIAN AID WORKERS IN PAKISTAN

Suspected Islamic militants armed with guns and grenades stormed the offices of a Christian relief and development organization in northwest Pakistan on March 10, killing six aid workers and wounding seven others. The gunmen besieged the offices of international humanitarian organization World Vision in the North West Frontier Province. Police and World Vision’s regional spokesman said the Pakistani staff members, including two women, were killed after up to 15 gunmen arrived in pick-up trucks and began firing.

“They gathered all of us in one room,” World Vision administration officer Mohammad Sajid.” said. “The gunmen, also snatched our mobile phones. They dragged people one by one into an adjacent room and shot them.” Rienk van Velzen, World Vision’s communications director, said from the Netherlands that all staff members in the office were Pakistanis. He said one is missing. World Vision has been operating in the area since 2005, when aid workers flooded in after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless.

“Police rushed to the area after receiving information about the attack, but the attackers managed to flee into the hills,” senior police officer Waqar Ahmed said. “We chased them, there was an exchange of fire, but the gunmen escaped into the mountains.” Ahmed blamed the attack on “the same people who are destroying our schools”, a reference to Taliban militants opposed to co-education who have blown up hundreds of schools across the northwest in the past three years. “Now they want to disturb relief work in quake-hit areas,” Ahmed said.

World Vision’s website says the aid group is “inspired by our Christian values” but does not proselytize or predicate aid on a person’s faith. Foreign targets are rarely attacked directly in Pakistan, despite the chronic insecurity. Pakistan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war on Al Qaeda and the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan. A wave of suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan has killed more than 3,000 people since 2007. Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants bitterly opposed to the alliance with the United States have been blamed for the attacks.

The UN decided last year to relocate a number of its international staff from Pakistan because of security concerns. The UN’s World Food Program office in Islamabad was attacked in October last year, with five aid workers killed in a suicide bombing. Then on February 3rd, a bomb attack in the NWFP district of Lower Dir killed three U.S. soldiers and five other people at the opening of a school just rebuilt with Western funding after an Islamist attack. The bodies of local tribesman whom the Taliban accuse of spying for the US are often found dumped in various locations.

Source: Compass News

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WOMAN CONCEIVED IN RAPE TAKES MESSAGE TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Juda Myers, conceived in an eight man rape, recently shared her powerful story at the United Nations Conference on the Status of Women. International speaker, singer, author and paint artist, Myers seeks to empower women with knowledge of better choices, offering life as the better choice for all involved. Her message was translated into Chinese, French, and Spanish, and distributed to all UN delegates. The meeting’s focus was to advance and empower women. While equal rights, education and health were discussed, abortion “rights” was the hot issue.

Myers’ argument for life was powerfully moving and for some life changing. Speaking at Harvard University in October 2009 with Harvard’s largest pro life attendance in years, Myers’ witnessed brilliant minds turn from the acceptance of abortion in any case to the reality of the gift of life. She speaks to all people from within the walls of prisons to the halls of the United Nations. “One can count the seeds in an apple but not the apples in a seed.” Myers says referring to future generations that may be lost to abortions.

Placed for adoption at birth, she found her birthmother, Ann, four years ago. Bursting into tears Myers’ mother quickly patted her, “Honey stop your crying. I’ve forgiven those men. Look what God’s done. He’s brought you back to me. God is faithful.” Myers’ passion for people compels her to help others find joy in life. She’s found that many women who are raped are usually talked into an abortion. Myers’ own grandmother insisted she be aborted. Ann refused. Today Ann has no regrets, but it isn’t the case for so many who have aborted rape babies.

Myers does training on forgiveness at conferences believing anyone can forgive any offence to gain health and happiness. She speaks on life, incorporating her original songs from her CD, God is Faithful. One song on the CD, called War Cry, challenges the listener to “love your enemy.” Her new book, ‘Hostile conception living with purpose,’ along with her story, also offers practical steps to forgiveness with an entire chapter with stories of many other people who forgave horrific offences.

Source: Christian Newswire

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KOREAN BABY DIES AS PARENTS RAISE VIRTUAL BABY INSTEAD

A couple addicted to computer games let their real baby starve to death while raising a virtual daughter online. Police said the couple spent up to 12 hours a day at internet cafes, leaving their three-month-old daughter home alone at their apartment in Suwon, South Korea. Police said the couple became obsessed with living online and neglected their real lives. They raised an avatar baby through their profiles on a Second Life-style game called PRIUS, while their real daughter was given just one bottle of milk a day.

Father Kim Yoo-chul, 41, and mom Choi Mi-sun, 25, called the emergency services when they returned from one online session in September last year and found their daughter dead. “We found she had passed away when we woke up in the morning,” they said. But cops became suspicious about how severely dehydrated the baby was. A spokesman for the National Scientific Criminal and Investigation Laboratory, which carried out an autopsy on the girl, said, “she appears to have starved to death because she was not fed for such a long period of time.”

The girl was initially well cared for by her grandmother but her health deteriorated after she moved back in with her parents. Police tried to arrest the parents but they disappeared after the baby’s funeral. Authorities caught up with them and charged them with child abuse and neglect. The couple told police of their guilt after their arrests. “Due to our guilt, we have not been to a PC room for five months,” they said. Online games are very popular in South Korea. A man dropped dead recently after playing his favourite game for 50 hours non-stop without eating or drinking.

Source: Intercessors Network

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EXTRA SMALL CONDOMS FOR 12 YEAR OLD BOYS GO ON SALE IN SWITZERLAND

Called the Hotshot, a small sized condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to 14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex. The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20. It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s. Family planning groups and the Swiss Aids Federation campaigned to have the Hotshot produced after the results of the government research were published.

Nancy Bodmer, who headed the research, said: “The results showed us that young boys were displaying risky sexual behaviour. They have a tendency not to protect themselves as they do not have very developed sexual knowledge. They do not understand the consequences of what they are doing and leave the young girls to take care of the consequences. In 1999, the government pledged to halve the teenage conception rate within 10 years. But data shows it has clearly failed to make any significant impact.

Source: Intercessors Network

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MOROCCO: 33 CHILDREN FORCIBLY ABANDONED AS CHRISTIAN ORPHANAGE CLOSED

The Village of Hope orphanage in Morocco, has been closed by government authorities. The 20 expatriates that ran the orphanage were told to leave the country within three days. The reason given by officials is that the staff had been proselytizing the children to Christianity. The orphanage has been operating for 10 years, taking in children abandoned by their parents and society. Thirty three children lived there, some since its founding in 2000. Without Voice of Hope, the future for these children is grim : life on the streets or one of the government “mega” orphanages.

The closure came without warning. “We have always been open about our faith to the authorities,” said Chris Broadbent, Human Resources Manager for Voice of Hope. “Watching the children be told by their foster parents that they had to leave, that they would maybe never see them again, is the most painful thing I have ever witnessed.” This is the latest in similar actions by the Moroccan government. Last month authorities raided a Christian meeting arresting 18 and deporting the lone foreigner. Since then 5 other foreign Christian workers have also been expelled.

Source: Intercessors Network

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ASK ANYTHING SUNDAY NIGHT MEETINGS ADDRESS SENSITIVE SPIRITUAL ISSUES

Realizing that it’s easier to avoid certain subjects than to discuss them openly, Mars Hill Church in America has decided to broach the sometimes difficult spiritual questions people have by offering an experimental, completely spontaneous Sunday evening service called “Ask Anything.” During the “Ask Anything” meeting, where no children are allowed, Pastor Mark Driscoll gives unscripted answers to text-messaged questions from the audience “not typically addressed in the Church.”

The attendees (mostly young singles) ask questions on issues such as birth control, other religions, relationships etc. For example, when asked how Christians view abortion in the instance of rape, former pro-choice advocate Driscoll said simply that abortion is a”sin.” He also reportedly advised the audience not to argue with him on the issue but rather to “turn to Jesus” for His answer. Driscoll followed up his response on the abortion question by offering to pray for God’s comfort and give counsel to any woman facing that dilemma that night.

Source: Christian Post

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FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY EXHORTS CHRISTIANS TO STAND FOR THEIR FAITH

“Pressure is building against Christians in Britain” according to former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, who says that Christianity is being bullied out of public life in the name of political correctness. “No politician is expressing concern that Britain should remain a Christian country,” said Carey. “That is a scandal and a disgrace to our history. Christianity, has given so much to our country, yet is being sidelined as though it is a stranger to our nation. We must stand up against the marginalizing of faith. We must constantly remind society of it’s Christian roots and heritage.”

Source: The Daily Mail

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