Society & Politics
A selection of the week's happenings for your prayers.
Society & Politics
- Court reverses decision on pregnant disabled woman: After a pro-abortion judge ruled that a forced abortion was in the best interests of a mentally disabled woman, provoking public outcry, a three-judge appeal panel reversed the decision. Read more here.
- ‘RSE Authentic’ project launched: A new website providing faith schools with relationships and sex education resources that reflect traditional values has launched. Find out more at https://rseauthentic.uk/.
- No-fault divorce progresses to committee stage: Despite its own consultation revealing strong opposition from the public, Westminster is pushing ahead with no-fault divorce, described as ‘the most anti-family legislation since the introduction of same-sex marriage’. Read more here. In Scotland, MSPs have postponed a revision of gender equality laws after a consultation raised concerns about the potential impact on vulnerable women. Read more here.
- Medics to be polled on assisted suicide: Both the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association will consult their memberships on possibly changing their official stance on the issue from ‘opposed’ to ‘neutral’. Read more here.
- Christian GP investigated for sharing faith: A Christian GP from Kent faces investigation after the National Secular Society brought a complaint about him sharing his faith with patients to the General Medical Council. Read more here.
Church Issues
- Three London churches attacked: In the space of one week, churches in Stratford, Leystone and West Ham were subjected to arson attacks and satanic graffiti. Police suspect that the same person is behind all three attacks. Read more here.
World Scene
- Tens of thousands hear the Gospel in Spain: With some 48,000 gathering last Saturday alone, a weekend festival in Madrid organised by evangelist Luis Palau declared the Good News loudly on the streets of Spain’s capital. Read more here. Also this week, the 27th March for Jesus in Sao Paulo, Brazil drew 3 million evangelicals together to share the Gospel. Read more here.
- Israel Folau’s new fundraising page goes viral: After GoFundMe hijacked the Christian rugby player’s effort to crowdfund the costs of his court case against Rugby Australia, a new fundraising page quickly raised the full amount. Read more here.
- US/Russia/Israel summit yields mixed results: At the trilateral Jerusalem conference on Iran’s presence in Syria, Russia used its platform to defend Iran while acknowledging Israel’s security interests. Read more here. Also this week, Russia and the US prepare to flex their military muscles in Eastern Europe, amid tensions over both Iran and NATO. Read more here and here.
Israel & Middle East
- ‘Deal of the century’ revealed: In Bahrain, the Trump administration has unveiled its offer of $50 billion infrastructural investment over ten years, intended to stimulate the economies of the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon ahead of any future peace agreement with Israel. Read more here. Palestinians have responded by rejecting the deal and rioting. In the same week, testimonies about Palestinians tortured by the PA have been presented to the International Criminal Court. Read more here.
- Iran plans to withdraw from nuclear agreement: Citing European ‘insolence’ in expecting continued compliance with the deal after the US’s withdrawal, Iranian officials have announced their intention to renege on their commitment too. Read more here. After reportedly coming close to military retaliation after a US drone was downed by Iran last week in international airspace, the US has instead hit back with more sanctions, aiming particularly at Iran’s ruling elite.
Events / Job Opportunities
- Peterloo commemoration service (Sunday 7 July, Manchester): Manchester Cathedral, 2-4pm. A service to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre. Free. Find out more here. In conjunction with the Movement for Justice and Reconciliation.
- International Christian Consulate touring churches (15-21 July): The ICC will be sharing with churches and groups about God’s work amongst persecuted Christian refugees and asylum-seekers in Greece. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an opportunity to connect, learn and get involved. Find out more about the ICC here.
- Jews for Jesus seek church relations officer: The Messianic mission group are seeking someone to build on existing church partnerships and help establish new ones. Part or full time, from home. Find out more here.
Recommended Sources
At Prophecy Today UK we are aware that the world is moving very quickly and it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments – especially when the material circulated by our mainstream media is increasingly far from reality and definitely not devoted to a biblical perspective!
Though we are not a news service, we want to help keep you informed by passing on updates and reports as we are led. This will be a selective, not an exhaustive, round-up, which we hope will be helpful for your prayers. Click here to browse our News archive.
We recommend the following news services for regular updates from a Christian perspective:
- Christian Concern (UK)
- Christian Institute (UK)
- JNN News (Barry and Batya Segal, Israel)
- Worthy News (Israel)
- Family Watch International
- Barnabas Fund
- Kehila News (Israel)
For regular news briefings about Israel, the Jewish News Syndicate is also recommended.
