Tag Archives: #Free-speech

Updates: the ex-Culture Secretary – the British Library

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Maria Miller – no longer employed

For readers overseas unaware of UK news, Mrs Maria Miller resigned yesterday as Secretary of State in David Cameron’s coalition government. On Tuesday, the date of my posting, mainstream media were in manic-mode. Not taking time to do other than glance at headlines I noted some speculated that senior Tories wanted her out because of her role in redefining marriage.

Most of the anger was from voters over Parliament allowing MP’s to feather their own nest. Also many in government were ‘getting it’, even if Dave couldn’t. Today’s Times reports the Chancellor George Osborn led the revolt against the PM’s insisting that his Secretary of State should not go.

Too many ‘talking-heads’ spouted tosh about the issue but the simple scriptural fact of mocking God remains, as I’d pointed out on Tuesday. I’d already gone into depth at the close of 2012 on the grounds for questioning his poor judgement in deciding to change marriage (here).

Later, in Something good… I expressed concern over the personal responsibility the PM and his Secretary had both assumed in going against the holy foundations of marriage. It is there, at his position, where ‘the buck stops’ for what’s happened on his watch. If you’re interested, Peter Oborn, Telegraph’s chief political commentator offers some constructive points upon the PM’s paying the price for a grievous lapse of judgement, as here.

Will that price mean following in Mrs Miller’s footsteps?

Daniel Pipes – no longer banned

Further to one of his readers finding the British Library had blocked online access to his  websites, Daniel and a number of his subscribers contacted the Library direct.

He is pleased to report that their office admitted their mistake and promptly corrected it. They advised him this situation had occurred as a result of a software blocking facility, but he’s pursuing the matter further because it allows access to terrorist jihadi sites.

For details see No longer banned in The British Library.

Freedom of the Press? Not in the British Library!

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Provocative ‘coincidence’ post – done and published.

Next please…my email’s in-tray emits ‘ping’ and I find this has arrived from historian and analytical commentator Daniel Pipes: Banned in the British Library!

In concluding the previous post about Maria Miller’s purported misdemeanours I closed with reference to threats to the freedom of the press. Dan Hodges’ article concludes, with my emphasis:

‘Yet it is still untenable for Maria Miller to continue in her role as Culture Secretary. For the very simple reason that she had legitimate questions to answer about her conduct, and tried to stop those questions being asked. More specifically, she tried to prevent questions being asked by evoking the spectre of the Leveson Report at precisely the moment she had ministerial responsibility for crafting the legislation arising from it. In other words, at the same time as she was exercising her duties as Culture Secretary, she was simultaneously using her ministerial position to try to deflect a legitimate newspaper investigation into her own personal affairs. It’s hard to think of a more blatant conflict of interest. Which is why she has to go…

‘When the Leveson Report was published, its supporters challenged the press to point to any legitimate news story that would be threatened by implementation of its recommendations. Maria Miller, unwittingly, has provided the answer.’

So it’s rather peculiar to say the least that the very next item to catch my attention is on a related subject – censorship: the suppression of free information in Britain and in that revered depository of literary and historical knowledge, The British Library.

Daniel PipesReaders will be familiar with my quoting articles by Daniel Pipes because he is a sound analyst and widely recognised authority on the history of the Middle East. His well-balance reports on the Middle East may be discovered by any person of a reasonable mind and intellect upon perusing his Middle East Forum.

Evidently, the British Library believes he is dangerous!!

Read about this suppression of freedom of the Press in his National Review Online article, Banned in the British Library.

UPDATED 10 APR > Ban has been lifted

Further Reading:

  • Leveson Inquiry – a judicial public inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the Press in Britain, with Report published in November 2012

Something good in UK’s ‘marriage’ Act for Christians?

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Nero_1The coffee-time conversation with Steve continues. Nina and Simone catch up with us on our way to the cafe’s bar for fresh, full mugs and hear Steve exclaim,

“What! What on earth’s good for believers about the ssm Bill?”  The startled looks our wives dart at each other convey;  “What on earth have our men been talking about?”

Back in our secluded corner, Steve summarises our conversation and he’s ‘champing at the bit’ to take charge. I want to steer it another way but Simone beats us to ‘the off’.  As a solicitor she brings a fresh view.:

Legal eagles’ views

“How the Bill was rushed through and given royal assent clearly smacks of censorship in a totalitarian state. A barrister and senior lecturer at the University of London wrote a splendid professional paper quite relevant to this issue. David McIlroy explains why a democracy’s legal system can’t have a morally neutral playing field. I noted his opinion that,

A public square from which religious influences are excluded is not a neutral public square. It is a public square in which all influences bar the secularist ones have been censored.  That is not a public square in which everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s views are respected, it is a public square in which religious voices are silenced and anti-religious views are imposed.  This is not a tolerant society, it is a tyrannous society.

“What he also says about the double-importance in a Christian society of how the Last Judgement affects the law is especially interesting…I recall bits like:

…It means today’s rulers are understood, and (should) understand themselves, to be answerable  to a higher authority in their actions. They know they will be judged for how they exercised their power and this accountability is the foundation of accountability to the people.

…citizens know the ultimate judge isn’t the government but almighty God, and this contributes hugely to human freedom.

“It’s an exciting summary of how Christianity has provided a sound basis for secular law..”

“I know, Simone, I’ve got a copy thanks to a fellow blogger – an excellent document! And I wrote about examples of creeping tyranny back in 2009!”  [See 1 & 14 below]

“Also Richard, contrary to what you said about Archbishop Welby and bishops being overwhelmed in the House of Lords, the barrister who founded Christian Legal Centre issued them a written challenge over his version of events and concluded:

I am surprised that the Church of England appears to be vacating the public square when it comes to the issue of marriage. Given the rich teaching of Scripture and strong tradition of marriage, this is something that the CofE should be able to comment on clearly, intelligently and winsomely. Marriage is something to be celebrated, promoted and, at this time, preserved. At a time when the nation needs to hear a prophetic voice on marriage, the CofE’s message is sadly mixed and, as a result, unclear.

“The account of her corresponding with him and CoE’s response laments their inability to copy the politicians’ action in ensuring full attendance for voting.” [2]

Raising my finger, “I like her bit on ‘prophetic voice’ as I was struck by the sharp contrast between the Telegraph’s report on Welby’s ‘cop-out’ and what Sharon Stone taught and did [3] – the first started my morning and the second closed it in a much Godlier way!

“Also, in one of many debates on that other blog I pointed out that wise leaders would wait and watch what happens to other countries before foisting it on the British public. It’s opening Pandora’s Box – next will come legal recognition of bigamy, bestiality and paedophilia, as in the customs that defiled ancient Canaan which God spoke against when Hebrews took it over as the land ‘vomited out its inhabitants’.”

“I’ve read John McTernan’s excellent teaching on those socially sanctioned practices,” . adds Simone. “I said to Stan to read too” nodding at her husband. [4]

Nina expresses her deep concern over Her Majesty giving assent to the Bill in view of her Coronation oath “to maintain the laws of God and profession of the Gospel”.

My long spoon lances a hole in the cappuccino’s thick froth as I respond, “Being a constitutional monarch, there was absolutely nothing she could have done about its passing into Law as the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.

“But from my perspective as lookout on the walls – as it were – our national leader became much more motivated to introduce the Act – come hell or high water – by President Obama during his state visit. So it’s possibly a result of that influence…”

“I’ve read,” reports Simone, “Obama is a long-standing ‘gay pride evangelist’, as can be seen in his recent call to African nations to be ‘converted’. Their righteous leaders have repudiated his overtures…on fact they’re sparked a real backlash!” [5]

“That’s so,” I add. “I’ve followed it all closely through Bill Koenig, a Christian White House journalist.  Cameron’s now copying Obama as an ‘evangelist’, which His Grace Cranmer scathingly lampoons [6]. He notes Cameron’s clearly stated intention [7]:

Only other thing I wanted to say is that I know that the job isn’t yet fully done. It is something to celebrate that Britain is now – and it’s official – the best place to be gay, lesbian or transgender anywhere in Europe. That is a great achievement. That’s not my measure; that is an inter-nationally recognised measure. But there’s still a lot more work to be done.

“God is not and will not be mocked and these national leaders are treating Him with the utmost of contempt. Unless they humble themselves, repent deeply and renounce their ways there is very little hope for their future – but God may have mercy.”

“But at least they’ve not committed the unpardonable sin,” interjects Nina, to which Steve asks, “What’s that?”

She replies, “That’s saying a work of the Holy Spirit is of Satan. In my opinion, many believers have unwittingly done that when attributing God’s presence and His work to the demonic! Some think so about a Canadian whom we know. Whilst at a church in Bath, he sensed God wanted to heal and that evening I was able to walk and dance again – I went from permanent disability to normal ability in an instant! As we all love Jesus, then that could not have been of the devil.” [8]

“Now,” I ask, “Do you want the good or the not-so-good news first? Let’s keep the best for last – after some opinions encountered in fellow believers.”

Not-so-good points

“I’ll try to be brief on what’s very unsettling to my spirit. As I don’t want to have a closed mind on this issue I’d monitored Gillan Scott’s several well-balanced posts on the topic, to which some readers gave a window upon the state of their souls.

“Whatever gay folk say and do they’re no different to any believer for we’ve fallen short of the glory of God and are deeply loved by Him, otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have died for them too. So we love them too as individuals  but, as with all sin, we don’t like their sin but hate it for what it is and does in preventing their accessing the fullness of life in Christ.

“Some who claimed to be Christians, however, were not only very supportive of this anti-Biblical Bill but also muddled and confused about what scripture says – even twisting its meaning – as well as being ignorant of sin!  One pastor to the gay community even tried to explain why I’m mistaken!

“One regular pundit couldn’t understand what’s wrong with redefining marriage! We got the measure of one another when I commented: if that were correct there was no need for me to have repented of having been in the occult.”

“Just an aside and reminder,” whispered Simone, “I’d like to check the dangers of yoga as its spirit may be messing around with me.”

I continued, “My remark met a haughty, incredulous retort, ‘Upon what basis do you equate same-sex relationships with occultism, Richard? Your logic is seriously skewed, to put it mildly…!’  It was both sad and amusing because the answer was simple…so very simple.

“I parried it by alluding to the oft-quoted legal totem of ‘equality’, as well as its proper  mathematical meaning, and took precise aim: ‘Your own logic has missed the point, to put it bluntly…The basis of my equation is straightforward, namely ‘equality of sin’ (ie. ‘missing the mark’).’ We ended up agreeing to disagree.

“But there were lamentable tales of some dear folk engaged in unions they think the Lord has ok’d and then wonder why things went wrong. For example, the miscarriage of a child being carried by one of a female partnership – a terribly sad state brought about by sin to their detriment. It reminded me of sin crouching ‘by the door’ to take Cain and make him murder his brother Abel. (Genesis 4:6-7)

“The accounts and opinions come with a sense of despoiling. I recalled Nathan Morris’ strong preaching on Jesus’ admonition to the early churches infected by sexual sin of their needing to be cleansed from wearing defiled robes. No wonder many wise and anointed preachers sound the alarm bells.” [9] & [10]

THE GOOD POINTS

“From a Christian standpoint, the good things of this Act are not so much the adverse  ones but more the scriptural ones. We can, for instance, be most positive about these facts.:

  1. This Bill and Act were never in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto. Thus, in my opinion, the electorate as a whole can’t be held responsible for the revolt against God and traditional values and the consequences.
  2. In requiring and enforcing the Queen’s compromising of her Coronation oath her Prime Minister actually took upon himself the full personal responsibility before God for having broken and contravened it – I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes for deliberately being ignorant in such a gravely foolish action.
  3. David Cameron and everyone voting for the Bill is personal accountability to their Maker for going against His revealed and express will for all mankind – no matter whether they believe in God or not. I pray they’ll have personal revelation on this and take the opportunity to repent before they take up their post-mortem existence – as happened to me when I stood on the trapdoor down to hell [11  In Your wrath remember mercy, Lord.
  4. The sweeping international attempts to redefine the meaning of marriage are so intensely orchestrated that even conspiracy theorists would be left dumbfounded. Therefore, it is and can only be a dark spiritual phenomenon – not one of God but from the one who’s always wanted to usurp His place. But its time on earth is now very short so it wants to take as many humans it can and prevent their salvation.
  5. This so-called cultural change was announced well in advance, in fact 2,000 years ago by no less a person than Jesus Christ himself!”

“How do you make that out?” thrusts Steve with one of his bespectacled glares that reminds me of a hen pecking seed. I hear ‘tap-tap-tap’ and turn to see a solitary man at the next table tapping on his tablet. His face and sound mirrors my friend’s and I gently smile. But then I grin in self-deprecation over my natural tonsure as I reply:

“Off the top of my head…a couple of Jesus’ sayings spring to mind.:

“First of all, His teaching about persistent prayer (Luke 18:8) refers to a time like today; one lacking in not only personal but also corporate faith – as widely shown in ditching Christian values for purely hedonistic aims. This is what Jesus foresaw:

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

“Secondly, He instructed His disciples about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to expect exceptional consequences for socially sanctioned wickedness (Matt 24):

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

“Dr Luke’s carefully collected account of Jesus’ life from witnesses adds (Luke 17):

Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

“Also, His apostle Paul confirmed that Jesus told him the same about a future ‘Last Days’ great apostasy or falling away from faith in God. One of his letters to the early Greek church in Salonika (2 Thessalonians 2) refers to it this way:

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [Emphasis RB]

“Paul carries on with extra details to the gospels, which you can check yourself.

“Moreover, rabbinical teaching is said to confirm the connection between Noah’s time and today’s. Five years ago two separate people on a radio show spoke about the ancient Babylonian Talmud’s interpretation of Genesis and the cause of the Flood. ‘America’s Rabbi’, Aryeh Spero, said the Talmud’s writings show, “before the Flood people started to write marriage contracts between men…which is more than homo-sexual activity…in other words, giving an official state stamp of approval, a sanctifica-tion of homosexual partnership.”

“Rabbi Spero went on to say, “Even in ancient Greece they did not write  marriage contracts between men.  There was homosexuality, and it was wrong, but  there was not an official ‘blessed’ policy. … Marriage is ‘sanctification’ (not  simply a partnership).”  He said to confer the title of sanctification and holiness upon this behaviour is “probably one of the greatest sins of all that  one does against God’s plan for this world.”

“Another source quotes from the Midrash Rabbah Genesis, a specific commentary upon the Torah, and from the Second Book of Enoch, both of which support the claim about the real events of the ‘days of Noah’, from which we may infer they’re the festivities of which Jesus knew and was referring to. I’ve not yet completely cross-checked those sources, but I can let you have them for checking. [12&13]

“Also the widespread persecution of Christians in Africa and Middle East connects into the Daniel 7 end-times prophecy!” [14]  On top of that, the status of Jerusalem is being discussed in Washington. With three major aspects of prophecy now at the fore we’re definitely entering the End-Times, as stated at the outset of my writing four years ago – The End-Time Is Now In Play – maybe you’d like to check it out?” [15]

Nina adds, “What’s going on proves the Bible is absolutely true and correct!”

“We’re definitely entering into times foreseen by the Lord Jesus and His first apostles as well as Old Testament prophets. What’s happening across the world has been written about and we know the outcome – the return of King Jesus for His Bride.  It can’t be much longer now…As Jesus said when teaching about signs of the end of the Age.:”

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

Sources:
  1. Theos website article, Is Secular Law Possible?
  2. Challenge issued to Archbishop of Canterbury.
  3. Revd Dr Sharon Stone: Britain is at a crossroads.
  4. Homosexuality vs Holiness – Ordinances of the Amorites.
  5. US and British promotion of LGBT rights sparks backlash
  6. Exporting gay marriage – the ‘gospel’ of St Dave.
  7. Prime Minister thanks campaigners and workers.
  8. From Disabled to Enabled – how Jesus healed Nina’ spine.
  9. Are ‘Christians’ leading homosexuals to hell?
  10. Steve Hill: Warning for this hour – stop spiritual avalanche.
  11. Part 2 of From Death to Life.
  12. WND Janet Porter: How SSM Points to the End of the World.
  13. End-Times Prophecy Watch: Days of Noah:
  14. Muslim Persecution of Christians.
  15. The End Time is Now In Play.

The difference between good and bad secularism – a challenge to secularists

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Courtesy Watcharakun at Freedigitalphotos.comVery well said sir. Your closing remarks support the question raised in yesterday’s post on Britain taking a totalitarian tack! Thank you Gillan for the link to the full article, which I too highly recommend, and enjoy your summer beak my friend.

Is Britain taking a totalitarian route?

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Nero_7“Your blog about new decrees for the UK was a tad off-beam,” remarks Steve as we take our coffees into a quiet corner – our wives chat about the new baby prince with some friends seen sitting by the bay window. Revealing what’s bugging him, our friend of long-standing continues…

“The Coalition For Marriage [C4M] had already circulated its grave concern at how the voting had been hijacked! They emailed me about leaders of all three main political parties using their muscle to force through the same-sex marriage Bill without any proper debate whatsoever – totalitarianism, is what it is…copied from Hitler and Stalin!” 

Sitting down stems Steve’s flow as he adds reflectively, “Seems the lady preacher you quoted may have been mistaken. Maybe we are at a crossroads, but what she said was supposed to happen didn’t – quite the opposite!!” [Ref 1 below]

I’m taken aback, not knowing Steve to be a secret reader of my blog! When we four lunch together, all talk about ‘glory stories’, ministry or scripture goes straight over his head. Being a keen golfer and do-it-yourself guy, his skills prove useful in the local parish church. Maybe having a newly licensed vicar who’s passionate on prophetic preaching has inspired Steven to dip into my musings?

“I received the same mailing”, I replied. “In debate on other blogs I’ve pointed out there’s no real electoral mandate whatsoever for this Bill to have been introduced. It’s a mockery of parliamentary democracy. I agree – it is a totalitarian procedure. They ignored over half a million protest signatures in preference for a sham so-called consultation.  Not even the gay lobbyists were wanting this Bill.”

Steve nods, “That Bill’s not had unanimous support. According to C4M, it has not been plain sailing for the Government with over 300 MPs and Peers voting against it. C4M effectively highlighted many problems with this legislation. Many Peers tabled amendments to protect civil liberties but none of the Bill’s backers – leaders in all parties – saw to it that they were voted into the Bill.

“Moderate and reasonable changes were wanted, according to C4M, yet both Government and Opposition objected – even hysterically! – and made sure none were added to the Bill.  A shameful travesty – tyranny, if the truth be known!”

Taking the email out of a pocket he points out its second page’s points on legal protections required for

> Teachers > Workers > Chaplains > Councils > Free Speech > Siblings.

I read the details and what C4M’s Colin Hart writes:

We wanted Clauses on the face of the Bill to protect civil liberties. Instead Government ministers only agreed to a couple of amendments and gave verbal assurances that people should not be victimised, saying that people would be protected by equality laws.

Evidence from the very recent past proves the brazen falsity of that empty promise. No wonder my friend is so annoyed.

Re. Prophetic Decrees

I ask Steve, “When you read my piece did you think what Sharon Stone and her team did would change the course of events?”

“Your blog implies she said what God had given her would affect Parliament’s votes on redefining marriage…”

“Hold on Steve, not quite so. The news I read in that morning’s paper on the overwhelming opposition the Archbishops and Lords Spiritual encountered was a clear sign of difficulties [2]. Archbishop Welby is reported as saying,

Anyone who listened to much of the Same Sex Marriage Bill Second Reading Debate in the House of Lords could not fail to be struck by the overwhelming change of cultural hinterland. Predictable attitudes were no longer there. The opposition to the Bill – which included me and many other bishops – was utterly overwhelmed, with amongst the largest attendance and participation and majority since 1945. There was noticeable hostility to the view of the churches.

“To my mind his words contrasted strongly with Sharon’s solid teaching from a completely different stance – one to be taken by the Anglicans, if they knew how!”

“What do you mean Richard?”

“Rather than being browbeaten by sinners within the worldly, unclean House of Lords it is much better to speak from where they are in spirit – seated with Christ in heavenly realms above. That is, to take real spiritual authority from over and above the darkness.  Now that you’re into my blog I’d suggest checking out Sharon’s ideas on ‘perspective’ in her words for 2013 [3].

“Parliament’s approval was already a foregone conclusion when I wrote about her mentoring day’s profound declarations. Even so, I went ahead and published and thought readers may question it. So, I doubt you’re alone Stan.

“Yes, an immediate turnaround would have been fantastic – and proof of answered prayers. My understanding is; what we declared vocally and from our spirits was released into higher realms. The same way Jesus spoke ‘woe’, that is, cursed a barren fig tree, we were breaking and overwriting thoughts and attitudes seeded and concreted into people’s minds by pronouncements from the unrighteous who are in power and authority over them.  Therefore, it will take time to change but it will – and so the near future will be most interesting, even if things get even more difficult as the darkness increases.

“I’ve only to think of a couple of profound changes the Lord showed me many years ago and are now taking place here and in the Middle East.

“The good thing about this SSM Bill from a Christian viewpoint is…”

Our wives head toward us and so we head to the bar for a top up.

To hear what’s good, and not so good, click to continue the discussion > 

References:
  1. Dr Sharon Stone: Britain is at a crossroads
  2. Daily Telegraph 6th July
  3. Dr Sharon Stone: Prophetic Words for 2013

Four stand up for Christian freedom in Britain

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Tomorrow, four cases concerning the freedom of Christian expression in the UK will be heard before the European Court of Human Rights.  The Court will hold a public hearing on the admissibility and merits of the cases and then deliberate privately before making its ruling. The summary of the ECHR press release explains,

Relying, in particular on Articles 9 (freedom of religion) and 14 (prohib-ition of discrimination), all four applicants complain that domestic law failed to adequately protect their right to manifest their religion.

The full yet brief release may be read in Gillan Scott’s overview on God and Politics, along with link to a commentary in The Law Society Gazette about the case of Registrar Lillian Ladele.

Christian Concern’s announcement here states that two of the other applicants are supported by its sister organisation, Christian Legal Centre, and is of the opinion that the outcome of these ‘landmark cases’,

will have implications for freedom of thought, conscience and religion across Europe. At issue is the freedom of Christians to express their faith publicly and to live in line with historic, mainstream, biblical Christian teaching. (my emphasis)

Two of the cases relate to wearing a cross at work and, although David Cameron has told MPs that Christians should have the right to wear a cross at work, the Government has said their employers had every right to discipline them.

The other cases relate to freedom of conscience and include Gary McFarlane, who was sacked after he expressed a possible conscientious objection to giving sex therapy to two homosexual men. The grounds for the last seem to be mendacious, as may be inferred from reading his interview with Laura Donnelly in A cross to bear.

I know these cases hardly compare with the real persecution and danger to life and limb regularly experienced by Christians throughout Islamic nations, as reported lately by Barnabas Fund and more in-depth from the Gatestone Institute (see report). But as I’ve often remarked since a vision in 2004 (see Comments upon collapse of Society), a stand has to be taken against deliberately anti-Christian policies not only within Britain but also any secular society, does it not?

Personally, I thank the Lord that application of Equality & Diversity laws didn’t prevent a night sister praying (after quick nod of the head) and thereby immediately halting Nina’s suffocation from anaphylactic attack one night during an enforced hospital stay (as at ‘2  Proof of Political Direction’ in this post).

Let us pray for a favourable outcome to the hearing (see Prayer Alert and Postscript).

Update 2 of 3 – on the BBC

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Readers who followed my earlier post’s links to Archbishop Cranmer’s site may have discovered that the BBC has finally paid tribute to Usain Bolt’s Christian faith!  Regular readers of His Grace recognise this as yet another sample of his satirical wit.

[Today, Cranmer adroitly tackles the public perception that PM Cameron is out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people.]

Back to the ‘Beeb’…Wonderful as the great Brit Mo’ Farrar’s fantastic feets’ feat of winning double Olympic gold medals in 10,000m and 5,000m is, ol’ Auntie’ saw fit to give serious consideration to the ‘Mo Effect’ upon his fellow Somalis in the United Kingdom.  And, of course, the BBC News recognised his Muslim faith and made reference to his on-track prayers.

Thus, it’s clearly evident the Badly Biased Corporation does display double standards.

Is the B.B.C. becoming a ‘Badly Biased Corporation’? Or…?

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Has the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) deliberately ignored the fastest man on earth’s God? Also, could its coverage of the Middle-East just be bellicose disinformation prior to an anticipated major regional conflict?

Cranmer’s posting of 10 August about this year’s thrice-Olympic gold medal Jamaican sprinter and world record buster opens as follows:

Usain Bolt – the fastest man on the planet – is a devout believer (of the Protestant Christian kind) in the One True God. And he makes absolutely no secret at all of the fact: he crosses himself to exalt the Trinity, and mouths a prayer to the heavens before every race. And after each victory, he publicly gives thanks to God, in word and physical supplication. Following yesterday’s triumph in the 200m, he said of his Lord and Saviour: “Nothing would have been possible without Him.”

Is this not worth just a passing mention by the BBC?

He continues:

While he was manifestly thanking God on his knees for yesterday’s victory, the BBC presenter spun this spontan-eous act of worship as Bolt having ‘a moment to himself’. This manifestly blurs the significance for the viewer. This is what Bolt tweeted:

Later, he closes:

The BBC have known for more than four years what Usain Bolt always does, before and after each race, without fail: …They have been briefed to bits by Bolt’s PR team and by members of his family: Usain Bolt is a Bible-believing, God-honouring, Jesus-worshipping Christian. But not a whisper from the BBC; not a word of explanation of the real significance of these ‘moments to himself’.

Could the once-honourable ‘Auntie’ have fallen into disrepute? I do hope its writers and directors are not making her jump onto “bigots’ bandwagon”. The following opinion in The Commentator could make one wonder whether ol’ Auntie is thinking of just that.

The Commentator questions BBC’s unquestioning acceptance of a well-known liberal Jewish blogger’s claims of receiving ‘secret’ information from Israeli military sources on a regular basis. In this particular instance, Richard Silverstein discloses details of Israeli plans for a strike against Iran. The Commentator observes:

The problem is, while Silverstein is quick to publish information he ‘receives’, the veracity of such information can of course never be verified. The BBC has not seen the so-called documents that Silverstein purports to have, nor has it double-sourced any information of the sort….

The BBC, despite being unable to verify any information beyond that of a blogpost, has run full pelt with the story, interviewing Silverstein on several occasions and quoting him widely. While their diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus states that it is impossible to know whether or not the document exists, one might question the need for any kind of story based on such a tenuous blog…

One wonders what it takes today to get the BBC to report a non-story. Was it the fact that as a self-proclaimed ‘progressive’ blogger, Silverstein is well connected within the BBC? Or could it be once again that anything showing Israel in an aggressive light is swarmed upon by BBC hacks looking for a quick bit of Israel bashing?

BUT, to be fair, Silverstein’s full article deserves to be read in its entirety, as well as the follow-up.  It was also covered in depth in last night’s Eye View from the White House    (subscription service) wherein William Koenig similarly reports upon several articles that quote well informed high-level sources in the USA and in Israel.  Of the alleged comprehensive text released to Silverstein, Koenig notes this outline shows a full ‘decapitation plan’ and comments that Israel cannot afford to go in half-cocked; so it is quite believable.

So could this ‘leak’ simply be part and parcel of the dozens of options for disinformation issued in the prelude to war? Alternatively, if it is the definitive game plan, its unofficial disclosure could be a way of spelling out very clearly to the mad-mullahs of Iran and their maniac-in-chief what, in fact, they’ll be up against when they act upon their oft-declared intent of ‘wiping Israel off the map’.

FOOTNOTE: Click here, and here for a special despatch from MEMRI, Middle-East Media Research Institute, for the latest Iranian madness on the elimination of Israel. See the recent reblog and my earlier references here and here to this diabolical attitude.

Cameron says “people can wear religious emblems at work”, so what’s bugging me?

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In this post, my friend Gillan Scott proffers a detailed, well-researched analysis of the issues and governmental confusion. It is well worth reading to gain a fuller consideration of the matter to which I recently drew readers’ attention (here).

Interesting remarks by the PM – “an absolutely vital freedom”

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PostScript Friday 20 June: see also reblog of Gillan Scott’s view and commendable interviews by Paul Burgin with the Rt Hon Gary Streeter MP about the group Christians in Parliament (of which he is chairman) and with Danny Webster, Parliamentary Officer with the Evangelical Alliance, mainly about the role of Christians in the media.

In today’s Telegraph Rosa Prince writes that during Prime Minister’s Question Time, David Davis MP asked about the case of Nadia Eweida. She is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights after  having been barred by her employer from wearing a crucifix whilst working at Heathrow Airport.

Mr Davis described British Airways refusal to allow Miss Eweida to wear her cross as a “disgraceful piece of political correctness”.  He asked the PM why the Government was opposing her appeal to complain that there are no protections under UK law for workers who wore religious symbols.

The Telegraph quotes Mr Cameron’s response: Continue reading →

Further update re. free speech

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ASA Adjudication in complaint about the Coalition For Marriage

This morning blogger Archbishop Cranmer announced that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled on four counts against complaints that the Coalition’s press advert featuring married couples is offensive.  He provides the judgement report in its entirety but questions its closing ‘No further action required’ comment.

The complaint cited his blog amongst four displays of the supposedly offensive advert, which now heads his post. As I wrote here yesterday, His Grace has been tenaciously investigating the issue from another aspect.  He has now received a reply to his enquiry of the ASA and which,

His Grace finds this disingenuous, if not deceitful. Is the ASA really saying, in the 21st century, that they have no means of knowing what a document contained prior to an update? If amendments are made by means of paper forms, there will be an audit trail. If they are carried out online, there will be electronic footprints. If changes are made by email correspondence, these are easily traceable. It is, frankly, inconceivable that the ASA do not know what Lord Smith’s declarations were prior to May 2012, not least because he himself must know what changes he made. Unless, of course, they have something to hide…

The problems starting to beset ASA are hardly suprising for let’s not forget the shaking that was prophesied for this year in accordance with the following scripture.:

“Yet once more I shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” (Heb 13:26 NKJV)

To understand what the Lord means and the reason behind it see Hebrews 13:25-29 .  For the prophecies see A Promise of Revival by Dr Clifford Hill and Dr Sharon Stone    A Ripening Season.  It is also implicit in what Nathan Morris received after New Year – see An important word for 2012 .

May the Lord reveal more to you.

Update to ‘Welcome victory for freedom of speech…’

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Further to my post about the ASA adjudication against Healing On The Streets in Bath there is some unrelated news about another injudicious ASA action.

Regular readers will be aware of my opinion on political attempts to suppress Christian beliefs (eg. as here, here, here, here). So, it was extremely interesting to learn about the widely read political blogger Archbishop Cranmer’s confrontation with Lord Smith,  Chairman of the ASA, over his unwarranted interference with his blog:

…the ASA seeks to harass and bully those who carry perfectly innocuous advertisements promoting the traditional view of marriage, and enter-tain that such advertisements might be ‘offensive and homophobic’.

This other ‘saga’ with the ASA reveals a distinct lack of integrity and impartiality within its top echelons!  It also provides yet more evidence of its ulterior political motives, and is well worth reading and following the links provided by His Grace to grasp the whole story.

With regard to HOTS, Christians Together in the Highlands provides a summary of  the nature and significance of this issue for churches within the United Kingdom.

A welcome victory for freedom of speech – and commonsense!

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Paul Skelton of Healing On The Streets Bath, has updated me with welcome news of a substantial flaw in the ASA dictat against statements and testimonies of healing on  his website. The ruling has been officially reviewed and over-ruled and thus vindicates HOTS’ stance and their claims about ulterior motives to this issue, which many others could discern too – see previous update, and ASA tags in this blog for more.

The official statement has yet to be appear but it seems to confirm HOTS’ concerns,  which the original complainant described as, ‘bizarre’. This young lady claims to be a ‘paranormal investigator’ and yet admits to not having spoken to anyone or to making enquires other than visiting the website, or having done any open-minded research.  Her reasons arise from personal medical experiences, which is understandable, and so wishes to protect vulnerable people – but they’re mixed motives. Consequently, a very  strong ‘crusading’ bias contributed to a hasty, incomplete assessment and conclusion. When I presented her with undeniable evidence of my wife’s healing the ‘lady’ didn’t want to accept its validity. Her claims to being an objective investigator are thereby shown as being, at best, delusion or, at worst, downright fraudulent.

[I was once on her side of the ‘fence’ – even having contempt for contemporary Christian belief – but how utterly shocked I was to discover I was ‘gravely’ wrong (deliberate pun) and that the Gospel really IS wholly true – see Death of Destiny?.  I was devasted but what could I do but acknowledge the Truth Himself as my personal Lord and Saviour?]

Now, after my aside, here’s Paul’s published announcement.:

Advertising Standards Authority admit there was

 a substantial flaw in their judgement

Early this year the ASA ruled that HOTS Bath was in breach of advertising standards in expressing our belief that God can heal physically as well as spiritually and emotionally.

However, the official review process has now been completed and has identified a substantial flaw in the ASA’s Adjudication.

The ASA has subsequently accepted the official reviewers recommendation that the HOTS Bath website is actually outside of their remit and therefore beyond their jurisdiction.

This is great news and sets a clear precedent for Christian websites to be able to share testimonies of Gods goodness through physical healing with out opposition from official bodies.
Below is our official statement regarding this news :-

We are grateful to the ASA’s Independent Reviewer and the ASA Council for reviewing and amending this decision, and confirming that there was a fundamental flaw in the original assessment of the complaint about our website.

The ASA has now confirmed that our website is not within its remit because the statements made on it reflects our beliefs and relate to a cause or idea – the website explains our belief that God can heal and provides information about prayer offered by our volunteers and therefore the ASA has confirmed that nothing on the website is in breach of the advertising regulations.

The ASA still considered that leaflets handed out could be in breach of the advertising regulations, however we changed the leaflets several months ago to reflect the concerns which the ASA had previously expressed.

The ASA is due to re-publish the adjudication confirming its views on the leaflets, but the revised adjudication does not apply to what is on our website, meaning we can continue to express our beliefs that God can and does heal, as well as providing information and testimonies explaining all about Healing on the Streets.

HOTS Bath will continue to fulfill its commitment to demonstrate the love of God through healing of body, mind and spirit on the streets of Bath and elsewhere.

Visit our website at www.hotsbath.org

See update for recent news about ASA Chairman’s unwarranted political interference.

Could the future be here now?

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’):
 
Dear Friends – concerned about official snooping?

A ‘behind the news’ exclusive report of how Iranian dissidents’ internet ‘coup’ got decapitated gives a glimpse of what’s possible now, and may explain why our embassy was singled out by the ‘muddled mullahs’:

“Tehran has vented its ire on Britain because it is accused of providing the organizers of the dissident movement with London telephone numbers to circumvent the deliberate slowdown of online traffic from inside the country. These numbers gave anti-government activists instant, direct links through Western Internet providers for getting their messages out to the world. Iran suspects they were laid on by British intelligence. Eventually, the British lines became jammed by overload.”

For the full fascinating report click > http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1396

Oh, by the way – ID cards are NOT yet scrapped:

“…MPs are shortly…to consider the Identity Cards Act 2006…Regulations 2009. For those who swallowed the guff that the ID project had somehow gone away after the statement last week from Alan Johnson, the new Home Secretary, these new laws might come as a surprise…” Read in full > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/5754900/Laws-that-slip-in-the-back-door.html

Isn’t it wonderful to be known by and watched over by the Living God?

The Lord keep us and bless us

Richard

The Endgame is now in play!

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COPY of first pre-blog email (as in ‘About‘).

A strong disagreement between two international leaders about the relevance of a scripture to accountability of a controversial evangelist – both of whom Nina and I knew personally through our prayer ministry training and through the Lord enabling her to walk again (see From ‘Disabled’ to Enabled) – led to an awesome personal revelation that prompted me months later to start emailing some friends and church leaders on End-times.

Hence, I began watching events for ‘signs’ and eight years later got an inkling that evil tares are now ripening and asked the Lord about exposing them. His answer kick-started several hundred posts (see Prophecies-Fulfilled hub’s Exposure of Corruption)

Also, in view of anti-Christian events I included some relevant news and one prediction eventually coming to a head in 2024-5, (see Huge God-incidences: part 1 – ‘RT’ and News Takes My Writing Full Circle).

So, as in following copy email, the main points covered in my first writing are.:

> wheat and tares > opening my Bible I hear “This is ALL about to be fulfilled!”

> Jesus stressed 7 times “Watch…be alert…on your guard…”

> nurse sacked for praying for patient! Prayer immediately helped Nina’s fight for life!!

> tyrannical tool of intolerance: equality and diversity – MI5 director warns of Britain “sleepwalking into police state” – lawlessness within society and authorities…

Dear Friends – further to Rev’d William Smith’s recent request re Christian Freedom, may I offer some observations upon our times and, in another message, suggest a way forward?

Last year, I encountered two conflicting claims about Jesus’ explanation of the parable on the end-time harvest of wheat and tares (Matt13:36). So I went to check scripture but upon opening my Bible a deep excitement exploded within as I heard, “This is ALL about to be fulfilled” – WOW!!

Hence, my previous remarks about a sifting of the Church – in preparation for a rapid ‘sHifting’? Jesus urged His disciples to look out for and observe signs of the times. Regarding their questions about His return at the end of this Age, the earliest Gospel account has Jesus stressing 7 times, “Watch…be alert…on your guard“ (Mark 13). Matthew 24 reports Jesus saying 4 times, “Watch…and when you see…” followed by the parables of the burglar and of the virgins:> “Don’t be caught napping!” [Is the Church still asleep?] Luke’s account has, “Be always on the watch…” (ch21:36) and chpt 12 (NIV) has sections on watchfulness and interpreting the times. In each Gospel Jesus commands, “Learn the lesson of the fig tree…”. Also, the Apostles went on to give more indicators (Acts 3:20-1, Hebrews 12:26-7, 2 Peter 3, 2 Timothy 3 and the first and second letters to the Thessalonians).

Have you studied or read/heard/given any teaching on this topic lately? So, let’s watch closely what’s happening here and globally. When I’m by a news stand it’s noticeable that the Daily Telegraph is the only paper to headline matters of Christian concern – several within a fortnight recently. Eg. on 6 Feb it broke the news of Nurse Caroline Petrie’s suspension for offering to pray for a patient with front page headline ‘NHS staff face sack if they discuss religion’. (Daily Mail often supports Christians.)

We took exception to this and wrote to N.Somerset PCT saying we were glad their policy wasn’t in effect 3 years ago when Nina was fighting for her life! (I explained it was only because the night-duty nurse prayed that her throat immediately opened and she became peaceful, as shown on her monitor’s read-out.)  So, we’re pleased to learn Caroline has been allowed to return to work, but I’m challenging the PCT’s ‘equality’ stance.

However, this is just one instance of the growing persecution of believers, principally through a policy supposedly promoting toleration but that’s now a tyrannical tool of intolerance – Equality & Diversity. There are other powers of suppression. Even the previous director of MI5 warns about UK sleep-walking into a police state (‘Abject nonsense’ responded a gov’t minister who lives on another planet). Rampant lawlessness now exists not only in society but also within legal authorities – laws not approved by Parliament – ‘snoop and snitch’ culture – correction punished and evil behaviour rewarded – ID cards and routine interception of email and phones – etc etc. Clearly, Banking isn’t the only thoroughly corrupt UK institution.

Let us, however, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we await the blessed hope of His glorious appearing. May the Lord bless you and keep you and yours,

Click to continue in next email  >>