ALERT: MP threatens Christian teachers with anti-terror laws

Posted on Tuesday, 4 August, 2015 by Richard Barker

In 2009 the previous director of MI5, Dame Stella Rimington, warned that “Britain is sleepwalking into a police state”.

This fact was one of several to which I referred in my first email alerting church leaders upon biblical End-times: The Endgame is now in play. (Upon checking that material I notice the news report no longer has that phrase, either as a ‘strap-line’ or quotation! But readers’ letters clearly refer to the remark, as here.)

Today’s news features a Member of Parliament threatening the suppression of Godly free-speech in the teaching profession! This MP thinks that new Extremism Disruption Orders “would apply to a situation where a teacher was specifically teaching that gay marriage is wrong.”!

John Bingham reports,

‘Mark Spencer called for those who use their position in the classroom to teach traditionalist views on marriage to be subject to “Extremism Disruption Orders” (EDOs), tough new restrictions planned by David Cameron and Theresa May to curb radicalisation by jihadists.

In a letter to a constituent, Mr Spencer, the MP for Sherwood in Nottinghamshire, insisted that Christian teachers were still “perfectly entitled” to express their views on same-sex marriage – but only “in some situations”.

I strongly recommend my readers carefully consider this development, which is more fully outlined in Archbishop Cranmer’s blog, Anti-Terror Legislation Will Be Used Against Teachers Who Oppose Same-Sex Marriage, of which I quote only a part and with emphases added:

‘Obeying the law is no longer to be a guarantee of freedom from government surveillance or police harassment.

‘And now Conservative MP Mark Spencer has written to a constituent:

“I believe that everybody in society has a right to free speech and to express their views without fear of persecution. The EDOs will not serve to limit but rather to guarantee it:…(eg) one which lots of constituents have been writing about – talking about gay marriage in schools.

“The new legislation specifically targets hate speech, so teachers will still be free to express their understanding of the term ‘marriage’, and their moral opposition to its use in some situations without breaking the new laws. The EDOs, in this case, would apply to a situation where a teacher was specifically teaching that gay marriage is wrong.”

‘If that is the understanding on the backbenches of the provisions of the Extremism Bill, we should be fearful – very fearful – of the Government’s intentions. John Bingham’s Telegraph piece quotes Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of the Christian Institute, who says:

“I am genuinely shocked that we have an MP supporting the idea of teachers being branded extremists for teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman. This is exactly the kind of thing we’ve been warning about. The Government says we’ve got nothing to worry about from their new extremism laws, but here is one of its own MPs writing to a constituent saying EDOs would stop teachers teaching mainstream Christian beliefs. EDOs will be a gross infringement of free speech and undermine the very British values they claim to protect.”

‘And Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society:

“If EDOs really could be used to prevent teachers from talking about same-sex marriage, unless they are inciting violence, they are an even greater threat to freedom of expression than I had feared. To suggest that EDOs guarantee freedom of expression (as Mark Spencer suggests) is not just inaccurate, it is the opposite of the truth; they are the largest threat to freedom of expression I have ever seen in Britain.”

The Christian Institute added to this under ‘New Orthodoxy’ by referring to Claire Fox, head of think-tank the Institute of Ideas, who last week ‘accused the Government of using extremism rhetoric to impose a new orthodoxy of thinking.

‘She said: “When you break it down you then see that they’re actually betraying the civil liberties, the rule of law, they’re actually dictating what teachers teach in schools.

“When they say ‘we want to prevent extremism getting out in schools’ it’s so ironic” because “the kind of schools that have been done over are Catholic schools because of, for example, their views on homosexuality”.

‘Fox concluded, “Apparently a British value now is a positive acceptance of what the Government has told you it is”.’

Let us be prepared to stand on the Rock…

[Houses of Parliament by Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]

Parliamentarians plead for global freedom of religion and belief

Posted on Wednesday, 22 July, 2015 by Richard Barker

As ever Gillan Scott, deputy editor of Cranmer provides an excellent post on extremely detailed material and which I’ve copied in full from Archbishop Cranmer. However, I do have very strong reservations over the authority accorded to the BBC by Lord Alton’s quotation.

Factual evidence of the BBC’s gross ignorance on religion and deliberately political slant on the Middle-east is all too readily available: eg. its pure pig-ignorance in an appallingly arrogant and clueless rebuke made last week to an Israeli minister, “But you’re not under threat by Iran”! AND they censored Iranian leader’s remark on supporting terror!! (Details and petition to BBC available at Honest Reporting; in-depth analysis of BBC coverage of Iran at BBC Watch.)

Perhaps BBC should be changed to BCC – British ‘Cloud Cuckoo-land’ ?

Credit for photo of Asia Bibi belongs to British Pakistani Christians, from whence Wilson Chowdry emails today that she’s, “…been granted leave to appeal her death sentence by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. There is still some serious legal process to follow before she can be acquitted, but this action is a serious step in the. right direction. Asia is in a much more hopeful position now but the process will be long and drawn out. Please continue to pray for her. By accepting her appeal the Court has inferred that there is a possibility for grounds for Asia being exonerated.” (In full with petition here.)

Gillan’s post reads as follows (click title for link):

HOUSE OF LORDS PLEADS FOR THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF

With a Conservative majority government in place for the next five years we won’t need to worry about any potential reforms to House of Lords for the time being. And perhaps that is a good thing. When considering the role of the UK government in promoting freedom of religion, it is doubtful that an elected Upper House would have brought us the same level of passion and knowledge as peers did when the subject was debated last week. It came as a response to Lord Alton’s motion: ‘That this House takes note of worldwide violations of Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the case for greater priority to be given by the United Kingdom and the international community to upholding freedom of religion and belief.’

It goes without saying that human rights abuses relating to religious persecution are widespread throughout the world and on the increase. Even today, Asia Bibi, who has been beaten and raped during her six years on death row in Pakistan, will have one last opportunity to plead for her life to be spared (updated above). Her crime, as a Christian, was drinking water from the same bowl as her Muslim co-workers. During the ensuing argument she was accused of blasphemy against the prophet Mohammad, which led to her arrest and conviction. There is an overwhelming need for governments across the free and democratic world to take a stand and defend the basic human right that Eleanor Roosevelt, chair of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafting committee, described as one of the four essential freedoms of mankind.

The Lords’ debate has been helpfully summarised by Frank Cranmer at the ever informative ‘Law and Religion’ blog, but several utterances deserve further attention. Lord Alton argued that in order for governments to reclaim their patrimony of Article 18, it would need greater political and diplomatic priority, and the importance of religious literacy as a competence could not be neglected. He went on to quote the BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, who said: “If you don’t understand religion — including the abuse of religion — it’s becoming ever harder to understand our world.” He then drew attention to the paucity of interest in the matter at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), with only one full-time desk officer dedicated to freedom of religion or belief.

Rabbi Lord Sacks described religious freedom as “perhaps the single greatest humanitarian issue of our time”. He was keen, though, to avoid rhetoric, preferring instead to look for pragmatic answers to avoid Article 18 being seen as little more than “a utopian ideal”. He proposed that the world needs:

“Under the auspices of the United Nations, a global gathering of religious leaders and thinkers to formulate an agreed set of principles that are sustainable theologically within their respective faiths and on which member nations can be called to account… We have not yet done the theological work for a global society in the information age, and not all religions in the world are yet fully part of that conversation. But if we neglect the theology, all else will fail… We must stand together – the people of all faiths and of none – for we are all at risk… Religious freedom is about our common humanity, and we must fight for it if we are not to lose it.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury was also keen to look for solutions:

“Religious freedom is threatened on a global scale, as we have heard, but also in a very complex way. Attacks on religious freedom are often linked to economic circumstances, to sociology, to history and to many other factors. Practically, if we are to defend religious liberty, we have to draw in these other factors. For example, if we want to defend religious freedom around the world – and again I say, the freedom to have no religion – do not sell guns to people who oppress religious freedom; do not launder their money; restrict trade with them; confine the way in which we deal with them; and, above, all, speak frankly and openly, naming them for what they are.”

After two and a half hours of speeches the motion was passed. Such a debate was significant in proving that Parliament has this issue on its mind and is making some positive noises. But without more substantive action from government, it will all count for very little. In their 2015 General Election manifestos, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats proposed the creation of a Global Ambassador for Religious Freedom to work within the FCO. It seemed a sensible proposal, but would that be the best way of ensuring that HM Government does not duck its responsibilities on the issue?

The newly created Centre on Religion and Global Affairs – a research and policy centre based in London, Beirut and Accra – has responded to the Lords’ debate. It believes that a special envoy that exclusively focuses on freedom of religious belief is not the way forward. Their view is that in other countries such appointments have yielded limited results. Instead, they propose the appointment a full-time Special Advisor to the government on Religion and Global Affairs. The advisor would be given a mandate to provide proactive policy proposals across Whitehall departments, in particular the FCO, Department for International Development, Home Office and the Prime Minister’s Office. Only a coordinated response across government departments will enable the UK to achieve the necessary understanding and enable a coherent and effective response to the issues. The role should not be seen as an interfaith outreach initiative, or a symbolic office for public diplomacy.

Alongside this Special Advisor, a group of external experts would be needed to provide additional support. A global portfolio in one of the most complicated topics in today’s world is not possible without adequate professional support. Given budgetary constraints, the role of the Special Advisor could be facilitated by the appointment of voluntary external experts with the requisite professional, academic and geo-political experience.

It is also important that any such position would be sufficiently funded if it is to be more than a symbolic gesture. Strategic research, diplomacy and local projects with stakeholders would need to be pursued with conviction and credible resources if any significant impact is to be made.

There is every reason to believe that the UK can contribute significantly to international moves to uphold freedom of religion – if it so chooses. During the Lords’ debate, Baroness Anelay, Minister of State in the FCO, admitted that although the Government is working with human rights and faith-based organisations across the world to promote dialogue, foster links and strengthen understanding, it is not doing enough.

As His Grace discussed yesterday, the Government needs to get a much better grip on its understanding of religion and religious freedoms. Religious persecution is a destructive cancer working its evil across the globe. How many more travesties of justice – such as that of Asia Bibi – do we have to endure before the British Government hears the appeal of those in the House of Lords (and elsewhere) that we must act as Justin Welby has prescribed: “..do not sell guns to people who oppress religious freedom; do not launder their money; restrict trade with them; confine the way in which we deal with them; and, above, all, speak frankly and openly, naming them for what they are.” Amen.

Prophetic points on the SCOTUS marriage decision

Posted on Thursday, 2 July, 2015 by Richard Barker

The most violent storm-complex since the June 2012 derecho blasted Washington DC area in July’s opening minutes (click image for details).

The most violent storm-complex since the June 2012 derecho blasted Washington DC area in July’s opening minutes. (Credit Washington Post, click image for details.)

In view of the suppression of free speech, Friday’s decision on equal marriage by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has ramifications beyond America.

I’m so pleased not to be alone in understanding the possibility of a spiritual ‘crossover’ effect from here across the Atlantic, as asked in Does a spiritual yet political trend link UK and USA? In the prophetic word Cindy Jacobs brought for the UK whilst passing through Heathrow in May, the Lord is exhorting us,

“If you will stand up now and be the voice to the nations this awakening that you have prayed for is on its way; it is coming, it is coming like a mighty rushing wind…this is the season where I am giving you a loud voice, Body of Christ, and if you will speak now I will amplify that voice and it is going to begin to tip the nation. If you miss your window you will not have the effect…” (read in full here).

Therefore, it’s now time for followers of Jesus Christ to stand up, speak and dissent for the sake of not-yet believers and our society – even if civil disobedience is necessary, as in the anti-Vietnam war and anti-racial segregation demonstrations of yesteryear.

Consider some points from what little reading I’ve done on this and I thank a couple of readers for informing me. Be warned – these tend to highlight the culpability of churches in failing to follow Jesus properly:

The Church Disappears

Tony Puccio of Tucson blogs about a most accurate observation on 1st July,

“I was shown a vision 07/01/2015 where I saw a church situated in what I will call a jungle of vegetation. There was vegetation all around but the church building stood out and was recognized as a church. Then I began to see a vine creep its way toward the church building. It was very small and most probably gone unnoticed had I not seen it and my attention drawn to it in the vision. The vine was left unchecked and eventually it covered the church building, although you could still make out the shape of the church it no longer stood out as it once did. Finally, the vine grew so dense and thick that the church disappeared altogether and you could not see the church any longer.

“The creeping vine is worldliness and it was allowed to creep into the church unchecked and most likely unnoticed. It was allowed to grow until it totally engulfed the church. The church went from a building that stood out for all to see to one that blended in with its surroundings to finally disappearing from view altogether.

“The vine got its nourishment from the outside and not from the inside.”

I read this earlier upon logging into WordPress and a short while later an email brought directly related information, as follows:

A Surprising Prophetic Word

William Smith in Bournemouth area sent a link to this Prophetic Insight from Charisma, which I quote in part but deserves reading in full. Jeremiah Johnson sought Father on the SCOTUS decision and believes the Lord said to him (emphases added):

“In the natural, the Supreme Court justices have just legalized homosexual marriage in America, but little do they know that they also just authorized an awakening of the Spirit in My bride. For know that now is the time to turn inward, it is a time of repentance and fasting for My people. Has their laziness and blindness on the issue of sexual immorality in their midst not given the homosexual agenda its true power? America has now legalized homosexual immorality because the American church legalized heterosexual immorality first.”

Then came a vision of intercessors in which he heard their prayers and was asked:

“Do you know what’s wrong with these prayers Jeremiah? They are all focused on the call for America to repent when I have called My bride to repent! You must tell the intercessors to shift their focus from America to My bride. Their self-righteous hearts and blindness to their own sin is a stench in my nostrils. The issues coming forth in the United States is not an American problem, it’s an American Church problem.”

Therefore, Jeremiah writes,

“America is in a crisis, but the American church is in a greater crisis. We are and will continue to reap what we have sown and that is seeds of silence and tolerance on the key issues of our day that have come before the Father as sin…While I do believe that these individuals are choosing to blatantly sin and will be judged by God Himself for their behavior (Romans 14:12), we have an obligation as believers in Jesus Christ to look within our own lives and in our own spiritual communities and ask the Spirit of truth to search us inwardly before we begin calling others to accountability (see Psalm 51:6).”

Four Key Things to Consider

In case you haven’t read the re-blog of Joel Rosenberg’s remarks on the implications of SCOTUS’ decision let me briefly cover his four main points. Joel asks if Christians may be hyperventilating over the issue. No! “Unfortunately, this is a very big deal and it puts America on a perilous path”.

He draws attention to key things on the Court’s ruling for believers at this critical time:

The Supreme Court is over-reaching its Constitutional authority, and is thus undermining its own legitimacy and pouring gasoline on a highly-politicized issue that will deeply divide Americans for years to come.
It forces 320 million Americans to embrace overnight a radical re-engineering of the entire social compact of marriage that even some of the nation’s most liberal political leaders strongly opposed just a few years ago.
It opens the door for a frontal and massive assault on religious liberty… Christians all over the country who hold to the Biblical definition of marriage are beginning to be taken to court and fined — some are even in danger of losing their businesses and their homes…The 1st Amendment to the Constitution plainly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” But the Court’s ruling seems to put the un-enumerated “civil right” of a same-sex marriage above the enumerated right of religious freedom…gay political activists are not content with mere legalization of same-sex marriage. They want to force the rest of the country to embrace and support them. Thus, they and their supporters in Washington will likely move aggressively to criminalize the Biblical definition of marriage and to severely penalize those who teach and follow it.
Most troubling, the Court has acted in direct and brazen defiance of the Word of God — painful as it is for me to say it, this will likely accelerate us towards judgment if America does not soon change course.

The Supreme Court v. The Supreme Being

In his inimitable style Rick Joyner is on target in his Prophetic Bulletin #94’s brief on the ‘legal contest’ implicit in this decision and uses ‘three questions’ from US Army Manual for dealing with a crisis, viz.:

What is happening?
What is not happening? (spiritually)
What can we do about it?

In tackling the first question Rick majors upon the foundation of the Union and ‘creeping tyranny’. He opens,

“As the four dissenting justices pointed out, the Supreme Court does not have the constitutional authority to make this decision. First, even though SCOTUS has taken this authority upon itself, it is a usurped authority and nowhere does the Constitution give it this authority. The authority to determine the constitutionality of laws was given to Congress, not the courts. We are now suffering under the very tyranny that the founders warned about if the courts ever presumed this authority. Regardless of our position on same-sex marriage, every American should be deeply troubled by the actions of SCOTUS that this case is just the most recent and dramatic.”

From his fine argument I wish to quote only two points made from a global perspective rather than the nationally introspective. This isn’t to imply US laws or policy should be based on what other nations think, but does need to know how they are perceived because it affects international relations. (“It’s been a major wedge driven between the US, Russia and China, as well as Africa and South America. To much of the world, the US and Western Europe now look like Sodom and Gomorrah”.)

On this he writes:

“Paul the Apostle wrote to Titus that even false prophets can sometimes tell the truth (see Titus 1:12-13). Pravda, the Moscow daily newspaper, has been predicting for years that the United States would break up into several pieces just like the Soviet Union. Their reasoning was not based merely on sour grapes, but on the historically proven consequences of the kind of direction in which our government has been going. To date, we have most alarmingly followed the pattern predicted. We really are close to breaking apart.

“Islamists consider America “the great Satan” because of our moral and spiritual debauchery that has made us “a homosexual nation”—so perverted that the only remedy is to wipe us off the face of the earth. Their belief about the U.S. has now been affirmed by this Supreme Court decision. This decision will likely make their recruiting to this cause much easier. This is not the only issue fuelling these groups, but it is a major one.”

Like Joel Rosenberg, Rick concludes his brief with a solid action plan.

Prophetic Warning of a Divided Nation

In The River and The Schism Chuck Pierce refers to having visited the Grand Canyon, which reminded him of a vision received in August 2007 of a coming division within his nation. Another one came in May 2011 about a deteriorating relationship with one of its closest allies – Israel.

We have good Biblical grounds for understanding that, as America treats Israel and Jerusalem, so too will its well-being be guarded – or not. As mentioned before, its initials are in the centre of the capital of Israel; ie. JER-USA-LEM. Therefore, its leaders can either protect the ‘apple of God’s eye’ by holding it together – or else divide it – with all the inherent consequences of Zechariah chapter 2.

Read more about this in Modern prophecy on USA & Israel approaches fulfilment.

ALERT: suppression of free speech in UK and USA

Posted on Thursday, 25 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

Hand with News icon - Watcharakun THREE emails await me this morning on this subject!

Does this indicate the suppression of freedom to think and speak for oneself, especially in proclaiming Biblical truths, is being ramped up?

Only on Monday had I had occasion too refer to that when inserting a reference to Rev Dr Mike Ovey’s well-informed warning into the copy from Wilberforce Publications’ on Magna Carta Unravelled.

His concern is now repeated by the Coalition for Marriage. (C4M is an umbrella group of many individuals and organisations supporting traditional marriage and opposed to its redefinition. Click link for more details.)

In his email circular of Tuesday their campaign director Colin Hart writes,

NEW LAW COULD BRAND MARRIAGE SUPPORTERS AS ‘EXTREMISTS’!

Since the introduction of same-sex marriage we have drawn attention to ordinary people around the UK who have found their reputations and livelihoods attacked for standing by their beliefs.

Sadly the Government is about to make the situation much worse. The Home Secretary is seeking sweeping new powers to silence ‘extremists’ and disrupt their activities. We strongly support the Government’s fight against terrorism, but we don’t support plans which put basic free speech in jeopardy.

Vague laws will catch law-abiding people

The proposed Extremism Disruption Orders (EDOs) are set to be contained in the new counter-extremism Bill.

We back stopping jihadists, but these vague EDOs appear to be so broadly defined that even supporters of traditional marriage could be branded ‘extremists’. See our short briefing for more information.

Conservative MPs Dominic Grieve and David Davis have voiced alarm about the plans.

Before he became Justice Minister, Dominic Raab MP also said: “The public should certainly expect the security services to track terrorists online, but the broad powers of proposed Extremism Disruption Orders (EDO) could be abused. Those engaged in passionate debates – such as Christians objecting to gay marriage – could find themselves slapped down.”

Home Secretary Theresa May was recently challenged on just this point when the BBC’s John Humphrys asked her whether the “woolly” plans would still allow people to say that gay marriage was damaging to society. We’re not convinced by her answer.

Free speech under threat

People can call us bigots and extremists for believing in traditional marriage – that’s their point of view. But they must not be given power to use the force of law against us.

We have good reason to be concerned. We will be asking you to make your views known to your MP.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Hart

As an aside, look at what I learned a month ago:

THE LESSON OF TUDOR HISTORY

A series of high-profile cases in recent years, where Christians have been penalised for expressing and living out their beliefs in public discussion, led a top judge, Sir Michael Tugenhadt, to compare secularists to ‘Tudor tyrants’. He commented as follows,

“Those who are hostile to belief in a superhuman being or to religious practices, I am afraid, sometimes exhibit an attitude to freedom of religion and freedom of speech which is as restrictive of that of Elizabeth I or Burghley.

“They seek to limit those freedoms to the private sphere, but that is a denial of the rights that these freedoms enshrine.

“The terrible story of the Tudor-Stuart religious divisions should be a reminder that freedom which is confined entirely to the privacy of a person’s home is a form of oppression.” (Emphases added)

He added: “The fact that states recognise human rights and natural rights and even the fact that they may enshrine them in their laws doesn’t mean they always respect them”.

Sir Michael retired from the High Court last year and reminisced about the beginning of his professional career when, “Lawsuits involving religion were absolutely unknown”. In respect of the past 10 to 15 years, however, “they had become increasingly frequent”.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The second email on this matter covers US Supreme Court’s rulings in America. In writing for The Legal Project, Johanna Markind outlines recent cases that potentially affect the right to discuss Islam openly and freely in The US Supreme Court, Speech Regulation and Islam.

The third email, Muting American Speech Through Politicised Television Theatre, was a brief note of RJ Dawson’s blog in which he lambasts TV broadcasters for brainwashing audiences into the fear of having or expressing an opinion, in contravention of the 1st Amendment.

His review of changes since the 60’s is informative for all who, in those days, were only twinkles in their mother’s (or grandmother’s) eyes. On this side of ‘the pond’, American TV was regarded as a very inferior product. RJ’s views make interesting reading and it’s noteworthy how our once, world-renowned but now Broadly Biased Corporation (BBC) has since descended to the moronic depths and spews out PC indoctrination.

So, RJ Dawson’s opinion is valid for Britain as well as the United States.

The ‘one-eyed god’ once resided in a box in the corner of the room but is now a window on a wall as well as a mirror on our knees, or even a spy in our pockets! It should come with a mental and spiritual health warning. So beware!

How to counter it will be covered in the next post…

[Hand With News Icon, credit Watcharakun at Freedigitalphotos.net]

Magna Carta Unravelled – a new book

Posted on Monday, 22 June, 2015 by Richard Barker

Regarding the previous posts on the 8th centenary of Magna Carta, anyone interested in its relevance in the suppression of freedom today may like to know about a recent book, Magna Carta Unravelled.

Only this past fortnight we have an example of the importance of this matter. A former lawyer, now Principal of Oak Hill Theological College in London, has stated the PM’s proposals for new “Extremism Disruption Orders” could be a “disaster area” for people from all mainstream religions, and none. In some settings, traditional Christian teaching could effectively be made a criminal offence!

No doubt Rev Dr Mike Ovey’s previous parliamentary experience drafting anti-terrorism legislation relating to the IRA has given him solid grounds for his deep reservations on this issue. (See Telegraph religious affairs editor John Bingham’s l atest – published on Magna Carta’s anniversary – and earlier posts.)

Magna Carta Unravelled

The ethos of Wilberforce Publications, is to put the spotlight on aspects of contemporary politics, society and culture in the light of Christian thinking and examine their impact on individuals and communities. Published jointly with Voice for Justice UK on the charter’s anniversary, this new book is available in paperback/e-book and is described as follows:

Magna Carta is not only one of the most celebrated documents in British history, but stands as a foundation of political and religious freedom throughout the world. Yet the liberties and freedoms fought for and heralded in Magna Carta are under severe attack as controversial issues of religious freedoms, human rights, equality legislation and freedom of speech present significant challenges for our society today.

In the year of its 800th anniversary ‘Magna Carta Unravelled’ traces the Christian origins and legacy of this great Charter of liberty, focusing on the current challenges to individual liberty examined by experts with unrivalled backgrounds in politics, academic philosophy, the law and the church.

‘Magna Carta Unravelled’ is an invaluable resource, offering penetrating insights from a variety of perspectives for those seeking a thoughtful approach to issues of freedom in our nation today.

In the opinion of HH Judge David Turner QC.,

“Magna Carta continues to compel Christian people to fearlessly explore what makes for human flourishing in a liberal democracy. Any wake-up call – such as this book – is rarely comfortable, occasionally inconvenient, always unsettling; but the issues discussed, of conscience, belief and freedom, refuse to be silenced.”

Contributing authors include:

Baroness Cox
Professor Roger Trigg
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali
Barrister Paul Diamond
Philip Quenby
John Scriven
Rev. Lynda Rose
Robert S. Harris

Outrageous! Judge decides what parts of Bible can and can’t be preached

Posted on Wednesday, 25 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

APPALLING, GROSS INJUSTICE METED OUT TO STREET PREACHER

This morning Christian Concern issued the following news update:

In an extraordinary judgment, Taunton street preacher Mike Overd has been convicted of a Public Order offence for using the wrong Bible verse in a public conversation with a man who identifies as homosexual.

However, Mike was acquitted of two other Public Order charges relating to the critique of Muhammed.

District Judge Shamim Ahmed Qureshi said that Mike shouldn’t have referred to Leviticus 20:13 to make his point about homosexual practice but indicated that he could have used Leviticus 18:22.

The Judge said that Leviticus 20:13 was inappropriate because it mentions the death penalty, although Mike didn’t even use this part of the verse. “I am being punished for words that never passed my lips,” he said. (Emphasis added)

“The Judge is effectively censoring the Bible and deciding which parts are acceptable to use in different situations. Today it’s preaching on the streets that’s threatened. Tomorrow it could be the pulpit” Andrea Williams (CEO Christian Concern).

Mike has been ordered to pay compensation for causing “emotional pain” to the man, even though it was the man who approached Mike aggressively.

‘Love for Christ’

Mike commented: “I have been ordered to pay compensation for causing ’emotional pain’ to someone who approached me aggressively demanding to debate the issue. There was no harm, injury or theft, just a simple disagreement over theology which I have now been fined for.
“My motivation for preaching the gospel is my love for Jesus Christ and my deep concern for people who do not know His great love and are heading towards an eternity separated from God.”

‘Flimsy evidence’

A number of the witnesses interviewed in connection with Mike’s case said they couldn’t remember what was said or when it was said. One of them said that he was “unable to recall exactly what phrases he was using, but it was clear to me that it was homophobic.”

Even though the evidence was so flimsy, Mike has to pay a fine of £200 and a total of £1,200 in costs and compensation.

‘Offensive’

Mike has already faced significant injustice and opposition. In a Somerset newspaper, police accused him of “being hostile” and asked people to record him if they felt he was making “offensive remarks”. Despite this, no substantial evidence has ever been produced.

Legal support: Christian Concern are not charging Mike for legal services, but if you’d like to support them in this and their continued defence of gospel freedoms please donate here.

Cranmer’s in-depth report

‘His Grace’ (Archbishop Cranmer blog) provides a more thorough and ‘disinterested’ analysis, To preach Leviticus 20:13 now constitutes a Public Order Offence. He offers this opinion:

…As the Judge notes, “As far as (Mr Overd) is concerned, he is preaching the Gospel.” He adds later: “He has clearly not studied religion deeply enough to comprehend it fully but has accepted whatever others taught him about his religion.. He is clearly selective in his arguments and is blind to any negative points in his own religion.” And there is much evidence of this in Mr Overd’s sometimes painfully injudicious and inconsistent responses to cross examination by the prosecution.

But biblical ignorance and theological superficiality are not crimes. Nor is proclaiming that ignorance or superficiality in the public square.

Yet Judge Qureshi insists that if Mr Overd wishes to preach against homosexuality, he may use Leviticus 18:22 (which is identical to the first sentence of Leviticus 20:13), but he may not use Leviticus 20:13 even if he omits the second sentence (ie Leviticus 18:22). This is a bizarre ruling (emphasis added). It seems that the omission of the second sentence does not mitigate the allegation of ‘threatening’ language, because, the Judge says, “the words he did use have to be put into context with his behaviour which the prosecution allege is threatening”.…“Informing people of their fate in the Hereafter is not a criminal offence but threatening them in this world is,” he says. The fact that Leviticus 20:13 has additional ‘context’, and that context is threatening “in this world”, appears to transgress the acceptable boundaries of freedom of speech.

Cranmer quotes case law on people being free to express such views as Mike Overd, but which this Judge is challenging:

Mr Overd was not inciting anyone to violence, and yet Judge Qureshi has challenged Lord Justice Sedley’s ruling head-on by effectively finding Mr Overd guilty of using threatening words despite the contextual earthly judgment never having passed his lips.

Read Cranmer’s 2-page exposition and commentators’ discussion here. Also, it will be interesting to read any fuller opinion messrs Frank Cranmer & David Pocklington in Law & Religion UK may offer in due course.

2nd update to warning about loss of ‘British values’

Posted on Monday, 27 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

Last week I updated a post referring to a Muslim scholar’s warning to defend our British values. This was to note a possible reaction to the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal of ‘Islamising’ state schools, by downgrading a school not complying with a new norm of ‘tolerance’.

I’ve now read a lot more about this skullduggery from Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education. Its quasi-autonomous role in national government enables it to report direct to Parliament and is supposedly independent and impartial. Its function is the inspection and regulation of services that care for and provide education and skills for children and young people.

Today, the influential blog on ‘God & Politics: Christianity & Conservatism’ – Archbishop Cranmer – speaks out most strongly against the increasingly fascist stance of that ‘Non-ministerial Department’.

This reminds me of the arrogant political interference in the NHS of prosecuting nurses who prayed for the sick, as mentioned here, and attempts by the Advertising Standards Authority to prohibit praying for the sick in public spaces. These were high-profile issues I often wrote against only months after launching this blog (ASA tag refers).

Back to the matter in hand – for anyone who missed it here’s the post in full.:

On Monday 13th October I referred to the scholar known under the pen-name ‘Ibn Warraq’ and related his warning to Western intellectuals, “to cherish and defend their Western values and freedom”, to that day’s House of Commons motion in support of Palestinian aspirations of statehood.

There was also another directly connected item. It was mentioned in closing, as copied below, but is now in need of updating in view of a suspiciously related development.:

“By the way, let’s not overlook Islamist infiltration in British schools, as revealed by former police counter-terror chief Peter Clarke in Trojan Horse ‘just tip of the iceberg’!“

UPDATE: “Christian group warns ‘British values’ rules imposed after ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal leading to schools with a religious ethos being marked down by inspectors for failing to promote ‘tolerance’.”

That strap-line opens John Bingham’s (Telegraph’s Religious Affairs Editor) article, Christian school downgraded for failing to invite an imam to school assembly.

I hope the only connection may be my over-active imagination – but it’s certainly ‘fishy’! Does it smell to you?

Now the latest:

UPDATE 2

OFSTED go on the offensive against faith schools by Gillan Scott (deputy editor, Archbishop Cranmer blog) plus latest of 3 items this weekend from Adrian Warnock, Has UK government breached Human Rights Act in recent school regulations?

The latter makes a most crucial point about freedom in quoting the opinion of Queen’s Counsellor John Bowers:

In terms very reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984, Bowers argues these regulations have as their goal “how children are to think and express themselves and how teachers should encourage them to do so.”

This is the root of why inspectors have been asking children questions about their own personal beliefs as a way of catching out schools. Schools should not be judged on what a random selection of their children privately think and believe. It seems outward demonstrations of love and respect towards others we disagree with is no longer enough. Children, and their teachers must toe the line and believe whatever the government tells us we should believe. There is nothing tolerant about that.

Be sure to read Adrian’s post in full, as well as UK Independent Christian school releases details of government closure threat posted on Saturday and this from Friday, Is UK government body harassing Jewish and Christian schools?

Hence, the great danger of Britain being steered into becoming a fascist state!

In his conclusion, teacher Gillan hits the nail right on the head:

This is not setting out the promotion of British values at all: it is bloody-minded, religiously-illiterate and insensitive bureaucrats forcing their ideas of how religion should bend to the will of an intolerant form of equality upon schools, the vast majority of which do an outstanding job of teaching their pupils to respect all people irrespective of race or beliefs. (Emphasis RB)

This news sheds light on the deep woes Ofsted caused a friend who was a diligent and highly respected governor of an excellent local Co’E primary school in Berkshire.

High Court judgement alters plain English, suppresses free speech

Posted on Thursday, 31 July, 2014 by Richard Barker

Today’s blogging plans are put aside to alert readers to a development in suppressing freedom of speech:

Yesterday a British High Court judge disregarded impartiality and bowed the knee to ‘political correctness’. This was over an advert on a London bus and a responding ‘like-for-like’ advert which got banned by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.

All law-abiding citizens should be concerned over the mayor’s honesty and his party’s line becoming highly questionable. This needs logging in our minds in case of his future bid for leadership in the Conservative Party.

It reminds me of prophetic words brought in June on ‘Justice and Children’, especially the reference to the ‘judiciary’,

Scandals will be exposed, even within social services, education, the judiciary and the police. There will be nowhere to hide, even amongst the most wealthy and influential.

Later, I covered developments which corroborated the accuracy of this word. So maybe we have yet another fulfillment of that prophecy, but check it out and decide for yourself after this outline:

The charity Core Issues Trust and Anglican Mainstream’s bus ad was banned at the last minute following intervention by the Mayor. The ad, “Not Gay. Post Gay. Ex-Gay and proud. Get over it!” was a mirror response to the one already being run by LGBT lobby group Stonewall, which read “Some people are gay. Get over it!”

Core Issues’ advert says nothing about conversion therapy or cures for their premise is that people should be free to define themselves as they want. But their ad was banned at the 11th hour yet the Stonewall Ad was allowed to run – both then and afterwards.

At the time Boris Johnson took credit for instructing Transport for London (TfL) not to display Core Issues’ advert. He not only told the media but also wrote to an MP that he’d done so. Two years later he denies to the High Court having done that.

So, is Boris a liar or not? The Judge ruled not.

How so? Because ‘instruct’ can now mean exactly the opposite! Crazy!

Core Issues’ reaction opens as follows,

“In disallowing witnesses to be cross-examined and by ignoring both controversy about categorical notions of human sexuality (which the Royal College of Psychiatrists recently admitted are not fixed nor immutable,) and inconsistencies in Boris Johnson’s witness statements, Justice Lang has confirmed today that the British establishment is no longer a guardian of freedom of speech nor of conscience.” (Emphases added in all quotations)

Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Williams, is most forthright in her indignation, Continue reading →

Updates: the ex-Culture Secretary – the British Library

Posted on Thursday, 10 April, 2014 by Richard Barker

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!

Posted on Tuesday, 8 April, 2014 by Richard Barker

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.

Readers 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

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

Posted on Tuesday, 30 July, 2013 by Richard Barker

The 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.:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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. ³⁷But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ³⁸For 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, ³⁹and 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; ²⁹but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰Even 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, ²not 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. ³Let 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, ⁴who 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:

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

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

Posted on Wednesday, 24 July, 2013 by Richard Barker

Very 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?

Posted on Tuesday, 23 July, 2013 by Richard Barker

“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:

Four stand up for Christian freedom in Britain

Posted on Monday, 3 September, 2012 by Richard Barker

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

Posted on Tuesday, 21 August, 2012 by Richard Barker

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…?

Posted on Saturday, 18 August, 2012 by Richard Barker

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?

Posted on Monday, 16 July, 2012 by Richard Barker

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”

Posted on Thursday, 12 July, 2012 by Richard Barker

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

Posted on Wednesday, 13 June, 2012 by Richard Barker

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…’

Posted on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 by Richard Barker

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.

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Tag Archives: #Free-speech

ALERT: MP threatens Christian teachers with anti-terror laws

Parliamentarians plead for global freedom of religion and belief

Prophetic points on the SCOTUS marriage decision

ALERT: suppression of free speech in UK and USA

Vague laws will catch law-abiding people

Magna Carta Unravelled – a new book

Outrageous! Judge decides what parts of Bible can and can’t be preached

2nd update to warning about loss of ‘British values’

High Court judgement alters plain English, suppresses free speech

Updates: the ex-Culture Secretary – the British Library

Freedom of the Press? Not in the British Library!

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

Sources:

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

Is Britain taking a totalitarian route?

References:

Four stand up for Christian freedom in Britain

Update 2 of 3 – on the BBC

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

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

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

Further update re. free speech

Update to ‘Welcome victory for freedom of speech…’

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