Tag Archives: #Marriage

Principally its political aspects

Update on review of Clearing the Ground

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In the 3rd part of his review of this Parliamentary report, Gillan Scott looks at turning the tide against the myth of secular neutrality.

His sterling summation may assist Church leadership in understanding how legal issues may or may not be changing, and what can be done in the meantime. Just a few snippets, to whet your appetite and I’d like to emphasise elements of his concluding paragraph:

Re. the courts

Given the levels of religious illiteracy in government and other public bodies highlighted earlier in the report, reservations were made about the capacity of the courts to take an active role in deciding what is or is not reasonable in relation to the accommodation or manifestation of belief. In particular concern was raised in relation to the courts lack of acknowledgment of the orthodox Christian belief that marriage should be between on man and one woman….

Attention was then turned to the problems relating to relationships between local authorities and churches or Christian organisations…Following recent high profile court cases regarding the religious beliefs of those wishing to foster or adopt, there is now some confusion about the place of religious people as prospective foster parents and adopters. Local authorities lack guidance as to how they should work with people with religious beliefs.

Re. tolerance

The report believes that the bar has been set too low as to what constitutes ‘insulting behaviour’. As it stands, judgment is based on the subjective feelings of the person who has been offended. This application of the law has in several cases led to an undue restriction of the freedom of expression.

Re. ignorance

The final part of this section considers the ignorance and deep-seated lack of understanding about the nature and outworking of religious belief in government, the courts, local authorities and the media. The report finds that there is an urgent need for better coordination of government policy in relation to religious belief. Currently the way that the human rights, legal, and community aspects of religion and belief are handled is too complicated.

Conclusion

The final recommendation of the need to bring religious awareness and education into government presents a challenge to faith groups. This is extremely unlikely to happen without the proactive support and work of faith groups. If the Church and Christian organisations wake up to this need and begin to coordinate and develop a strategy to deal with it, then the benefits to society could be considerable. It is a big challenge, but one that needs to be seriously addressed with a good deal of urgency.

At present I’m seeking the Lord’s perspective on all this but realise it may relate to the word given through Bill Johnson about 1st Sept 2011 being “the day things changed in the UK”  (the Inquiry started in August 2011).

Also today, I picked up on the word given in Clifford Hill’s Feb 2012 Newsletter.

Let us mull over these matters…

Personal Plea from MP

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Further to my email below, if you’ve yet to sign the petition please note this plea from a Christian MP on Twitter :

Jim Dobbin MP: There are Christians in Parliament who want to fight to save marriage but they really need the support of the church (My emphasis and here’s the link)

Richard Continue reading →

Is Britain’s backbone back?

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Normally, I avoid reading whilst walking but after getting the newspaper last Saturday its banner headline grabbed me:

Don’t legalise gay marriage, Archbishop warns Cameron

The opening paragraph read:

Marriage must remain a union between a man and a woman, says the Archbishop of York, and David Cameron will be acting like a “dictator” if he allows homosexual couples to wed.

“AT LAST!” mused  after reading the article. A senior establishment cleric in England  is making a stand against ungodly trends. Could this indicate our nation’s spiritual backbone is re-appearing?

Back in 2004 I’d been confronted with a vision of the British Isles being torn apart because the very fabric of society is so thoroughly rotten. (There’s since been many  reports of breakdown in family life.)  A great tear in the ground from Scotland down to the middle of England opened up – BUT out of it grew a gigantic rock, just where the Pennine chain – our geophysical backbone – is located.  (See pre-blog email.)

I realised this may indicate that the nation’s ‘spiritual spine’ will be restored when men and women of God stand up sturdily for the Gospel of Christ, as in recent centuries.  Now, it occurs to me that this is the only way we can ever hope to regain the description ‘Great’ Britain, simply because it is God’s way.

Could that gigantic tear in England be prophetic of last year’s riots?  And could our sovereign’s sterling stance in her Christmas broadcast herald the appearance of the Rock?

How say you?

Interested readers should visit my above page of visionary reports.

May they stir you deeply in your spirit..

An EXTRAORDINARY linkage

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’) entitled Intercession Request  – to read it better click upon and enlarge image. The main points covered therein are.:

> introducing to Dr Mike Evans, confidante to many Israeli leaders

> ‘the wrath of abandonment’ and White House celebrates the sins of the days of Lot

> unprecendented disasters whilst US discusses dividing up Jerusalem!!

Today’s importance in history

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’). The main points covered therein are.:

> warnings from Zecharia 12 and Ezekiel 38 and about ‘the Ezekiel Alliance’ [Gog-Magog].

> Arabs and Europeans against Israel; US presidents support terrorism within Israel

> Obama seeks cash from Arabs and courts Iranian terrorist masterminds!

> possible fulfillment of 1Tim4:3 prophecy in the UK: a Hebrews 12:23-27 ‘shaking’!

Dear Friends,

Buried beneath the daily dross of parliamentary piracy and ‘privilege-to-pilfer’ are momentous events concerning the Holy Land. I’ve kept close tabs with those who monitor Middle-Eastern machinations and watched a maelstrom gather momentum over the months.

Altho’ our gaze as believers is toward heavenly Jerusalem, it’s right not to overlook our God of Israel’s heart for actual Jerusalem and His covenant people. His intention and warning to the nations given through Zechariah (ch 12) still apply – and Ezekiel 38 opposition is moving into alliances. Hence, the world’s continual concern with Jerusalem and Israel.

Today, that storm comes to a climax as Prime Minister Netanyahu meets President Obama to discuss the latter’s 2-state solution for the Middle-East.

You may know that this involved attempts to turn the Arab world and Europe against Israel, and to appease Iran – even to ‘blackmailing’ Israel over its nuclear defence! (It’s reported Obama wanted to be able to use Iran’s territory for supplying US troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan.)

Also, there’s been dismay in Cairo and Riyadh over his courting the terrorist mentors in Teheran. No wonder Egypt and S.Arabia – both kept militarily informed by Israel – and five Gulf emirates turned a deaf ear to Pres. Obama’s secret (and 3rd) delegation seeking hundreds of billions dollars investment in US and global economic stimulus plans! It’s reported, however, that over the weekend a political furore gripped Washington and frayed Obama’s key policies.

The Bush and Obama administrations’ misguided intentions are to establish a terrorist-run nation within the ancient home-land of Judea/Israel. The consequences for USA in betraying its ally Israel could be severe, as when Bush wanted to trade land for peace (as collated by the accredited White House correspondent Wm Koenig). The Lord gave detailed warnings of judgement in Nov ’99 which included not only last year’s collapse of stocks but also the betrayal of Israel by Western allies!

Last week’s papal visit to the Holy Land may result in UN military units (ie. ‘armies of the nations’) in and around Jerusalem. Koenig has also noted that papal pronouncements contrary to God’s purposes for His Land have soon been followed by revelations of sexual scandal within the Roman hierarchy – so wait and watch.

United Kingdom

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter days…terrible times will come…” wrote Paul to disciple Timothy. The second letter gave many explicit details, all of which are now common-place – ie. the prophecy is fulfilled in its entirety today!

Could Paul’s reference to the prevention of marriage (at 1Tim4:3) be construed as also meaning any kind of alteration to this God-ordained covenant?

Hence, how entirely appropriate that those who’ve deliberately spurned His requirements and commands in making our laws are themselves now being turned upside down. And, as indicated in Hebrews 12:23-27 could we not expect lots more shaking? Could that visionary map I saw being ripped apart be the political map of England? I wonder…

Let’s remember Psalm 122 instruction, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you…”, that we may earnestly seek its welfare.