AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* PAGAN POLICE OFFICERS IN BRITAIN GET RELIGIOUS LEAVE

* FIJIAN GOVERNMENT BLOCKS CHURCH CELEBRATIONS

* COMBINING WORLD FAITHS UNWORKABLE

* POPE STRESSES SANCTITY OF LIFE ETHICS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA

* ANGLICAN CHURCH FACES SPLIT

* HOUSE OF LORDS BACKS FREE SPEECH IN HOMOSEXUAL HATE LAW

* GOVERNMENT TROOPS ATTACK DISPLACED KAREN GROUPS IN BURMA

PAGAN POLICE OFFICERS IN BRITAIN GET RELIGIOUS LEAVE

Pagan police officers in some areas of the United Kingdom are being allowed to take as many as eight days leave a year for events such as the summer solstice and Halloween. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), website, the move comes after the Pagan Police Association was set up following discussions with Home Office officials. The BBC explained that Hertfordshire Police lets Pagan staff re-allocate the traditional bank holidays (eight in all) to meet their beliefs. It has also appointed two Pagan chaplains.

Police Constable Andy Pardy, a Pagan neighbourhood beat officer in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, outside London, was one of the officers involved in setting up the association. Constable Pardy told Police Review magazine: “Paganism is not the new age, tree-hugging fad that some people think it is. It is not the clandestine, horrible, evil thing that people think it is. “A lot of people think it is about dancing naked around a fire. But the rituals involve chanting, music and meditation. For Pagans, the practices are seen to have the same power as prayer does for Christians.”

Pagans worship nature and believe in many gods and their practices include witchcraft and druidism. According to the Office of National Statistics there were 31,000 people practicing Paganism in England and Wales in 2001. Another officer, PC Andy Hill, of Staffordshire Police, is a practicing Wiccan — a kind of Pagan witch. The BBC says he has offered to use spells to give fellow officers a helping hand with promotion exams or to heal ill colleagues, and is the founder of the Pagan Police Group UK, a website for Pagan police officers and their families.

He told Police Review: “Wiccan has always been a bit of a taboo religion. It has nothing to do with black magic or devil worship. Witchcraft is not the hocus pocus, puff of smoke, turning people into frogs stuff you see on television. It is working with nature for good.” Superintendent Simon Hawkins, of Hertfordshire Police, said: “The force’s religion and belief’s policy gives all staff the choice of re-allocating the traditional Christian bank holiday festivals to suit their personal faith beliefs and this has been very well-received by both Muslim and Jewish groups.

“The force strives to provide a receptive environment for all its staff and our faith work stream is a positive example of our commitment to meet the diverse needs of all who work for us and the public we serve.” A Home Office spokesman said “The government wants a police service that reflects the diverse communities it serves. “It is down to individual forces to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the religion or beliefs of individual officers, as far as operational requirements permit.”

Source: ASSIST News Service

FIJIAN GOVERNMENT BLOCKS CHURCH CELEBRATIONS

Earlier this year Police banned the Annual Conference and Choir Festival of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma scheduled for August 2009. The Church engaged in unsuccessful discussions with the military regime to have the decision reversed. On 17 July 2009, the Church’s Standing Committee confirmed that both the Conference and Festival would nonetheless go ahead. On 20 July the General Secretary of the Methodist Church, the Rev Tuikilakila Waqairatu, was taken by police for questioning. He was returned that night but was taken again on Tuesday 21 July.

The Deputy General Secretary and four members of the Standing Committee were also taken. At 11 p.m. Tuesday, the General Secretary along with Rev Tomasi Kanailagi and the Rev Manasa Lasaro, both Past Presidents, were taken to the Army Camp. The two Past Presidents were targeted as the army believes them to be the most active and vocal opponents of the present Fiji Government. The Church’s Accountant, Viliame Gonelevu and Ro Teimumu Kepa, the Chief of the Rewa Province, were also taken in by the Police.

This action represents a significant escalation of Fiji Government pressure on the Methodist Church. In this situation the Methodist Church says: “The Church is firm with its faith to the Lord and will steadfastly hold on to its teachings and belief. We ask you to pray with us during this trying time that the Church is facing and seek the Lord’s blessing to be with us so that decisions made will be decisions made by God only.”

The recently concluded Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia unanimously agreed to convey its support and solidarity with the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma. It invited members of the Uniting Church to pray for the Methodist Church. The President of the Uniting Church, Rev. Alistair Macrae, sent a message of support saying. “Please be assured of our solidarity with you in prayer. May our Lord, hold and uphold you all in this time of trial. We pray especially for the leaders currently being questioned and for their families in this very anxious time.”

Source: Uniting World

COMBINING WORLD FAITHS UNWORKABLE

The world’s religions share many beliefs and values. It is often asked why the faiths’ leaders don’t come together in a global conclave to work out their differences and develop a single religion everyone can embrace. The posers of this question usually point out the benefits expected from such an effort, with ending religion-fuelled conflict at the top of the list.

In theology, this effort is known as syncretism. Putting aside for the moment the logistical difficulties of identifying belief leaders and bringing together the world’s religions for a meeting, syncretism holds a huge problem for people of faith. While the goal of syncretism is to unite people through their common beliefs, syncretism also requires a believer to give up essential tenets of his or her faith. For example, a foundational principle of Christianity is the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Muslims and Jews cannot accept this teaching, finding it contrary to their belief that God is the one and only God. The Christian Trinity does not solve this issue for them because neither faith agrees that the wholeness of God can be contained in such a small human package. Hindus and Buddhists hold reincarnation of souls as a bedrock principle, but Jews, Muslims and Christians believe each human life is entirely unique. To this trio of faiths, the concept of rebirth from one form of life to another denies the precept that people are special and created in God’s image.

It is impossible to reconcile the core beliefs of the various religions and still retain each of them. Some group would be forced to give up a foundational tenet to make syncretism work. Rather than moulding all religious believes into a single, unified package, we are better served by working together for the common ethical and social principles we share, while also recognizing and honouring our differences. Religious tolerance is valuable in our pluralistic world; however, tolerance does not require all of us to believe alike, nor to surrender our beliefs.

Source: The Oklahoman

POPE STRESSES SANCTITY OF LIFE ETHICS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA

In a half-hour closed-door meeting at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI pressed Barack Obama on “the defence and promotion of life and the right to abide by one’s conscience.” The Vatican said that the two leaders had a frank exchange over embryonic stem-cell research, abortion and the right of healthcare professionals to opt out from such procedures if it conflicts with their beliefs. These issues have the White House battling with pro-lifers, conservatives and Catholic Americans.

The two leaders expressed a joint desire to promote peace in the Middle East, aides said. They also discussed the fight against religious extremism and the need to reach out to Muslims. But the bulk of the conversation reportedly centred on the vexed issues of abortion and stem-cell research. The Holy See had considered the U.S. an ally in opposing those practices when George W. Bush was president, and so Obama’s divergence from that position has been a cause of concern to the Vatican.

To underscore his views, Benedict gave Obama a copy of the Vatican’s official teachings on bioethics, which the president said he would read on his flight later in the day to Ghana. The White House is inviting abortion opponents to Washington to talk about finding common ground on issues such as family planning, sex education and adoption, in hopes of coming up with a series of recommendations by the end of the summer that both sides of the abortion issue can support.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood will be shed; for in the image of God He made man. As for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it. (Genesis 1:26, 8:6-7) “The dignity of a person must be recognized in every human being from conception to natural death. This fundamental principle expresses a great “yes” to human life and must be at the centre of ethical reflection on biomedical research, which has an ever greater importance in today’s world.”

Source: Intercessors for America

ANGLICAN CHURCH FACES SPLIT

The Worldwide Anglican Communion could be moving closer to a split after the US Episcopal church voted to approve same sex partnerships. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church (TEC) also voted by a wide margin to pass a resolution allowing homosexuals to enter “any ordained ministry” in the Church. These were the two things they were asked not to press ahead with. The Church issued this statement: “It is apparent that a substantial majority of this convention believes that the Episcopal Church should move forward on matters of human sexuality.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams had urged forbearance upon the Episcopal Church’s General Convention. He said he “hoped” the decisions made wouldn’t pull the church apart. Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Executive Secretary of conservative group Anglican Mainstream, said Dr Rowan Williams needs to take action over the decision: “We would like him to consult straight away with the Anglican Church in North America with whom he has not had any formal consultation about the way forward.

Director of gay rights group Changing Attitude Revd Colin Coward said the decision shouldn’t prevent people worshiping together: He said: “The Episcopal Church is not threatening schisms. It isn’t threatening to leave the Anglican Communion. It is those who are reacting to what they are doing who have made those threats and I am very sad about it.”

Source: Premier 10 News Service

HOUSE OF LORDS BACKS FREE SPEECH IN HOMOSEXUAL HATE LAW

The Government has been defeated in the House of Lords over its attempt to repeal a free speech protection from a sexual orientation ‘hatred’ law. Peers voted by 186 to 133 to keep the protection in place. The matter will be passed back to the House of Commons where MPs voted for repeal. The protection makes clear that criticising homosexual conduct or encouraging people to refrain from such conduct is not a crime. Several members of the House of Lords were concerned about incidents of Christians being challenged by the police because of their beliefs on sexual ethics.

Mike Judge, Head of Communications at The Christian Institute, said: “Genuine supporters of free speech will be pleased with this result. “Democracy depends on the freedom of people to challenge ideas, and contend for what they believe. “Too many Christians have already been intimidated by over-zealous police action because they gave voice to their views on sexual ethics. “Surely the world is big enough to allow all sides to express their beliefs about sexual behaviour without fearing a knock on the door from the police.”

Source: Christian Today

GOVERNMENT TROOPS ATTACK DISPLACED KAREN GROUPS IN BURMA

The Burmese army and militia have attacked two displacement camps for the mainly Christian Karen people close to the Thai border. In one camp in Karen State, at least 90 children were forced to try to swim across a river into Thailand in the middle of the night to avoid being attacked. Their camp was ringed by landmines on the Burmese side. Many were very young and could not swim – but reports suggest that most of them survived. A recently built orphanage was also attacked by government troops and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army.

The other camp, Ler Per Her, home to more than 1,200 displaced people, was evacuated before soldiers attacked as news had spread that troops were gathering in the area. Hundreds of children and adults are now believed to be hiding across the border in Thailand. There are grave fears for their safety, the Thai authorities having forcibly repatriated Burmese refugees in the past. Ethnic groups such as the Karen have been persecuted because they have called for greater autonomy and so are seen as a threat to national stability.

Source: Intercessors Network

Australian Prayer Network

July 27 2009

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