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News in Brief, 4 October 2019

04 Oct 2019 General
News in Brief, 4 October 2019

A selection of the week's happenings for your prayers.

Society & Politics

  • Doctor’s dismissal over biblical stance on transgenderism ruled lawful: Dr David Mackereth’s dismissal for conscientious objection to transgenderism was ruled lawful, with the tribunal saying that belief in Genesis 1:27 is now “incompatible with human dignity”. He will appeal. Read more here.
  • Christian actress loses job over Facebook post: West End actress Seyi Omooba has lost both a lead role and her acting contract over a social media post unearthed from 2014 expressing biblical truth about homosexuality. She will take the case to court, supported by the Christian Legal Centre. Read more here.
  • Pro-life posters painted over after backlash: A poster from the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform protesting Stella Creasy’s part in the upcoming imposition of abortion on Northern Ireland has been painted over and other planned posters cancelled. Read more here and here. In Northern Ireland, church leaders are rallying their congregations to stand against the impending radicalisation of their abortion laws. Also this week, Diana Johnson MP has announced her intention to amend the Domestic Abuse Bill to further liberalise abortion laws in England and Wales.
  • Labour MP Louise Ellman faces ‘no confidence’ vote: The veteran Jewish MP and long-time Corbyn critic faces being ousted by the Party branch in her constituency, on the eve of Yom Kippur. Dame Margaret Hodge is also facing a similar challenge. Read more here. Also this week, Corbyn has raised ire with a video tweeted ahead of Rosh Hashanah featuring himself with a number of anti-Zionist Jewish Labour supporters, including activist Rob Abrams, known for leading prayers outside Parliament for dead members of Hamas. Read more here.
  • Women’s rugby players and refs driven out by transgenderism: Pressure to accept male players claiming to be females is causing women’s rugby players to quit over the "intolerable unfairness", and referees to quit rather than be sued – either by trans athletes or by the women they risk physically hurting. Read more here.

World Scene

  • US Supreme Court to re-open with conservative majority: The Supreme Court opens its new term this coming Monday with a 5-4 conservative majority, thanks to President Trump. Read more here.
  • Violence escalates in Hong Kong: After a teenager was shot at close range earlier this week, demonstrators have retaliated and police have called for a curfew to be imposed. Read more here. In Iraq, anti-government protests in Baghdad decrying corruption, unemployment and failing state services are spreading to other cities. Read more here.
  • China parades 70 years of Communist rule: A military parade marking the 70th anniversary of China’s Communist takeover has showcased the regime’s global ambitions. Read more here. Also this week, a human rights group has reported to the UN that China is harvesting organs from living prisoners belonging to persecuted religious minorities. Read more here.

Israel & Middle East

  • Turkish invasion of Syria feared imminent: The end-of-September deadline for establishing a joint ‘safe zone’ with the USA in the north of Syria passed without agreement, meaning that Turkey’s President Erdogan may act on his promise of invading. Read more here.
  • Political deadlock continues to grip Israel: The 22nd Knesset has been inaugurated but attempts to form a unity government have failed. Read more here. Benny Gantz (Blue and White Party) is now proposing a power-sharing deal, with himself serving as PM for half a term while Netanyahu resolves the three legal cases he is facing. Read more here.

Events

  • ‘Our kids are being taught WHAT?!’ Saturday 12 October (north-west London): A one-day conference to discuss the Government’s new RSE curriculum. Hear from expert speakers and receive practical advice on how to respond. Masons Avenue, Harrow, 10am-6pm. Tickets £25 (£10 concessions). Click here for more information and to book.
  • 'Pilgrim's Progress' hits the big screen. From 25 October (various locations): John Bunyan's epic is coming to 17 UK cinemas (at least) as an animated movie. Find out more about how you can help spread the word and get more cinemas to screen the film, on the official website.
  • Brexit: the moment of truth. Monday 30 September (Manchester): Join the Bruges Group and a number of distinguished speakers including the Rt Hon Sir John Redwood and the Rt Hon Arlene Foster for a special Brexit press conference. The Brexit Hub, 1-2:30pm. Free, but booking advised. Find out more here.

 

Recommended Sources

At Prophecy Today UK we are aware that the world is moving very quickly and it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments – especially when the material circulated by our mainstream media is increasingly far from reality and definitely not devoted to a biblical perspective!

Though we are not a news service, we want to help keep you informed by passing on updates and reports as we are led. This will be a selective, not an exhaustive, round-up, which we hope will be helpful for your prayers. Click here to browse our News archive.

We recommend the following news services for regular updates from a Christian perspective:

For regular news briefings about Israel, the Jewish News Syndicate is also recommended.