Society & Politics

• New sex education laws a violation of parents’ rights. There has been a call for a Judicial Review of the recently enforced Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Regulations, which make Relationships Education compulsory for Primary school children, and Sex and Relationships Education compulsory for Secondary pupils. The new legislation will see children learning about ‘diversity’ from age 3, using LGBT related picture books, and is regarded by people of all faiths as a major violation of the right of parents as primary educators of their children. Read more here
• Over-reaction to coronavirus? While the media endlessly highlights the number of new coronavirus ‘cases’ arising each day, a statistic rarely brought to the public’s attention is that for a number of recent weeks, significantly more people were dying of pneumonia in Britain than covid. Many have long considered that corona-fearmongering has led to a degree of public hysteria. Read more here and here
• 400th anniversary of Mayflower sailing. An historic occasion was replayed in Plymouth this Wednesday, 16 Sept, as leaders gathered to witness the landmark launch of the Mayflower 2 ship for its voyage to America. The cause of the occasion was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from the same port in 1620. Read more in two of the main articles in this week’s Prophecy Today here and here. See also this news story.

Church Issues

• Megachurch pastor vows to keep church open, even if arrested. Prolific Christian author and pastor, John MacArthur has vowed to keep his 3,500 seat church in Sun Valley, California open for church services, despite coronavirus lockdown restrictions banning public gatherings, and a specific injunction on the Sun Valley church. Among other things, MacArthur claims church is an essential service so should be exempt from the laws on public gatherings. Read more here 
• New Kent Mayor discontinues chaplain role. The civic chaplaincy post in Swale borough in Kent, which has been in existence for the past half-century, is being axed by the local mayor. Cllr Paul Stephen says he does not believe the role conforms with ‘equality and diversity’ policies. Read more here.

World Scene

• Christian prisoners released in Eritrea. Good news is emerging from one of the worst countries in the world for Christian persecution. There are reports that 27 Eritrean prisoners, guilty only of believing in Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, and most of whom have been behind bars for more than ten years, have been released. Hopes are rising that more releases could follow. Read more here 
• Islamic attacks continue in Nigeria and DRC. Meanwhile, in a number of other African countries, murderous attacks by Islamic militants continue relentlessly, much of it unreported by western media. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 58 people were killed in recent jihadi attacks in the mainly-Christian north-east of the country. Read more here 

Israel & Middle East

• Landmark deal in the Middle East. In a historic move this week, two Gulf States - Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – have officially signed agreements fully normalising their relations with Israel. The Gulf states are just the third and fourth Arab countries to recognise Israel since its founding in 1948. President Trump has stated his expectation that Saudi Arabia will be among the next Arab nations to follow suit. Read more here, and in Charles Gardner’s article