‘The 39-year-old said she and her partner, Jen Wilson, were delighted to be expecting a baby in October after undergoing IVF treatment.
‘Davidson said in a statement: “Like all new parents-to-be, we are excited and daunted about the months to come. Mostly, we are just overjoyed at the prospect of starting a family together.”
‘Politicians of all parties congratulated the couple on Twitter. Theresa May described it as wonderful news, and Scotland’s first minster, Nicola Sturgeon, joked: “The baby box is on the way”, a reference to the Scottish government’s scheme for new parents.’
‘Dreamed of starting a family’
Jennifer Wilson is a marketing assistant. She is 36 and originally from Co. Wexford in the Republic of Ireland. She came to the UK in 2003. The Sun newspaper says her emigration was because of ‘social attitudes’. ‘She “never really felt she could be completely herself”.’
The two have been ‘together’ for more than three years. That is close to being a reasonably long time in lesbian circles. They live in Edinburgh and plan to gay-marry.
Miss Davidson had a previous lesbian affair, says iNews. She had ‘a long term partner who I’d discussed marriage and children with’. But the woman ‘dumped’ her.
Furthermore, she does not say she ever sought prayer, healing or deliverance from her ungodly desires. She said she had to ‘make a decision’. ‘You’re going to live a lie for the rest of your life or you’re going to trust yourself. That’s what I had to do.’
Lies and pretence
But speaking of lies and pretence, the woman who could not ‘live a lie’ is living a bunch of lies. The first is that a homosexual relationship is normal or natural. Secondly, that being gay-married is anything other than a counterfeit of the real God-given thing. Thirdly, she is embracing the fiction that both her and Miss Wilson are ‘having a baby’ or ‘starting a family’. They are not. Only she is having a baby. Jennifer Wilson is a bystander.
Moreover, this is not a baby born into a loving marital relationship. It is not a baby conceived as the result of a one-flesh union between male and female. It is a baby concocted in an IVF lab for purely selfish and/or gay campaigning reasons. Yes, Ruth Davidson may well feel maternal. But if she has decided to be a lesbian, she has set herself steaming down a sexual dead-end.
A word about IVF
IVF has been used to enable couples who are in a one-flesh union to have children. Our misgivings about it arise because healthy embryonic human beings are killed as by-products. At the same time, we understand very well the heartache of not being able to conceive naturally.
It seems ironic and unjust that Nicola Sturgeon, at one time the only one of three female Scottish party leaders to be heterosexual, has been unable to conceive. Our hearts and prayers go out to her and her husband, even if we cannot stand her politics.
But an inability to conceive naturally is not remotely the case here. Ruth Davidson has gone down the IVF route because of her distaste for natural sexual relations. Either that, or because it would neither have been personally nor politically expedient to go ‘between the sheets’ with a man.
And who is the father of the growing baby? Did some student sell his seed? Is the father even a Conservative? Is he straight or gay? Will he have any involvement in the child’s life? Amid all the gushing, no-one in the mainstream media is so much as asking these questions.
We know Ruth Davidson is the mother
Unlike the creepy Tom Daley / Mr Black case, we know who is at least one actual parent. It’s hard to conceal pregnancy. But as her child grows up, what will Miss Davidson tell him or her? Will the pair maintain the fiction that they are both its parents? And how is a child expected to grow up normal in such an dysfunctional environment? (Let alone in the Black/Daley household?)
Ruth Davidson has been touted as a possible future leader of the Conservative Party as a whole. It is a party which celebrates sodomy and everything gay. The Tories passed the act to allow homosexuals to gay-marry. They corrupt the nation’s children in state-sponsored sex education. Above all, Conservative politicians have plunged headlong into the world of ‘post-truth, post-shame’. Given all that, Ruth Davidson would sadly be an ideal fit.
Take away the wicked
But to take on such a role would be to aspire to be the Queen’s minister. Let us pray against such an eventuality, but even more for repentance for all in authority. Let us pray for righteous ministers to surround the Queen with these words from the mouth of God:
Psalm 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
Proverbs 25:5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
1Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
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Mr Gatehouse saw all sorts of dodgy images literally through what we were supposed to understand was a bottle of vodka. The barman morphed into a V-for-Vendetta Anonymous mask. Why? Then Russian dolls, clowns, Mickey Mouse, RT, Vladimir Putin. Ours is ‘a world of total relativism’, he said. Speak for yourself, Gabs!
Theresa versus Sergei
The White Helmets sent emails to musician Roger Waters asking for support. He denounced them on stage instead.
Then we moved to Douma and Theresa May. She was obviously someone we could trust. Unlike those dodgy Russians. She said: ‘If they are found to be responsible, the regime and its backers, the Russians, must be held to account’.
Now the Gabriel Gatehouse BBC Newsnight video switched to Sergei Lavrov. (Dodgy Russian, he is.) He had information that the UK had orchestrated the Douma incident, he said, through the allegedly humanitarian ‘White Helmets’ who work in jihadist-controlled areas of Syria.
But it is a fact that the ‘White Helmets’ were the only source for the information for the Douma attack. The UK astonishingly set up and continue to fund the White Helmets group. So we should expect the ‘White Helmets’ to advance the UK position on Social Media and in films to Reuters. Because the UK line still is that Assad must go and Syria be turned over to murderous jihadis. So the trustworthy one is actually dodgy and the dodgy one more likely to be telling the truth. Oh dear.
And then BBC Newsnight wheeled out Ben Nimmo. He used to be press officer for NATO. Now he appears to work for something called the ‘Digital Forensic Research Lab’ at the Atlantic Council.
Maram Susli, ‘Syrian Girl’ or ‘Partisan Girl’, has built up a huge YouTube following, writing mainly on Syria. She is a real person.
The Atlantic Council has been busy recently. It sent out Dr Hisham Hellyer to berate the Christians who visited Syria the weekend before last. It’s funded by a host of arms manufacturers. Moreover, its funders depend on there being a ‘Russian Threat’.
Without any sense of shame, Ben Nimmo was still talking about ‘Russian Trolls’ on Twitter. Earlier, he said they included UK pensioner Ian Shilling and Syrian-Australian activist Maram Susli . The latter goes both as SyrianGirlPartisan and plain Syrian Girl on YouTube. But neither is a Russian ‘troll’, as Mr Nimmo has suggested.
Mr Gatehouse said accurately that the Douma attack either happened or it didn’t. But he went on: “Meanwhile, in the world of information warfare, the Russians are on the offensive.” Is not the BBC also on the information warfare offensive?
The Blair lies that led to the Iraq war
Tony Blair lied about Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction and ’45 minutes’ and poisoned the well of public trust.
Newsnight continued with the Russian Ambassador reminding us of what Tony Blair said in March 2003, preparing the UK for war with Iraq. ‘My judgement as prime minister is that this threat is real, growing and of an entirely different nature to any conventional threat to our security that Britain has faced before.’
‘Russia is using a mix of methods to produce a potent propaganda cocktail’, Mr Gatehouse went on. Ben Nimmo came back to speak of Russian ‘state-controlled sites and diplomats’. As if the BBC is independent. Then ‘you have allegedly independent websites and broadcasters,’ he said. (Like the various UK news mainstream media (MSM)?) You also have trolls and bots, apparently. But ‘they all work together, they all amplify the same message’, as if the British MSM and Government do not do the same.
Media Group-Speak
Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black at the Evening Standard Film Awards from a gushing report in the Irish Times. The odd commentator might be critical, but MSM editors dare not say a word against them.
And we have seen them do it not merely on Syria, Salisbury and Russia. The media group-speak is there on abortion. Most recently there is unanimity on whipped-up opposition to pavement activists.
It is there on sodomy against the name of which none dare speak. MSM group-speak is present referring to gays having ‘husbands’ and lesbians ‘wives’. Or about Tom Daley and Mr Black ‘having a baby together’. It is even there on transgenders. They are always called by their chosen gender rather than their real one.
It is a real challenge for the prophets of God to know truth from fiction. Group-speak affects Parliament. We even have to remember Christian MPs are fallible human beings like us, with foibles and mini-agendas. It is all the more reason to be grounded in the word of God.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
And we thank God for alternative media like Christian Voice, Off-Guardian, RT, the Way, Antiwar.com, Christian Concern. Journalists Patrick Cockburn and Robert Fisk and often the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen are refreshingly off-message on the Middle East. It would be remiss not to mention journalists like Neil Clark and Vanessa Beeley and tweeters such as @Ian56789 and @PartisanGirl. They may not always be right, but they bring perspectives and information. All this can be weighed against scripture.
Truth has fallen
Ian Shilling, ‘Ian56’, is a real man, not a ‘bot’ and not a Russian ‘troll’.
For BBC Newsnight, Ian56, despite being a real man, is ‘a Russian bot’. Do they know what a robot is? And if you so much as mention ‘False Flag’, you are a Russian stooge. More footage of Mr Gatehouse squinting through the bottle. And then we discover he can speak some Russian. He contended that states used to try to persuade the public to trust their version of events. But these days, they want us ‘to trust nobody’. However, that is just his contention.
We British, in our law-making, have rebelled against every one of the Ten Commandments. But recently, ‘Truth has fallen’ as Isaiah put it. There was a time when the public trusted what their leaders told them. They may have been wrong to do so. But they trusted them as men of honour anyway. With Tony Blair that went. With David Cameron trust was consigned to history as he shamelessly pretended in Parliament there were 70,000 moderate Syrian men to fight ISIS.
Sadly, Theresa May is pouring more poison down an already contaminated well of public trust. She has tried to pretend there is evidence implicating the Russian state in the Salisbury poisoning and the Syrian state over Douma. But there isn’t. All she has is that mysterious concoction ‘intelligence’. There was ‘intelligence’ about Iraq’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’ which could reach the UK ‘in 45 minutes’. If intelligence is something posted by the White Helmets on social media it is valueless.
Dr Tara McCormack has been on RT. Enough said.
WhatAboutism
But to raise such valid questions is to be guilty, says Mr Gatehouse, of ‘WhatAboutism’. As in ‘What about Iraq’?
That dealt with, he turned his fire on a group of academics known as the ‘Working group on Syria, propaganda and media.’ He interviewed Dr Tara McCormack of Leicester University. She made the valid point that in the current atmosphere, ‘You are a traitor if you believe in due process.’ But, Gabriel reminded us, she has appeared on the Russian channel RT!
Then philosopher Onora O-Neill warned against ‘the amount of anonymous communication that we receive.’ It was a peculiar thing for Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve CH CBE FRS FBA FMedSci to say. Everything we write in Christian Voice is referenced by links to real media. We put anything anonymous in the bin. Where we can, we go back to original sources. Dr O’Neill’s target was a classic and ridiculous straw man.
Don’t go online. Watch BBC Newsnight!
Rev Canon Giles Fraser is in charge of St Mary’s Newington in South London.
Newsnight followed up the Gatehouse video with a discussion. Evan Davies interviewed one Peter Pomerantsev and Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair’s spin doctor. Campbell put pressure in 2003 on the ‘spooks’ to ‘sex up’ the ‘dodgy dossier’ and take Britain to war in Iraq. Pomerantsev makes his living out of talking up Russian ‘disinformation’. There was no opposing view. They all agreed one should not ‘go online for the truth’. No, you should watch the BBC and read the Guardian! You really couldn’t make it up.
Then, finally, Evan Davies interviewed Rev Giles Fraser. Canon Fraser went to Syria as part of the Christian group with Baroness Cox two weekends ago. A Guardian journalist slammed him for it and for pictures and commentary he tweeted. Yes, he agreed, his tweets could have been better phrased. Mr Davies asked: ‘Are you a useful idiot?’ ‘I may be an idiot’, replied his reverence. ‘But I’m not sure I’m that useful’. Since Giles Fraser humiliated the high priest of evolution, Richard Dawkins, with an innocuous question about the title of Darwin’s book on the BBC4 Today Programme we have had a soft spot for him here.
Tom Daley (Left) and Dustin Lance Black (right) held a 'baby shower' party last weekend.
Tom Daley (Left) and Dustin Lance Black (right) held a ‘baby shower’ party last weekend.
Failed Olympic Diver Tom Daley and his American screenwriter father-figure Dustin Lance Black are not ‘having a baby together.’
According to the Metro newspaper, the two held a ‘baby shower’ over the weekend (April 2018). That’s when you invite your friends around, feed them and receive gifts for your baby.
And in this case, you wear the sort of vulgar sashes and head wear normally seen on a hen night.
When the pair told the world in February, Pink News was shocked they received abuse. ‘It turns out that in 2018 a lot of people still aren’t happy about two men having a baby together. Earlier today Olympic diver Tom Daley and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black announced they are having their first child,’ gushed the homosexual rag.
Post-truth, post-shame
No, they are not having ‘their’ first child, Pink News. Nor are they ‘married’. Nor is either of them the ‘husband’ of the other, as the BBC also claimed. All this language is self-delusional at best. At worst, it is yet another example of our ‘post-truth, post-shame’ society. Our leaders and media don’t know what is true any more and they don’t care.
In whose womb is this child pictured?
Here is the uncomfortable truth. One of them is having a child born by a paid surrogate mother. Despite the identical sashes saying ‘Daddy to be’, the other has no relation to the baby at all.
Furthermore, this child is either a fashion accessory or a gay rights campaign. Either way, it stinks. Which one of them provided seed to artificially inseminate the mother? Or, did they, no, stop, there is a danger of too much information. They won’t say, in any case. They will pretend the child is ‘theirs’.
And they will, in fact did, hold up an ultrasound picture of the baby in its mother’s womb, whoever she is.
‘Breeding machine’
Which prompted the homosexual magazine ‘Advocate’ to ask if women have become mere ‘breeding machines’ for celebrity dirty boys. Sorry, gay couples. (Well, what they do is dirty by any reasonable standard, and inherently unsanitary.)
In any case, Advocate poses a fair question. They quoted columnist Richard Littlejohn. He asked: “But where’s the mum, the possessor of the womb which features in this photograph? She appears to have been written out of the script entirely.” Mr Littlejohn went on: “We are not told her identity, where she lives, or even when the baby is due. She is merely the anonymous incubator.”
Daley, 23 and Black, 43, got gay-married in May 2017 at Bovey Castle in Devon. Daley’s own father sadly died in May 2011. I venture his son would never have turned gay had Robert Daley still been alive. In fact, Pink News reported Mr Black revealed Daley is still attracted to women. He said: “I don’t know if I’ll be in trouble for this; his head still turns for girls.”
Who is the mother? And just who is the father?
In a radio broadcast, Black tried to say there would be loads of women in the child’s life. But that is not the point. A baby needs its mother AND its father. At some stage he or she will ask after his or her mother. And an inquisitive child will want to know which of the charlatans is his actual, true father. What will Black answer a growing child then?
God’s way is for children to be born of a loving union between man and woman. Such a relationship as the Bible describes is conspicuously absent in this case:
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Commonwealth says ‘No’ to Tom Daley
If there is a silver lining, it is that Tom Daley’s pro-sodomy calls to the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government went unheeded, at least in the short term. He won gold with Dan Goodfellow in the synchronised diving at the Commonwealth Games. Daley pulled out of the individual event. He will be diving next in Russia in May. The Star reports he is afraid to go. Apparently, Russians collectively and the Russian Federation not being cool with sodomy is ‘scary’.
Goodfellow was sidelined as Daley went off on his rant, according to the Guardian: “There are 37 countries where it’s illegal to be who I am out of all the Commonwealth so hopefully we can reduce that number between now and (2022),” Theresa May and Boris Johnson also joined in trying to force gay rights on the nations of the Commonwealth. The Foreign Secretary even promised Tom Daley he would raise the matter.
Sadly, Belize, the Seychelles, Nauru and Mozambique have all recently decriminalised sodomy. The matter is before the courts in Trinidad and Tobago, Kenya, Botswana and India. Sri Lanka has referenced ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ in its draft constitution. All these cases have been brought as a result of behind-the-scenes agitation from the UK. Moreover, the homosexual activists in the various countries have been funded from the UK, the EU or the US or from individuals such as George Soros and his Open Society Foundations. There is no indigenous locally-funded pro-gay activist group anywhere in the developing world, so far as we can make out.
Exodus 23:8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Thank God for local opposition
Bishop Dr. Victor Gill and his wife Tracey Gill.
Thank God for local opposition. Indy100 quotes Trinidad bishop Victor Gill who condemns pressure from the UK to decriminalise same-sex acts as “neo-colonialism”. He voiced concern that “children should not be indoctrinated in school that homosexuality is normal”. We have experience in the UK that this is exactly what happens when sodomy is decriminalised. The bishop went on: “Once the law is removed and it becomes legally right, then it will be right to be taught, then they want equal opportunity for services and so forth’.
But the final communique of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting made no mention of ‘sexuality’, ‘diversity’, ‘sexual health’ or ‘reproductive health’. (The latter is code for abortion.) ‘Transgender’, let alone ‘gays, ‘lesbians’, or ‘homosexuality’ did not merit a mention either. Sadly, feminism, aka ‘women’s economic empowerment’, featured. African nations have not yet noticed that the idea that only women and youth can be trusted to run businesses and increase wealth is deeply racist. ‘Women’s economic empowerment’ is yet another fashionable cause in the UK’s neo-colonialist agenda.
The wickedness the UK tries to force on other nations, added to our own rebellion against God’s laws, on top of our warmongering, is bringing the judgment of God on this nation. Pray for repentance in the Cabinet.
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Baroness Cox campaigns tirelessly for persecuted Christians worldwide
Baroness Cox, who was in Damascus last weekend, campaigns tirelessly for persecuted Christians worldwide
A group of peers and clerics was in Syria hours after Saturday’s bombing, Christian Today has reported. (All our links open automatically in a new tab.)
The delegation included Lord Dykes and was led by Baroness Cox. The trip was planned some months ago, and went ahead despite the bombings. Naturally, it attracted a chorus of disapproval.
On Syria, Baroness Cox asked a question in Parliament in December 2017 which forced the Government to admit it had given £60m to opposition groups in Syria, including £10m of our money to armed factions.
Rt Rev Michael Langrish, former bishop of Exeter, was present. So was Rev Andrew Ashdown, who organised the visit. Rev Giles Fraser, currently in charge of St Mary Newington (South London), was also in the group.
Rev Giles Fraser posted this view of Damascus from the minister’s window.
A tweet from Canon Fraser drew the particular ire of Aaronovitch. Dated 15th April, it said: ‘Fascinating meeting today discussing the long tradition of religious pluralism in Syria with the Minister for Religious Affairs. And the view from his office window.’
Mr Aaronovitch wrote: ‘Given their ubiquity in Baathist Syria it’s quite possible that one of the buildings glimpsed from the window could have been a regime detention centre.’
Has anyone said the Syrian government is not repressive?
But the only alternative to it is the murdering jihadists financed by the UK, the US and the Sunni Muslim Gulf nations.
And out of the two, the Christians, Druze, Shia Muslims and Alawites of Syria know which they prefer.
Armaments fund Christians’ critics
The Daily Telegraph quoted one Dr Hisham Hellyer. “When British peers and Christian clergy have been to Damascus in the past, they were rightly condemned as presenting an image of appeasement to Assad’s regime, and showing him as some sort of protector of Christians, as though Syrian Muslims mattered for nought.”
Well, it isn’t that the Syrian Sunni Muslims, to be specific, ‘matter for nought.’ It is that if they were in power, all the others would be murdered or driven out.
Tomahawk missile. What the BBC graphic does not say is ‘Cost $250,000’. The 2017 attack cost the US Defense Department $14,750,000. Shares in Raytheon jumped 1.7% in the wake of the 2017 missile strike. Raytheon help fund the Atlantic Council.
But this is interesting. Dr Hellyer is ‘a senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council and the Royal United Services Institute in London’. The Daily Telegraph says so. And where does the seemingly-neutral Atlantic Council receive funding from?
Its own website lists the UK Foreign Office, US Dept of State, NATO and the United Arab Emirates. They all hate Bashar Al-Assad. Also listed are Rockefeller Brothers, Chevron Oil, Carnegie and a number of other merchant banks.
President Bashar al-Assad flanked by (l-r) Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Rev Andrew Ashdown, Lord Hylton and Baroness Cox. We do not know the identity of the other three persons.
They were condemned by anti-Assad voices in the UK, but Baroness Cox defended the trip.
She said: “You’re in the country, you want to meet as many people as you can. You go to raise concerns, which you can’t do if you don’t meet.
“The main purpose was to hear the voices of the people of Syria.”
‘Let us decide our own future’
Baroness Cox said the Syrian people were anxious about foreign intervention. “They plead with us: ‘Please do not let the British government and the international community bring about an enforced regime change, let us decide our own future’, and the government is doing a lot to try to promote reconciliation,” she said.
Rev Andrew Ashdown said: “The people within Syria, of all faiths and all sectarian backgrounds, are appalled at the narrowness of Western media reporting and one-sidedness.”
Bishop Nazir-Ali added, “Britain maintains relations with and encourages visits to countries like the Sudan, Iran and Zimbabwe. Why is Assad demonised to this extent? In the Middle East, the choice is not between angels and monsters but between one kind of monster and another. With all my experience, I cannot say that he is the worst of all.”
Baroness Cox voiced the fears of local people that “ the West’s plans for regime change would be disastrous … and they would become another Iraq.” That was why, before last weekend’s raid, we were praying: Douma: Stop the West rushing to war!
Christians in Syria
Orthodox Christians in Damascus
We (that is, Evangelicals) have a tendency to regard the Christians in Syria as not quite like us. They do weird things like light candles and wear funny hats. We can be tempted to think they are not even born again. (As if there are two classes of Christians, ‘born-agains’ and ‘non-born-agains.’) Discuss in the comments!
Most Syrian Christians are in communion either with the Greek and Russian Orthodox. There are also Eastern Orthodox. Then there are the Eastern, or Melkite, Catholics.
Christians in Syria used to form 10% of the pre-war 22 million population. Only a minority of Christians in Syria are Protestant. The Anglican church in Damascus is currently closed because of the unrest.
But nevertheless, this Easter, Christians all over Syria were able to celebrate the Risen Lord Jesus, as we reported at the time.
Russian Cyber Attacks
Recently, an MP told me that Russia is mounting ‘cyber attacks’ against the UK. (As if we don’t do exactly the same thing.) The attacks were not specified, but message was clear. ‘The Russians are attacking us! Stop seeing any good at all in them!’ That leads me to this fascinating quote:
“Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don’t want war. Neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship…
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.”
There is plainly no threat to the UK of a Russian invasion. Consequently, the ‘threat’ has to be of the mysterious ‘cyber’ variety. No doubt all countries are getting up to all kinds of cyber trickery on each other. And now news comes from the Independent that senior MPs are getting together. Chairmen of the top House of Commons Select Committees will collaborate on the ‘Russian threat’.
We read: ‘Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat will lead the new “Russia Co-ordinating Group”, along with Labour’s Home Affairs Committee head Yvette Cooper, Treasury Committee boss Nicky Morgan, and the heads of intelligence, defence, DCMS and national security bodies.’
And here is the Sun claiming Russia targets MILLIONS of UK computers. In 2016, the Washington Post claimed Russian hackers had gained access to the electric grid in Vermont. It was a false claim. Undeterred, the FBI have put out a new report claiming Russian hackers are trying to disrupt energy supplies. It seems light on security advice, such as ‘install security software’, ‘never open attachments’ and ‘do not click on unexpected links.’ But it’s heavy on scare.
Russia was suspected of a cyber-attack on the Ukraine electricity system in 2015. For all the effort whoever it was put into it, Wikipedia tells us a mere 0.015% of daily electricity was not supplied. It still cut off 230,000 people for between one and six hours. A second attack, a year later, caused little more trouble but was more automated. However, the same articlesays the US and Israel also targeted an Iranian nuclear installation in 2009. Clearly, everyone is at it.
Fake News and Money Laundering
Along with the ‘cyber threat’, the MPs will consider ‘fake news’ or propaganda. That’s the likes of Russia Today (RT), Sputnik, Off-Guardian and (surely not!) Christian Voice. But ‘fake news’ is in the eye of the beholder. Are the people of Britain not grown-up enough to decide who is telling the truth? That is the reasoning behind what we used to call ‘a free press’ and ‘freedom of speech’. Unless you take Goering’s view and conclude that the non-mainstream media interfere with the government’s process of telling us we are being attacked.
The third ‘Russian threat’ is the money laundering said to be done in London by Russian oligarchs. So here is where it all looks like an exercise in clutching at straws. ‘Money laundering’ is ubiquitous. Is it really a security threat?
So we are left with ‘cyber warfare’. And on that, we are urged to accept the word of our leaders that it is a real threat to the UK and that the UK (and US) is not also engaging in it. They will have, sadly, an uphill task. Some of us still remember Dodgy Dossiers, 45 minutes, ‘sexed-up’ intelligence and ‘the 70,000’.
Psalm 7:14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
Better to be at peace
Surely the best alternative (unless you are an arms manufacturer) is to be on better terms with the Russian Federation? Is that completely impossible? Who says so?
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Prince Vladimir accepted the Christian faith for the ‘Rus’ in Kiev in 988 AD. Would it not be a good idea to talk peaceably to the leaders of this great Christian nation? Should we not seek common ground against the real threat of militant Islam, for example?
Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Thank God for the UK delegation in Syria. Pray for words of peace and understanding. Pray for repentance in our leaders. Theresa May and Boris Johnson have only this week been trying to force gay rights on the nations of the Commonwealth. Lord, change their hearts. And send your Holy Spirit into your people as we pray for our land:
Jer 29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
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Proceedings in the House of Commons yesterday and on Monday seemed to be in a parallel universe. Member after member rose to say something had to be done about Assad and his gas/chemical attacks.
On Monday, out of 140 MPs who spoke, only around thirty were in any way critical of the bombing raid. Most of those were more concerned that Parliament had not voted prior. As indeed it should have done. Only two, Edward Leigh and Richard Bacon, mentioned Syria’s Christians. Only Naseem Shah asked whether the alleged attack actually took place. (And Mrs Shah is not normally someone with whom we have any agreement.)
It may well have done. But we need honesty from our rulers. On Monday, and on Tuesday, all we saw was ducking and diving, assertions, and pleas to ‘trust us.’ Sadly, successive governments have poisoned the well of public trust. That should be the focus for our prayers.
Theresa May dodged the Barzah question
Theresa May responded to all Jeremy Corbyn’s questions on Monday bar one. And what was that one? It was the point we raised on Monday in our article. And it was to do with a report from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. This report was dated March 2018. It stated, in paragraph 11:
‘the inspection team did not observe any activities inconsistent with obligations under the Convention during the second round of inspections at the Barzah and Jamrayah facilities.’
Jeremy Corbyn asked: ‘In relation to the air strikes against the Barzeh and Him Shinsar facilities, the Prime Minister will be aware that the OPCW carried out inspections on both those facilities in 2017 and concluded that “the inspection team did not observe any activities inconsistent with obligations” under the chemical weapons convention. Can the Prime Minister advise the House whether she believes that the OPCW was wrong in that assessment, or does she have separate intelligence that the nature of those activities has changed within the last five months?’
Mrs May ignored the question and sadly, Mr Corbyn did not press her.
‘The Prime Minister has said that the legal basis relies on there having been no practicable alternative to the use of force. Further to that, can she confirm exactly when the UK identified Him Shinsar as a chemical weapons storage facility, when it identified the chemical research facility at Barzeh as a chemical weapons research centre, when this information was reported to the OPCW and whether the UK has asked the OPCW to inspect both sites?’
Again, the Prime Minister avoided a direct answer. ‘We have been very clear that we would like it to be possible for the OPCW to investigate sites in Syria, for there to be proper identification of the chemical weapons and for there to be proper accountability for the use of those chemical weapons.’
There is only one conclusion. The Government had no intelligence on the two sites. They were clear of chemical weapons. We bombed them anyway. That’s a poor show.
Prime Minster and the OPCW
Mrs May then spoke about the alleged attack last year at Khan Shaykhun.
According to Hansard (Col148), Mrs May said: ‘The OPCW-UN joint investigative mechanism has found Syria responsible for using chemical weapons on four occasions between 2014 and 2017, including at Talamenes in April 2014, at Sarmin and Qamenas in March 2015—both involved the regime using chlorine—and at Khan Shaykhun on 4 April last year, when the regime used sarin to kill around 100 people, with a further 500 casualties.
When we first published this article, we accused Mrs May of lying about this point. That now appears to be an unfair accusation and we apologise. The reason for the accusation was this statement from the OPCW:
The OPCW reported, on 30th June 2017: ‘the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) confirmed that people were exposed to sarin, a chemical weapon, on 4 April 2017 in the Khan Shaykhun area, Idlib Province in the Syrian Arab Republic. The FFM’s mandate is to determine whether chemical weapons or toxic chemicals as weapons have been used in Syria; it does not include identifying who is responsible for alleged attacks.’
Nevertheless, there is what appears to be a genuine letter from the OPCW-UN joint investigative mechanism on the ReliefWeb site. That does indeed find the Syrian Arab Republic responsible for a Sarin attack at Khan Shaykhun. It also finds Islamic State (or ISIS) responsible for a chlorine gas attack at Umm Hawsh.
‘4. In the Mechanism’s third and fourth reports, the Leadership Panel reported that it had reached a conclusion as to the actors involved in the following four cases: Talmenes (21 April 2014), Sarmin (16 March 2015), Qmenas (16 March 2015) and Marea (21 August 2015). In relation to the first three incidents, the Panel had determined that the Syrian Arab Armed Forces had been involved in the use of toxic chemicals as weapons and that their helicopters had been used to drop barrel bombs in those three cases.’
The OPCW-UN attributed the attack in Marea to Islamic State.
ReliefWeb is a specialized digital service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
It may be that the Syrian Government used chemical weapons at Douma. Or it may have been a ‘false flag’ event from the jihadis. It is almost impossible to tell. Mrs May possibly thinks it was President Assad who did it. Or at least, she wants him to have done it.
The trouble is, it is now so difficult to trust our politicians. Two weeks ago, Boris Johnson lied about the information he received from Porton Down. That was in the Skripal case. Tony Blair lied to the public and Parliament about ‘intelligence’ before the Iraq war in 2003.
Mr Blair published a ‘Dodgy Dossier’ ostensibly from our intelligence people. Saddam had ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’. (If he had, we sold them to him, by the way.) His weapons could devastate UK cities in 45 minutes. It was all a pack of lies.
Scientist Dr David Kelly was found dead at that time in suspicious circumstances. He was a weapons inspector. He knew all about Iraq and its weapons, or lack of them.
Post-truth, post-shame
Then in 2015, David Cameron lied to Parliament about how many moderate opposition forces could be raised in Syria. He said it was 70,000. Writing in the Guardian, Roy Greenslade asked:
‘Will any prime minister desperate to become a war leader ever tell us the truth? David Cameron’s claim to there being 70,000 Syrian rebels ready to do battle with Isis looks as dodgy as Tony Blair’s dodgy dossier.’
It is very serious indeed that we cannot trust our political leaders to do something as basic as tell the truth. One journalist even said they have moved from post-truth to post-shame. A succession of leaders have poisoned the well of public trust. And I have to say, many MPs in the Palace of Westminster simply do not understand that.
The loss of truth is prophesied in the Bible:
Isaiah 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
Calling politicians back to truth should be perhaps the main focus of our prayers for Parliament.
Privy Councillors had a briefing!
One Privy Councillor who supported the Government told me he received a briefing with intelligence reports and therefore knew more about the matters in hand than I do. There are at least three problems with that.
Firstly, Jeremy Corbyn is also a Privy Councillor. So is Kenneth Clarke. And both of them took a different view. And a somewhat different view from each other as it happens.
Secondly, the ‘White Helmets’ must have provided a lot of the ‘intelligence’. They were created and are funded by the British Foreign Office. They are also embedded with the jihadists we support. So guess what intelligence they are going to provide?
Thirdly, he means only Privy Councillors know enough to make decisions about matters of state. In that event, the rest of us in the ignorant masses should shut up. But that cannot be how things work here. We are all entitled to inform ourselves as best we can, seek the Lord in his word and pray into these things. Above all, we must never be deterred from calling our politicians to account, be they never so high.
Syria’s Christians
Finally, the two MPs who mentioned Syria’s Christians were not among those we regularly mention as ‘Christian MPs.’ They were the Anglican, Richard Bacon, and Sir Edward Leigh, a Roman Catholic .
Mr Richard Bacon (South Norfolk) (Con) interrupted Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (col 134). He said: ‘I am listening with great interest to my hon. Friend’s speech’. Then he asked: ‘What would be the plight of the Christians in Syria if Bashar al-Assad were deposed?’ Sir Geoffrey replied: ‘It is very hard to know.’
With respect, ‘No it isn’t, Sir Geoffrey!’ They would be butchered.
According to Network Norwich, Mr Bacon ‘firmly believes that problems in the Middle East can be resolved through improved relations with Russia and Iran (He is co-chair with Jack Straw of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Iran, has visited the country and seen the fairness and kindness of the people.) “Blessed are the Peacemakers.”’
Firstly, Sir Edward quoted a line from the statement from the leaders of three of Syria’s largest churches: “It causes us great pain that this assault comes from powerful countries to which Syria did not cause any harm in any way.”
Secondly, Sir Edward said ‘These Christian leaders are under great pressure from the Assad regime to toe the party line, as it were. But the fact is that their responsibility is to protect their own communities, which are under unprecedented pressure. We have to take some account of the pressure on Christian communities.
Thirdly, he shared how US and UK bombing in the Middle East puts Christian lives at risk all over the Muslim world.
Finally, Sir Edward concluded: ‘The fact is that as much as we detest Assad and as much as he is a dictator, none of us, as Christians, would want to live in area of Syria that was outside Assad’s control, because he would protect us. That is a difficult thing to say in Parliament and not everybody will agree with it, but I have to say what I have to say.’
Sir Edward told me afterwards he ‘was heard in silence’.
Former employees at the Barzah research site stand outside the ruined facility.
Former employees at the Barzah research site stand outside the ruined facility.
The UK, US and France bombed the Barzah research site near Damascus in Syria knowing full well it had no chemical weapons, it has emerged.
Christian Voice has uncovered a report from the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). It gave Barzah a comprehensive all-clear only last month. Allied aircraft also targeted the Jamrayah (or ‘Jamraya’ or ‘Dummar’) site west of Damascus. The facility was also cleared by OPCW.
Firstly, the report says the OPCW was satisfied Syria was destroying all its chemical weapons facilities. Only two sites remained and they were being dealt with. Secondly, it identifies the Barzah and Jamrayah sites by name. Moreover, the Report declares both sites completely free of banned substances.
UK, US and French intelligence must have known about the Report. So why did they bomb Barzah and Jamrayah?
As we went to press, Mrs May was about to defend her approach in the House of Commons. But irrespective of when you read this, you can still email your MP. Here is the link to the Parliament website.
OPCW Reported only three weeks ago
The OPCW published the Executive Council Report on 23rd March 2018. That was just three weeks before Friday night’s air strikes. The Report is openly published here. We read at paragraph 6 (a):
‘The Secretariat has verified the destruction of 25 of the 27 chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) declared by the Syrian Arab Republic.’ It goes on. … ‘the Secretariat conducted an initial
inspection of the last two stationary above-ground facilities.’
It concludes: ‘the Secretariat, together with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), has been making all the required arrangements to assist the Syrian Arab Republic in the destruction of the facilities located at these two sites.’
No scheduled chemicals
Paragraph 11 says this:
’11. In accordance with paragraph 11 of Council decision EC-83/DEC.5, the second round of inspections at the Barzah and Jamrayah facilities of the SSRC was concluded on 22 November 2017. The results of the inspections were reported as an addendum (EC-87/DG.15/Add.1, dated 28 February 2018) to the report entitled “Status of Implementation of Executive Council Decision EC-83/DEC.5 (dated 11 November 2016)” (EC-87/DG.15, dated 23 February 2018). The analysis of samples taken during the inspections did not indicate the presence of scheduled chemicals in the samples, and the inspection team did not observe any activities inconsistent with obligations under the Convention during the second round of inspections at the Barzah and Jamrayah facilities.’
The Report concludes:
’17. The main focus of the future activities of the OPCW mission in the Syrian Arab Republic will be on the activities of the FFM and on the implementation of Council decisions EC-83/DEC.5 and EC-81/DEC.4, including declaration-related issues, as well as on the verification of the destruction of the two stationary above-ground facilities, and annual inspections of the underground structures already verified as destroyed.’
Barzah ‘developing anti-cancer drugs’
Even worse, Sputnik News claims the Barzah scientific research center was ‘a pharmaceutical facility used to produce cancer drugs.’ It quotes the facility head (who is un-named):
“Since the Syria crisis broke out, the country has been short of all kinds of medicines due to the sanctions from Western countries. Foreign companies stopped exporting high-quality medicines to Syria, especially anti-cancer medicines. So we have been conducting researches on anti-cancer medicines here, and three cancer drugs have been developed,” the facility head said.
The man was interviewed on RT standing at the site in plain clothes. “If there were chemical weapons in the building, we would not be here. My colleagues and I came here at 05:00 this morning. If there were chemical weapons, we would need to wear masks and take other protective measures to be staying here,” the man explained.
The US knew there were no chemical weapons at the site. Have they instead destroyed an institution developing life-saving medicines? Above all, medicines the Syrians are banned from importing? that would be a cruel and cynical blow.
No alternative to Bashar al-Assad
In an editorial, the Independent criticises the strikes. It quotes Patrick Cockburn. Mr Cockburn is an experienced reporter and commentator on the Middle East. He argues the only realistic rulers of Syria are Bashar al-Assad or the various al-Qaeda clones, such as Isis and al-Nusra.
The editorial says: ‘Any serious attempt to weaken the Syrian leader, therefore, risks prolonging the agonies of the Syrian people – although he writes today that these strikes were more of a “gesture” than an attempt to damage Mr Assad’s military machine.
And we repeat, it is President Assad and his Russian allies who have defended Syria’s Christians. If the UK had had its way, jihadists would be in charge of Syria. Naturally, in that event, the Christians of Syria would be history. Se we thank God for president Assad. And we thank God for the Russians. Through them the Lord has preserved the life and liberty of our brothers and sisters.
Syrian churches condemn attack
Now, you won’t see this mentioned in the mainstream media. Premier Radio has reported the leaders of the Greek Orthodox and Greek-Melkite Catholic churches have condemned the weekend strike.
In a statement issued by the Patriarchates of Antioch and all the East for the Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, and Greek-Melkite Catholic Damascus, the faith leaders questioned the legality behind the move.
They stated that the “brutal aggression” is a “clear violation of the international laws and the UN Charter”, and was an “unjustified assault” on a sovereign country that is a member of the United Nations.
“It causes us great pain that this assault comes from powerful countries to which Syria did not cause any harm in any way,” the church leaders added.
“The allegations of the USA and other countries that the Syrian army is using chemical weapons and that Syria is a country that owns and uses this kind of weapon, is a claim that is unjustified and unsupported by sufficient and clear evidence.
‘We call upon all churches in the countries that participated in the aggression, to fulfill their Christian duties, according to the teachings of the Gospel, and condemn this aggression and to call their governments to commit to the protection of international peace.’
Meanwhile, the Independent published the results of an opinion poll. The exclusive survey showed more people opposed than supported the action. Just 28 per cent supported them, while 36 per cent opposed. 26 per cent neither opposed nor supported the strikes and 11 per cent did not know.
YouGov research found an even stronger reaction. This was despite the majority of Britons (61%) thinking a chemical attack happened. Fewer than a quarter of Britons (22%) said they would support the attacks. Almost twice as many opposed them (43%).
General Mattis ‘saved the day’
So it now appears there was no justification for the strikes, particularly on Barzah and Jamrayah. Even then, it could have been worse.
Julian Borger, writing in the Guardian, is among many thanking General Mattis for reining in his president. The man known as ‘Mad Dog’ is a combat veteran. Borger says: ‘Mattis fought hard to keep the airstrikes narrowly focused on the three alleged chemical weapons facilities.’
In 2004 Mattis ordered a strike on what turned out to be a wedding party in Mukaradeeb. The ‘wedding party massacre’ killed 42 people. Too many of our most bellicose politicians never served in the forces. As a field commander the General knows full well the horrors of war.
Also in the Guardian, Simon Tisdall agrees: ‘It was Jim Mattis who saved the day.’ He ‘stood up to a Donald Trump baying for blood.’ Mr Trump’s new security advisor, John Bolton, may want to strike at Iran. Nevertheless, Tisdall says: ‘Mattis told Trump, in effect, that the third world war was not going to start on his watch.
‘The US was attacking Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities, he said. That, nothing more or less, was what the air strikes were about.’
‘No doubt there are times when we must fight. But there are plenty more when we should not.
‘Any fool can kill a man in a second and ruin a city in a week. But it takes long years of nurture to raise a child to adulthood, and centuries to build a civilisation.
‘Yet I look around me and see the mouths of intelligent people opened wide, yelling for an attack on Syria, when the only certain outcome of that will be blood and screams and ruins, and the deaths of innocents in ‘collateral damage’. What good will this do?
‘What is wrong with them? They are not cruel and stupid, yet they call for actions which are both.
‘Haven’t we got enough misery in Syria already? The place is a mass of ruins, graveyards and refugee camps. To what end? The only mercy for Syria will come when the war ends, yet we seek to widen and extend it.’
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Peaceful pro-lifers witness outside the Marie Stopes abortion facility before being banned by Ealing Council.
Protesters outside the Marie Stopes abortion facility. Ealing Council will prevent their witness.
Ealing Council will create a protest exclusion zone outside an abortion clinic, according to a BBC report. The unanimous Cabinet decision will prevent pro-life vigils within 100 metres (whatever those are) of the building. The Council will make a ‘Public Spaces Protection Order.’ That can be done under Section 59 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
BBC’s use of language
The BBC refer to the proposed area as a ‘safe zone’. So does Ealing Council. On its website, the Council says: ‘The safe zone can be introduced immediately once the five day call in period has passed’. That, it says, means on ‘Monday, 23 April 2018’.
Those attending the Marie Stopes clinic in Mattock Lane W5 will be ‘safe’ from suggestions they might think again. The BBC says women ‘complained of intimidation by protesters’.
However, the ‘Good Counsel Network‘ denies harassing women. It holds daily vigils outside the centre.
Pro-abortion protesters outside Marie Stopes
The decision, says the BBC, will apply ‘to both anti-abortion and pro-choice campaigners.’ And in that very wording, the BBC betrays its prejudice. So let’s give ours away. These are ‘pro-life’ as opposed to ‘pro-death’ or at the very least, ‘pro-abortion’ campaigners. Because there are some ‘choices’ human beings may never be allowed to make. And killing another human being is one of them.
Matt 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness…
Abortion is not ‘healthcare’
Apparently, ‘applause in broke out in the Ealing council cabinet room following the decision’. Nevertheless, ‘a protestor (sic) then interrupted the meeting and accused the council of taking away their rights.’ There’s always one trouble-maker, isn’t there?
Healthcare? Results of a vacuum abortion. Most abortions are carried out by this method in the first trimester.
Richard Bentley, Marie Stopes UK managing director, said: “This is a landmark decision for women.
“This was never about protest. It was about small groups of strangers choosing to gather by our entrance gates where they could harass and intimidate women and try to prevent them from accessing healthcare to which they are legally entitled.”
‘Healthcare?’ Ripping an unborn child out of its mother’s womb is not ‘healthcare’. It’s infanticide.
Prov 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him. 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood …
Ealing Council could set a trend
More than 300 people wrote to the council describing the pro-life protesters as “intimidating and harassing”. In response, ‘those against abortion have said women are not being offered enough alternatives.’
Cllr Julian Bell (Labour)
A report presented to the council cabinet concluded that, following unsuccessful attempts to negotiate an informal “safe zone” near the clinic entrance, a public spaces protection order was appropriate.
The report also refers to “continued deployment of policing resources” outside the clinic. This was an “unusual and unnecessary use of local policing resources that could be deployed elsewhere”. But it seems the police were there to prevent trouble from pro-abortionists.
The BBC says the decision ‘could pave the way for other councils to follow suit.’ Council leader Julian Bell said he felt the cabinet had done “absolutely” the right thing. He said: “I believe that this is something that’s long been needed. So it feels good that we are actually breaking the ground with this and leading the way. “I’m personally a practising Christian myself and so I think it’s important to recognise that this is about protecting women from harassment and intimidation.”
Sham consultation
Elizabeth Howard, a spokeswoman for Be Here for Me, said: “It’s what we expected, after really what can only be described as a sham consultation by the council.
Index on Censorship agrees. The free-speech lobby group points out the consultation on exclusion zones ‘was not open to non residents of the borough’.
Moreover, it says the zone ‘sets a dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching impacts on the right to protest and freedom of expression.
‘There are alternative legal remedies already on the books that can be used to police harassing and intimidating behaviour, as Ealing’s own options document pointed out.’
‘unlawful and disproportionate’
Index on Censorship goes on: ‘The use of buffer zones to prevent protests could be used against all forms of speech – including those that wish to protest on environmental or political issues, for example.’
Additionally, they say they wrote the leader of the Ealing Council in March. In their letter, they described the zones as ‘potentially unlawful and disproportionate’.
Ealing says: ‘Councillors agreed that the need to provide safe, unimpeded access to the clinic in the safe zone can be balanced with the Equality Act and the European Convention on Human Rights.’ Whether that is true may well soon be decided in a court of law.
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Douma - images show plenty of children, precious few concerned parents.
Douma – images show plenty of children, precious few concerned parents.
We have a few hours to pray the US, UK and France do not start a war with Russia. The Western powers have the pretext of an alleged, unproven chemical attack in Douma. They will use that to start a war in Syria unless the Lord intervenes. Russia has pledged to retaliate, according to the Daily Express. US missiles will be shot down.
Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, told Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV: “If there is a strike by the Americans then… the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired.”
The sources of missiles launches could include US ships. In the worst-case scenario, that could provide the US with a pretext to target Russia itself.
Jer 4:19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
The UK Government is evil
The Syrian Arab Army is now securing Douma, the final town in Eastern Ghouta. Syria has just liberated the whole area from the jihadists who held its people hostage. Christians in Damascus have celebrated Easter according to their various traditions. As we reported here, for the first time in years they have done that free of jihadist missile strikes. Praise God for that freedom to worship the risen Lord Jesus.
Yet whenever there is progress towards peace in Syria, the jihadists post pictures of alleged victims of a chemical attack. And naturally, Western politicians rush to condemn ‘Assad’ with no evidence at all that the alleged ‘attack’ even took place.
We have to say, with sorrow, that our UK government is evil. Our politicians will not leave the Middle East in peace. Firstly, they thrive on lies. Secondly, they are men and women of war. Thirdly, they are supported by a sycophantic mainstream media. Fourthly, they think the British people are stupid.
Romans 3:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
The Russians are now saying the UK Foreign Office pressed the ‘White Helmets’ to speed up the provocation in Douma. The UK funds the White Helmets, who are embedded with the jihadists. International monitors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are in Douma now. We hope they can shed some light on whether a chemical attack actually took place at all.
Opposition is growing in the US
Tucker Carlson
Thank God opposition is growing. In the US, on Fox News, Tucker Carlson blasted the call to declare war on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. He spoke of ‘Foreign Policy by Viral Video.’ He was widely supported on Social Media. I tweeted, ‘At last someone in the US is speaking up for Syria. Who is there in the UK?’
Carlson noted that shortly before the attack, President Donald Trump said he would like to see an end to American involvement in Syria. “How would [gassing civilians] benefit Assad?” Carlson asked.
He said observers have been telling “the same story they did last April” after an alleged sarin attack. He was not defending Assad or the “rebels” but asking why so many people are jumping to conclusions. Indeed, he spoke critically of the President of Syria. He added he could have perpetrated the attack. But he also accused those who have tied it to him—like Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean—of building their case without evidence. The fact the desire to go to war in Syria had received bipartisan support was itself suspicious, he said.
“We should be skeptical of this, starting with the poison gas attack itself,” Carlson said. “All the geniuses tell us that Assad killed those children. But do they really know that? Of course they don’t really know that—they’re making it up. They have no real idea what happened.” Carlson’s piece on Fox News is well worth a watch.
And here in the United Kingdom
Meanwhile, here in the UK, there actually is someone. The Chair of the Defence Select Committee warned last night of pitfalls of intervening in Syria. In what the Daily Express calls an ‘explosive BBC Newsnight interview’, Julian Lewis spoke against war. The Conservative MP for New Forest East told Emily Maitlis ‘We touch this at our peril’.
Newsnight: Emily Mattis (left), Julian Lewis (centre)
He told viewers the UK Government had ‘recommended bombing first one side, then the other and then the first side again.’ He was concerned that ‘you do not seem to accept that what we’ve got here in Syria is a choice between monsters on the one hand and maniacs on the other.’
The influential MP said the House of Commons was right to vote against air strikes against Syria in 2013. He said: ‘2013 was exactly the right thing to do. If we had done what is now being suggested, which is what was being suggested then, which was to bring down Assad it would have had the exact same effect of bringing down other dictators.’
Ms Maitlis reminded him: ‘You’re opening up a whole can of worms there because you voted for the Iraq War.’ In response, the MP replied humbly: ‘I did, and I made a mistake.’
A statement said: ‘Today, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has requested the Syrian Arab Republic to make the necessary arrangements for such a deployment. This has coincided with a request from the Syrian Arab Republic and the Russian Federation to investigate the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma. The team is preparing to deploy to Syria shortly.’
We pray the Western powers will wait for the OPCW to report its findings. It’s a big prayer. But if we put some action with it, by emailing our members of parliament, we can show the Lord our prayer is serious.
Jonah 3:9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Morning Star gets it right (again)!
We don’t often agree with the far-left Morning Star newspaper. Nevertheless, on Syria, its editor, Ben Chacko, is bang on once again.
‘In the scramble for control over resources, transport routes and regimes, Britain, France and the US have organised invasions, coups, wars and blockades that have killed or displaced people in their millions, empowering dictators and torturers and setting communities at each others’ throats across the whole region.’
Mr Chacko reminds us that what is referred to as ‘the Assad regime’ is ‘the internationally recognised, legitimate and elected government in Damascus’.
Inconsistencies in Douma poison gas photos
Mr Chacko also points out some inconsistencies in the alleged poison gas attack in Douma.
He says: ‘Film of the aftermath, broadcast across the world in recent days, shows a troupe of very camera-conscious young men washing down the victims, all of whom are children, most of them looking more bewildered than wounded or incapacitated, and without a distressed parent or relative in sight.’
In January, papers reported a chlorine attack in Ghouta. Now, RT reports, the Syrian Red Crescent says there was no such attack.
The Mail Online’s Peter Hitchens has a blog article entitled ‘Rushing to Judgment’. In it he raises questions over a previous alleged ‘attack’. He analyses the OPCW report on the Khan Shaykhun incident. Moreover, he finds it inconsistent and inconclusive. Elsewhere, he suggests that those of us who oppose military action are seen as betraying their country. We are seen as being in favour of foreign, enemy powers. Hitchens writes: “This is an invariable symptom of a country whose elite is bent on war.”
Rebel chemical weapons factory found in Ghouta
American-made Saudi-supplied compressor for making chemical weapons in jihadist factory in Eastern Ghouta
Exactly a month ago the Syrian Arab Army liberated a rural part of Eastern Ghouta. They found a small factory kitted out to make and deliver chemical weapons.
‘Sharmine Narwani was in East Ghouta on Tuesday, March 13, and she wrote this thread on Twitter:
I was 25 meters from a battlefront between Shifouniyeh and Misraba, areas recently liberated from militants. Western journalists flock to the humanitarian corridor in the north, but not a single one visited this makeshift chemical lab discovered by the Syrian Army on Monday, March 13 (2018).’
Secondly, she points out that the Western powers went all quiet about chemical weapons! Thirdly, she took numerous photos including one of a compressor supplied by the US to Saudi Arabia. And fourthly, she observes our ‘ally’ Saudi Arabia supports the jihadists with money and equipment. Because, contrary to what Saudi leader MbS says, only his government could have shipped this kit.
Nigel Farage calls for caution
Nigel Farage has distanced himself from ‘friend for life’ Donald Trump, as RT puts it. The Ex-UKIP leader is concerned over the President’s bellicose tweets threatening missile strikes. He mentioned UK intervention in Libya and Iraq on his LBC radio program. “We intervene, we get rid of these Arab nationalist dictators because we think it is the right thing to do, having never thought through what the long-term consequences are.”
Mr Farage rejected the idea of military strikes even if Assad were found to be responsible. “Look I don’t know whether Assad used chemical weapons or not. I don’t know why he would given he is winning the war anyway. But even if we knew it was him, and we decided we are going to attack military bases, attack the palace, if the result of concerted action with us, the Americans and the French results in the overthrow of Assad, is that the right thing for us to do?
“Well we might think morally it is the right thing for us to do… because of some of the horrible, awful things he has done. But what comes next? Chaos, instability and maybe a chance for ISIS [Islamic State/IS] to build its forces again.
“What in the longer term are we actually trying to achieve?”
Keep praying
Ex-UK-ambassador Craig Murray rules out any possibility ‘that Assad is dropping chemical weapons in Ghouta’. In a blog post, he suggests: ‘In this extraordinary war, where Saudi-funded jihadist head choppers have Israeli air support and US and UK military “advisers”, every time the Syrian army is about to take complete control of a major jihadist enclave, at the last moment when victory is in their grasp, the Syrian Army allegedly attacks children with chemical weapons, for no military reason at all. We have been fed this narrative again and again and again.’
Keep praying for peace, and email your MP to warn of the pitfalls of rushing to war against Syria, especially on such a flimsy pretext. Urge Parliament send bricks, not bombs, to Syria. Ask your MP to support the Syrian government and its Christian minority and help rebuild Syria. Yes, despite Bashar Al-Assad remaining in power! Find your MP in this Parliament link.
Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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Yulia Skripal with one of the incinerated pets, the late Persian cat Nash Van Drake
Yulia Skripal with one of the incinerated pets, the late Persian cat Nash Van Drake
STOP PRESS 10th April: News is breaking that Yulia Skripal has been released from hospital and taken to a ‘secure location’, conveniently out of the way of journalisrts who might awkward questions.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Two days ago I suggested that the Skripal case was becoming as strange as the Sherlock Holmes case in which a dog did not bark.
By coincidence, now we have a cat and two guinea pigs in the mix. Police detective Nick Bailey found the animals when he searched the Skripal house on 4th March .
Police only looked at them again on 17th March. That was almost two weeks after their first search.
Neglect
Shockingly, the neglect meant the guinea pigs had starved and dehydrated to death. Astonishingly, the Guardian reported: ‘Sergei Skripal’s cat and guinea pigs die after police seal house.’ It went on: ‘A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the dead guinea pigs and a “distressed” cat were discovered when a vet was able to enter Skripal’s home, which had been sealed off during the police investigation. Defra said it believed the guinea pigs had died of thirst.’
Under a headline that a Sun sub-editor obviously thought was highly amusing, ‘Atrocity killed the cat‘, the Sun newspaper lays out a plethora of detail. But if any atrocity killed the cat it was that of the police leaving the poor animal and the two guinea pigs in the Skripal home for thirteen days with no food or water.
The Good Book says: Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
RSPCA cool with animal cruelty
This is indeed neglect and animal cruelty. But to date the RSPCA, usually so quick to denounce cruelty to animals and take pet owners to court, have exercised restraint to a fault.
We called Nicola Walker, senior press officer, South East England,. Miss Walker emailed us the following statement: ‘A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “It is very sad to hear that these animals have died in such tragic circumstances. However, we appreciate the emergency services were working in extreme and dangerous conditions in an incredibly fast-moving operation in an attempt to keep the public safe. We don’t currently know the details of what happened but, as part of our ongoing working relationship with police, we would like to see if there is any learning for future operations.” ‘
We received the same wording from Suzanne Norbury, the RSPCA’s South-West Press Officer. Nevertheless, ‘Emergency services … working in extreme and dangerous conditions … incredibly fast-moving operation … an attempt to keep the public safe’? It’s a string of shallow excuses. It’s nonsense. And it comes, not from the police themselves, but from the royal body supposed to prevent cruelty to animals.
Mr Howard Taylor, the Skripal’s Salisbury vet, told The Sun on 17th March: “We phoned the police on day one to offer to help if they needed it. I thought it unlikely the police would have gone to the house and not done anything.” The police, with hundreds of officers in Salisbury, had plenty of opportunity to pop round to the house, even in their bio suits, to pop some water and food out for the Skripal pets. But they didn’t.
Animal Welfare Act
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 places a duty (Section 3) on ‘a person responsible for an animal whether on a permanent or temporary basis.’
Under Section 4, (Unnecessary suffering) ‘A person commits an offence if (a)an act of his, or a failure of his to act, causes an animal to suffer,’ and ‘(b) he knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the act, or failure to act, would have that effect or be likely to do so,’
Under Section 9(1), ‘A person commits an offence if he does not take such steps as are reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which he is responsible are met to the extent required by good practice.’
Police powers
Paradoxically, the police have a power under Section 18 to take virtually any steps ‘to alleviate the animal’s suffering’. Here they already had access to the premises and were themselves responsible.
Under Section 30, ‘A local authority in England or Wales may prosecute proceedings for any offence under this Act’ within six months of there being a prosecution case. So can the RSPCA, The penalties include a £20,0000 fine and / or 51 weeks in prison. Under Section 57, not only a body corporate may be prosecuted, but its officers.
Wiltshire Police were in control when DS Nick Bailey went nto the Skripal home. But soon after, the Metropolitan Police took over. So both Wiltshire Police Acting Chief Constable Kier Pritchard and the Met’s Commissioner Cressida Dick should be in the dock. But unless some public-spirited individual brings a private prosecution (and we are thinking about it) it looks as if they will simply get away with criminal conduct.
VET’s Statement
The Sun reported that Howard Taylor ‘said of Mr Skripal: “He was a nice chap and we got on well. He never said he was in fear for his life. He used the vets for some years and I had seen his cat and his guinea pigs.”’
Howard Taylor, partner at The Vets Salisbury, offered to care for the Skripal’s pets. The police ignored him.
Following the news of the deaths of the animals, the veterinary practice has been so bombarded with media interest it has put up a statement refusing to say any more. In two crucial paragraphs, on its website, the statement says:
We contacted the police straightaway upon hearing the news that Mr Skripal had been admitted to hospital, and a number of times afterwards, to make them aware of Mr Skripal’s pets and their needs.
We contacted Porton Down – in case the animals may have been taken into isolation. We also offered to take care of Mr Skripal’s pets in his absence. We were never contacted by the police or Porton Down in return regarding Mr Skripal’s pets.
The Vets Salisbury say they contacted the police ‘a number of times’. They kept reminding the police about the pets’ existence and their needs. The police did nothing.
Van Drake was starving
The Police now say they found the cat, an expensive Persian named Nash Van Drake, starving. A vet at Porton Down put him down. DEFRA said: “A cat was also found in a distressed state and a decision was taken by a veterinary surgeon to euthanise the animal to alleviate its suffering.
“This decision was taken in the best interests of the animal and its welfare.”
That is frankly indefensible. This is someone else’s beloved household pet. Why was no attempt made to get hydration and nutrition into Van Drake? Vets do this to farm animals all the time. How can it be in an animal’s ‘best interests’ and ‘its welfare’ to make no attempt to save it?
The guinea pigs had died of thirst. Now it becomes even more strange. Porton Down should have passed the carcasses to the OPCW for testing. Indeed, the Sun’s 17th March report quotes sources. These say the animals were taken away ‘for tests.’ Instead, our illustrious scientists threw them in the incinerator for fear, as the Sun reported on 5th April, of contamination from ‘the deadly nerve agent Novichok’. That is frankly ridiculous. It is as if Porton Down has no isolation facilities. Or as if the lab never tested a dead guinea pig before. (Down the years it has experimented on thousands, by all accounts.)
News forced out
One explanation is that the Government did not want these animals either alive or even for their carcases to be examined. And then, they only released the news they were dead after Russian diplomats raised the whereabouts of the animals. Being forced into releasing bad news is not the way to manage it.
Crazily, The Sun reported back on 17th March merely that the animals had been taken away. No-one from the police or DEFRA admitted at the time two of them were already dead and the third on the ropes.
Mr Skripal’s vet, Howard Taylor, says he phoned the police as soon as he heard Sergei had been found poisoned. He told the police about the pets inside the house. He even offered his assistance. Mr Skripal’s rare Persian cat was worth around £1500. He had also spent a small fortune bringing it and the guinea pigs from Moscow. Indeed, that he was able to do so hardly tells us the Russian state was vindictive towards him. We also read that the police took away Nash Van Drake on 17th March. Yet only now have they told us the feline was found in a distressed state and put down.
Sergei is improving rapidly
On top of that, Salisbury Hospital has been bounced into admitting Sergei Skripal is on the mend. That followed a phone call between Yulia and her cousin Viktoria in Moscow. During it, Yulia said ‘everyone’ was ‘ok’. There was initial scepticism around the phone call. Most commentators now accept is was genuine. But Yulia revealed her phone was disconnected and she was borrowing one. Why is that?
So it is that we come to know, according to the BBC, that Sergei Skripal is now ‘improving rapidly’.
The story is getting out of control. Moreover, it is getting out of the control of the British authorities. We have Yulia Skripal recovering and talking to here cousin. Sergei is off the critical list. Novichok was supposed to be highly deadly and kill within minutes in minute quantities. Either it’s not as good as they said. Or maybe the Skripals were not exposed to very much at all. Maybe the fear-mongering which has cost Salisbury shopkeepers thousands of pounds in lost revenue was all for show.
Or maybe it wasn’t even Novichok which poisoned the three people affected. Earlier, Stephen Davies, the Salisbury hospital consultant went off message to say no-one was affected by a nerve agent and only three people, the Skripals and DS Bailey, poisoned. Then, the head of Portion Down broke ranks. And now we have the family’s vet casting doubt on the police account of the pets. Worse, he has painted them as either incompetent or callous or both.
Refusing Viktoria a visa is callous
Viktoria Skripal on the BBC
On top of that, the callousness of our government extends to refusing to grant Viktoria Skripal a visa to visit her cousin in hospital. The excuse here appears to be that she cannot satisfy some financial requirement. For goodness sake, we’ll crowd-fund that.
Or in the alternative, as the Guardian reports: ‘“It appears the Russian state is trying to use Victoria as a pawn,” a government source told the BBC, adding: “If she is being influenced or coerced by the Kremlin, she has become another victim.” ‘
The truth is, Mrs May does not want anyone visiting Yulia Skripal and telling her story outside the authorities’ control. Hence the peculiar ‘statement’ issued ‘on behalf of’ Yulia asking for privacy, which we have already covered, here.
In a further twist, we read here on Reuters that the Government are considering giving Sergei and Yulia Skripal new identities in New Zealand or the US. They would be safer there, we hear. They would also be conveniently out of the way of the few independent-minded journalists who might want to grab their story.
The same goes for Yulia in this ‘secret location’.
Food poisoning
And now, Viktoria Skripal has done her chances of securing that precious UK visa no good at all. She has been telling the Daily Telegraph Yulia wants to return to Moscow. She has also insisted what we were all told was a chemical attack on the Skripals in Salisbury was really a bad case of food poisoning. Naturally, repeats the Telegraph: ‘in the last few days there has been even speculation that Viktoria Skripal is being manipulated by the Kremlin.’
Well, the OPCW is due to report any day now. Our Government is already preparing to say it has ‘intelligence’ if the OPCW comes to the wrong conclusion. Sadly, the well of ‘intelligence’ was poisoned sixteen years ago by ‘weapons of mass destruction’ and ’45 minutes’
In fact Sky News points out Viktoria’s food poisoning suggestion came just hours before she was denied a visa by the UK Home Office. Even if she is totally off-message, did the United Kingdom not at one stage believe in basic decency? All the others might be behaving badly. But we British would play the game. We should do what was right, even if it cost us. Where did that high-mindedness go? Journalist Marina Hyde, writing in the Guardian, even suggested that Boris Johnson was not just Post-Truth but Post-Shame.
‘Prime Minister May told parliament on May 12 that “as a nation that believes in justice and the rule of law, it is essential that we proceed in the right way – led not by speculation but by the evidence. That is why we have given the police the space and time to carry out their investigation properly.” No details of the investigation or the evidence collected have been released officially to the public; nor the measures taken to secure the chain of evidence for admissibility, if the perpetrators of the attack are identified and a prosecution eventuates.
‘Instead, May announced in the House of Commons on March 14 the conclusions of the investigation. To explain the poisoning of the Skripals, parliament was told officially, “there is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian State was culpable for the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter”. The poisoning, said May, was “an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom.” ‘
And you thought ‘gay-marriage’ and abortion were the only things wrong with Britain today? Our leaders now cannot tell the truth. Moreover, they feel no shame in falsehood:
Isaiah 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
This United Kingdom needs top-to-bottom national repentance right now.
Media blackout
But back to animal neglect. Why has there been an almost total media blackout on #VanDrakeGate? You would expect journalists from the nationals swarming over what is a shocking twist in a convoluted story. But there has been hardly anything. Will nobody hold these people to account?
Dead Guinea Pigs tell no tales. Incinerated ones, even fewer.
By the way, the dog did not bark because it knew the perpetrator of the deed.
Keep praying the truth will come out. And by God’s grace it will.
Job 5:12 He (Almighty God) disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. 13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night. 15 But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
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Syrian Christians parade through Aleppo on Good Friday
Christians across Syria have been celebrating Easter and Holy Week according to their traditions. Christian communities have paraded through Damascus, Homs and Aleppo.
Jihadist artillery is silenced for the first time in years. The Eastern Ghouta area bordering Christian quarters in Damascus has only just been freed from jihadist control. The Syrian army gave the terrorists safe passage to the unfortunate northern town of Jarablus.
With the assistance of Russian air cover, the Syrian Army liberated Aleppo just before Christmas 2016. For the first time in five years Christians in Syria’s largest city celebrated Christ’s incarnation free from the fear of rocket attacks. And now Damascus can join them in the triumph of the Paschal Lamb.
UK opposed liberation
Christmas Tree in Aziziya Square, Aleppo, December 2017
Western politicians, tame pundits and the mainstream media all opposed the Syrian army’s operations. They preferred the Syrian people to live under Islamist repression. One year on, Tyler Durden set out the reality of life under the jihadists here, in ‘ZeroHedge’. Writing in December 2017, he reported:
‘Christmas 2017 has been marked by carefree exuberance and a sense of relief as the city rebuilds, and as some 600,000 displaced residents return to reclaim properties and possessions, ready to resume their normal lives again.’
In the UK, only media outlets as diverse as Christian Voice, Off-Guardian and the left-wing Morning Star newspaper welcomed the news from Aleppo . The latter was even branded ‘traiterous scum’ by Labour’s Blairite John Woodcock MP for its report that Aleppo was ‘liberated’.
Such is the true support for the Syrian Christians among politicians in the mother of parliaments. You would struggle to find one MP who welcomed Aleppo’s liberation, let alone call it that.
Western and Eastern dates
According to Western practice, Easter Sunday has just gone. We are now celebrating Christ’s resurrection in Easter Week.
In contrast, Orthodox Christians are in Holy Week. Today is their Good Friday. The method of calculating the date of Easter was supposed to have been set at the Council of Nicea in 325AD. But there is still a disparity.
President Assad supporting Syrian Christians in Maaloula on Easter Sunday 2014.
(The presence of bishops from all over the Christian world at Nicea lays to rest the idea that ‘Easter’ is a ‘Roman Catholic invention.’ Nothing should even be read into the Germanic-sounding name. In most of the world, the feast is known by a word closer to the continuity of the Hebrew word for Passover, ‘pasach’. Indeed, the only time the King James Bible uses the word ‘Easter’ (Acts 12:4) it is a mistranslation (with respect!) from the Greek ‘pascha.’)
Walid Shoebat reminds us what happened to the Christian town of Maaloula in 2013. ‘It was raided by Muslim fundamentalists and inhabitants were terrorized, tortured, forced to convert to Islam, and even murdered.’ In a symbolic victory, President Assad’s forces liberated the town just before Easter 2014. Mr Shoebat goes on: ‘Assad, whom the Christian population in Syria prefers by a significant margin, visited Maaloula on Easter Sunday.’
That was four years ago. But today, Christians in Syria’s three largest cities are able to celebrate the Risen Lord Jesus together with the inhabitants of Maaloula.
Rebuilding – ‘Bricks not bombs’
Professor Eugene Rogan
Whichever calendar they follow, Syrian Christians have cause for hope. Their ordeal could be coming to an end.
We can still remember Professor Eugene Rogan, Director of the Middle East Centre in Oxford giving evidence to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee in September 2015.
The learned Professor implored Yasmin Qureshi MP to ‘send bricks, not bombs’ to Syria. We reported the exchange here.
His words fell on deaf ears in Whitehall. The US and UK still want to perpetuate Syria’s suffering.
We must join the Syrian Christians in praying there will be no covert attempts to undermine Syria’s growing resurgence. In particular, pray against any ‘false flag’ chemical weapon operations from Western-funded jihadists.
US Army: ‘Putin’s won’
It is heartening that the professional journal of the US Army, the Military Review, believes Russia – and Syria have won.
Writing in news.com.au, James Seidel says: ‘The Syrian Civil War has seen hundreds of thousands killed in more than 12 years of fighting.
‘It was sparked by an uprising during what was then known as the “Arab Spring” — a democratic surge among the newly social-media linked citizens of the Middle East. But the Arab Winter has since well and truly set in.
‘US trained and supplied Syrian rebels have failed to oust President Bashar al-Assad. Instead, they spent much of their force rolling back Islamic State.
‘”The Syrian conflict will likely enter a new phase in 2018, as both Islamic State and the Syrian opposition cease to be relevant forces, and the two coalitions seek to negotiate a postconflict settlement,” the assessment reads.’
The assessment goes on to concede the ‘Assad must go’ mantra is dead: ‘for now the main outcome of this war is that President Bashar al-Assad will stay’.
Victory for President Putin
Mr Seidel goes on to recall that in 2011, ‘then President of the United States Barack Obama declared President Assad a dictator and demanded he step aside.’
But Russia, backed by China, blocked any intervention in Syria through the United Nations. Furthermore, says Seidel, they ‘began quietly restocking Assad’s arsenal.’ However, by 2015, President Assad was ‘in trouble’.
Russia deployed its SU34 jets against the jihadists.
‘His forces had retreated to a few coastal and border cities. Rebels held much of Syria’s heartland. And the black flag of Islamic State was rolling in from the Iraq desert.’
It was in 2015 that Moscow directly intervened with its combat jets supporting the Syrian Army. Today’s Christian freedom to worship in Syria’s three largest towns in a direct consequence. Seidel continues to quote from the US Army paper: ‘”Russia has only been directly involved in this conflict since September 2015, but its intervention has radically changed the war’s outcome,” the US Army publication states. “The natural question is whether Russia has, in fact, won a victory.”‘
And the answer, by the grace of God, is ‘yes’. Moscow convened the Astana peace talks, leading Seidel to say the US Army ‘also notes Moscow has won international acceptance of its role as a key player in Syria’s future.’
Despots protected Christians
The only reason why there are still Christians in Syria is because all western attempts at destabilisation failed.
In Iraq and Libya, the US and UK managed to topple admittedly despotic rulers. But those same autocrats maintained peace and security even as they cracked down on dissenters. They kept hard-line Islamists at bay and protected those nations’ Christians. These included ancient Christian communities around Mosul and the Nineveh plain who to this day speak Aramaic, the language used for everyday discourse in the Holy Land at the time of Christ.
Military action coupled with low-level subversion against Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi in the name of ‘Democracy’ unleashed every kind of Muslim fanatic. Some were prepared to advance themselves through the ballot box. Others, like Al Qaeda franchises and ISIL/ISIS/IS tried to gain power by force.
It has taken this long for the Iraqi army to regain some kind of control in northern Iraq. Some of the Aramaic Christians are returning to rebuild what is now a wasteland. Many others left for good.
Syria hosts Russian naval base
A Russian soldier stands at the entrance of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, on March 22, 2018. Picture: AFP
It is only by the grace of God that this time, in Syria, the West picked on an ally of Russia. Perhaps they were emboldened by their previous successes. Perhaps they really did think they and their client jihadists could overthrow President Assad. And in that event, they could deprive the hated Russians of their naval base in the Mediterranean.
The dream was worth any number of civilian deaths. Street activists paid and equipped by the Avaaz clicktivist group, itself funded by George Soros, went in to stir up a Syrian version of the ‘Arab Spring’ in late 2010.
Despite concessions from President Assad, by March 2011 Syria was on the road to civil war. Sunni Muslim defectors from the Syrian army formed what they called the ‘Free Syrian Army’ in July. They were covertly encouraged and equipped by the US and UK.
Jihadis ‘controlled’ eastern Aleppo
Al Qaeda franchises like Al-Nusra Front joined in. The money for these came from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The rebels gained territory. The India New Citizen newspaper said the ‘Jihadi groups, supported by the West and its Gulf and Turkish allies, had controlled eastern Aleppo since July 2012.’
The UK Government made much of the existence of ‘moderate’ opposition. But the New Citizen said: ‘In reality, however, these “moderate” rebels fought alongside the Jihadi groups, often under their overall command and supervision. In many cases, the weapons supplied to them by the West and the Gulf were passed on to the Nusra Front, ISIS, and other such groups, which used them against the Syrian army. Some of them were quite sophisticated, such as TOW anti-tank missiles, and shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles (MANPADS).’
In 2014 what is now known as ‘Islamic State’ seized vast areas of eastern Syria and northern Iraq. And in 2014, the leaked Hillary emails show the US knew that Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies were funding and equipping ISIS, as it then was. Vice-President Joe Biden even told Harvard students about Saudi determination to take down President Assad. Patrick Cockburn’s 2016 article in the Independent laid it all out.
Assad or the Deluge
Then in 2015 Russia came to the aid of Syria, to the consternation of the US and UK. They were still saying ‘Assad must go’. Despite that, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee in September 2015 that the Free Syrian Army was ‘a busted flush’ and that President Assad was the only guarantor of stability. ‘It’s Assad or the deluge’, said Professor Rogan.
What the deluge would have looked like may only be guessed. What has happened is bad enough. On 23rd April 2016, the United Nations and Arab League Envoy to Syria put out an estimate of 400,000 people who had died in the war to date.
Rebuilding a shattered school in the old city of Homs.
But now, just now, things might be changing. There are still pockets of rebel resistance. Their main enclave is Idlib province. And to the north of Syria, Turkey is trying to ‘ethnically-cleanse’ the Kurds. Moreover, the Kurds have ambitions for an independent ‘Kurdistan’ of North-East Syria, South-Eastern Turkey and northern Iraq. President Assad objects to that, but more to the point, so does Turkey.
Christian hope
But in all this, the hope of the risen Christ shines through in Syria. We hope and pray Syria’s Christians will play a major part in rebuilding that nation. Providentially, the fact that the refugee camps were run by jihadis meant Christians were denied access to them. Consequently, the flood of migrants across Europe through 2016 and 2017 included many sleeper jihadis but precious few Christians. By the grace of God, the Christians can start again in Syria with confidence. But above all they need our prayers and our witness to our members of Parliament.
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The government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down
The government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down
The Government’s defence research laboratory have not established whatever poisoned Sergei and Yulia Skripal was made in Russia.
Gary Aitkenhead, chief executive of the government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), said the poison had been identified as a military-grade novichok nerve agent. He said it could probably be deployed only by a nation state.
Porton Down leaves embarrassment
The UK government moved quickly to make the best of the embarrassment. According to the Guardian, Theresa May ‘had always been clear the assessment from Porton Down was “only one part of the intelligence picture”.’
Mr Aitkenhead backed up the Prime Minister. He said the government had reached its conclusion that Russia was responsible for the Salisbury attack by combining the laboratory’s scientific findings with ‘information from other sources’.
The scientist also denied Russian claims that the substance could have come from Porton Down, which is eight miles from Salisbury. He said: ‘There’s no way that anything like that would ever have come from us or leave the four walls of our facilities.’ The comment stopped short of a complete denial that Porton Down had ever manufactured ‘Novichok’ or had the chemical on its premises.
The Russian embassy in London said: ‘This only proves that all political declarations on the Russian origin of the crime are nothing but assumptions not stemming from objective facts or the course of the investigation.’
Theresa May’s backtracking
Theresa May’s choice of words is also revealing. On 12th March 2018 she said that it was ‘highly likely’ that Russia was responsible for the attack. On 14th March she said that Russia was ‘culpable’ of the attack on Sergey and Yulia Skripal. Since the EU Council meeting of 22nd March 2018 the British government together with the EU have reverted to Theresa May’s original 12th March 2018 position that it was ‘highly likely’ that Russia was responsible for the attack. On the Off-Guardian website, Alexander Mercouris says:
‘Gary Aitkenhead’s comments taken by themselves in my opinion make it impossible even to say that Russia was ‘highly likely’ to have carried out the attack.’
Mr Mercouris also voices what many of us have been wondering about the potency of whatever it was poisoned the Skripals. We were told Novichok was ten times more lethal than VX agents. The scientist who developed it said there was no antidote. Mr Aitkenhead confirmed this. Yet DS Bailey walked out of hospital two weeks ago, and Yulia is recovering and talking. Mr Mercouris says this, ‘suggests either that her contact with the poison was very slight, or that the potency of the poison has been greatly exaggerated.’
Boris Johnson misled public
Boris Johnson
Two weeks ago, broadcaster Deutsche Welle, asked Mr Johnson how the UK had been able to determine so quickly that the novichok came from Russia.
The Independent reports he replied: ‘When I look at the evidence, the people from Porton Down, the laboratory, they were absolutely categorical.’
But they say they were not. The scientists were almost cdertainly pressured by the Government to conclude the poison came from Russia. It is to their credit they refused to do so. Mr Johnson must have known they could not identify its origin.
Foreign Office deleted tweet
Even worse, the Foreign Office had to admit it deleted an “inaccurate” tweet stating that scientists had concluded the novichok used in the attack had been “produced in Russia”.
It read: “Analysis by world-leading experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down made clear this was a military-grade Novichok nerve agent produced in Russia.”
The Foreign Office blamed mistakes in tweeting a briefing given by the UK’s Ambassador to Russia “in real time” for its blunder.
“One of the tweets was truncated and did not accurately report our Ambassador’s words. We have removed this tweet,” a spokeswoman said.
Foreign Office lied about speech
Neverrtheless, Dr Lawrie Bristow said in a speech on 22nd March: ‘…There is also no doubt that the Novichok was produced in Russia by the Russian state.’
A gov.uk web page carries a transcript of his speech ‘exactly as was delivered’, it says. Except it doesn’t. On this page, the Foreign office has removed the crucial definite article, to make the ambassador’s words more vague: ‘There is also no doubt that Novichok was produced in Russia by the Russian state,’ (sic) says the web page.
There is a video of the ambassador right above the false quote. At 21 seconds he clearly says ‘the Novichok’ meaning ‘the Novichok used in Salisbury’. How does our government think it can get away with such a brazen lie? But even given that, again and again Dr Bristow says ‘the nerve agent was produced in Russia.’
That goes beyond evidence and into what the Uk Government refers to as ‘assessments’. That’s ‘best guesses’ to you and me. The UK Government has plunged the world into a diplomatic crisis on guesswork.
Yulia Skripal ‘growing stronger’
Yulia Skripal
Happily, Yulia Skripal is now said to be growing stronger in hospital. The Police issued a statement claiming to be ‘on her behalf’, according to the BBC. It is also on the police website here.
(We ought just to mention a purported telephone conversation between someone who may be Yulia Skripal and someone who is probably Viktoria Skripal. It took place on a Russian media channel and is reported verbatim on the BBC. We make of it what we will.)
In the police statement, Miss Skripal says she is ‘grateful for the many messages of goodwill’ she had received.
‘I woke up over a week ago now and am glad to say my strength is growing daily,’ the statement said. She thanks the people of Salisbury who went to her aid and ‘the staff at Salisbury District Hospital for their care and professionalism.’
Press not welcome
There follows a strange passage asking for privacy. It is reminiscent of the alleged statement by policeman DS Bailey. He was released from the same hospital on 22nd March. ‘I am sure you appreciate that the entire episode is somewhat disorientating, and I hope that you’ll respect my privacy and that of my family during the period of my convalescence.’
There have indeed been no interviews of DS Bailey that we can discover. That is yet another strange incident in a very strange affair. Nor have the press in any shape or form been allowed anywhere need the recovering Yulia. Sherlock Holmes famously found a clue in the fact that a dog did not bark. There are too many non-barking dogs in the Salisbury poisoning. There are too many things that just do not add up.
Moreover, if the press are not allowed to interview either Nick Bailey or Yulia Skrpial, it’s because someone high up does not want them to share what they know. That could mean the authorities do not want the perpetrators alerted. (But days ago the Sun reported police were ‘closing in’ on ‘the gang’. ) Or it could mean there is a fear they will tell the public something ‘off-message’. In that case, their lives could be seriously in danger.
Park bench taken into custody
Meanwhile, according to a Metropolitan Police press release, the park bench that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were sitting on when they were found unwell in Salisbury was removed on Friday, 23 March. Police used an angle grinder to cut it from its fixings. The Met said: ‘It is being removed from near Zizzi restaurant in order to preserve it as a potential crime exhibit as part of the investigation into the attempted murders.’
Police in plain uniforms guard the Skripal Front Door
Another press release, dated 28th March, said: ‘As a result of detailed forensic and scientific examination, detectives believe the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at their home address. Specialists have identified the highest concentration of the nerve agent, to-date, as being on the front door of the address.’
A press officer, who refused to give her name, could not say what ‘the’ alleged nerve agent actually was. Nor could she say whether whatever it was appeared on the inside or the outside of the door. If it was on the inside, how did it get there with no signs of forcible entry? If it was on the outside, why were police women photographed guarding the door in their ordinary uniform?
Precautionary
A day later, three-and-a-half weeks after the Skripals were found unwell, another press release said the Met ‘placed a cordon around a children’s play area at Montgomery Gardens, near the Skripals’ home.’
‘Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon said: “I would like to reassure residents that we have placed the cordons around the park, and officers will be searching it, as a precautionary measure. I would like to reiterate Public Health England’s advice that the risk to the public is low.’ As a precautionary measure against what, exactly? The Met did not say.
There has been no further press release from the Met to date. Their current press releases may be found in this link.
Reckless disregard for truth
But on the same day, in a speech to the Lord Mayor’s Easter Banquet, the Foreign Secretary was still spreading disinformation. He spoke of a ‘reckless and contemptuous disregard for public safety that saw 39 others seek medical treatment.’ But not one of those who sought medical treatment actually needed treatment. That is according to Stephen Davies, consultant in emergency medicine at the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.
But Dr Davies also said something puzzling, which he has not clarified. He wrote to the Time: ‘no patients have experienced symptoms of nerve-agent poisoning.’
Boris Johnson is not alone. The Government reports our ambassador to the OPCW, John Foggo, said on 4th April: ‘What happened in Salisbury on 4 March was a reckless and indiscriminate act, which threatened the lives of innocent civilians. More than 130 people were affected by the attack. More than 50 people, including first responders and 3 children, reported to hospital.’
Again, we have to say, not one of them received treatment.
‘Limited evidence’ of Skripal neice
The pulling of wool over eyes was also taking place in the courts. The UK Government applied to the Court of Protection for permission to take blood samples from Yulia Skripal and her father. These were for analysis analysis by the OPCW. Mr Justice Williams concluded, on 22nd March, on the evidence offered to him:
Viktoria Skripal on the BBC
“…Given the absence of any contact having been made with the NHS Trust by any family member, the absence of any evidence of any family in the UK and the limited evidence as to the possible existence of family members in Russia I accept that it is neither practicable nor appropriate in the special context of this case to consult with any relatives of Mr Skripal or Ms Skripal who might fall into the category identified in s.4(7)(b) of the Act.”
And yet Viktoria Skripal, niece of Sergey and cousin to Yulia was interviewed by the Sun on 14th March. That was one week before the court judgment. She also appeared on the BBC.
Writing on the Off-Guardian website, one ‘Catte’ said: ‘These interviews suggest this particular relative is pretty real, and not very hard to locate. If the Sun could find her on March 14, it’s hard to see how she could still be a mere thought experiment and “limited” theory for the Home Office eight days later.’ The conclusions the court reached were ‘obviously untrue’, said Catte, asking ‘why has the Home Secretary (SSHD) not “sought to make contact with” the Skripals’ mother/grandmother and niece/cousin?’
Presumption of innocence
Barrister James O’Neill, also writing in Off-Guardian, spoke for ‘those of us with fond of memories of some of the traditional virtues of common-law justice, such as the presumption of innocence, the onus of proof upon the accuser, a verdict based upon evidence beyond reasonable doubt, and a prohibition on prejudicial pre-trial comment…’ Indeed, are these not the sort of ‘British values’ Mrs May hopes we think she is defending?
Mr O’Neill went on: ‘The Skripals were admitted to Salisbury Hospital on 4 March 2018 and it took until 14 March for the British government to invite the OPCW to assist in the technical evaluation of what had caused the Skripal’s illness.
‘The Judge did not comment on why it took 10 days for this invitation to issue, particularly as the Russian government had correctly pointed out that it should have been done much earlier in accordance with the article 9 of the Convention.’
The UK’s case: 5 slides
Slide 2
Lastly (almost) details have emerged of the case the UK put to the Europeans. Again, thanks to Off-Guardian, it’s all here. (in far better resolution). It consists of five slides. Firstly, a sort of timeline of events from 4th to 20th March. Secondly, a lie that only Russia can make Novichok. And a picture of men in scary bio suits.
Thirdly, a pseudo-medical ‘Effects of Novichok.’ (This was written before Nick Bailey was released. It was well before Yulia began to recover.) It’s coupled with numbers of people thought to have been affected. We now know that was entirely bogus.
Fourthly, there’s a whole load of other stuff the UK blames Russia for. It will come as no surprise that Alexander Litvinenko is there. And the Skripals. So is ‘interference in 2016 US election.’ As if we would never … And my favourite: ‘February 2014: Occupation of Crimea; Destabilisation of Ukraine’.
For the last time (no it won’t be). It was the EU and Soros who destabilised Ukraine. And Crimea held a referendum in which 96% voted to rejoin Russia on a turnout of over 80%. Historically, the Crimean parliament has on multiple occasions attempted to trigger this referendum, every one of which was stopped by the larger Ukrainian government.
Lastly, the fifth slide sports the UK’s hysterical reaction. Or ‘UK’s Measured and Proportionate Response’. This starts with ‘attribution to the Russian State’. With no evidence. And that’s it. It truly makes one ashamed to be British.
The case continues!
Make no mistake, this curious case is not over yet. Please continue to pray the truth will come out. Pray fervently for protection for Sergei and Yulia Skripal. This is especially serious. Pray our leaders will act with integrity and honesty, and embark on the ways of peace:
Proverbs 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. …17 Her Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Proverbs 25:5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
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It is good Christians are gathering for prayer tomorrow in London. Brexit negotiations are at a crucial point. As always, it is the spiritual dimension of the EU which is vital to bear in mind. This link has all the short but (I hope) informative videos I made two years ago about the Tower of Babel, the Woman on the Beast, Satan’s Seat in Rome, and the EU’s original design as a revived Roman Empire.
But let us pray believers will also pray for repentance for Her Majesty’s Government. Because coming out of the EU, good as that is, will not solve the UK’s spiritual problems. Britain is deep in sin.
Gay Marriage
The United Kingdom leads the world in trying to force developing nations to accept ‘gay marriage’. At home, our Governments’ ‘sex education’ model promotes deviant behaviour among the young. Transsexualism is the latest fad, challenging God’s creation itself. It is child sexual abuse. And the Church in the UK tolerates it.
We are put to shame by Christians in Africa who would never accept the homosexual agenda in their schools. One of the reasons our politicians so hate Russia’s President Putin is that he instigated that nation’s anti-propaganda law, which forbids promoting homosexuality in Russia. What a total contrast with the UK, where to voice any kind of opposition to the gay agenda is to lose employment or be thrown off a university course.
And overseas, the United Kingdom has blood on its hands. I don’t where you are, but although I want to see souls saved into the Kingdom, I also believe it is good when people simply dwell in peace. The UK and US started a bloody civil war in Iraq. That led to the displacement, murder and loss of livelihood of hundreds of thousands including the majority of that country’s Christians. The same happened in Libya. On top of its lack of concern for those lives, our Foreign Office consistently fails to stand up steadfastly for Christians in Egypt or Pakistan. Let alone Saudi Arabia, one of our ‘gulf allies’.
United Kingdom helped start war in Syria
Christians Celebrating Christmas in liberated Aleppo December 2016.
Latterly, our Government took against President Assad of Syria. Together with the US and George-Soros-funded Avaaz, we helped start a civil war in Syria. That caused wholesale loss of life and destroyed homes and businesses. It led to the rise of jihadists, not just those of Islamic State. Christians have been persecuted and and waves of migrants unleashed across Europe. Make no mistake, neither the UK Government nor its client jihadists care anything about Syria’s Christians. Nor do they care about its Druze community or Assad’s own Alawite minority.
Only the Russians stood with Bashar Al-Assad and Syria’s Christians. Yes, they were defending their Mediterranean base, but only the Russians saved Syria from a blood bath. They continue to help defeat the very same Islamists whom our government finance, to our national shame. So there’s another reason why our politicians hate President Putin.
I just thank God the United Kingdom is in no position to affect events in the far east. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in has, for my money, shown more statesmanship than the lot of them. Let us pray for his peace initiative and that North Korea’s Christians may see light at the end of their dark night. The ambitious might even pray for repentance for North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Imagine if he came to faith!
Eastern Ukrainian ethnic Russians naturally looked east for protection while Crimea took the opportunity to return to Russia. The affair was a financial disaster for Ukraine, not that the UK cares about that, and a setback for Western interests.
One fears any political solution will need clearer heads than have been in evidence recently. Even now, we hear the EU is trying to force Ukraine to accept gay rights so they can still join the EU! Why don’t they leave Ukraine in peace? Because the Eurocrats are empire-builders opposing the Lord and his Anointed. That sort never give up, do they?
The strange Salisbury Affair
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in a restaurant minutes before they were found slumped on a bench, supposedly infected by nerve gas.
And lastly, the strange Salisbury affair. There was never any nerve agent on the streets of Salisbury as our article showed but what led to Mr Skripal and his daughter being found comatose on a bench? What did DS Bailey find in their home? If there was no break-in there, did Yulia bring something in her luggage from Moscow? And if inadvertently, how was a poison triggered?
Somebody in Whitehall knows, but they aren’t saying. It’s far easier to rush to judgment, throw accusations about and look tough disrupting international relations and the cause of peace.
And the latest developments, with a fractious Russian press conference and Boris Johnson comparing President Putin to Adolf Hitler, and you begin to wonder at the sanity let alone the spiritual condition of those who lead us. Frankly, none of those in power is wondering where his or her next meal is coming from as they survey the ruin of their business in Salisbury, Damascus or Kiev. They are sitting down in comfort.
Lord, show us what can we do!
It will be natural to call out to God to send a revival, or repentance, and we should. But let us also ask the Lord in prayer what we can do in the midst of such home-grown national wickedness. I remember pointing out in this YouTube nanosermon, ‘The Prayer Meeting’, that our Father does not receive many prayers like that, and when he does receive them, he opens his heart to us.
2Chr 20:12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. (KJV)
Young churchgoers outnumber non-attenders almost four-to-one in Poland.
Professor Stephen Bullivant reports on Christianity in Europe
Young people are deserting Christianity across Europe, according to a London Professor. Secularism is the prime beneficiary, according to a new report. However, Muslims are also increasing their numbers through fecundity and tenacity to their faith.
The findings come from Stephen Bullivant, professor of theology at St Mary’s University in Twickenham. Professor Bullivant analysed data for 16- to 29-year-olds from the European social survey 2014-16.
Disturbingly, a majority of young people in a dozen countries do not follow any religion.
The survey found the Czech Republic is the least religious country in Europe among the young. 91% of the age group said they have no religious affiliation. Between 70% and 80% of young adults in Estonia, Sweden and the Netherlands also categorise themselves as non-religious.
The most religious country is Poland, where 17% of young adults define themselves as non-religious, followed by Lithuania with 25%.
UK Muslims set to overtake Anglicans
Young Muslims will soon overtake Anglicans
In the UK, only 7% of young adults identify as Anglican. That is fewer than the 10% who categorise themselves as Catholic. Young Muslims, at 6%, will soon overtake their peers in England’s established church.
Young Christians as a whole in the UK are around 22% of their age group. Russia, in the news recently, is doing better, with 41% Christians among the young. Russia also has a slightly larger percentage of young Muslims than the UK.
France has the largest percentage of Muslims in Europe, at around 10%. Only 25% of French young people identify as Christian. The vast majority of those are Roman Catholic, as are the Poles and Lithuanians.
Professor Bullivant said religion across Europe was “moribund”. “With some notable exceptions, young adults increasingly are not identifying with or practising religion.”
The trend was downward. “Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good – or at least for the next 100 years,” Prof Bullivant said.
But there were significant variations, he said. “Countries that are next door to one another, with similar cultural backgrounds and histories, have wildly different religious profiles.” The two most religious countries, Poland and Lithuania, and the two least religious, the Czech Republic and Estonia, are post-communist states.
Practice of religion
Young churchgoers outnumber non-attenders almost four-to-one in Poland.
The trend of religious affiliation was repeated when young people were asked about religious practice. Only in Poland, Portugal and Ireland did more than 10% of young people say they attend services at least once a week.
In the UK attendance was 7%, in France 6% and in Russia 4%, despite many more young people identifying as Christian in the Russian Federation. Estonia was the lowest in attendance. Only 2% of young Estonians go to church at least once a week.
Prayer outside a regular service is more frequent. Fifty percent of young Poles pray weekly or more and 31% of Irish. The same proportion of young Irish 16-29’s say they never pray.
In the UK, 18% of young people pray weekly or more and 63% never. The figures for France are 14% and 65%, while in Russia 14% pray weekly or more and 46% never.
Christianity ‘washes straight off’ children
According to Professor Bullivant, many young Europeans “will have been baptised and then never darken the door of a church again. Cultural religious identities just aren’t being passed on from parents to children. ‘It just washes straight off them.’
Judges 2:10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
The figures for the UK were partly explained by high immigration. “One in five Catholics in the UK were not born in the UK.
Disturbingly, he adds that Islam is only going to expand at the expense of Christianity: “We know the Muslim birthrate is higher than the general population, and they have much higher [religious] retention rates.”
No religion ‘is default’
In another report, Professor Bullivant found almost half of Britons followed no religion. ‘Those who identify as ‘No religion’ … are 48.6% of the British adult population. This is roughly 24.3 million people’ he wrote in The No-Religion population of Britain.
“The new default setting is ‘no religion’, and the few who are religious see themselves as swimming against the tide,” he said. “In 20 or 30 years’ time, mainstream churches will be smaller, but the few people left will be highly committed.”
The importance of our families
Writing in the Catholic Herald, Professor Bullivant proposes a ‘new evangelism.’ However, he suggests: ‘We won’t live to see Europe’s Christian revival – but it will happen’.
Professor Bullivant goes on: ‘Arguably, the primary challenge of the new evangelisation – and the root cause of why it is needed in the first place – is keeping those we already have.’
He stresses the importance to Christianity of the family: ‘The research … points very strongly at how critical the formative years of childhood and young adulthood are for “setting up” a person’s adult religiosity. Unfortunately, that means that, in terms of broad societal trends (individual souls are a different matter, of course), “decline” is almost certain to continue for several years to come.’
He says that as the more practising older generations gradually die off, ‘the resolutely non-practising baby boomer generation “behind them” will certainly not be replacing them in our churches.’
Do the little things
St David, patron saint of Wales, urged his followers to ‘Do the little things’. Strata Florida church, Ceredigion
The final words of Saint David were recorded as “Do the little things, the small things you’ve seen me doing.” This is essentially what Stephen Bullivant offers as an action plan and it has support from scripture:
Zech 4:10a For who hath despised the day of small things?
Little things indeed add up. Moreover, when we do the little things that only we can do, we can safely leave the miraculous to God.
However, there is no room for lethargy, or for leaving just a few of us ‘doing the little things.’ Stephen Bullivant is a young man, and a fairly new convert. He brings remembrance of the mind of a non-believer but not necessarily all wisdom. Nor do I, but as a first step, I offer the following. We should as a body at the very least be:
1 Stirring up our gifts, whatever they are.
2 Sharing our testimony with whoever will listen.
3 Vocally confronting our culture with a Jesus counter-culture.
3a That includes witnessing to those in power,
3b Writing letters to newspapers and social media.
4 Out evangelising in public (those who can), with preaching and/or leafleting.
5 Having ‘incarnation theology’ involvement as churches in the community.
6 Discipling new converts, not leaving them to their own devices.
7 Remembering the enthusiasm and power of the Apostles.
8 Having confidence in our faith and the Holy Bible,
9 Marketing our services and events using all media.
10 Exercising humility and unity, not seeing other churches as competition.
11 Praying always to the Lord of the Harvest not just to send labourers but also to reveal new things to do.
A round-up of recent foreign affairs stories mostly from alternative media. All links will automatically open in a new tab. No need to ‘Right-Click’.
