NI council calls for quango to drop Christian bakery case
A local council in Northern Ireland is calling for a taxpayer-funded equality quango to drop its legal case against a Christian-run bakery.(Previously reported in Prayer Alert.) Members of Craigavon Borough Council voted 13 to 8 in support of Ashers Baking Company, which is facing court action for declining to make a pro-gay marriage campaign cake last year. Councillor Philip Moutray tabled the proposal, as the case could have significant financial implications for Ashers. He explained: ‘I am appalled at the targeting of a small bakery because of its Christian beliefs. The commission has tens of thousands of pounds of pu blic money at its disposal. Ashers haven’t resources like that’, he added. Moutray also put forward the motion in light of DUP plans to amend equality legislation to introduce a conscience clause.The DUP has launched a consultation on introducing a conscience clause, which closes on 27 February.’
Bishop joins calls for an end to indefinite detention of migrants
An Anglican bishop is among those backing a call on all prospective MPs to pledge a time limit on the detention of migrants. The campaign he is supporting is being led by Citizens UK, the alliance of civil society organisations. Jonathan Clark, the Area Bishop of Croydon within the Church of England, said: 'Detaining people indefinitely in prison-like conditions without judicial oversight is unjust, ineffective and inhumane. That’s why [we] are calling on people of goodwill across the country to join them in taking this issue to their parliamentary candidates in the UK general election. We will ask politicians to pledge their support for a time limit on the detention of adults – and to work with us to make it happen.’ Independently, some 30 charities and NGOs are specifically calling for a time limit of 28 days’ detention. Eiri Ohtani, coordinator, Detention Forum, explained:‘The practice of locking up migrants indefinitely has no place in Britain.’
NHS plan to achieve earlier cancer diagnosis and save lives
Patients are to be given the option to refer themselves for cancer tests, as part of an NHS England bid to diagnose an extra 10% of people early. It said it would start testing new ways of speeding up diagnosis, including offering patients the option to book appointments directly with a hospital or testing unit ahead of seeing a GP. The body will also fund further trials of a pioneering form of radiotherapy. Currently, around 25% of cancer diagnoses are made too late. The plans are part of a drive to improve cancer survival rates in England, which are below the European average. Simon Stevens, Chief Executive, NHS England, said, ‘It's time for a fresh look at how we can do even better - with more focus on prevention, earlier diagnosis and modern radiotherapy’
Church of England membership decline ‘urgently’ needs to be reversed – Welby and Sentamu
The Church of England will no longer be able to carry on in its current form unless the downward spiral in its membership is reversed ‘as a matter of urgency’, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have warned. It could face a dramatic shortage of priests within a decade as almost half of the current clergy retire, according to the Most Rev Justin Welby and Dr John Sentamu. Meanwhile dwindling numbers in the pews will inevitably plunge the Church into a financial crisis as it grapples with the ‘burden’ of maintaining thousands of historic buildings. The two archbishops also called for the Church to invest more in building up its presence on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to get its message across as part of a ‘major programme of renewal and reform’. Their blunt assessment of the Church’s prospects came in a paper for members of its ruling General Synod, which meets in London next month
