Spain: Revelation TV responds to 6000 Euro fine
The National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC Spain) has fined UK’s Revelation TV 6,000 Euro. The Christian ministry has broadcast in Spain through satellite since 2012. The fine comes after an individual complained to CNMC about one of the two-hour programmes which discussed a homosexuality news item for 13 minutes. The licensing authority said the show’s comments could be considered 'threatening to the dignity of homosexual and transgender groups'. Revelation’s CEO said, ‘The programme was expressing a biblical view on the subject and homophobia had no part in it. We will take the matter through the courts if necessary. Our lawyers said that if they find us guilty they will have to find every Roman Catholic Church guilty also. Revelation TV is a Christian station, owned by a charity, dealing with issues form a Christian perspective. We look at the news, we have Bible study, worship, church services and everything you would expect of a Christian TV station.’
Technology - Virtual Church and ‘Ask Alexa’
St Mildred’s in south London has created WOW Church to attract the 13-to-25 age group to faith through a virtual service. The online church runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visitors can talk to twenty different chat-hosts taking turns answering questions and communicating with people through the website. People watch videos about faith and can submit a short prayer and light a virtual candle. An average of two to three conversations take place each day, and 100-150 people visit it weekly. St Mildred’s said they considered a youth Alpha but didn’t think anyone would come (saying they weren’t good with teens). Most of the people they chat to are lonely or have reservations about church. Pray for the ‘virtual’ community of lonely people to begin to want to actually meet physically in a Christian community. Meanwhile, The Church of England has launched an ‘Alexa skill’ to answer questions about faith and prayer, and help to find a church based on the user’s location. See
Fire on Saddleworth Moor
Firefighters fear that a change in wind direction across a moorland fire could put life in danger. It is currently growing and could take weeks to extinguish. Fire chiefs say it is the worst moorland fire in living memory to hit Saddleworth. The impact could be seen from space by Nasa satellites picking up smoke plumes. Air quality levels in and around Manchester are being monitored regularly. A handful of local schools have been closed. Experts warned that high levels of pollutants generated from the blaze could have a significant effect on people’s health. By 28 June 100 soldiers were being trained by the fire services. The fire had covered seven square miles. The active ‘fire front’ stretched 2.5 miles and an RAF Chinook helicopter was made available. The public are advised to keep country lanes free from cars so that the emergency services can access them easily. Pray for firefighters working rolling 12-hour shifts. Pray for a downpour of rain.
Brexit – critical discussions – time running out
A civil servant involved in Brexit negotiations, wishing to remain anonymous, said we are all over the place and don’t know what we want and Europe’s negotiators are behaving like total <expletive>. Macron warned European leaders to remain focused on their ‘collective interest’ during Brexit negotiations lest an ‘unfavourable situation’ befall the remaining 27. He said the continent could suffer if individual countries used Brexit to follow their own interests and they must avoid the ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ (a game scenario – two people act for their own gain and both lose out). We are in a critical discussions season. Customs union membership means goods pass freely between countries. Europe sells a lot to the UK, and complicated business supply chains avoid border-related hassles. It would solve the Irish border issue. But membership would not cover services and the UK exports services to Europe. Neither could we do trade deals with countries outside the EU. See also
