British Court Upholds Right of Christians to Freely Express Their Faith – Felix Ngole
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After four years, a Christian student won his appeal in a UK appeals court after he was expelled from college for expressing his faith on sexual ethics in a debate on social media, according to CBN News.
Felix Ngole was dismissed from the University of Sheffield in 2016 where he was studying to become a social worker.
He was expelled for his participation in a 2015 Facebook discussion opposing same-sex-marriage. Being a devout Christian, he quoted biblical verses confirming the traditional Christian views on marriage.
A complaint was filed against Ngole by an anonymous source several months after the Facebook discussion. He was told by the university that he “lacked insight’ into the effect of his Facebook posts. The expression of his Christian views was found to be unacceptable by the university, and he was required to stay silent on the subject while attending the school.
Ngole was also told not to express his Christian views in public, including a church. He could never express his viewpoint in a work situation even if directly asked.
In their decision, the Court of Appeals rebuked the university saying that people should not live in fear when expressing their views. The court said, “The mere expression of religious views about sin does not necessarily connote discrimination.”
Ngole was represented by religious rights attorney, Paul Diamond, who objected to the university’s disciplinary process of silencing speech.
The student took to Facebook and expressed gratitude for his victory, writing:
“You say something that your employer doesn’t like and they expel you. And we know that type of thing that you would say that would lead to that. Most of it is just expressing your faith which as a Christian country we should be able to do that.” Read More
Home Office withdraws refusal of asylum seeker after criticising the Bible in rejection letter
(Premiere) By Cara Bentley
The Home Office has agreed to reconsider an asylum application after rejecting the Iranian by using Bible verses out of context to argue that Christianity is not a peaceful religion.
The Iranian who is trying to claim asylum in the UK on the grounds of Christian conversion received a letter this week saying his argument that he converted to Christianity after discovering it was a peaceful religion must be false due to various passages from the Bible with violent imagery, which the letter quotes.
The letter contains quotes from Matthew, Revelation and Exodus to argue that the claimant had made an error in assuming Christianity was : “about peace, forgiveness and kindness”. Read more
What’s the future look like for Christianity? The State of Religion – April 30, 2016 (CBN)
A look at the state of the religion in the U.S., Europe, and the world.
Christian student in the U.K. kicked out by his university for Facebook message opposing gay marriage
Sheffield University
- Felix Ngole, 38, expelled from Sheffield University after Facebook message
- Postgraduate father of four had been studying to become a social worker
- Set to appeal because of consequences for the ‘freedom of expression’
A Christian student has been ejected from his university course for voicing his opposition to gay marriage on Facebook.
Felix Ngole, 38, was expelled from Sheffield University after faculty staff decided he ‘may have caused offence to some individuals’.
The postgraduate father of four, who was studying to become a social worker, has been told his actions affect his fitness to practice and was ordered to hand back his student ID and library card.
Mr Ngole was reported after using his private Facebook account to express support for Kim Davis, a county clerk from Kentucky, who was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licences after the introduction of same-sex unions there last September.
Mr Ngole argued that homosexual activity is against the teaching of the Bible, quoting a verse from Leviticus describing it as an ‘abomination’. Read More
UK City Councilman Seeking Crackdown on Street Preachers: It Is ‘Improper’ to ‘Talk About Morality’
UK: Manchester Councillor Pat Karney in the U.K. is seeking to crack down on street preachers, buskers and those who engage in commerce in the public streets says that preachers are wrong to talk about morality in the open air and to make their hearers feel “insecure” with their preaching.
When asked him to clarify whether the city council plans to place restrictions on street preachers as part of his goal to reduce public “nuisances.”
The Christian Institute sent a warning to the council and plan to support the street preachers’ right to address people in public spaces.
The letter says: “The Christian Institute has long supported the rights of street preachers and has funded several legal cases where local authorities or police have unlawfully interfered with those rights.”
Karney intends to silence ‘noisy’ street preachers or those who may provoke members of the public.
And said they would target street preachers who authorities feel project their voice too much or discuss issues that some members of the public may find offensive.
“Preachers do have a right to be out on the streets, but I do not think it right if they are talking about morality,” he stated. “Some talk about race or sexual orientation and that is not proper at all.”
“They’re perfectly entitled to talk about Jesus and the word of God, but not to make anyone feel insecure or threatened,” Karney stated.
While the Christian Institute has not received a written response to its correspondence, and concerned by Karney’s press statement.
“We are still no clearer about whether restrictions will be applied to street preachers in Manchester and remain concerned about potential police action,” it said in a statement. “Councillor Karney has not provided any legal grounds for this crackdown, and runs the risk of legal action being taken if the free speech rights of street preachers are interfered with.”
The article reports several street preachers have been arrested in the UK in recent years over the content of their speech. Read full report
Christian school told Back ‘British values’ or face downgrading
Schools are at risk of “infringing the rights of children, parents and teachers” to practise their religious beliefs, the Christian Institute has warned.
The warning comes following an independent Christian school being told it may be rated just “adequate”, rather than its current “good” status, by Ofsted inspectors.
The school is accused of “not promoting other faiths,” deputy director of the Christian Institute, Simon Calvert, said.
“Astonishingly it was told it should invite representatives of other faith groups to lead assemblies and lessons, such as an Imam,” he added.
Calvert said this is evidence of new regulations, established in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal, “requiring Ofsted inspection teams to behave in ways which do not respect the religious ethos of faith schools”.
“The wording of the regulations inevitably results in these kind of outcomes. While we obviously support attempts to address the problem of radicalisation, the current regulations fail to do this,” he said.
According to the Telegraph, the Christian Institute is providing legal support to the school, and has outlined its concerns in a letter to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. READ MORE
Petition calls on UK Prime Minister to do more for Iraqi Christians facing genocide
Displaced Iraqi Christians
Nicola Harris has started a petition calling on David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to do all he can to help displaced Iraqi Christians suffering persecution at the hands of the notorious Islamic group ISIS. This brutal group has been carrying out cold blooded attacks against Christians, other minorities and even their children. They have faced rape, being sold as slaves, torture and horrific forms of execution, including beheadings.
In the past, ISIS (ISIL) now calling themselves IS were known by another name: al Qaeda in Iraq. In Syria, the relationship became strained as ISIS defied orders of al Qaeda movement leaders. With ISIS continued defianace, the well known terrorist group, al Qaeda disavowed any ties with it’s radical franchise, ISIS.
Today, ISIS and al-Qaeda compete for influence over Islamist extremist groups around the world. Some experts believe ISIS may overtake al-Qaeda as the most influential group in this area—globally.
Nicola has asked VOP to sign the petition and we are asking you to join us. Pray for them, be their VOICE and sign the petition!
Thousands of Christians have had to flee Iraq, they have been given an ultimatum by the extremist group ISIS to convert to Islam: pay a tax or face death by the sword. I would like the displaced Christians to be given refuge here in the UK.
Christian properties and belongings have been sprayed with an Arabic letter ‘N’ for Nazarine and every thing they own has been confiscated simply because of their faith.
Christians have lived side by side with Muslims in Iraq peacefully for thousands of years but now most have sought refuge in Kurdistan.
ISIS are threatening to invade parts of Europe within the next five years and make the people who live there muslims by force.
In Britain, we live respectfully side by side with people of all faiths and of no faith. We should all have the choice to follow our hearts on matters of faith and not be forced to change our minds by knife point.
I am a Christian… I am Nazarine… I am ‘N’
“David Cameron: We call on the Prime Minister to accept applications that come in from Christians being displaced by ISIS in Iraq to be dealt with in a favourable manner.”
Widdecombe: Bakery Right To Refuse Cake Based On Conscientious Objection
Ann Widdecombe said that in a free country people should be able to run their businesses according to their beliefs.
A former Tory minister has said that in a “true democracy” people shouldn’t be forced to uphold something they don’t believe in, following news that a Christian bakery is facing legal action for refusing to produce a pro-gay marriage campaign cake.
Writing in the Daily Express, Ann Widdecombe said it “never occurred” to her that a baker might be at risk of not being able to operate if they have a conscientious objection to redefining marriage.
“If the baker had refused merely to bake a cake because the customer was gay then that would indeed have been both unpleasant and illegal but the refusal was specific to the message requested for the cake.
Democracy
“Surely it is an elementary feature of true democracy that nobody should be obliged by law to affirm that which he or she does not believe”, she added.
Widdecombe highlighted the repeated reassurances given to Parliament that introducing gay marriage “would not cause discrimination against those who believed it wrong”.
“What price your assurances now, Mr Cameron?” she poses.
Redefined
Marriage has not been redefined in Northern Ireland – the Assembly has voted three times in less than two years against same-sex marriage.
Widdecombe said: “In a free country the baker should be able to refuse to take part in what is effectively PR for gay marriage in the knowledge that any customers who do not like that decision are free to buy their morning loaf elsewhere.
“But then it is a long time since Britain and freedom were synonymous”, she concluded.
Ethos
Ashers Baking Company in Northern Ireland hit the headlines this week after its Christian owners, the McArthur family, declined to produce a cake in support of gay marriage.
The manager of the business, Daniel McArthur, said they are happy to bake cakes for anyone, but could not fulfil that particular order as it clashed with the ethos of the business.
He said: “We are Christians and our Christianity reaches to every point of our lives, whether that’s at home or in the day-to-day running of the business.”
VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED 