Churches welcome Scout promise decision
The Church of England has welcomed the Scout Association's decision to retain the original ‘duty to God’ pledge alongside the introduction of a new alternative promise for atheists and others without a faith. The core scout promise ‘to do my duty to God’ has been in existence for 106 years and this is the first time in the Scout movement's history that an alternative pledge has been offered for people without a faith, although alternatives have existed for Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists for several decades. From January, new scouts with no religion will be able to promise to ‘uphold our scout values’. The announcement comes after a 10-month consultation that included faith groups. The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham,and the Church of England's lead bishop on work with young people, the Right Reverend Paul Butler, welcomed theoutcome. He said: ‘I very much welcome this announcement by the Scout movement that God stays in the promise.’
Praise: God for this change of mind by the Scout Association. (Ps.100:1-2)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/churches.welcome.scout.promise.decision/34293.htm
Churches welcome Scout promise decision
The Church of England has welcomed the Scout Association's decision to retain the original ‘duty to God’ pledge alongside the introduction of a new alternative promise for atheists and others without a faith. The core scout promise ‘to do my duty to God’ has been in existence for 106 years and this is the first time in the Scout movement's history that an alternative pledge has been offered for people without a faith, although alternatives have existed for Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists for several decades. From January, new scouts with no religion will be able to promise to ‘uphold our scout values’. The announcement comes after a 10-month consultation that included faith groups. The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham,and the Church of England's lead bishop on work with young people, the Right Reverend Paul Butler, welcomed theoutcome. He said: ‘I very much welcome this announcement by the Scout movement that God stays in the promise.’
Praise: God for this change of mind by the Scout Association. (Ps.100:1-2)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/churches.welcome.scout.promise.decision/34293.htm
Payday lenders face tougher rules
The UK's payday lenders have been warned that tougher regulation is on its way, to protect consumers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed that all borrowers should have an "affordability" check before being given a loan. Among other new rules, the FCA wants to put risk warnings on adverts and marketing material. The payday industry gave the plans a guarded welcome, saying irresponsible lenders would struggle to comply. Martin Wheatley, the FCA's chief executive, said: "Today I'm putting payday lenders on notice: tougher regulation is coming and I expect them all to make changes so that consumers get a fair outcome. The clock is ticking." The proposals mean that anyone taking out a loan would need to prove that they could afford to repay it. In a separate government survey, one in five customers said they were not even asked about their finances when they applied for a payday loan.
Pray: for all those who fall victims of unscrupulous loan sharks and that these moves by the FCA will bring an end to such usury. (Eze.18:17)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24372134
Church of England attacks Michael Gove over state of religious education
The Church of England has launched a fierce attack on the government, describing limited resources devoted to training religious education teachers as a scandal that is affecting "an essential part" of every child's studies. In an outburst that reflects the church's deepening unease at the government's perceived lack of support for the teaching of RE, it singled out the education secretary, Michael Gove, for implicit criticism, calling on him to work with religious leaders to improve the level of teaching in what is a core subject in the national curriculum. The criticism comes as a damning Ofsted report, published today, finds that more than half of all schools have been failing pupils in their religious education, a subject that the watchdog claims is increasingly important "in an ever more globalised and multicultural 21st century" because of the way it promotes respect and empathy.
Pray: for a positive response to the Ofsted report to make a significant improvement in Religious Education in schools and to recognise its importance in modern society. (Pr.4:13)
More: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/oct/05/church-attacks-gove-religious-education-schools
