Key Quotes for 2005

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Last update: Wednesday 25th March




While Religious Education is the fastest growing of all A-level subjects taken in 2004 the most popular papers were on Philosophy of Religion and Ethics, with the New Testament a poor third. Christian Belief was the least popular behind Eastern Religion, Western Religion, and Religion and Culture. Christian History only just topped Christian Belief.
Education	Protestant Truth – January/February 2005



Young Christian girls who are scarred for life; former blasphemy prisoner Aslam Masih, who can never walk freely in Pakistan again; and a former Muslim preacher, now a Christian, who faces death if he reveals his real identity. There were among the people CSW met on a recent visit to Pakistan, a country where religious minorities and women suffer horrifying dangers.In May this year, a seven year old girl was brutally raped and tortured by a Muslim man, because she is a Christian. This is not an unusual occurrence.
Religious Persecution	Response – December 2004



A group of Christian nurses has been banned from holding worship services at their hospital in central Nigeria after receiving death threats from Muslim militants. The nurses at the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa state, received a letter from a group calling itself 'Islamic Fundamentalists.' The undated letter to the Fellowship of Christian Nurses said it was 'making it abundantly clear that our thirst for your heads/blood is mounting daily if you continue with your worship services in the hospital unabated.' The hospital authorities also received a copy of the letter, but took no action to protect the nurses. Instead they issued a letter on July 19 indefinitely suspending all Christian related activities at the hospital.
Religious Persecution	Response – December 2004



The worst place in central Asia to be a Christian today is probably Turkmenistan. The dictator there, President Niyazov, has erected a huge golden statue of himself which rotates to greet the sun in the capital Ashgabad.The more sinister side of his rule includes banning all Protestant groups from practising their faith. Believers have been threatened, detained, beaten, fined and sacked from their jobs, while homes used for worship have been confiscated and religious literature seized.
Religious Persecution	Response – December 2004



The Institute for Metascientific Research has announced that one of the best-known atheists in the academic world, Professor Antony Flew of the University of Reading, has accepted the existence of God. In a symposium sponsored by the IMR at New York University earlier this year, Professor Flew stated that developments in modern science had led him to accept the action of an 'intelligent mind' in the creation of the world. In 'Has Science Discovered God?', the recording of the symposium released on 15th December, Flew said his conclusion was influenced by developments in DNA research.
Religion/Spirituality	Christian Herald – 1st January 2005



YMCA England says it is extremely concerned at the latest figures on youth homelessness. In two years the numbers of young people without a home to call their own has almost doubled, from 5,830 to 11,150. But the figures released by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, represent only a tiny proportion of the country's homeless young people, according to the charity.
Young People	Christian Herald – 1st January 2005



An estimated 2,500 people living in and around the city dump in Quito, Ecuador, attended an annual Christmas party on 4th December organised by Extreme Response, an international relief agency. Of these, 160 people gave their lives to Christ and asked for a personal visit in their homes. This was the eighth annual Christmas party for Quito's forgotten dump dwellers.
Religion/Spirituality	Christian Herald – 1st January 2005



Nearly twice as many young people believe in horoscopes as in the Bible, according to a poll. The same survey found that the population in general has more faith in Tarot cards and palm reading than in the Bible, but that seven out of 10 of the over 45's retain a belief in the veracity of the Scriptures. The greater the age, the more this is true, with the 75 plus group emerging as stout defenders of the Scriptures. The satellite television channel Fox network surveyed 3,000 people. It discovered that 62% of people aged 18-24 believed in the power of horoscopes, compared with nearly 38% who believed in the Bible.
Religion/Spirituality	Unity – December 2004



Half the births in Wales in 2003 were to unmarried mothers, according to government statistics. Records show that 30 years ago, a mere 8.6% of births in the Principality were to single mothers.
Family	The Universe – 9th January 2005



This year's teenage bingers are next year's alcoholics. Unless some pretty drastic steps are taken, the cost to the country in terms of health services will escalate beyond control. Over the past 30 years, deaths from liver cirrhosis have increased by a shocking 959% among men aged between 25 and 44, and 924% among women of the same age. These statistics alone should encourage the Government to take a more determined stance.
Drugs/Alcohol/Addictions	The Universe – 9th January 2005



No-one ever claimed it was cheap to bring up children, but new research has put a figure on the amount parents spend on kids and it's a staggering sum. Nearly £50,000 is spent on each child in their first 17 years - that's £49,572 for a girl, or £2,916 a year, and £47,430, or £2,790 a year for a boy. The figures cover the cost of food, hobbies, clothes, school trips, pocket money and holidays. It all adds up to a massive £38 billion a year, says online bank Egg, which carried out the research. And if that's not enough, the research found that 631,000 children receive financial support from their parents after they're 30, with 148,000 still getting handouts from mum and dad at the age of 44 or over.
Money	The Universe – 9th January 2005



Violence against women and children is the focus of a World Council of Churches led campaign to be launched next Thursday.According to Home Office figures, domestic violence claims the lives of two women each week, and an estimated 446,000 people were victims of domestic violence in the UK last year. The Revd Sheila Martin, moderator of the Women's Issues committee for the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said, "Churches have a responsibility to deal with the issue. People need to look to the Church in times of desperation and we need to be prepared."
Family	The Baptist Times – 18th November 2004



A global campaign to mobilise millions of Christians in 100 countries to press their governments to halve poverty by 2015 was launched at the UN in October by the Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Rev. Njongonkulu Ndungane. The Archbishop urged churches around the world to take a lead in putting pressure on governments to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals of halving poverty, declaring: "How can we claim to follow Jesus if we are not prepared to work to achieve his gospel good news for the poor?"
Social Issues	Evangelicals Now – December 2004



At least 336 tribal Christians were 'reconverted' to Hinduism in a ceremony organised by the World Hindu Council in Orissa on October 17. Gauri Prasad Rath, state secretary of the Council, said it was the largest reconversion ceremony they had ever held and insisted the reconversion drives would continue until missionaries stopped evangelising tribal groups in Orissa.
Religion/Spirituality	Evangelicals Now – December 2004



Ofcom received 192 applications from groups interested in obtaining full time Community Radio Licences, which will run for 5 years. This follows on form the huge success of the pilot projects: some of which have been broadcasting for over 2 years.The breakdown of applications is 34 for services within London; 23 - South East England; 20 - Yorkshire and Humberside; 18 - North West England; 17 - East Midlands; 16 - East of England; 14 - West Midlands; 13 - South West England; 6 - North East England; 17 - Scotland; 7 - Wales; 7 - Northern Ireland.
Media	Airflash – Issue 85

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