Key Quotes for 2013

A world perspective in bite-size chunks
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Last update: Wednesday 25th March
 
The Government’s attempt to slash net migration has suffered a set back after fresh figures revealed the first increase in Britain in more than a year. Home Secretary Teresa May and Prime Minister David Cameron want to reduce net migration from non-EU counties to less than 100,000 before the next election in 2015. But the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed a net flow of 176,000 migrants came to the UK in the year to December 2012, up from 153,000 in the year to September 2012, ending five consecutive quarters of decline.
Social IssuesThe Sentinel, August 30th 2013
 
The percentage of households with at least one person out of work has fallen to its lowest level since records began in l996. So-called workless households stood at 17.1% in the three months to June, down from 17.9% a year ago and 19.2% in the same period in 2010. The number of people aged between 16 and 64 in workless households has fallen to 4.9 million, the first time it has been below five million since 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics. Other data showed that the number of children in workless households is 1.6 million, with two-thirds living in single-parent families. The number of households where no one has ever worked stands at 297,000, down by 43,000 over the past year.
Work/EmploymentThe Sentinel, August 29th 2013
 
The number of deaths involving so-called legal highs soared by 80% last year. Deaths linked to new psychoactive substances – also known as legal highs – increased from 29 in 2011 to 52 in 2012. The number of deaths caused by the substances, such as mephedrone, was relatively stable between 2008 and 2011, ranging from 22 to 29, but then spiked last year. The Office of National Statistics also revealed the number of deaths involving painkiller tramadol has more than doubled since 2008 to 175 in 2012.
Drugs/Alcohol/AddictionsThe Sentinel, August 29th 2013
 
Angry rail passengers yesterday slammed planned New Year fare rises of 4.1 per cent – the 11th year on the trot they have soared above inflation. Labour claimed some fares will rise by nearly 9.1 per cent or nearly three times the inflation rate. And the TUC said that since 2008 fares have risen by 40 per cent – nearly three times faster than wages. The planned 4.1 per cent rise will see the cost of an annual season ticket from Canterbury to London break £5000 – and £4000 for commuters from Basingstoke.
MoneyDaily Express, August 14, 2013
 
Every household in the UK is to have pornography blocked by their Internet provider unless they choose to receive it, in a government decision that has been commended as a victory for Premier Christian Media’s Safetynet campaign. The campaign to protect children’s innocence online presented a 120,000-signature petition to Downing Street and has been credited by Claire Perry MP as having been instrumental in the government decision. As a result of the victory, porn-blocking filters will be automatically selected for new Internet customers – although they will be able to choose to switch them off.
SexChristianity, September 2013
 
Christians are less likely to have personal contact with Muslims or Hindus than with people of no faith, according to a new report. Only 21% of religious adherents in northern Europe have significant personal contact with Christians, according to Christianity in its Global Context 1970-2020, a report produced by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. According to the report, Muslims in northern Europe are less likely to have relationships with Christians than with Jews. The study of religious trends found that it was more probable that Christians had personal contact with agnostics and atheists than with people of other faiths. Globally less than 14% of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists have personal contact with a Christian, in contrast with the 33% of atheists and agnostics who do.
Religion/SpiritualityChristianity, September 2013
 
Muslims and Sikhs are the religious groups most likely to feel British, according to new analysis of the 2011 Census by University of Manchester researchers. Some 62 per cent of Sikhs, 57 per cent of Muslims and 54 per cent of Hindus describe their national identity as British only, they say. The figure is only 15 per cent for Christians. However, 65 per cent of Christians and 54 per cent of Jews are the most likely to feel English, find the team based at the University’s Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE). In England, three-fifths of the population do not identify with a British national identity, and only see themselves as English, whereas ethnic minority groups are much more likely to describe themselves as British. And Bangladeshis are more likely than any other ethnic group to say they are British only, they add.
Social IssuesInspire, September/October 2013
 
The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that the Anglican church is moving towards the ‘edge of a precipice’ amid disputes between liberals and traditionalists. Justin Welby said in a speech during a visit to Mexico that the church was in danger of abandoning its core beliefs while also falling into a ‘ravine of intolerance’ in the way it deals with divisive issues such as gay marriage and female bishops.
ChurchThe Sentinel, 23rd August 2013
 
It might be unpalatable but Christmas is being lost to secularism. Survey results (from ComRes 2007, 2010, 2012 and Children’s Society 2010) show just 12% of adults know the nativity story; and 36% of children do not know whose birthday is being celebrated during the festival. A crucial 51% of people now say that the birth of Jesus is irrelevant to their Christmas, indicating that for the majority Christmas is becoming simply a consumer-fuelled and family-filled happy holiday which is meaningless – albeit enjoyable. A movement made up of some of the nation’s leading Christian groups, including the Church of England, the Evangelical Alliance, and the Children’s Society, is coming together because they recognise something must be done.
Religion/SpiritualityThe Wey, September/October 2013
 
Ellen Greaves, of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), told a conference in late July that it is the character traits of people who choose to get married – rather than marriage itself – which benefits children. She suggested that policies that encourage marriage, like marriage tax breaks, would have a small impact on children’s development. But the Coalition for Marriage strongly criticised the remarks. Campaign Director Colin Hart said: ‘This is metropolitan elitist twaddle which will say anything to avoid the blindingly obvious: children do best with a married mum and dad. The conclusions of the IFS are another slap in the face for millions of ordinary married couples who have just been told that their commitment and faithfulness is nice, but ultimately of no value to future generations’. A report published by the Marriage Foundation this year (based on a survey of 40,000 households between 2010 and 2011) found that 45% of young teenagers (aged 13-15) are not living with both parents, but, among parents of young teenagers who do remain intact, 93% are married.
FamilyEvangelicals Now, September 2013
 
The legislative assembly of Madhya Pradesh state on July 10 passed a more restrictive version of its existing anti-conversion law, effectively overturning the religious freedom guaranteed under India’s constitution. The bill, yet to be signed off by the governor, requires anyone wanting to change their religion to first seek official permission and obliges religious leaders to report conversions, and mandates a three-year jail sentence for failing to do so. That rises to four years in the case of a minor, a woman or a Dalit (untouchable). Seven Indian states have already passed anti-conversion laws, as a result of pressure from Hindu nationalists.
Religious PersecutionEvangelicals Now, September 2013
 
Aleksei Shchedrov, a 28-year-old Christian, is facing a prison sentence because of his outreach to the homeless, it was reported in early August. Since December 2011, Aleksei has been running a shelter in his home in Aleksandrovka in the Grodno region that provides members of the street community with food, a bed, a bath and clothing. He also prays with his guests, and there is a prayer room at the shelter that is used by local villagers as well as residents. It is this prayer room with which the authorities have taken issue.
Religious PersecutionEvangelicals Now, September 2013
 
Sikhs have been advised to deregister their temples as wedding venues to avoid being sued for not carrying out same-sex marriages, it was reported in late July. The group, Sikhs In England, gave the advice, warning that government protections on the issue might be worthless. Sikh Temples could continue to perform religious weddings, but they would carry no legal weight.
Social IssuesEvangelicals Now, September 2013
 
Equalities Minister Maria Miller, said in late July: ‘This autumn, [the government is] starting our LGB&T Call for Evidence, a consultation on what the next steps need to be and where government needs to prioritise.’ One activist responded, calling for the subjugation of religious beliefs that disagree with homosexuality. A Pink News writer contributed an article which said: ‘The first step is to acknowledge that human rights come before beliefs; if you did that, no consultation would be needed.’
Social IssuesEvangelicals Now, September 2013
 
The vast majority of people under 35 consider Christian resistance to gay marriage as ‘wrong and wicked’ and comparable to racism, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Most Rev Justin Welby made the remarks at the opening of a new headquarters for the Evangelical Alliance in London. While insisting that the decision to oppose equal marriage for gay couples was the right one, the Archbishop said that the Church was ‘deeply and profoundly divided’ over the issue of homosexuality and that homophobia was damaging the Church’s witness, saying that people did not want to ‘hear about a faith that is homophobic’. The Archbishop said: ‘The Church has not been good at dealing with homophobia… in fact we have, at times, as God’s people, in various places, really implicitly or even explicitly supported it.’ The Evangelical Alliance, which was hosting the Archbishop, has been a strong opponent of the government’s Same Sex Marriage Act.
Social IssuesChristianity, October 2013
 
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