Perspectives from the Peninsula ~ 6 (September 30th 2005) 

Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea 
or walked in the recesses of the deep? (Job 38:16) 

The end of the book of Job fascinates me. God seems to enjoy talking about things that no one else has ever seen - including animals that have no human usefulness because they cannot be tamed. It is as though He is saying that these creatures, which He has put such complex thought and joy into creating, all have their place in creation even though we cannot fathom it, just as Job’s suffering had been utterly necessary in ways he could not even begin to fathom. (I’ve always wanted to ask the Lord ‘why the mosquito?’) 

I have the feeling the Lord is also enjoying something of the secret life of His fish, birds and animals being discovered, in the wonderful documentaries being shown on satellite station such as National Geographic – deep under the sea, or in the deepest recesses of the jungle, where infra red cameras and other digital wonders are filming things never before witnessed. Sumatran tigers in their native habitat; elephants being tracked through the Congo and far beyond; birds of quite exceptionally beautiful plumage cavorting in the most glorious mating rituals. Not to mention a moth that has a tongue 12 inches long so that it is able to probe the deepest recesses of an extremely rare orchid. 

Unfortunately, the overall tenor of a programme showing showing these wonders on was deliberately slanted to promoting the evolution theory. The nutrients are right and the environment, they claim, so evolution just happens to create these incredible creations. Even snakes and lizards that fly through the forests of Borneo??? It is like saying that it is nice and warm in the local leisure centre or tropical aviary, so if we just hang around long enough we’ll sprout fins and wings!  Pray that people may not be put off by theories of evolution from discovering the real missing link – which points us directly back to Creator God. (Romans 1:18-19) 

Great gratitude that Hurricane Rita proved less catastrophic than Katrina. I was enormously conscious of two things: a demonic power at work inside the hurricane, and a wall of prayer coming against it not only from the citizens of Houston but from right across the world. Despite the damage it did cause, it veered away to savage the least populated part of the Louisiana coast, and best of all it did not stall in any one location, which would have brought the most terrible flooding. But hurricanes and flooding as a global problem are not going to go away. 

Following what we wrote last week about the sex trade, a small piece of encouraging news. Nineteen women from Eastern Europe who were tricked into becoming sex slaves were rescued during raids on a massage parlour in Birmingham, police said. 
"They had had their passports taken. were locked into the venue during the evening and taken away afterwards and locked in a house." 
May many more be liberated. 

At the same time there is increasing unhappiness about what is going on in our own country. 

The Labour conference has finished, overshadowed by the extraordinary episode that saw an 80-year-old heckler being forcibly ejected from the auditorium and even held for a while under the new Terror legislation(!) One day later and the apologies were public and effusive. May the embarrassment factor this has caused serve as a vital wake up call to the dangers of control freakery. 

Other examples during the conference week were: Austin Mitchell (Labour MP) having digital photographs he had taken of proceedings physically deleted by a policeman – see (http://www.amateurphotographer.com/news/MP_in_Labour_conference_pictures_ban_news_68980.html); 

A bystander was removed for wearing an anti Tony Blair tee-shirt; the BBC were told to move on when they arrived with a cardboard picture of Tony Blair – and a woman had their sweets confiscated because they were told they could be used as ammunition. The thing I found most worrying was that the newscaster back in the studio hear all this, laughed and said, ‘And it’s the turn of the Conservatives at their Conference next week!' as though these were just trifling if rather quirky asides. To us, here in the depths of the southwest, it sounds as though we are witnessing things that just should not be taking place in a ’free’ society. Typical of a huge number of e-mails posted on the www.dailymail.co.uk webdebate site 

Let’s also keep in mind that this is now the last opportunity to have any chance to stop the Incitement to Religious Hatred Bill becoming law. Neil Addison, Barrister in law, reports that Paul Goggins, the relevant minister, is refusing to take part in a proper debate on legislation for which he is responsible. 

Andrea Williams of the Lawyers Christian Fellowship writes: 

In just less than two weeks time the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill comes before the House of Lords. If the Lords approve the Bill, it will become law and freedom to preach the full Gospel of Jesus Christ may be significantly curbed for years to come. Despite Government reassurances the wording on the face of the Bill may mean that preaching directly from the Bible could become a criminal offence punishable with a jail sentence of up to 7 years. 
Exhaustive information and expert analysis of the Bill has already been completed. The legal, political and Christian scrutiny of, and conclusions about, the Bill can be found in an Action Pack at www.ReligiousHatredLaw.info, at http://www.lawcf.org/lawreform.php (under Incitement to Religious hatred),and at www.christianconcernforournation.co.uk. The LCF has prepared a 19-minute programme that can be viewed on any of the aforementioned sites. 
Other excellent resources can be found on the websites of Evangelical Alliance, CARE, Christian Institute and Barnabas Fund. 
The discussions have been held and the information has been shared. IT IS NOW TIME FOR ACTION. 
It is crucial that every Christian in our nation is aware that in all likelihood this parliamentary session, and the coming weeks, will be the last opportunity we have to politically oppose this law. Once this Bill goes through the Lords and is placed on the statute book, objections will be irrelevant – it will simply be up to the judges to apply the law in the courts. 
If we want to stand up for freedom to preach the gospel, now is the time to do it. There are four primary things that can be done to make a difference to this situation. 
1)  PRAY Please pray for God’s guidance and hand to be over this entire situation. 
2)  RALLY On Tuesday the 11th October 2005, the day the Lords will consider the Bill, there will be a political rally outside the Houses of Parliament The assembly point will be at the Old Palace Yard opposite the peers’ entrance to Parliament. We hope thousands and thousands of Christians will stand up on this day in unity to oppose the attack on our faith. It will take place between 1pm and 4pm and will be a fully marshalled event for which we already have police permission. The details of the Rally will be posted at www.lawcf.org. 
There will also be a prayer rally in preparation for the political rally at the Reformer’s Tree, Hyde Park on Saturday 8th October 2005 at 12noon till 3pm 
3)  LOBBY Contact your local MP and/or your local peer. Do it in person if possible. If not, do it by letter, e-mail or fax. Full details on how to find your local MP or peer and how to discuss this issue are found in the Action Pack. If you have contacts in local or national media please use these as well. 
4) PETITION Please sign a petition against the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. This can be found at http://www.christianconcernforournation.co.uk/petition.php. More than 1500 people have already signed this petition, many Church leaders, therefore representing many thousands of Christians. We would like to get a million signatures. 
Andrea Minichiello Williams