Snow "catastrophe" in the south, survey shows Christian decline, and Christmas sermon by text.

Welcome to the final Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.  Today, as snow blankets the south, why does everything stop? A new survey of religious beliefs highlights decline in Christianity, and a Christmas sermon in 160 characters.

Story Links:

Snow:

guardian.co.uk Snow strands passengers at Gatwick and Luton

bbc.co.uk  Travellers hit by snow disruption

uk.reuters.com Snow hits commuters, cancels some flights

Survey:

ekklesia.co.uk New UK research shows significant decline in institutional Christianity

dailymail.co.uk  ‘Sharp decline’ in faith as number of Christians in Britain falls to half

Text sermon:

inspiremagazine.org.uk Christmas Day sermon – text version

This is the final Weekly News Review. Thank you for listening and downloading.  Happy Christmas to all our readers and listeners.

Politicians under fire again, schools fear child protection overkill, and the Archbishop's Christmas wrap

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.  Today, as the MPs expenses row rumbles on, and rows emerge over cuts policy, will we ever trust politicians again?  As new rules on child protection come into force, schools fear they will deter volunteers,  and the respected former Archbishop of Cape Town designs a Christmas wrapping paper.

Story Links:

Politics:

bbc.co.uk Treasury ‘wanted tougher deficit action’

telegraph.co.uk Latest expenses claims

Youtube.com Cameron calls for MPs pay cut

Child protection:

bbc.co.uk School leaders query new vetting and barring system

dailymail.co.uk Anti-paedophile vetting regime ‘is ruining school life’, head teachers warn

press association Pupils ‘losing out’ under new rules

Desmond Tutu:

inspiremagazine.org.uk Tutu Christmas wrapping paper featured in today’s Guardian

guardian.co.uk Celebrity Christmas wrapping paper auction

"Unknowns" represent EU to the world, BBC's new Bible programme, and money and pride prompt Irish handball row

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.  Today, as EU leaders choose new President and Foreign representative, the people get no choice. The BBC prepares new documentary on the Bible, and why all the fuss over French handball incident against Ireland?

Story Links:

EU President:

bbc.co.uk Is the new EU President a good choice?

guardian.co.uk What will the EU president actually do?

BBC Bible programme:

inspiremagazine.org.uk  BBC documentary marks 400 years of the King James Bible

bbc.co.uk Lord Bragg to make BBC Two shows

Handball row:

timesonline.co.uk Sponsors stand by Thierry Henry but fans call for boycott over handball

guardian.co.uk Football Association of Ireland calls for France result to be invalidated

cnn.com FIFA turn down Ireland’s replay request

A degree of nursing needed, bankers working for God, and more sporting "crown jewels" to be created

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.  Today, nurses will need degrees in future, bankers are “doing God’s work”, and the top TV sporting fixtures to be expanded.

Story Links:

Nurses:

telegraph.co.uk Move to degrees ‘could deter talented would-be nurses’

timesonline.co.uk Older NHS nurses may be awarded degrees for their experience

God’s bankers:

www.express.co.uk Bankers deserve large bonuses for doing God’s work, says Chief

ekklesia.co.uk  Bankers are doing “God’s work”, says Goldman Sachs boss

Sport on TV:

metro.co.uk Sporting ‘crown jewels’ should be free to view

independent.co.uk ‘Crown jewels’ of sport must be free for all to watch on television, says EU

Did Griffin Nick Centre Stage on Question Time, are there any winners in a postal strike, and, saving faith – how believers are best placed to save the planet

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.  Today, was the BBC right to give BNP leader Nick Griffin a platform, will anyone win in the postal strike, and how believers are best placed to  save the planet.

Story links:

BNP:

guardian.co.uk BNP leader’s Question Time appearance draws almost 8m viewers

timesonline.co.uk Question Time, BBC 1 – Review

Postal Strike:

telegraph.co.uk Postal strike: three more days of industrial action

guardian.co.uk Postal strike to cause chaos for businesses, patients and taxmen

Faith and the planet:

inspiremagazine.org.uk Faith has “vital role” in helping the planet

After conference season parties support Forgiveness Project, what women 'really want' from work, and Pastor's human peace wall

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.

Today, parties talk forgiveness after the conference season, what women “really want”,  and a human peace wall in Belfast.

Story Links:

Forgiveness:

thisisplymouth.co.uk Gary Streeter defends inviting Brighton Bomber to Parliament to talk forgiveness

dailymail.co.uk Killer in the commons

theforgivenessproject.com Official Site

Women’s work

bbc.co.uk Focus on women’s work needs urged

cps.org.uk Report

Human Peace Wall:

inspiremagazine.org.uk Belfast pastor plans Human Peace Wall

Libyan bomber row escalates, NHS told to cut staff, and debt charity expands

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.

Today, the furore surrounding compassion granted to the Libyan bomber goes on, NHS told to cut doctors and nurses to save money, and recession prompts Christian debt agency to expand.

Story Links:

Libyan bomber:

timesonline.co.uk BP lobbied Jack Straw before he changed mind over Lockerbie bomber

bbc.co.uk Brown ‘opposed bomber jail death’

telegraph.co.uk  Special relationship at risk over bomber, Brown warned

NHS:

bbc.co.uk NHS workforce cuts plan rejected

guardian.co.uk Jobs at risk as NHS faces cuts to meet £15bn shortfall

Debt expansion:

inspiremagazine.co.uk Charity launches ‘Ultimate Challenge’ as recession takes hold

capuk.org.uk  Official site

"Lost generation" as young people hit hard by unemployment, MP's unguarded comments fuel suspicion of MPs, and Brown's support for people of faith

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.

Today, fears of a “lost generation”, as the unemployment figures show young people hardest hit;  Alan Duncan MP stirs up suspicion of Parliament as he says he has to “live on rations”;  and PM Gordon Brown speaks to Christian radio station and supports the work of people of faith.

Story Links:

Youth unemployment:

telegraph.co.uk  One in three young people out of work, unemployment statistics show

guardian.co.uk This lays bare the human crisis. What a terrible time to be young and jobless

timesonline.co.uk Case Study: Up to one million young people unemployed

Alan Duncan:

telegraph.co.uk  Alan Duncan: MPs are treated like ‘****’ and have to survive on rations

guardian.co.uk  MPs’ expenses: We’re forced to live on rations, says Alan Duncan

Gordon Brown talks to Christians:

premier.org.uk interview online

telegraph.co.uk Gordon Brown insists Britain is still Christian country

Claim that lack of equipment is causing British deaths in Afghanistan, moon landing anniversary prompts look ahead, and "thought for the day" urged to be less religious

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.  Today, with more reports of British soldiers dying in Afghanistan, is a lack of helicopters to blame?  Forty years since the first moon landing, astronauts wonder what else is out there, and should radio’s “thought for the day” be less religious?

Story Links:

Afganistan:

telegraph.co.uk General Sir Richard Dannatt: ‘more troops needed in Afghanistan’

walesonline.co.uk Brown defends Afghanistan policy as cracks appear in political consensus

Moon landing:

telegraph.co.uk The Fortieth Anniversary of the First Moon Landing: review

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4
The First Moon landing1969 (Youtube)

voanews.com NASA Prepares for Return to Moon, Missions Beyond

Thought for the Day:

dailymail.co.uk Why the BBC should scrap Thought For The Day (and I’m a believer)

guardian.co.uk Thought for the day: leave the Today programme’s God slot well alone

Suicide compassion from Catholics, row over mobile phone directory, and the G8 pledge to feed the hungry

Weekly News Review from a Christian Viewpoint.  Patrick Woodward talks to Russ Bravo, (pictured) editor of Inspire Magazine, about the latest news from a Christian standpoint.  Today, the Catholic church speaks out on suicide, the row over a new directory of mobile phone numbers, and the G8 look to spend more on feeding the hungry

Story links:

Catholics and suicide:

dailymail.co.uk Catholics call for ‘compassion not blame’ over suicide

telegraph.co.uk Catholic Church softens  stance on suicide

Mobile directory:

moneyhighstreet.com  118800 mobile phone directory, opt out now if you want to be ex-directory

bbc.co.uk mobile phone directory to launch

G8 hunger pledge:

voanews.com G8 Leaders Asked to Provide Billions More to Fight Hunger

google.com G8 Leaders focus on hunger

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