The Parish Magazine January 2024

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16 The Parish Magazine - January 2024 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements Follow Us @ShiplakeCollege • Top brand name flooring at the lowest price • Samples to view in your home/office day/evening • Free Advice / FreeQuotes • Old flooring uplifted & furniture moved • Fast turn around on fitting if required • Carpet, design and wood flooring specialists We supply and install: Amtico Carpets - Laminate - Wood - Vinyl Non-slip and more... Next Open Morning Saturday 16 March 2024 www.shiplake.org.uk/opendays Tel: 0118 958 0445 10 Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8EQ info@richfieldflooring.co.uk/www.richfieldflooring.eo.uk BAR MEALS SUNDAY LUNCHES FUNCTION ROOMS WEDDINGS Happy New Year from Sonning Golf Club Join us for Sunday Lunch from £22.50pp Tables available between 12:00 & 14:00, booking required To book or for more information contact our Events Team on 0118 969 3332 office@sonning-golf-club.co.uk
FROM PAGE 13 PARISH NOTICEBOARD — 5 Gaza war ‘Those’, he said, ‘are completely two different things’. He went on, ‘The essence of civilisation is to distinguish between those two and sadly at the UN we are seeing the scandalous Dresden defence being brought up again and again – to equate the purposeful, deliberate killing of civilians, which is a crime, equating with the taking of civilian lives that is undesired, unintended, but unavoidable. That should be rejected completely.’ In Iran, Christian converts must meet in house churches. The Christian underground movement is growing. This is in part due to frustration with a repressive and ‘religiouslyrooted’ regime, along with targeted missionary activity. The Iranian authorities see the organised house church movement as political opposition, threatening national security. It is forbidden for Muslims in Iran to convert to other religions. Converts do not have access to registered churches. Christianity has deep roots in Iran. According to the Iranian constitution, traditional Christian groups may practise their faith and organise family law matters in their Christian community. But apostasy from Islam is forbidden and punishable by death, although this has not been codified in the Iranian penal code. Previously, and under certain conditions, the government tolerated Protestant churches where members were Muslim converts; but almost all of those churches were closed by the authorities between 2009 and 2013. The Constitution specifies the death penalty for proselytizing and attempts by non-Muslims to convert Muslims as well as for moharabeth (‘enmity against God’) and sabb-al-nibi (‘insulting the Prophet or Islam’). The constitution states Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians (excluding converts from Islam) are the only recognised religious minorities permitted to worship and form religious societies ‘within the limits of the law’. Let us continue to pray for Christians under the repressive regime in Iran, for them to be able to meet and worship, and for the similarly small percentage of Christians in the Holy Land and for all the people there living through the ongoing conflict, References and further reading Telegraph article: Hamas has lost the war. It may yet win the peace’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/19/hamas-has-lost-thewar-it-may-yet-win-the-peace/ Mission Network News article:‘Iran takes anti-Israeli sentiments out on Christians’: https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iran-takes-antiisraeli-sentiments-out-on-christians/ France 24 article:‘Palestinian ‘Christians mourn “suffering” in Israel- Hamas war’: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231017- palestinian-christians-mourn-suffering-in-israel-hamas-war US Department of State 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Iran: https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-oninternational-religious-freedom/iran/ CNN article: ‘Found document suggests Iran sought to help Hamas make its own weapons ahead of attack, sources say’: https://edition. cnn.com/2023/11/14/politics/document-iran-hamas-weapons/index. html United Nations Watch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ unitednationswatch/ United Nations Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ unwatch Transform Iran: www.transformiran.com Article 18 on Apostasy in Iran: https://articleeighteen.com/news/12393/ The Parish Magazine - January 2024 17 Gaza peace prayer and appeals Praying at the Wailing Wall, Jerusalem Atm2003, dreamstime.com The crisis in Israel and Gaza continues, so we are offering a list of some of the Christian UK agencies that are working in either Israel or Gaza, and who have launched appeals for help. Each appeal below has been adapted from the website of the agency concerned, and so they reflect their particular concern and emphasis. They are in alphabetical order, but first, a prayer from Winchester Cathedral: Heavenly Father, we pray for the many people whose lives have been torn apart by conflict in Israel and Gaza. We pray especially for those who have died, those who are grieving, the injured and those now without food, shelter or medical supplies. Strengthen and support the work of all relief organisations. We pray also for those who have the power to bring peace. May they be touched by a spirit of compassion and kindness. Lord hear us as we pray in the power of your Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Bible Society Appeal Bible Society teams are serving in both the Israeli and Palestinian communities. They are distributing everything from Bibles to food to blankets to hygiene items, but they need your support. If you would like to help, please go to: https://biblesociety.org.uk Christian Aid Appeal In Gaza, Christian Aid's medical partner is providing mobile medical and psychological care. In southern Gaza, they are responding to the recently displaced, providing them with mattresses, medicines, and emergency food items. Your donations can make a huge difference. Please go to: https://give.christianaid.org.uk Embrace the Middle East Appeal Help the people of Gaza. If you can help support Embrace’s Christian partners as they work to help people caught up in this crisis, please go to: https://embraceme.org/gazacrisis World Vision: Middle East Emergency Appeal World Vision is already working in the West Bank, supporting the thousands of vulnerable children, families and communities impacted by this crisis. To donate go to: https://www.worldvision.org.uk/emergencies/middle-eastappeal/#donate
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