SIGNING FOR THE KINGDOM

Cherie and Ashley at their stall in Gallowtree Gate today

It's not uncommon to find street preachers in Gallowtree Gate any day of the week, but today I'm pleasantly surprised to see something a bit different. I stop and chat with two Jehovah's Witnesses who are offering the Good News via British Sign Language. Ashley is a deaf user of BSL, Cherie is a hearing user.

They're promoting meetings in British Sign Language which feature Bible lectures and Watchtower Study (discussion about the Bible and how to use it in our lives) and Congregational Bible Study, Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting (discussion of Bible subjects and a class about how to teach the Bible). These are held on Sundays, 1530 and Wednesdays 1915 at Kingdom Hall of Jehavah's Witnesses, Knowles Road, Glenfield LE3 6LU.

BLINKERED VIEW OF BIBLE'S TEACHINGS

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Blinkered view of Bible's teachings

Firstly, I must thank Mark W. Jacques in his letter ("Birth Rate Views", Mailbox, April 11) for confirming, as I suspected, that the Catholic direction on contraception is, in fact, not a Bible teaching, but an instruction coming from church leaders.

Also, to simply dismiss my comments about the truthfulness of Bible teachings as a protestant view is really taking a blinkered view of the real value of the Bible's teachings, which are just as relevant today as they were when God had His faithful servants pen His words all those years ago.

I understand the Catholic Church believes that through the Pope and Cardinals it has the right to make its own rules, but there is a great danger in this, if they are presenting them as God's will. The nation of Israel, God's chosen people, started to put the 'oral tradition' of men above the Mosaic Law and look what happened to them. They made true worship a burden on the faithful.

Its leaders, the High Priest, Scribes and Pharisees, sought prominence and it all resulted in them killing the Messiah, their promised saviour, because they didn't recognise him as the Son of God, the one that they were expecting. Why didn't they recognise who he was? It was because he didn't come in the way they wanted, a mighty military leader who would free them from the Roman yoke.No, he came exactly as the Old Testament showed in numerous prophesies, but because they thought that they knew better, they missed out and lost their favoured position with God.

As Romans 15:4 states " all things written aforetime, were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and the comfort from the scriptures, we might have hope". It would seem that history is again repeating itself.

Once again, man thinks he knows better than God. Making up their own rules that override Bible teachings, usually with bad results.

For example, the Catholic Church forbids the priesthood to marry and yet at 1 Timothy Chapter 3, clear instructions are given regarding the appointment of priests and bishops. Chapter 4 goes on to point out where the teaching that forbids marriage comes from.

I am not knocking the Catholic faith. I simply want the truthfulness of the Bible to be acknowledged and taught by those that claim to be its representatives on Earth because within its pages lie the hope for mankind.

Keith Coleman, Ashby de la Zouch

SEEKING OUT TRUE WORDS OF GOD

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Seeking out true words of God

I read with interest, Mark W Jaques's letter ("Catholic critic is wide of the mark", Mailbox, March 25).

I was particularly interested in the comment which reads: "It should be understood the Church cannot change divine teachings for convenience."

I agree with this, but while Mr Jacques is referring to the forbidding of contraception, when talking about divine teaching, I am referring to teachings that can be found in God's word, the Bible, not doctrines that have come from men who think their ideas can supercede God's word.

It must seem as though I want to knock the Catholic faith. I don't.What I really want to see is the truthfulness of God's word accurately represented by those who claim to follow the Bible's teachings.

God, in His wisdom inspired the Bible writers to say what they did for good reason.

To try to replace its teachings with the doctrines of men is most unfair to honest-hearted individuals who are earnestly seeking the truthfulness about God. 

Keith Coleman, Ashby

POLITICIANS SHOULD NOT TRY TO PLAY GOD

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Politicians should not try to play God

I agree with Keith Coleman's letter "Not for us to modernise what the Bible teaches" (Mailbox, December 24).

Paul also said: "And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be silent." (1 Timothy, chapter 1 verse 12).

In Deuteronomy, chapter 12 verse 32: "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it, you shall not add to it nor take away from it".

Ecclesiastes, chapter 3 verse 14: "I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him."

The Bible is God's holy word but today it seems many clergy and bishops think they know better and want to add to it with current thinking, such as on equality.

If God had wanted women to be clergy and bishops, then it would say so in the Bible.

At the end of the day, it is high time the modernisers accepted that there is only one authority for the church and their ministries and that is the word of God.

I, too, look forward with interest to the debate and vote in the Commons.

No doubt we will see politicians who agree with it and wanting to act as God and instil their views and will upon the country.

How many politicians have actually asked the public what they think? I have nothing against gay people. If they choose to live that lifestyle, then that is their choice.

Kevin Fletcher, Coalville

NOT FOR US TO MODERNISE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Not for us to modernise what the Bible teaches

When I read Ronald Mupfeki's letter "Women's Role in the Church" (Mailbox, December 17), I felt I had to write to support the view he expressed.

I, too, have been watching with interest as the General Synod got in a proper pickle over the matter. Is it really true that one of the bishops said that they would keep on voting until they got the right result? How self-righteous can you get?

The Bible verse at 2 Tim 3:16 makes it clear that the scriptures are inspired of Almighty God and are beneficial for teaching, reproving and setting things straight.

So Mr Mupfeki is spot on when he says the Bible tells us that bishops should be men.

That being the case, what are the current crop of bishops thinking of when they promote the idea of women bishops. Do they really know better than God?

If Almighty God has determined, in his wisdom, that men only should be bishops, by what authority do they seek to change that ruling.

Do they really think that they have greater intellect than the Most High Personage of the Universe?

The idea that "times have changed" and that "it would be more in keeping with modern life" really doesn't cut it.

The verse at Romans 15:4 tells us that, "all things written aforetime were written for our instruction", and if we think about wise King Solomon, while he did things God's way, he prospered, but when he turned away from God's guidance things went horribly wrong for him.

While God granted us free will, we are also answerable for our actions. Can we see the similarity?

Having said all that, it's true to say that women are held in great regard by our Creator and His son.

It was a woman to whom Jesus chose to appear first after his resurrection and, when we read in Ephesians 5, how the Christian husband is directed to treat his wife, then we can have no doubt as to the respect in which women are held within the Christian arrangement.

Time and time again the Church leaders have surrounded themselves with controversy when they try to modernise by going against the Bible that they are supposed to view as their Holy Book.

Perhaps they don't believe what the Bible says. With all this in mind, I am watching, with interest, the outcome of the matter relating to gay marriage.

Keith Coleman, Ashby

ATHEIST IN COURT FOR RIPPING UP KORAN

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Atheist in court for ripping up Koran

An atheist shocked Muslim volunteers at a stall promoting Islam when he ripped out pages from the Koran.

Peter James Crawford (52) then threw the holy book onto the ground and told them: "Your religion is a load of b******s."

He is on trial at Leicester Crown Court accused of causing religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress, by demonstrating hostility based on membership of a particular religious group, Islam. He denies the charge.

The incident happened at the Islamic Information Centre's stall, near the Clock Tower in Leicester city centre, on a busy Saturday afternoon, on May 12.

Kamran Qayyum, an employee of the organisation, told the court: "We give out literature to create an awareness of Islam and engage with the public."

He was with four volunteers when Crawford began pacing around nearby.

Mr Qayyum said: "He started tearing up pages from a book and they were going on the floor. He wasn't saying anything. The pages covered a lot of ground, they were everywhere.

"I then noticed Arabic inscriptions and realised it was the Koran. I knelt down and was picking up the papers when he threw the Koran down, just missing me."

Mr Qayyum said: "The Koran is sacred to us and we honour it. We also have a Bible on our stand and we show the Bible the same respect.

"One of the laws of the Koran is it shouldn't be on the floor, it should be high up and our hands should be clean when it's touched. I was shocked."

Mr Quyyum said after the defendant was arrested: "He made a signal to us, shaping his hand in the form of a gun, saying 'See you next Saturday.'

Defence advocate Steven Newcombe said: "There are many who oppose Islam. Did you take it he was expressing anti-Islamic views and disrespecting the religion?"

"Yes," said Mr Quyyum.

Mr Quyyum agreed that apart from a hand gesture – which Mr Newcombe suggested was the pointing of a finger rather than a gun gesture – the defendant did not threaten or provoke any violence.

Another stall volunteer, Zahid Hussein, said: "I saw him ripping up the book. I was in shock, disgusted. It's our life, our way of life and we live by that book – it's very sacred."

He said Crawford told them their religion was "a load of b******s."

Crawford, of Mere Road, Spinney Hill, Leicester, claimed, in interview, he was expressing his disagreement with religion of any kind.

He told the police it was his own copy of the Koran he tore up, and he would have done the same with a Bible as he did not understand either holy book and "hated" all religion.

"I'm not against the people, just their religion," he said.

James Bide-Thomas, prosecuting, said: "The real issue is whether Crawford was insulting and whether it was a crime that we say he committed.

"It's tradition in this country of freedom of speech and people are entitled to say what they want, as long as it's not illegal in relation to the law, which prevents people going out to cause harassment, alarm or distress by insulting behaviour, basically upsetting people.

"It's for you to decide whether what he did was insulting or whether it was a legitimate piece of freedom of speech being exercised or if what he did was deliberately calculated to upset the people from the Islamic Information Centre."

The trial continues.

ANTI-GOD CLAIMS DO NOT STAND UP

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Anti-God claims do not stand up

How strange and sad that R Dunkley (Mailbox, September 8) has never had the Gospel explained to him.

He suggests there is "overwhelming evidence against the existence of God", an often-repeated myth, although he doesn't cite any examples.

Of course, there are numerous theories put up by those who are anti-God, but none of them stand any real scrutiny.

The most common of these is the Theory of Evolution, the idea that particles turn into people without any design or intelligence.

Not only is there no proof to support this, the best evidence the textbooks offer are Haekel's Gill Slits and Peppered Moths, both of which are well-documented frauds.

Whereas the evidence for the existence of The Creator God is all around us; the magnificent design of incomparably complex organisms with the in-built ability to recreate themselves and even repair themselves.

Yes, it is true that we live in a fallen and cursed world which is under the control of Satan, but the good news is that this is only temporary. The Bible is the world's most popular book of all time for good reason, where Mr Dunkley can have all his questions answered.

John Kirk, Birstall

FASHION GIANT NEXT WITHDRAWS "SINNERS" TOPS AFTER CHRISTIAN GROUP COMPLAINS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Fashion giant Next withdraws "Sinners" tops after Christian group complains

Fashion giant Next has withdrawn a T-shirt and sweatshirt from sale following complaints from religious groups.

Bosses at the Leicestershire retail company withdrew the items at the weekend after being contacted by a Christian group.

The men's tops, which carried the slogan 'Sinners – The Night Before' and bore a seductive image of a woman in black underwear and high heels lying on a bed, were withdrawn from sale in stores and online.

A number of definitions of sin, including one from the Bible, were also included on the tops, along with slogans such as "Live for the day" and "Seize the night and all it may hold".

Gareth Davies, head of the churches department at Christian Action Research and Education (Care), contacted Next via its official Facebook page on Friday to complain.

He posted: "Why are you marketing graphic T-shirts with misogynistic poses of women in underwear and promoting such images using the Bible?"

Mr Davies said he contacted Next after a distressed woman rang Care to complain about the T-shirt.

He said: "The image itself is very unhelpful. It gives a message about availability and vulnerability of women.

"They are then using the word sin and words from the Bible to suggest this is naughty but nice.

"The whole concept is wrong-headed and demeaning to women. Human dignity should be cherished and women should not be reduced to the level of an object."

A number of Christian and non-religious people joined the condemnation using Twitter and personal blogs.

Mr Davies said he was impressed with the way Next handled his complaint.

He said: "It took just five hours from my complaining to them getting back to me to tell me they were going to withdraw the shirts.

"Initially, they said they wanted to think about it. They thought about it then gave me the good news."

Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, an independent think-tank pioneering research into the causes and effects of family breakdown, also criticised Next for putting the tops on sale.

He said: "We welcome Next's swift response to customer complaints and expressions of public concern.

"However, the question still remains as to how products that demean women and encourage a casual attitude to sex were ever allowed to feature in the range in the first place.

"We hope Next will now take steps to ensure that such a gross misjudgment is not repeated in the future."

A Next spokesman said: "We received some customer complaints regarding a man's T-shirt and sweatshirt. On reflection, we agree it was a mistake to sell these garments and we are removing them from sale."

PROOF IS THERE IF YOU LOOK FOR IT

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Proof is there if you look for it

Alan R Pendragon is still waiting for evidence of the existence of Jesus Christ, in his letter, "Historical Proof Not Forthcoming" (Mailbox, September 1). A very reasonable request, I would suggest.

Of course, the Bible is the principal source of evidence that Jesus is an historical person. The record of the Gospels state clearly times, places and events in detail.

However, for someone who cannot accept just the Bible's accounts, other sources must be found.

The first century Jewish historian, Josephus, referred to the stoning of "James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ," in his publication The Jewish Antiquities, Josephus, Book XX sec. 200.

Tacitus, a Roman historian of the first century AD, wrote "Christus, from whom the name Christian had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius."

These two are not the only non-Christian, first century historians to have referred to Jesus in their writings. I sincerely hope his evidence provides the answers Mr Pendragon is seeking.

As to the other matters he raised, such as the virgin birth, the answers are all contained in the Bible.

Jesus is not Almighty God. He never claimed to be. The Bible does not say that he is. He is the "son of God". Perhaps that is a discussion for another time.

Keith Coleman, Worthington

IT'S SATAN RUNNING THE SHOW ON EARTH

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

It's Satan running the show on earth

I have read, with interest, many letters discussing the existence of God, the activities of His followers and various associated issues.

I was particularly interested in a letter by Don Tallis ("Diversity exists without Divinity", Mailbox, August 15).

He closes by posing the question: Why does a benevolent God allow disasters, tragic events and the deaths of innocent children?

I will not insult anyone's intelligence with the "God moves in mysterious ways" cop-out.

Having been a Bible student for 29 years, it is clear that God always makes clear His will and purpose. We need to bear in mind that according to 1 John 5:19, it is Satan who is currently running the show here on Earth.

The scriptures also makes it very clear that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days.

The good news is that God will shortly bring an end to the wicked system.

All that has happened throughout mankind's history thus far has come about because God's right to rule was challenged by Satan.

How will this change come about? Well, I'm sure we've all said the Lord's Prayer, where we ask for God's Kingdom to come.

It is that kingdom that will remove Satan and his cohorts along with all the wickedness and wicked people from the face of the Earth.

All of this information and so much more is available to us all in God's handbook for life, the Bible. All scriptures cited are from the "amplified Bible".

I realise that there are so many questions that people may have, on a multitude of subjects. God's word contains the answers.

So, next time someone offers you a free home Bible study, why not accept the offer?

I did and now have a wonderful hope for the future, despite how bleak things look at the moment.

I hope this answers Mr Tallis's question.

Keith Coleman, Worthington

RELIGIOUS READING AT BIBLE EXHIBITION

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Religious reading at Bible exhibition 

A church has hosted a touring exhibition of ancient and modern bibles.

The National Bible Exhibition, the largest of its kind, has sparked a great deal of interest in Ashby.

It was on display at Ashby Christadelphian Church, in Union Passage, as part of the town's Bible Week.

The collection included copies of the King James Bible, which remains one of the best-selling books of all time 401 years after its first publication.

Bible enthusiast Tom Ingham said: "The Bible is the centre of our beliefs and yet many people have never read it, or haven't looked at it for years.

"Sometimes people are put off by the old language while others doubt its authenticity or just don't see the point of it.

"The aim of the exhibition was to answer these questions and to show that the Bible is just as relevant in 2012 as it was in the days that it was written."

The exhibition included a range of ancient and modern Bibles, including a 13th century Latin manuscript, a modern facsimile of the first printed Bible and a 16th century Jewish scroll.

There were also video presentations and children's activities. Visitors were also asked to bring in their own old or unusual Bibles.

LINK TO GOD IS GREATEST REALITY

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on its website):

Link to God is greatest reality

Chris Lymn (Mailbox, July 27) has written at length about the absurdity (as he sees it) of belief in God.

Belief in some kind of god may indeed be challenged by arguments, such as those he makes but, uniquely among religions, that is not the case with Christianity.

Why not? The fundamental issues that seems to escape so many who challenge Christianity is that Christianity is not simply about belief in the God of the Bible.

Christianity is about a relationship with God that follows from acting on the basis of belief in what he says about himself in the Bible.Many years ago, my girlfriend said that she loved me.

I believed her, and we are still enjoying that relationship.

A person becomes a Christian by an exactly equivalent process: belief followed by appropriate action.

Without that act of total commitment that results in an intimate personal relationship, a person who believes in the God of the Bible is not a Christian.

Even Chris Lymn must surely agree that it would be absurd for me to deny the fact that I am married.

Equally I cannot deny the fact of my personal relationship with God, a relationship that has mental, emotional and physical aspects no less real than those in my marriage.

That is why Christians down the ages have suffered martyrdom rather than deny the greatest reality of their loves.

David Adams, Oadby

RATIONALIST NEEDS MORE THAN BELIEF

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on its website):

Rationalist needs more than belief

Peter Anderson, in his letter ("God's existence not disproved", Mailbox, July 16) seems to have misread or misinterpreted my letter of July 3 regarding the questionable existence of a supreme deity.

He writes of a sweeping statment I allegedly made about science disproving the Bible and Christianity.

I never used the word science in any sentence or paragraph in the whole of my letter.

Also, Mr Anderson has completely side-stepped the challenge which I made.

I asked for absolutely irrefutable evidence of God's existence but this issue seems to have been evaded.

No such proof will ever be forthcoming. Why? Because no one can prove the existence of an incorporeal and imaginary being - quite simply, a non-entity.

Any god is a product of man's imagination, an easy way of explaining the wonders of the Earth and the universe.

However, any person who is capable of truly rational thinking will need much more than ill-founded traditional beliefs to rely on.

FO Hipwell, Wigston

JESUS THE "MIGHTY PROPHET"

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Jesus the "mighty prophet"

A mosque is to stage a play about the lives of Jesus and Mary.

Worshippers from Leicester's Muslim Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Community are to stage the interfaith production to highlight the similarities between Islam and Christianity.

Jesus is a central figure in the Koran, in which he is known as Isa, and is revered as a major prophet fabled for his miracles, just as he is in the Bible.

The play will be performed at mosque in Duxbury Road, New Humberstone, Leicester.

The religious production is being put on as part of an inter-faith day of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

People wanting to attend the event from 7pm on Saturday, August 4, can either give up food and water during daylight hours, as most Muslims do, or just give up a treat.

Secretary of the organising group Ali Abbas Panju said: "Along with being the month of prayer, fasting and other benefits, Ramadan is also the month of unity.

"We are requesting that all attendees keep a one-day fast for the purpose of attaining closeness to God.

"The fast may be a fruit fast, a water fast, simply keeping away from something enjoyable for one day, or giving up a bad habit consciously for just one day."

The 40-minute play, called The Fast of Maryam and Isa, will be shown twice and focus on Jesus fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights.

Suleman Nagdi, of the Federation of Muslim Organisations in Leicestershire, said: "Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all based on the same early texts and the only real difference between Christians and Muslims is that Jesus is not seen as the literal son of God in Islam, but as a mighty prophet who performed miracles.

"There are 24 mentions of Jesus in the Koran and a whole passage about his mother Mary.

"A lot of people are unaware of how important they are.

"The play has been chosen as it highlights these similarities and a devout Christian would be comfortable with the play.

"There are parts of the world where there are difficulties but there are also parts where Muslims and Christians work very closely together.

Christians and Jews are all considered 'people of the book' within Islam, following religions with the same message."

Manjula Sood, chair of the Leicester Council of Faiths, will be attending the event.

She said: "I think it's very helpful to celebrate the commonalities as well as the differences between the faiths.

"Judaism, Christianity and Islam have so many similarities and it's good to get together and remember the goodness of all faiths and the message of peace and harmony they share.

"Our ability to celebrate one another's faiths is a great strength of our city."

To reserve a place at the event, e-mail: secretary.mksi@gmail.com

GOD'S EXISTENCE NOT DISPROVED

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

God's existence not disproved

The letter from FO Hipwell ('Offensive, but I'd go further', Mailbox, July 3) makes the sweeping statement that science has disproved both the Bible and Christianity.

But my question to him would be: "How does science do this?"

I have just been reading a book by Dr Steve Taylor, a senior researcher and lecturer at Liverpool University, in which he says: "Science is limited in scope and usually asks the questions 'what? and how? But, not usually, 'why?'"

Science is also empirical – it is based upon observation and experiment and so does not usually consider things that are not open to testing.

Therefore, science does not disprove, indeed cannot disprove the existence of God, nor the events recorded in the Bible.

To establish the truth of those things, we must turn to other methods for proof, such as the witness of eyewitnesses and personal experience.

In the Bible, the four Gospels provide eyewitness accounts of the life, teachings, miracles, death and resurrection of the central figure of human history, Jesus Christ.

It is He who divides time into two (AD and BC) and it is He from whom today's date is taken.

There are more books about Him, more songs to Him, and more people who claim to follow Him today than any other person in history.

The Bible is now in 3,000 languages and it still the world's best-selling book.

All over the world, there are thousands of people, young and old and from very different cultures, who have discovered that being a Christian and believing the Bible is not being "gullible".

I became a Christian when I was 19 and doing my National Army service in Singapore. It was in a Chinese church one Easter Monday and a big part in how this happened was by reading the New Testament for myself.

Over many years, I have travelled to many parts of the world and produced 18 missionary documentary films on the impact of the Christian gospel from the Amazon Basin, Africa and even Papua New Guinea.

The Bible and Christianity are very much alive with the largest growth in mainland China, estimated to be in the region of 70 to 90 million, more than the total population of Great Britain!

No, I don't think that God believes in atheists, but He does love them.

Peter Anderson, Leicester

HOW ARE YOUR QUOTES CHOSEN?

This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

How are your quotes chosen? 

I am always pleased to see Thought for the Day published in the Leicester Mercury, but I do wonder how these passages are chosen. 

They seem to have no connection to the liturgical year. 

We have had no Christmas season verses this month, and, indeed, a few weeks ago, we actually had an Easter reading. Would it not be easier to follow the Christian calendar and print the readings laid down by the Church? 

That said, I would rather have any Bible passages than none at all! 

Wendy Geen, Wigston