Jailed Christian MP’s sentence to be reviewed after complaint it is ‘unduly lenient’

 

The Peterborough MP was convicted at the Old Bailey of perverting the course of justice after lying to police to avoid a speeding charge.

She was jailed this week but is continuing in her role despite calls for her to stand down.

 

The 35-year-old solicitor’s sentence will now be reviewed.

A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said: “We have received a request for the case of Fiona Onasanya to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

“The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case.”

If the sentence is found to be unduly lenient, the case will be referred to the Court of Appeal which will decide whether or not to increase it.

Parliamentary rules require the removal of an MP who is jailed for 12 months or more.

A lesser sentence can result in a recall petition, which can force a by-election if it is signed by more than 10 per cent of the electorate in the constituency.

Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Onasanya, an Independent after being expelled by the Labour Party, is appealing against her conviction.

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard that Onasanya colluded with her brother Festus after her car was clocked doing 41mph in a 30mph zone in the village of Thorney, near Peterborough, in July 2017.

The court was told that she was sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to fill out, but it was sent back naming the…

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Bishop calls for stricter controls on gambling advertising

The Church of England General Synod will debate a motion later this month calling for the Government to rein in the spread of gambling advertising to protect children.

The motion was brought by the Bishop of St Albans Alan Smith who said legislation was needed to combat the quantity of gambling adverts.

 

But Dr Smith said action was also needed to stop football players having gambling logos on their strips and betting adverts on pitch-side hoarding.

When asked if he would like to see a ban on gambling adverts on football shirts, Dr Smith said: “I think that would be a really good idea.

“My personal view is we need to get far, far more radical. You simply cannot live in this country without being confronted endlessly.

“I know families who will not let their children watch football matches on TV because they feel their children are being groomed into gambling.”

Dr Smith told reporters about a young boy who had branded the football shirt his parents gave him for Christmas not a “proper one” because it did not have betting logo on it.

Dr Smith added: “That was a real wake up call for me.

“A whole generation of young people have taken on a range of views and attitudes about the norm of gambling.

“We have changed the enjoyment of sport from sport in itself to something that’s to do with money and betting.

“Our worry is we are as a nation sleepwalking into something by…

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Ashton Kutcher Shares Powerful Pro-life Video with 17 Million Followers

Ashton Kutcher Shares Powerful Pro-life Video with 17 Million Followers



Actor Ashton Kutcher is winning applause from the pro-life community for sharing a powerful video about Down syndrome on his Facebook page, although it remains unclear where he himself lands on the hot-button issue of abortion.


The five-minute video shared to his 17 million followers shows Frank Stephens, a man with Down syndrome, delivering testimony to a congressional committee in 2017. Although the hearing focused on Down syndrome research, Stephens in his testimony criticized prenatal tests that lead to unborn babies with Down syndrome being killed in the womb.   


Kutcher wrote above the video: “Everyone’s life is valuable.”


“I am a man with Down syndrome, and my life is worth living,” Stephens says. “… Some people say that prenatal screenings will identify Down syndrome in the womb, and those pregnancies will just be terminated. It is hard for me to sit here and say those words. I completely understand that the people pushing this particular ‘final solution’ are saying that people like me should not exist. That view is deeply prejudiced by an outdated idea of life with Down syndrome. 


“Seriously, I have a great life,” Stephens continued. “I have lectured at universities, acted in an award‐winning film and an Emmy-winning TV show, and spoken to thousands of young people about the value of inclusion in making America great. I…

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Open Heaven 2 February 2019 – Change!

Open Heaven 2 February 2019 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Change!

Topic: Change! (Open Heaven 2 February 2019)

Memorise: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”- Acts 3:19

Read: Isaiah 55:6-7 (KJV)

6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Bible in One Year: Luke 14-15, Isaiah 30:8-22

Open Heaven 2 February 2019 Saturday MESSAGE:

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” – Jeremiah 13:23

Although change is one word that people like throwing around, living a life of change that emanates from the transformation of the inner man is impossible without God’s divine power. The world realizes this truth, but because they are unwilling to acknowledge and submit to the supremacy of God, they have devised a lie saying that our character is an inherent part of our nature which cannot be changed, and people are perfect just the way they are. Indeed, our all-knowing God acknowledges in Jeremiah 13:23 the impossibility of changing the nature of sin through human efforts, but he further says to us in Matthew 19:26b

“With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Every true relationship with God begins with accepting the need to embrace change – that is, change from the old Adamic nature to the divine nature in Christ, from living in sin to walking in the spirit, from reliance on human wisdom, knowledge and ability to total dependence on the invisible power of God, and from a life of consistent disobedience to a life of complete submission to God’s will. However, the irony is that people resist the change that brings total transformation of the inner man, rather desiring the kind of change that satisfies their worldliness and lusts. With their mouths they cry “change” and agree that life should not remain as it has been, but changing from ungodly ways to the way of righteousness is unacceptable to them. In other words, the human attitude to change is hypocritical, criticizing any call for change that points to godliness, which is the only kind of change that can transform a person’s body, soul, and spirit.

In simple terms, the kind of genuine change that leads to transformation is impossible without God. Human institution can successfully reform, rehabilitate, refine or even improve a person, but real conversion from sinner to saint cannot be achieved without divine intervention. For this reason, those who desire genuine change in all ramifications of life must come to God by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of God into their lives. Are you one of those seeking real change? Today is your day! Genuinely repent of your sins, confessing them to the Lord and accepting His Lordship over your life.

Open Heaven 2 February 2019 Saturday Prayer Point:

Father, I desire real change in my life; please transform me today in Jesus’ Name.

Also Read: Open Heaven 1 February 2019 – Watch your Appetite

Open Heaven 2 February 2019 Saturday Hymn 2: Oh Jesus, I Have Promised

1 O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my guide.

2 O let me feel Thee near me,
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

3 Oh let me hear Thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

4 O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee,
That where Thou art in glory,
There shall Thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

5 Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Saviour and my Friend.

Open Heaven 2 February 2019 Saturday Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven 2 February 2019 Saturday Daily Devotional.

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

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Advice for female Christian survivors of domestic abuse released

‘Restored, a Handbook for Female Christian Survivors of Domestic Abuse’ is the first of it’s kind to directly address the questions and struggles Christian women often face when in an abusive relationship – such as whether it is Biblical to get a divorce and how a partner may misuse scripture to justify their actions.

The charity Restored, who support Christian women rebuild their lives after abuse, is giving the book away for free to any woman who has suffered abuse.

Edited by Christian and counsellor Esther Sweetman, it’s a compliation of chapters written by different Christian authors, some of whom have survived domestic abuse themselves, others who are life coaches on career and others who are counsellors on confidence and money.

The Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester and ambassador for Restored, spoke at the launch of the guidebook in the House of Lords.

Bishop Rachel spoke to Premier Christian Radio afterwards, saying the guidebook has: “grown out of a network of female Christian survivors who’ve really been saying ‘We need more practical stuff’ – ranging from debt, to addressing the needs of our children, through to housing issues and the great things is it’s also got a wonderful section of the theology behind lots of things.”

When asked how she processed her own thinking about domestic abuse when women spoke to her as a clergy member she said: “I think one of the really deep issues with domestic abuse is that women are often not believed…

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Rep. Ilhan Omar Says She ‘Almost Chuckles’ When People Say Israel Is a Democracy

Rep. Ilhan Omar Says She ‘Almost Chuckles’ When People Say Israel Is a Democracy



Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tweeted Thursday in agreement with an activist who said that Israel isn’t a democracy.


Previously Omar had said she “almost chuckles” when people say Israel is a democracy.


“And so when I see Israel institute laws that recognize it as a Jewish state and does not recognize the other religions that are living in it,” she told Yahoo News.


“And we still uphold it as a democracy in the Middle East I almost chuckle because I know that if we see that any other society we would criticize it, call it out,” the lawmaker continued. “We do that to Iran, we do that to any other place that sort of upholds its religion. And I see that now happening with Saudi Arabia and so I am aggravated, truly, in those contradictions.”


Those comments led to criticism of the first Somali-American to be elected to the House. Former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind tweeted that her statements were anti-Semitic.


“Who objects to Saudi Arabia being Islamic? Or any of the other 48 Muslim states? The issue with Iran isn’t their state religion; it’s their terror-loving leaders that are condemned. @IlhanMN needs to learn about the world before she’s out of excuses for her antisemitism,”

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Doctors oppose move to ‘neutral’ on assisted dying

Under the terms of the new census, the college will adopt a ‘neutral’ position unless 60 per cent of members vote to maintain the current position of opposing a change in the law.

Twenty-three members have expressed their concern in a letter to The Times newspaper.

They say it is wrong to demand a supra-majority simply to maintain the status quo and argue that the move is a deliberate attempt by a minority on the RCP council to drop the college’s opposition to assisted suicide.

One of the signatories, Dr Rosemary Anthony-Pillai who is a Consultant Palliative Care Physician in London told Premier:

“They have unilaterally moved to a neutral position and created an unfair vote by bringing in a supra-majority…. well, they have actually downgraded it from 66 per cent to 60 per cent following a council meeting a few weeks ago. And what they have said is, unless that threshold is met, they will stay at ‘neutral’.”

The writers of the letter say they acknowledge that there are a variety of opinions held by doctors on this issue but the last poll that was carried out found that 58 per cent of members opposed a change in the law, with under 25 per cent believing that the college should campaign in favour of new legislation.

Dr Rosemary Anthony-Pillai told Premier: “‘Neutral’ does not mean neutral. And we only need to look at countries such as Canada and even the state of…

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‘Some Students Did Not Feel Safe’: Progressive School Refuses to Play Karen Pence’s School in Sports

‘Some Students Did Not Feel Safe’: Progressive School Refuses to Play Karen Pence’s School in Sports



A progressive independent school in Washington D.C. is refusing to play Immanuel Christian School in basketball because of their views on LGBT rights.


Earlier this month Immanuel Christian School made headlines when it was revealed that Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence would be working there as an art teacher. LGBTQ rights advocates were outraged by the schools “exclusionary policies” regarding gay marriage, transgenderism, and other LGBTQ related issues. As Christian Headlines previously reported, Immanuel Christian School requires all students and faculty – including Pence – to sign a moral pledge when joining the school that reads in part, “I understand that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive covenant union as delineated in Scripture.”


It continues, “Moral misconduct which violates the bona fide occupational qualifications for employees includes, but is not limited to, such behaviors as the following: heterosexual activity outside of marriage (e.g., premarital sex, cohabitation, extramarital sex), homosexual or lesbian sexual activity, polygamy, transgender identity, any other violation of the unique roles of male and female, sexual harassment, use or viewing of pornographic material or websites, and sexual abuse or improprieties toward minors…

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Watch LIVE: RCCG Holy Ghost Service February 2019

RCCG February 2019 Holy Ghost Service – Swimming In Glory 2

You are watching the RCCG Holy Ghost Service February 2019 tagged “Swimming in Glory 2”. With Pastor E.A. Adeboye ministering LIVE from the Redemption Camp, KM 46-48, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

Theme: Swimming in Glory 2

Time: 6:00 PM [17 HRS GMT]

Date: Friday February 1st, 2019

Venue: Redemption Camp, KM 46 Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Mowe, Ogun State Nigeria.

Watch LIVE: RCCG Holy Ghost Service February 2019

The post Watch LIVE: RCCG Holy Ghost Service February 2019 appeared first on Flatimes.

Ex-West Sussex vicar arrives in UK to face sex assault charges

Meirion Griffiths pleaded not guilty at Crawley Magistrates Court on Thursday, the same day his plane from Australia arrived at Heathrow Airport.

The 80-year-old of Coachwood Way in the Maddington area of Perth, Western Australia (pictured below) is accused of several indecent assaults against a girl then in her late teens during the mid-1970s.

 

It is also alleged he committed a number of indecent assaults against a woman then in her mid-twenties in 1982. All the alleged offences took place at various places in West Sussex.

Griffiths, who flew to the UK in police custody, has been remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on 1st March.

 

An extradition warrant was issued by magistrates in Westminster in December 2016. Griffiths was arrested eleven months later in WA.

Detectives embarked upon an investigation after the allegations surfaced in 2014.

Wikimedia Commons

 

The alleged offences took place while Griffiths was the vicar at St Pancras Church of England congregation in Chichester.

In a statement, police said: “Throughout the investigation, Sussex Police have had full co-operation from the Chichester Diocese of the Church of England.

 

“Police emphasise that there are no current safeguarding issues or risks for anyone connected to St Pancras church.”

Stay up to date with the…

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