I have had considerably more than just one or two Google alerts for this story, not unsurprisingly quite a few from around the Islamic world. However that's not the road I'm going down today, I just find it a bit rich that's all, this sudden overt interest in Christian prayer.
But then perhaps it's not the prayers of Kafirs that has suddenly piqued their interest, perhaps it is that they experienced similar emotions to ourselves when hearing this story, I'm sure, you cannot be fucking serious, is not a response that is unique only to the Occidental world.
The content in this article from the Independent is much of a muchness of what I reported previously other than we now have a response from the National Secular Society which I shall include with a few of the more you cannot be fucking serious claims by the Christian Police Association.
It's as well that we keep such nonsense in the fore, we wouldn't want them sneaking up on us and surreptitiously promoting their agenda until we are overrun by Wooden Tops for Jesus, a bit like CCTV I suppose, we wouldn't want to overrun with those, would we?
This extract below is what I wrote as part of my Faith and Terrestrial Credibility piece, let me but add a little more.( in italics)
If you honestly believe that there is a supernatural, omnipresent, omnipotent super-being that listens to your silent entreaties, then intercedes in a physical way on your behalf, on this dust mote in the sky that we call Earth, then I think you have a problem.
But if you are a police officer who believes in such things, not only do you have a problem, but so do we, a great big one in fact, and that problem is you, Mister, Christian Police Association, policeman.
And just before I go, coincidence? or does someone have a sense of humour at the Independent?
A reminder then of God's mysterious ways, recounted by those that speak for him.
~
The nationwide organisation, which boasts 2,000 members, claims that there is "circumstantial evidence" to suggest that regular prayer sessions can help reduce crime rates and encourage criminals to make a new start to their lives.
~Don Axcell, a retired Metropolitan Police sergeant who heads the CPA, told Police Review: "We want people to pray for the police, for example in solving crimes or protecting officers. We want to see the Christian community fully interacting with the service. I think it will break down barriers."Mr Axcell said two incidents from his own career had made him believe that prayer really could help apprehend suspects. "One officer was investigating an incident but had not been able to apprehend a suspect," he said. "He encouraged a church to pray for him and within days a suspect had been charged. Another officer encouraged churches to pray about domestic burglary and over the year it came down by 30 per cent. We do not discount good police work, which is why we call it circumstantial evidence."~[Les Isaacs] "The approach has to be both pragmatic and spiritual," he said. "Prayer makes a tangible difference, we see it every day. If you pray for the well-being of the community around you will see people physically become less aggressive."
But Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said the Government should not be funding religious-oriented police organisations which he believes have helped factionalise officers into competing camps."I have no objection to a local congregation praying for their community but the Government should not be funding these sorts of sectarian police groups," he said. "If there's one institution that should be avowedly secular, it is the police force. Yet we have Christian, Muslim and Jewish police associations all battling for greater recognition and government funding." Independent
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