The Shofar is the ancient trumpet which called the people of God to prayer, repentance, sacrifice and war.

EQUALITY BILL ROTTEN DESPITE CHRISTIAN EMPLOYMENT SAFEGUARD

CALL TO WRITE TO PEERS

FIND YOUR PEERS BY COUNTY

Peers have overturned the Government's attempt to force churches and Christian organisations to employ those hostile to our Faith.  In three separate divisions in the House of Lords on Monday 25th January their lordships rejected the provisions of the Equality Bill in this area.

The Bishops of Chichester, Durham , Exeter , Hereford , Liverpool, London and Winchester and the Archbishop of York stood up for Christian freedom.

With the employment issue settled, unless the House of Commons sends it back to the Lords, three areas are still of great concern: Harassment and Victimisation, Provision of Services and Public Sector Equality Duty.

Under Provision of Services, church-based adoption agencies are being forced to close rather than place children with homosexual couples.  An amendment to the Bill could reverse that.

In connection with the last heading, Public Sector Equality Duty, Part 11 of the Bill places a duty on public authorities to promote homosexuality.  One likely effect is that faith-based groups currently providing services to local authorities could lose their funding.

SCHOOLS 'MUST TEACH' HOMOSEXUALITY
But the impact on schools is equally important.  Parents in Leytonstone and Broadstairs objected to inappropriate pro-gay teaching being given to their children, some as young as five, only last year.  The Equality Bill will mandate such teaching in every school in the country and pro-sodomy activists are behaving as the Bill were already enacted.

Stonewall are sending around a video promoting homosexuality to schools as we go to press, and 'Schools Out' are openly stating that they are trying to 'infiltrate' schools.  We must pray the House of Lords will remove the duty to promote 'sexual orientation' at least from schools. Even then, the police, councils and other public authorities will also use the Bill if enacted as it is to promote homosexuality and minority religions as widely as they can, including to children, and against the wishes of the vast majority of parents.

Please use the list below  to draw their attention of your local peers to the public duty provisions of the Bill.  Ask if they have seen the Christian Voice briefing 'Some Are More Equal to Others.'

PRAY: Thank God that Christian organisations and churches will continue to be free to employ Christians.  Pray that peers and those Christian organisations advising them will realise that the isues which concern God are bigger than religious freedom, important as that is.  Give them a heart for the children who will be indoctrinated by pro-sodomy propaganda if the Equality Bill goes through as it is.

WRITE TO PEERS AND BISHOPS
The list below is of current members of the House of Lords whose previous voting has been on average supportive of the general equity of the laws of Almighty God as revealed in holy scripture.  Each peer's vote in the divisions on Monday 25th January 2009 is given in brackets after the name.  Their Lordships are elders in the land; please pray for them and write to encourage them to exercise leadership and stand up for righteousness.

The list also contains the 26 most senior bishops at today's date.  When a bishop retires, he is replaced by the next most senior.  Please write to your diocesan bishop, or if he is not in the House, to neighbouring diocesans, and encourage them to adopt a Christian world-view in which God is the only righteous lawmaker, Lord of lords, King of kings, even in the 'Mother of Parliaments'.

Using the list, write to those peers who have a connection to where you live.  In the absence of local peers, you can always write to those in an adjoining county or those known (personally or by good reputation) to you already.  If appropriate, Thank them for their stand on this Bill.  Encourage them to remove the Public Sector Equality Duty (Part 11) from the Bill.  Remind them that primary schools are already giving 'pro-gay', or pro-sodomy, teaching.   Tell them that you are praying for them.  Stress that you do not need a reply.  Rarely do peers have secretarial help.  You want to encourage, not to add burdens.

Every letter counts, and remember: the God of Grace is able to do more than we can imagine; may he use this list, our efforts and their Lordships to His purpose and Glory.

READ:  Ex 18:21; 2 Chr 19:4-10; Psalm 40:8-11; Prov 8:13-16; Eccl 12:13-14; Is 5:20-23; Jer 48:29; Mal 4:13-18; Matt 5:17-20; Luke 11:1-4, 18:1-8; John 5:22-23; Acts 6:4; 2 Cor 10:3-5; Eph 5:1-20; Jude 1:7,17-25.

WRITING LETTERS:
Write to peers at: 'House of Lords, London , SW1A 0PW '  The letter will be forwarded if the peer is not in the House.  Naturally, the House of Lords, like the House of Commons, will only accept bulk mailings if every letter is stamped, at least second class.

Address the envelope as shown.  Unless you know them personally, your letter to a duke or archbishop begins 'Your Grace'.  Letters to all other peers begin 'My Lord', or to a bishop, 'My Lord Bishop'.  Letters to peeresses begin 'My Lady'.  Letters conclude either 'I am, my Lord, your (or Your Grace's) obedient servant' or simply,  'Yours faithfully'.  However, even the House of Lords is now urging a more familiar style, in which letters begin 'Dear Lord <name>' or 'Dear Bishop' and conclude 'Yours sincerely.'

LONDON

Balham
The Viscount Trenchard  (---)

Bayswater
Lord Powell of Bayswater KCMG (FF-)

Belgravia
Lord Bell  (FF-)
Lord Selsdon  (FFF)

Bromley-by-Bow
Lord Mawson OBE (FFF)

Camden
Lord Feldman  (FFF)
Lord Quirk CBE FBA (---)

Chelsea
The Viscount Slim OBE DL (FF-)
Lord St. John of Bletso  (---)

City of London
Bishop of London   (FFF)
Lord Levene of Portsoken KBE (---)

Cornhill
Lord Sheikh  (FFF)

Dulwich
Professor Lord McColl of Dulwich CBE MS FRCS FACS (FFF)

Fulham
Lord Aberdare KBE PC DL (FFF)
Lord Brabazon of Tara DL (---)

Isleworth
Lord Hayhoe  (F--)

Kensington
Lord Chorley  (F--)
Baroness Hanham CBE (FFF)
The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein CMG CBE (FFF)
Lord Ramsbotham GCB CBE (FFF)

Knightsbridge
Baroness Dunn DBE (---)
Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge  (---)

Lambeth
Lord Moore of Lower Marsh  (FF-)

Ludgate
Lord Stevens of Ludgate  (FF-)

Monken Hadley
Lord Carr of Hadley PC (---)

Paddington
The Viscount Bridgeman  (FFF)
Lord Tugendhat  (FFF)

Peckham
Lord Harris of Peckham  (FFF)

Pimlico
Lord Geddes  (FFF)
The Earl Listowel  (---)

Queensbury
Baroness Cox  (---)

Regents Park
Lord Bagri CBE (FF-)

Southgate
Baroness Gardner of Parkes  (FFF)

Southwark
Bishop of Southwark (---)

Stockwell
Lord Elton TD (FFF)

Wanstead
Lord Jenkin of Roding PC (FFF)

Westminster
The Earl Attlee  (FFF)
Admiral Lord Boyce GCB OBE DL (FFF)
Lord Brougham and Vaux CBE (FFF)
The Viscount Colville of Culross QC (---)

REST OF ENGLAND

Bedfordshire
Lord Ampthill CBE (---)
The Earl of Erroll  (FFF)
Lord Luke  (FFF)
Lord Lyell of Markyate QC (---)
Lord Naseby  (---)

Berkshire
Baroness Buscombe  (FFF)
Marshall of the RAF Lord Craig of Radley GCB OBE (FFF)
Baroness Flather JP DL FRSA (---)
Lord Goff of Chieveley PC (---)
The Viscount Goschen  (FFF)
Lord Palumbo  (FF-)
Lord Wolfson of Sunningdale  (---)

Buckinghamshire
Lord Carrington KG PC CH GCMG MC DL (FF-)
Lord Denham KBE PC (FFF)
The Earl Howe  (FFF)

Cambridgeshire
Bishop of Ely  (---)
Lord Lewis of Newnham  (---)
Lord Mawhinney  (FFF)
Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior  (---)
The Viscount Waverley  (---)

Cheshire
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey  (---)
Bishop of Chester   (---)
Lord Goodlad KCMG (FFF)
Lord Hunt of Wirral MBE (FFF)
Lord Ryder of Wensum OBE (FFF)
Lord Wade of Chorlton  (FF-)

Cornwall
Lord Chilver  (---)
Lord Coe KBE (---)
Lord Waldegrave of North Hill  (FFF)

County Antrim
Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve CBE FRA (FFF)

County Durham
Lord Dixon DL (---)
Bishop of Durham   (FFF)
Lord Eden of Winton PC (---)

Cumberland
Lord Henley  (FFF)
Lord Inglewood TD DL (---)

Devon
Lord Burnett  (FFF)
Baroness Butler-Sloss GBE (FFF)
Bishop of Exeter   (FFF)
Baroness Fookes DBE (FFF)
Lord Greenway  (FFF)
Lord Owen CH (---)
Baroness Wilcox  (FFF)

Dorset
Lord De Mauley TD (FFF)
Lord Moynihan  (---)
Lord Neill of Bladen QC (FFF)
Lord Plumb DL (---)
Baroness Sharples  (---)

Essex
Lord Dixon-Smith DL (FFF)
Lord Fowler  (FFF)
Lord Hanningfield KBE DL (F--)
Lord Newton of Braintree OBE (---)
Baroness Platt of Writtle CBE DL (FFF)
Lord Sheppard of Didgemere KCVO (---)
Rt Hon Lord Tebbit CH (FFF)
Lord Wakeham DL (FFF)

Gloucestershire
Lord Barber of Tewkesbury   (---)
Lord Brennan QC (FFF)
Bishop of Bristol   (---)
Lord Carey of Clifton   (FFF)
Lord Cope of Berkeley   (FFF)
Bishop of Gloucester   (---)
Lord Janvrin  (---)
Lord Mancroft  (---)
Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes PC (---)
Lord Willoughby de Broke DL (---)

Hampshire
Lt-Col the Viscount Allenby of Megiddo   (FF-)
Lord McAlpine of West Green  (---)
Lord Northbrook  (---)
The Earl of Northesk  (---)
Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG (---)
The Earl of Selborne KBE FRS DL (FFF)
Bishop of Winchester   (FFF)

Herefordshire
Bishop of Hereford   (FFF)

Hertfordshire
Lord Clarke of Hampstead CBE (FFF)
Lord Cobbold DL (FFF)
Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth DL (---)
Baroness Miller of Hendon MBE (FFF)

Isle of Wight
Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone DL (FFF)

Kent
Lord Astor of Hever DL (FFF)
Archbishop of Canterbury   (---)
Baroness Emerton DBE DL (FFF)
Lord Freud  (FFF)
Baroness Noakes DBE (FFF)
Lord Northbourne DL (FFF)
Lord Swinfen  (FF-)
Baroness Trumpington DCVO (F--)

Lancashire
Lord Alliance   (---)
Lord Alton of Liverpool   (FFF)
Bishop of Blackburn   (---)
Lord Cavendish of Furness DL (FFF)
Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE (FFF)
Baroness Hooper  (FFF)
Lord Kingsdown KG (FFF)
Bishop of Liverpool   (FFF)
The Earl of Liverpool ,  (---)
Bishop of Manchester   (---)
Baroness Morris of Bolton   (FFF)
Lord Parkinson  (FF-)
Lord Reay  (FFF)
Lord Sheldon  (---)
Lord Waddington GCVO DL QC (FFF)

Leicestershire
Baroness Byford DBE (FFF)
Lord Freeman  (F--)
Lord Kimball DL (---)
Bishop of Leicester   (---)
Baroness Verma  (FFF)

Lincolnshire
Baroness Hogg  (---)
Bishop of Lincoln   (---)
Lord Monson  (FFF)
Lord Taylor of Holbeach  (FFF)
Rt Hon the Baroness Thatcher LG OM FRS (---)

Middlesex
Lord Kalms  (FFF)
Lord Laing of Dunphail  (F--)

Norfolk
The Earl Cathcart CB DSO MC (FFF)
Lord Fellowes GCB GCVO QSO (FFF)
Lord Howard of Rising  (FFF)
Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market OBE (FFF)
Bishop of Norwich   (---)
Baroness Rawlings  (FFF)
Baroness Shephard of Northwold  (FFF)
The Viscount Ullswater LVO (FFF)

Northamptonshire
Lord Donoughue  (FFF)
Baroness Knight of Collingtree DBE (FFF)
Lord Lawson of Blaby  (---)

Northumberland
Lord Elliott of Morpeth DL (---)
Lord Lloyd of Berwick DL (FFF)
Bishop of Newcastle   (---)
Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington QPM (---)
Lord Vinson LVO DL (FFF)
Lord Walton of Detchant KT TD FRCP DL (FFF)

Oxfordshire
The Earl of Arran   (FFF)
The Viscount Astor  (FFF)
The Earl Baldwin of Bewdley  (---)
Lord Butler of Brockwell KG GCB CVO (FFF)
The Earl of Caithness   (FFF)
Lord Chadlington  (---)
Baroness D'Souza  (--F)
Baroness Deech DBE (FFF)
Lord Heseltine  (---)
Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE (F--)
Lord May of Oxford OM (---)
Baroness Perry of Southwark  (FFF)
Lord Quinton  (FF-)
Lord Rotherwick  (FF-)

Shropshire
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts CBE (F--)

Somerset
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO (FFF)
Bishop of Bath and Wells  (---)
Lord Cameron of Dillington  (---)
Lord Hylton  (FFF)
Lord King of Bridgwater CH (---)
Lord Mayhew of Twysden QC DL (FFF)
Lord Patten  (FFF)
Lord Pilkington of Oxenford  (FFF)
Lord Rees-Mogg  (FF-)
Lord Skelmersdale  (FFF)
Lord Williamson of Horton GCMG CB (FFF)

Staffordshire
Baroness Boothroyd OM (---)
Bishop of Lichfield   (---)
The Earl of Shrewsbury   (FFF)
Lord Thomas of Swynnerton  (FFF)

Suffolk
Lord Bridges GCMG (---)
Rt Hon the Earl Ferrers PC DL (---)
Baroness James of Holland Park OBE (FFF)
Lord Marlesford DL (FFF)
Lord Prior PC (---)
Lord Walker of Aldringham GCB CMG CBE (FF-)

Surrey
Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE (FFF)
Lord Baker of Dorking CH (FFF)
Lord Blackwell  (---)
Lord Bowness CBE DL (FFF)
F.M. Lord Bramall KG GCB OBE MC (---)
Lord Croham GCB (---)
Lord Hamilton of Epsom  (FFF)
Lord Howell of Guildford   (FFF)
The Earl of Onslow  (---)
Lord Patten of Barnes  (FFF)
The Viscount Tenby  (FF-)
Lord Trefgarne PC (FFF)
Lord Windlesham CVO PC (---)
Lord Wright of Richmond GCMG (---)

Sussex
Lord Ashcroft KCMG (FFF)
Bishop of Chichester   (FFF)
Baroness Cumberlege CBE DL (---)
Lord Higgins KBE DL (---)
Lord James of Blackheath CBE (---)
Lord Luce GCVO DL (FFF)
Baroness O'Cathain OBE (FFF)
Lord Renton of Mount Harry   (---)
Lord Saatchi  (---)
Lord Skidelsky  (---)
Lord Sterling of Plaistow GCVO CBE (---)
Lord Young of Graffham DL (---)

Warwickshire
Lord Blyth of Rowington  (---)
Baroness Seccombe DBE (FFF)
Lord Taylor of Warwick   (FFF)
Lord Tombs  (FFF)

Westmorland
Baroness Neville-Jones  (FFF)

Wiltshire
Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville  (FFF)
Lord Lucas  (FFF)
Bishop of Salisbury   (---)
Lord Stoddart of Swindon   (FFF)
Lord Vincent of Coleshill GBE KCB DSO (---)

Worcestershire
The Earl of Courtown  (FFF)
Lord Dear QPM (FFF)
The Countess of Mar  (---)
Lord Walker of Worcester MBE (---)

Yorkshire
Lord Ahmed  (FF-)
Lord Bates  (FFF)
Bishop of Bradford   (---)
Lord Brittan of Spennithorne QC DL (---)
Lord Crathorne  (---)
The Viscount Eccles CH PC KCVO CBE (FFF)
Baroness Eccles of Moulton DL (---)
Lord Inge KG GCB DL (FFF)
Lord Jopling DL (---)
Lord Kirkham CVO (FFF)
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract  (---)
Baroness Masham of Ilton DL (FFF)
Lord Mason of Barnsley DL (---)
The Earl Peel GCVO DL (---)
Bishop of Ripon and Leeds   (---)
Lord Shaw of Northstead DL (FFF)
Bishop of Wakefield   (---)
Baroness Warsi  (FFF)
Archbishop of York   (FFF)

WALES

Brecknockshire
Lord Crickhowell  (FF-)
Lord Moran  (F--)

Caernarfonshire
Lord Roberts of Conwy  (FFF)

Denbighshire
Lord Colwyn CBE (FF-)

Glamorgan
Lord Anderson of Swansea OBE (---)
Lord Brooks of Tremorfa DL (F--)
Lord Davies of Coity CBE (FFF)
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff  (FFF)
Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach  (FFF)
Lord Howe of Aberavon KT CH QC (FFF)
Baroness McFarlane of Llandaff  (---)

Monmouthshire
Lord Chalfont OBE MC (---)
Baroness Park of Monmouth CMG OBE (FFF)

Pembrokeshire
Lord Rowe-Beddoe DL (FFF)

SCOTLAND

Aberdeenshire
The Lady Saltoun of Abernethy  (FFF)

Angus
Lord Fraser of Carmyllie QC (FFF)
Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE (---)
Lord Lyell DL (FFF)

Ayrshire
Lord Campbell of Alloway QC (F--)
Lord Lang of Monkton DL (FFF)
The Earl of Stair  (---)
Lord Strathclyde  (FFF)

Berwickshire
The Earl of Home CVO CBE (---)
Lord Palmer  (FFF)
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood  (---)

Fife
The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres PC KT GCVO (---)
The Earl of Dundee   (---)
The Earl of Lindsay  (---)

Kincardineshire
Lord Glenarthur DL (---)

Lanarkshire
Lord Evans of Parkside  (F--)
Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden KT DL (---)
Lord Martin of Springburn  (FFF)
The Duke of Montrose  (FFF)
Lord Selkirk of Douglas QC (---)
Lord Stewartby  (FFF)

Perthshire
Lord Mackay of Clashfern PC KT (FFF)
Lord Pearson of Rannoch  (FFF)
Lord Vallance of Tummel  (---)

Roxburghshire
Lord Sanderson of Bowden DL (FFF)

Shetland
Lord Lamont of Lerwick  (-u-)

Stirlingshire
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean  (FFF)
Lord Nickson KBE (---)

NORTHERN IRELAND

Country Antrim
Baroness O'Loan DBE (FFF)
Lord Bew  (FFF)
Lord Browne of Belmont   (---)
Lord Glentoran CBE DL (FFF)
Lord Hutton  (FFF)
Lord Molyneaux of Killead KBE (---)
Baroness Paisley of St George's   (FFF)
Lord Trimble  (F--)

County Armagh
Lord Kilclooney  (FFF)
Lord Morrow  (FFF)

County Down
Lord Ballyedmond OBE (FFF)
Lord Rogan  (FF-)

County Fermanagh
The Viscount Brookeborough DL (---)

County Tyrone
Lord Laird  (---)
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass  (FFF)