RELIGION TODAY

[nChrist]

Turkey: Charge of 'Insulting Turkishness' Questioned
Compass Direct News


June 30, 2008

ISTANBUL -- Twenty months after two Turkish Christians went on trial for allegedly "insulting Turkishness and Islam," a local criminal court has requested a Justice Ministry review of one of three charges in the case.

In the ninth trial hearing held on Tuesday (June 24), Silivri Criminal Court Judge Mehmet Ali Ozcan ordered a review of the two Christian converts' alleged violations of the controversial Article 301 of the Turkish penal code.

Accused of spreading Christianity by illegal methods, Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal were charged in October 2006 under Turkey's Article 301 for denigrating "Turkishness."

In what critics called "cosmetic" revisions of the restrictive law, the Turkish government amended Article 301 last month, requiring Justice Ministry permission to file such a case. Put into effect on May 8, the changes also redefined the vague offense of "insulting Turkishness" to read "insulting the Turkish nation."

Regardless of the Justice Ministry decision on the Article 301 charges against Tastan and Topal, the Silivri court will continue its prosecution of the case under the other two charges: reviling Islam (Article 216) and compiling information files on private citizens (Article 135).

Teenage Witnesses Deny Claims

Oddly, both teenage witnesses for the prosecution who testified at Tuesday's hearing declared that they did not know the defendants and had never even seen them before facing them in the courtroom Tuesday afternoon.

"Neither the defendants nor anyone else has tried to approach me with propaganda about the Christian religion, and no one has given me written or visual materials," 18-year-old Emin Demirci told the court.

Demirci stated under oath that although he was acquainted with two minor youths who are plaintiffs in the case, he did not know the third adult plaintiff, Fatih Kose.

In his court testimony, Ahmet Kemal Kalyoncu, 19, said the two minor plaintiffs, identified by their first names as Alper and Oguz, were his friends.

Kalyoncu recalled he had once met up with the two youths in Istanbul's Taksim district, although he could not remember exactly when. Someone whose Turkish language skills indicated he was a foreigner was with them at the time, he said. The unidentified man told him that Alper and Oguz had gone to church and invited him to attend as well, although he said he had declined.

Prosecution lawyers told the judge that their two witnesses had been afraid to state the truth because they were "afraid of their families and friends," and still under the influence of people involved in missionary activities.

"They are under pressure," the plaintiff lawyers said, insisting this was the reason for the denials of the two youths, both under 18 years of age at the time of the alleged incidents.

"What kind of pressure are they under?" defendant Tastan asked. "It was the prosecution who called them to testify."

Gendarme No-Show

Despite the court summons sent in March to the Silivri and Istanbul gendarme headquarters requesting six named gendarme soldiers to testify as prosecution witnesses in the case, there was no response from either military headquarters.

A report on the trial released yesterday on the Turkish news website Bianet noted that the initial charges prepared by the Silivri state prosecutor against Tastan and Topal were based on "a warning telephone call to the gendarme," claiming that some Christian missionaries were trying to form illegal groups in local schools and making insults against Turkishness, the military and Islam.

Eleven months ago, the Silivri prosecutor had demanded that the court acquit the two Christians, declaring there was "not a single concrete, credible piece of evidence" to support the accusations against them.

But this prosecutor was removed from the case, and two months later the judge hearing the case withdrew over prosecution complaints that he was not impartial.

"Certainly the case will go on for another year or 18 months," defense lawyer Haydar Polat told Compass today.

Although not under arrest, both of the defendants are being required to attend all the hearings, with the next hearing set for November 4.

"This is becoming very comical," Tastan told Compass.

Ironically, two key figures pressing the Article 301 charges and promoting sensational media coverage of the drawn-out Silivri trial proceedings are now jailed themselves, unable to attend the last two hearings.

Both ultranationalist lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz and spokesperson Sevgi Erenerol of the bogus Turkish Orthodox Church are accused of playing leading roles in the so-called "Ergenekon gang." Since mid-January, 47 people have been jailed facing trial for involvement in the alleged crime network, said to have orchestrated numerous killings and violence as part of a nationalist plot to overthrow the Turkish government by the year 2009.
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[nChrist]

Conservative Anglicans Establish Umbrella Organization
Julie Stahl


July 1, 2008

Jerusalem (CNS) - Pledging to work against forces of "militant secularism and pluralism" within their Christian denomination, conservative Anglican leaders formed a new umbrella organization here at the weekend.

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) -- representing more than half of the world's practicing Anglicans -- wrapped up a weeklong meeting in Jerusalem, where more than 1,100 lay and clergy, including nearly 300 bishops, declared their allegiance to traditional biblical and church teachings and vowed to combat liberal trends, including the acceptance of homosexual leadership.

In a statement drafted after all the delegates were allowed to give input through the week, the leaders said they were grieved by the "spiritual decline" in Western nations where, they said, "the forces of militant secularism and pluralism are eating away the fabric of society," leaving a vacuum filled "by other faiths and deceptive cults."

The group, which represents more than 35 million Anglicans worldwide, said Christians must work together "to understand and oppose these forces and to liberate those under their sway."

The statement singled out the Episcopal Church in the U.S. (ECUSA) for ordaining an openly homosexual bishop in 2003 and the Anglican Church of Canada for blessing same-sex unions.

These trends have forced scores of Episcopal congregations in the U.S. to break with their leadership and seek traditional oversight, which they have found primarily Africa.

Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney, Australia, told reporters Sunday that GAFCON had decided to form a high-level group that would take responsibility "to help with the chaos that has been caused in the Anglican Church through revisionist activities."

The new council of primates (highest-level bishops) would be able to "consider matters calmly" and to decide if "fairly drastic action should be taken."

Five of the six primates are from African provinces of the church -- Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and West Africa -- and the sixth is from the church's southern Latin American branch. The majority of Anglicans lives in Africa and adhere to traditional church teachings.

Jensen acknowledged that the move was unusual, "but then the times we are in are unusual."

Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria said that the conservative Anglican leadership wants those who are following the "false gospel" to repent.

Jensen went a step further and said Christians need to take action to counter the liberal influences.

"The revisionist agenda, which you can see came into its fruition with the same-sex union ... is a missionary one and it is going to spread it's theological views as far as it can," he said.

"That means that the rest of us have to be alerted to this and have to give ourselves to very strong theological work to make sure we can defend the gospel," he said.

While the dispute in the church has usually been portrayed in the media as one over sexuality, Bishop David Anderson, president of the conservative American Anglican Counsel organization, said the main issues were the authority of the Bible and who Jesus is.

The Anglican faith has "jumped the tracks in a number of theological areas," Anderson told CNS.

Those attempting to revise Christian faith [are] leaving the box the same but changing the contents -- making Jesus a way, a truth, a light, a savior, but there are others. You pick what works for you, which in fact is not monotheism. It's polytheism. That is such a radical departure ... not only from Anglicanism [are] from Christianity full-stop," he said.

While those at GAFCON would say that Jesus is the only way to salvation and the Bible is the inspired Word of God, others argued that it was written by men and therefore could be adapted to the culture, re-interpreted and rewritten, he said.

"If you conform your religion to your culture, it's like taking a compass and, when it doesn't tell you what you want, you break it," Anderson added.

In their "Jerusalem Declaration," the clergy upheld "the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family." They called for a renewed commitment "to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married."

Challenge

The conference also challenged the authority of the titular head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Many conservatives feel that he not taken a sufficiently firm stance against liberal tendencies and were angry that he invited ECUSA leaders to attend the church's key once-in-a-decade Lambeth Conference in England next month.

Many of the bishops at GAFCON plan to boycott Lambeth.

In their declaration, the GAFCON participants said while they recognized the historic role of the Archbishop of Canterbury, they did not accept him as the sole figure determining Anglican identity.

So far there has been no public reaction from Williams..

Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda said the move was a "very big" challenge to Williams, whom he described as a personal friend.

"He is a godly, wonderful, humble man," Orombi told CNS. "The Anglican Communion is a tough thing. Sometimes it's not enough to be nice. You ought to make some clear-cut decision where you stand... [are] doesn't want to hurt anybody. He wants to be good to everybody. Then he ends up pleasing nobody. That's a problem."

Although it appears that the Anglican Church - the largest Protestant denomination in the world - is heading for some kind of formal split, Steve Engstrom, a Jerusalem-based analyst familiar with the Anglican Communion, noted that the GAFCON leaders had taken pains not to use the term.

"They have consciously avoided using the term 'church split,'" he said. "The legitimate reason for that is that's not what they think of themselves as doing. What they're doing is laying claim to the authentic Anglican tradition, so they don't want to be construed as leaving something."

"In fact, what they want to point out is that they're not the ones who have left," Engstrom added.
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[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - June 30, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff


Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
 
In today's edition:

    * Evangelicals May Not Vote in November
    * PCUSA Battle over Property Heat Up
    * Off the Terror List, North Korea Still Threatens Believers
    * Church Convicts Pa. Bishop of Cover-Up

 

Evangelicals May Not Vote in November

Instead of taking his cues from President George W. Bush's campaigns, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has largely ignored the religious conservatives that are so critical to Republican campaigns, reports the Associated Press. "I don't know that McCain's campaign realizes they cannot win without evangelicals," said David Domke, a professor of communication at the University of Washington who studies religion and politics. "What you see with McCain is just a real struggle to find his footing with evangelicals." Concerns over his record on abortion rights and other moderate topics have left him with ground to recover, while Senator Barack Obama has begun actively courting evangelicals. "A lot of evangelicals would rather take a defeat than to vote for a candidate they don't trust," Domke said. If evangelicals stay home on election day, Domke predicts McCain will stay in the Senate.

PCUSA Battle over Property Heat Up

The Christian Post reports that the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved a $2 million fund that would cover legal fees against congregations that secede from the denomination and want to keep their church property. Increasing numbers of congregations have left the denomination over theological differences such as church authority. Many have joined smaller and more conservative Presbyterian groups. Court battles over church properties have incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs, which have exceeded the budgets of several regional presbyteries. PC(USA) leaders accuse smaller denominations such as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of soliciting churches, which the EPC has denied. The Rev. Steve Bryant of Grace Chapel in Madison, Miss., which left the PC(USA) in 2007 for the EPC, said, "We weren't proselytized: We were adopted," he said during EPC's General Assembly last weekend.

Off the Terror List, North Korea Still Threatens Believers

Mission News Network reports that although North Korea's cooperation in dismantling its nuclear facilities appears to be good news, human rights group are not convinced. Jeff King, President of International Christian Concern, a Christian human rights watch-dog group, said, "The first thing that comes to mind is 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' North Korea has a history of fooling us." King does not believe this means positive change for North Korean Christians. "Christians in North Korea suffer incredibly. If you are a Christian and you're caught with a Bible, three generations can be put into prison. So you would be put in prison, your children would be put in prison and your parents would be put in prison." King says Christians not only are imprisoned, but they're beaten, tortured, and executed.

Church Convicts Pa. Bishop of Cover-Up

The Associated Press reports that an Episcopal bishop was found guilty of covering up his brother's abuse of a teenage girl throughout the 1970s. Charles E. Bennison Jr., 64, was convicted of two counts of engaging in conduct unbecoming of a member of the clergy by a church panel. He could be reprimanded, suspended or even ousted from the church. "We are proud of the Episcopal Church for holding Bishop Bennison accountable, and for using an open and transparent process that allowed the truth to come to light," church attorney Lawrence White said in a statement Thursday. The victim, now 50, testified that the bishop's brother, John Bennison, assaulted her three to four times a week for several years. She testified that Charles Bennison accidentally witnessed several of the incidents that occurred in the church itself in 1973. The bishop said he heard rumors and confronted his brother, but kept quiet to protect the girl and the church from scandal.
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[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - July 1, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
 
In today's edition:

    * LifeWay Study Adds Doubts to Pew Poll's Results
    * Uzbekistan: Persecution Increasing
    * Episcopal Church Dissidents Win Court Ruling
    * Columbia: Threats Drive Pastor Away

 

LifeWay Study Adds Doubts to Pew Poll's Results

In a partial release of a new poll, LifeWay Research's findings about evangelicals' beliefs regarding the exclusivity of Christ differed from the recently published results from a Pew poll, Baptist Press reports. The Pew survey indicated 57 percent of those attending evangelical churches agree that many religions can lead to eternal life. The LifeWay study used more specific wording than Pew's use of "religion" which can be confused as meaning "denominational affiliation." Asking Protestant churchgoers whether a person can obtain eternal life through "religions other than Christianity," LifeWay found only 31 percent agreed "strongly" or "somewhat." The LifeWay Research finding adds quantifiable data to growing criticisms that the Pew survey was flawed in how it asked its question and that poor wording caused the Pew's counterintuitive conclusions. The study will be featured in The Shape of Faith to Come, a fall 2008 book by B&H Publishing Group.

Uzbekistan: Persecution Increasing

Mission News Network reports that Christians in Uzbekistan are increasingly charged with "promoting terrorist activity" in their evangelism. Vice President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says, "Recently the state launched programs using state-owned media describing Christians as terrorists supported by western terrorist organizations, [saying] that pastors are there just to make money and that's why they do all these outreach programs." He continued, "We just received a letter from our coordinator there with a prayer request that several pastors were arrested. Their computers were seized, their information was carefully evaluated. And some of them are still in prison today." Rakhuba says active faith is persecuted, but the church is continuing to grow underground.

Episcopal Church Dissidents Win Court Ruling

A Virginia judge ruled last week that 11 churches which broke from the larger denomination may keep their church property, according to Reuters. Eleven conservative congregations in Virginia broke from the Episcopal Church in America as part of the increasing controversy in the Anglican Communion worldwide. Judge Randy Bellows of the Fairfax County Circuit Court ruled that the Virginia law under which the congregations want to keep the property is constitutional, which says that any "church or religious society" that "divides" remains under the control of the majority, as does any property entrusted to it. Further appeals seem likely. The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia believes the "regrettable" ruling on the law violates the U.S. Constitution's separation of church and state.

Columbia: Threats Drive Pastor Away

Compass Direct News reports that a series of death threats against a pastor in a working-class Medellín neighborhood prompted him to abandon his home and ministry last month and flee with his family to Colombia's capital. For three years, 31-year-old Wilmer Ribón pastored Rios de Agua Viva (Rivers of Living Water), a church in a paramilitary-controlled neighborhood with many displaced persons and high violent crime rate. During his tenure as pastor, Ribón had launched several public outreach programs, including a sports club and a project that offered food, medical and economic help to the needy. In 2006 Ribón began half-hour weekly evangelistic impactos on the sidewalks. During Holy Week, when a two-month series of death threats began. "You ratted on me and told the paramilitaries, and now they're looking to get me," a caller told him, "so I warn you that if something happens to me, something will happen to you as well." Ribón and his family now live in a cold, windowless half-finished warehouse they share with another family.

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[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - July 2, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff
Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
 
In today's edition:

    * Obama to Expand Bush's Faith Based Programs
    * Anglican Leader Calls Conservative Proposals 'Problematic'
    * Zimbabwe: Security Unravels Post-Election
    * When Car Seats Become Church Pews



Obama to Expand Bush's Faith Based Programs

The Associated Press reports that an a move that's sure to touch the hearts of evangelical voters, Democratic president candidate Barack Obama announced plans yesterday to expand funding for President Bush's federal social service dollars to religious groups, as well as limited ability to hire or fire employees based on religious faith. "The challenges we face today ... are simply too big for government to solve alone," Obama was to say, according to a prepared text of his remarks obtained by The Associated Press. "We need all hands on deck." Obama's remarks were to be delivered at Eastside Community Ministry in Ohio, which provides food, clothes, youth ministry and other services. Obama does not support requiring religious tests for recipients of aid nor using federal money to proselytize, according to a campaign fact sheet.

Anglican Leader Calls Conservative Proposals 'Problematic'

According to the Anglican Journal, Anglican leader Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams viewed the conservative Anglican proposals to uphold conservative Anglicans from the inside, rather than split, as "problematic in all sorts of ways." The conservative Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which ended Sunday, announced a new Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a new council expected to include six of the Anglican Communion's 38 primates, namely those of Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, the Southern Cone, Uganda, and West Africa. Archbishop Williams raised concerns that a Primates Council "which consists only of a self-selected group from among the Primates of the Communion will not pass the test of legitimacy for all in the Communion." Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said, "Anglicanism has always been broader than some find comfortable."

Zimbabwe: Security Unravels Post-Election

Mission News Network reports that an unsettled quiet has settled on Zimbabwe after last Friday's elections, which the international community called a "sham." President Robert Mugabe was sworn into his sixth term Sunday after winning an election that his opponent dropped out of due to state-sponsored violence. Charles Debter with Global Aid Network, or GaiN USA, spoke to a ministry partner in Zimbabwe about the situation Friday. "Groups of youth were roaming the streets. If a person was stopped by them and couldn't recite a particular political slogan or sing a political song, they may be put in jail." He continued, "There have been ministry volunteers who have been jailed because they were not able to recite those slogans. So we really need to pray for those believers who were working there, who want to be lights of Christ, but for whatever reasons might be stopped and harassed."

When Car Seats Become Church Pews

Like drive-in movies? Then maybe drive-in church is for you, according to an Associate Press story. "I think it's incredible," said Kapone's owner, Renee Ford-Murphy, who's been a member at New Hope United Methodist Church in Marietta, Ga., for three years. "I've never had an opportunity to worship in the open air like this." New Hope's pastor, Rev. Norman Markle, said there are 11 churches across the country that have drive-in services today, including Armbrust Wesleyan Church in Armbrust, Pa., where the Markle got the idea. The service has all the markings of a traditional service - hymns, Scripture reading and a sermon - except attendees stay in their car or spread out a blanket. Markle hopes to attract new visitors to his 150-year-old church with this unique experience. ""Maybe they don't have a church or don't care to get dressed up to go to church; let's find a way to eliminate all that," Markle said. "People go where they're comfortable."
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[nChrist]

Church Attendance Beneficial to Marriage, Researcher Says
Michael Gryboski


July 3, 2008

(CNSNews.com) - Married couples who attend church together tend to be happier than couples who rarely or never attend services, according to sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia.

Using three nationally representative surveys - the General Social Survey (GSS), the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), and the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) - Wilcox found that married church-going Americans across denominational and racial classifications were more likely to describe themselves as "very happy" than their non-religious counterparts.

Couples who attended church regularly were also less likely to divorce than couples who seldom attended church services, Wilcox found.

"Attending church only seems to help couples when they attend together," Wilcox told Cybercast News Service. "But when they do, they are significantly happier in their marriages, and they are much less likely to divorce, compared to couples who do not attend church. I would say that church attendance is a beneficial component of marriage when it is done together."

Wilcox explained that regular church attendance offers certain positive benefits to a married couple: "Churches supply moral norms like sexual fidelity and forgiveness, family-friendly social networks that lend support to couples facing the ordinary joys and challenges of married life, and a faith that helps couples make sense of the difficulties in their lives-from unemployment to illness-that can harm their marriages."

"So, in a word, the couple that prays together stays together," said Wilcox.

However, Tom Flynn, editor of Free Inquiry, took issue with the findings. In an interview with Cybercast News Service, Flynn questioned whether there is an actual cause-and-effect relationship between church attendance and good marriages.

"Some studies have reported a correlation between church attendance and successful marriages," Flynn said. "That may reflect the fact that males who are settled in their lives and highly socialized are both more likely to succeed in their marriages and more likely to attend church."

Flynn said other studies have suggested a link between church membership and better health or longer life.

"That doesn't necessarily mean that believing in God makes you healthier," he said. "Once again, it may mean that folks who have their lives together tend to avoid substance abuse, practice good health habits, and go to church."

Skeptics of the claim that religion is beneficial to marriage point to a 2001 Barna Research poll that showed that individuals who describe themselves as "born-again" Christians were just as likely or more likely to divorce than other Christians and non-Christians.

"A few studies have shown that seculars who do marry have a better track record at staying married than members of Southern Baptists and other conservative denominations," Flynn said. "Those seculars who bother to marry may be marrying more successful than very traditional, male-authoritarian Christians."

Wilcox, while acknowledging there is truth to the Barna findings, pointed out that his research goes beyond "just looking at people's beliefs."

"Men and women who hold a religious faith and put that faith into practice by attending church on a regular basis do look different in the marital realm," Wilcox said.

"At least in the marriage arena, faith alone doesn't work. You've got to combine faith and works to enjoy a happy and stable marriage. You need the consistent message, the accountability, and the support a church community can provide to really benefit from religious faith," he added.

Wilcox presented his findings in a new book, "Is Religion an Answer? Marriage, Fatherhood, and the Male Problematic," published by the Institute for American Values.
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[nChrist]

India: A Summary of Recent Events
Compass Direct News


July 4, 2008

Uttarakhand, June 27 (Compass Direct News) -- Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists belonging to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on June 22 attacked a Christian prayer meeting, beating participants and the pastor in Krishnagar, Dehra Dun city, reported the daily Tribune. The extremists stormed pastor Jonathan Singh's Sunday prayer meeting and beat him and other participants. As the women and children in the assembly ran off, the extremists caught hold of Singh, dragged him to his rented home some distance away and ordered the landlord to throw out his belongings. The extremists ordered Singh to leave Dehra Dun, the report stated. A delegation of Christian leaders went to Garhi Cantonment police station, where the officer in-charge declined to register a First Information Report (FIR), instead advising them to contact local BJP legislator Harbans Kapoor, who is also Speaker of the state assembly. Dehra Dun Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Sinha said he would look into the matter.

Andhra Pradesh -- In Rangadam Palli, Medak district, Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on June 22 attacked a pastor, his wife and another Christian woman and poured alcohol on them. The All India Christian Council of India (AICC) reported that at about 8 p.m. pastor Kinnere Kanankaiah, his wife and Manne Laxmi were on their way home from a birthday celebration when the drunken extremists began harassing them. They beat the pastor, knocking him to the ground and stomping on him. They hit Laxmi on the head with the edge of a broken bottle and afterwards poured alcohol on all three. Moses Vattipalli of AICC told Compass that the pastor was admitted to a hospital with internal injuries, and the two women also received treatment. The pastor registered a police complaint. At press time, no arrests had been made.

Karnataka -- About 100 Hindu extremists belonging to the Bajrang Dal accompanied by police disrupted a pastors seminar and seized their property on June 17 in Varna village, Mysore. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that the extremists stormed the Well Water Garden Institute's seminar, where 70 pastors were in training, and accused them of forcible conversions. Some of the pastors went to the district superintendent of police asking for protection. Instead, at about 7 p.m., police led by Circle Inspector Venketa Ramanappa barged into the chapel and threatened the pastors with dire consequences if they continued meeting. Police officers took Bibles, books and vehicles belonging to the pastors. With the intervention of the GCIC, the seized materials were returned to the pastors.

Chhattisgarh -- Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists belonging to the Bajrang Dal attacked Christians on June 16 in Rewadahi village, Rajnandgaon district. Dr. Sajan K. George of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said that just before midnight, a mob of around 55 Hindu extremists went to the house of two converts, Karthik Sahu and one identified only as Ramesh. Sahu was scheduled to marry a Christian convert on June 18, and the intolerant Hindus derided him in foul language for marrying by Christian rites in a church and not according to Hindu rites in a temple. The extremists beat and kicked both men for nearly 15 minutes, then went to the neighboring house of Sagni Sahu, where weekly prayer meetings take place, and began berating him and others in coarse language and falsely accusing them of forcibly converting villagers to Christianity. The extremists then left with 30,000 rupees (US$703), which the couple had in their home as they had just sold their rice crop. "The extremists accused the couple of having the money to lure villagers to convert to Christianity," GCIC regional coordinator Sam Mathew told Compass. "At around 1 a.m. on June 17, the couple went to the Lal Bagh police station to register a complaint, and the police detained the couple till morning and released them at 11 a.m." Police refused to register a case of robbery against the extremists, he added.

Andhra Pradesh -- Unknown assailants set a church building on fire on June 15 in Amberpet, Hyderabad. The church was burned down at about midnight along with five huts in the area. A pulpit, tables, sound system, fans, light and other furniture were reduced to ashes, with damages estimated to be around 50,000 rupees (US$1,171). Pastor Majji Yeshurathnam had established the small prayer chapel used as church building in the slum area nine years ago with permission from local authorities, and the All India Christian Council (AICC) reported that related ministries had led to many positive changes in the community. The pastor has filed a police complaint. At press time, no arrests had been made. An AICC representative told Compass that intolerance of Christians is on the rise in different areas of Andhra Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh -- Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists belonging to the Bajrang Dal on June 15 beat and filed a false complaint of forcible conversion against a pastor in Chungi Naka, Gurh Tehsil, Rewa district, according to Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). As pastor Rampal Masih of Believers Church was preaching to a congregation of 70 believers at about 11 a.m., nearly 25 intolerant Hindus surrounded the rented church hall shouting Hindu chants. Five of the Hindu extremists entered the church, walked up to the pulpit and dragged Masih outside, punching and kicking him and accusing him of forcible conversions. Sam Mathew, regional coordinator, GCIC told Compass, "The extremists brought along two policemen from the local Gurh police station to the church, after registering a false complaint of conversion against Masih. They continued beating the pastor in front of the police. The police warned the pastor against conducting Christian worship in the village and threatened to arrest him if he did so again."

Andhra Pradesh -- Hindu extremists belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bharatiya Yuva Jana Morcha (Indian People's Youth Front ) along with members of an auto union on June 12 attacked a pastor and a non-Christian brake inspector, falsely accusing them of forcible conversions in L.B. Nagar, Hyderabad. Brake inspector Ramesh Babu was known for his strict application of traffic rules, causing many drivers to turn against him, and pastor Peter Mohan had received many threats not to preach Christ in the area; the two men are friends. The All India Christian Council reported that Hindu extremists eager to implicate them in a false case joined forces with the auto union members to concoct the accusations and launch the attack. On June 13 the extremists and the auto union members staged a protest, demanding suspension of the brake inspector and an end to all Christian activities in the area.

Andhra Pradesh -- Police on June 12 arrested about 40 pastors on charges of fraudulent conversion and for conducting prayer services in a Hindu temple area of Bhadrachalam, Khamman district. According to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the pastors led by Bishop John Peter had gathered in Bhadracham for the United Pastors Fellowship Meeting, renting six rooms in Shuban Functional Hall cottages belonging to the temple. At around 6 p. m., the extremists accompanied by police barged into the hall, accusing the pastors of fraudulent conversion and ordering them in abusive language to stop meeting. The pastors were arrested under Section 3 of a law called the "Andhra Pradesh Propagation of Other Religions in Places of Worship or Prayer (Prohibition) Act 2007." The pastors were released on bail with the aid of pressure from politicians, according to the GCIC.

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[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - July 3, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff
Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * India: Orissa Victims Evicted from Homes
    * Study: Americans Know Fewer Evangelicals than Homosexuals
    * Nepal: New Hope for Religious Freedom?
    * Judge OKs Church Ban for Autistic Boy

 

India: Victims of Orissa Evicted from Homes

Compass Direct News reports that at least 36 Christian families whose houses were burned during Christmas season violence in Orissa's Kandhamal district have been evicted from their damaged homes. The tribal (aboriginal) Christian families were still living in the houses, which were being repaired after Hindu extremists torched them during a weeklong spate of violence that began on December 24. The Christians had been living in the houses for four decades, according to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). The Kandhamal district administration demolished the 26 houses in which 36 Christian families were living in Barakhama village on June 24, said Dr. Sajan K. George, GCIC national president. He said the timing of the demolition indicated that the administration gave in to pressure from Hindu extremists. "It is also a sign of the fact that normalcy has not returned," he said, "and extremists are still threatening Christians with attacks in Kandhamal."

Study: Americans Know Fewer Evangelicals than Homosexuals

According to a recent study, Americans are more likely to know a gay or lesbian person than an evangelical, the Christian Post reports. Conducted by Ellison Research, the study found that only 24 percent of Americans who say they are not evangelical know an evangelical very well, compared to 53 percent who say they know a homosexual person very well. These numbers are more startling when contrasted with demographics statistics: Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, noted that homosexuals are estimated to comprise less than 10 percent of the population, while 17 percent of Americans describe themselves as evangelical. "Is this because homosexuals are more open than evangelicals about who they are? Because Americans are more open to knowing a homosexual than an evangelical? Because evangelicals themselves are less likely to reach into the broader community to form relationships?" Sellers asked. "These questions are certainly open to debate."

Nepal: New Hope for Religious Freedom?

According to ASSIST News Service, Christian leaders in Nepal have reported persecution at the hands of Maoist guerrillas, as well as Hindu militants. Now, they are praying the new republic will guarantee their basic human rights. According to ChristianityToday.com, the republic has given a significant role to former Maoist guerrillas who fought a ten-year insurgency against thegovernment. The fighting left 12,000 dead and displaced 100,000. The Maoists now hold about one third of the seats in the new parliament. Release International reports that guerrillas have repeatedly threatened pastors and tried to close churches, and some of Nepal's tiny Christian minority say their homes and churches were destroyed by the Maoist guerrillas. They were often targeted for opposing atheism and refusing to join the Maoist movement. While Christianity is spreading, the challenge remains for Nepals new rulers to allow Christians to worship and evangelize freely, especially as they are challenged by radical Hindus.

Judge OKs Church Ban for Autistic Boy

The Associate Press reports that a judge has upheld a restraining order against a 13-year-old autistic boy that prevents him from attending a northern Minnesota church. Todd County District Judge Sally Ireland Roberts called Adam Race's behavior at the Church of St. Joseph "repeated, unwanted and intrusive," constituting "harassment." Adam's mother, Carol Race, intends to continue the legal fight. "I thought it would be possible I would lose on some things, but I'm surprised that so many of the points in the judgment were based on hearsay," Race said, referring to the testimony of the Rev. Daniel Walz, the parish priest. In requesting the restraining order, Walz said 225 lb., 6 foot tall Adam has nearly knocked people over, urinates due to incontinence, and needs to be restrained by having his hands or feet bound. His mother said these claims are exaggerated.

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[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - July 4, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
 
In today's edition:

    * Sudan: Window of Opportunity
    * Megachurch Speaks Out on Shifted Focus
    * Venezuela: Pro-Chavez Church Opens
    * Church's Aim: Save Priest's Career

 

Sudan: Window of Opportunity

Sudan remains a human rights nightmare, with the more than 5-year-old conflict in Darfur unresolved and fighting in the oil-rich Abyei region continuing, but the church in south Sudan is growing despite its situation, Mission News Network reports. "We started a Bible school to train pastors and leaders and give them some more sound doctrinal training and really encourage them to plant new churches," E3 Partners Sudan Strategic Coordinator Mike Congrove said. Finding and raising has proven extremely difficult because of warfare, which has eliminated many men between age 30 to 65. The national church is stepping up and has begun three new churches recently. Congrove has also worked to bring short-term teams from North America into Sudan to share the gospel at private homes. "After years of war, you have a traumatized people, and absolutely when they get to hear the hope that comes from Jesus Christ, it's powerful," he said.

Megachurch Speaks Out on Shifted Focus

The Christian Post reports that leaders of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill. are speaking openly about a recent study that called the church's seeker-friendly focus into question. The study, published in Reveal: Where Are You?, found that long-time and fully devoted attendees were not growing in their faith or as satisfied as those new to the Christian faith. These findings prompted the church to change its midweek services into a variety of classes for "baby Christians" and mature believers wanting to study theology and Scripture. "If the most shocking confession to come out of Willow in 32 years is that we did research and came out with tools to help people toward full devotion to Christ, I feel really good about our church," said Senior Pastor Bill Hybels, according to a statement. "I don't call it shocking; I call it honest. We have never wanted to play church here; we have always wanted to be the real deal."

Venezuela: Pro-Chavez Church Opens

The new Reformist Catholic Church in Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela is breaking with the former Catholic response to President Hugo Chavez, openly supporting his socialist policies as a complement to Christianity's commitment to helping the poor. "We don't side with any political banner, but we cannot fail to recognize and support the socialist achievements of this government," Enrique Albornoz, a former Lutheran minister who helped start the church, said in a telephone interview on Monday. "We back the social programs of this revolutionary government." The church started several years ago by a group of dissident Catholic priests, Lutherans and Anglicans and now has five locations in the country and about 2,000 attendees." Jesus Christ's true church is spreading the word and the gift of Christ to the whole world, separately from political issues and party affiliation, Venezuelan Cardinal JorgeUrosa Savino said in a statement on Sunday.

Church's Aim: Save Priest's Career

The Denver Post reports that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver not only had knowledge of priest Harold Robert White's "boy troubles," but determined to save his career in spite of it. White was accused in 30 cases of sex abuse against children between 1960 and 1981, according to internal documents released the victims' attorneys Wednesday. The archdiocese did not report White to law enforcement and instead moved him form parish to parish when rumors grew too large. White worked in 10 different parishes in two decades, and died in 2006 before ever testifying in court. The archbishops during the period of 1960-81 were Urban John Vehr and James Vincent Casey. Both are deceased.

___________________________

[nChrist]

A Plentiful Harvest: Opportunities Increase in China
Ginny McCabe


July 7, 2008

With approximately twenty percent of the world's population -- and one-third of the world's non-Christian population -- living in China, the mission field in that country can seem overwhelming. Yet as Bible publishers, relief organizations, and book sellers are finding, the harvests are plenty.

The American Bible Society is effectively fulfilling the Christian commission through its efforts to provide millions of Bibles to people in China. "The Mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so all people may experience its life-changing message," said Rev. Dr. Kuo-Wei Peng, a translations officer for the Nida Institute For Biblical Scholarship, American Bible Society. "From our first involvement in China in the 19th century, when we began to support Bible translation and publication work, to our support, in recent years, of Amity Press, which has now printed over 50 million Bibles, we have employed a myriad of methods to help spread the Word of God in China."

A joint venture with United Bible Societies (UBS), which includes the American Bible Society (ABS), and the Amity Foundation in China, provides the cost of paper for Bibles printed at Amity Press in Nanjing, China. The Bibles are distributed internally through the China Christian Council. One current initiative also includes creating a Chinese Study Bible.

"The Church is growing and the Word of God is spreading," said Kua Wee Seng, the coordinator of China Partnership with United Bible Societies. Amity Press began printing the Bible in 1987, and half a million copies were printed and distributed in 1988. Now, the annual volume of Bible distribution in China is 3 million copies a year.

"The Bible is now the best-selling book in China. This is the miracle of God," Kua said.

The numbers of Christians in China has grown exponentially in the last half century. Kua said that in 1949, there were an estimated 2.7 million Christians in the country. During the years of Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, all churches were closed and the Bible was banned. Today, there is an official estimate of 23 million Christians. Unofficially, some estimate it as high as 90 million Christians.

As high as 90 million sounds, however, only 1.7 percent of the Chinese people are officially practicing Christians. The unofficial count may be as high as 7 percent, but there are estimates that 1.2 billion people still have not heard the Gospel in China.

According to Kua, the public education is secular and most Chinese consider themselves as atheists. Buddhism is gaining popularity. Christianity is also on the rise, especially in the rural areas and amongst young people in the cities. Yet, Christianity is still viewed as a foreign and Western religion by many. Many are ignorant about the Christian faith. The Church is also not very engaged in organized community services and social work.

Also, the current state could affect the future in regard to ministry and mission opportunities in China. "Unless there is a reversal of the State's policy towards religion, the opportunities for ministry and mission will remain in China. In fact, if the current trends continue, the opportunities will increase. But, the Church needs to redouble its effort in training and community services in order to continue to grow, not just in numbers but in strength," Kua said.

According to Peng, one of the greatest challenges is the need for well-trained pastors and church leaders, which is well beyond the capacity of the 20 or so seminaries in China.

Open Doors, which has worked in China for over 40 years, noted another challenge. Open Doors Director for China Xiao Yun said (his real name not given due to security issues), "In China, you do not see the same developments everywhere. In the large cities, the standard of living is improving, whereas in the rural areas, everything is actually the same as it used to be. The churches in the rural areas see their young people leaving and going to the big towns. The migration is so great that the Church outside the large towns is actually decreasing in size. In contrast, Churches in the cities are growing. They are facing a great challenge, because they do not know how they should deal with the migrants. Country people are very different from city people. Churches outside the towns have already been sending pastors to the towns to counsel the rural youth. Unfortunately, this has not proved to be very successful."

Christians in China also deal with a limited sense of calling. "Most Christians in China think that there is only one way in which they can serve God: by becoming a full-time pastor or evangelist. Of course, this is not true," Yun said. "Even if you have a job in a factory or an office, you can be a witness to Christ. This is why we want to help young people discover God's personal plan for their lives," he said.

Meanwhile, the impending Olympic Games are also having an impact on house churches, as authorities become more skittish. "They are afraid that society will become unstable and therefore they want to have a hold on all aspects of society. The House Churches are one of the focuses of attention," Yun said. "In the Olympic towns in particular -- Beijing, Hong Kong, Shenyang, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Shanghai, etc. -- surveillance has considerably increased. The House Churches have been told that they are to stop. The House Church movement is a thorn in the flesh of the Chinese government. Abroad much is being written and said about the Chinese House Churches. The government sees this as a loss of face. This is why attention is being focused on 'illegal' gatherings."

Yet authorities can't seem to stop the impact that Christians are making physically and spiritually in relief efforts after May's 7.9 magnitude earthquake.

Open Doors has been actively involved in earthquake relief efforts, and will also continue its work even after the relief efforts conclude.

"We're very thankful that Open Doors has a holistic approach" said Open Doors Director of China Training (his name is not given due to security issues). "We're buying medicines and buying tents to shelter those people who are completely soaked by rain after the disaster struck. We're seeing schools re-opening. Some 7,000 schools were devastated with only a handful of students surviving, so they lost everything. We provide basic necessities for those students going back to school, but we want to do more than that. Doctors are thinking about establishing a medical program -- interviewing and examining these students' who are sometimes malnourished."

He said that even after the disaster struck, there are more opportunities to evangelize. "Sichuan is a poor province and churches are not very strong. One church we visited, a small church with about 40 households, lost half of their members because the Eastern Lightning (a Chinese cult) attack caused them to discontinue believing. Pastors struggle with poor surroundings and hilly roads when they make their rounds."

He continued, "But the earthquake may have changed all that. People suddenly became aware of the importance of death and people are more willing to listen. At the same time, Christians can go to witness to them. We also went to hospitals and were quite surprised -- things are quite open. The leaders wanted people to visit, not only to identify their own family members, but to encourage and comfort those traumatized patients."

Beyond Bible publication and earthquake relief, Christians are also finding that the changing face of the Chinese economy has created new opportunities for trade with the West, and growing possibilities for Christian publishers in China.

For those in the publishing sector, unique opportunities for missions with a twist are popping up. For example, the Global Publishers Alliance (GPA) recently represented titles from 17 Evangelical Christian Publishers Alliance (ECPA) member houses and one guest publisher at their exhibit during the 14th annual Beijing International Book Fair, which, according to one source in a Publishers Weekly press release "...is now considered by many as one of the top four international book fairs in the world."

GPA's collaborator for the week, ZDL Books, organized a half-day series of business-related seminars for the ECPA member houses present at Beijing International Book Fair. "We enjoyed a morning of important and timely updates on the development of the retail side of the business in China and the steady improvements in enforcement of intellectual property protection," GPA President and CEO John Eames said. "We were surrounded on all sides with evidence of the robust growth of the market for English language religious content in China."

He continued, "For Christian publishers with a vision for missions, the Chinese market is worth exploring... There is a great opportunity to reach this mission field now, while we have an open window.  And for publishers willing to commit resources, there is an added incentive--the possibility of a strong business upside in the future."

Indeed, for all those willing to commit, the ground is fertile and ready to yield a harvest for the Kingdom.

______________________________

[nChrist]

Christian Leaders Back McCain, Adopt Declaration of Values
Michael Foust


July 8, 2008

DENVER - Giving a significant boost to Republican John McCain's goal of attracting the votes of social conservatives, nearly 100 pro-family leaders gathering in Denver July 1 agreed to unify behind the Arizona senator for president.

The leaders also approved a "Declaration of American Values" with 10 common goals, such as protecting the sanctity of life and affirming natural, traditional marriage. (A copy of the document is at the end of this story.)

A complete list of attendees was not released, but representatives who were there confirmed to Baptist Press that Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America and Tim and Beverly LaHaye were among those present. Focus on the Family and the American Family Association also had representatives in attendance. One leading conservative, Paul Weyrich, did not attend because of health reasons but is "fully on board" and sent someone to represent him, Staver said.

Staver, who called the meeting, acknowledged that "there have been some bruises and disagreements" among conservatives during the primary season but said it was time to move on. He said "99.9 percent" of those who were in attendance agreed to get behind McCain. The meeting was first reported by Time.com.

"I felt that it was absolutely critical in order to preserve our shared core Christian and moral values that we have unity among the leadership and that we look at the landscape and focus not on candidates, not on personalities and not on parties but on our values, and then assess who can best advance those values," Staver told BP. "Once we did that, it was pretty obvious that that would be Sen. John McCain, because Sen. Barack Obama would decimate them.

"... We're not suggesting that [McCain] supports 100 percent of the values that we support," Staver continued. "We are, however, saying that he is an individual of integrity and that he would support our values more than Sen. Barack Obama."

Other attendees at the meeting included Dick and Rich Bott of Bott Radio Network, Kelly Shackelford of the Texas-based Free Market Foundation, John Stemberger of the Florida Family Policy Council, Phil Burress of the Ohio-based Citizens for Community Values, Tim Clinton of the American Association of Christian Counselors, David Barton of WallBuilders, William Owens of the Coalition of African-American Pastors, Steve Strang of Charisma Magazine and Don Hodel, former president of Focus on the Family.

James Dobson of Focus on the Family was in California working on a book and did not attend.

The meeting was but the latest good news for McCain regarding support from pro-family leaders. Several days earlier, Burress -- who had previously stated his concerns about McCain -- announced in an e-mail to friends he had had a change of heart after having a private meeting, along with five other pro-family leaders, with McCain in Ohio June 26. Burress said he believes there's a greater difference between McCain and Obama than there was in 2004 between President Bush and Democrat John Kerry.

"It's not even close," he said.

McCain, Burress said, sides with social conservatives on the major issues, particularly abortion and the judiciary. (McCain says he wants to see Roe v. Wade overturned.) Further, Burress also said he takes heart in McCain's pledge to nominate Supreme Court justices like President Bush's two nominees, John Roberts and Samuel Alito. The concerns Burress says he had about McCain are gone, Burress said.

"This is not your typical politician. He doesn't stick his finger in the wind," said Burress, adding he will work in Ohio to educate people about the differences between McCain and Obama.

But Burress also said it's crucial for McCain to choose a pro-life, pro-family running mate. Some conservative leaders, Burress said, will abandon McCain if he does otherwise.

The make-up of the Supreme Court is one issue driving conservatives' sense of urgent need to get behind McCain. The two oldest members of the court -- 88-year-old John Paul Stevens and 75-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- both support Roe v. Wade and, some observers believe, are wanting to retire but waiting for a Democrat to win the White House. Some conservatives believe the court is only one vote away from overturning Roe.

"The judiciary is a huge factor," Staver said. "It's important who sits on the United States Supreme Court bench and who is appointed in the other federal courts ... because those affect our shared core values. Those judges either protect or they undermine our shared core values."

Staver also said the leaders in Denver discussed ways to advances their goals beyond November.

"We want to make sure we have a trans-generational, multi-ethnic, multi-racial coalition of similarly associated individuals who share these values," he said.

The complete text of the Declaration of American Values, adopted at the meeting, follows:

"We the people of the United States of America, at this crucial time in history, do hereby affirm the core consensus values which form the basis of America's greatness, that all men and women from every race and ethnicity are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We adhere to the rule of law embodied in the Constitution of the United States and to the principles of liberty on which America was founded. In order to maintain the blessings of liberty and justice for ourselves and our posterity, and recognizing that personal responsibility is the basis of our self-governing
Nation, we declare our allegiance:

"1. To secure the sanctity of human life by affirming the dignity of and right to life for the disabled, the ill, the aged, the poor, the disadvantaged, and for the unborn from the moment of conception. Every person is made in the image of God, and it is the responsibility and duty of all individuals and communities of faith to extend the hand of loving compassion to care for those in poverty and distress.

"2. To secure our national interest in the institution of marriage and family by embracing the union of one man and one woman as the sole form of legitimate marriage and the proper basis of family.

"3. To secure the fundamental rights of parents to the care, custody, and control of their children regarding their upbringing and education.

"4. To secure the free exercise of religion for all people, including the freedom to acknowledge God through our public institutions and other modes of public expression and the freedom of religious conscience without coercion by penalty or force of law.

"5. To secure the moral dignity of each person, acknowledging that obscenity, pornography, and indecency debase our communities, harm our families, and undermine morality and respect. Therefore, we promote enactment and enforcement of laws to protect decency and traditional morality.

"6. To secure the right to own, possess and manage private property without arbitrary interference from government, while acknowledging the necessity of maintaining a proper and balanced care and stewardship of the environment and natural resources for the health and safety of our families.

"7. To secure the individual right to own, possess, and use firearms as central to the preservation of peace and liberty.

"8. To secure a system of checks and balances between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches within both state and federal governments, so that no one branch -- particularly the judiciary -- usurps the authority of the other two, and to maintain the constitutional principles of federalism which divide power between the state and federal governments.

"9. To secure our national sovereignty and domestic tranquility by maintaining a strong military; establishing and maintaining secure national borders; participating in international and diplomatic affairs without ceding authority to foreign powers that diminish or interfere with our unalienable rights; and being mindful of our history as a nation of immigrants, promoting immigration policies that observe the rule of law and are just, fair, swift, and foster national unity.

"10. To secure a system of fair taxes that are not punitive against the institution of marriage or family and are not progressive in nature, and within a limited government framework, to encourage economic opportunity, free enterprise, and free market competition.

"We hereby pledge our Names, our Lives and our Sacred Honor to this Declaration of American Values."
_____________________________________

[nChrist]

Indonesia: Church in West Java Bulldozed
Special to Compass Direct


July 9, 2008

JAKARTA - Public Order officials on June 26 demolished a church building in Cimahi regency of Bandung district, West Java, to make way for a new shopping mall and bus terminal after church leaders failed to convince authorities that they owned the land on which it was built.

Since the Indonesian Anglican Church of Cirebeum village was established in 1992 -- with a letter of approval from 20 families in the immediate neighborhood -- courts have dealt with a succession of people claiming to be the rightful owners of the property. Even as the church building was demolished, a civil tribunal in Bandung district was considering a verdict on rightful ownership following a hearing on June 24.

Public Order officials on June 26 arrived at the site with a demolition order issued by the mayor of Cimahi regency. They proceeded to demolish the building -- first breaking and removing furniture before bulldozing the structure. As pastor Raman Saragih tried to stop them, one of the men hit him in the face and chest. Several others then joined in until another church member intervened.

Saragih and his church members are pursuing legal action against the Cimahi government -- but it will be too late to save their church building, which now lies in ruins.

At the same time, the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI), a sub-group of the Anti-Apostasy Alliance Movement (AGAP), has continued to forcibly close churches in Bandung district, citing the lack of necessary worship permits.

Under a Joint Ministerial Decree issued in 1969 by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, houses of worship are required to obtain a permit from both the local religious office and the head of the local neighborhood unit. Many pastors claim that a 2006 revision to the decree has made it virtually impossible to obtain the appropriate permit, making their churches prime targets for extremist groups.

Most recently, a mob attempted to demolish two buildings in a church compound used by three congregations in Jatimulya village, West Java, on June 14. The initial dismantling of a roof, doors and fence came to a halt only after a Public Order officer from Bekasi regency fell from the roof of one of the buildings. Authorities had sealed the buildings shut in 2005. (See Compass Direct News, "Indonesian Islamists Try to Destroy Church Buildings," June 24.)

In August 2005, respected Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra, rector of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, demanded that police take action against FPI and AGAP for forcibly closing churches.

"This group has taken the law into their own hands and they have to be punished in line with the law," he told reporters at the online news portal Detik.com

Azyumardi insisted that only the government had the authority to close down houses of worship. Extremists, however, have continued to act with impunity.

Church Told to Relocate

Earlier this year, as debate raged over ownership of the Cirebeum village Anglican church building, Cimahi regency official Asep Syaifulah asked Saragih to relocate his church meetings.

Saragih demanded an alternative building site and a building permit for a new church in Cirebeum. On June 18, however, the Cimahi regency sent a letter stating that it had authorized the demolition of the church because it did not have the required building permit. Syaifulah also told Saragih he could not build another church in Cirebeum because it was a Muslim-majority area.

Asep offered Saragih 50 million rupiah (US$5,445) in compensation, but Saragih rejected the offer.

The chief of Cirebeum village also met with Saragih several times to discuss the future of the church. Saragih insisted that the church remain in Cibereum in order to serve its members; he asked that local authorities provide new land and a building permit for a new church, but they refused.

Saragih claims to have bought the land in 1991 from a farmer, Yus Boyoh, who gave him a simple receipt rather than a legal title deed. At the time Saragih and his fellow church members firmly believed the sale was legitimate.

In 1994, a man named Nunung Hidayah visited the church, claiming to be a descendant of the original landowner, Soma Bin Wargadiredja. Hidayah showed Saragih a title deed to the property.

Indonesian courts then declared Hidayah the rightful owner of the land, but the church was allowed to continue operating.

Four years later, in 1998, a woman named Ida Rosliah lodged a counter-claim. The Supreme Court eventually declared Rosliah the rightful owner, although Hidayah still held the title deed.

Buoyed by the court's decision, Rosliah in 2003 sold the land to a man identified only as Idris. Idris in turn sold the land to the government of Cimahi regency in 2007, offering Saragih compensation of 125 million rupiah (US$13,550).

Saragih refused, as this amount would not cover the expenses associated with purchasing new land, obtaining a building permit and constructing a new church.

In April, Cimahi regency officials announced the construction of a new shopping mall and bus terminal on the land in question.

In response, Hidayah appealed to a civil tribunal in Bandung on June 24, producing his title deed and insisting that his ancestors had not sold the land to anyone.
_________________________________

[nChrist]

Outspoken Archbishop May Return to Zimbabwe
Dan Wooding


July 10, 2008

UNITED KINGDOM (ANS) -- One of the key church figures in the struggle against Robert Mugabe's abuses in Zimbabwe, Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube has indicated that he may soon return to the country, still reeling from post-election conflict, hunger and economic chaos, according to a story posted on http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/.

The archbishop has been in England since June 2007, following accusations about his personal life. He had long been an outspoken critic of the Zimbabwean regime.

Speaking to parishioners on Sunday, reports Jo Siedlecka on Independent Catholic News (http://www.indcatholicnews.com/), Ncube said that he had been in England in order to "pray, study and rest" but that: "a shepherd must be with his flock, even if it means death."

The Ekklesia story said that the congregation, which included a number of Zimbabwean refugees, burst into spontaneous applause at the news.

Archbishop Pius told churchgoers who greeted him after Mass that since he has been here, he only eats one meal a day since "in Zimbabwe many eat only once every three days."

In his sermon, which focused on humility and resistance, he declared: "God comes close to the vulnerable. People who cry they live much longer then those who don't cry. Women cry a lot. That's why they live longer than men. I'm not much of a crier. I wish I was. We must ask God for the gift of tears."

Ncube added: "Those people who crucified Jesus were not ready to listen.... It is the proud who are destroying this world. It is proud people who have killed millions. Hitler was a terrific orator. When Hitler spoke he shook up people. But what did he bring? War. 40 million people perished in the Second World War, because this man was so full of himself and so full of pride. Stalin was a proud man. Mao Tse Tung a murderer responsible for the death of 70 million people... During the war in China, he used to say in order to spread communism we must kill more we haven't killed enough."

He continued: "Pol Pot. Mugabe. Our president who got into power by hook and by crook, and this time we hear during the election he changed the results, and went around beating up people, shooting some of them. And he has forbidden the Non Government Organizations to give food to those people who supported the opposition. That's pride."

Archbishop Ncube concluded: "Let us all walk in the way of humility. Only that way can we bring peace and happiness to our world.... So often I hear about Africa - in so many places, in Darfur, Rwanda I was sick for three days after reading what was going on there. In Zimbabwe too. There are so many problems in the world. We must pray. We must be humble."
__________________________________

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - July 7, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff


Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
 
In today's edition:

    * Iran 'Temporarily' Releases Badly Injured Christian
    * Bishops Calls British Public to Help Restore Zimbabwe
    * Algeria: Christians Sentenced for Spreading Faith
    * Group Asks for Divine Intervention to Ease Oil Prices

 

Iran 'Temporarily' Releases Badly Injured Christian

After four weeks in police custody, Iranian Christian Mohsen Namvar was released "temporarily" last week to return to his home in Tehran, according to Compass Direct News. A doctor summoned to Namvar's home after his release last Thursday (June 26) administered medicines and serum to treat the badly beaten prisoner. Arrested on May 31 from his home in Tehran, the convert from Islam was kept incommunicado until his release. "They put a great deal of pressure on his body and his mind," an Iranian Christian told Compass. "No one knows exactly what they did to him during those four weeks." Noting that government authorities know a great deal about Namvar's Christian activities and want to punish him, the source said, "We praise the Lord that they have not killed him." Last week local secret police authorities demanded that Namvar's family put up just over US$43,000 in bail to secure his release. When relatives requested a receipt for the cash they handed over, police refused. "Don't say anything," a police official reportedly ordered them. "Give thanks to God that we are not keeping him under arrest."

Bishops Calls British Public to Help Restore Zimbabwe

As Zimbabwe's political crisis deepens socially and economicly, the Archbishop of York has called for Britain not to forget the country, but actively work for restoration. "I am inviting people to work with me for the restoration of Zimbabwe in order that peace, prosperity and the rule of law are restored to that once great and prosperous land of hope for Africa which has become a waste land of oppression, poverty and disease," Dr. John Sentamu said. He encouraged people to offer prayer, money and practical support as part of the effort. A special service will be held in Westminster on July 11 for that purpose. "We need to remember there is only one race -- the human race -- and in joining together to restore Zimbabwe, we ease the sufferings of our brothers and sisters."

Algeria: Christians Sentenced for Spreading Faith

Compass Direct News reports that a court in western Algeria convicted two Muslim converts to Christianity yesterday for illegally spreading their faith. The court in Tissemsilt, 110 miles southwest of Algiers, handed Rachid Muhammad Essaghir, 37, and Djallal Dhamani six-month suspended sentences and 100,000-dinar (US$1,660) fines. The men were found guilty of "distributing documents to shake the faith of Muslims." The case has received both local and international publicity following a wave of trials this year against Algerian Christians for evangelism and illegally practicing their faith. Essaghir has now moved from Tiaret to the coastal city of Oran with his wife and 1-year-old daughter after police shut down his Internet café in April, although many such cafés operate without this permission. "Essaghir is doing very well, it's a miracle," said a close friend who spoke with the Christian following yesterday's trial. Despite his numerous convictions, the friend said, "he doesn't care anymore; God is in control."

Group Asks for Divine Intervention to Ease Oil Prices

As the price of oil continues to rise, some are turning to God and prayer for an answer to their financial troubles, according to Cybercast News Service. The Pray at the Pump Movement, founded by Rocky Twyman, has been holding prayer vigils at gas stations across the country. On Monday, Twyman decided to take his movement from Exxon and Shell stations straight to the steps of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C., hoping to encourage the oil-rich country to raise the amount of barrels they release each day. Twyman, who is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, spent the afternoon outside of the embassy praying and asking passersby to sign his petition for the release of more oil, which he hopes to deliver to the Saudi oil minister. "Our people are really suffering through this crisis," Twyman told Cybercast News Service. "We need the Saudis to release at least 1.2 barrels of oil per day for about the next six months until we can get everything settled in America."

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Religion Today Summaries - July 10, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
 
In today's edition:

    * China: Pastor Sentenced to Re-education by Labor
    * Man Sues Zondervan over Anti-Gay Bible Reference
    * Iran: Ex-Muslims Detained for 'Apostasy'
    * Evangelism Teams to Plant Churches in 40 Ukrainian Cities

 

China: Pastor Sentenced to Re-education by Labor

Christian Newswire reports that Chinese Pastor Zhang Zhongxin was sentenced to two years of reeducation through labor, according to a written decision by the Shandong reeducation-through-labor management committee. China Aid Association is told that his sentence began July 4. Zhang has applied for legal aid and is hoping to hire defense lawyers for an appeal. Officials accused Zhang of cult participation in "the whole scope of the Church", organized "Sunday School" training courses, preaching the Gospel to the northwest, Tibet and other places for missionaries, and pioneers sermons. Zhang has also established a training school for pastors and the Rainbow Missions Fellowship in Jining of Shandong.

Man Sues Zondervan over Anti-Gay Bible Reference

Mlive.com reports that a Michigan man is suing Zondervan Publishing and a Tennessee-based publisher, saying that their versions of the Bible that refer to homosexuality as a sin have caused him years of emotional pain and mental instability besides violating his constitutional rights. Bradley LaShawn Fowler is seeking $60 million from Zondervan in Michigan, and $10 from Thomas Nelson, the Tennessee publisher. The court refused to appoint an attorney to represent him in his case filed in June against Thomas Nelson. "The Court has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims," the judge wrote. The publishers' purpose is to reflect the public opinion to cause "me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder," Fowler wrote.

Iran: Ex-Muslims Detained for 'Apostasy'

Compass Direct News reports that Iranian authorities have detained two converts to Christianity in the southern city of Shiraz for eight weeks on suspicion of "apostasy," or leaving Islam. In Iran, apostasy is a crime that can be punishable by death. Mahmood Matin, 52, and Arash Bandari, 44, remain imprisoned in a secret police detention center known by its address, located in the center of Shiraz since their arrest on May 15 (previously reported as May 13). The 13 others arrested with Matin and Bandari have been released but were told they have an ongoing case against them, though officials have not informed them of the charges. During a visit on June 24, Matin's wife was able to speak with her husband for five minutes as officials listened in, a source told Compass. "They are pushing me to tell them that I am connected to a church outside [Iran] and that I am receiving a salary, but I told them that I am doing it on my own," he told his wife, according to the source. A draft penal code under discussion in Iran's parliament this month may make the death penalty obligatory for those who leave Islam or use the Internet to encourage others to do so.

Evangelism Teams to Plant Churches in 40 Ukrainian Cities

Forty ministry teams - 20 from the U.S. and 20 from Ukraine - are kicking off an effort to plan 40 churches in 40 Ukrainian cities, according to the Christian Post. As the first of two phases of Project 125, each team will work in a city without an evangelical church and hold weeklong outreaches that culminate in citywide "freedom" crusades over the weekend. In the past, such crusades have often led to 500 new believers. About 40 trained church planters in Ukraine have volunteers to move with their families to a city and help start a church. Project 125 is led by the Ukrainian Baptist Union, the Southern Baptist's International Mission Board and the Don Betts Evangelistic Association, and has the goal of 125 new churches in Ukraine before next fall. "This is the largest cooperative event we've done," said Don Betts, whose ministry has conducted similar crusades in Ukraine for 18 years. The mission runs from July 28 to Aug. 25.
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