RELIGION TODAY

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India: A Timeline of Persecution
Kristin Butler


December 5, 2008

A once-beautiful church building burned to the ground. Children crying for parents who will never return. Blood-stained machetes lying on the ground near a perpetrator's home. According to Compass Direct News, these are snapshots of a war zone that has gone largely unnoticed in recent months.

Since December of 2007, southern India's Christian community has been rocked by unchecked terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hindu extremists in the area. Local extremist groups have burned and pillaged churches and homes, aiming to obliterate Christian activity in the region. The brief timeline of events shown below chronicles the intensified carnage, starting in December of 2007.

Timeline of Tragedy

The anti-Christian violence in southern India erupted overnight -- literally -- in December of 2007. But it wasn't until August, just a few months ago, that the most gruesome atrocities started.

December 24, 2007: Local Christians are given no warning ahead of targeted attacks by Hindu extremists in Orissa state. The attacks are largely instigated by Hindu extremist leader Swami Lakhmananda Saraswati, head of the World Hindu Council (also known as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or VHP). The violence lasts for over a week, leaving in its wake 730 burned homes, and 95 torched churches. Four Christian are believed to be dead.

August 23, 2008: Swami Lakhmananda Saraswati, is murdered. His unexpected death triggers outrage among Hindu extremist groups, who place the blame on local Christians.

August 24, 2008: Outrage spills into overt violence against the Christian community once more, as enraged Hindus instigate modern India's worst-ever epidemic of violence. The attacks begin in the forest district of Kandhamal, in Orissa state. 4,500 homes and churches are destroyed.

August 27, 2008: Human Rights Watch reports that, as of today, "At least nine people are said to have been killed. Reports exist of two people burnt alive, three men hacked to death, a nun gang-raped and churches and houses destroyed in at least twelve districts." The violence continues.

September 1, 2008: A Maoist group claims responsibility for the murders of Swami Lakhmananda Saraswati and four of his followers. But radical Hindu groups persist in blaming the Christian community for the murders. By now, the attacks have claimed the lives of 36 people.

October 27, 2008: The carnage triggered by Saraswati's murder has now raged on for two months. The official death toll falls between 30-40 people, but a fact-finding team sponsored by the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) thinks otherwise. After visiting Kandhamal, the team releases a report suggesting that the government has been downplaying -- and possibly even covering up -- the number of deaths due to the violence. Their estimate falls around 500, partly due to the account of a senior government official who confessed to burning 200 bodies found in the jungle after the attacks began, according to Compass Direct.

November 15, 2008: The president of the Laxmanananda Saraswati Condolence Society sends the Orissa government a letter threatening to impose a bandh, or forced shut-down of the area, on Christmas Day. Christians fear that Hindu extremists groups will carry out the threat, effectively preventing Christians from publically celebrating Christmas.

December 1, 2008: An India-based Christian group Kandhamal Christian Jankalyan Samaj (KCJS) reports that the government is pushing Christians to leave relief camps and return to their homes -- in spite of ongoing danger. Refugees feel insecure about returning to homes that have yet to be repaired after the violence, especially with continuing incidents of persecution taking place across the state.

Refugee Dilemma

District authorities report that 12,641 terror victims who have fled the killings are currently residing in seven refugee camps scattered across the Khandhamal district. An article in the Indian Express states that 250 refugees who fled to neighboring Andhra Pradesh are refusing to return to their villages. Why? "Fear" is the answer.

The report released by the CPI-ML claims that "riot victims are frightened to go back to their villages because they have been threatened that if they return they will be cut into pieces. The rioters are also proclaiming that only Hindu converts will be allowed to return."

Climate of Hatred

Conversion has long been a subject of debate across India, and not just in the southern states. As the nation surges forward with increasing economic investment and output, thousands of people trapped in the lower rungs of the Hindu caste system are looking for a way out. For many, Christianity provides the answer. But increased conversions among the 250 million poverty-stricken Dalits (members of the lowest caste in India) have triggered a backlash from Hindu nationalists.

Orissa State, where most of the violence against Christians has recently occurred, is controlled by two parties. One is a local party, called Biju Janata Dal. The other party is a Hindu nationalist party, Bharatiya Janata Party, which has close ties to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the group that Saraswati was allied with -- a group that initiated numerous brutal attacks on Christians.

For Christians in Orissa and neighboring locales, the outlook seems grim. As a minority religion making up only 2.3% of the population in a nation that is 80.5% Hindu, many feel not only oppressed but isolated. When, on the rare occasion that their stories emerge in the mainstream media, they are often tainted with inaccuracies put forth by local authorities seeking to protect their reputation. It's a challenge to simply get their voice to be heard.

"The lack of government response [to the Orissa violence] is alarming to say the least," International Christian Concern's president Jeff King said ahead of a Washington DC rally on behalf of Indian refugees. "At this point, the lack of any serious response from Orissa officials looks to the entire world as complicity with the radical Hindus that are doing the actual damage."

Protests, Prayers, and Petitions

September 25 was a rainy day in Washington, D.C. Outside the White House dozens of wet protesters held signs calling for an end to the violence in southern India.  The rally coincided with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the White House. The diverse coalition of organizations participating in the protest included Jubilee Campaign, International Christian Concern (ICC), the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA), the Indian American Catholic Association (IACA), the Indian Christian Forum (ICF), and Christian Solidarity International. Attendees prayed, voiced concern over recent attacks over a loudspeaker, and pleaded for the attention of the Indian government.

On November 9, churches around the world observed the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church, remembering those who are suffering for their faith in India and beyond. Thousands of Christians participated in the interdenominational event, recalling the horrific events in Orissa and lifting up affected victims in prayer.

Ongoing efforts to raise awareness and action on behalf of India's suffering Christian community include an advocacy campaign sponsored by Open Doors, urging the Indian government to curb religious violence in Orissa and take measures to protect individuals of minority faiths.

"More than 60 people have been killed," reads a letter signed by over 20 Christian leaders, and sent to President Bush on November 7, 2008.

"Some 50,000 people have been left homeless; and some still remain in hiding." The letter calls on President Bush to hold the Indian government accountable for the Orissa attacks, citing that the degree of violence in India has reached an extreme level.

"What has happened recently in India," the letter continues," and has been happening over the past few years, is tantamount to 'religious cleansing' of Christians and other minorities by extremists."

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China: 400 Christian Students Arrested This Fall
Michael Ireland


December 8, 2008

BEIJING AND ZHEJIANG, CHINA (ANS) -- More than 400 Christian college students have been arrested and interrogated following raids on house churches by Chinese authorities.

After conducting detailed investigations, ChinaAid has confirmed that from the end of September to early November 2008, a large police force was dispatched to raid house gatherings in Beijing and in areas near college campuses in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

ChinaAid found that more than 400 Christian college students were arrested and interrogated. House church leaders who led the gatherings were detained, and four were sentenced to re-education through labor for one to one and a half years.

House church members were accused of "preaching to students" and "engaging in cult activities." The house church groups were all affiliated with the Local Church network founded by Witness Lee (1905-1997).

It is believed that this large-scale suppression by the Chinese authorities against the Christian college students in Beijing and Hangzhou is a part of the government's efforts to limit citizens' religious freedom after the Olympic Games.

ChinaAid calls on the relevant agencies in China to stop the harassment of house church Christians, return illegally confiscated funds and personal property, and immediately release the four church leaders who have been sentenced to re-education through labor.

For more information about these raids and the Local Church, visit chinaaid.org.

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USCIRF Urges Probe of Nigeria Strife
Baptist Press Staff


December 9, 2008

WASHINGTON (BP) --The Nigerian government should "launch an immediate and independent investigation of the clashes that broke out between Muslims and Christians following local elections and to prosecute those found to be perpetrators," according to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The U.S. government should press Nigeria to launch the inquiry into the violence, largely centered in Jos, a city in central Nigeria, USCIRF said in a Dec. 3 news release.

"Without a swift, firm government declaration to demand an end to such violence and actions to investigate and implement preventive measures to head off such unrest in the future, Nigerians will remain vulnerable to more deadly conflict," Felice D. Gaer, USCIRF chair, said in the news release.

News agencies report more than 300 people killed and thousands injured in fires and riots that began Nov. 28 and eased Dec. 2. Dozens of churches, mosques, businesses and homes were burned in Jos, which is located between Nigeria's largely Christian south and Muslim north. An estimated 10,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

A Baptist Press query to USCIRF was not answered by deadline on Dec. 5 as to whether the Nigerian government had signaled any plans for action.

Since 2002, Nigeria has been on USCIRF's "Watch List," a group of countries that merit close monitoring because of a significant pattern of restrictions on religious freedom.

USCIRF noted, "Since 1999, more than 10,000 Nigerians reportedly have been killed in sectarian and communal attacks and reprisals between Muslims and Christians. The response of the government to such violence, particularly bringing perpetrators to justice, continues to remain inadequate.

"The number of deaths resulting from sectarian violence reportedly had decreased over the past few years, due in part to a more rapid and effective response by Nigerian security forces," USCIRF acknowledged, "but the latest outbreak has reversed that trend.

"There have been disturbing reports," USCIRF noted, "of foreign Islamic extremists, particularly from neighboring Niger and Chad, participating in the violence in Jos, which is consistent with the reports of foreign sources of funding and support for Islamic extremist activities in northern Nigeria. Many Muslims and Christians have been identified as perpetrators of violence in past years, but very few, if any, have been prosecuted."

Gaer said USCIRF "has long called for expanded U.S. support for "communal conflict prevention and mitigation in Nigeria. The first steps, though, must come from the Nigerian government, which is obligated to restore respect for religious freedom and associated rights and to punish perpetrators of extremist activity."

Nigeria is one of seven countries on USCIRF's Watch List; 11 others are listed as "countries of particular concern," or CPCs, for "ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom," according to the agency's website. Watch List countries are those "where religious freedom conditions do not rise to the statutory level requiring CPC designation but which require close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the governments."

The commission was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to make recommendations to the president, secretary of state and Congress regarding the status of freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 3, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Riots Were Religious, Not Political, Nigerians Say
    * Two Copts Wrongly Detained, Tortured in Egypt
    * Americans Pass Economic Woes to Churches
    * India: Abducted Pastor Escapes


Riots Were Religious, Not Political, Nigerians Say

The Christian Post reports that Christians in Jos, Nigeria, resent the international media's spin on the riots that rocked the city Friday, saying that election results had little to do with the violence. A local source told Christian Solidarity Worldwide, "As usual they took Jos by surprise, and are now hiding behind election results to launch and excuse their mayhem." Rioters targeted Christian businesses, churches and clergymen's homes early Friday morning, armed with guns, spears and machetes. The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Plateau State, the Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, said, "We were surprised at the way some of our churches and property were attacked and some of our faithful and clergy killed," he continued. "The attacks were carefully planned and executed. The questions that bog our minds are why were churches and clergy attacked and killed? Why were politicians and political party offices not attacked if it were a political conflict? Why were the business premises and property of innocent civilians destroyed?"

Two Copts Wrongly Detained, Tortured in Egypt

Compass Direct News reports that two Coptic Christians wrongfully arrested for killing a Muslim during the May 31 attack on Abu Fana monastery in Egypt have been tortured and sent to a detention camp so authorities could try to extract a false confession, their lawyer said. Egyptian authorities sent brothers Refaat and Ibrahim Fawzy Abdo to El Wadi El Gadid Detention Camp near the Egypt-Sudan border on Nov. 22. The brothers were bailed out a week before, but never released. Their attorney, Zakary Kamal, said that monks at Abu Fana say the Fawazy Abdo brothers were far from the monastery at the time of the attacks. Security forces are detaining the brothers to blackmail the Coptic Church into testifying that the attack against Abu Fana monastery in Mallawi, Upper Egypt, was a criminal case of gunfire exchange that was unrelated to persecution of Christians, Kamal said.

Americans Pass Economic Woes to Churches

A new study from the Barna Group shows that fears and disruptions in the economy have induced one in every five households to decrease donations to churches or other religious centers. Over the last three months, 22 percent have stopped giving entirely, and even 48 percent of givers in "upscale" households were likely to have reduced their donation. The report found that families with "serious financial debt, "downscale" households, and those who lost 20 percent or greater in their retirement fund or stock portfolio value were most likely to cut back. Among the 20 percent total who cut back at least somewhat, 28 percent had reduced their gifts by half or more. Christian Post reports that George Barna, head of the Barna Group, said, "The giving patterns we're witnessing suggest that churches, alone, will receive some $3 billion to $5 billion dollars less than expected during this fourth quarter." Churches can usually expect greater giving in the last quarter, Barna said, but need to prepare for a 4 percent to 6 percent dip below usual.

India: Abducted Pastor Escapes

ASSIST News Service reports that Gospel for Asia missionary N. Chauhan has escaped from his abductors after spending a day in captivity and torture. Chauhan was in a marketplace in Madhya Pradesh, India, when a group of anti-Christian extremists began questioning him. Chauhan could feel their animosity and refused to answer their questions about his ministry. The angry group dragged him to a secluded house and beat him. Hours later, the mob brought in a Bible and tried to force Chauhan to stomp on it. The missionary refused, and was rewarded with more severe beatings. Chauhan managed to escape when captors untied him by a dark road to let him relieve himself. He ran nine miles to another Christian's home, where he was able to contact worried Christian leaders.

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Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 5, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Conservatives Unveil New Anglican Church
    * 8 Million Christmas Shoeboxes Sent to Kids Worldwide
    * Egyptian Christian in Muslim ID Case Wins Right to Appeal
    * Church Comforts, Aids Victims in Jos, Nigeria


Conservatives Unveil New Anglican Church

CNN reports that conservative Anglicans in North America officially broke with the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada on Wednesday night, forming a rival "province" with a new constitution. "Some of us have been praying for this for decades," said Michael W. Howell, who attended the service, in a statement. "Instead of focusing on things that divide us, we as orthodox Anglicans are focusing on the things that unite us." Bishop Robert Duncan of the Pittsburgh, Pa., diocese said in a statement, "The public release of our draft constitution is an important concrete step toward the goal of a biblical, missionary and united Anglican Church in North America." Four dioceses have left the Episcopal Church for this more theologically conservative body: Pittsburgh, Pa.; Quincy, Illinois; Fort Worth, Texas; and San Joaquin, California.

8 Million Christmas Shoeboxes Sent to Kids Worldwide

The Christian Post reports that Operation Christmas Child has collected 8 million shoe boxes packed with Christmas gifts for needy children in more than 100 countries this year, another landmark for the world's largest Christmas project, which is sponsored by Samaritan's Purse. "The cool thing about these boxes is that each of these will be filled with toys but they'll also have a gospel tract in the language of the people that will be receiving it," says pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. The organization sent off three shipments this week, starting the distribution process. According to the Christmas Post, OCC utilizes more than 100,000 volunteers worldwide, and receives donations from 10 other countries besides the U.S.

Egyptian Christian in Muslim ID Case Wins Right to Appeal

Compass Direct News reports that a Supreme Court judge in Egypt on Nov. 22 granted Christian Bahia El-Sisi the right to appeal her conviction for falsification of documents -- a charge stemming from her official papers not identifying her as a Muslim. In addition, Judge Abdel Meged Mahmood on Nov. 25 rescinded a Sept. 23 warrant for El-Sisi's arrest, declaring that she should be free pending a final decision. The charges against El-Sisi and her sister, Shadia El-Sisi, claimed that their marriage certificates contained false information that they were Christians. Unknown to them, their religious identity officially changed 46 years ago due to their father's brief conversion to Islam. Investigation into the sisters' religious status began following a visit made to their father, Nagy El-Sisi, himself in prison for forgery. Nagy El-Sisi, who had briefly converted to Islam in 1962 before reconverting three years later, obtained a forged Christian ID because there is no official means for converting from Islam in Egypt. Under sharia (Islamic law), which heavily influences Egyptian law, the sisters are considered Muslims due to their father's temporary conversion.

Church Comforts, Aids Victims in Jos, Nigeria

Baptist Press reports that at least 12 Nigerian Baptists were killed and five Baptist churches burned during Thanksgiving weekend riots sparked by local election results in Jos, Nigeria. International Mission Board workers in the area and several Nigerian Baptist congregations are reaching out to comfort and house those left hurting and homeless. News agencies report more than 300 people killed and thousands injured in fires and riots. Dozens of churches, mosques, businesses and homes were burned. One local pastor's church is housing some of those who have lost their homes. Other local Baptist churches are doing the same. Church families also are helping to house boarding students evacuated from the Baptist high school there. "Everyone is sad and afraid, but we have faith," the pastor said, noting rumors swirl that the fighting may start again. "We can only do our part to help. We will find out more about the damages in coming days and find out what we can do."

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Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 8, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Russian Orthodox Church's Leader Dies
    * Episcopal Church Leader Accepts Church Split
    * Cholera Outbreaks Growing in Zimbabwe
    * Christians Oppressed on Comoros, Pemba Islands


Russian Orthodox Church's Leader Dies

The Associate Press reports that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II, died Friday at his home outside Moscow. He was 79. Alexy, who led the church since 1990, saw people flock back to the church  and rediscover its traditions after the fall of communism. The Russian Orthodox Church is now the largest Orthodox church in the world. Alexy was fiercely territorial of his faith, perhaps contributing to accusations of nationalism, and he accused other Christian religions of poaching his people, even refusing a papal visit to Russia. Nonetheless, Pope Benedict praised Alexy for his commitment to "the defense of human and Gospel values" and the "rebirth of the Church" in Russia.

Episcopal Church Leader Accepts Church Split

Los Angeles Times reports that the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in America dropped her previous attitude of reconciliation Thursday, publicly commenting that those who join the new conservative Anglican Church in North America "are no longer Episcopalians." Because of that, the Mos. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori reiterated the Episcopal Church's stance that seceding dioceses' property must remain in the national church's hands. Jefferts Schori also said she did not believe the formation of a rival body would affect membership in the Episcopal Church, which is 2.4 million members strong. She emphasized that all Episcopalians were welcome "if they want to be part of a diverse church... But the expectation has to be that we are not a single-issue church. We're not a church that says you have to believe this one thing in this one way and there is no room for difference of opinion."

Cholera Outbreaks Growing in Zimbabwe

Christian Post reports Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is threatening to spill over into other southern African countries, as Zimbabwe's dead economy and lack of available health care continues to take its toll. The U.N. estimates that at least 600 have died of cholera since August, and more than 2,000 others have been infected. Sick refugees have begun to spill into bordering countries such as South Africa in search of medical care and help. Those in Zimbabwe itself have an increasingly difficult time just finding clean water, allowing infection to spread further. Desmond Tutu, the retired Anglican archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Peace laureate, this week stated that Zimbabwe's dictator, Robert Mugabe, should step down from office. Mugabe "is destroying a wonderful country," Tutu said. "A country that used to be a bread basket... has now become a basket case itself needing help."

Christians Oppressed on Comoros, Pemba Islands

Compass Direct News reports that Christians on the predominantly Muslim islands of Pemba and the Comoros archipelago are beaten, detained and banished for their faith, according to church leaders who travel regularly to the Indian Ocean isles off the east coast of Africa. These violations of religious freedom, the church leaders said, threaten the survival of Christianity on Pemba and the Comoros, with fewer than 300 Christians in a combined population of 1.1 million people. Leaving Islam for Christianity accounts for most of the harm done to Christians, and this year saw an increase in such abuse as already-strained relations between the two communities deteriorated after the conversion in August of Sheikh Hijah Mohammed, leader of a key mosque in Chake-Chake, capital of Pemba. A Christian from the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar who recently visited the Comoros said those suspected to have converted from Islam to Christianity face travel restrictions and confiscation of travel documents.

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Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 9, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Bangladesh: Christian Family Beaten - and Facing Charges
    * Tensions Flare Over Egypt's Underground Churches
    * 'We Did No Wrong," Say Jailed Missionaries in Gambia
    * Frugal Farmer Leaves $2M Estate to Church


Bangladesh: Christian Family Beaten - and Facing Charges

Compass Direct News reports that the harassment that Bangladeshi converts from Islam face from Muslim neighbors in this southeastern area near Cox's Bazar can take serious turns -- as it did last month. Confident that no police would side with Christian converts from Islam, about a dozen Muslims in Chakaria town attacked a Christian family with machetes and then later filed false charges of assault against the wounded and limping Christians, family members said. On Nov. 1, Laila Begum, a 45-year-old Christian convert from Islam, said that some 10 to 15 Muslim neighbors demanded money. When she told the group of Muslim neighbors that she would not pay they began beating her with sticks, iron rods, knives and machetes. The family informed local governing council members about the attack, but they demanded 20,000 taka (US$300) to settle the matter and also threatened to burn their houses if they filed with police.

Tensions Flare Over Egypt's Underground Churches

The Associated Press reports that friction between the conservative Muslim majority and minority Christians is no longer relegated to Egypt's south, but has crept into the cosmopolitan capital of Cairo. Christians, comprise only 10 percent of Egypt's 79 million population, may not build new churches "near" any mosques, but that vague reference is only one-way, as mosques may - and do - build immediately next to existing churches. Churches must also procure permission from several branches of authorities, and are often refused, according to the AP. Such tensions have led to multiple clashes that police have tried to downplay, including one two weeks ago. The singing of hundred of Christians celebrating their church's first service was interrupted by a crowd of Muslims gathering around the building. Thirteen people were injured.

'We Did No Wrong," Say Jailed Missionaries in Gambia

Western Morning News reports that a missionary couple and their 2-year-old daughter have been taken into custody in Gambia, accused of writing letters to "bring into hatred or contempt" against the Gambian government. The Fultons were arrested Dec. 1, and face up to three years in prison if convicted. Mrs. Fulton, however, says she and her husband did nothing to criticize the government of Gambia, which does not permit dissenting views. "We didn't write anything uncomplimentary about the country. We love it here. We simply wrote e-mails asking friends and family at home to pray for individuals here. We work with people in prison so we see many who need God's help, and that is all we were asking for." Mrs. Fulton and her daughter are being held in a police station, but her husband, who is reportedly in ill health, is held at a high-security jail outside the capital.

Frugal Farmer's Leaves $2M Estate to Church

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that tiny church in Indiana County received a giant Christmas present - a $2.2 million estate left by a frugal farmer who attended there. John. F. Ferguson, who died at 71, is remembered for his faded overalls and partiality for a small black coffee at the local coffeeshop. According to the Tribune-Review, Ferguson lived in a mobile home surrounded by old farm equipment. "It's stunning ... it truly is," said the Rev. Jason L. McQueen, Hopewell's pastor. "And I can tell you John could have led the easy life, but chose not to buy a lot of foolish things for himself because he was very careful, knowing that he eventually wanted the family estate to live through the church."

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Conservative Anglican Primates Back New Province
Daniel Burke


December 10, 2008

(RNS) -- Five Anglican archbishops have backed the introduction of a new Anglican province in North America, significant, though unsurprising boost for the conservative-led initiative.

"We fully support this development with our prayer and blessing," said the archbishops, who are called primates because they lead regional branches of the worldwide Anglican Communion. "It demonstrates the determination of these faithful Christians to remain authentic Anglicans."

Last Wednesday (Dec. 3), a group of conservative dissidents announced that they were starting a branch of the Anglican Communion called the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The group claims 100,000 members, including most of four dioceses that have split with the Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the communion, in the last year.

The new province faces several obstacles before it is officially admitted to the Anglican Communion, however, including the approval of two-thirds of the communion's 38 primates.

Released on Dec. 6, the primates' statement was signed by: Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya, Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone (South America), and Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria.

All of the archbishops are members of the Global Anglican Future Conference, a conservative group that disparages the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada as preaching the "false gospel" of gay rights.

Last July, GAFCON, as the group is known, met in Jerusalem and encouraged North American conservatives to create the new province.

In recent years, both the U.S. and Canadian churches have separately moved leftward on sexual orientation issues, including the election of a gay man as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 and the approval of same-sex blessings in some dioceses.

The conservatives' statement was released after the five primates met on Friday with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who is spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans.

Williams has not commented publicly on ACNA. A spokesman has said it will "take years" for ACNA to gain approval as a province.

The GAFCON primates said: "A new province will draw together in unity many of those who wish to remain faithful to the teaching of God's word, and also create the highest level of fellowship possible with the wider Anglican Communion."

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Somali Christian in Kenya Refugee Camp Shot
Simba Tian


December 11, 2008

DADAAB, Kenya (Compass Direct News) -- A Somali Christian put in a refugee camp police cell here for defending his family against Islamic zealots has been released after Christians helped raise the 20,000 Kenya shilling fine (US$266) that a camp "court" demanded for his conversion dishonoring Islam and its prophet, Muhammad.

But for Salat Sekondo Mberwa of Mogadishu, the war-torn capital of Somalia, this was not the highest price he has had to pay for leaving Islam. A few weeks ago Muslim zealots shot Mberwa in the shoulder and left him for dead, and he and other refugees told of hired Muslim gangs in Somalia raping and killing converts, denying them access to water and, in the refugee camp, burning their homes.

"I thank God that I am alive," a timid and worried Mberwa said.

At about 9 a.m. on Oct. 13, five Muslim youths knocked on Mberwa's sheet-iron gate in the refugee camp, one of three that is home to 572,000 refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan in northeastern Kenya's Dadaab town.

"I refused to open the gate, and they started cutting the iron sheets," he said. "They were shouting and calling me names, saying I was the enemy of the Islamic religion, and that I would pay the ultimate price for propagating a different religion. They threatened to kill me if I did not open the door for them."

With him inside the house was his 22-year-old son, Nur Abdurahman, he said.

"As the assailants forced their way into our room, I whispered to my son to prepare for war," he said. "While defending ourselves, I hit one of the young men whom I later came to know as Abdul Kadir Haji."

They soon overpowered the assailants, he said, and the gang ran away, only to return three hours later accompanied by Muslim elders and the police. They arrested Mberwa and detained him at a camp police cell.

After his release, Mberwa said, he was resting inside his house on Nov. 26 at around 6 p.m. when he heard people shouting his name and swearing to "teach him a lesson" for embarrassing them by having left Islam. Once again he decided to lock himself in, and as before the attackers forced their way in.

"I was trying to escape through the window when one of them fired a gun, but the bullet narrowly missed me," he told Compass. "Then I heard another gun fire, and I felt a sharp pain on my left shoulder. I fell down. Thinking that I was dead, they left."

Relatives immediately arrived and gave first aid to the bleeding Mberwa. They arranged treatment for him in Mogadishu, after which he was relocated to Dadaab for recovery.

The officer in charge of Dadaab refugee camp, Omar Dadho, told Compass that authorities were doing their best to safeguard freedom of worship.

"We cannot guarantee the security of the minority Christians among a Muslim-dominated population totaling more than 99 percent," Dadho said. "But we are doing our best to safeguard their freedom of worship. Their leader, Salat, should visit our office so that their matter and complaints can be looked at critically, as well as to try to look for a long-lasting solution."

A bitter and exhausted Mberwa told Compass he was not about to give in.

"What will these Muslims benefit if they completely wipe away my family?" he said. "My son has just arrived from Bossaso with a serious bullet wound on his left hand. It's sad. Anyhow we are happy he is alive."

In November 2005, leaving behind his job at an international relief and development agency in Mogadishu, Mberwa had fled with his family to Dadaab after Muslim extremists murdered a relative, Mariam Mohammed Hassan, allegedly for distributing Bibles. At that time his oldest son, 26-year-old Abdi Salat, had gone to Bossaso, in Somalia's autonomous Puntland region.

Situated in a hostile environment with high temperatures and little or no vegetation cover, Dadaab refugee camps house refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan: 150,000 people in the Dagahaley camp, 152,000 in Ifo and 270,000 in Hagadhera.

Where Mberwa lives as a refugee, Muslim zealots burned a house belonging to his son-in-law, Mohammed Jeylani, also a member of his camp fellowship.

"It was on Oct. 28 when we saw smoke coming out of my house," said Jeylani. "Some neighbors managed to salvage my two young children who were inside the house. The people managed to put out the fire before the house was razed. I have been contemplating reporting the culprits to the police, but I do fear for my life."

Somali Christians cannot openly conduct their fellowship at the relief camps. They meet in their houses and at times at the Dadaab police post among friendly Christian soldiers and public servants.

"They have to be careful since they are constantly being monitored by their fellow Somalis," said Moses Lokong, an officer at Kenya's Department of Land Reclamation in neighboring Garissa town.

Death and Agony in Somalia

Somali refugees in Kenya commonly have loved ones in their home country who have suffered from violence. On July 18 a Muslim gang killed a relative of Mberwa, Nur Osman Muhiji, in Anjel village, 30 kilometers from Kismayo, Somalia.

The church in Dadaab had sent Muhiji to the port of Kismayo on June 15 to smuggle out Christians endangered by Muslim extremists there. Word became known of Muhiji's mission, and on his way back a gang of 10 Muslim extremists stopped his vehicle, dragged him to some bushes and stabbed him to death.

Fearing for their lives, the Christians he was smuggling struggled to remain quiet as Muhiji wailed from the knife attack near Anjel village at about 6:30 p.m.

At the Dadaab refugee camp, Muhiji's widow, Hussein Mariam Ali, told Compass, "Life without Osman is now meaningless -- how will I survive here all alone without him? I wish I had gotten children with him."

Another refugee in Dadaab, Binti Ali Bilal, recounted an attack in Lower Juba, Somalia. The 40-year-old mother of 10 children was fetching firewood with her 23-year-old daughter, Asha Ibrahim Abdalla, on April 15 in an area called Yontoy when a group from the Muslim insurgent group al Shabaab approached them. Yontoy is 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Kismayo.

For some time the local community had suspected that she and her family were Christians, Bilal told Compass. Neighbors with members from al Shabaab, believed to have links with al Qaeda, confronted them, she said.

"They asked whether we were Christians -- it was very difficult for us to deny," Bilal said. "So we openly said that we were Christians. They began beating us. My son who is 10 years old ran away screaming. My daughter then was six months pregnant. They hit me at the ribs before dragging us into the bush. They raped us repeatedly and held us captive for five days."

The Muslim extremists left them there to die, she said.

"My daughter began to bleed -- thank God my husband [Ibrahim Abdalla Maidula] found us alive after the five days of agony," she said. "We were taken to Kismayo for treatment before escaping to Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya on May 5. My daughter gave birth to a sickly baby, and she still suffers after-birth related diseases."

Bilal's daughter told Compass that she still feels pain in her abdomen and chest. She was weak and worried that she may have contracted HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 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 Reaches Out to House Churches; Raids Continue
    * Churches Need to Address Poverty More, Clergy Say
    * UN: Nearly 40 Percent Need Food Aid in N. Korea
    * NAE President Reassures Critics of Pro-Life Stance


China Reaches Out to House Churches; Raids, Arrests Continue

Compass Direct News reports that in recent months Chinese officials have attempted to build bridges with the Protestant house church movement even as police raided more unregistered congregations, arrested Christian leaders and forced at least 400 college students to swear they would stop attending such worship services. Two research institutes -- one from the government -- organized an unprecedented symposium on Nov. 21-22 that concluded with an agreement for house church leaders to begin a dialogue with government officials. A month earlier, the chairman of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement told a gathering of 200 Hong Kong church leaders of his desire to assist Chinese house churches and provide them with Bibles, according to Ecumenical News International. Rights groups pointed to recent raids and arrests, however, as confirmation that Chinese authorities still restrict freedom of worship for local house church Christians. Police have raided at least two house churches since Dec. 2, arresting 70 Christians between the two raid.

Churches Need to Address Poverty More, Clergy Say

Slightly more than half of Christian clergy surveyed say their own congregation should be doing more to address global poverty and health. The survey of 1,024 Protestant and Catholic clergy found that almost two-thirds of them -- 64 percent -- said U.S. churches in general should increase those efforts. But while 57 percent said their own congregation should be doing more, 43 percent said they believed they were doing enough. "The church is really split when it comes to their interest in dealing with international poverty," said David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group, which conducted the research for the ONE Campaign, a secular advocacy organization that has started a ONE Sabbath effort to engage religious congregations. "Usually poverty is something that's mentioned once or twice a year," said Kinnaman.

UN: Nearly 40 Percent Need Food Aid in N. Korea

The Christian Post reports that the end of North Korea's severe food shortage won't come until the next harvest season in October 2009. Until then, about 8.7 million people - 38 percent of North Korea's population will need food assistance until then, as the shortfall grows to more than 800,000 tons of grain until October, according to the World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization. "Accessing enough food and a balanced diet will be almost impossible, particularly for families living in urban areas or in the remote food-deficit provinces in the Northeast," WFP country Representative Torben Duesaid. "This could have grave consequences for the health of the most vulnerable groups." North Korea has been plagued by food shortages since the mid-1990s due to droughts, floods and mismanagement. A 2007 flood is blamed for the most recent crisis.

NAE President Reassures Critics of Pro-Life Stance

The Associated Press reports that National Association of Evangelicals is hastening to set the record straight on its commitment to life, marriage, and other biblical values after controversial statements by its vice president found their way onto airwaves. According to the AP, the Rev. Leith Anderson said in a letter to NAE's board that the wording of the Rev. Richard Cizik, NAE's vice president for governmental affairs, during a recent interview with NPR (National Public Radio) "did not appropriately reflect the positions of the National Association of Evangelicals and its constituents." He continued, "Our NAE stand on marriage, abortion and other biblical values is long, clear and unchanged."

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 11, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Interim Russian Orthodox Leader Chosen
    * Chuck Colson Receives Presidential Medal
    * World Vision Aids Health Care in Zimbabwe
    * More Religious Groups Protect Baby Jesus with GPS

Interim Russian Orthodox Leader Chosen

Religion News Service reports that Metropolitan Kirill, the Russian Orthodox leader of the provinces of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, has been chosen as the interim leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, following the death Friday (Dec.5) of Patriarch Alexy II. Kirill, 62, was chosen by secret ballot by the Holy Synod, a ruling group of 12 senior clergy who met Saturday outside Moscow, Reuters reported. He is considered to be a reformer in his approach to relations with the Russian government and the Roman Catholic Church. He leads the church's external relations department and has appeared often on television representing the church. The church will choose its new permanent head in January.

Chuck Colson Receives Presidential Medal

Former Prison Fellowship Ministries president Chuck Colson was honored Thursday for his ministry to prisoners and their families with the Presidential Citizens Medal, according to a press release.. Presented in person by President George W. Bush, the Presidential Citizens Medal, one of the highest honors the President can give a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Colson spent time in prison for his part in the Watergate events before turning around to form PFM. "Whatever good I may have done is because God saw fit to reach into the depths of Watergate and convert a broken sinner," Chuck says. "Everything that has been accomplished these past 35 years has been by God's grace and sovereign design." Colson credited the medal not to his own work, but to PFM's thousands of volunteers and donors.

World Vision Aids Health Care in Zimbabwe

ASSIST News Service reports that following the recent outbreak of Cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe, the World Vision is at present distributing 500 cholera kits to help protect its staff and other members of the communities that were affected. According to a statement by World Vision's Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director in Zimbabwe, Daniel Muchena, a single cholera kit has enough supplies for 50 people and also contains cholera drugs, water purification tablets, disinfectants, re-hydration kits, and surgical materials such as gloves and sanitizers. Four World Vision staff members with health related backgrounds are working in the quarantine camp in Beitbridge to assist in the clinical management of more than 1,000 patients.

More Religious Groups Protect Baby Jesus with GPS

Increasing numbers of churches and synagogues are protecting their nativity and holiday scenes with more than prayer, the Associated Press reports. Upset with thefts of Baby Jesus and menorahs, many have put GPS systems inside their valuable figurines to relocate them if stolen. One company, New York-based BrickHouse Security, has offered up to 200 nonprofit religious institutions a free month's use of security cameras and LightningGPS products it distributes. "I suspect most of it is childish pranks," said attorney Mike Johnson of the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian legal group. "Clearly, there are adults with an agenda to remove Christ from Christmas. But they tend to occupy themselves with the courts and courtroom of public opinion."

[nChrist]

Disaffected Anglicans Form the New Province
Rebekah Montgomery


December 12, 2008

Wondering what all the fuss in the Anglican/Episcopal Church is all about?

In a nutshell, said the Rev. Peter Frank, director of communications for the Anglican Communion Network, "It is over competing views about who God is, who Jesus is, and what we are going to do about it."

According to Frank and other disaffected Anglicans, the Anglican Church has lost its theological and traditional footing by forgotten who they are and what they believe. Some within the denominational hierarchy have strayed so far in their theological views as to propose -- incredibly -- a religion without God.

While there have long been voices within the Anglican Church calling for a return to foundational principles, the Common Cause Partnership is the first to unite those voices into a cohesive body.

With the Common Cause Partnership acting as midwife, on December 3, the new Anglican Church in North America was born. At a news conference and worship service at the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church in suburban Chicago, bishops, clergy and lay leaders from the United States and Canada unveiled a provisional constitution and the first set of canons.

The new movement unites 700 orthodox and breakaway Anglican congregations, representing roughly 100,000 members. Some within the leadership believe the movement will eventually be recognized as a province -- the Anglican term for the church's largest regional jurisdiction -- by many of the world's Anglican leaders.

"The purpose of this province is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his transforming love in the United States, Canada and beyond," said Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, moderator of the Common Cause Partnership.

Frank says that the new organization has received a letter of support from seven archbishops as well as other primates in the Anglican union.

The archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, has left open the doors of communications as well. But, said Frank, it remains to be seen how the relationship between the new Anglican Church in North America and the old hierarchy plays out.

The Anglican Church in North America -- A Unity of Disaffected "Mushrooms"

For quite a while, said Frank, groups of Anglicans disaffected by trendy theologies have been "popping up like mushrooms." Receiving the most notoriety are issues concerning the ordination of openly homosexual clergy and same sex blessing ceremonies.

"Not all the disaffected had entirely the same issues," Frank said, "but we had the same foundations in common: Jesus, the scriptures, and the Anglican form of worship."

The Common Cause Partnership was formed four years ago when leaders of disaffected Anglican splinter groups began talking to one another, Frank said. Over time, they formed the goal of unity and agreed together to become a church.

Frank emphasized that the Anglican Church in North America did not pull congregations out of the Anglican Church, but united groups that for theological reasons had already left the Anglican Church.

"We're not taking people who are still a part of the Anglican Church, but people who have left. We are uniting, not dividing," said Frank.

Currently, the Anglican Church in North America encapsulates eight Anglican jurisdictions and organizations in North America: the American Anglican Council; the Anglican Coalition in Canada; the Anglican Communion Network, whose bishop, Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, will lead the new body; the Anglican Mission in the Americas; the Anglican Network in Canada, which affiliates with South America's Southern Cone province; the Convocation of Anglicans in North America; Forward in Faith North America; the Reformed Episcopal Church; and bishops and congregations in Kenya, Uganda and Southern Cone, which shepherded the four seceding Episcopal diocese in the U.S.

Four dioceses in the U.S. have seceded from the national Episcopal Church: San Joaquin in Fresno, California; Quincy, Illinois; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Forth Worth, Texas. About 100 additional parishes are estimated to have withdrawn apart from their dioceses.

"By June (when the Anglican Church in North America meets to ratify its constitution), the Common Cause Partnership will have done its job as a transition body by giving birth to the Anglican Church in North America," Frank said. "Then we hope we can get on to what we are supposed to be doing, which is Christian ministry."

Frank hopes the Anglican Church in North America will heal some of the breaches within the Church, but acknowledges unspecified threats from unnamed groups as well as lawsuits.

"Last year, the Episcopal church spent $2 million on lawsuits to reclaim parish properties (from disaffected congregations.) We can't be sure how those lawsuits will come out. There are some lawsuits pending and some settled favorably for the congregations. Some congregations have put the keys (to their church properties) on the desk and walked away. You just don't sue people back in the church."

In spite of the troubled birth of the Anglican Church in North America, Frank says the new body will continue to "move against the trend" and maintain the traditions of what it means to be Anglican: maintenance of the distinctive characteristics of the English reformation, a high view of scripture, and a deep appreciation of church tradition.

[nChrist]

Do Americans Really Want to "Make a Difference"?
Robert Wayne


December 12, 2008

The child awakens in a rush, performing the bedcover toss like it was an Olympic sport. Feet hit the floor only for a second before legs launch the wide-eyed pajama wearer down the stairs in a sprint toward those multi-colored gifts under the tree.

Minutes seem like hours as the tykes and tykettes await their turn tearing open the tightly-wrapped presents. Finally, their name is called and they rip into the package to find ...

Stop there for a second. So far, the Christmas morning scene is analogous to an increasing desire for a worthwhile purpose among a majority of Americans, whether they consider themselves born-again Christians or not. It is a racing-down-the-steps search to find our gifting and that place where we best fit. And the desire is growing.

"Over the last 10 years we've found an increase in the percentage of Americans who say 'making a difference' is a desirable outcome," said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, which conducted a recent survey showing that many Americans consider themselves to be socially conscious even if they don't embrace spiritual labels.

Three out of every four adults (78 percent) say they are making a difference in the world while nearly nine out of every 10 Americans (86 percent) describe themselves as caring deeply about social injustice. The same percentage are concerned about the moral condition of the country.

"There is a great sensibility about wanting to make a difference and leaving a positive imprint on the world. There is a growing appetite for that; it's a new spirituality," said Kinnaman, who directed the study. "It may not reflect reality but at least it gives them a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves."

There's the rub. Like the child who opens the Christmas present only to find a pair of socks -- nothing much of interest inside -- the "new spirituality" may be lacking substance.

"Making a difference," as presented in the survey, only focused on impact to the individual. The question "Just how important is it to you to make a difference in life?" may make you feel good, but does not address whether others are benefitting as well.

So are people actually making a difference or simply thinking about making a difference?

The evidence is mostly anecdotal -- Barna did not query subjects on the details of their difference making -- but there is some statistical data to suggest that while Americans want to be instruments of change, the desire may involve as much aspiration as perspiration.

For instance, an October Barna study showed that few adults, including Christians, have ever gone on a short-term missions trip, despite such trips typically being judged as life-changing experiences.

Although missions trips are the only barometer of "outreach," the results still surprised Kinnaman.

"You hear in so many circles that people participate in service trips, but the reality is that even only a little amount of churchgoers have done that," he said. "Probably more is happening out there than meets the eye, more than just short-term missions. But it's maybe greater in the aspirational sense than actual boots on the ground."

Kinnaman pointed out another apparent contradiction between younger Americans stating a desire to serve and actually putting their money where their mouths are.

"If you look at per capita, Americans are some of the most generous on the planet," he said. "What may be disturbing is that younger people are giving a much smaller percent of their income than a generation ago."

In other words, younger Americans have a greater appetite to do good than their predecessors, but a smaller capacity to do good, too, Kinnaman said.

Jeff Pinkleton, city director of The Gathering of Greater Springfield, a Christian leadership ministry in Ohio, commented on the "true and false" contradictions revealed by the Barna study.

"It's the Barack Obama faith -- getting away from labels, which is definitely true," said Pinkleton, who has ministry experience both with teens and adults. "People are more active than ever in being for causes ... and are doing more local stuff with the local community."

On the other hand, when Pinkleton asked a 20-something friend if younger people were serious about seeking a more simplified, less "churchy" method of ministry, he was told, "From my experience it's a lot of talk.

What Pinkleton thinks the Barna study shows is that Americans have a deep need to be connected to and feel accepted by something larger and more authentic than the modern American church.

"The church is void of relationship," he said. "So people are trying to build community. Unfortunately, the church doesn't always provide it."

If true, the church is not alone in coming off as conflicted. The Barna study showed that Americans have their inconsistencies, too. For instance, while 71 percent of adults believe they are fulfilling their calling in life, 51 percent also say they are searching for meaning and purpose. Also, while 84 percent of Americans feel very much at peace with life, and an equal percentage say they live a simple life, 55 percent reject the statement "you would not change anything significant about your life."

And as for that peaceful life -- seven out of 10 Americans (68 percent) say they are "totally committed to getting ahead in life."

The Barna numbers show that born-again Christians and unchurched Americans are not too dissimilar in their views on "making a difference."

Born-again Christians were more likely than others to see themselves as making a positive difference in the world (83 percent to 74 percent) and more likely to be fulfilling personal life calling (76 percent to 67 percent.)

An increasing number of Americans connecting with concepts like simplicity, personal calling, social justice and making a difference suggests effective hooks for engaging today's culture, Kinnaman said.

But the language of spirituality -- the way Christians communicate their message -- will become more difficult as the nation's population becomes more fractured along lines of age, ethnicity, technology and skepticism of organized religion, he said.

"Christian leaders who hope to have mainstream influence ... will have to find and communicate common values but also be cautious not to pursue mainstream credibility at the cost of simplistic or spiritually impotent solutions."

Pinkleton surveys the American scene and sees people wanting to be transformed more by the truth of God than the "talk" of church.

They want to reach under the tree, tear open the box and find the gift -- of giving.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 12, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Cizik Resigns from National Association of Evangelicals
    * Pope Cautions against Blurring Religious Differences
    * China: Pastor 'Bike' Prevented from Filing Complaints
    * Nigeria: Six Pastors Killed, 40 Churches Razed


Cizik Resigns from National Association of Evangelicals

Christianity Today reports that Richard Cizik resigned as the vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) Wednesday night. This follows an interview Cizik gave National Public Radio, in which he commented about his support for same-sex civil unions and his early support of President-elect Barack Obama, causing much concern over NAE's position on traditional marriage. "Although he has subsequently expressed regret, apologized, and affirmed our values, there is a loss of trust in his credibility as a spokesperson among leaders and constituencies," Leith Anderson, president of the NAE wrote to board members today.

Pope Cautions against Blurring Lines of Religious Differences

Religion News Service reports that Pope Benedict XVI praised collaboration with other faiths in pursuit of common social goals, but cautioned against dialogue that could lead to blurring of religious differences. Benedict's statement, released on Tuesday (Dec. 9), was addressed to participants in a Vatican-sponsored academic event connected to the current European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. "Let believers always be ready to promote initiatives of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, in order to stimulate collaboration in areas of common interest, such as the dignity of the human person, the search for the common good, peace-building, and development," he wrote. Benedict added that "to be authentic, such dialogue must avoid yielding to relativism and syncretism."

China: Pastor 'Bike' Prevented from Filing Complaints

On December 4, 2008 Pastor "Bike" Zhang Mingxuan attempted to file a complaint against the government decision to abolish the Chinese House Church Alliance, but the No. 2 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing refused to accept the case. In support of the Chinese House Church Alliance, 15 Chinese Christian legal professionals and intellectuals have issued a formal solemn declaration against the actions of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, stating in part, "If this order of abolishment continues to be used in other expanded areas, this could well cause the abolishment of all the Christian house churches." Elsewhere in China, imprisoned Christian Shi Weihand, a Christian bookstore owner and house church leader, has yet to be formally charged since he was arrested March 19. He may be held without charges for up to three years. Authorities continue to pressure his family.

Nigeria: Six Pastors Killed, 40 Churches Razed

Compass Direct News reports that he murderous rioting sparked by Muslim attacks on Christians and their property on Nov. 28-29 left six pastors dead, at least 500 other people killed and 40 churches destroyed, according to church leaders. More than 25,000 persons have been displaced in the two days of violence, according to the National Emergency Management Agency. What began as outrage over suspected vote fraud in local elections quickly hit the religious fault line that quakes from time to time in this city located between the Islamic north and Christian south, as angry Muslims took aim at Christian sites rather than at political targets. Police and troops reportedly killed about 400 rampaging Muslims in an effort to quell the unrest, and Islamists shot, slashed or stabbed to death most of more than 100 Christians killed.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Dec. 15, 2008
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Vatican Updates Code on Birth Technologies
    * Breakaway Anglicans Begin Official Transition
    * Faith a "Private Eccentricity" in England, Says Catholic Cleric
    * New Statement May Eliminate China House Churches


Vatican Updates Code on Birth Technologies

Catholic News Service reports that the Roman Catholic Church has updated its official stance on many modern reproductive technologies in a new document released Friday. "Dignitas Personae," or "Human Dignity," addresses recent development in stem-cell research, gene therapy and embryonic experimentation, evaluating which are acceptable and which "reflect an attempt by man 'to take the place of his Creator.'" This is the first authoritative document on biomedical reproductive technologies the pope has signed since 1987. "Back then we didn't have 500,000 frozen embryos. No one was talking about embryonic stem cell research or pre-implantation embryonic diagnosis," John Haas, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, told USA Today.

Breakaway Anglicans Begin Official Transition

The Christian Post reports that signing members of the new breakaway Anglican province took the first steps of transition into the new body Tuesday. The annual council meeting of the Anglican Communion Network voted to begin turning over financial and administrative support to the new province. "God did not use the Network to change the direction of The Episcopal Church as we had originally hoped," said Bishop Robert Duncan, who leads the network and is expected to lead the new North American province. "He has used it and us to create a Biblical, missionary and united Anglican province-in-waiting here in North America. We are deeply thankful to Him and to all who have supported its work." The Anglican Communion Network will disband when the transition, which will take about six months, is complete.

Faith a "Private Eccentricity" in England, Says Catholic Cleric

Religion News Service reports that the leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales warns that liberalism has turned Britain into a nation where religious belief is seen as a "private eccentricity" and atheism is becoming increasingly more "vocal and aggressive." Writing in a book released this week, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor came down hard on what he said was Britain's growing degeneration into a land free of morals and hostile to Christian values. The book, called "Faith in the Nation," was published by the Institute for Public Policy Research and counts among its supporters Prime Minister Gordon Brown, himself the son of a hard-line Church of Scotland minister. Murphy-O'Connor cites "serious tensions" between Christians and secularists in his book. The result, he said, has become an "unfriendly climate for people of all faiths" that has, as a result, united Britain's three major faiths: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

New Statement May Eliminate China House Churches

Baptist Press reports that China's ministry of civil affairs has issued a statement calling for the elimination of the Chinese House Church Alliance, a move some say "could well cause the abolishment of all the Christian house churches" in the communist country. The alliance, led by Pastor "Bike" Zhang Mingxuan, was established in 2005 and has been engaging in Christian missionary work and charity activities, according to the U.S-based China Aid Association Dec. 9. News of the crackdown follows harsh rhetoric by Zhou Yongkang, the leader of the Central Political and Legislative Committee within the Communist Party, who in recent months called for "extraordinary measures to be taken against house churches." News reports did not indicate whether the two occurrences were directly linked.