RELIGION TODAY

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Teen's Vision Brings Safe Water to Darfur
Mark Kelly


March 25, 2009

MILAN, Tenn. (BP) -- Joshua Guthrie was a troubled teen. Like many others of his generation, the high school sophomore was troubled by the needless suffering of so many people in so many places. Hunger and poverty. Wartime atrocities and sex trafficking. AIDS orphans and genocides.

It seemed so impossible for a 16-year-old in west Tennessee to make a difference.

Then Joshua read "Do Hard Things," a bestselling book by twin brothers Alex and Brett Harris, at 20 years old only barely out of their teens themselves. The book challenges young people to rebel against "the myth of adolescence" -- the notion that teens are by nature irresponsible, immature and rebellious. "By breaking the mold of what society thinks we are capable of, teens can achieve so much more than what's expected," the brothers write. "We've seen 'average' teenagers transformed from channel changers to world changers who are accomplishing incredible things."

The book rocked Joshua's world.

"For as long as I can remember, my family has supported children through World Vision, and we have gotten their catalogs, which list items you can buy for needy people around the world," Joshua said during an interview at his parents' home near Milan, Tenn. "I had always wanted to be able to buy one of the really big items, like the largest well, which was $10,000."

Joshua knew that clean, safe water is a life-and-death issue for nearly 900 million people around the world. He found it deeply disturbing that water-related disease kills more than 3.5 million people each year -- the vast majority of them children, almost half of them because of simple diarrhea.

Joshua's desire to help grew even more when Jeff Palmer, executive director for Baptist Global Response, came to the Guthrie home for dinner in the spring of 2008. Palmer and Joshua's dad, George, had been friends since their college days at Union University in nearby Jackson, Tenn., where George Guthrie now serves as a Bible professor. Joshua learned that Baptist Global Response, an international relief and development organization, works on precisely the kind of human needs ministries he cared so much about.

"Mr. Palmer told me Baptist Global Response was helping drill water wells in Sudan and he gave me some tips about how to go about raising money for a project like that," Joshua recounted. "I thought that paying for a well would be a really cool thing to do, but a teen really can't save up $8,000 or $10,000 for a well. I knew I would have to raise it with the help of others. When I read Do Hard Things, I thought, 'I really need to get going on this if I actually want to do anything.' So I kind of took the step to get started."

Joshua zeroed in on the idea of giving other teens an achievable goal: giving up one drink so they could give $1 to help build one well in Sudan. He set a goal of raising $8,000 by Christmas. With his parents' help, he reserved an Internet domain -- dollarforadrink.org. They registered the new organization as a nonprofit, got a post office box and set a launch date of Oct. 1. They got a basic website up, and Joshua started talking the project up in the forums at the Harris brothers' website, therebelution.com.

"It's a wonderfully run website," Joshua said. "I got lots of advice, encouragement and suggestions, even before I started the project. Then the Harris brothers announced they would match all donations given by their members, up to a total of $1,000.

"It came in fast," Joshua said. "The first gift we received was $250 from a college student. In less than two weeks, we had reached the $1,000 matching gift goal. And the day after Christmas, when we received the $1,000 check from Alex and Brett Harris, we had raised a little over $10,000."

Money kept coming in, however, and by the time they were ready to write the check to Baptist Global Response, the total had risen to $11,200.

The drive succeeded, not because of large checks, but because so many people made small donations.

"We had kids who were in their youth groups or on their campuses doing these mini-drives," said Joshua's mother, Pat. "We'd get these checks from these little churches and groups, just all over the place."

"Apart from the Rebelution check, everything else was pretty much small donations," Joshua said. "We didn't have a whole lot of single-dollar donations, but we had lots of $5 and $10 gifts. I'm sure lots of people in churches and at schools gave single dollars, but it just came to us in a larger check.

"Through the post office box, we got a lot of money in with cards and letters, just giving us encouragement to keep going and that they really appreciated what I was doing," he added. "It was always a lot of fun to go to the post office and find a large stack of letters and read them. My favorite was from a little old lady in a nursing home who said, 'I don't have much I can give. I just wanted to give what I could,' and there was like $5 in the envelope. It was so sweet. I wrote her back to thank her."

On March 15, Joshua received photos of the well put in by his Dollar for a Drink campaign. The photos were sent by Abraham Shepherd, who directs Baptist Global Response work in North Africa. One image showed young people from a community of about 6,000 people in Sudan's Darfur region, drawing water from the new borehole. Before this well was drilled, people had to walk at least four hours to get to a source of clean water, Shepherd said.

"On behalf of the needy people of Sudan, I thank you for caring and rallying others to care with you, to provide that drink of water," Shepherd wrote. "When I told them about your desire to raise more funds and drill more wells, in working with BGR, the response from Sudan was: 'We need all the help that we can get. We need people like yourself who will help us quench the thirst of the needy and give them hope.'"

Jeff Palmer agreed: "The Apostle Paul said to Timothy, 'Don't let anyone look down upon you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.' I think Joshua has set that kind of example for us all. He took on this awesome vision, followed God's leading and showed a whole generation his own age, as well as those much older, that God can do amazing things when we hear and follow His plans for us. My prayer is that more people will be inspired by Josh's story and dare to make a difference."

Joshua has his sights set on another round of fundraising -- with a goal of $16,000 to drill two wells. This time, he can spend his summer raising awareness, instead of organizing the project, and he plans to launch the campaign Sept. 1 to coincide with the start of school.

He said he has learned two important lessons from his experience.

"I learned you actually have to take the first step forward," he said. "In the beginning, I was just kind of thinking, 'Well, what do I need to do?' I guess starting something like this was kind of intimidating. But Dad and I sat down and made a list of five things we needed to do. They were real simple things, and then we just kind of got going with it. Things started accelerating, and by the time we got into October, I was kind of like, 'How did we get here?'

"I also learned you've got to trust God that it's possible to do something like this," he noted. "It doesn't matter what your age is. So often people think, 'Well, that person is exceptionally gifted' or 'That person really had the right resources. I couldn't do that.' I'm just a completely ordinary guy, but I serve an extraordinary God.

"I just really want to say that it's possible for God to use you, if you'll just take the step forward and let Him do His work."

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Action Urged for Missing Rights Activist in China
Edward Ross


March 26, 2009

LOS ANGELES (Compass Direct News) -- Certain that Chinese authorities are torturing Christian human rights activist Gao Zhisheng following the escape of his family to the United States, advocacy group China Aid Association (CAA) urged the international community to take action on his behalf.

Earlier this year Gao had authorized CAA to release his account of 50 days of torture by state-sponsored thugs in September and October of 2007. Gao had written the account in November 2007 while under house arrest in Beijing after prolonged beatings and electric shocks on his mouth and genitals.

"Every time when I was tortured," Gao wrote, "I was always repeatedly threatened that if I spelled out later what had happened to me, I would be tortured again, but I was told, 'This time it will happen in front of your wife and children.'"

On Jan. 9, less than a month before state security agents in his home village in Shaanxi province abducted him on Feb. 4, Gao's family members began their escape from China. They arrived on foot to Thailand and eventually were whisked to the United States. They arrived in Los Angeles on March 11 and transferred to New York on March 14.

Gao's wife, Geng He, along with 16-year-old daughter Geng Ge and 5-year-old son Gao Tianyu, fear for his safety. In his 2007 account, Gao had written that those who captured and tortured him warned that if he revealed their ill treatment of him, he would be killed.

Gao wrote that Chinese officials among his captors -- some of whom he recognized -- referred to a report he had written on the torture of members of the Falun Gong spiritual group and warned him that he was about to suffer the same way. They urinated on him and repeatedly prodded his body, mouth and genitals with electric shock batons.

He described a tall, strong man who pulled his hair and said repeatedly, "Your death is sure if you share this with the outside world."

Escape from China

Gao's wife reportedly said that fleeing China was "extraordinarily difficult," and that friends risked their lives to help them defect.

Geng reportedly said that Gao, under constant police surveillance, was unable to accompany them. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Geng told Radio Free Asia that the family traveled by train before crossing into Thailand on foot -- walking day and night.

Her daughter and son had been under virtual house arrest, according to the AFP report. The adolescent Geng Ge had been unable to attend school, and with her increasing desperation came several suicide attempts, Gao's wife reportedly told Radio Free Asia. The family is seeking asylum in the United States.

Several groups aided their escape, according to The Epoch Times, including Friends of Gao Zhisheng, the Global Association for the Rescue of Gao Zhisheng and the U.N. Refugee Agency.

Gao, who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, has also defended house church Christians and coal miners as well as members of the banned Falun Gong, which fuses Buddhist-inspired teachings with forms of meditation. In 1999 Beijing banned it as an "evil cult."

Gao's suffering in the fall of 2007 followed an open letter he wrote to the U.S. Congress describing China's torture of Falun Gong members and other human rights abuses.

"The persecution of Falun Gong is the worst disaster to human nature in this era," he wrote. "It does not mean, however, that the rights of other religious groups in China are not violated. The CCP [Chinese Communist Party]'s continuous suppression of Christian family churches is comparable to the shocking persecution of Falun Gong."

Persecution in towns and villages toward house church members is "no different from the disaster suffered by Falun Gong practitioners," he wrote. "In my hometown, a small county, the number of arrested, detained, and robbed family church members each year is far beyond persecuted Falun Gong practitioners, and this illegal persecution has been going on for a long time."

Harassment of house church Christians increased significantly last year, according to CAA. A total of 2,027 Christians were affected in incidents reported to CAA in 2008, compared with 788 people in 2007. Of the 2008 total, 764 Christians were arrested and detained, most for brief periods, and 35 were sentenced to prison terms or re-education through labor.

In Beijing, the total number of people persecuted was 539, up 418 percent from the 104 reported in 2007, CAA said.

In his November 2007 account, released last Feb. 9, Gao said that officials asked him to write articles cursing Falun Gong and praising the government. When he refused, they pressured him to write a statement saying that Falun Gong practitioners had given him false evidence of torture, and that -- despite constant harassment -- the government had treated him and his family well. Gao said he signed this statement, as well as others in which he confessed to sexual impropriety, after beatings that left him unrecognizable.

Eventually, he wrote in the November 2007 account, under torture he agreed to his captors' demand that he admit to illicit affairs, and he invented stories about four different women.

Gao, who at one time had been honored by China's justice ministry as one of the top 10 lawyers for his service to the poor, resigned his membership in the CCP in 2005 to protest repression of the Falun Gong.

CAA and Gao's family are urging concerned people worldwide to sign a petition to the Chinese government advocating his release at www.FreeGao.com.

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Aid Groups Puzzle Expulsions, But Dedicated to Darfur
Rebekah Montgomery


March 27, 2009

Not all news from the Darfur region of Sudan is bad news, depending on your perspective. After the expulsion of 13 aid groups earlier this month, Christian relief organizations, such as Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, and Make Way Partners, have been permitted to stay in the region and are attempting to fill the gap.

Following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir -- perhaps in response to it -- the Sudanese government expelled 13 of the largest international aid agencies, including Oxfam, CARE, and Medecins Sans Frontieres, as well as three domestic organizations.

This action has shocked some aid workers in Darfur, home to the world's biggest humanitarian operation. Others think some aid organizations were begging to be sent home because some endorsed the indictment of al-Bashir.

About 4.7 million people rely on food, medical or water aid in Darfur, including 2.7 million people displaced by fighting. Some news organizations have estimated that the expelled organizations carried out at least 50 percent of the work there.

"No one really knows why" certain aid organizations were expelled and others were allowed to stay, said Rachel Wolff, World Vision's media contact for disaster response and breaking news.

Various news organizations have floated theories as to why al-Bashir, a Muslim, expelled secular aid groups but permitted Christian organizations to stay. Some aid organizations still operating in Darfur are hesitant to comment, although some speculate that the on-going dialogue between Samaritan's Purse's Franklin Graham and al-Bashir has kept his government friendly to Christian aid groups.

Kimberly Smith, president of child aid group Make Way Partners, guesses that in addition to al-Bashir's resentment over his indictment, there might be additional reasons.

"Some [of the 13 expelled aid organizations] were doing good work. But before al-Bashir's indictment, tension between the government and the aid organizations was already there. Organizations where Westerners run the show are the first to be kicked out," she said.

Smith explained that there are two extremes in aid organizations' modes of operation: One sends money and food with no oversight as to how the money is spent and how -- or if -- food and medicine is delivered to the needy. The other extreme says to the indigenous people, "You're stupid. We'll do the work."

Smith and Make Way Partners believe a better way is to identify and train indigenous leaders, then send money and supplies while monitoring their administration.

"I think the reason we are still in Darfur has less to do with Franklin Graham's connections with al-Bashir and more to do with the spirit of Christians," said Smith. "Christians come in as humble servants, not necessarily to covert the people, but because the love of Christ compels us to relieve physical suffering, then perhaps eventually, their soul's suffering."

Smith does not worry about Make Way Partners being kicked out next. "The government knows we are not there for a power grab but helping in the name of Christ. We have not been threatened in any way."

Nonetheless, because these 13 aid groups have been forced to leave the country, smaller aid groups can only do so much to fill the gap. As a result, more people are in danger of death by starvation, thirst, or disease.

But remaining organizations soldier on.

"Our programs were never interrupted," said Wolff. "The needs in Darfur have remained. As a global community, we need to focus on Darfur. The desperation is very real and there are still ways to help. The fundamental situation that created this life-or-death crisis still exists."

The four-year conflict between al-Bashir's jihadist-backed militia (Janjaweed) in the north against the mostly-Christian people of the south has driven more than 2.7 million people into temporary camps, most with nothing but the clothing on their backs. More than 4 million have been killed.

Although Sudan signed a peace treaty in January 2005, the country is still in a state of turmoil. Prior to January, the Janjaweed bombed or burned schools, churches, homes, clinics and crops and poisoned wells. Up to 2 million women and children were enslaved. Thousands of those slaves are now being released but have no home to go to.

Here is where the remaining Christian aid organizations make a difference. Since June 2004, World Vision has provided humanitarian assistance to war-affected children and adults in Darfur. Make Way Partners has also been in Darfur about the same time, establishing long-term discipleship programs, clinics, schools, and orphanages.

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Religion Today Summaries - Mar. 19, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Columbia: Guerrillas Threaten, Kill Christians
    * Salvation Army Raises Record $130M amid Downturn
    * Appeals Court Upholds Texas Moment of Silence Law
    * Highly Religious Patients Fight to Live Longer

Columbia: Guerrillas Threaten, Kill Christians

Compass Direct News reports that a pastor in Colombia's northern department of Arauca took seriously the death threats that guerrillas issued on Friday (March 13). The leftist rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN) previously sentenced him to die for holding Christian worship services in 2006. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have issued similar threats, and carried them out. FARC guerrillas control the southwestern department of Huila, where last November four Christians were killed. Their pastor, Hernan Camacho, has moved with his family out of the area after receiving death threats. "[The FARC guerrillas] say that we, the evangelical ones, are their worst enemy because we teach the people not to take up weapons," Pastor Camacho said.

Salvation Army Raises Record $130M Amid Downturn

The Salvation Army recently announced that the 2008 holiday season broke two donation records in the Red Kettle campaign, according to the Christian Post. Despite hard time, donations to the charity hit $130 million, surpassing the previous record by $12 million. The charity also saw a 10 percent spike in donations over the previous year -- the largest one-year jump since 1997. "The record level of Red Kettle fundraising this year is an indicator that the American public is still willing to give during times of great need," said Salvation Army spokesperson Melissa Temme. Still, areas such as Detroit saw significant drops in donations. "So, while this (total giving) is obviously good news, we don't want to downplay the significant struggles that certain parts of the country are having in terms of fundraising and the fact that the money raised locally stays locally," Temme said.

Appeals Court Upholds Texas Moment of Silence Law

Religion News Service reports that a federal appeals court on Monday (March 16) upheld a Texas law that requires public school students to observe a daily minute of silence following the Pledge of Allegiance. "The statute is facially neutral between religious and nonreligious activities that students can choose to engage in during the moment of silence," a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote. The judges quoted a decision by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor that said "It is difficult to discern a serious threat to religious liberty from a room of silent, thoughtful schoolchildren." The Texas ordinance, which took effect in September 2003, says students can use the minute to "reflect, pray, meditate, or engage in any other silent activity that is not likely to interfere with or distract another student."

Highly Religious Patients Fight to Live Longer

The Christian Post reports that advanced cancer patients who rely on religion to cope with their situation are more likely to seek aggressive treatment until the end, a new study finds. "People think that spiritual patients are more likely to say their lives are in God's hands -- 'Let what happens happen' -- but in fact we know they want more aggressive care," said Holly G. Prigerson, the study's senior author and director of the Center for Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, according to The New York Times. "To religious people, life is sacred and sanctified, and there's a sense they feel it's their duty and obligation to stay alive as long as possible," she added. The study was published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Religion Today Summaries - Mar. 20, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Evangelicals Applaud Obama for Sudan Envoy Appointment
    * Anti-Conversion Bill Debate in Sri Lank Suffers Setback
    * Denver Churches Offer Job Help and a Prayer
    * Some Christians Stay Put in Iraq; Others Arrive in Germany

Evangelicals Applaud Obama for Sudan Envoy Appointment

The Christian Post reports that President Barack Obama has appointed retired Air Force Gen. J. Scott Gration to serve as special envoy to Sudan. "I believe President Obama is taking the right action by appointing retired Air Force General Scott Gration as Special Envoy to Sudan," said Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. "This is a critical time in Sudan and it is important for the United States to do as much as possible to help the millions of people whose lives hang in the balance because of the ongoing crises there." The Rev. Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director and CEO of the World Evangelical Alliance, also praised President Obama's new appointment, saying that "millions of lives are at risk" in Darfur after 13 agencies were recently expelled.

Anti-Conversion Bill Debate in Sri Lank Suffers Setback

ASSIST News Service reports that the controversial anti-conversion bill under consideration in Sri Lanka has suffered a great setback. Parliament recently suspended the bill as a result of intense opposition from the Christian population. In a report from the UK-based Release International (RI), a parliamentary committee comprised of Christian members and leaders of political parties examined the bill and agreed that it could have serious consequences on religious activities, spark inter-religious conflict and possibly violate the country's constitution. Minister of Religious Affairs Pandu Bandaranayake confirmed that Christians have called for clearer wording in the bill. The bill will be re-examined by the Ministry's religious consultative committee, despite the opposition from the Buddhist-led party, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU)

Denver Churches Offer Job Help and a Prayer

The Detroit News reports that the city's churches are becoming career centers, providing laid-off workers with services like resume writing and interviewing tips. "We have seen our own members facing these major transitions. At a time when this is really prevalent, we can't ignore it," said the Rev. Barry Allen, pastor of Bethesda Christian Church in Sterling Heights. "It's a hard, hard transition in life, even if you know it's coming." While Allen notes that the focus is getting practical help to the community, the church does include its faith. Allen does not always include prayer or Scripture references at workshops, but often hands out prayer request sheets to those attending.

Some Christians Stay Put in Iraq; Others Arrive in Germany

Agence-France Presse reports that some Christian communities in Iraq are determined to ride out the storm. The tiny Armenian minority, which has resided in current-day Iraq since the 17th century, has dwindled from 35,000-40,000 in the 1950s to only 12,000 today. Still, "This is our land too. We are here to stay" despite having "problems sometimes with the (Islamist) fanatics," said Archpriest Nareg Ishkhanian. "The rich have all gone. Now, we are the rich because we serve the church and the community." Meanwhile, a group of 122 Iraqis, many of them Christians, arrived in northern Germany as refugees. They are the first wave of 10,000 vulnerable Iraqi refugees who will be offered three-year, extendable residency permits in member countries of the European Union, the Associated Press reports.

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Religion Today Summaries - Mar. 23, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Sudan: Despite Assurances, Aid Groups Unsure of Future
    * Anglicans Form New Dioceses for Rival Body
    * Turkey: 'Insulting Turkishness' Case Proceeds
    * Iranian Extremists Threaten to Kill 3 Ex-Muslim Pastors

Sudan: Despite Assurances, Aid Groups Unsure of Future

Mission News Network (MNN) reports that new projects by aid groups in Sudan are in limbo despite government assurances that no more aid groups will be expelled. Thirteen foreign aid groups were kicked out of Darfur earlier this month after a world court issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir. Bashir then threatened to expel all foreign aid groups within one year. According to MNN, most groups now believe the threat will not be acted upon. Still, ministries are placing future projects "on hold" in southern Sudan. "This may stop long-term commitments to have a presence on the ground. What we're hoping for is to continue going in and doing short-term seminars and delivering short-term aid to churches. We don't know as of yet how this really will affect the situation for Every Child Ministries in Sudan," said Lorella Rouster with Every Child Ministries.

Anglicans Form New Dioceses for Rival Body

The Christian Post reports that several Anglican congregations in the southeast and northwest are ready to join the growing Anglican Church in North America, a rival church to the more liberal U.S. Episcopal Church. Seven congregations in Washington state have come together to form the "Diocese of Cascadia," and have formally requested membership in the new body. Meanwhile, 73 Anglican clergy and lay leaders in Jacksonville, Fla., are moving towards forming the "Anglican Diocese in the Southeast." "Today, we are committing to an Anglican reawakening and to contributing to a Christian reawakening for a revival here in the Pacific Northwest," said Fr. Kevin Bond Allen, president of the new Washington diocese.

Turkey: 'Insulting Turkishness' Case Proceeds

Compass Direct News reports that a Turkish court decided last month to try two Christians under a revised version of a controversial law for "insulting Turkishness" because they spoke about their faith A Silivri court on Feb. 24 received the go-ahead from the Ministry of Justice to try Christians Turan Topal and Hakan Tastan under the revised Article 301 -- a law that has sparked outrage among proponents of free speech. The court had sent the case to the Ministry of Justice after the government put into effect a series of changes -- which critics have called "cosmetic" -- to the law. The justice ministry decision came as a surprise to Topal and Tastan and their lawyer, as missionary activities are not illegal in Turkey. Defense lawyer Haydar Polat said no concrete evidence of insulting Turkey or Islam has emerged since the case first opened two years ago.

Iranian Extremists Threaten to Kill 3 Ex-Muslim Pastors

The Christian Post reports that some Iranian Christians cannot escape threats even once they leave country. Three Iranian pastors in Athens, Greece, received a letter March 11 stating that, unless they return to Islam, they will found and killed as apostates. The letter, written by a radical group calling themselves "The Hezbelloah Party," accused the pastors of "anti-Islamic activities" and participation in "espionage organizations" against Iran. "Be aware that in these days that the power of the Islamic world is growing, it's army and economy's success have blinded the American and European government and have defeated and scared them," the letter reads. The group threatened to "fulfill our religious duty towards you" if the pastors do not convert back to Islam. The pastors currently work with Iranian and Afghani expatriates and refugees in Greece.

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Religion Today Summaries - Mar. 24, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Church of Nigeria Formally Accepts New Anglican Province
    * 2009 Christian Book of the Year: The ESV Study Bible
    * River Ministry Surpasses 20,000 Professions of Faith
    * Pope Warns against Witchcraft in Angola


Church of Nigeria Formally Accepts New Anglican Province

The Christian Post reports that the newly formed Anglican body in North America has gained official recognition from the Church of Nigeria, the largest province in the Anglican Communion. Archbishop Peter Akinola, primate of the Church of Nigeria, has often called for return to orthodox tradition in the U.S. Episcopal Church. The Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria announced their decision of "full communion" with the new North American body on Friday. "In this one action, leaders representing every diocese in the Church of Nigeria, which in turn count as members more than a quarter of the world's Anglicans, have declared themselves to be full partners of the Anglican Church in North America," said Bishop Robert Duncan, who is to lead the Anglican Church in North America.

2009 Christian Book of the Year: The ESV Study Bible

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced the 2009 Christian Book of the Year Friday, awarding the ESV Study Bible the top honor. This is the first time a study Bible won the top honor in the ECPA's 30-year history. The ESV Study Bible, which sold more than 180,000 copies within five months of release, also won its category for best Bible, the first time a Bible has won both its category and the overall Book of the Year award. The ESV Study Bible released to strong demand in October 2008, selling out of its 100,000-copy first printing as quickly as it reached bookstores shelves. Winners from other categories included Spectacular Sins by John Piper and Holiness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges.

River Ministry Surpasses 20,000 Professions of Faith

Baptist Press reports that the Southern Baptist Mississippi River Ministry (MRM) has reached a new milestone. More than 20,000 people have made professions of faith in Christ since the outreach began in 1992. The ministry has drawn more than 100,000 volunteers, and continues to work in impoverished areas along the lower Mississippi River. "MRM ministries serve people who are spiritually and/or physically living in poverty," explained Diana Lewis, who coordinates Arkansas MRM efforts. Among the 250 MRM projects in the region are evangelistic initiatives; construction and maintenance efforts; medical, dental, health and wellness clinics; children and youth activities; Hispanic outreach; crisis pregnancy centers; food and clothing assistance and assistance to battered women and their children. Eight state conventions partner in the initiative.

Pope Warns against Witchcraft in Angola

Agence France-Presse reports that Pope Benedict XVI continues his tour of Africa with a visit to Angola. There, the pope urged Angola's clergy and laypeople to actively combat witchcraft, saying that evangelism remains crucial today. "Today it is up to you, brothers and sisters... to offer the risen Christ to your fellow citizens," he said to the invitation-only crowd at Sao Paulo Church. "So many of them are living in fear of spirits, of malign and threatening powers. In their bewilderment they end up even condemning street children and the elderly as alleged sorcerers," he said. Angola's government keeps a close reign on radio and other media, limiting Catholic radio stations in spreading their message. According to the AFP, local church leaders hope the pope's visit will encourage the station to allow nationwide broadcasts.

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Religion Today Summaries - Mar. 25, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Three Elderly Christians Released in Eritrea
    * Six Months Later, Colombian Pastor Still Missing
    * Missionaries Evacuate Madagascar Due to Unrest
    * Vermont Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill

Three Elderly Christians Released in Eritrea

The Christian Post reports that three Christian men, all in their 80s, have been released from a military prison camp and police facility at Mitire. Two of the men had been held since November. Persecution watchdog Open Doors said the men's physical condition is unclear. "There are some 360 prisoners held in Mitire, many of them in underground prisons or shipping containers, without enough food and medical care," the group told BosNewsLife. Eritrea ranks ninth on Open Doors' list of worst persecutors worldwide, and is especially harsh on Christians who share their faith with others. Even members of Eritrea's three legal denominations report harassment from officials. To date, Open Doors reports that almost 3,000 Christians have been imprisoned in the country.

Six Months Later, Colombian Pastor Still Missing

Compass Direct News reports that six months after the disappearance in Colombia of the Rev. William Reyes of Maicao, La Guajira. This week marks six months of agonizing uncertainty for his family. The pastor of Light and Truth Inter-American Church disappeared en route home from a ministers' meeting in Valledupar, a city in the neighboring department (state) of Cesar, on Sept. 25. Family members and friends fear that guerrilla fighters kidnapped the veteran minister; they have not seen or heard from him since his disappearance. Rev. Reyes and colleagues had received repeated threats from illegal armed groups operating in the La Guajira peninsula since March 2008. Reyes' wife, Idia Miranda de Reyes, told Compass by telephone, "My daughter Estefania helps me stay strong. She tells me, 'Mama don't cry, remember that God is with us.'

Missionaries Evacuate Madagascar Due to Unrest

ASSIST News Service reports that Assemblies of God World Missions has evacuated its missionaries from troubled Madagascar. The island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa has suffered months of political infighting, which culminated in a coup March 17. "The military is divided as to who they are going to support," explains Africa Regional Director Mike McClaflin. "The American Embassy very strongly urged American citizens to evacuate the island ... and now the American Embassy has evacuated its staff." Missionaries formerly placed in Madagascar are now waiting in Nairobi, Kenya. Hurst added, "Madagascar is an example of how so many of the crises in our world today demand that we as a church must commit ourselves increasingly to intercessory prayer for our missionaries and fellow believers around the world."

Vermont Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill

AHN reports that Vermont may soon join Massachusetts and Connecticut in offering marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The state senate passed legislation to that effect Monday, and will likely pass the state House of Representatives. Republican Gov. Jim Douglas opposes the bill, but the legislature may be able to override a veto, as the bill passed by 26-4 Senate vote. Vermont became the first state to offer civil unions in 2000, and both the state Speaker and state Senate President have labeled the measure as a "priority bill" during the 2009 session. Meanwhile, opponents of the bill are pushing a statewide referendum, similar to California's method last November, to let the people of Vermont decide the issue.

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Religion Today Summaries - Mar. 26, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Sri Lanka's Bishops Call for Prayer, Fasting for Religious Freedom
    * Second Murder Leaves Orissa Christian Open to More Attacks
    * PCUSA Considers Striking 'Homosexual Perversion' from Document
    * USCIRF: Tajikistan Threatens Religion

Sri Lanka's Bishops Call for Prayer, Fasting for Religious Freedom

AsiaNews reports that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL) has called on believers to observe April 3 as a day of prayer and fasting against a possible anti-conversion bill. The bill, proposed by Buddhist monks, is due for a vote in the parliament soon. The bishops call for "divine intervention" to bring "harmony through reconciliation" among all citizens, and spare "the beloved country of another conflict among adherents of different faiths and religions," caused by the possible approval of the "anti-conversion bill." Sri Lanka's official government is engaged in civil war with the rebel Tamil Tigers group, trapping many believers in the conflict. CBCSL encourages congregations to collect donations to help affected areas.

Second Murder Leaves Orissa Christian Open to More Attacks

The Christian Post reports that Christians fear renewed violence after the murder of a second Hindu extremist leader last week. Around 15 men attacked and shot Prabbhat Panigrahi, a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu fundamentalist group. Panigrahi had just been released from prison in connection with the anti-Christian violence. A similar killing sparked widespread violence and rampages throughout Orissa and Karnataka last August. Maoists rebels claimed responsibility for the first killing, and are suspected to be the culprits of this second murder. In August, the acknowledgement did not prevent Hindu extremists from blaming Christians, leading to violence that killed dozens and displaced 50,000.

PCUSA Considers Striking 'Homosexual Perversion' from Document

A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) will consider this week whether to strike a "negative reference" to homosexual behavior from a historic catechism, the Christian Post reports. Supporters say the General Assembly Special Committee on Correcting Translation Problems of the Heidelberg Catechism should remove "homosexual perversion" from a list of sinful behaviors in the document. They argue that the reference is not found in the original German, and say that they seek a more "historically faithful" translation." The PC(USA) is also considering a vote that would delete a fidelity and chastity requirement for ordained clergy from the denomination's constitution, thus removing a barrier to the ordination of open homosexuals.

USCIRF: Tajikistan Threatens Religion

Baptist Press reports that religious expression in the Central Asian country of Tajikistan may soon become even more restricted, according to a warning from a nonpartisan federal panel. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has reported that Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon is preparing to sign a religion law that will place more constraints on religion, especially Islam. The legislation, approved in March by Tajikistan's Parliament, includes the forced closing of hundreds of mosques and restrictions on the religious training of children, according to the commission. It also limits religious activities to state-sanctioned places of worship, mandates government censorship of religious literature and permits state regulation of religious groups, USCIRF said. Christians fear the bill's effects will reach them as well.

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Religion Today Summaries - Mar. 27, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Most Americans Open to Church Invitations from Family, Friends
    * Presbyterian Court Rules against Lesbian Minister
    * Iraq: Satellite Ministry Mostly Viewed by Muslims
    * Obama Notre Dame Speech Continues to Draw Fire

Most Americans Open to Church Invitations from Family, Friends

The Christian Post reports that more Americans might visit church if someone they knew invited them, a new Lifeway Research survey suggests. The study found that less than half want to receive information through an advertisement or impersonal means, but 56 were open to hearing more about a church from a friend or neighbor. "We want to help Christians discover what approaches work best in today's culture," said Ken Weathersby, senior strategist for evangelization at the North American Mission Board, according to LifeWay. "It's not about changing the Gospel, but determining how best to share it." The findings come at a time when all mainline denominations are seeing their membership decline. Even the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., reported a small drop in membership in 2007.

Presbyterian Court Rules against Lesbian Minister

A San Francisco woman's quest to overturn a ban on non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy in the Presbyterian Church (USA) was denied on a technicality, Religion News Service reports. Lisa Larges, 45, declared a conscientious objection to denominational standards that require celibacy for gay and lesbian clergy. On Wednesday (March 25) the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Pacific ruled that the San Francisco Presbytery erred when it voted to certify Larges as ready to be examined for ministry, with a "departure" or conscientious objection. The denomination's highest court and General Assembly, its lawmaking body, have issued contradictory decisions about whether such objections are allowed. The PC(USA)'s 173 local presbyteries are currently voting on whether to scrap the ban on partnered gay clergy, a measure that requires approval from a majority to pass. To date, 81 presbyteries have voted against it, according to a Presbyterian gay rights group.

Iraq: Satellite Ministry Mostly Viewed by Muslims

Mission New Network reports that SAT-7 satellite television in Iraq has a larger audience than they may have expected. A recent study of viewing habits showed that almost a fifth (5.3 million) of the 28 million Iraqis with satellite television have watched the Gospel-oriented broadcasts. Iraq's Christian population has dwindled to less than 600,000 in recent years, implying that many SAT-7 viewers are Sunni or Shia Muslims. "I spoke with an Iraqi pastor who told me that years ago, they had no material that they could give out to people, so having television was such an important tool for them," said David Harder with SAT-7. "We know that within Iraq, churches are growing. They're also facing tremendous pressures and persecution. We're excited that as a satellite television broadcaster we can be part of that growth and can be an instrumental tool for local churches to use."

Obama Notre Dame Speech Continues to Draw Fire

Religion News Service reports that President Obama's planned commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame continues to spark controversy, as the local Catholic bishop said he will boycott the event because some Obama policies contradict church teaching. Bishop John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (Ind.) said Tuesday (March 24) that "as a Catholic university, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth." D'arcy cited Obama's "long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred" and his corresponding actions in the White House. Meanwhile, an online petition protesting Notre Dame's invitation to the president has gathered more than 111,000 signatures and counting. "People are outraged, and the alumni of Notre Dame in particular are communicating to each other," Patrick J. Reilly, president of Cardinal Newman Society, which launched the petition, told LifeSiteNews.com.

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For Catholic Ball Fans, a Good Friday Choice
David Briggs


March 30, 2009

In a profound conflict of sacred and secular traditions, thousands of Christians who are urged to solemnly commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday (April 10) afternoon are being tempted by an alternative spring ritual: the cry of "Play ball."

Four Major League Baseball teams -- the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers -- have scheduled games during the midday time window that's considered by many the most solemn period of the Christian calendar.

Religious leaders say they don't expect Americans to return to an age of shuttered shops and businesses on Good Friday, but they question whether baseball teams could not have been more respectful of religious sensitivities.

In Detroit, where about a third of the region's population is Catholic, the Tigers' decision to schedule a baseball game at 1:05 p.m. on Good Friday is "insult upon injury," said the Rev. Ed Vilkauskas, pastor of Old St. Mary Church in the city.

In a tradition rooted in Scripture and dating back to the 4th century, millions of Christians will pause between noon and 3 p.m. on Good Friday to reflect, personally and communally, on the sacrificial act of Jesus' death on the cross that is a cornerstone of Christian faith.

At 3 p.m. services in many Catholic churches, the faithful will, one by one, kneel, genuflect or bow before a wooden cross. Some will kiss or touch a figure of the crucified Christ in an intimate rite of connection.

At the same time, baseball has its own traditions that need to be respected, some clubs say.

Jay Alves, spokesman for the Colorado Rockies, said the team considered changing the typical starting time of its Opening Day game on Good Friday from 2:10 p.m., but decided against it since some churches have services in the evening.

"We really were unable to pick a start time that was appropriate for every single person," he said. "There was no good time to start the game on Good Friday."

Officials for the Tigers did not respond to phone calls and e-mails, but a team spokesman told Detroit newspapers the home opener is always an early day game. "The NBA plays on Christmas and so does the NFL," a Tigers spokesman told The Michigan Catholic.

That argument fails on two counts, Vilkauskas said. First, just because everyone is doing it doesn't make it right, and second, Christmas is a festival of celebration, while Good Friday is a somber day calling for personal sacrifice.

"We don't celebrate a death in the family like a birthday," Vilkauskas said.

Some teams have responded to concerns of religious leaders. Two years ago, the Cleveland Indians moved the start of its Opening Day game on Good Friday to 4:05 p.m. The team again this year will begin play at 4:05 p.m. on Good Friday.

The 11 other Major League games on Good Friday do not conflict with traditional mid-day observances.

Monsignor Thomas Fryar, pastor of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, said he is particularly concerned about the ballplayers, security guards and other stadium workers who have little choice but to work on the afternoon of Good Friday.

For the fans, however, choosing between baseball and church on Good Friday is an opportunity to be a witness to their faith and the values of self-sacrifice for a greater good, church leaders said.

"Here's the challenge," said Monsignor Anthony Sherman, who oversees the worship office for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington. "If (believers) really want to stand up for their faith, they can go to the service at 3 p.m."

Lisa Tarker, executive director of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, said she would be in church on the afternoon of Good Friday -- even if she were offered the opportunity to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day.

"I could never see myself making that choice. It would never even be an option," Tarker said. "I would hope that someone's Catholic identity took precedence over being a fan of a certain team."

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Pakistan: Christians Brace for Sharia in Swat Valley
Damaris Kremida


March 31, 2009

ISTANBUL (Compass Direct News) -- Just over a month since Pakistan's fertile Swat Valley turned into a Taliban stronghold where sharia (Islamic law) rules, the fate of the remaining Christians in the area is uncertain.

Last month, in an effort to end a bloody two-year battle, the Islamabad administration struck a deal with Taliban forces surrendering all governance of Swat Valley in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Sources told Compass that after the violence that has killed and displaced hundreds, an estimated 500 Christians remain in the area. Traditionally these have been low-skilled workers, but younger, more educated Christians work as nurses, teachers and in various other professions.

The sole Church of Pakistan congregation in Swat, consisting of 40 families, has been renting space for nearly 100 years. The government has never given them permission to buy land in order to build a church building.

An associate pastor of the church in central Swat told Yousaf Benjamin of the National Commission for Justice and Peace that with the bombing of girls schools at the end of last year, all Christian families migrated to nearby districts. After the peace deal and with guarded hope for normalcy and continued education for their children, most of the families have returned to their homes but are reluctant to attend church.

The associate pastor, who requested anonymity, today told sources that "people don't come to the church as they used to come before." He said that although the Taliban has made promises of peace, the Christian community has yet to believe the Muslim extremists will hold to them.

"The people don't rely on Taliban assurances," said Benjamin.

Last week the associate pastor met with the third in command of the main Taliban militant umbrella group in Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Kari Abdullah, and requested land in order to build a church. Abdullah reportedly agreed, saying that Islam is a religion of peace and equality, and that his group intended to provide equal opportunities to the religious communities of Swat.

The Catholic Church in Swat is located in a school compound that was bombed late last year. Run by nuns and operated under the Catholic Church Peshawar Diocese, the church has been closed for the last two years since insurgents have been fighting government led forces, source said.

Parliamentarian Shahbaz Bhatti said Christians and the few Hindus in Swat valley have lived under terror and harassment by the Taliban since insurgents began efforts to seize control of the region. He met with a delegation of Christians from Swat last month who said they were concerned about their future, but Bhatti said only time will tell how the changes will affect Christians.

"The Christian delegation told me that they favor the peace pact if indeed it can bring peace, stability and security to the people living there," he said. "But they also shared their concern that if there is enforcement of sharia, what will be their future? But we will see how it will be implemented."

Although there have been no direct threats against Christians since the establishment of the peace accord, some advocates fear that it may only be a matter of time.

"These days, there are no reports of persecution in Swat," Lahore-based reporter Felix Qaiser of Asia News told Compass by phone, noting the previous two years of threatening letters, kidnappings and aggression against Christians by Islamic extremists. "But even though since the implementation of sharia there have been no such reports, we are expecting them. We're expecting this because other faiths won't be tolerated."

Qaiser also expressed concern about the treatment of women.

"They won't be allowed to move freely and without veils," he said. "And we're very much concerned about their education there."

In the past year, more than 200 girls schools in Swat were reported to have been burned down or bombed by Islamic extremists.

Remaining girls schools were closed down in January but have been re-opened since the peace agreement in mid-February. Girls under the age of 13 are allowed to attend.

Since the deal was struck, seven new sharia judges have been installed, and earlier this month lawyers were trained in the nuances of Islamic law. Those not trained are not permitted to exercise their profession. As of this week, Non-Governmental Organizations are no longer permitted in the area and vaccinations have been banned.

"These are the fist fruits of Islamic law, and we're expecting worse things -- Islamic punishment such as cutting off hands, because no one can dictate to them," Qaiser said. Everything is according to their will and their own interpretation of Islamic law."

Launch Point for Taliban

Analysts and sources on the ground have expressed skepticism in the peace deal brokered by pro-Taliban religious leader Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who is also the leader of

Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi. The insurgent, who has long fought for implementation of sharia in the region, has also fought alongside the Taliban against U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

He was imprisoned and released under a peace deal in April 2008 in an effort to restore normalcy in the Swat Valley. Taliban militants in the Swat area are under the leadership of his son-in-law, Maulana Fazlullah.

The agreement to implement sharia triggered alarm around the world that militants will be emboldened in the northwest of Pakistan, a hotbed for Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists fighting Western forces in Afghanistan and bent on overthrowing its government.

Joe Grieboski of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy said the peace deal makes Talibanization guaranteed by law, rendering it impossible to return to a liberal democracy or any guarantee of fundamental rights.

"The government in essence ceded the region to the Taliban," said Grieboski. "Clerical rule over the region will fulfill the desires of the extremists, and we'll see the region become a copy of what Afghanistan looked like under Taliban rule."

This can only mean, he added, that the Taliban will have more power to promulgate their ideology and power even as the Pakistani administration continues to weaken.

"Unfortunately, this also creates a safe launching off point for Taliban forces to advance politically, militarily and ideologically into other areas of the country," said Grieboski. "The peace deal further demonstrates the impotence of [Asif Ali] Zardari as president."

Grieboski said the peace deal further demonstrates that Pakistani elites -- and President Zardari in particular -- are less concerned about fundamental rights, freedom and democracy than about establishing a false sense of security in the country.

"This peace deal will not last, as the extremists will demand more and more, and Zardari and the government have placed themselves in a weakened position and will once again have to give in," said Grieboski.

Sohail Johnson, chief coordinator of advocacy group Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, said he fears that militants in Swat will now be able to freely create training centers and continue to attack the rest of Pakistan.

"They will become stronger, and this will be the greatest threat for Christians living in Pakistan," said Johnson.

Thus far the government has not completely bowed to Taliban demands for establishment of full sharia courts, and it is feared that the insurgents may re-launch violent attacks on civilians until they have full judicial control.

"The question of the mode of implementation has not yet been decided, because the Taliban want their own qazis [sharia judges] and that the government appointed ones should quit," said lawyer Khalid Mahmood, who practices in the NWFP.

Mahmood called the judiciary system in Swat "collapsed" and echoed the fear that violence would spread in the rest of the country.

"They will certainly attack on the neighboring districts," he said.

Earlier today, close to the Swat Valley in Khyber, a suicide bomber demolished a mosque in Jamrud, killing at least 48 people and injuring more than 150 others during Friday prayers. Pakistani security officials reportedly said they suspected the attack was retaliation for attempts to get NATO supplies into Afghanistan to use against Taliban fighters and other Islamist militants.

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Police Destroy Church Building in Lao Village
Sarah Page


April 1, 2009

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Compass Direct News) -- Police in Borikhamxay province, Laos, on March 19 destroyed a church building in Nonsomboon village while Christian residents attended a meeting called by district officials.

A member of the provincial religious affairs department, identified only as Bounlerm, has since claimed that police destroyed the worship facility because it was built without official approval.

Tension between the Christians and local authorities escalated last year when officials ordered at least 40 Christian families living in Ban Mai village to relocate some 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the newly-created Nonsomboon for "administrative reasons," according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF). Local sources said the forced relocation to Nonsomboon village was an effort to control the activities of Christians in Ban Mai who were sharing their faith with other people in the district.

Previously authorities had evicted Christians from several other villages in the district and relocated them to Ban Mai village, HRWLRF reported. Families were expected to cover their own relocation expenses, including the cost of rebuilding their homes and re-establishing their livelihoods.

Initially residents refused to relocate a second time, largely because officials would not grant permission to move their existing church building or to erect a new structure in Nonsomboon. Eventually they were forced to move to Nonsomboon under duress.

Lacking worship facilities, the villagers on Dec. 10, 2008 erected a simple church building. On Dec. 26, village police removed the cross from the building, summoned four key church leaders to a meeting at the Burikan district office and subsequently detained them for building a church without government approval.

HRWLRF identified the four only as pastor Bounlard, assistant pastor Khampeuy, church elder Khampon and men's ministry leader Jer. When the wives of the four men brought food to them during their detention, officials refused to allow them to see their husbands.

In a meeting on Dec. 27 between provincial religious affairs officials and church leaders, officials said police had arrested the Christians because they refused to tear down the church building. A senior religious affairs official identified only as Booppa, however, agreed to release the Christians on Dec. 29.

The Christians of Nonsomboon then applied for permission to hold a Christmas service in their church facility on Jan. 7 and invited religious affairs official Bounlerm to attend. When permission failed to arrive in time, they conducted the service regardless, with Bounlerm and other district officials attending as honorary guests.

During the service, district and village level police officers charged into the building and ordered church members to cease worshiping. Bounlerm encouraged the congregation to follow orders from the local officials.

Police officers then drafted a document ordering church members to abandon the Christmas celebration and demanded that the congregation sign it. When they refused, the police insisted that they disband the meeting immediately. After leaving the building, the congregation traveled to nearby Burikan town and set up a tent in an open field next to a government office in order to complete the Christmas service, as there were no church facilities in Burikan.

A campaign of intimidation followed, according to HRWLRF, culminating in the destruction of the church building by village police on March 19. At press time, no information was available on the content of the meeting called by district officials on that day.

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Five Foreign Christians Deported from Morocco
Special to Compass Direct News


April 2, 2009

ISTANBUL (Compass Direct News) -- The Moroccan government announced on Sunday (March 29) it had expelled five foreign female Christians for trying to "proselytize" in the Islamic country, although sources said they were foreign visitors merely attending a Bible study with fellow Christians.

The accused women were among 23 tourists, expatriates and Moroccans arrested in Casablanca on Saturday during what the Interior Ministry called a "proselytizing" meeting involving Moroccan citizens. Police seized numerous pieces of evangelistic "propaganda," including Arabic books and videos.

But a source told Compass that everyone in attendance was a Christian and that they had merely gathered for a Bible study, which he said falls within Morocco's constitutional right of freedom to express one's faith.

Arriving at the meeting at 5 p.m., 18 plainclothes police officers arrested all in attendance and transported them to a police station. They were detained and questioned until 5 a.m. Sunday morning.

"This was a great humiliation for these women, most of which were of the same family, to be arrested as criminals," the source said.

Prior to the arrest, all the materials at their meeting had received official government approval. Those in attendance included 15 Moroccan women and one man, two female expatriates of Iraqi and U.S. origin, and the five women visiting Casablanca on the group's invitation. The women the government called "missionaries" -- four Spaniards and one German -- were deported to Spain via ferry, according to Morocco's official MAP news agency.

While the decision to expel the five women indicated lack of religious freedom in Morocco, it likely has more to do with a Moroccan bias against missionary activity in general, not against Christian evangelism per se, said Elliot Abrams, senior fellow for the Council on Foreign Relations.

Morocco severed ties with Iran in early March on suspicion that the latter was supporting Shiite Islamic missionary activity, which officials believed would disrupt the unity of the 99-percent Sunni country. Earlier this month a Shiite school was closed after accusations that it was attempting to convert students, and rights groups claim that about a dozen people have been arrested for allegedly converting to Shiite Islam, according to The Associated Press.

In light of these moves, Abrams said, the government would have been hard-pressed to allow Christian activities the five women were suspected of undertaking after it shut down Islamic missionary enterprises.

"[Morocco] is generally more sensitive about missionary activity, and cannot be seen to allow Christian activity while stopping Muslim activity," he said.

A Christian worker agreed with this assertion. He said the government may be attacking Christians "for balance," even if they are only having a Bible study, after launching an initiative against Shiites.

The North African country prides itself on its religious freedom and tolerance. The constitution provides for freedom to practice one's religion, but Article 220 of the Penal Code criminalizes any attempt to induce a Muslim to convert to another religion.

Official Church Leaders Pounce

Without directly mentioning the women, representatives of Morocco's official churches swiftly condemned all forms of "proselytism" -- a term with a pejorative connotation of asserting one's will, as distinct from "evangelism," or proclaiming Christ for people to respond freely -- adding that the role of the nation's churches is only to guide Christians on their "spiritual quest."

Archbishop of Rabat Monsignor Vincent Landel and Chairman of the Evangelical Church in Morocco Jean-Luc Blanc issued a joint statement that Catholics and Muslims should focus on dialogue, which "by definition rules out proselytizing activities."

"This dialogue has an intellectual and theological dimension and copes with the social and cultural realms," they wrote. "Thus, Christians are engaged in various activities alongside Muslims, share the same values and goals and are not afraid of showing their differences."

Blanc pastors a French Pentecostal church in Casablanca, a congregation mostly made up of expatriates from across Africa. He has criticized independent foreign mission groups, mainly out of worry that they could upset a delicate religious balance in the Sunni Muslim country.

Catholic and Protestant churches have been operating in Morocco for more than a century, and "have learned over the years to live in harmony with the country and its people," he said in the statement.

In 2007 the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments claimed that foreign missionaries had converted more than 3,000 people to Christianity, particularly in remote areas of the country, according to the 2008 U.S. Department of State Report on International Religious Freedom.

But a source with contacts in Morocco said that radical Islam is perceived as far more of a threat than evangelical Christianity.

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India: Extremists Beat, Harrass Christians
Compass Direct News Staff


April 3, 2009

Compass Direct News reports the most recent incidents of Christian persecution out of India.

Rajasthan, March 31  -- Hindu extremists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) on March 21 attacked Bible students and staff members of the Believers Church and demanded 10,000 rupees (US$193) from them in Udaipur. A church source said the Christians were distributing gospel tracts in a Jeep when the extremists stopped them and dragged the driver out. Commandeering the vehicle, the Hindu extremists drove toward a remote area and beat the Christians, tearing up their gospel tracts. The church representative told Compass some Christians sustained minor injuries. The Christians later reached an agreement with the extremists without bowing to their demands to cease evangelistic activity.

Kerala -- About 10 Hindu hardliners from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 15 attacked an evangelist in Malapuram. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that the extremists pulled away Tribal Mission evangelist O.J. Andrews as he was leading a worship service, dragged him about 30 kilometers (19 miles) in the street and beat him. The extremists had earlier accused the pastor of forceful conversion in a poster they had pasted on a wall, a charge he denied. Andrews filed a police complaint in Nilampur police station, but Sub-Inspector Ommer, who goes by one name, told Compass that the evangelist agreed to withdraw the charge after the extremists agreed to live peaceably with Christians. Police gave the hard-line BJP members a stern warning not to disturb the Christians again.

Punjab -- Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on March 15 accused a pastor of trying to convert people to Christianity by offering them money and seriously injured another Christian in Ludhiana. A source told Compass that at about 4 p.m. on the previous day, a pastor identified only as Tiwari and other Christians were distributing gospel tracts when a group of Hindu extremists attacked them. They beat six Christians in all, including women, all of whom sustained minor injuries. The next day, about 200 area extremists massed and removed a cross, pictures and gospel literature and burned them in a fire as they danced around it. They beat Christians present, seriously injuring Ayub Masih. Police arrived, and each party filed complaints against the other. Superintendent of Police Harbinder Singh told Compass that about 20 police officers are posted in the area and that officials were trying to arrange a peace agreement between the two parties.

Himachal Pradesh -- Gospel for Asia (GFA) reported that Hindu extremists beat two Christian missionaries on March 14 in an undisclosed village in Himachal Pradesh. A mob of about 30 Hindu hardliners beat and kicked GFA missionaries Murari Jay and Atul Rajesh, leaving Jay with severe injuries to his back and Rajesh with acute head trauma. GFA representative Sushant Sona told Compass that, besides beating the Christians, the intolerant Hindus stormed into their home and burned their belongings. At about 6:30 p.m. the extremists took the Christians to the police station, and officers took them into custody allegedly as a security measure. They were released at about 11:30 p.m. The assailants reached an agreement by which they agreed not to attack the Christians again if the Christians agreed to drop charges.

Madhya Pradesh -- Hindu extremists on March 12 splashed gas on the house of a pastor in Nainpur, Mandala and set it aflame. A source said the extremists burned the house of pastor James Masih of St. Mark Church at midnight, damaging doors, windows, curtains, files and furniture. Pastor Masih told Compass that local people opposed his congregation because of their Christian activities. The pastor filed a police complaint at Nainpur police station, but no arrests had been made at press time.