RELIGION TODAY

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

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

    * Lutheran Churches Blast ELCA for Gay Clergy Policy
    * Somali Christian Shot Dead near Kenya Border
    * Cuba: Hefty Fine for Pastor's Wife Who Miscarried
    * In Egypt, One Christian Must Keep Running

Lutheran Churches Blast ELCA for Gay Clergy Policy

Religion News Service reports that the leaders of two conservative Lutheran denominations blasted the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for approving a measure on Friday (Aug. 21) to allow non-celibate gay clergy. Both the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod said the ELCA's new policy goes against Scripture by condoning a practice that they say is sinful. "We are saddened that a group with the name Lutheran would take another decisive step away from the clear teaching of the Bible, which was the foundation of the Lutheran Reformation," said the Rev. Mark Schroeder, president of the 390,000-member Wisconsin Synod. The three churches have had tense relations for years. The ELCA, which was formed as a result of a merger in 1988, has taken more progressive stands on a number of issues.

Somali Christian Shot Dead near Kenya Border

Muslim extremists seeking evidence that a Somali man had converted from Islam to Christianity shot him dead on Aug. 18 ) near the Somali border with Kenya. According to underground Christians in the war-torn nation, al Shabaab rebels killed 41-year-old Ahmed Matan in Bulahawa, Somalia. Matan had been a member of an underground church since 2001. The early morning shooting comes at a time when Islamist groups led by al Shabaab are hunting down converts to Christianity as they seek to establish sharia (Islamic law) throughout Somalia. Ismael, who fled the area in 2005, said he received a telephone call from Matan two weeks ago in which the convert told him that monitoring by the Islamic extremists kept him from leaving his home and carrying out his small-trade business across the border in Mandera, in eastern Kenya.

Cuba: Hefty Fine for Pastor's Wife Who Miscarried

ASSIST News Service reports that a Cuban pastor's wife who miscarred after a neighbour attacked her, is being fined the equivalent of over two months salary. Authorities have accused Gilianys Meneses Rodriguez of of "disturbing the public order" on that day. She is being fined 600 pesos ($648.00 USD), which is twice the average monthly salary in Cuba, for being attacked on the street by the wife of a neighbour in December 2008. According to a Christian Solidarity spokesperson, "The attack was the latest in a campaign of harassment against the Rodriguez family, carried out with the tacit support of the authorities. This is due to the families' involvement in the Interdenominational Fellowship of Evangelical Pastors and Ministers in Cuba (Spanish acronym; CIMPEC) decision to leave the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC.)"

In Egypt, One Christian Must Keep Running

Los Angeles Times reports that Christian convert Maher El Gohary sees little of his native Egypt's beauty, spending most of his time behind locked doors. Gohary and his daughter, Dina, change apartments every few months to avoid being found out for their faith. The consequences could be death. "Islam is the only thing Egyptians are 150% sure of. If you reject Islam, you shake their belief and you are an apostate, an infidel," he said. "I can see in the eyes of Muslims how much my conversion has really hurt them." Religious freedom might exist in writing, but Muslim clerics hold the real power. Converts such as Gohary "should be killed by authorities," says Abdul Aziz Zakareya, a cleric and former professor at Al Azhar University. "Public conversions can lead to very dangerous consequences. The spreading of a phenomenon like this in a Muslim society can cause many unwanted results and tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims."

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School Officials Face Trial for Breaking Pledge Not to Pray
Kristen May


August 27, 2009

WASHINGTON (RNS) -- Two Florida school officials will be in court next month to answer charges that they violated a court order when they prayed in public after a school secretary was cleared on similar charges.

The case, which defense attorneys say is an unprecedented display of government intrusion into the right of personal religious expression, pits the American Civil Liberties Union against two Christian school employees.

Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman of Santa Rosa County, in northern Florida, agreed to a settlement last January after the ACLU filed suit on behalf of two students who alleged improper proselytizing.

"There were some of the most egregious First Amendment violations you'll see," said Will Matthews, a spokesman for the ACLU.

The lawsuit alleged four separate violations of improper mixing of church and state: prayer at school, staging a religious baccalaureate service, school events held at churches, and general proselytizing and promoting of the teachers' personal religious beliefs at school.

As part of the settlement, Lay, Freeman and secretary Michelle Winkler agreed to limit expressions of their private faith in a public school setting.

"The order was entered with the consent of all parties involved," said Benjamin Stevenson, a staff attorney from the ACLU of Florida.

But Mathew Staver, the founder of the conservative legal group Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University's law school, said the three employees received inadequate defense from the county school board, and feels the court settlement is unconstitutional.

"I think the case is about the First Amendment right to freedom of speech," Staver said in an interview.

According to the ACLU, just days after the settlement, Lay asked that a blessing be said over a luncheon for the Field House dedication at Pace High School. Lay and Freeman, who offered the prayer, now face contempt of court charges for allegedly violating the settlement.

Both men are expected to appear in court on Sept. 17. Staver, in a statement, said prayer is "neither contemptuous nor criminal" and accused the ACLU of overreacting.

"The ACLU needs to take a good dose of the First Amendment and call us in the morning," he said.

Lay and Freeman could face a fine and/or six months in jail for their actions. Matthews does not expect either defendant to face jail time. "We have not advocated that this is something (either man) should be put in jail for," Matthews said.

A federal judge has already cleared Winkler, the secretary, on related charges after a seven-hour court hearing on Friday (Aug. 21).

Winkler was accused of arranging for her husband, who is not a school employee, to read a prayer she had written for an Employee of the Year banquet.

Stevenson, from the Florida ACLU, had charged that the settlement not only prohibited employee-led prayer, but also kept employees from "promoting, advancing, aiding, facilitating, endorsing, or causing religious prayers or devotionals during school-sponsored events."

Staver said the banquet event was privately funded, and said the court order infringes on the right to free speech of the school employees and their spouses.

"Nobody who has any clue about constitutional law would allow a court order of this magnitude," Staver concluded.

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

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

In today's edition:

    * China Gives Secret Order to Attack Major House Churches
    * Still Crippled, Haiti Faces New Hurricane Season
    * In Pakistan, Another Christian Accused of Blasphemy
    * Kyrgyzstan Suppresses Minority Religious Groups

China Gives Secret Order to Attack Major House Churches

The Christian Post reports that human rights groups fear Chinese officials will soon crack down on major house churches in Beijing. According to ChinaAid Association, the plans include ending rental agreements with a house church of more than 1,000 members, forcing the congregation to split apart. ChinaAid President Bob Fu says the crack down is connected with the 60th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). "The upcoming 60th anniversary of the CPC is not cause for trampling on rights of peaceful citizens gathering in accordance with their right to religious freedom," Fu said. "ChinaAid urges the Chinese government to revoke the secret directive, which is contrary to international covenants signed by the CPC, to acknowledge the positive societal influence of these house churches, and to allow these churches to meet freely throughout the anniversary period."

Still Crippled, Haiti Faces New Hurricane Season

Mission News Network reports that Haiti faces this year's hurricane season with its infrastructure still severely damaged from last year's storms. Almost 800 people were killed in last year's storms, which destroyed harvests and roadways. Red tape and corrupt bureaucracy has prevented tons of international aid from reaching Haiti's people. Co-founder of For Haiti with Love Eva DeHart says, "The port situation in Cap Haitien is almost impossible to deal with, so we need somebody reliable enough to bring it through customs, to know that it will get to us." She continued, "I can't reassure anybody that there is any food in the chain on its way down. So the food we currently have on hand is all we have to deal with now until we get these problems solved. When the food is gone, it's gone."

In Pakistan, Another Christian Accused of Blasphemy

ASSIST News Service reports that an 18-year-old Christian has been falsely accused of blasphemy, beaten, and imprisoned in Gujranwala, Pakistan. According to a spokesperson at International Christian Concern, "The young man, Safian Masih, lived in a mixed neighborhood of both Christians and Muslims. On August 8, the young daughter of one of his Muslim neighbors demanded that Safian bring her items from the grocery store. Safian refused, and she slapped him. Safian slapped her back, and the argument escalated to include both families." The girl's parents accused Safian of attempted rape, then changed the accusation to blasphemy. "Safian is currently in police custody, but his family has fled their home because they fear for their safety. The mob also threatened to kill anyone who helped Safian or his family," added the ICC spokesperson.

Kyrgyzstan Suppresses Minority Religious Groups

Baptist Press reports that Christians in the central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan face a lose-lose dilemma. They have been told not to meet for worship without registration, but government officials are making it nearly impossible for churches to receive approval. The country's 5.4 million people are 75 percent Muslim and 20 percent Russian Orthodox. In January a new religion law was enacted, and since then officials have checked up on or raided many minority religious communities, telling them they have no right to gather. "They're purposely wanting to make it very difficult for new places of worship to be registered," said Joel Griffith of the Slavic Gospel Association. "So if they institute an impossible requirement like that, then they effectively have been able to put their thumb down on any new group of believers that would want to come together and form a church."

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The Case of Rifqa Bary: An Honor Killing in America?
Russ Jones


August 28, 2009

A 17-year-old Ohio girl who secretly converted from Islam to Christianity says she fled to Florida for fear of her life.  Fathima Rifqa Bary, the teen runaway who goes by Rifqa, is in protective custody with Florida's Department of Children and Families.

Rifqa says her father threatened her life when he learned of her conversion to Christianity vowing to kill her in the long standing Islamic tradition of "honor killings."

A judge ruled in the teen's favor August 21 , allowing time to investigate her case. Although her family, who is from Sri Lanka, say they will allow her to practice her Christian faith unharmed, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating whether she is in danger if she returns home.

"I was threatened by my dad," Rifqa told media. "I had a laptop, and he took that laptop and waved it in the air and he was about to beat me with it, and he said, 'If you have this Jesus in your heart, you're dead to me. You're not my daughter.' And I refused to speak but he said, 'I will kill you. Tell me the truth.' So I knew that I had to get away."

Alan Kornman, with the Orlando chapter ACT for America, a group who says it opposes what they call authoritarian values of Islam fascism, says many fear the secular media isn't taking seriously the issues at play.

"It is almost like Rifqa is on trail," said Kornman. "The secular media has been very hostile towards her and irresponsible in its reporting."

John Stemberger, an Orlando attorney representing the teen, told Crosswalk.com, "There is a strong media bias against this case. Outlets like CNN are choosing to completely ignore the case, while others are covering the story as if Rifqa was wrong for following her Christian convictions."

Rifqa's claim certainly has a basis in current events. The U.N. Population Fund estimates that there are as many as 5,000 honor killings worldwide every year.  These "honor killings," in which the victims are usually women, serve both to "cleanse" the social or spiritual stain of the victim, and to warn others who might be tempted to breach that same code of conduct.

"In 150 years in my family no one has known Jesus - I am the first one. Imagine the honor in killing me," said Rifqa in video interview now posted on YouTube.

Mohamed Bary and his wife, Aysha, deny their daughter's allegations. "We love her; we want her back. She is free to practice her religion, whatever she believes in. That's O.K.," Mohamed told The Associated Press.

"There is a vast, vast difference between not being pleased that your child has not chosen your faith and wanting to kill your child," says Craig McCarthy, one of two Orlando attorneys appointed to represent the Barys.

But the Barys' actions lend some credibility to Rifqa's claims. Her father reportedly dissolved his jewelry business on July 29 after he discovered her faith, making conservative pundits like Pamela Geller speculate that the family was preparing to return to Sri Lanka. Since then, the girl's parents have signed affidavits declaring themselves indigent despite the successful business. As a result, the Florida court appointed taxpayer-funded attorneys for both the father and the mother.

"I am sure the industrious Barys will claim poverty so expect the inevitable denials," said Geller on her blog. "But clearly it calls into question their honesty, their character and the lengths they will go to."

Dr. W. L. Cati, an American woman who married a Muslim man and later converted to Islam, knows firsthand the challenges Rifqa may face.

After years of abuse and mind control, the former Miss Alabama and Mrs. Alabama says she divorced her Syrian-born husband who had ties to the militant group, Hezbollah. After reclaiming her faith in Christ, she started White Horse Ministry in Bradenton, Fla., where she now assists women and children trying to leave the Islamic religion.

Cati, author of "Married to Muhammad," says that in the Islamic tradition, one who leaves the faith is considered an "apostate."  Many religious groups use Sharia Law to punish apostates. Apostates may be shunned by the members of the former religious group or worse. Cati fears the same for Rifqa.

"I have been talking with Governor Crist's office and I pray that he understand the ramifications of his decisions," said Cati. "Rifqa's fears are legitimate."

The New Albany High School cheerleader disappeared on July 19, prompting fears that she had been abducted. In fact, Rifqa took a bus to Orlando to meet with husband and wife pastors Blake and Beverly Lorenz, who she met through a Facebook prayer group for the couple's non-denominational Global Revolution Church.

Rifqa's father and his supporters claim his daughter was "brainwashed" by a cult led by Lorenz, who did not return phone calls to comment about such reports. Before founding Global Outreach Church, Lorenz was a pitcher in the minor leagues for the Chicago Cubs and served as a pastor in the United Methodist denomination. Matt Staver of the Liberty Council represents Lorenz and his wife.

Rifqa's family also attends the Noor Islamic Cultural Center in Hilliard, Ohio, where radical cleric Salah Sultan worked as the resident scholar, according to Geller and others. Sultan, an internationally renowned Islamic sheikh previously living in Hilliard, was recorded in 2008 on Egyptian Al-Nas TV preaching Jewish hatred and proclaiming conspiracy theories. In his interview, Sultan warns of the forthcoming destruction and deaths of Americans, vowing that soon more Americans will be killed than Palestinians in Gaza.

Stemberger says Rifqa is a strong young woman and her story shows how Christ can transform someone's life.  In spite of being isolated and in protective custody, he says the teen is doing well.

"It is unbelievable that there is a faith that would advocate honor killings," said Stemberger. "Rifqa is in a safe environment and looking at taking classes through a virtual online school in Florida."

Circuit Judge Daniel Dawson is expected to hear the case September 3 to determine whether Rifqa stays in Florida or returns to her parents in New Albany, Ohio.

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Religion Today Summaries - Aug. 28, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * South Korea Mulls Restricting Missionary Work in Mideast
    * Shuttle Mission to Include Missionary History
    * World Council of Churches Elects New General Secretary
    * Turkey: Murder Defendant Again Admits Perjury

South Korea Mulls Restricting Missionary Work in Mideast

Agence France-Presse reports that South Korea officials may restrict the country's citizens visits to the Middle East after "dozens" of South Korean missionaries were expelled from the area. "Dozens of our citizens were expelled from Iran, Jordan, Yemen and other Islamic countries in the Middle East last month," a foreign ministry official told AFP, asking not to be identified. "The government is considering taking various and prudent steps for the safety of citizens overseas," he said. Officials are reportedly worried about potential terror attacks against missionaries and the ramifications that may have for businessmen. In 2007, 23 South Korean Christians were held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and two were murdered before the hostage situation was resolved.

Shuttle Mission to Include Missionary History

Religion News Service reports that when the space shuttle Discovery next takes flight, perhaps later this week, it will carry a piece of missionary history with it into outer space. On board will be a piece of the plane used by members of Missionary Aviation Fellowship, who were killed more than half a century ago in Ecuador by Waodani tribesman, the ministry announced. Astronaut Patrick Forrester contacted the Idaho-based ministry about carrying a memento from the plane that had been used by pilot Nate Saint and four other missionaries before their deaths in 1956. Their story was depicted in the 2006 movie "End of the Spear." "Bringing attention to and renewing interest in missions would be a great result of this experience," said Forrester, who was born the year after the missionaries were killed, in a statement.

World Council of Churches Elects New General Secretary

Christian Today reports that the members of the World Council of Churches have elected the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit to be their new General Secretary. "I am realistic but optimistic, we have a lot to do together," said Dr. Tveit, who has been Secretary General of the Church of Norway's Council on Ecumenical and International Relations since 2002. He also expressed the goal of better dialogue with Muslims. "I hope the WCC can lead on in strengthening and improving relations between Christians and Muslims all over the world," he said. Dr. Tveit was the only candidate besides Dr. Park Seong-wan, a professor of Youngnam Theological University and Seminary in Korea and an existing member of the WCC Central Committee. He follows the Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, who stepped down from the position after six years.

Turkey: Murder Defendant Again Admits Perjury

Compass Direct News reports that Turkish murder suspect Emre Gunaydin admitted in court last week that he had again committed perjury in the trial over the savage murders of three Christians. Gunaydin, 21, faced off in Malatya's Third Criminal Court last Friday (Aug. 21) with Varol Bulent Aral, whom he had previously named as one of the instigators of the attack at Zirve Publishing Co.'s Malatya office. Gunaydin, the alleged ringleader, told the court that he had lied by implicating Aral "to reduce the sentence." His admission came after Aral testified that he was indeed a key player in the "Ergenekon" conspiracy - believed to include top level political and security officials, among others. Gunaydin has retracted two similar allegations, and plaintiff lawyers have questioned whether he was pressured to change his testimony by the actual instigators.

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'Islamization' of Pakistan Takes Toll on Christians
Baptist Press Staff


August 31, 2009

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (BP) -- In Pakistan, months of violence at the hands of Taliban militants has left Christians on edge, humanitarian aid workers fearing for their safety and the Pashtun culture heavily damaged.

Observers say the stage was set for the violence when Pakistan's former dictator Zia ul-Haq, a militant Sunni, forced the "Islamization" of the country, aggressively pushing an intolerant form of Islam in the 1980s.

Years later, the country's citizens are witnessing a violent uptick in the effort as minorities are targeted as infidels and imams call for their killings.

Pakistani police arrested 13 suspected militants in two raids that they said foiled several terrorist attacks Aug. 24, including a plan to attack several places of worship in Punjab: Shiite mosques, churches belonging to Christians and a place of worship for a sect the government considers not Muslim, The New York Times reported.

The terrorists, with links to al-Qaida and the Taliban, were found with suicide vests and explosives along with heroin, which has been used to finance their terrorist activities. Also Monday, gunmen killed an Afghan television reporter and severely wounded another in northwestern Pakistan.

Recently in Gojra's Christian Colony, in rural Punjab, a Muslim mob heard a rumor that a Christian had desecrated a copy of the Koran, and more than 50 houses and a church were set on fire, leaving at least 14 Christians dead. The rumor later was found to be false.

"Vulnerable minorities are often targeted as a result of petty grievances or property disputes, and Christian Colony residents believe the attack was sponsored by a local businessman keen to take their land," Mustafa Qadri, a freelance journalist based in Pakistan, wrote for The Guardian in London.

"'There shouldn't be a double standard. In our churches and homes ... so many Bibles have been burned,' a local priest said," Qadri reported, adding that the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan believes the attack was premeditated because the attackers destroyed Christians' houses in a manner that indicated they had trained for the assault.

Qadri quoted a report from the International Crisis Group which said religious groups aren't the only ones to blame for the violence. "Sectarian conflict in Pakistan is the direct consequence of state policies of Islamization and marginalization of secular democratic forces," the organization said.

Reuters reported that aid workers in Pakistan are seen as high-value, easy targets for kidnappings and killings amid the violence because most of them travel into insecure areas with no armed escorts, responding to the needs of more than 2 million people who have been affected by the war against Taliban militants.

Security fears are affecting relief workers' ability to deliver services, and agencies must review on a daily basis whether they can continue work in specific places, Reuters said. A United Nations worker was shot and killed in a displacement camp and five others were killed when militants bombed a hotel in Peshawar.

Increasingly, aid workers are perceived to be part of a Western agenda in Pakistan, and several agencies have received threats by letter, e-mail or text messages saying they will be targeted.

"Sometimes the threat says they will be bombed if they open their office on a certain day, or that they are targets because their female staff do not conform to ultra-conservative traditional beliefs," an aid worker told Reuters.

As a result, aid workers are trying even harder to keep a low profile and do not advertise their presence. Some agencies even have withdrawn their staff because of security hazards, leaving more responsibility for the Pakistani workers.

The force of Islamization also has caused a distinct difference in the Pashtun culture of Peshawar, which can be seen as literature that once was full of romance and praise for the beauty of nature now reflects the death and explosions that have plagued the country, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

Pashtun culture traditionally revolved around community centers where assemblies of elders were an important part of the lifestyle. Poetry, dancing and other cultural expressions were celebrated, until the attacks increased. One resident told The Monitor he views the violence as an attempt to Arabize the Pashtun society by attacking their culture and their highly revered institutions.

The wave of militancy, The Monitor said, has forced many Pashtun musicians, singers and dancers to leave the tribal areas and Peshawar and seek refuge elsewhere. One well-known singer even moved to war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan, in what The Monitor said was a telling sign of Pakistan's decline.

Young Pakistanis, the newspaper said, have responded to the current events by composing poems expressing their sadness and anger and by using Facebook and text messages to air their grievances.

"We can't expect romance ... or songs for spring and flowers when there is bloodshed all around," Raj Wali Shah Khattak, former director of the Pashto Academy at the University of Peshawar, told The Monitor.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Aug. 31, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Denver-Area Episcopal Church's Closing Fueled by Gay Divide
    * New Hampshire Orders Homeschooler to Public School
    * Methodists Say No to Lutheran Gay Clergy
    * Judge Rules against Ky. Reliance on God for Protection


Denver-Area Episcopal Church's Closing Fueled by Gay Divide

The Denver Post reports that the last straggling members of St. George's Episcopal Church in Englewood closed the church doors for the last time yesterday. "St. George's has been a church in turmoil for decades," said Rosamond Long, a 35-year member of the church. "We managed to get it back on its feet every time. This time, we're not going to be able to do it." The church, which closed just shy of its 100th anniversary, had already merged with another dwindling congregation, but even combined resources weren't enough to keep a priest. The church's long-time members weathered the end of a moratorium on partnered gay clergy, but younger families had already jumped ship. "We were a theologically conservative church," said Scott Field, who'd belonged to the other church, Holy Spirit, before the merger. "Human sexuality is not the only issue of theological orthodoxy, but it seems to be the line in the sand many won't cross," Field said.

New Hampshire Orders Homeschooler to Public School

Worldmag.com reports that a 10-year-old homeschooled girl must return to public school after a court decided the girl was too "rigid" about her faith. Amanda's mother, Brenda Voydatch, has homeschooled her since first grade, but Voydatch's ex-husband, Martin Kurowski, insisted the girl be put in public school. A court-appointed mediator found Amanda's academic progress and extracurricular activities were excellent, but found "Amanda ... to reflect her mother's rigidity on questions of faith.' The guardian noted that during a counseling session, Amanda tried to witness to the counselor and appeared 'visibly upset' when the counselor purposefully did not pay attention." The counselor said "Amanda would be best served by exposure to different points of view at a time in her life when she must begin to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief and behavior."

Methodists Say No to Lutheran Gay Clergy

The Christian Post reports that although the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Methodist Church are in "full communion," they do not agree on all points. Gay ministers from the Lutheran church will not be allowed to serve in the Methodist church. "Our Book of Discipline on that subject did not become null and void when they took that vote," said Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. "It still applies to United Methodist clergy." The churches approved full communion with each other last week, an agreement which includes filling each other's pulpits. But full communion is not tantamount to a merger, church officials said. As Palmer stressed, "the doctrine, polity and standards of ministry of the respective denominations in any full communion agreement are not wiped out when one denomination does something."

Judge Rules against Ky. Reliance on God for Protection

Religion News Service reports that a Kentucky court has ruled that a state law that declares the state Office of Homeland Security cannot do its job without God's help is unconstitutional. The New Jersey-based group American Atheists filed suit last December against the Commonwealth of Kentucky for a 2002 law that says "the safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God." Edwin Kagin, national legal director for American Atheists, said the language crossed an inappropriate line. "It is not merely acknowledging God, it is requiring Kentuckians to rely on that God," Kagin said. In his ruling on Wednesday (Aug. 26) Judge Thomas D. Wingate called the language in the law unconstitutional. Riner, however, says the statement is not about religion, but rather about God.

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Episcopal Head Tries to Clarify 'Salvation' Speech
Daniel Burke


September 1, 2009

(RNS) -- Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on Thursday (Aug. 27) tried to tamp criticism she received last month after she denounced the "heresy" of individual salvation.

In a statement issued by church headquarters in New York, Jefferts Schori tried to clarify her remarks at the church's General Convention in Anaheim, Calif., saying that individualism is "basically unbiblical and un-Christian."

"If salvation is understood only as 'getting right with God' without considering 'getting right with (all) our neighbors,'" Jefferts Schori said in a statement, "then we've got a heresy (an unorthodox belief) on our hands."

In her opening speech at the Anaheim convention, Jefferts Schori called the belief that "we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God," the "great Western heresy."

Conservative Christians, particularly evangelicals, blasted Jefferts Schori's remarks as minimizing the role of personal faith in salvation.

Some also called her church "severed from Scripture" because of its progressive stance on gay rights.

Jefferts Schori acknowledged Thursday that "there have been varied reactions" from people who weren't at the General Convention "who heard or read an isolated comment without the context."

In Thursday's one-page statement, Jefferts Schori sought to put her remarks in a biblical context, saying that both Jesus and the Hebrew prophets criticized believers who claim to be worshipping correctly, but "ignore injustice done to their neighbors."

"Individualism ... is basically unbiblical and unchristian," Jefferts Schori said.

"Salvation depends on love of God and our relationship with Jesus, and we give evidence of our relationship with God in how we treat our neighbors, nearby and far away," she said. "Salvation is a gift from God, not something we can earn by our own works, but neither is salvation assured by words alone."

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Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 1, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Christians in India Falsely Accused in Clan-Fight Murder
    * Ukraine Splinter Church Seeks Independence
    * Outspoken Catholic Bishop Steps Down after Stormy Tenure
    * Hunger and Disease Still Stalk Kenya, Ethiopia

Christians in India Falsely Accused in Clan-Fight Murder

Compass Direct News reports that Hindus opposed to a pastor in a village in Madhya Pradesh, India have falsely charged him and three other Christians in the murder of a young man. Pastor Kamlesh Tahed, 32, of Mehendi Kheda village, Jhabua district, told Compass he was not even in the village the day 22-year-old Roop Singh Baria was killed in a clan fight. Pastor Tahed, who spent 20 days in jail on false charges of "forcible conversion" in 2001 before a court declared him innocent, is now in hiding after the Aug. 8 incident. Three other Christians from his clan are in police custody, also charged in the murder of Baria, of nearby Negadia village, even though they were not present at the site of the melee either. Pastor Bahadur Baria of the same village's opposing clan told Compass that in all previous conflicts - personal, religious or social - sympathizers of Hindu extremists falsely accuse area Christians as well as bait them into conflicts.

Ukraine Splinter Church Seeks Independence

The Associated Press reports that one Orthodox church group in Ukraine is calling for independence from Moscow more urgently than ever. Spokesman Yevhen Zapletnyuk said the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church has asked the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church to recognize them, hoping to break another tie with the former Soviet Union. "We have extended a hand," Zapletnyuk told The Associated Press. "We believe this is the way to salvation." The group sent an official request to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople last week, saying the church is "ready and strives" for a separate jurisdiction from Moscow. The group includes about 1,2000 parishes and 700 priests. Its numbers reflect its growing popularity among Ukrainians. Moscow's leader, Patriarch Kirill, criticized churches seeking independence on his last visit to Ukraine.

Outspoken Catholic Bishop Steps Down after Stormy Tenure

Religion News Service reports that a Pennsylvania Catholic bishop whose public scoldings of politicians -- including Vice President Joe Biden -- created a stir nationwide resigned on Monday (Aug. 31). Bishop Joseph Martino was appointed in 2003 to head the Diocese of Scranton, a heavily Catholic corner of northeastern Pennsylvania. His relatively brief tenure was marked by battles with local parishes, a teachers union, college administrators and a number of politicians, particularly over abortion rights. "For some time now there has not been a clear consensus among clergy or lay people regarding my leadership style," Martino said Monday at a press conference. He also cited stress and "crippling" fatigue as reasons for his departure.The Vatican appointed Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, as temporary head of the Scranton diocese, which encompasses about 350,000 Catholics in 11 counties.

Hunger and Disease Still Stalk Kenya, Ethiopia

Mission News Network reports the aid groups in Kenya and Ethiopia are optimistic that the area's cholera outbreaks have been stemmed, but say that could change quickly. Prolonged drought has exacerbated Kenya's poor harvests and lack of clean water, forcing many to emigrate to Ethiopia in search of pasture for livestock. Those that remain are often dependent on health clinics struggling with the amount of need. The Food for the Hungry Emergency Response Units (ERU), which have trained many vulnerable groups in treatment and prevention of cholera, now watch to see if their efforts help. "The epidemic has gone away, and I'm encouraged that these communities are now prepared in the future for further epidemics that could come through," said ERU's Pete Howard. "These communities understand how to respond better."

[nChrist]

'Bringing the Lost to the Light' in Kurdistan
Dan Wooding


September 2, 2009

WEST AFRICA (ANS) -- For many Assyrian Christians, Iraqi Kurdistan has become a haven where they can practice their faith in freedom. It is completely different to other parts of war-torn Iraq where almost daily Christian churches are bombed and believers attacked and even killed.

Many have fled from the dangers of practicing their faith in the other parts of Iraq and during my recent trip to Kurdistan; I had the privilege of meeting with a pastor from the Kurdish capital of Erbil, who agreed to tell me his moving story.

Though I will not use his name, the radiance of his faith rings through and I began the interview by asking him about his background.

"I am 34 years old and I was born in Kirkuk, but moved to Erbil in 1986, which was the city of my family," he said. "I was raised in a normal middle class Catholic family and have two brothers and one sister. I was the third son in the family."

How did he become a born-again Christian?

"I became a believer because of my uncle who had become a Christian in Australia and came to visit his big family in Iraq just to share with them about the Lord Jesus," the pastor said. "I was 18 years old at that time and I was listening to him while he was sharing. It was then that the Lord touched my heart and I started reading the Bible that he had brought to me and then I got saved. That was back in 1992."

He then told me that he started the church where he now is the senior pastor in September 2003 with "two other families" and "few single ladies".

The pastor added, "We have 120 people attend the Sunday meeting and the average age is 30 years and most of them they are government employees which include lots of engineers and doctors.

"Since we started the church, I can say that the provision of the Lord has been one of the amazing things for me because when 'He guides he provides.' We have seen non-Christians coming to faith by dreams and visions, and when this occurs I say that 'He is doing everything' and we need to 'watch what is done by Him so He will have all the glory'."

And God certainly gets all the glory at the church he pastors. I can tell you from first hand experience, that they raise the roof with their worship to the Lord and being with his congregation, made me realize how the Christian Church has so much in common, despite its location. I didn't know most of the songs they sang, with a talented worship band and singing group, but I could certainly feel the Spirit of God there.

So now he is a pastor, what kind of theological training had he received?

"While pastoring the church, I studied some materials of the churches belonging to a Pentecostal denomination and some friends from Calvary Chapel and also Presbyterian Church. But I don't have any theology degree," he explained.

While I was with the pastor, I met his life lovely wife, so I asked him about how they met.

"I meet my wife in 1992 in a small town of about 8,000 people where I was living at the time and we went to the same civil engineering college," he said. "I talked to her about my Lord and she became a believer and we got married in 1996."

I then asked the pastor to talk about the Assyrian Christians, who were the first nation in the world to accept Christianity, and the Assyrian Church was founded in 33 A.D. by Thomas, Bortholemew and Thaddeus.

"Today, the majority of Assyrian Christians are Chaldeans Catholics, and then are there is the Assyrian Church of the East, which is very close to Orthodox. And also there a very few Evangelical churches," he explained.

He went on to say that a distinctive of the Assyrians is that many of them still speak Aramaic, a Semitic language with a 3,000-year history. It has been the language of administration of empires and the language of divine worship. It was the day-to-day language of Israel in the Second Temple period, the original language of large sections of the biblical books of Daniel and Ezra, and is said to have been the mother tongue of Jesus of Nazareth and is the main language of the Talmud.

He explained that although most Assyrians do speak Aramaic, his services are conducted in Arabic.

The pastor explained, "Most people who come to my church studied Arabic in the school so the Arabic for us is the reading language and Aramaic is the spoken language, but we are praying to have a one service in Aramaic in the future."

I then wondered how he learned to speak English and he explained, "I started with English songs and movies at the beginning then I had an Arabic-English Bible so I would read it in both languages, then I worked with UN offices for a while."

I then asked him if the Christians of Kurdistan face any difficulties at this time and he said, "Actually the Christians haven't had problems with the authorities here but, from time to time, some thing will happen in individual cases, but really the Government is open for the Christian and for the Gospel too."

What would he like people to know about Kurdistan?

"It's a nice place and everyone is welcome to visit this place," he said.

"The people are very friendly towards foreigners and most important thing is it's open to the Gospel."

While I was in Kurdistan, the team I was traveling with who were mainly Christians took turns in ministering at his church and so I asked him for his thoughts on what was taught to his congregation.

"The ministry was wonderful and the people were very encouraged by the balanced teaching from the Bible," he said. "The Lord spoke to me through their ministry to start two services each Sunday and when I shared this idea with the leaders in the church, I got 100% acceptance, so now we are in the process of how to do that because the place if so full now."

How can people pray for him and your wife and what were their greatest prayer needs?

"I always ask for wisdom to lead with my wife the flock and we also need prayer to always stay in tune with God and hear what He want us to do next," he said.

The pastor concluded by saying, "I am very thankful for the global Church that is praying for the Church in Iraq because we are the first generation of the believers in this area and we need lot's of prayers.

"I believe that the Church in Iraq will be used by the Lord to bless all the countries in the Middle East, so please don't give up praying for this nation because the Lord will use it to bring the lost to the light."

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 2, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Translators Announce 2011 Update of Popular NIV Bible
    * Former Miss California Sues Over Defamation, Discrimination
    * Zimbabwe Vastly Better than Last Year, U.S. Bishop Says
    * Kazakhstan: 'Such Preaching Is Prohibited By Our Law'

Translators Announce 2011 Update of Popular NIV Bible

USA Today reports that publishers and scholars behind the popular NIV Bible will update the translation's language for a new 2011 release. "And we'll make sure we get it right this time," says Keith Danby, president and CEO of Biblica, once known as the International Bible Society, in an interview Monday. This will be the fourth version of the best-selling translation, which has not been updated since 1984. The controversial T-NIV, which used "inclusive language" to replace male pronouns not referring to God, was published in 2002 instead. The new NIV translation will replace the T-NIV, sparking questions about such issues will be handled in 2011. Scholars and publishers will "review every single gender-related decision we have made and make sure we are putting God's unchanging word into English people are actually using," says Douglas Moo, chairman of the Committee on Bible Translation.

Former Miss California Sues over Defamation, Discrimination

The Christian Post reports that Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California who allegedly lost her crown over her stance on same-sex marriage, has filed a lawsuit against pageant officials. Prejean was fired almost three months ago for "failure to fulfill obligations outlined in her contract," officials say, but Prejean's lawyer insists she fully upheld her end of the deal. "There were no contract violations," he said after finding no proof that Prejean missed scheduled appearances, as pageant officials had claimed. The lawsuit for libel, slander, and religious discrimination does not ask for a specific monetary amount. Prejean has said, however, the "public ridicule and humiliation" she faced after the pageant caused her to lose modeling work and suffer from anxiety and depression. Prejean won national attention when she answered a question about Proposition 8 with support for traditional marriage.

Zimbabwe Vastly Better than Last Year, U.S. Bishop Says

Catholic News Service reports Zimbabwe is no longer a "desperate" place. "There is food in the shops, people are in the supermarkets buying things," said, Bishop Bishop John H. Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla. Ricard says he sees a "level of hope" that was nonexistent last year, when hyperinflation, drought and political corruption still devastated the country. Ricard and Steve Hilbert, Africa policy adviser in the U.S. bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace, visited the country Aug. 26-28 for the first time since 2008. "It was startling to see the number of people on the streets" of the capital, Harare, Hilbert said. "Zimbabwe a lot has changed for the better." The unity government remains fragile, but Zimbabweans are hopeful that upcoming referendums will lead to a new, permanent constitution to safeguard the country's progress.

Kazakhstan: 'Such Preaching Is Prohibited By Our Law'

ASSIST News Service reports that police broke into the house where members of the Pavlodar Grace Church were staying in Upsen, Kazakhstan last month. One visitor was questioned and a local woman the visitors had prayed with was beaten by police until she signed a statement saying she had been forced to submit to a religious ritual. Two of the visitors face administrative trial on August 31. Asked why the police targeted the group, Inspector Nurserik Aytzhanov said, "They were imposing their religion on the residents of the town by saying that 'Jesus Christ is the only God and you must believe in him'." He continued, "Such preaching is prohibited by our law." He maintained that none of the detained church members were beaten.

[nChrist]

NIV Will Be Revised in 2011; TNIV Will Be Continued
Eric Roach


September 3, 2009

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. (BP) -- A revision of the New International Version of the Bible will be available in 2011, according to a joint announcement Sept. 1 by Zondervan, Biblica and the Committee on Bible Translation. The revision will mark the first complete update of the NIV since 1984.

Zondervan also said the new translation's publication will mark the end of the TNIV, the controversial version released in full in 2005 with gender-neutral language.

"As time passes and English changes, the NIV is becoming increasingly dated," Keith Danby, global president of Biblica, formerly the International Bible Society and Send the Light, said during a news conference at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Ill., site of the first meeting of the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) in 1965.

"The NIV charter anticipated this, and it obliges us to respond. If we want to maintain the NIV as a Bible that English speakers around the world can understand, we have to listen to and respect the vocabulary they are using today," Danby said.

A 15-member independent panel of translators from various denominations and different parts of the world, the CBT -- a self-perpetuating committee -- was formed for the purpose of creating and revising the NIV. Biblica is the translation sponsor and copyright holder of the NIV, and Zondervan is the publisher.

The first version of the NIV was released in 1978, and since then it has become the most popular modern English Bible translation in the world, with more than 300 million copies.

"Since the NIV was first published in 1978, English has become the primary international language of commerce and communication," Douglas Moo, chairman of the CBT, said. "As a consequence, the pace of change in English usage has accelerated. This reality imposes on us greater responsibility to make sure that the NIV changes with it in order to maximize understanding.

"As a committee, our response to this challenge has always been to follow the example of the original Bible writers who wrote in forms of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that reflected the language spoken by the ordinary working people of their day," Moo said. "Just as the New Testament is written in 'Koine' or 'common' Greek, our aim with the NIV Bible is and always has been to translate the Bible into what you might call 'Koine' or 'common' English.

"The new 2011 NIV is all about maintaining and enhancing the original values of the NIV for today's readers. We're looking for a translation that is above all accurate, that says what the original authors said in a way they would have said it had they been speaking English to the global English speaking audience today," Moo said.

The committee also seeks a translation that offers clarity, where understanding of the text comes naturally for the readers, and one that is suitable both for in-depth study and outreach, Moo said.

While seeking to meet the needs of a broader audience of English speakers in the international market, Moo said the CBT also takes into consideration the problems caused by revisions that are too frequent.

"We recognize at the same time that people often will buy a Bible, they will use it as their Bible, they'll memorize it, churches will buy Bibles to put in their pews, and I think we have to balance very carefully the need to keep the Bible up to date in terms of where English is with the reality that people don't want to have to be buying new Bibles every two or three years," he said.

Much discussion during the question and answer session Tuesday focused on the gender-neutral TNIV.

"Whatever its strengths were, the TNIV divided the evangelical Christian community," Moe Girkins, Zondervan's president, said. "As we launch this new NIV in 2011, we will discontinue putting out new products with the TNIV."

Randy Stinson, president of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood -- an organization critical of the TNIV's changes -- applauded the move to discontinue the controversial translation.

"It is very humble of Zondervan and Biblica to admit mistakes and acknowledge the controversy that they brought to the evangelical community over the past several years," Stinson said in a news release. "We are grateful for the godly approach to try to reconcile this. We are hopeful for the new product. I don't have any reason to believe that they are not sincere about their willingness to revisit the more than 3,000 gender changes to which we were opposed."

Stinson said he has been in conversation with Moo and believes that the concerns over the accuracy of gender-neutral language will be taken seriously. Some of the changes, Stinson and others charged, drastically changed the meaning of the text.

During the press conference, Moo said he could not predict whether the 2011 version, set to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the King James Version, would follow more closely the 1984 NIV or the TNIV.

"The relationship between what we anticipate the 2011 NIV to be and either the TNIV on one hand or the 1984 NIV on the other is very hard to determine right now," he said.

The CBT, he said, is committed to a thorough review of their text and is proactively seeking scholarly input as well as feedback from "ordinary NIV Bible readers" for the 2011 version. (Comments can be made at nivbible2011.com.)

"I would say that we on CBT are very conscious of the fact that we have in our view introduced many fine changes into the text of the NIV over the years, many of which found expression in the TNIV," Moo said. "You should expect those changes that we think were appropriately made and now appear in the TNIV to be found as well in the 2011 NIV."

One question raised during the press conference pertained to whether the committee would make changes to the text in order to bow to social pressure concerning homosexuality.

"No. I think I can answer that very clearly no," Moo said. "That's true not only for that issue but other so-called hot button issues of the time. As translators, our purpose is to reflect what God's Word says as accurately as we can on the basis of the best scholarship.

"We are all committed evangelicals, believing in the authority of God's Word," he said. "The importance of every word in God's Word is very dear to us, and that's what our mandate is. We cannot bow to any particular current pressure group and try to fit the Bible into a cultural mode. Then the Bible loses its ability to speak to us and change us."

Girkins said Zondervan's goal is for the 2011 version to be a unifying translation among international readers, and she noted that when the publisher changed its products from the '78 version to the '84 version, the transition took about two years to complete.

"Again, there will be a transition period. I don't know how long that will take. I imagine a couple of years, but we do not intend to continue to publish the '84 or the TNIV editions in the long term," she said.

Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, expressed optimism about the updated NIV translation. LifeWay's subsidiary, B&H, publishes the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

"We are grateful for the recent announcement of the Committee on Bible Translation for the renewed focus on the NIV and its update to be released in 2011," Rainer said in a statement released to Baptist Press. "Focusing efforts in this direction, rather than continuing efforts on the TNIV, will be received positively by many in the evangelical world. We pray for the Committee on Bible Translation in these efforts and for Zondervan in its distribution of the updated NIV."

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 3, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * Christians Arrested for Operating Boys' Hostel in India
    * Pakistan Two Christians Arrested for Eating During Ramadan
    * Trial of Suspect in Rwandan Church Massacre Begins
    * Russian Patriarch Wants Former Gulag to Be Spiritual Center

Christians Arrested for Operating Boys' Hostel in India

Compass Direct News reports that Karnataka police accompanied by 10 Hindu extremists on Friday (Aug. 28 ) arrested a Christian operator of a boys' hostel. They accused the owner and another Christian of offering food, shelter, education and future job prospects to the children as an "allurement" to convert to Christianity. After Hanuma Naik's release on bail the next day, he dismissed the allegations as fabricated, saying that parents of the 42 students voluntarily sent their children, ages 6 to 19, to the hostel. The parents also had prior knowledge that Christian teachings are part of the program at the church-run hostel. The two Christians had promised the boys' parents that they would take care of all the children's needs for food, clothing and education - a potentially criminal activity under "anti-conversion" laws in force in some states, but not in Karnataka.

Pakistan Two Christians Arrested for Eating During Ramadan

ASSIST News Service reports that Pakistani police arrested two Christians for eating during the Islamic fasting season of Ramadan in the city of Silanwali. Gull Masih and Ashir Sohail were reportedly traveling to Lahore on Aug. 25 when their bus stopped at the Bismillah Hotel to let off passengers. After the waiter served them tea and a snack, several policemen started to question them as to why they were desecrating Ramadan by eating during the Islamic fasting season. The two Christians told the police that since they are Christians, they are not supposed to fast during Ramadan. Police then marched them into a van and registered a case against them at the police station. Their case is now pending before court.

Trial of Suspect in Rwandan Church Massacre Begins

The Associated Press reports that a Rwandan man began trial Monday for allegedly massacring a church of 2,000 fellow Rwandans 15 years ago. Gaspard Kanyarukiga, an ethnic Hutu, reportedly convinced a bulldozer driver to crush the ethnic Tutsis who had sought shelter in the church during the 1994 genocide. Tutsis who survived the bulldozing were hunted down and slaughtered by armed gangs. The killings were part of 100 days of killing orchestrated by the Hutu government at the time. More than half a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered during the country-wide violence. But Kanyarukiga's trial, at the Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, may take years. The tribunal has judged just 39 people in the 15 years since the genocide.

Russian Patriarch Wants Former Gulag to Be Spiritual Center

Religion News Service reports that the new patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church said he would like to see a former Soviet gulag transformed into a spiritual center. Patriarch Kirill I said his grandfather, a priest, was a prisoner in the island camp off the northern coast of Russia. The camp's cruelty was immortalized in dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn's book, "The Gulag Archipelago". "We believe that these sufferings and torments have strengthened the power of the Church as it grows with a divine power rather than with a human one," the Patriarch said at the Golgotha-Crucifixion Hermitage on Anzer Island, where sick Gulag prisoners were sent to die. Thousands of monks, clergy, believers, intellectuals and aristocrats whom the Bolshevik regime wanted to eliminate were sent to the island.

[nChrist]

Chinese Christian Sentenced to Jail for Helping N. Korean Refugees
Dan Wooding


September 4, 2009

INNER MONGOLIA (ANS) -- According to ChinaAid, Christians Li Mingshun and Zhang Yonghu were indicted by the Erlianhaote City People's Procuratorate on July 31, 2009, for aiding North Korean refugees fleeing to South Korea through China.

Li and Zhang were among several Christians helping to provide food, shelter, and transportation for the 61 refugees crossing Northern Chinese provinces into Mongolia, where neutral state laws permit residents to seek asylum in South Korea.

Alerted as the refugees crossed into Mongolia, the Border Brigade of Erlianhaote city traveled to Qindao, Heilongjiang province, and arrested Li Mingshun on April 29, 2009.

A ChinaAid spokesperson told ANS, "The trial was held August 17, 2009 in the Erlianhaote City People's Court. Human rights lawyers defending Li and Zhang hoped to raise awareness concerning the Chinese government's treatment of North Korean refugees through this case.

"On August 30, 2009, Ms. Li was found guilty for her humanitarian activities by the Erlianhaote Procuratorate, (officially charged with 'human smuggling across the border'). She was sentenced to ten years in prison. Ms. Li's family in Qindao City received the verdict the morning of August 30.

"Mr. Zhang received a seven-year sentence for organizing transportation for the refugees to Inner Mongolia. Li's family reports they will be submitting an appeal for Li and Zhang's lawful release.

"The verdict underscores years of continued persecution for North Koreans in China, who have been denied refugee-status by the Chinese government and repatriated in violation of the UNHCR Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, which China signed in 1982."

The ChinaAid spokesperson went on to say, "The costs of repatriation are dire. Refugees face charges of treason upon their return to the home country, punishable by death, detention and/or lifelong imprisonment in labor camps. Detained Korean women and children in China are frequently sold into the sex-slave trade, disappearing from the formal record into the human trafficking void. Many Chinese and Korean Christians, like Li and Zhang, work with underground networks to aid these refugees as they seek freedom from persecution, only to be arrested and charged as criminals."

President of ChinaAid Xiqiu "Bob" Fu responded to Li and Zhang's sentences, saying: "I am shocked at how the Chinese government treats its own humanitarian workers. They are innocent! We must urge the international community to voice their concerns for the persecuted North Korean refugees and the humanitarian workers who serve them in their time of need."

He further called for the Chinese government to honor the Li family's appeal, find them innocent under the Chinese law, and release Li Mingshun and Zhang Yonghu."

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 4, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

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

In today's edition:

    * South Africans Launch Conservative Anglican Fellowship
    * Pharmacy Owners Win Preliminary Injunction
    * World Church Body Urges Pakistan to Repeal Blasphemy Law
    * Scottish Pastor Heads to Court over 'Unfair' Dismissal

South Africans Launch Conservative Anglican Fellowship

The Christian Post reports that Anglican leaders in South Africa have welcomed a conservative Anglican movement recently founded in London. Participants of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (South Africa) say they are not seceding from the great Anglican Communion, only affirming orthodox, biblical Anglican "inside the fold," as Peter Jensen, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, explained earlier. FCA (South Africa) leaders like Archbishop Peter Akinola, Primate of Nigeria, remain deeply concerned about the Communion in light of the Episcopal Church's actions. "Revisionists will not come to repentance," he said. "The action of TEC (The Episcopal Church) at its recent General Convention have confirmed our fears that for them, there is no going back... They claim to be theologically with us, but are in full alliance with all that we stand against."

Pharmacy Owners Win Preliminary Injunction

Baptist Press reports that two Illinois pharmacy owners have gained at least a temporary victory in their effort to conduct their practice according to their pro-life consciences. The Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Springfield, Ill., has granted a preliminary injunction protecting Luke VanderBleek and Glenn Kosirog from having to abide by former Gov. Rob Blagojevich's 2005 order requiring pharmacists to fill all prescriptions. The injunction will remain in effect until there is a final ruling in the case. The decision means the pharmacies owned by the two men will not be required to dispense the "morning-after" pill Plan B and other drugs to which they object. VanderBleek and Kosirog "are suffering irreparable harm in the form of an ongoing chill of their free exercise rights and rights of conscience under federal and state law," Judge John Belz noted in his Aug. 21 ruling.

World Church Body Urges Pakistan to Repeal Blasphemy Law

Religion News Service reports that the World Council of Churches is calling on Pakistan to repeal the mandatory death penalty for blasphemy in the country's penal code. The WCC's governing body, which met in Geneva Aug. 26-Sept. 2, issued a statement Tuesday (Sept. 1) urging Pakistan to "guarantee the rights of all religious minorities in the country." The church council said the law has become "a major source of victimization and persecution" of religious minorities who are living "in a state of fear and terror." Since the penal code of Pakistan was amended in 1986, "Christians in particular have become targets of harassments and persecutions," according to the WCC, which also noted that human rights organizations say blasphemy accusations are often used to have people imprisoned over business or land disputes.

Scottish Pastor Heads to Court over 'Unfair' Dismissal

Christian Today reports that Rev. Mahboob Masih is heading to court after being dismissed from his volunteer position on Glasgow station Awaz FM. The station, where Masih had volunteered as a presenter for six years, says they dismissed him because he "had not been balanced enough" during a radio program debating the uniqueness of Christ for Muslim listeners. Masih says his actions were consistent with British law and the station's code of conduct. "This case shows the scandalous use of public monies to support unlawful acts under the guise of social cohesion," said Rev. Masih. "I do not believe any other religious group could have acted like Awaz Radio. I remain grateful to the British courts... The Pakistani Christian community intends to protest to the Scottish Parliament to highlight discriminatory treatment of Christians."