CFT's bi-weekly CHRISTIAN NEWS

30 October 1998

* CHURCH REJECTS APARTHEID - (RSA) The General Synod Commission (GSC) of the Ned Geref Kerk (NGK) has declared that they fundamentally reject apartheid. The synod also decided to disown the former government policy on theological grounds. In doing so, the NGK has complied with the last requirement of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches for the lifting of the suspension of the church's membership. The GSC decided to work towards unification with other members of the NGK family. (Daily News, 14 October)

* SOUTH AFRICAN DOCTOR SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF ABORTION INCIDENT - The Volksblad newspaper (28 October) reports that Dr Wilbe Turton, physician from Thaba Nchu (Free State), has been suspended from his part-time post in the Botshabelo hospital while investigations are taking place into an incident where he refused to get involved in an abortion. Turton is furthermore accused of making public confidential information of the patient concerned. The incident took place earlier this month when a woman, already in the process of a miscarriage, arrived at the hospital's emergency section. On enquiry Turton confirmed to the Volksblad that he refused to complete the abortion, which had been started earlier on in the abortion clinic of the Pelonomi hospital. He gave staff members instructions on how to stabilise the woman and referred her back to the Pelonomi hospital with a note "Send back to abortion doctor". The day after the abortion incident he told Die Volksblad that it is his constitutional right not to be involved in the active ending of life against his will.

* 180,000 CHURCHES PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH - Up to 180,000 Christian churches will take part in the "International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church" on 15 November 1998. The WEF (World Evangelical Fellowship) has organized prayer meetings in many countries. It is estimated that 160,000 people were killed for their belief in Jesus in 1997 alone. Most of those murdered were ex-Muslims in Islamic nations, where the fact that someone believes in "Isa" - the Islamic name for Jesus - is viewed as falling away from the true faith and is punishable by death. The WEF calls on all Christians to take part in this day of prayer, to pray for all Christians who are already in jail, asking God to use them to spread the gospel among their fellow prisoners and the prison staff.

* CATHOLICS MUST BE PRO-LIFE - Catholic politicians endanger their salvation if they fail to support pro-life laws, American bishops said. A draft document produced by a committee of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and obtained by the Cleveland Plain Dealer said Catholic legislators are accountable for failing to oppose laws that allow abortion and euthanasia. Being on the right side of issues such as racism, poverty, hunger, education, housing, and health care "can never excuse a wrong choice" on pro-life issues, the document said. The newspaper said seven of eight U.S. cardinals worked on the statement, which will be presented at the NCCB's meeting in Washington, D.C., next month. (Religion Today)

* ABORTION DOCTOR MURDERED - Dr Barnett Slepian of Amherst New York was shot dead by a sniper on Friday 23 October. Since 1993, three doctors, including Dr Slepian, three clinic employees and a clinic resort have been murdered. Slepian's lawyer, Glenn Murray said that 10 years ago Slepian had pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after being charged with smashing the windows of a pro-life protester's van with a baseball bat. He also made a direct link between the rhetoric of the "Abortion is Murder" signs and violence. "When you're using words like `kill' and `murder', that's where it can lead."

Most pro-life groups have condemned the killing. However, one particularly virulent Web site lists names of doctors who it says perform abortions, or "crimes against humanity," with a code indicating whether they are "working," wounded" or a "fatality." Another website called The Nuremberg Files lists abortion doctors. Early on Saturday, just hours after Slepian was shot, his name on was crossed off under a graphic display of blood. The radical site also contains an article by Paul Hill "Why I killed an abortionist". Hill was jailed for his killing of an abortionist doctor a few years ago.

[Ed: While we condemn Slepian's murder (and similar atrocities) it should be remembered that millions of babies have also been murdered.]

* HEAD COOKED FOR BATTLE SUCCESS - A man's head was found cut open and barbecuing on a witchdoctor's spit not far from the Christian News headquarters in KwaZulu-Natal. The traditional healer, 76 year old Mzukuzuku Dlamini, told the police that he was preparing it to provide stronger "muti" (witchcraft medicine) for a faction of a local warring tribe, the Amabomvu. Detective Inspector Chonco of the South African Police Services told Christian News that the witchdoctor had provided muti for a successful battle after which the warriors returned with the head (of Thelelani Mpungose) in a parcel so that he could provide an even stronger potion.

The Mail & Guardian (October 9 to 15) had similar news to report in their article aptly titled "How to get a head in business." The M&G report that "selling human body parts is a lucrative business in South Africa. Prices for eyes, breasts, brains or genitals range from R1000 to R10,000 - depending on the body part for sale ... most traditional healers are afraid to talk about this thriving bloody commerce." Their reputation for supernatural powers prompts businessmen to consult certain `sangomas' to help with "ukuthwala" (accumulation of wealth). The sangoma will recommend certain human body parts as ingredients to be used in brewing the muti. Sometimes witch doctors tell husbands to murder their wives in order to concoct special good-luck muti.

* LIGHTENING AND SOCCER - In the space of one week two soccer teams were struck by lightening. In South Africa 6 members of the Morocco Swallows were injured by a strike of lightening during a game. An entire Congolese team was wiped out during play. Lightening is used by witchdoctors and some suspect that witchcraft was responsible in both these cases.