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CFT's bi-weekly CHRISTIAN NEWS 31 January 2000 * RELIGIOUS BODIES MUST COMPLY WITH NEW VALUES - The 'Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Bill' was passed by national parliament on Wednesday 26th January. It is likely to be used by homosexual activists to prosecute and sue Christian churches and organisations that oppose homosexuality. The only way that it can be stopped now is to appeal to President Mbeki not to sign it into law (See fax number below). He is due to sign it on 4th February 2000. The Christian church was not properly consulted and will be unable to obey aspects of the law in its present form. The bill places discrimination on grounds of 'sexual orientation' i.e. homosexuality on a par with 'race' and 'gender'. Examples of 'sexual orientation' laws overseas have led to Christian individuals, organisations and churches being sued or prosecuted for example for: * refusing to rent a room or flat to a homosexual couple; * retrenching a homosexual employee in a Christian organisation, school, church or children's home; * speaking, publishing or broadcasting statements against homosexuality; * refusing to allow a homosexual volunteer to work as a boy scout master or children's home assistant; * an employer refusing to give a homosexual employee's partner the same pension and other benefits as a marriage partner. * refusing to allow a homosexual to adopt a child or gain child custody in a divorce dispute. In addition, homosexuals may use the law to demand 'affirmative action' in organisations which have excluded them in the past (eg. Christian organisations). Mr Mohseen Moosa, ANC chairman of the committee which drew up the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Bill, said at a news conference on Tuesday (25 January), that the Bill set out a value system which would apply to all sectors of society, including religions. Commenting on opposition to the Bill by the African Christian Democratic Party, he said, "This Bill does not exempt anybody. Whether you are part of one or another religion... or ideological system or traditional cultural system, or whether you believe in gender equality in one way or another, for whatever reason, whatever philosophy you hold, if you live in the South African society, this Bill does not exempt you. And so the ACDP cannot expect the religious community to be exempt." (Christian View) (Petitions can be faxed to President Mbeki at: 021 4642217) * SACC TO USE BILL AGAINST CHURCHES - The only Christian group allowed to speak to the parliamentary committee which drafted the bill was the South African Council of Churches (SACC), who claimed they represented all South African Christians from Catholics to Pentecostals. They not only supported the inclusion of homosexuality in the bill, but would try to enforce the bill on their member churches. According to an extract from the minutes of the parliamentary hearings on the equality bill with regard to homosexual and sodomy rights, the SACC responded by saying that "the Christian faith is divided on a number of issues, of which gay rights is one. The church is constantly engaging with the realities of our times. It is exactly because there is discrimination in the Church that this Bill is needed - the SACC wants to be seen to be accountable for lobbying and implementing the Act within its constituency." (a copy of the equality bill is at: www.polity.org.za/govdocs/bills/1999/draftequality.html) * JANE FONDA BECOMES BORN AGAIN - The separation between media mogul Ted Turner and his wife, Jane Fonda, was prompted in part by Fonda's stunning embrace of "born-again" evangelical Christianity, sources close to the couple told WorldNetDaily. The split was announced recently in a statement, which indicated the couple remains "committed to the long-term success of our marriage." Friends say the path of Fonda's spiritual conversion began two years ago when her chauffeur began witnessing to the actress about his faith in Jesus Christ. At first, Fonda was reportedly troubled by those conversations. Later, she began to welcome them and attend church with her chauffeur. "Her faith is very real, very deep," said one insider. "Of course, with any celebrity conversion, the pressures can be enormous, But she is serious about her faith and regularly attends Bible study and church." The idea of radical political activist Jane Fonda embracing Christianity is sure to create a stir. Fonda has been a high-profile political target because of her open support in the 1970s of Communist North Vietnam. She has been an outspoken supporter of abortion on demand, and Turner once attacked Christianity as a "religion for losers." Insiders say Fonda's spiritual faith, since then, has matured in a way that affects her entire worldview. Recently, for instance, she refused to "meditate" at an environmental conference, suggesting to those involved that they would be well-advised instead to "pray to Jesus Christ." (WorldNetDaily.com) * SA ARCHBISHOP QUESTIONS BIBLICAL AUTHORITY AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY - South African Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane has questioned the use of Biblical authority against homosexuality. Addressing a conference in Berkeley, California, on Anglicanism and Scriptures, he suggested a "critical questioning ... of fixed foundations of truth giving rise to one voice. We are coming to recognise ... that institutional authority is never independent of those who invest a person or body with authority." The Archbishop decried the tendency to quote Scriptures out of context in order to prove a point. It also had to be noted that there are fundamental questions relating to Scripture, its authority and its interpretation. "For example, what is the position of the Apocryphal writings and those not even included in the latter. Is the Gospel of Mary, with its alternative interpretive frameworks, scripture?" He said some view Scripture as the only authority. Others place Scripture alongside experience, reason, culture, faith and tradition. Then there are those who do not view Scripture as the authoritative source at all. Referring to the condemnation of homosexuality through Scripture, he said: "Given that the scriptures were written 20 centuries ago, before the advent and development of current medical, psychological and sociological studies, this attitude might validly be accused of being simply a way to support a particular prejudice." (Natal Witness, 22 January) * ANGLICAN PANEL ENDORSES DIVORCED PEOPLE'S REMARRIAGES - The Church of England, established by the much-wedded King Henry VIII, took a step (on 26 January) toward approving remarriage for divorced people - an issue that may be of great interest to the heir to the British throne. Recommendations published by a group of bishops, if adopted by the church's governing General Synod in 2002, could make it easier for Prince Charles to contemplate marriage to his longtime love, Camilla Parker Bowles. But the church's main concern is dealing with the realities of a country with one of the highest divorce rates in Europe, and the fact that a third of its priests already are exercising their legal right to perform marriages involving divorced people. Among the conditions for remarriage proposed by the bishops: Divorced people should be honest about the reasons for the failure of their previous marriage, adequate provision should be made for supporting children, the new relationship should not be the cause of breaking up the previous marriage, and "a reasonable time" should have passed since the divorce. Bishops also recommended that remarriage should normally not be permitted for people who have been divorced more than once. The decision in each case would be made by the local priest in consultation with the bishop. The bishops' recommendation applies only to churches in England. Other Anglican churches, such as the Episcopal Church in the United States, are free to set their own policies. (AP, 26 January) * BRITISH DOCTOR PREDICTS AIDS CATASTROPHE IN SA - Dr John Wright, in an article published by the British Medical Journal (15 January), predicts that 4% of South Africa's population will die of Aids each year between 2000 and 2015. Dr Wright has worked in South African hospitals and recently visited a hospital where he used to practise. * RC LEADER IN SCOTLAND IN ROW OVER GAY PERVERSION COMMENT - The leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics came under fire from all directions over his description of homosexual relationships as "perverted". One of Cardinal Thomas Winning's priests disclosed he was homosexual and claimed a secret network of gay priests existed under the noses of senior churchmen. And the Cardinal was condemned by Labour MP and ally of the church George Galloway, who said his words "could have dripped from the lips of any raving bigot". The controversy comes in the wake of a heated debate following the Scottish Executive's proposals to repeal Section 28, the law which bans the promotion of homosexuality in schools. The Cardinal has been an outspoken opponent of the proposals. (The Journal) * BIBLES SHOPLIFTED - The Bible says, "Thou shalt not steal.'' But wait, someone has stolen the Bible. In what might come as a revelation, managers of Christian bookstores in Columbus say the Good Book is one of the items shoplifters most often take from their shelves. "We're just hoping people aren't stealing them and taking them to church on Sundays,'' said Helen Nickels, manager of Ambassador Bible Bookstore on S. High Street. "We had one man stuff a $110 Thompson Chain reference Bible into the seat of his pants.'' That Christian bookstores are victims of shoplifting is perhaps a testament to their trusting atmosphere and the high cost of installing the security systems often found in secular stores. "We just have to keep our eyes open,'' Nickels said. Based on shoplifters who've been caught, she said, "usually it's teen-agers or kids who want to get their parents a Bible as a gift and can't afford to pay for it.'' (The Columbus Dispatch, 28 January) * YEAR 2000: NO PROBLEM - Most of the feared computer problems related to the year 2000 rollover did not occur, frequently because of the significant precautionary efforts made by many companies and governments. Here are some of the problems which could not be prevented: - In London, a child cut the cables to the family computer so that the 'Millennium Bug' could not crawl in; - In New York, one customer faced a bill of $176,160 for returning a rented video 100 years late; - A German businessman discovered that $11.9 million had been credited to his account due to a computer error; - Newborn babies in a Copenhagen hospital were registered as 100 years old; - In Naples, a court was forced to close because a computer added a century to some sentences, and subtracted it from others; - In Auckland, New Zealand, the international airport announced that it had made the transition into the new year without problems. The press release was dated 1 January 100. (Source: Bob Hall, bobhall@cmd.org.nz)
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