15 June 2001

* Sangomas to work at planned 'Aids hospital'

* `Policy on religion for SA schools on horizon'

* Nearly 1/3 of Presbyterian Church (USA) delegates reject Lordship of Christ

* Western Cape Premier acknowledges God

* 'Applause for Wimpy SA's family value stand'

* Abortion ship sets sail for Ireland

* 'French Christians fear ramifications of anti-sect law'

* `Christians say NO to sharia'

* Former home school critic changes sides

* Family values under the spotlight

* 300,000 Young people rebel against promiscuity

* High court: Religious clubs can meet in public schools

* US Court refuses Ten Commandments case

* 'Amnesty International report targets death penalty'

* Evangelist puts fear of God into pilferers

* `Discovery of ancient Chinese church'

* SANGOMAS TO WORK AT PLANNED 'AIDS HOSPITAL' - (Bloemfontein, SA) The Jewish community in the USA and the Horn of Africa congregation in South Africa, with the co-operation of the International Red Cross are soon to open a hospital for Aids sufferers in Bloemfontein, according to a report by Volksblad. Dr Vuyisile Msitshana, co-ordinator of the project, says that traditional healers will be working in the hospital. It is also a project of Ombos, the private faith parliament of the Horn of Africa congregation. Dr Msitshana said the parties concerned decided to create such a hospital because it does not look as though Western doctors and medication can stop this life-threatening disease. He says it appears as though traditional means which include a variety of herbs, can be the solution to the problem. "In the hospital traditional healers will be trained in antique and medieval practices... The aim of this would be to camp the plague". Msitshana says five doctors have been appointed and he and B.M. Tsepe will be taking the lead. The hospital is to be situated in Glenroad, Hilton. (Volksblad, 9 May)

* `POLICY ON RELIGION FOR SA SCHOOLS ON HORIZON' - Mr Kader Asmal, Minister of Education, said on 6 June that a religious policy for schools would be ready before the end of this year. According to a report in Beeld, Mr Asmal said that it is very possible that a comparative study of religion, rather than instruction in a particular belief, would be implemented. It furthermore reported that Mr Asmal said the preference of the majority of parents of a school would not necessarily determine that a specific religion is taught in that school and according to him specific religious practices should be conducted after-hours at home or in the church. Pieter Coertzen, spokesman of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), said on 13 June in Pretoria that the constitutional right of freedom of religion guaranteed that pupils be taught in the belief of their choice. The DRC opposed the minister's statement. "In democratic countries where freedom of religion is guaranteed, this includes, among other things, the right that religion may be taught in school to the adherents of a given religion," Coertzen said. "Effectively this means that Christian parents and learners in a school, have a right to be taught in a public school according to their religious convictions." Coertzen said the DRC also stressed that the Schools Act allowed parents, teachers and pupils at a particular school to determine that institution's ethos. (Beeld, 7 June; news24.co.za)

* NEARLY 1/3 OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA) DELEGATES REJECT LORDSHIP OF CHRIST - In what may be a significant sign of the times, the Presbyterian Church (USA) held a debate on 14 June to decide whether Jesus Christ is Lord. The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that delegates at the denomination's General Assembly debated for two hours before giving passage to a resolution affirming that Jesus is the one and only Savior. The report says it came in the wake of a yearlong controversy within the PC(USA) that followed a speech in Chicago last year by denomination pastor Dirk Ficca, who declared that Jesus may have proclaimed the way to God, but was not himself the only means. Ficca's apostate speech - and his rhetorical question, "What's the big deal about Jesus?" - prompted a recent "Confessing Church" movement of more than 300 congregations who affirmed the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the infallibility of Scripture, and the belief that God designed sex only for marriage. At the same time, liberals began circulating an Affirmation 2001 document emphasizing "freedom of conscience."

During the 14 June debate, liberal delegates talked about tolerance in an era of religious pluralism. But conservative voices said the denomination must take a clear stand on who Jesus Christ is. In the end, 369 delegates voted in favor of the resolution which said salvation is found only in confessing Christ and trusting Him alone. But 163 delegates, almost one-third, voted to reject it. (Agapepress, 15 June)

* WESTERN CAPE PREMIER ACKNOWLEDGES GOD - (South Africa) WC Premier Gerald Morkel opened his address on 12 May at a special "fire and light" Conference in Cape Town, by reading from Romans 13:1-5 and commenting that: "God is very clear in His Word that we should subject ourselves to our authorities and obey the law. But if the residents of a city, province or country should obey this Biblical command, then so must the authorities be subjected to God's commands and perfect will... The recognition of God Almighty, of His power; the adoration of His Name; the obedience of His Word and commands; and the following of His immaculate ways, should be clearly visible in an authority... It should be its starting point and final goal to honour, please and obey God. This is also my vision for Cape Town and the Western Cape." Referring to what needs to be done in the city and province, he said: "Before we go out into the world, before we try and transform nations, I believe strongly that we should start with ourselves... We need to constantly search our hearts, soften them, confess our sins to God, ask for forgiveness, pray, be willing to learn from His Word and abide in Him. We should never forget the first principles as stated in Hebrews Chapter 6: repent of dead works and have faith in God. We must first clean up before we can build up." (Notes taken by P. Rosenthal)

* 'APPLAUSE FOR WIMPY SA'S FAMILY VALUE STAND' - The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) has congratulated Wimpy South Africa for being at the forefront of the recent trend of socially responsible behaviour by big businesses. According to ACDP media spokesperson, Mrs JoAnn Downs MPP, Wimpy immediately withdrew a promotional CD whose sexually explicit lyrics were found to be grossly inappropriate for children. "This thing slipped through Wimpy's guard, but when they found out about it they were very honest and transparent in their retraction. They need to be commended for this" Mrs Downs said. "This stand for family values has probably cost them a lot of money, but Wimpy Managing director Darren Hele deserves credit for putting principle before profit." (ACDP media release, 6 June)

* ABORTION SHIP SETS SAIL FOR IRELAND - (Scheveningen) Dutch pro-abortionists sailed for Roman Catholic Ireland on 11 June in a converted fishing boat to offer offshore abortions to Irish women in a makeshift treatment room welded to its deck. The 35m Sea of Change, whose eight-man crew includes a gynaecologist and a nurse, is expected to reach Dublin on 14 or 15 June. It will offer abortions inside a green shipping container fastened to the deck and fitted out as a treatment room with a chair designed for abortion operations and a machine to determine the length of pregnancy. The Netherlands-based Women on Waves Foundation, which is sponsoring the voyage, aims to offer abortions outside the territorial waters of countries which only allow termination of pregnancies in exceptional circumstances. According to the Pretoria News the group will also offer in-port family planning advice, contraceptives and workshops on reproductive health issues for lawyers, doctors, teachers and politicians. (Pretoria News, 12 June)

* 'FRENCH CHRISTIANS FEAR RAMIFICATIONS OF ANTI-SECT LAW' - A new law passed in France on 29 May which is aimed at controlling the activities of dangerous religious sects, is also likely to affect ordinary churches, according to CNSNews. The law empowers judges to shut down a sect if its representatives have been convicted of certain offenses. It also outlaws a newly defined crime, "mental manipulation," which is punishable by a large fine and five years' imprisonment. Joel Thornton, the executive director of the Strasbourg-based European Center for Law and Justice said he expected some French churches to face problems very soon, and the European Center for Law and Justice hoped to get attorneys onto the cases and into the courts quickly to defend them. The churches most likely to fall foul of the new law, he said, were Protestant ones, "especially those classified as evangelical." The president of the French Protestant Federation, the Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, said on 31 May that some churches were already considering removing the word "evangelical" from their names and literature. Ignorance and paranoia, fuelled by negative and sensationalist media reports, have led to a situation in which any non-mainstream churches are lumped together in people's minds with cults, say critics of the new law. (CNSNews.com, 31 May)

* `CHRISTIANS SAY NO TO SHARIA' - (Kano, Nigeria) Christians living in northern Nigeria's Borno State said on 3 June that they will disobey the strict code of Islamic law which took effect there on 1 June, reports Sapa-AFP. The Borno State government, one of 10 northern states to implement the Islamic law known as the Sharia since last January, has in past weeks ...set out a series of restrictions and regulations in line with the tenets of Islam. The code, which Muslims say should not affect Christians, came into force formally on 1 June. In the statement, signed by the Reverend Philips Gwarma, CAN said: "When the Sharia issue came up and government set up a committee to study the feasibility ... we were not included in the committee... We have therefore resolved not to obey the Sharia law in all ramifications," it said. "As members of society, we live and intermingle with Muslims, so there is no way a system that touches on the lives of Muslims will not affect us," it said. (News24.co.za, 3 June)

* FORMER HOME SCHOOL CRITIC CHANGES SIDES - Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a well-known American talk show host, has for years been one of the leading public voices for conservatism in America, reports AgapePress. She has not been afraid to tackle tough issues such as denouncing homosexuality. Nevertheless The Washington Times notes, in recent years Dr. Laura has been openly critical of what she described as the narrow focus of home schooling, offering concerns that home educators were not teaching major science and math to children, and were keeping young people from being properly socialized. Now, Dr. Laura says she has had a change of heart. She says whether through becoming more enlightened herself, or because the movement has grown, or both, she finds herself recommending it constantly. In an interview with The Times, Dr. Laura describes herself as an enemy of the public school system "because of the liberal forces that have taken it over and are determined to do social engineering there, foisting upon people notions of behavior and philosophy... sexual behavior, that have nothing to do with reading, writing, and arithmetic." (AgapePress, 5 June)

* FAMILY VALUES UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT - In February 1999, Paul Weyrich rocked the conservative world by declaring that the culture war was over and "family values" had lost, says Stacy McCain from the Washington Times. "I no longer believe that there is a moral majority," said Mr. Weyrich, a veteran conservative activist. "I do not believe that a majority of Americans actually share our values... If there really were a moral majority out there, Bill Clinton would have been driven out of office months ago," Mr. Weyrich wrote. He added that "what Americans would have found absolutely intolerable only a few years ago, a majority now not only tolerates but celebrates." A recent Census Bureau report showed the continued decline of the traditional family. Married couples with children, who comprised 43 percent of American households in 1950, accounted for only 24 percent of American households in 2000. The number of "unmarried partner" households, meanwhile, increased by 72 percent in the past decade alone. McCain says that with marriage and parenthood in decline, with more couples cohabitating and more children born out of wedlock, the future of "family values" looks dim indeed.(For more stats see http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20010601-77709394.htm) (Washington Times, 1 June)

* 300,000 YOUNG PEOPLE REBEL AGAINST PROMISCUITY - 300 000 young South Africans have rebelled against promiscuity by signing a pledge to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. Saved sex, they say, saves the beauty of love for the security of a single bond. Saved sex, they say, builds trust and honour; it protects hearts, minds and bodies. They name their movement True Love Waits in English, Ware Liefde Wag in Afrikaans, Uthando Lweqiniso Luyalinda in Zulu, and, since over 100 countries boast members of the movement, the name has been translated into many more languages. (For more information, visit our website at www.truelovewaits.org.za or phone 082 770 8375 An audio clip in English and Zulu is available on our website to be downloaded.)

* HIGH COURT: RELIGIOUS CLUBS CAN MEET IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS - (Washington) The Supreme Court ruled for a Christian youth group on 11 June in a church-state battle over whether religious groups should be allowed to meet in public schools after class hours. In a 6-3 decision the justices said the Milford School District in upstate New York, must let the Good News Club hold after-school meetings for grade-school children to pray and study the Bible. The majority found that excluding the club was unconstitutional discrimination based on the club's views. Letting the meeting take place would not be an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion, the court ruled. The Constitution's First Amendment protects free speech and the free exercise of religion, but it also bars government establishment of religion. The youth group's members range from age 5 to 12, and its meetings include Bible stories, prayers and teaching children to "give God first place in your life." ...The Supreme Court has long wrangled with the question of religion in the public schools. The justices banned organized prayer during class hours in the early 1960s, and in the past decade banned clergy-led prayer at high school graduation ceremonies and student-led prayer at high school football games. (CNN.com, 11 June 2001)

* US COURT REFUSES TEN COMMANDMENTS CASE - (Washington) A divided Supreme Court on 29 May declined to hear a case testing whether public display of the Ten Commandments violates the principle of separation of church and state. The decision left in place a ruling that the monument's display was unconstitutional. The court turned aside an appeal by city officials from Elkhart, Ind., who had lost the church-state fight in lower courts. The dispute was over a granite marker bearing the biblical commandments that has stood on the lawn of the city office building since 1958. Two Elkhart residents, with backing from the American Civil Liberties Union, had sued to get rid of the marker. At least three justices - Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas - nonetheless went on record as saying they disagreed with the decision not to hear the case. Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas said they found nothing wrong with the monument's display. The monument "simply reflects the Ten Commandments' role in the development of our legal system," Rehnquist wrote for the three. (Excite News, 29 May)

* 'AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT TARGETS DEATH PENALTY' - Amnesty International's 40th annual report on human rights released on 30 May, targets globalization, torture and the death penalty, according to CNN. "The human rights movement has grown in strength and numbers, and consciousness of human rights is undoubtedly greater than ever," Amnesty Secretary-General Pierre Sane said in the report... "AI's global survey into patterns of torture revealed that the most common victims of torture and ill-treatment are convicted criminals and criminal suspects," the report said... The London-based group said governments must not back away from protecting rights even as globalization puts more power in the hands of others, such as international corporations and financial institutions... Amnesty also continued its campaign against use of the death penalty in judicial systems around the globe. (CNN, 30 May)

* EVANGELIST PUTS FEAR OF GOD INTO PILFERERS - Liverpool Cathedral has been swamped with hotel bath robes and library books after a preacher urged his congregation to return stolen property. J John, a Church of England evangelist, preached on the Eighth Commandment, "thou shalt not steal", and asked 3,000 worshippers to place their stolen goods in amnesty bins. Two wheelie bins on the steps of the Anglican Cathedral have been filled with NHS crutches, video tapes, company pens, ashtrays, CDs, library books, about £400 in cash and several letters of confession. But the bulk of the contents consists of bath robes and towels which are being posted back to hotels all over the world. Anything that cannot be returned will be given to charity. J John, 43, who is of Greek-Cypriot extraction, is licensed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. (31 May, Electronic Telegraph)

* `DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT CHINESE CHURCH' - (Tokyo) A special program on "The Church from the 7th Century in China" was featured on the regular Christian World News shown on the Trinity Broadcasting Network on May 25, according to a article by Assist News Service (ANS). The recent discovery - which apparently is "old news" according to the locals - near the city of Sian, in Central China, has dramatically changed the historical record of China and Asia, which as been thought of as a predominantly Buddhist area. According to ANS the record of the Church is very limited throughout Asia with the exception of The Philippines and Korea. The Nestorian Monument, a stone tablet in the city of Sian which was discovered in the 1600s was the only testimony to Christianity in China. What was always a puzzle was that it clearly stated that "monasteries abound in a hundred cities." This monument which is often called the "Rosetta Stone" of Christianity in Asia was the only proof of this past. Recently a Church, dating back to 638 AD, was discovered in the center of the Imperial area of the Tang Dynasty. According to the ANS article, the Church in the center of the imperial area confirms for the first time the stories that have long been passed down and appear frequently in Chinese narratives which tell of a major Church in China in the Tang Dynasty from 618-877. (Worthynews.com, 12 June)