* Christian outcry over Blair ban on Religious Groups

* World's largest Abortion provider promotes "YOUTH MANIFESTO"

* Sudanese rulers regard Christians as "DOGS"

* Protestant Church in Vietnam recognised

* THE WORD `HOMOSEKSUEEL' UNDER SCRUTINY - The "Reformerende Kerk" has requested the Bible Society of South Africa to retranslate a number of texts containing the word "homoseksueel" in the Afrikaans Bible, so that it would not imply the phenomenon that is known as homosexuality today, Bloemnuus reports. Rev. Gerrit Kritzinger, general secretary of the Bible Society, said that they attempt to create trustworthy translations, and therefore refer enquiries to academics who are appointed to determine the credibility of enquiries. In an interview with Christian News, Rev Geyer, assistant general secretary of the Bible Society, confirmed that all enquiries regarding translation done by the Society of any portion of Scripture, are looked into by a board representing a wide range of churches, whenever future translations are done.

The "Reformerende Kerk"'s request that the word "homoseksueel" be retranslated differently, touches one of the key aspects in the debate over churches' stand regarding homosexuality, since people who condemn it take their standpoint from these Scripture portions, while those who do not condemn it, say that the specific text portions are not referring to homosexuality as people know it today. The "Reformerende Kerk", which has seven small congregations and growth points in South Africa, said it was founded in 1992 and has been the first church in South Africa to reach out to gays with the message that God loves them as they are. According to Bloemnuus, Rev André Müller, moderator, said in a letter to the Bible Society that the Afrikaans Bible translation is the greatest single cause for spiritual emptiness and the state of being without a church for thousands of Afrikaans gay Christians. (News24.co.za/Bloemnuus, 20 April)

*AIDS `WILDFIRE' IN SA PRISONS - The SA Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (Sapohr) on 30 April called for the release of awaiting trial prisoners who are in custody for minor offences. The organisation's president Derrick Mdluli said the release of the prisoners was aimed at reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS caused by overcrowding in prisons... "Prison cells were designed to house 18 prisoners but they are currently housing between 70 and 80 prisoners. The HIV and Aids pandemic is spreading like wildfire because of overcrowding. Prisoners' human rights are being violated. About 70 people use one toilet facility. We are taking overcrowding in prisons very seriously, but we are tired of just talking. It is time to act," Mdluli said. "There are thousands of awaiting trial prisoners and those prisoners in for petty crimes who were granted bail but cannot afford to pay it and end up living in prisons for long periods, which costs the government and taxpayers more money. They should be given another chance and be released under supervision," Mdluli said. (news24.co.za, 30 April)

* CHRISTIAN OUTCRY OVER BLAIR BAN ON RELIGIOUS GROUPS - Tens of thousands of Christians are presently calling on the Government to lift a ban on national religious broadcasting, in response to news that a Government forum on the future of religious broadcasting is set to exclude independent religious broadcasters. The Government forum, to be held at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 3rd May 2001, was originally proposed in connection with United Christian Broadcasters (UCB). However, UCB have learned that the meeting now excludes independent religious broadcasters, and is misrepresentative of the 6,500 responses made in a White Paper consultation requesting the lifting of the ban. The response of Christians forms part of a growing movement of strong concern, including 300,000 supporters of UCB, (a Christian radio station that has been banned from applying for a national licence in the UK for the past 10 years but broadcasts via satellite) about freedom of speech. The ban on religious broadcasters has been in place since the 1990 Broadcasting Act, and the UK is one of only four countries to have such a ban, alongside Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iran. Over a period of 10 years hundreds of MPs of all parties have supported lifting the ban and numerous petitions have been presented to the Government, numbering in excess of 276,000 signatures.(United Christian Broadcasters, 30 April)

* NEXT DUTCH EUTHANASIA STEP - "SELF-KILLING FOR THE AGED" - Minister Borst (Dutch Ministry of Health) said in an interview with the NRC Handelsblad on 14 April that old people who wish to end their lives should be given the means to kill themselves. She is "not against" the use of the Drion's suicide pill "provided that it can be carefully arranged that it is only made available to old people who have had enough of life."... When the First Chamber passed the euthanasia law on 10 April, Minister Korthals (Justice) did not exclude the possibility that in the future "being tired-of-life" would be sufficient grounds for euthanasia, but he wished to await the High Court's decision in the Brongersma case before proceeding further. Brongersma (86) underwent assisted suicide because of being "tired-of-life". In such a case, says Borst, "you relieve the individual from his suffering, but it is a form of suffering that has nothing to do with sickness or malfuction. '' Although under the new euthanasia law all instances of "active termination of life" are required to be reported, minister Borst "can very well imagine" that doctors will not be inclined to report cases of "help-with-dying", in those cases where the patient is so seriously ill that he is no longer capable of making the necessary formal request for the "active termination of his life" that the euthanasia law requires. (Translated from NRC Handelsblad, 14 April)

* (US) HOUSE PASSES BILL PUNISHING VIOLENCE TO UNBORN CHILD - The House passed legislation on 26 April that would make it a federal crime to harm or kill an unborn child in the course of assaulting a pregnant woman. The measure passed by a 252-172 vote with 53 Democrats crossing party lines to support it, and 21 Republicans voting no. "It´s time that our society began recognizing and defending both of the victims who are harmed when violent criminals attack pregnant women," said House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, Texas Republican. "Those who would artificially discriminate between lives lost to crime within and without the womb draw empty and callous distinctions. All life is precious," Mr. DeLay said. President Clinton had threatened to veto the bill when it first passed the House 254-172 in 1999, and it never reached the Senate floor for debate. President Bush welcomed passage of the bill. "I commend the House for its bipartisan passing of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act," President Bush said in a statement last night. "This legislation affirms our commitment to a culture of life, which welcomes and protects children." White House officials said that Mr. Bush would sign the bill into law if it received final passage by the Senate. Republicans, however, concede the bill faces an uphill battle in passing the evenly divided chamber. (Washington Times, 27 April)

* CHILDREN `AT RISK FROM GRAPHIC SEX EDUCATION' - Primary school children could be exposed to the "most graphic" portrayals of sex if the rest of the UK follows Scotland's lead by easing restrictions on sex education, a Tory MP warned on 25 April. Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury, pointed to teaching material in Scotland where Section 28, banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools, has been scrapped. He said that guidelines included explicit material on oral sex and masturbation."Children are told how much fun there is to be had in sex. It is presented as a recreational activity rather than something that has any role in a wider relationship, let alone marriage." Mr Brazier, who has three sons, also quoted from material supplied to schools by English health authorities. East Kent Health Authority had insisted on the omission of the word marriage from a sex education document, and ruled that underage children should be given the morning-after pill without telling their parents. Mr Brazier said: "Sex shouldn't be portrayed to young people simply as a form of recreation and certainly not in primary school." (Independent.co.uk, 26 April 2001)

* NEW CALIFORNIA STATE REGULATIONS MANDATE PRO-HOMOSEXUAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM -

The California Department of Education's Tax Force has finalized twelve pro-homosexual recommended mandates for public schools to follow. These recommended mandates include: Integrating pro-homosexual viewpoints throughout all public school curriculum; Requiring the personal questioning of children regarding homosexuality and transsexuals; Using taxpayer dollars to establish "gay/straight alliances" on campuses; Establish a response system whose purpose will be to "provide rehabilitation to perpetrators" of discrimination against homosexuals and transsexuals; Required training of every public school teacher and staff member on how to implement these regulations. (Worthynews.com, 15 April)

* PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL UNDER ATTACK FROM WWF - Brent Bozell's pro-family organization, Parents Television Council, have come under fire from the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and its fans. The Parents Television Council had complained about the excessive language and violence in the WWF's "Smackdown!" program. As a result, 40 sponsors withheld or cancelled their support of the show and its ratings numbers and revenues have fallen off sharply. Bozell says that's when the personal attacks against them began. "They ridiculed us," Bozell says. "They even started a character on the show patterned after me. They did everything possible - their fans started sending all sorts of e-mails to our organization, sabotaging our systems; they then started with the death threats against various people with the organization; the FBI was brought into it." Bozell would not back down so Vince McMahon and the WWF are suing the Council for several million dollars, claiming the organization hindered its ability to engage in commerce. Agape Press reports that the "Smackdown!" program is violent and sexually explicit. (Agape Press, 15 April)

* WORLD'S LARGEST ABORTION PROVIDER PROMOTES "YOUTH MANIFESTO" - International Planned Parenthood Federation, known as an "apex" non-governmental organization at the United Nations, is promoting what they are calling a "Youth Manifesto." The manifesto is the blue-print both for the ongoing efforts of IPPF to promote abortion for adolescents around the world and the policies they will specifically promote at the upcoming Special Session of the General Assembly on the World Summit for Children... The manifesto says young people must "feel good" and "have pleasure and confidence in relationships and in all aspects of sexuality." The manifesto says that "sexual and reproductive health education" must be available to "young people of all ages and sexual lifestyles." It also says "young people must be encouraged to know their own sexual rights..." Over the last few years UN delegates have become increasingly upset at the wild things IPPF youth say, like calling for "sexual rights," a term the UN has never defined, principally because it is so confusing. Two years ago, in response to the rising number of radical youth at UN conferences, a coalition called the World Youth Alliance (WYA) was founded by a group of pro-life and pro-family youth in order to show support for life and family at UN conferences. (C-Fam.org, Friday Fax, 13 April)

* SUDANESE RULERS REGARD CHRISTIANS AS "DOGS" - A Sudanese priest has accused the West of selfishly ignoring the appalling human rights situation in his country. The interest in Sudan's crude oil reserves seemed to be more important than the plight of the oppressed Christians. Hilary Boma - former treasurer of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Khartoum - was speaking at a meeting of the International Society for Human Rights, April 7-8 in Konigstein near Frankfurt (Germany). The priest was incarcerated in solitary confinement for nine months in 1998 and 1999. The President ordered to shoot him, but Boma and 19 of his companions narrowly escaped. It is estimated that two million people have died in the war since 1983. The Arab government is trying to force the African population in the South to submit to Islamic rule. In the opinion of the Sudanese rulers only the powerful Arabs are entitled to human rights, and not the black Africans, said Boma. He said that Sudanese rulers regard Christians as "animals or dogs". Religious freedom meant "the freedom of Christians to convert to Islam".(Idea Spektrum, 10 April)