*Prayer center opens in New York

* Tutu apologises to gays

* 'Third Temple’ event on again

* Christian churches burnt down in Kenya

* `Scientists find answer to aircraft hijacking’

* MAJOR ABORTION CONFERENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA - From NAL Press Release, 30 September: "You must remember that every abortion results in a dead baby", Dr Albu van Eeden answered when questioned about the theme of the second Love Them Both Conference: 'The Abortion Killing Fields - 5 Years On . . .' He added, "Thousands of babies have died a cruel death. It's like a war on life". Dr Albu van Eeden heads National Alliance For Life (NAL), a powerful umbrella organisation of ...pro-life organisations in South Africa. Hundreds of delegates are expected at the Amanzimitoti Civic Centre from 4-6 October 2001 to hear international experts discuss cutting-edge developments in the abortion-field. Prof Patricia McEwen, who spent time in a US prison for opposing the killing of unborn babies, will talk about "11th Hour Abortion Counselling". According to Dr van Eeden, Post Abortion Syndrome, a well-documented phenomenon in women, is now an extremely worrying new fact among those men who are involved directly or indirectly in the killing of unborn children. Mr Brad Mattes of the International Right To Life Movement, will speak on this topic... Ms Fatima Chavoos from Jivannadi said: "... I am especially excited to hear that Advocate Dieter Achtzehn and Ms Dudley from Parliament, will be giving an overview of developments with regard to abortion AND euthanasia in South Africa." ...Dr Bert Dorenbos, Director of the largest and most effective pro-life group in the Netherlands, "Schreeuw Om Leven" / "Cry For Life", will discuss the other enemy of human life, namely euthanasia. "He will clearly show how they have slipped down the slippery slope in the Netherlands, and made human life cheap and disposable", Dr van Eeden said. Rev Fano Sibisi, President of the 104 000 member strong Christians For Truth organisation, emphasised the role of the media in the promotion of life. "We challenge all journalists to cover the proceedings of the conference. Give us fair and unbiased coverage." He added that the responsible media in South African showed in the "Racism in the media' enquiry, that South African reporters are honest and weary of being seen as one sided in their reporting. For more information: Visit www.nal.org.za for soundbites of an interview with Dr van Eeden as well as for details of the program; Phone Heinrich Botes 072 219 1962

* `AFTER ATTACKS, AMERICANS TURN TO PRAYER AND WORSHIP' - In the wake of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Americans have been turning away from their usual sources of solace in times of crisis and instead are going to their places of worship to seek meaning in a tragedy that took the lives of close to 7,000 of their fellow citizens, according to CNS News. Observers said that President Bush's strong statement at the prayer and remembrance service at the National Cathedral on Friday the 14th, and the prayer service in Yankee Stadium on 23 September, were catalysts for this. H.B. London, vice president of Focus on the Family, said: "There's not a pastor I've talked to, and I've talked to hundreds of them, who did not say that on that next Sunday the attendance was equal to that of Easter and Christmas." Since the surprise attacks on Sept. 11, over 90 percent of Americans have reported they have engaged in some form of prayer. Ken Connor, president of the Family Research Council, said :"People increasingly are focusing on the things that matter most - faith, family, freedom - and they're more inclined to set aside petty partisan differences and matters of less priority and focus on the things that are enduring and eternal... What concentrates Americans' focus on spiritual solutions since the attacks is the unprecedented number of casualties, which gives Americans a keen sense of their own mortality." Connor also said that he hopes this would have a chilling effect on the efforts of those who would seek to exorcise faith from the public square." (CNSNews, 28 September)

*PRAYER CENTER OPENS IN NEW YORK - In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, international relief organization Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association opened a prayer center in New York City to help bring comfort and hope to those shaken by the tragedy. The Billy Graham New York Prayer Center is staffed by teams of pastors dedicated to giving New Yorkers spiritual and emotional support in their time of grief. Located in Manhattan, the prayer center is available by telephone to anyone who needs help coping with the recent attacks. "While all Americans feel pain and sadness over the recent terrorist attacks, the people of New York witnessed this tragedy with their own eyes," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. "We want to make sure that New Yorkers know that we love them and God loves them, and that we just want to be there to listen and pray for them in their time of need." Individuals and families can call (212) 206-1001 for prayer and support. For additional support, or to make a donation, visit www.samaritanspurse.org and www.billygraham.org. (Crosswalk.com, 28 September)

* JUDGE RULES IN FAVOUR OF HOMOSEXUAL ADOPTION - SOUTH AFRICA - The Pretoria High Court has ruled that gay couples can adopt children. This follows an application brought by a lesbian judge serving in the same court. Justice Frans Kgomo has ruled that certain parts of the Child Care Act, which do not allow two people of the same sex to co-adopt children, are unconstitutional and should be amended. Six years ago, Judge Annemarie de Vos legally adopted her 12-year-old daughter and son (9). Although the judge and her partner Suzanne du Toit have been living together for the past 13 years, du Toit had no legal rights over the children. Today, Judge Kgomo ruled that certain sections of the Child Care Act were inconsistent and invalid. Kgomo said there was no evidence before him that same-sex life partners were less capable of jointly adopting children or in particular that De Vos and Du Toit were not worthy candidates. The evidence pointed to their eminent suitability. As far as the argument that the case could open the floodgates for similar claims from people employed by government is concerned, Kgomo said that no evidence had been placed before him about the percentage of judges in same-sex life relationships. `In any event it was irrelevant and immaterial'. (28 Sep, SABC and News24)

* TUTU APOLOGISES TO GAYS - On 29 September the 12th annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade took to the streets of Johannesburg. During the same week Archbishop Desmond Tutu had apologised to the gay and lesbain community for the victimisation and discrimination it had suffered as a result of the Anglican Church's teachings. Speaking at a conference on homophobia in Cape Town, Tutu said no-one who was true to the teachings of Christ could condemn people on the basis of their sexual orientation. "...Sometimes the Bible says that these things (homosexual practices) are unnatural. But, I ask, unnatural to whom?" He said religion could be the source of considerable suffering and even of evil, but it had also inspired people to do good things.(Sunday Tribune, 30 September 2001)

* `DRAG QUEENS' TO MARCH ON CHURCH - (Pretoria, SA) The Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GLA) is planning a mass visit by a hundred cross dressers to one of the Afrikaans churches, should these churches not agree to enter into a public debate with the GLA, according to a report from news24. The national executive council of the GLA on 27 September unanimously passed a motion wherein the Dutch Reformed Church, Apostolic Faith Mission and Afrikaans Protestant Church were labelled as sects because of their "homophobic statements". The three churches will now feature on the GLA's homophobic pink list. At the recent GLA congress, the organisation decided to draw up a list of "all homophobic institutions, whether they be churches, individuals or business concerns". The list will be circulated with a request that all South Africans boycott these institutions. According to the GLA, they will be challenging the leaders of "the three sects" on 1 October to enter into a public debate on national television or radio. A mass visit to a Sunday service by a hundred transvestites, dressed in their finery, will be first on the GLA's agenda of action. Homophobic statements by the three churches and the fact that gays are branded as sinners "has turned up the heat and the Afrikaans gay community has reached boiling point - and therefore this motion, " states the GLA. (news24.co.za, 27 September)

* 'THIRD TEMPLE' EVENT ON AGAIN - In what could trigger further violence between Jews and Palestinians, an Israeli organization says it has rescheduled earlier plans to "lay and anoint" the cornerstones for the "Third Temple of Israel." The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement, in a statement released 25 September, said the event was being planned for Oct. 4 at 9:30 a.m. local time in Israel. Officials are instructing those who wish to participate "to march … to the Temple Mount and to participate in the ceremony of the anointing of the two cornerstones." The event has the blessing of the Israeli government, which has pledged to protect event organizers and participants, the group said. Last October the event was canceled by Jerusalem police over safety concerns, WorldNetDaily reported. Two 4.5-ton blocks of marble will be anointed as cornerstones for the new temple. In biblical times, the people of Israel worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem - the hub of Jewish activity. After Israel's enemies destroyed the temple, it was rebuilt only to be destroyed again in A.D. 70 by the Roman Empire. The event is seen as a threat to Muslims, since the site of the new temple, the Temple Mount, is also the location of the Dome of the Rock - a Muslim mosque, according to WorldNetDaily. In its "Vision of Redemption," the Temple Mount Faithful Movement states its belief that the creation of the modern state of Israel is "the beginning of the redemption of the world," which is completed with the building of the Third Temple. (WorldNetDaily, 26 September)

* CHRISTIAN CHURCHES BURNT DOWN IN KENYA - Two wooden Christian churches have been burnt down in north-eastern Kenya, according to a BBC report. "It is suspected that Muslim youths were behind the attacks in the town of Isiolo, but no arrests had been made." Witnesses said phrases had been carved in the charred remains, including "God is Great" and "We Condemn America". Religious leaders in the predominantly Muslim area have met to try to defuse tensions and reassure Christians about their security. A BBC correspondent in the region says it is believed that the incidents are connected with the attacks on the United States two weeks ago. Sheikh Hussein Ibrahim of the Isiolo mosque told Reuters news agency: "Somebody is trying to exploit the difficult relationship between the civilised world and Muslims to try and tarnish the name of Islam". Isiolo police chief James Shile said: "Those churches have stood here for the past five years. This was a normal arson attack". But Isiola is reported to be tense. Muslims make up about 6% of Kenya's 28 million population. Earlier this week, the Kenyan Government announced that it was tightening security controls on Kenyans of Asian and Arab decent in response to the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon two weeks ago...The Council of Imams and Preachers condemned the new action. (BBCNews, 27 September)

* BAPTIST WORKERS IN LIMBO AMID US-AFGAN WRANGLING - The home church of two Baylor University graduates currently on trial in Afghanistan is praying for a miracle similar to one described in the 12th chapter of Acts, according to a Reuter news report. Associate pastor Kevin Johnson said Antioch Community Church hopes that Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer will be freed in the same manner as the apostle Peter as described in Acts 12:1-10. Curry, 29, and Mercer, 24, were arrested Aug. 3 by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban authorities for allegedly sharing their faith, a violation of strict laws maintained by the Islamic militia. Both were in the nation with Shelter Now, a German-based Christian aid agency that provides food, clothing and housing for refugees. It also offers basic education and health needs for street children. Six other international workers - four from Germany and two from Australia - and 16 Afghan citizens affiliated with Shelter Now also were arrested.

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said on 25 September that the eight foreign aid workers facing trial on charges of spreading Christianity in the puritanical Muslim country were awaiting the arrival of a lawyer from Pakistan. Their plight has been complicated by the September 11 suicide attacks on New York and Washington and the expectation of retaliatory raids by the United States against the Taliban for harboring accused mastermind Osama bin Laden (Reuters, 25 Sep)

* PAKISTANI CHRISTIANS SCARED OF LOOMING ATTACKS - "Last week, during an anti-American demonstration in this ramshackle former colonial capital (Rawalpindi, Pakistan), five Christian families were dragged from their homes and beaten by a mob," said the Rev. Emmanuel Lorraine, the rector of Christ Church, as reported in The Chicago Tribune. On the night of the (Sept. 11 tragedy) attack, the Christian owner of a local restaurant served a meal to a group of Muslim men. After finishing, the men refused to pay, saying, "Take your payment from America." When the owner protested, he was beaten to death, Lorraine said. The backlash is easy to understand, reports the Tribune, considering the news media in Pakistan has given prominence to stories about revenge attacks on Muslims in the United States. The deaths of a Pakistani man in New Jersey and a Sikh in Arizona were widely reported. "We are native Christians," Lorraine explained. "Our forefathers were born here - we are Pakistanis - we are not foreigners." An officer in the Pakistani army who was attending mass in Islamabad, said that "The Christians are very scared." (Crosswalk.com, 27 September)

* `MISSIONARY SCHOOL APPLICANTS INCREASE DESPITE DANGER' - A student of the New Tribes Bible Institute (NTBI) states that he's unafraid of becoming a missionary in a foreign land, despite the fact that 11 New Tribes missionaries have been killed overseas, and two remain hostage to a militant group in the Philippines. He believes the "higher calling of God is louder than any fear he may harbor over becoming a target," reports the Waukesha (WI) - Lake Country Freeman. The NTBI chairman Marv Ketcham, who grew up as the child of missionaries in the Brazilian Amazon, explains that he tells students very clearly of the hazards. The most recent incident involves Martin and Gracia Burnham, two missionaries taken hostage this spring. He added that it used to be bows and arrows - now it is terrorism that is prevalent. It has been found that countries where missionaries died have eventually seen an increase in the number of church members. ( Crosswalk.com, 26 September)

* `RELIGION HELPS TEENS DELAY SEXUAL ACTIVITY' - A study released on 25 September shows that religious faith helps teens delay sexual activity. The survey, conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, found that 39 percent of teens said that it was moral and religious beliefs that most influence their decisions about whether to have sex, more so than any other reason, including fear of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or pregnancy. "It is clear from both the research and from the polling data that teens themselves report that religion, variously defined, and faith and morals and values play a very critical role in their decisions about sex," said Bill Albert, director of communications for the National Campaign. "I think that as a nation if we try to move forward in efforts to reduce teen pregnancy without addressing these issues, we do so at our own peril," said Albert. Over 80 percent of the 502 teens in the September poll told researchers that religion is important in their lives. Regardless of gender or race, survey results revealed that teens who attend religious services frequently are less likely to have permissive attitudes about sex, reported CNS News. (25 September)

* DOCTORS FOR LIFE TO TESTIFY IN ANOTHER PROSTITUTION COURT CASE - According to a DFL Press Statement on 21 September: "Six weeks ago the ruling of Judge Spoelstra and Judge Webster regarding the prostitution trial of the Pretoria High Court was announced (see DFL's press statement on www.dfl.org.za). DFL was approached in 1997 to collect evidence for the Attorney-General of Gauteng province for this case, which is now going on to the Constitutional Court on 25 September. We have heard that Advocate Wim Trengrove will be the advocate in the Constitutional Court. Just over a month ago State Advocate Bradley Smith approached DFL regarding a different prostitution trial to be held in the Johannesburg High Court. DFL has again been asked to present evidence."

* CANADIAN WOMAN DIES IN RU-486 TRIAL RUN - A woman enrolled in a test run of an abortion pill in Canada has died, causing a temporary suspension of current trials taking place in that country to help the government decide whether to legalize the drug, according to a CNS report. The news, provided by Population Council, which has the U.S. rights to RU-486, comes almost a year after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for use in America. The identity of the dead woman and the circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately released. The Population Council, a nonprofit organization that focuses on reproductive health, said that the death was caused by septic shock resulting from a clostridium infection, a rare bacterial infection common in soil and water, and occasionally in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. Christina Horzepa, spokesperson for Population Council, said "The method has been used in half of a million women and we have never seen anything like this," she said. "We don't think it is related to our drug, and our trial will resume after the investigation. We just don't want people to panic over this." A spokesperson for the FDA said the agency will conduct its own investigation into the death. American Life League President Judy Brown said that they have maintained all along that the clinical trials on this drug were not adequate. "While it is the first known fatality in the North America, we can't be sure it is and I wouldn't be surprised if there were many women who have died from complications from this drug and we just don't know about it," she said. (CNS, 19 September)

* SCIENTISTS FIND ANSWER TO AIRCRAFT HIJACKING - Scientists at the Galaxy Scientific Corporation in New Jersey believe they have the answer to the threat of aircraft hijacking. The company has developed a new kind of cockpit door to protect pilots from being attacked. The corporation first developed a container, designed to protect in-flight aircraft from the destructive potential of explosives placed in checked baggage. James Yoh, the president of the company, developed a patent on material built with a unique latching mechanism on the hinge of the door. "But in order to protect the cockpits, there are two components. One is the door panel that has to be bullet proof, ax proof, knife proof and the second part, more important than that is the frame and the joints," Yoh says. "It has to be able to withstand the high brutal force and also including the explosives." Galaxy utilizes a composite metal laminate material in the construction of the cockpit door. The benefits of this material include high resistance to blast fatigue damage, impact damage and flame penetration. Recently tested, the door stopped a bullet shot from a 9mm and 50 caliber gun at 25 feet. Galaxy's cargo containers are currently used by Israeli and United Emirate Airlines. - Reuters (SABCnews, 29 September)