31 July 2001

* Catholic Church advocates abstinence not condoms

* Abstinence really does work

* `SA in moral crisis'

* `New Age festival demonic'

* `Abortion battle over teenagers' rights'

* `7000 Residents protest against adult world'

* `Safe sex is a myth'

* Excommunication petition drawing signers

* Same-sex marriages approved in Germany

* Judge: "No bias in firing lesbian"

* British study: Link between teen sex and divorce

* Religious families flee Ontario

* Missionary hostages reported well

* Study warns of British kids' computer addiction

* `30 Minutes passive-smoking can damage heart'

* 'Alcoholic ape creates panic'

* CATHOLIC CHURCH ADVOCATES ABSTINENCE NOT CONDOMS - The South African Catholic Bishops Conference resolved on 30 July that the use of condoms went against human dignity, changed the act of love into a selfish search for pleasure and did not guarantee protection against HIV/Aids, according to a report in News24. The bishops' conference resolved that "Condoms may even be one of the main reasons for the spread of HIV/Aids," conference president Cardinal W. Napier told reporters. "Apart from the possibility of condoms being faulty and wrongly used, they contribute to the breaking down of self control and mutual respect." Although the Bishops' Conference has been under vicious attack about the statement it made, Aids activist Costa Gazi said he understood what the church meant. News24 reports him as saying: "You almost say that it's okay to have a lot of partners when you promote the use of condoms," he said. "It's only one weapon against Aids. There is a real danger that if it is overly promoted it can become a kind of encouragement." He said a culture of high moral values should rather be promoted. "The best protection against Aids is trust between partners." Gazi said the use of anti-retroviral drugs were also very important in the fight against the disease. (News24.co.za)

* ABSTINENCE REALLY DOES WORK - The organisation, True Love Waits - South Africa made the following press statement on 31 July: "Contrary to claims in the last two days that condomising is the solution to AIDS, and that "young people do not accept abstinence", True Love Waits (South Africa) has positive proof that abstinence really does work. Whenever TLW is presented in youth groups, schools, colleges and technikons, at least 70% of the teens make an individual choice to make a pledge of abstinence until marriage. TLW has over 300 000 pledge cards that can be made available to any organisation or media to examine. The message we young people are getting from adults is that we are more on the animal level; unable to control our hormonal instincts and urges, and can only be saved by rubber. We feel insulted that there is such low regard for teens and other unmarried people. We are proud of our stand on abstinence and we salute all those who encourage us to be abstinent and faithful. TLW is a non-governmental, inter-denominational, international organisation that encourages teens and unmarried people to say 'no' to sex until marriage. The response of the young people has been overwhelmingly positive - shooting down the argument that "young people do not accept abstinence". TLW-ers have chosen to go this way, not made any easier by adults telling us we can't control ourselves and should use condoms. We can be abstinent. And there are over 300 000 signatures in South Africa alone, to back us up." For any further information, contact TLW on 083 799 9981 or visit our website: www.truelovewaits.org.za or email mail@truelovewaits.org.za.

* `SA IN MORAL CRISIS' - At the African Enterprise annual general meeting on 25 July, Dr Michael Cassidy, AE International team leader said that if the leadership challenges of the new South Africa are not faced from within the context of a clear national consensus on ethics rooted in biblical norms, the country will be in "mega- serious trouble". He said that the storm warnings were evident everywhere in society - "and because we and our leaders are ignoring these, we risk being swept away in due time by a destructive social hurricane of convulsive proportions... One of the major problems in the new South Africa is that with the unconscious loss - and maybe even the conscious rejection - of the barometer of Judaeo-Christian ethics and the Bible, our society is unable to heed the hurricane warnings which Scripture would signal to a society such as South Africa which is busy trying to fly blind and still, somehow, imagines it can make a safe landing... We don't really know truth from error, right from wrong, or the way up from the way down. In reality, most of us in South Africa have caught the infection of a secular, neo-pagan Western society where there is a generally held suspicion that there is no recognised moral or ethical knowledge on which to base personal or social moral behaviour." Cassidy gave examples of how he saw South Africa as being "ethically adrift." (African Enterprise)

* `NEW AGE FESTIVAL DEMONIC' - (South Africa) A South Coast tourism authority has been forced to distance itself from its planned New Age festival after being threatened by a group of outraged residents, according to a report in the Sunday Tribune. Hibiscus Coast Tourism reportedly backed down from marketing the controversial Earth Festival of Mind, Body and Soul when churchgoers warned in petitions, hate mail and phione calls that the festival would expose local residents to "demonic forces" and unleash the "wrath of God" on the area. According to the Sunday Tribune, the festival, sponsored by the EastNet television channel and due to be held on a country estate in the holiday town of Uvongo in September, will showcase a host of alternative therapies, from reflexology to Indian head massage. Among the items on the programme: A Catholic nun will teach reiki, sangomas will offer healing, the Hare Krishna Movement will dish out festival cuisine and Bible stories will be read in the children's "Fairy Garden". (Sunday Tribune, 29 July)

* `ABORTION BATTLE OVER TEENAGERS' RIGHTS' - Another court battle over abortion, especially the rights of girls under 18, is evolving in the Pretoria high court. This came about after Judge Hekkie Daniels ordered that the Reproductive Rights Alliance (RRA) may enter as amtcus curiae (friend of the court) to the court case of the Christian Lawyers Association (CLA). The case is against Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, as minister of health, Mr. Mbhazima Shilowa, as premier of Gauteng and Dr Gwen Ramakgoba, Gauteng (MEC) for Health.CLA has requested that parts of the Law on Choice of Termination of Pregnancy be declared unconstitutional. CLA says the fact that the law does not compel girls under 18 to get permission from their parents or guardians before having an abortion, is a violation of children's rights. Neither does the law compel girls to get counseling before or after abortions. It does not differentiate between women above 18 years and teenagers... According to the RRA the fact that the law does not demand that girls under 13 obtain permission for abortion, is not an unacceptable violation of rights, and considers that the demand for permission would rather violate rights. Further more RRA says that compulsory counseling before the abortion can delay the process and reckons that this can create a health risk. (Beeld, 20 July)

* `7000 RESIDENTS PROTEST AGAINST ADULT WORLD' - (Port Elizabeth) A 7000-strong group of concerned citizens has called on Executive Mayor Nceba Faku to review his decision to approve the licence application of a central sex shop. In a copy of the letter sent to the Mayor yesterday, the former chairman of the Central Community Association, advocate Danny Vorster, said that objecters' arguments had not received due and proper consideration by council... Adult World and its activities further acted as a direct stimulant of sexual promiscuity which would inevitably lead to an increase in casual sexual activities, he argued. This was of special concern considering the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis. With reference to a recent statement by Deputy President Jacob Zuma to the Eastern Cape legislature that the legalisation of pornography had perhaps been a mistake by government, Mr Vorster said "It is causing great tragedy throughout our community and action to redress the issue will have to be taken. Why not start now? We require the executive mayor's consent decision be reviewed." If the mayor should not see his way clear to turning down the Adult World application, the shop should at least be moved to a less sensitive area, he said. "A positive response to these proposals will do a great deal to restore public confidence in the management of this metropole." (Eastern Province Herald - 21 July)

* `SAFE SEX IS A MYTH' - In a press release in the Washington Post on 20 July, a new report by the National Institutes of Health has led to the conclusion that there is not sufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of condoms against the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The 30-page document recommended more research on condoms and other disease prevention methods, such as abstinence, to determine their effectiveness, the Post said. The report was requested more than a year ago by former Oklahoma Tom Coburn, when he was a Republican member of the US House of Representatives. "For decades, the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to promote an unsubstantiated claim that promiscuity can be safe," said Coburn, who is also a doctor. "We all now know for a fact that that is a lie," he told the Post. AgapePress reported that like Coburn, Representative Dave Weldon (R-FL) was glad to see the report made public. "The report is a damning report of the 'safe sex' message, and it exposes as a lie the myth that there are no consequences for engaging in so-called 'safe sex,' " Weldon says. A coalition of congressmen and doctors has condemned the Centers for Disease Control and its failure to tell "the whole truth" about condoms. According to AgapePress, representatives of the 10,000-member Physicians Consortium say the CDC has known for years that while condoms are 85% effective in helping prevent the spread of HIV, they offer less protection against sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and genital herpes.

(news24.co.za, 20 July; AgapePress, 25 July)

* EXCOMMUNICATION PETITION DRAWING SIGNERS - The leader of the American Life League and former member of the Vatican's Pontifical Council on Life says the Catholic Church should excommunicate elected officials who violate the laws of the church. Judie Brown says 5,000 people have signed a petition to excommunicate 50 Roman Catholic current and former politicians who support abortion and take other positions thought to be in conflict with church policy. Brown says anyone who supports abortion automatically excommunicates themselves. But she says the problem is that during the last 30 years, leadership in the church has chosen not to focus attention on this. Brown says such elected officials who support abortion continue to be treated as good Catholics. "In fact, in many, many cases bishops are seen having their pictures taken with these pro-abortion politicians, giving these pro-abortion politicians the sacrament of the Eucharist on Sunday," Brown says. The petition, which will be presented to the Pope, claims that Catholic politicians like Democratic Senators Edward Kennedy, Joe Biden, and Patrick Leahy, and Pennsylvania's Republican Governor Tom Ridge have excluded their faith and morals from their public lives. (AgapePress, July 19)

* SAME-SEX MARRIAGES APPROVED IN GERMANY - The highest court in Germany cleared the way on 19 July for same-sex couples to exchange marriage vows at local government offices. In a five-to-three vote, judges at the Federal Constitutional Court rejected a plea by Bavaria and Saxony for an injunction to stop the law taking effect on Aug 1. The measure is backed by Chancellor Schröder's centre-left government and his spokesman said the court decision was an "important step in ending discrimination'. (Telegraph, 20 July)

* JUDGE: "NO BIAS IN FIRING LESBIAN" - A federal court in Louisville, Kentucky, ruled on 23 July that a Baptist home for children did not discriminate on religious grounds when it fired a social worker because she was a lesbian. U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson III dismissed the argument brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Alicia Pedreira that the Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children violated federal law by imposing its moral code of conduct on an employee. Baptist Homes prohibits the hiring of homosexual employees, and firing the social worker on the grounds of her behavior is consistent with that policy, Simpson ruled. "The civil rights statutes protect religious freedom, not personal lifestyle choices", he wrote. Bill Smithwick, president and chief operating officer of the Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children in Louisville, told the Boston Globe that the ruling would allow his agency to continue operating in accord with its religious principles, which include opposition to homosexuality. "We base our whole ministry and services on traditional family values," said Smithwick, "and we are uncompromising that we are going to be who we are and have been since 1869." (Maranatha Christian News Service, 29 July)

* BRITISH STUDY: LINK BETWEEN TEEN SEX AND DIVORCE - In Britain, a study that was to be released on 24 July "is once again proving that God's way is the best way", according to a report of Agape Press. The study follows the growing concerns of Prime Minister Tony Blair that Britain has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the Western world. In trying to determine why, the researchers have concluded that teens who come from stable homes with married parents are much less likely to be involved in underage sex and unwanted pregnancies. Conversely, the report says that cohabitation and single-parent homes lead to more lax attitudes in both these areas. While liberals in Britain are already criticizing the report as being too simplistic, the authors say the simple fact is that family environment and the relationship between the husband and wife can have a very real effect on the children. The Guardian Unlimited newspaper says the report, done by Britain's Family Manners Institute, is to be presented to a parliamentary committee. (AgapePress, 24 July)

* RELIGIOUS FAMILIES FLEE ONTARIO - Communities in Ohio and Indiana have become havens for women and children fleeing child-welfare workers in southwestern Ontario, a U.S. pastor says. More than half of those who fled mid-July have sought refuge with congregants at a sister Church of God in Dayton, Ohio, near the Indiana border, according to the pastor there, Rev. Ray Tinsman. He claims 74 children and 26 mothers have left Canada. Seven children were taken from their home on July 4 after their parents refused to promise not to spank them. According to the report in the National Post, none will return unless the Children's Aid Society capitulates and allows church members to punish their children in the only manner they say the Bible allows - using a limber rod like a twig, Tinsman said. (National Post.com, 18 July)

* MISSIONARY HOSTAGES REPORTED WELL - Martin and Gracia Burnham, kidnapped May 27 in the Philippines, are well, New Tribes Mission (NTM) reports. Reliable sources have recently confirmed that the kidnapped missionaries are healthy and do not appear to be having problems relating to their continued captivity. Martin, 41, and Gracia, 42, from Kansas, were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf from a resort off the island of Palawan in the Philippines. The Burnhams have been members of NTM since 1985. The Philippine military continues to pursue the militant Islamic group holding the Burnhams and several others hostage. NTM has received no word of any negotiations between the group and the Philippine government. (NTM, 19 July)

* STUDY WARNS OF BRITISH KIDS' COMPUTER ADDICTION - Many children are in danger of becoming addicted to their computers, according to a British psychologist. A report by Nottingham Trent University's Dr. Mark Griffiths found changes in society's leisure habits are causing some kids to become over-reliant on their PCs. In one of his case studies, a 16-year old boy spends 70 hours a week on the web or playing computer games. Dr. Griffiths told The Mirror the problems result from a dramatic change in children's leisure habits in the last 20 years. Spending too long on their PCs can lead children to regard computers as an essential part of their lives. Some can even exhibit withdrawal symptoms associated with chemical addiction if dragged away from their screens for long periods. He told the Mirror: "Today's teenagers live their lives in a multimedia world and are more 'screenager' than teenager." (Ananova, 18 July)

* `30 MINUTES PASSIVE-SMOKING CAN DAMAGE HEART' - According to an article of Ananova Alerting, based on findings reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists say that inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke for just 30 minutes can temporarily damage a non-smoker's heart. The scientists used ultrasound to investigate the heart chambers, valves and surrounding structures of 30 young men. Endothelial cells which widen the arteries to allow greater blood flow were found to narrow after exposure. Experts say cells which deteriorate and cause arteries to narrow can contribute to heart disease. People who smoke regularly were not affected when placed in a passive smoking situation according to Dr Ryo Otsuka and colleagues at Osaka City University Medical School. The results will support those who want to keep workplaces, bars and restaurants smoke-free. (Ananova, 24 July)

* 'ALCOHOLIC APE CREATES PANIC' - (New Dehli) A monkey with a taste for tipple is terrorising parts of the northern Indian city of Lucknow, reports said on 20 July. The simian boozer goes on a biting rampage if it does not get its daily dose of liquor, the Asian Age newspaper reported. More than a dozen people have been bitten by the ape. Last week it chomped off the ear of a seven-year-old boy. Frightened residents of the city's Rajajipuram area have stopped sending their children to school and people going to work move through the area in groups, armed with sticks. A local resident said some teenage boys of the locality were responsible for the monkey menace. He said the monkey was a peaceable creature until one day the boys caught it and forced liquor down its throat. The boys enjoyed watching its drunken behaviour and it became a routine for them to get the monkey drunk. Soon the boys got bored with the monkey and stopped giving it drinks, but the addicted ape turned violent when it did not receive its daily dose. Efforts to trap the hard-drinking monkey have been unsuccessful and under Indian wildlife laws the animals are protected. Hindus consider monkeys to be sacred as incarnations of the ape god Hanuman. (news24.co.za, 20 July)