• HIV death rate doubles in SA
• Disagreement on LoveLife funds
• Concerned mom says OBE 'dumbs down' children
• Church leaders warn of consequences for Zimbabwe
• Kay Stegen passes on to glory
• More than 350 churches closed in Vietnam
• American missionary shot to death in Lebanon
• Ex-Khmer Rouge General preaches Gospel of Christ
• Australian MP says Islamic robe perfect for terrorism
• Man pleads guilty to euthanising mother
• 'Dead Dolls' banned in Greece
• Teen says video game inspired crime spree
• Berlin Broadcaster cuts 'Halloween' programme
• Bankruptcy Bill Amendment loses support
• Aids explosion in Eastern Europe & Asia
• Co-habiting women not planning to marry
• Italian abortionists sentenced
• Public autopsy gets offers of donors
• On a lighter note

* DISAGREEMENT ON 'LOVELIFE' FUNDS - (South Africa) A major disagreement has erupted between the National Association of People Living with HIV/Aids and LoveLife over the latter organisation's in-your-face and pro-active billboard campaign against HIV/Aids, according to a Mercury report. The association said in a statement that it did not understand the justification for LoveLife's spending of millions of rands on billboard advertising that communicated to "no one". The money could have been better utilised for the treatment, care and support of people living with HIV/Aids... (Mercury, 18 November 2002) (to index)

* CHURCH LEADERS WARN OF CONSEQUENCES FOR ZIMBABWE - The Diakonia Council of Churches has called on the leadership of the Southern African Development Community, which met in Mozambique at the weekend, to intervene in Zimbabwe to avert a "humanitarian disaster of enormous proportions which will adversely impact on all neighbouring countries". The church body says reports of food stockpiled at the Beit Bridge border because agencies did not have permits to transport or distribute it, represented an "inhumane and criminally negligent" situation. Diakonia said that there was no longer any respect for the rule of law in Zimbabwe, and the spiritual and psychological damage being inflicted on the population, was enormous... (Mercury, 11 November) (to index)

* CONCERNED MOM SAYS OBE 'DUMBS DOWN' CHILDREN - A South African parent who had an in-depth look at "The policies and role of the state in promoting economic growth and development", as prescribed for Gr.8 learners, says the following: "I realised very quickly that we are looking at 'transformational outcomes" not so much for good education but for good state citizenship. We are moving towards the 'dumbing down' of the education system instead of learning from overseas countries who have tried and abandoned OBE. It is unfortunate that we are making guinea pigs of our children. The example of the Gr.8 project is a foretaste of what is to come, and that is, to mould our children into adults who are unable to think and reason for themselves. This scenario is being created by the state using the education system." (The North Coast Courier, 22 November) (to index)

* KAY STEGEN PASSES ON TO GLORY - Kay Stegen, the wife of Kwasizabantu mission's director Rev Erlo Stegen, passed away on Tuesday, the 26th November 2002. She helped found Domino Servite School and Cedar College of Education at Kwasizabantu mission, and served as principal for many years. Kay had been ill for some years and had deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks. Her faith in the Lord and her total commitment to Him was a blessing to all who knew her. She was known for always considering the next person, and never herself. Her departure was in peace and victory in Christ. The funeral will be held on Sunday 1 December (11am), at Kwasizabantu Mission, DV. (CFT News, 26 November) (to index)

* MORE THAN 350 CHURCHES CLOSED IN VIETNAM - Information has been coming out of Vietnam about a recent wave of government repression against Montagnard evangelicals in Vietnam's Central Highlands. Documents acquired in October by religious and human rights workers in this Southeast Asian country and correspondence received in recent days confirm that by the end of September, 354 of 412 churches had been forcibly disbanded in Dak Lak province alone. According to the Compass report, by mid October, about 50 Christian pastors and elders in this province had been arrested or had "disappeared." It is expected that the remaining 58 churches in the province will soon be closed. On November 7, Freedom House released news of the ongoing persecution of Hmong Christians in Vietnam's northwest provinces, including the story and photo of a 36-year-old Hmong Christian man who had died from beatings by police and officials because he was a believer. For the full report see: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/02a/20021119b.shtml (Compass Direct, Maranatha Christian News Service, 19 November) (to index)

* AMERICAN MISSIONARY SHOT TO DEATH IN LEBANON - (Sidon, Lebanon) A gunman shot and killed an American missionary at close range Thursday morning, 21 November, in the Lebanese port city of Sidon, officials said. Bonnie Weatherall, 30, was shot in the head three times with a 7 mm pistol shortly after she opened a health clinic around 8 a.m. (midnight EST) where she was a volunteer nurse, police and church officials said. U.S. Embassy officials were sent to the port city, about 40 miles south of Beirut, to investigate the motive for the shooting. The victim's husband Gary Weatherall, a Briton, issued a statement through the Christian and Missionary Alliance church, saying, "My wife died because of her love for the church and because she loved helping the people of Sidon and Lebanon." Bonnie Weatherall had been a volunteer at the clinic for a little over a year, a church official said. (CNN, 21 November) (to index)

* EX-KHMER ROUGE GENERAL PREACHES GOSPEL OF CHRIST - Missions Insider reports that a former general of the feared Khmer Rouge is now preaching Christ in Cambodia. His salvation came about because one whom he once sought to kill desired to bring him eternal life. "We believe that God is calling us to bring Jesus to our national enemies, the Khmer Rouge," Setan Aaron Lee, founder and director of Kampuchea for Christ, told Christian Aid. "When they have Jesus, they will have everything they will ever need." Lee said a door of opportunity was opened to him and his workers last May. "We were able to proclaim the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ to General Tith Voeum and his family. "In just a matter of minutes, this top military general in Pol Pot's army and his family surrendered to Jesus Christ. Just last month I was able to visit him again and he now has a house church of more than 100 believers..." (Religion Today, 21 November) (to index)

* AUSTRALIAN MP SAYS ISLAMIC ROBE PERFECT FOR TERRORISM - (Australia) An Australian lawmaker's demand that Muslim women be banned from wearing traditional long black flowing robes in public because they could conceal weapons, has sparked outrage. Mr Fred Nile, a Protestant pastor and lawmaker in the New South Wales state legislature said the black head-to-toe Islamic robes, known as chadors, were "perfect disguise for terrorists as it conceals both weapons and explosives". He called for chadors to be banned after a nationwide terror alert was issued by the federal government. Nile cited the recent Moscow theatre siege as an example of how the chador could conceal weapons to stage an attack. Other lawmakers rejected his call. The Anglican Bishop of South Sydney Robert Forsyth condemned Nile's comments, and said that it "demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the nature of religious freedom in a liberal democratic society". (Daily News, 21 November) (to index)

* MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO EUTHANISING MOTHER - (Bartow, Australia) In beginning November Gary Pierson walked into a police station to hand over his mother's body. On 14 November he pleaded guilty to killing her, maintaining it was a mercy killing, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The 59-year-old Lakeland man was charged with murder after duct taping his mother's mouth, nose, and eyes shut, and then suffocating the 81-year-old Alzheimer's patient with a towel. According to police, Pierson told them he did it because she was driving him crazy. Faced with a second-degree murder conviction, Pierson avoided the death penalty, but could get life in prison. His public defender, Austin Maslanik, told ABC Action News that he hoped the judge would consider the fact the crime was not premeditated. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Prolife Infonet, 14 November) (to index)

* 'DEAD DOLLS' BANNED IN GREECE - (Athens) Greece has banned the sale of "dead dolls", children's' toys featuring fiery eyes, scarred faces and bloodied mouths which come in their own little coffins. The dolls also have their own death certificates. "These toys constitute a serious threat to the smooth formation and development of the child's personality and mental health," the development ministry said. (Mercury, 21 November) (to index)

* TEEN SAYS VIDEO GAME INSPIRED CRIME SPREE - (Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA) Authorities say a teenager told them a video game about stealing cars inspired an auto theft spree involving about 100 vehicles, according to CNN. Nineteen-year-old Micah Zoerner of Somers, Wisconsin, is charged with numerous counts of theft, burglary and auto theft. He's being held in lieu of a 15-thousand dollar cash bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 20th. He was arrested on 8 November when officers in the village of Pleasant Prairie spotted him breaking into vehicles parked at a local apartment complex. When he was arrested, Zoerner had a vehicle that was reported stolen a week earlier from the same complex. Detectives say he told them he'd been inspired by the video game "Grand Theft Auto." Two other teens, one 18 and the other 19, were also apprehended but have not yet been charged. (CNN, 14 November) (to index)

* BERLIN BROADCASTER CUTS 'HALLOWEEN' PROGRAMME - The Berlin radio broadcaster 'Hundert 6' spontaneously cut a Halloween programme and in its place used a programme on a Reformation festival. 'Hundert 6' had planned to entertain listeners on the morning of 31 October with different Halloween-actions and interviews. Numerous listeners however called in, advising the broadcaster that 31 October is in actual fact marked as Reformation Day on their calendars. The chief editor, Claudia Hamboch, therefore immediately withdrew the Halloween programme, replacing it with a programme from an Evangelical broadcaster 'Evangeliums Rundfunks' about Martin Luther's Reformation. (Idea, Volume 45, 6 November) (to index)

* BANKRUPTCY BILL AMENDMENT LOSES SUPPORT- Conservative Christian groups have claimed an improbable victory after the U.S. House voted down a version of a bankruptcy bill, which featured a controversial amendment that targeted pro-life protesters. According to "The New York Times," the bill, which was championed by credit card companies, banks and retailers, was rejected 14 November on a 243-172 vote, with 87 Republicans turning against their party's leadership and the White House to oppose the bill. The Republican opposition was led by pro-life lawmakers who said a provision of the bill sponsored by abortion supporter Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would have unfairly punished pro-life activists by restricting their ability to use the bankruptcy courts to write off court fines. "I love my party, but I don't think I should have to sacrifice my core convictions to be in good standing," said Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., who led the opposition. (Charismanews, Maranatha CNS, 19 November) (to index)

* AIDS EXPLOSION IN EASTERN EUROPE & ASIA - The deadly AIDS virus is exploding into Eastern Europe and most of Asia, as well, according to a Christian Broadcasting Network report. Experts say parts of these regions may be suffering just as badly as Africa in as little as eight years. But the UN says the epidemic can be staved off with education and changes in behavior. United Nations officials say no matter how many resolutions they pass here, it will more likely be up to local communities to help stem the rising tide of AIDS. About one million Russians are infected with HIV. Youth are the hardest hit in the rise of AIDS in Russia, and the number of AIDS orphans is on the rise. (Christian Broadcasting Network, 22 November) (to index)

* CO-HABITING WOMEN NOT PLANNING TO MARRY - Living together is not always a step on the road to marriage, a new study has found. Researchers at Bowling Green State University in Ohio found that approximately a quarter of women living with a man don't ever plan on marrying him. More couples than ever are choosing to live together out of wedlock, and their reasons for remaining unwed vary, according to study author Dr Wendy Manning. Reporting in the November issue of the Journal of Family Issues, Manning and co-author Dr Pamela Smock of the University of Michigan found that some couples that cohabit believe that marriage would not change their situation enough to make it worthwhile. Others may move in with a partner for the intimacy, without the commitment of a marriage. Other couples may find that after living with their partner, they no longer want to marry that person, the report says. According to Manning, one factor often common in deciding whether or not a woman said she expected to marry her partner, was his income and level of education. (Health24.co.za, 22 November) (to index)

* ITALIAN ABORTIONISTS SENTENCED - (Rome) Two Italian doctors were both sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for doing illegal abortions in a clinic in Rome, according to a report by the news agency Nu.nl. The doctors, Ilio Spallone and his cousin Marcello Spallone had trespassed the country's abortion law that has been standing for 20 years. The law allows interruption of pregnancy only in the first ninety days. They were two of the 67 people accused in this case over 12 illegal abortions which had been done between 1995 and 1997. (www.nu.nl, 25 November) (to index)

* PUBLIC AUTOPSY GETS OFFERS OF DONORS - The German doctor, Prof Gunther von Hagens, who shocked Britain by slicing up a body in public for the first open autopsy in the UK since 1830, has signed up thousands of volunteers for similar treatment after their death (reported in the Mercury, 26 November 2002). "We now have a list of about 5,200 living body donors offering their corpses for use after death." When Prof von Hagens first began to display his "plastinated" corpses in public, a Christian News reporter was able to have a live interview with him about his beliefs. He told CN reporters that in all the years that he had cut up corpses, he had never found "any evidence of the soul." (CFT News, 27 November) (to index)

* ON A LIGHTER NOTE - An old man lived alone in Ireland. He wanted to dig his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison for bank robbery. The old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his predicament. Shortly, he received this reply, "For heaven's sake Dad, don't dig up that garden, that's where I buried the Money!" At 4 A.M. the next morning, a dozen policemen showed up and dug up the entire garden, without finding any money. Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened, and asking him what to do next. His son's reply was: "Now plant your potatoes, Dad. It's the best I could do from here. (Anonymous) (to index)