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Christian News
15 December 2002
________________________________________________
Southern
Africa:
* SA FILM BOARD CALLS FOR PUBLIC INPUT ON
GUIDELINES - (South Africa) The Film and Publication Board (FPB) is calling for
input from the public on guidelines for classifying films, games and publications. The
board said on 4 December that it was making the call to ensure that classification
guidelines reflect generally accepted community standards. It also said the public could
help ensure classification guidelines strike a balance between the free speech rights of
adults and the rights of children to be protected from potentially disturbing material.
The FPB said the public's comments should reach it no later than January 17, 2003 and
should be posted to the CEO, Film and Publication Board, Private Bag X9069, Cape Town
8000. Alternatively, it said comments could be faxed to 021-465-6511 or e-mailed to fpbmail@fpb.wcape.gov.za. (ChristianView 5
December) ( to index)
* BILL AIMS TO STOP PARENTS SPANKING THEIR KIDS - (South
Africa) In the near future many parents may find themselves getting a taste of what school
teachers go through in disciplining children if the proposed new Children's Bill is
implemented in its current form, according. "According to the proposed law, if you
physically assault a child as a parent, you cannot claim the defence of reasonable
chastisement if you are charged. Basically the Bill is aimed at steering people away from
use of physical discipline," says Joan van Niekerk, director of Childline. She said
that the Bill is not anti-discipline, but rather anti-physical discipline: "It
doesn't criminalise spanking but if you are charged you cannot claim reasonable
chastisement". Provincial co-ordinator of SAPS Child Protection Unit, Lynette
Prinsloo, agrees it is a challenge separating abuse and discipline. "Each community
has its own standard or culture. However, our unit will investigate if the child has
physical marks and the alleged abuse is continual." (Saturday Star, 14 December) ( to index)
* 'OUTDATED SOCIALIST CANON TO BE TRANSLATED INTO ZULU'
- Jack Bloom, MPL, Democratic Alliance says that the sacred socialist canon that
Mazibuko Jarea of the South African Communist Party wishes to translate into Zulu is as
outdated as Marx's appalling racist views. According to the article in Mail &
Guardian, Marx, in a letter to Engels, referred to the German socialist Ferdinand Lasalle
as "the Jewish Nigger", whose "shape of head and his hair texture show he
descends from the Negroes who joined Moses' flight from Egypt". Marx opposed the
marriage of his daughter to Paul Lafargue solely because of his small portion of Negro
blood. When Lafargue ran for a seat in the municipal elections in Paris (where there is a
zoo), Engels thought it appropriate as "a nigger is a degree nearer to the animal
kingdom than the rest of us." According to the M&G the lesson in any language is
that humanity suffers when imagined eternal conflicts, whether race or class-based,
override individual dignity and will. (Mail & Guardian, 29 Nov-5 Dec) ( to index)
* SA GOVERNMENT MINISTER STRIVES FOR GOD'S PURPOSE -
(South Africa) The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr M. Buthelezi, made the following statement
on 1 December 2002. It formed part of his tribute to the late Mrs. Kay Stegen, wife of the
Rev Erlo Stegen of Kwasizabantu Mission: "As I go about my work in politics and
leadership, I often pray that I will not step out from under His will. He has placed me
where I am, and He sustains me in it. To me, the greatest sorrow is not the limited time I
have to myself, which is the sacrifice of serving. It is not the insincerity, which
scuttles in the shadow of power. It is not the gravity of the decisions I at times must
take. It is not even the loss of friends as I grow older. To me, the greatest sorrow is
feeling that one has not lived according to the fruitful and good purposes of God."
(www.ksb.org.za) ( to index)
*
International:
* NATIVITY SCENE
ON DISPLAY IN WISCONSIN - (USA) Officials in a Wisconsin community have decided
not to jettison a scene depicting Jesus' birth. Despite the threat of a lawsuit from a
group that advocates separation of church and state, the nine alderman of Wisconsin Rapids
recently voted unanimously to accept a nativity scene for inclusion in the city's
Christmastime display. Wisconsin Rapids resident Rose Ann Crowns led a group in offering
the nativity scene to the city for display because the community's Christmas display
contained only secular symbols such as Christmas trees, tin soldiers and Santa Claus.
However, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) immediately threatened a lawsuit if
the city decided to accept it. Crowns then contacted the Liberty Counsel, who offered the
city free legal defense. "The issue of public displays of nativity scenes has been
clearly settled by the Supreme Court for over 10 years now, yet the Freedom From Religion
Foundation insists on bullying city officials by adopting a position they know is not
true," Mat Staver of the Orlando, Fla.-based Liberty Counsel said. (Maranatha
Christian Journal, 9 December) ( to index)
* NIGERIAN CHURCH LEADER DECRIES MUSLIM ATTACKS -
Preaching from the ruins of the Ramhama English Baptist Church, J.J. Hayab noted what he
called the difference between Nigeria's Christians and Muslims. "Ours is a God of
mercy," he told The New York Times. "Theirs is a God of violence." Hayab,
pastor of the church in Kaduna, Nigeria, and Kaduna State secretary of the Christian
Association of Nigeria, tried to contain his rage at the individuals who attacked the
church and its members during rioting that resulted in about 200 deaths. At least 58
churches in Kaduna suffered damage in the attacks. "The Christian will seen [sic] the
DEATH," declared a crude message written inside of the church. The rioting stemmed
from an article written by Isioma Daniel. With regards to Muslims' criticisms that the
Miss World pageant was scheduled to be held in Nigeria, she wrote: "The Muslims
thought it was immoral to bring 92 women to Nigeria to ask them to revel in vanity. What
would Muhammad think? In all honesty, he would probably have chosen a wife from one of
them." Daniel has since fled the country in fear of her life. (Baptist Press, 3
December) ( to index)
* BOUNDARIES OF "HATE CRIMES" EXPAND -
(Britain) Scotland Yard's Diversity Unit has launched a campaign urging victims of
"hate crime" to come forward according to the definition that "hate crimes
means abusing people because of their race, faith, religion, or disability - or because
they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual." On 28 November the Crown Prosecution
Service announced that prosecution of "homophobic" crime is to become a
priority. In a policy document, the CPS says it regards such crimes as particularly
serious because they "undermine people's right to feel safe in their sexual
orientation and gender." "Homophobic", as defined by the CPS, means "a
fear of or dislike directed towards lesbian, gay or bisexual people, or ... their
perceived lifestyle, culture or characteristics." Also, the word
"homosexual" is no longer to be used because it is seen as offensive. (The Daily
Telegraph, 28 November)
(Ed: The natural progression of this logic will result in thought crimes.) ( to index)
* AUSTRALIAN UNVEILS 'SUICIDE MACHINE' - (Sydney)
Australian euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke said on 3 December that he had designed a
new suicide machine using carbon monoxide gas for people who don't want to take their own
lives using drugs. Nitschke said the machine would cost less than A$100 (US$56) and allow
users to die peacefully with a few deep breaths of lethal carbon monoxide through a
facemask. The machine was developed with funds provided by the US voluntary euthanasia
organisation Hemlock and will be unveiled at a conference next month in San Diego,
California, he said. Nitschke, who faces police charges over the suicide earlier this year
of a great grandmother who supported his pro-euthanasia campaign, said the new machine was
mainly designed to eliminate concerns people had about ending their lives with drugs.
Nitschke said he expected to have no trouble finding an Australian company to manufacture
the new device, which would be sold as an oxygen machine to bypass legal problems.
Nitschke said the machine would be made available to people who belonged to the
pro-euthanasia Exit Australia group for more than six months and had attended at least one
workshop. - Sapa-AFP (News24.co.za, 3 December) ( to index)
* FRENCH MOVIE LICENCES CONTROLLED BY MINISTRY OF FAMILY
MATTERS - The commission of social affairs in the National Assembly of France has
advised that all licences for the use of movies should henceforth be granted by the
Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Family Matters. The two Members of Parliament from
the UMP (majority party) which originated this proposal, are Christine Boutin and
Henriette Martinez. They presented the proposal as: "The protection of childhood and
of public youth." This law proposal was to be debated in a public session of the
National Assembly of France on 12 December. (Translated from French paper
"Figaro", 28 November) ( to
index)
* 'FREE HEROIN FOR ADDICTS IN UK' - Heroin addicts in
the United Kingdom will soon be able to get the drug legally and for free through a
National Health Service prescription, according to a report by HealthScout News. Addicts
will have access to prescribed supplies of the drug, but will have to use it in medically
supervised areas, with clean needles. The heroin will only be prescribed when other
treatments, such as methadone, fail or if doctors believe they won't work, a UK government
official told the BBC. The move is part of the British government's new treatment strategy
for hard-core addicts. (HealthScout News, December 02) ( to index)
* INFIDELITY INCREASES RISK OF HEART ATTACK - (Hamburg,
Germany) Extra-marital sex can increase your risk of having a heart attack, a British
cardiologist has told a congress on sexual health in the German city of Hamburg. Graham
Jackson, a heart specialist at St Thomas's Hospital in London, told the European congress
on 2 December: "We found that 75 percent of the cases of sudden death during sexual
activity involved people who were taking part in extra-marital sexual intercourse."
He added the danger of having heart failure during extra-marital sex was exacerbated even
further when there was a significant difference in age between the partners.
(News24.co.za, 4 December) ( to
index)
* ABSTINENCE REVOLUTION AMONG U.S. YOUTH - "Visit any
American high school and you’ll likely find a growing number of students who... have
decided to remain chaste until marriage," according to a Newsweek report on 9
December. Rejecting the get-down-make-love ethos of their parents’ generation, this
wave of young adults represents a new counterculture, one clearly at odds with the
mainstream media and their routine use of sex to boost ratings and peddle product.
According to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control, the number of
high-school students who say they’ve never had sexual intercourse rose by almost 10
percent between 1991 and 2001. Parents, public-health officials and sexually beleaguered
teens themselves may be relieved by this "let’s not" trend. Though there's
a lot of debate about the new Abstinence movement, the debate concerns public policy, but
the real issue is personal choice. At the center of it all are the young people
themselves, whose voices are often drowned out by the political cacophony. (Newsweek, 9
December) ( to index)
* TEN YEAR OLDS AFFLICTED BY MANAGERS' AILMENTS - (Berlin)
German children are constantly being expected to grow up earlier. "Life's seriousness
already starts at the age of ten", child and youth researcher Klaus Hurrelmann said
in Berlin recently, referring to the findings of the "Child report" soon to be
published by the German Child Assistance Service. Children are pressured for school
achievements at a much earlier age, leave the parental home much earlier and, because of
the strong media absorption, are constantly being exposed to the world of grownups at an
earlier age. "Childhood as a safe learning area has just about ceased to exist",
Hurrelmann observes. Perhaps, he says, a wholesome childhood has never really existed, but
today it is ill beyond recovery. "Children are suffering from Business Managers'
illnesses like sleep disorders and burnout", says Hurrelmann. Children as young as
ten years are often already taking over some of the habits of adults: they smoke and
drink. Especially poor children and those that live in eroded families, suffer from
stress. (Berliner Zeitung, 12 December) (to index)
* INDIA BATTLES FOETICIDE - (New Delhi) Workers cleaning drains in
a northern Indian town recently discovered two aborted female foetuses, a find that
highlights the country's bias against girls. A few weeks later, a bag turned up in the
same town of Alwar in Rajasthan state containing a dozen female foetuses and dead baby
girls, which police believe was dumped by a nursing home. The finds were stark evidence of
the preference for boys over girls. "It's an unholy alliance of tradition and
technology. Ultrasound was not meant for sex selection," said demographer Ashish
Bose. Social workers in India say the trend will mean major social problems ahead. The
government, alarmed by the number of "missing females", has introduced
legislation to ban routine ultrasounds on women below the age of 35 but the measure still
has to be passed. (Natal Witness, 9 December) (to index)
* SPOKEN IN CLOSETS, PROCLAIMED FROM THE 'TREETOPS' -
Pedestrians approaching St Mary's church in Mirfield, north-east England, have been
startled to hear wolf-whistles and insults emanating from on high. They discovered the
abuse came from an African Grey Parrot, which has made its home in the churchyard trees
after apparently escaping from its owners. Tim Wood, owner of the nearby Old Colonial pub,
said he was taking a walk when he heard a rude word. "I thought someone was pulling
my leg... I couldn't believe it when I realised it was a parrot. Said Wood, "Lets
just say he won't be used in the vicar's Nativity play". (Natal Witness, 28 November)
( to index)
* ON A CHILDLIKE NOTE - A father wanted to read a
magazine, but was being bothered by his little daughter. Finally, he tore a sheet out on
which was printed the map of the world. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her
and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can put this together." After a
few minutes, she returned and handed him the map correctly fitted together. The father was
surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. "Oh," she said, "on
the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He
belonged, then the world came together." ( to index)
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