Christian News
30 April 2003
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Southern Africa:
* ACTION AGAINST PROSTITUTION ADVERTS –
Members of Christian for Truth (CFT) and other concerned members of the public are
demanding that the State fulfils its role in punishing those who advertise on behalf of
prostitutes. A number of laws (in particular, the `Immorality Amendment Act no.2 of 1988)
forbid prostitution in South Africa and last year the Constitutional Court upheld this
position. In response to a complaint by a CFT member the Ministry of Justice and
Constitutional Development confirmed that their own investigative committee had found
that: "In South Africa indoor businesses and call girls advertise their services
freely in daily newspapers and other publications, irrespective of the fact that the
industry is strictly speaking criminalised." In a recent discussion with the state
prosecutor of Kempton Park he agreed that the public have the right to complain to
newspapers which carry `Adult Amusement’ adverts. He said that these are "family
newspapers that contain explicit and degrading language" which can be bought and read
by minors. South African newspapers (such as the Daily News, 30 April 2003) often carry
hundreds of prostitution adverts on the same page as cartoons such as Calvin and Hobbes,
Peanuts and Garfield. (CFT, 30 April) (
to index)
* ACDP OBJECTS S.A. SUPPORT FOR REPRESSIVE REGIME - On
17 April ACDP Spokesperson Mrs. Jo-Ann Downs called on the people of South Africa to show
their displeasure at the possibility that the South African government was involved in
endorsing and giving material support to the repressive regime committing religious
oppression in Sudan. "There is a deep sense of dismay amongst southern Sudanese
sources and their supporters at what many see as abandonment by their fellow Africans,
particularly, by South Africa who led the campaign and used its crucial vote. Southern
Sudanese continue to suffer greatly at the hands of the Sudanese government, and villagers
in oil-rich Upper Nile are currently the victims of ethnic cleansing aimed at actively
hindering efforts by an international monitoring team to monitor events in the area."
(ACDP, 17 April) (to index)
* STATE PUSHES RELIGION IN SCHOOLS POLICY - The
South African Department of Education is pushing ahead with its policy on religion in
education - despite strong opposition from churches and religious organisations, according
to an article in Sunday Times (20 April). Mid-April the Council of Education Ministers
(national and provincial) said in a statement that the policy would be finalised by June.
The policy maintained that religious education belonged in the home and in the church and
that schools should offer religion education that placed all the different religions on an
equal footing. The policy recommended that religious observance should not form part of
assemblies as it could alienate pupils who belong to a religion other than the one
practised at such occasions. The Rev Moss Ntlha, general- secretary of the Evangelical
Alliance of South Africa, which represents 30 national denominations, 30 mission and
service agencies and eight theological colleges, said the "whole policy had to be set
aside". "Learners are left with the impression that religion has no role in
society," said Ntlha. (Sunday Times, 20 April) (to index)
* ASA RULES DECEPTIVE CONDOM BILLBOARD MESSAGE OK - The
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that the loveLife billboard depicting a
woman holding a condom embracing a man with the caption "one roll on all women
want" does not breach the Advertising Code. Despite the acceptance of evidence from
Africa Christian Action that the billboard had caused widespread and sectoral offense
(including an overview of previous loveLife advertising, 15 individual objections and a
petition with over 1200 signatures against the "one roll on" billboard), the ASA
decided to overlook this offense due to the seriousness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Africa
Christian Action agrees that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is extremely serious, but is not
convinced that this loveLife advertising, which undermines South African morals,
contributes to combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic. (ACA, 16 April) (to index)
* NEW PHASE FOR LOVELIFE CAMPAIGN – The second phase
of the ongoing loveLife campaign to encourage parents to talk more openly to their
children about HIV/Aids, sex, sexuality and gender relations will be launched in May. The
second phase of the campaign will specifically focus on the risks associated with early
initiation of sexual activity and the role of coercion and peer pressure in adolescent
sexual behaviour. The campaign urges parents to tell their children "sex is worth
waiting for" and emphasises the values that ought to inform healthy relationships.
LoveLife will be operating a special toll-free parent help-line to guide parents on how to
initiate discussions with their teenagers. To contact loveLife regarding a series of
printed materials call 0800 121 100 or e-mail talk@lovelife.org.za
(Natal Witness, 14 April) (to index)
* ROW OVER TRADITIONAL SLAUGHTER CEREMONY AT DBN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY - The management of the Durban Institute of Technology has been
criticised by the city health department and unions for slaughtering a beast on campus in
a bid to halt the death of students and staff. The DIT management caused a stir at the end
of April when it conducted a traditional cleansing ceremony on campus which was attended
by traditional healers and involved the burning of incense and the slaughtering of a cow
to communicate with ancestors. The DIT has been accused of violating the city’s
by-laws by slaughtering a bull without obtaining a permit. The city health department is
reportedly up in arms, accusing the DIT of violating health regulations, following reports
by employees that the bull’s testicles were still hanging on the premises. (Daily
News, 30 April) (to index)
International:
* NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS DEFY
EASTER CELEBRATION BAN - Christians in Nigeria defied a three-day ban on Easter
celebrations across the country and trekked to their many churches to participate in Holy
Week services. Police officials had ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew from Friday to Sunday
and designated Saturday a no-travel day in order to stem electoral fraud and political
violence as the country held its presidential and gubernatorial elections. Church leaders,
however, denounced the ban as a deliberate attempt to curtail the religious liberty of
Christians. "The restriction was an attempt to prevent Christians from celebrating
Easter," Dr. Olusola Ajolore, Kwara State Secretary of the Christian Association of
Nigeria, told Compass in the city of Ilorin. In their Easter messages, many preachers
urged Nigerians to make concerted efforts toward moving the country forward. (Maranatha
Christian Journal, 25 April) (to
index)
* HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING
IN SUDAN BY UN RAPPORTEUR IS ENDED -
The world's premier human rights body
has ended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Sudan by a vote of 26
to 24, thereby freeing it from one of the few vestiges of international accountability. A
resolution to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur was defeated at the United
Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva on April 16 by an alliance of states including
Libya, Saudi Arabia and Sudan itself. The ending of the mandate comes in the wake of a
report by outgoing Special Rapporteur Gerhart Baum detailing the continued abuse by the
Sudanese government of the rights of its citizens in both northern and southern Sudan.
Reportedly an African source stated: "It just seems as if racism is OK as long as
rich North African states are doing it. Southern Sudanese can die so long as cheap oil is
available." For more information, please contact Richard Chilvers of CSW on 020 8949
0587/email richard.chilvers@csw.org.uk
(Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 17 April) (to index)
* EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS TO BRING AID AND THE BIBLE TO IRAQ –
Standing behind the US troops, waiting for a signal that Iraq is safe enough for them to
operate in, are evangelical Christians, "carrying food in one hand and the Bible in
the other", according to a Mail & Guardian article (11-16 April). All groups,
generously funded by US churchgoers, are likely to do a magnificent job in offering water,
food, medical help and comfort to a traumatised population. Muslim worries have been
heightened because the man leading the charge into Iraq is the Reverend Franklin Graham,
the son of Billy Graham. He runs Samaritan Purse, an organisation with a strong record of
charitable help. Also moving into Iraq are Southern Baptists, whose coordinator in
Oklahoma, Sam Porter, says that humanitarian aid is the prime objective of the Iraqi
relief operation. He adds that "…If a country opens up for evangelical missions
to go there, we go. We believe strongly that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and we intend
to proclaim that." (Mail & Guardian, 11-16 April) (
to index)
* IRAQIS TUNE IN TO CHRISTIAN RADIO – (Wetzlar) In
search of reliable information about the war Iraqis tuned in to Christian radio programs.
Radio Monte Carlo transmitters in Cyprus broadcast Arabic and Kurdish programs produced by
the radio mission Trans World Radio (TWR) to the Middle East. According to a BBC
correspondent in Baghdad, Iraqis rely mainly on information provided by the BBC and Radio
Monte Carlo. Iraqi state radio airs mainly eulogies on Saddam Hussein. Besides regular
newscasts Radio Monte Carlo also features TWR programs for at least two hours a day. It is
very likely that Iraqis listen to the Christian content, as a staff member of the German
Evangeliums-Rundfunk (Gospel Radio) explained to the evangelical news agency ‘idea’.
(Idea, 7 April) (
to index)
* VIETNAM REPRESSES ETHNIC MINORITY – (Hanoi) Hanoi
continues to repress religious practices of an ethnic minority Christian hill tribe this
year, Human Rights Watch said on 21 April, quoting letters and government documents
smuggled out of Vietnam. The group said it has received nine letters from Protestant
Christian Montagnard church leaders. "They describe beatings of church leaders by
police and other officials, destruction of churches … and widespread confiscation of
villagers’ farm land by authorities." A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman rejected
the report. "This is fully slanderous, fabricated information and a brazen distortion
of the real situation in the Central Highlands." (The Natal Witness, 22 April) (
to index)
* ABORTION PRACTITIONER LOSES MED LICENCE AFTER BOTCHED
ABORTION – (Sacramento, CA) The Medical Board of California has revoked the
medical license of Philip Pierre-Louis, of San Bernardino for botching a woman's abortion
so badly that she required nearly two weeks of medical care in a hospital. Pierre-Louis
was put on four years of probation and fined $5,000 in cost recovery by the Board on March
31, 1999 for gross negligence, incompetence, unprofessional conduct and failure to
maintain adequate medical records. The action came when Pierre-Louis perforated a woman's
uterus and removed three to five feet of her Intestine when performing an abortion. A
doctor had to perform corrective surgery and deliver the deceased baby. When the Board’s
order takes effect on 27 May Pierre-Louis will no longer be able to practice medicine in
California. (Pro-Life Infonet, 1 May) (
to index)
* SWISS ‘ANTI-AIDS’ CONDOM CAMPAIGN UPSETS CATHOLICS -
(Bern) Yellow billboards with the slogan "Talk about condoms" hanging close
to churches have upset Swiss Bishops. The department of health and Aids-aid Switzerland
organised a "stop-aids-campagne2003", starting on 22 April. Slogans on luminous
yellow posters address public personalities in life, like teachers, parents, priests.
"Good morning dear priest, if Rome doesn’t like to hear you talking about
contraception, then feel free to talk about condoms," is the message on posters found
near churches. According to the Swiss Bishop conference, slogans like "Protect your
neighbour as yourself… use a condom" are making a mockery of values that are
important to Christians. They demanded that the ‘insulting’ posters be
withdrawn, and that respect for your neighbour is the first necessary step in the
prevention against Aids. (www.kath.net, 16 April) (
to index)
* U.S. HOUSE PASSES ABSTINENCE AMENDMENTS TO AIDS BILL -
(Washington, DC) Pro-family groups are hailing the passage 1 May of two key amendments to
the global AIDS bill that would prioritize abstinence and protect faith-based groups who
participate in HIV prevention efforts in Africa. The House of Representatives voted
220-197 to approve an amendment, sponsored by pro-life Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), which
mandated that at least one-third of the money earmarked for HIV/AIDS prevention programs
emphasize abstinence until marriage. House members also approved by voice vote New Jersey
Republican Congressman Chris Smith's amendment to provide conscience protection for
faith-based groups that take prevention funding. "These amendments go a long way to
making a bad bill more palatable, and we thank Congressmen Pitts and Smith for their
efforts," said Tom Minnery, vice president of public policy for Focus on the Family.
"The fight to prioritize abstinence over condoms is a difficult one, and gains are
made incrementally - as today's vote demonstrates," Minnery continued. (Focus on the
Family; Abstinence News, 1 May) (
to
index)
* DUTCH FEAR INVOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA IN CASE OF ACCIDENT -
(The Hague) The euthanasia-control commissions in the Netherlands, the first country to
have legalized the practice, reported on 29 April an all-time low in the number of
(reported) euthanasia cases last year, counting 1,882. In 2001, the commissions recorded
2,054 cases of euthanasia, and 2,123 the year before. In April 2002 euthanasia became
legal in the Netherlands. The startling number of euthanasia cases has many Dutch
residents carrying wallet cards asking doctors to do all they can to save their lives in
case of an accident that leaves them unable to make decisions for themselves in an ER or
operating room. Some 12 doctors have been cited by the commissions in the past four years
for not complying with all the regulations, but to date none have received a summons from
the public prosecutor. Increased attention for prescribing painkillers might have helped
reduce the number of euthanasia cases. (Expatcia News, Prolife Infonet, 30 April) (
to index)
* HUNGARIAN CHURCH LEADERS PRAISE COURT’S REJECTION OF
EUTHANASIA – (Budapest) Referring to the "suffering of Jesus
Christ" at the cross, Hungarian church leaders praised Monday, April 28, the
Hungarian Constitutional Court's rejection of a law suit to legalize euthanasia. Court
President Janos Nemeth said, "Euthanasia has only been made legal recently in
Belgium, in the Netherlands and in a state in the United States" and that Hungary's
laws should not be changed. He added that terminally ill patients can already refuse
medical care if they wish as the country has allowed a passive form of euthanasia since
1997. The court's decision followed a decade long debate in the former Communist country
that began in earnest in 1993 when Gyorgyi Binder drowned her 11-year old daughter in a
bathtub to end the child's suffering of an incurable disease. Monday's ruling however
re-enforced the opinion that euthanasia should be punished. (ASSIST News Service Religion
Today, 29 April) (
to index)
* CYSTIC FIBROSIS TEST MAY HAVE LED TO ‘UNNECESSARY’
ABORTIONS – (Washington, DC) Antenatal genetic screening for cystic fibrosis
could have led to unnecessary and risky tests during pregnancy, and even abortions,
according to an article in New Scientist magazine. Two years ago, the U.S. introduced a
national screening programme for cystic fibrosis (CF), where any pregnant woman can
request that they and their partners are checked. But geneticists warn the results may
have been misinterpreted and some women may have undergone unnecessary amniocentesis
tests, which can result in miscarriage. Some may even have had an abortion, New Scientist
magazine reports. (BBC, 30 April) (
to
index)
* SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH FACES EXPULSION FOR BAPTIZING GAYS
- A Southern Baptist congregation in North Carolina is in hot water with denomination
officials over the baptism of two gay men. McGill Baptist Church in Concord faces
expulsion from the Cabarrus Baptist Association for the ceremony that took place last
month, "The Charlotte Observer" reported. Pastor Steve Ayers said many in the
congregation knew the couple was gay when the baptism took place and that it was held
because it's not up to him or the church to decide who deserves salvation. "I think
salvation is between them and God," Ayers told the newspaper. But Randy Wadford,
missions director for the association of 78 churches, said baptism is only for those who
agree to repent of their sins. In a letter sent to the church last week, the group said:
"To allow individuals into the membership of a local church without evidence or
testimony of true repentance is to condone the old lifestyle." (Charisma News,
Religion Today, 30 April) (
to
index)
* MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT LIFTS BAN ON IBAN BIBLE - The
Malaysian government has lifted a recent ban on Bup Kudus, the Iban-language Bible, but
advised parties to exercise care when translating religious works, news reports said.
Acting Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the issue in
question – the use of the word Allah Tala for God in the Iban language – had
been resolved. Abdullah said the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) felt the use of
Allah Tala, which was similar to Muslims' Allah Taala, was inappropriate and banned the
Bup Kudus because it breached the guidelines for non-Islamic religious books. "When I
consulted the Council of Churches, I was told the word had been used by the community as a
reference to God for a very long time," he told a press conference. "Since the
word is found in the Iban Bible only, I don't see the reason why it should be
banned," he said. "There is no reason to ban it and cause anger among the
[Christian] community." (Maranatha Christian News Service, 30 April) (
to index)
