Southern Africa

• Workshops in favour of same-sex marriage
• SA Anglican leader supports gay ordination
• African Anglicans lead revolt against gay ordination
• Families not allowed to administer corporal punishment

* WORKSHOPS IN FAVOUR OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE - In October 2003 the South African Law Reform Commission held countrywide "Workshops on Domestic Partner-ships" to present to interested parties their proposed changes to the South African marriage laws.
At the "workshop" it soon became evident that the Law Comission’s proposals strike at the root of civilized society and all religion. The participants were mainly Christians, NGO workers, and lawyers, but they were given little opportunity to speak of the principles of the new laws, namely that sex outside of marriage is wrong, and that God forbids fornication and adultery. They were divided into four groups to discuss only technical questions, such as: What should be the duration of an intimate relationship (2 years?) before parting partners are entitled to compensation?
Throughout the discussions the focus was on the "victims", the "suffering", the "destitute", the "disadvantaged" by apartheid, the "oppressed" by tribal law. Though there was considerable resistance against the proposed new laws, participants could voice this only in their own small group, and their comments were lost through the report-backs to the plenum.
Dr James Dobson of Focus on the Family recently sent out a letter calling American Christians to action against the self-same laws threatening the USA. He wrote: "The institution of marriage is about to descend into a state of turmoil unlike any other in human history. The homosexual activist movement, which has achieved virtually every goal and objective it set out to accomplish more than 50 years ago, is poised to administer a devastating and potentially fatal blow to the traditional family. "The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether," he says. With this in mind, the Church must make the strongest objection to the "broadening" of the concepts of Marriage and Family. With the Family being in such disarray already, the civil authorities are duty bound to protect it with legal rights which (in whole or in part) may not be given to any other partnership.
The closing date for comments from the public is 1 December 2003. Comments can be sent via e-mail to: cpienaar@salawcom.org.za or post to:
The Secretary (Attention: Carien Pienaar)
South African Law Reform Commission
Private Bag X 668, Pretoria, 0001
(31 October 2003, www.ChristianView.org ) (to index)

* SA ANGLICAN LEADER SUPPORTS GAY ORDINATION – The South African Anglican leader is the only African Anglican in favour of the consecration of the American Episcopalian ordination of openly gay Bishop Robinson. "Let Africans speak for themselves on the subject of gay bishops." This is the message from Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane on 27 October 2003 after claims that the Anglican church in Africa was split over the consecration of openly gay Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire in the United States on Sunday, 1 November. The Anglican archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, said Robinson's consecration had riven the Anglican Communion, which numbers 77-million members. He said many church leaders in Africa were angry at the appointment, reports Sapa-AP. He called Robinson a "bishop of disunity". "I was speaking to an African bishop who told me that in his area of the world he is simply embarrassed to be called an Anglican, that everyone is very scornful of Anglicans because this has happened and he's receiving a great deal of criticism," Jensen said. Ndungane said: "It is mischievous of people like Jensen to use Africa as a kind of ball to kick. Our brothers and sisters up north may not want people of homosexual orientation in the church, but to put it like it is an African problem is mischievous," he said. (1 November, The Star) (see www.cft.org.za for CFT’s response to the ordination) (to index)

* AFRICAN ANGLICANS LEAD REVOLT AGAINST GAY ORDINATION - African churchmen declared a breakdown in relations with the United States' Episcopalian Church on 27 October 2003, leading a revolt in the developing world against the appointment of an openly gay bishop. "The overwhelming majority of the Primates of the Global South cannot and will not recognise the office or ministry of Canon Gene Robinson as a bishop," said a statement from the primate of Nigeria's Anglican church. The Right Reverend Peter Akinola said he was speaking on behalf of the Working Committee for the Primates of the Global South, which represents 50 million Anglicans in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Akinola's statement on behalf of his colleagues stopped short of severing ties completely with US Anglicans, but he made it clear that ties had been badly damaged. "We deplore the act of those bishops who have taken part in the consecration which has now divided the church in violation of their obligation to guard the faith and unity of the church," it said.
And some African churchmen went further, making good on their threats to cut off all ties with the US Episcopalians. "As a church, we are not going to support homosexuality in the church, primarily because it is a sin," Bishop Thomas Kogo of Eldoret Diocese said, speaking on behalf of the Kenyan Anglican establishment. (3 November, News24) (to index)

* FAMILIES NOT ALLOWED TO ADMINISTER CORPORAL PUNISHMENT – Minister in the President's Office Essop Pahad has told a press conference parents do not have a right to beat their children, likening it to the abuse of women. "It is not a private matter," the Cape Times quoted him saying, adding the abuse of any individual's human rights is a matter of concern for everyone. (Cape Times) (to index)

International News

• Archbishop of canterbury reacts to gay ordination
• US families seek to block porn
• European abstinence conference
• Meteor foils persecution attack in India
• Senate passes partial birth abortion ban
• Planned parenthood seeks to block partial birth ban
• Egyptian Christians arrested
• Liberal democrats call for Christian general’s censure
• Egypt hunts down Christian missionaries
• The debate creationist versus skeptic
• Dancing with Delilah

* ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY REACTS TO GAY ORDINATION – In a statement issued on 2 November from his office at Lambeth Palace the leader of the Anglican Church, Dr Rowan Williams said:
"…"It was recognised fully at last month's meeting of Anglican leaders that the consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop in New Hampshire would have very serious consequences for the cohesion of the Anglican Communion. That meeting requested the setting up of a Commission which would examine these consequences in depth. Last week the membership of that group was announced and I look forward to being in close touch with it as its work develops. "The meeting also encouraged me to be in discussion with the leaders of the provinces concerned about provisions made for those alienated by decisions which appear to go against Catholic order or biblical teaching. Such discussion has already begun.
"The divisions that are arising are a matter of deep regret; they will be all too visible in the fact that it will not be possible for Gene Robinson's ministry as a bishop to be accepted in every province in the communion." (Episcopal News Service) (to index)

* US FAMILIES SEEK TO BLOCK PORN - Seeking to halt a burgeoning pornography industry, particularly on the Internet, a coalition of family groups is calling on lawmakers to support a resolution it hopes would spur a more vigorous crackdown on distributors of illegal pornography.
Patrick Trueman, a legal advisor to Morality in Media (MIM), said a resolution by Congress would give the Justice Department a much-needed boost in its efforts against smut peddlers. "What we want is to have Congress go on record to say: 'the laws on obscenity are still on the books. The Supreme Court has upheld those laws, and if [Attorney General] John Ashcroft will begin to prosecute vigorously those who are violating federal obscenity laws, Congress is backing him up,'" Trueman said. (3 November, CNS) (to index)

* EUROPEAN ABSTINENCE CONFERENCE – A thousand young people met in Switzerland for a True Love Waits conference, 11 and 12 October, with the theme "Preparing for Tomorrow". The founder of TLW, Dr Richard Ross, told the teenagers who had come from various European countries, to stick to their promise of abstinence before marriage. He encouraged the audience not to try and manage the battle alone but to be willing to be open with someone to whom they can be completely open and accountable as they seek to live victoriously in Christ. Ross told the audience that accountability is necessary for Christians who use the Internet and said that a record of every web site he visits is sent to his pastor and son. He also encouraged various countries to send their True Love Waits pledge cards to a major TLW event planned to take place during the Olympic Games in Athens next year.
Also at the conference was Barb Wise who is HIV positive. She told the teens that one wrong decision can lead to a life-time of regrets. (to index)

* METEOR FOILS PERSUCUTION ATTACK IN INDIA - Severe persecution against church planting ministry in India's Orissa State was interrupted with a sign from heaven when a meteor crashed to earth near the Bay of Bengal.
Missionaries with an indigenous church-planting ministry had won to Christ and discipled 15 families in a certain village. So in early September the ministry sent builders to construct a church building on a piece of land donated by one of the local believers. Suddenly on the third day of construction about 50 Hindus gathered about 50 yards away, placed a stone there, and said that someone had dreamed they should construct a Hindu temple there.
The next morning about 300 people gathered at the site and attacked the laborers working on the church building. They snatched $220 from the builder's pocket, beat him mercilessly, and ordered him to stop construction.
At that time the pastor and the president of the church arrived to see what the trouble was. The angry crowd dragged them both and ordered them to turn over 50 bags of cement and iron rods to them.
The next day, two missionaries with the church planting ministry arrived at the site and they, too, were beaten, but managed to escape by motorbike. Then the tide began to turn.
That very same night, one of the villagers who had forcibly taken four bags of cement died.
Two days later a meteor streaked across the sky, spreading flaming fragments as it went. Witnesses said the meteor lit up the night sky and others reported hearing a deafening roar. It crashed into a house and news reports said at least 20 people were injured. Local citizens were terrified.
After this, the leaders of the militant Hindus apologized to the Christians and said they wanted to return the materials they had taken away.
"The police authorities were not helpful at all, but the situation is under control," the leader told Christian Aid. (October 29, 2003 Provided by Christian Aid) (to index)

* SENATE PASSES PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION BAN - WASHINGTON (CNN) The Senate voted overwhelmingly on 21 Oct 2003 to ban a late-term abortion procedure critics call "partial-birth abortion," sending the bill to President Bush, who vowed to sign the measure into law.
"I applaud the Senate for joining the House in passing the ban on 'partial-birth abortion,'" Bush said in a written statement. "This is very important legislation that will end an abhorrent practice and continue to build a culture of life in America. I look forward to signing it into law."
Once signed, the bill will be the first federal law banning a form of abortion since the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision upheld abortion rights. The Senate vote, 64-34, came just three weeks after House passed the bill by a 281-142 margin.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, who was a surgeon before he came to Washington, hailed the legislation, calling the procedure "barbaric" and "offensive to our moral sensibilities."
Abortion opponents have said the procedure is cruel, while abortion rights advocates argue any move to restrict abortion would erode a woman's constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy accorded by Roe vs. Wade.
Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and other abortion rights groups have said they plan to file lawsuits challenging the law.
Congress twice passed measures banning the procedure during the 1990s, but President Clinton vetoed them.
Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, a lead sponsor of the bill in the House, called late-term abortion a "rogue procedure" that should be stopped.
"This is really a great day for those unborn babies, and it's a great day for their mothers," he told reporters. "God bless this country for stamping out this horrible practice." (22 October 2003, CNN) (to index)

* PLANNED PARENTHOOD SEEKS TO BLOCK PARTIAL BIRTH BAN - Two abortion rights groups and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed lawsuits to try to block the recently passed ban on a late-term abortion procedure from taking effect. The White House says President Bush intends to sign it on 5 November. Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit in a San Francisco federal court on 31 October to block the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act as unconstitutional. Doctors call the procedure intact dilation and extraction. At a news conference on 31 October in San Francisco, the organization said the lawsuit "seeks an injunction against enforcement of the act and a declaration that it is unconstitutional."
It is also seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to prevent the act from taking effect. Congress passed the federal ban October 20 and it has been sent to President Bush.
"This dangerous ban prevents women, in consultation with their families and doctors, from making decisions about their own health," PPFA President Gloria Feldt said. "We hope the court will recognize the unconstitutionality of this ban and strike it down." The lawsuit, PPFA v. Attorney General John Ashcroft, says the ban is unconstitutional for the same reason that the U.S. Supreme Court declared Nebraska's so-called partial-birth abortion ban legislation unconstitutional in Stenberg vs. Carhart -- because it lacks a health exception and its intentionally broad language imposes an "undue burden" on a woman's right to choose abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union also filed a lawsuit on 31 October in a Federal Court in New York to block what it termed "a dangerous and deceptive ban on safe abortion procedures." The National Abortion Federation, Dr. LeRoy Carhart and several physicians joined in a separate lawsuit in a federal court in Nebraska, where Carhart challenged a similar abortion ban and won in the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000. "This deceptive and extreme measure sacrifices women's health in the name of a broad anti-choice agenda to demonize abortion," said Louise Melling, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. "The federal government has no business making it a crime for doctors to provide the best care possible to women who need abortions." (1 November, CNN) (to index)

* EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS ARRESTED - Egyptian police arrested a couple living in hiding since their conversion from Islam to Christianity, and detained 20 others after torturing several for names of more converts, according to information received from the U.S. Copts Association. The string of arrests began with the apprehension of Yousef and Mariam Suliman by Alexandrian police on October 20. The Christian couple, along with their two daughters, Sarah and Marina, adopted new identities since their conversion to Christianity. After their arrest, the couple was transferred to Cairo; the children were allowed to stay with friends. Attorneys report both husband and wife have been beaten and physically abused, and Mariam was sexually assaulted at the Al-Muski Police Department in Cairo. Administrative officials who assisted the couple in securing new ID cards with Christian names were severely tortured by police. These officials were coerced into producing the names of 100 other converts who also obtained ID cards. This led to the immediate arrest of 20 other converts in Alexandria, as the government searches for others. "It’s like a chain reaction," said Christine Tadros, a policy advisor for the U.S. Copts Association. "They arrest one and they torture them until they get someone else’s name," she said. "There is a fear they will hunt them down and they have." "Officially they are seeking another 24 of the 100, but two have been able to flee the country," she added. Egypt has the largest and most enduring Christian population in the Middle East, with a lineage dating to Mark’s preaching in A.D. 50. The Coptic Orthodox Church has close to 5 million members, and some estimate Christians may number as many as 15 million in Egypt, far above government statistics.
"There are no laws against apostasy like Saudi Arabia or Islam, but that is not what is practiced," Tadros said. "The official law they broke is the falsification of ID papers," she said. "You are not allowed to change from a Muslim name to a Christian name." Muslims who convert to Christianity face persecution on a variety of fronts, leading many to lead secret lives and try to find new identities. "Some go into hiding and some try to leave the country or go into a different part of the country and change their names," Tadros said. "If they’re caught they face torture and abuse," she said. "It is important they change their ID because Muslim women can’t marry a Christian," Tadros said. "They want their children to be raised as Christians and to be able to marry Christians," she said. (27 October, Assist News Service) (to index)

* LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CHRISTIAN GENERAL’S CENSURE - A small group of liberal House Democrats announced a resolution on 29 October, condemning remarks by a U.S. Army general that they believe were "religiously intolerant."
U.S. Army Lt. Gen William Boykin can be seen in a number of videotaped speeches given in Christian churches across the U.S. expressing his personal opinions about the war on terrorism and the Islamist extremists behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
"Why do they hate us? Why do they hate us so much?" Boykin asked at the Good Shepherd Church of Sandy, Ore., in June 2003. "Ladies and gentlemen, the answer to that is because we're a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christian. Did I say Judeo-Christian? Yes, Judeo-Christian."
That same month, Boykin told congregants at the First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Okla., that President Bush was "a man that's in the White House today because of a miracle."
Earlier, in January 2003, Boykin spoke to the congregation at the First Baptist Church in Daytona, Fla. The general shared his reaction to a Somali Muslim terrorist's publicized claim that the U.S. could "never get me because Allah will protect me."
"Well, you know what? I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol," Boykin said, adding that, when the man was captured by U.S. Special Forces only three days later, Boykin told him personally: "You underestimated our God."
Tom McClusky, director of government affairs at the Family Research Council, believes the Democrats' reaction to Boykin's comments "will have a chilling effect."
"Because it's not just about the general, it's about Christians being stripped of the right to speak freely," McClusky said. "It's astounding to think that the general is facing so much criticism while radical Muslims are infiltrating our military and influencing our own troops, as we've seen in Guantanamo recently."
Dr. James Dobson, psychologist and founder of Focus on the Family, issued a press release last week declaring his "outrage" over the initial reaction to Boykin's statements. "Since when does a man not have the right to express his private religious views in the company of fellow believers?" Dobson asked. "Does a man forfeit his freedom of speech when he becomes a military leader?"
Dobson noted that Boykin's remarks were made to audiences comprised exclusively of Christians, who he said "clearly understood the meaning" of Boykin's message. (31 October, CNSNews) (to index)

* EGYPT HUNTS DOWN CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES - Cairo, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Egypt has launched a crackdown on Christian missionaries, arresting more than 20 in the past week, a report said. Many of those arrested were Muslims who recently converted to Christianity, Middle East Newsline reported.
The Barnabas Fund, which seeks to support the Christian presence in the Islamic world, said the crackdown began Oct. 21 when Christian activists were arrested in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. The group said the first of those arrested were two converts from Islam as part of a police investigation that began in Cairo and expanded to Alexandria.
"Local Christians fear the arrests will continue and many other converts from Islam, who have been living quietly as Christians may now be arrested in the next few days," the group said. (27 October 2003, The Washington Times) (to index)

* THE DEBATE CREATIONIST VERSUS SKEPTIC - On 24 August 2003, over 1100 people (a huge audience for an event like this in Australia) turned out to hear what had been billed as ‘The Great Debate’. It was held at the Northside Christian Church, Brisbane, which sponsored the debate as well as two creation lectures leading up to it by AiG’s Dr Don Batten. The question to be resolved was: ‘That scientific evidence supports a literal Genesis’.
The debaters:
Affirmative: Carl Wieland trained and practised as a medical doctor before working for Answers in Genesis (Australia), of which he is CEO. He founded Creation magazine and speaks widely on the issues of creation, evolution and the authority of the Bible.
Negative: Paul Willis has a doctorate in paleontology and is a science reporter/broadcaster with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC). A self-proclaimed atheist, the Australian Skeptics awarded him ‘Skeptic of the Year’ in 2002.
After the debate, a significant number of non-Christian university students surrounded Carl, who was greatly encouraged to find that their questions, which went on for some time, were no longer on creation-evolution (that objection to faith apparently having been dealt with) but on the nature of God, why Christianity vs the other religions, etc.
The host church, which strongly supports AiG ministry, was very pleased with the event. More information is available at http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2003/wielanddebate.asp (October 2003, Answers in Genesis) (to index)

* DANCING WITH DELILAH - A report by Agape Press recently said, "A study published by an affiliate of Planned Parenthood says almost a quarter-million abortions are performed each year in the U.S. on women who identify themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians.
"Approximately 1.37 million abortions are performed in the United States each year. According to a startling and little publicized survey by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 37.4 percent of those abortions are performed on Protestant women – approximately one-half (about 18 percent) of whom profess to be born-again believers. That 18 percent of the estimated annual total accounts for 246,600 aborted babies each year in America."
The report goes on to say, "It has become overwhelmingly clear that mainline Protestant churches and their leadership are not speaking out against the abortion industry persuasively." That is putting it mildly. Yet, if Protestants are supporting the abortion industry because their pulpits are silent on the subject, why do Catholics consistently support pro-abortion candidates? After all, the Catholic Church remains the staunchest pro-life religious body in the country. Still, in heavily Catholic areas, pro-abortion politicians are practically invincible at the polls.
It would appear that when it comes to killing unborn babies, Christians (Protestants and Catholics) would rather talk the talk than walk the walk. It should be obvious to everyone that Christians are not serious about ending abortion. If they were, abortion on demand would be outlawed almost overnight.
Behind the politics of abortion lies a serious moral and spiritual issue. It's the issue no one wants to address. It's the number one factor contributing to abortion on demand. That issue is adultery. Yes, friends, most abortions take place after an act of adultery. In fact, many (if not most) abortions take place to either hide an act of adultery or to postpone the consequences of an act of adultery. Without question, adultery has been responsible for killing more babies, destroying more homes and creating more havoc in our society than any other single factor. Yet, even most pastors refuse to address the subject.
Societal acceptance of adultery has spawned the homosexual movement, abortion on demand, easy divorce, the rise of socialism, the promotion of evolution and just about every other social ill. The sexual revolution of the '60s has become an all-out assault on virtually every hedge of protection America has – up to and including the Constitution itself. (World Net Daily) (to index)