Southern Africa

• CHURCH APOLOGISES FOR `ANTI-GAY’ STATEMENT BY SINGER
• GOV TO INVESTIGATE HOME SCHOOLSEDUCATION
• CHURCH OF ENGLAND SA SAYS GAY MARRIAGE UNBIBLICAL
• CHRISTIANS WITNESS AT GAY PAGEANT
• EASIER ABORTION FOR SA

 

* CHURCH APOLOGISES FOR `ANTI-GAY’ STATEMENT BY SINGER - "We apologize for the delay. We should have reacted earlier on the singer, Danie Botha's statement that gays will open their eyes in hell". The Dutch Reformed Church executive in the West and Southern Cape said that members of the DR Church could expect their churches to object to the notion that someone chooses to be gay, that it is sinful to be gay and that gays cannot be children of God. In a letter to Die Burger dr. Theo Badenhorst, ds. Francois Wessels, dr. Ben du Toit, dr. Michiel Strauss and ds. Schalk van Wyk said that they would like to apologize that they haven't apologized earlier in public that Botha's interpretation of 1Cor 6 is "unfortunate". They said that "there's already agreement in the DR Church that the homosexual orientation isn't wrong"

"Such a person cannot be excluded from the fellowship of the believers. However, the DR Church is still discussing whether the homosexual lifestile is right or wrong."

Danie Botha, a famous South African Christian singer had said in a recent DR service that "those who practise homosexuality or lesbianism will not see the Kingdom of God." (News24, quoting `Die Burger’)

In an interview with Radio Khwezi Danie Botha said that his statement was not his own opinion but God’s Word. (www.khwezi.org.za) (to index)

* GOV TO INVESTIGATE HOME SCHOOLS EDUCATION - Minister Kader Asmal has ordered an investigation into the proliferation of private schools that are being illegally registered as home schools. Asmal made the announcement at the Council of Education Ministers meeting in Cape Town this week. Duncan Hindle, Deputy Director-General of Education, said the department was clamping down on small, illegal private schools operating under the guise of home schools. There are more than 10 000 home schools operating in South Africa. Hindle said: "There should be a maximum of five pupils being taught by a parent or guardian in terms of home education. "We have information that some of these home education facilities are registering a limited number of pupils and then combining with other facilities. They effectively form little private schools." "We are really concerned about the quality of education that is being meted out at these schools," he added. The department has ordered its nine provincial ministers to closely monitor home schools. "The first thing we will be looking at in the new year is whether home education facilities are registered, and meeting our requirements ."
Pierre Basson, a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Association of Home Schooling, said: " As genuine home-schoolers, we don't support these schools sprouting. Fundamentally, once you take other people's children into your care, you move out of the domain of home-based education and into the domain of government, which comes with its own set of regulations." (30 November, Sunday Times) (to index)

* CHURCH OF ENGLAND SA SAYS GAY MARRIAGE UNBIBLICAL - The Church of England in South Africa (Cesa) has disassociated itself from any action to accept homosexuality as a valid expression of human sexuality. Cesa congregations throughout the country were told it was not bigotry to view homosexual lifestyle as wrong, but that the doors of Cesa churches were open to all regardless of their lifestyle choices, a statement said. Cesa presiding bishop Frank Retief was prompted by the controversy in the Anglican Communion over the consecration of Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire in the US, Cesa added. He said there were two churches in South Africa with Anglican roots — the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA), and Cesa. The Church of England in South Africa was descended from the first Anglican churches established in the Cape in the 1800s, and held to the historic Anglican understanding of Christianity. Retief said the Bible's plain teaching was that the homosexual lifestyle was contrary to God's design, and the Bible remained the final authority for all belief and behaviour. He said Cesa repudiated the homosexual lifestyle and any other form of sexual immorality, but affirmed its commitment to sharing the gospel message of forgiveness. Those within Cesa who frowned on homosexuality were nevertheless concerned that homosexuals should experience God's grace and understand God's truth. "We recognise that such a claim will not be acceptable to those who see things differently, but we can do no other than to state it plainly for all to hear," Retief said. He said Anglicans worldwide may well be embroiled in a difficult and potentially divisive debate, as truth sometimes did divide, but this should not obscure the fact that for more than 2000 years the gospel of Jesus Christ had been preached and believed in the world. (to index)
(24 Nov 2003, iafrica.com)

* CHRISTIANS WITNESS AT GAY PAGEANT - About 100 CFT members and pastors from various churches prayed and handed out 8000 pamphlets at the `Eighth Annual Mr Gay SA and the Seventh Miss Drag SA Pageant', which took place on 29 November 2003 at the Kismet Hotel in Pietermaritzburg. CFT and 4 local pastors spoke to the owner of the Kismet hotel before the function, who claimed that he was horrified that the "public were against" the pageant and said "I am a married man with wife, children and wedding ring." He warned CFT to "be careful" as some of the homosexuals "might become violent." He said that he doesn't want to host the pageant again. It was a moving scene as Christians prayed on their knees outside the hotel, including Pastor Saul Paul who wept as he prayed for the people going into the pageant. Some of the contestants displayed their bodies on the hotel balcony. Some men had `enhanced' parts of their bodies to appear like women. The praying Christians were jeered at by some but other homosexuals were willing to discuss the issue and accepted pamphlets. Most of the 8000 pamphlets were handed out in the vicinity of the hotel, including taxi ranks. (to index)

Photos and copies of the pamphlets are available on the CFT website - www.cft.org.za.

* EASIER ABORTION FOR SA – Draft legislation to further streamline abortion laws has been tabled in parliament. According to a memorandum attached to the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill, the measure seeks, among other things, to allow registered nurses who have undergone the prescribed training to perform abortions. It also proposes to empower provincial health MECs to approve facilities where abortions may take place, instead of the national health minister. Further, all public and private health facilities with a 24-hour maternity service will be able to end pregnancies of up to 12 weeks without permission of the MEC. The bill requires MECs to report to the minister every year on the number of facilities approved. It also makes it an offence for any person to end a pregnancy unlawfully, or allow it to be done at a facility that is not approved. (to index)

(18 November, News24)

International

• POSSIBLE SAME SEX MARRIAGE FOR US
• SACKED FOR REFUSING HEAD SCARVES
• PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S CHOICE CHRISTMAS CARD
• ABORTION DOCTOR GUILTY OF SEX ABUSE
• DRINKING CONTESTANT DIES

* POSSIBLE SAME SEX MARRIAGE FOR US - Massachusetts could become the first state to recognise gay marriage. But the Supreme Judicial Court stopped short of ordering that marriage licences be issued to seven gay couples who challenged the law. Gay marriage is banned in the US, but one state, Vermont, has enacted a law which gives same-sex couples the rights of traditional marriages. The Massachusetts court ruled that barring same-sex couples from the benefits of civil marriage was "unconstitutional." "Marriage is a vital social institution. The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support. It brings stability to our society," Chief Justice Margaret Marshall wrote in the long-awaited ruling. The 4-3 ruling means the issue will now return to the state legislature, which has 180 days to come up with a solution. (to index)
(18 Nov 2003, BBCNews)

* SACKED FOR REFUSING HEAD SCARVES - Eleven Christian nurses fired by a public hospital in Nigeria's strongly Islamic north for refusing to wear Muslim-style head scarves are appealing for international pressure to help restore their jobs. The women are among 21 fired in December 2001 by a federal government hospital in Azare, in the northern state of Bauchi, for refusing orders to cover their heads with scarves. Ten of the women later had their jobs reinstated after they agreed to abide by the directive. Seven of those still out of jobs met Monday in Lagos with Baroness Caroline Cox of Queensbury, deputy speaker of the British House of Lords, asking for help from Nigeria's former colonial ruler. Cox, herself a former nurse, assured them, "I have every intention of raising these issues in Parliament." The women said they had refused to cover their heads because they were Christian, and said their families were suffering from hunger and other hardships since the firings. (2 December, The Australian) (to index)

* PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S CHOICE CHRISTMAS CARD - The Planned Parenthood Federation of America says it is pleased to announce the release of its annual 'Choice on Earth' holiday card, which it describes as the "season's greeting that anti-choice hardliners love to hate."
Last year's "Choice on Earth" holiday card generated lots of criticism, Planned Parenthood proudly noted in a press release. "Our holiday card has proven to be very popular with America's pro-choice majority for almost a decade, because it sends an inclusive seasonal message for people of all faiths," said Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt. "I am proud of the PPFA card, which wishes people of all beliefs a peaceful and safe holiday season." The 2003 card highlights the words justice, women's health, religious rights, choice on earth, freedom, equality and civil rights. In announcing the release of this year's card, Planned Parenthood noted that last year's "Choice on Earth" card came under fire from a number of pro-life groups and was protested nationwide on the Internet, on radio, and in newspaper columns.
(2 December, CNS News) (to index)

* ABORTION DOCTOR GUILTY OF SEX ABUSE - Dr. Brian Finkel, the outspoken gun-toting Phoenix abortion doctor, was convicted on 2 December on 22 counts of sexually abusing patients over the past 17 years. Finkel, 54, was found not guilty on 34 more counts, including six of the more serious charges of sexual assault.The jury, which heard three months of testimony, couldn't reach a verdict on four sex-abuse charges. Prosecutors said they likely won't be retried. "We got you," Ebone Jordan, 24, of Gilbert, said after the verdicts were read. Finkel was found not guilty of sexually abusing Jordan when she was a patient. But she said she was satisfied with the verdicts because they were enough to imprison the once high-profile abortion doctor. "We were trying to put a scumbag behind bars," Jordan said. "I feel great." (3 December, The Arizona Republic) (to index)

* DRINKING CONTESTANT DIES - Alexander Nakonechny triumphed at a vodka-drinking marathon in Russia after guzzling three half-litre mugs of vodka in quick succession, but failed to collect his prize after dying on the spot. The weekend contest in the southwestern city of Volgodonsk also left four other male contestants fighting for their lives at the local hospital, although one woman who took part managed to stagger out of the clinic a few hours after being rushed there for an emergency stomach pump.

News of the "Vodka Marathon" spread across the city and 50 people queued up outside the shop for the chance to down a free mug of vodka and try their luck at outdrinking the others.
The rules allowed them to accompany the vodka, as is traditional in Russia, with sausage, black bread and mustard.
The person who drank the most and managed to stay on his feet was to be declared the winner.
Nakonechny soon left the other contestants behind but within minutes of his victory collapsed and expired, joining the other 40—000 Russians who die each year from alcohol poisoning. (20 Nov, iafrica.com)

(to index)