Christian News

30 March 2004
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Southern Africa:

• David Wilkerson addresses Pastors’ Conferences
• SA Christians ask for election prayer
• Illegal screenings of The Passion in SA
• African-Americans participate in SA cult rituals

* DAVID WILKERSON ADDRESSES PASTORS’ CONFERENCES – David Wilkerson of "Cross & the Switchblade" fame spoke to enthusiastic ministers at three South African venues (Kwasizabantu, Durban and Cape Town) during the 3^rd week of March. The theme of the pastor’s conferences was "Reviving your passion for Christ". David Wilkerson, pastor of Time Square Church in New York City, called upon pastors not to give up on people who seem beyond redemption. He said that despite the depravity of drug addiction and homosexuality we must seek the Lord for the salvation of these people. Many pastors and para-church leaders expressed their appreciation for his ministry. Pastor David was accompanied by his son Gary who also preached at some of the sessions. (to index)

* SA CHRISTIANS ASK FOR ELECTION PRAYER – "Pray for the government and elections", is the request by Evangelical leaders.
The scriptures highlight our responsibility to pray for the government: 1Tim 2:1-2 "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
At election time, this is more important than ever because it is a time when there is change:
* Firstly, there is the election of leaders by voters. We must pray for them to vote with wisdom and a conscience for Christian values.
* Secondly, there is the choice of leaders within political parties and governing structures. For example, within the ruling party, there are people with differing attitudes towards Christian values. The last several years we struggled with an education minister hostile to Christianity in schools. Could we not pray for one with a different attitude;
*Thirdly, controversial legislation, such as on abortion is being held back until after the elections. As soon as the elections are over we will have a big fight. We need to start praying now.
The 1994 election ten years ago were a time when God sovereignty intervened in response to the prayers of Christians to avert civil war. A time of blessing followed for about two years during which we became slack in prayer. Now is the time to get people praying again.
Unlike secular democrats, we believe that governments are put in power by God (Daniel 2:21). Therefore we must pray for God to bless us with good government, rather than judge us with bad government. Any Christian involved in politics can tell you that when people are praying our work is easier, but when they don't it gets very difficult. We need your help now. Philip Rosenthal (to index)

* ILLEGAL SCREENINGS OF THE PASSION IN SA – Some SA churches stand accused of showing pirated DVD’s of Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of the Christ" which opened in South Africa recently. Official DVD and video releases are only expected to be released in the United State in August or September this year, according to a spokesperson for NuMetro Film Distribution, Debbie McCrum. Thus, the versions the churches showed must have been illegally copied from master reels, or else secretly videos in cinemas before being burned onto DVDs. SA’s anti – piracy body Safact said the action against the churches demonstrated that no effort would be spared in going after individuals or organisations that deal in piracy. "It is unacceptable that the churches, which are the moral beacons of our society, are supporting these activities, even unintentionally, by buying and screening these illegal copies," he said (27 March, Saturday Star) (to index)

* AFRICAN-AMERICANS PARTICIPATE IN SA CULT RITUALS - A group of 50 African-Americans, in South Africa for the annual African Renaissance festival, were anointed with cow’s bile on 25 March, by the leader of the Nazareth Baptist Church, to symbolise their return to the African family. The group, accompanied by the chairman of the festival (an ANC cabinet minister in the KwaZulu-Natal parliament), met at the Thembezinhle Holy Temple in Mtwalume on the South Coast. (26 March, Daily News)
(Ed: The Nazareth Baptist Church, commonly known as `Shembe’, is a syncretistic cult which believes that their leader, Inkosi Vimbeni Shembe, is "no less and no greater than Jesus Christ himself.") (to index)

 

International

• Paris judge rejects Passion ban
• Passion prompts man to admit murder
• Killings in Iraq don’t halt missions
• Parts of Bible to become hate speech
• Christ’s novel return is best seller

* PARIS JUDGE REJECTS PASSION BAN - A Paris court rejected on 29 March a request to ban Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ brought by three Jewish brothers who argued the film would foment hatred of Jews in France.
The court ruled that the film, which is scheduled for its French release on Wednesday, would not threaten public order in the country. "To make the death of Jesus into the major motivation of anti-Semitism that leads to secular persecutions against Jews would stem from a narrow view of Mel Gibson's film," judge Florence Lagemi wrote in a court brief. The brothers - Patrick, Gerard and Jean-Marc Benlolo - presented their case Friday before going to a screening of the film with a lawyer for the movie's French distributor. They plan to appeal. The film has deeply divided religious communities in the United States. Some Jewish leaders fear it will revive the notion that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ, while some Christians have praised the movie for its portrayal of Christ.
The Benlolo complaint argued the film has a "false and erroneous vision of certain religious events" and would "stir anti-Jewish hatred". (30 March, IOL) (to index)

* PASSION PROMPTS MAN TO ADMIT MURDER - Dan R. Leach's viewing of Mel Gibson's cinematic depiction of the last hours of Jesus, along with the discussion with a family friend, led him to walk into the Fort Bend County sheriff's department earlier this month and confess to killing Ashley Nicole Wilson, Detective Mike Kubricht said. A coroner had ruled her death by hanging a suicide. Wilson's body was discovered January 19 in her apartment near Richmond, Southwest of Houston. All physical evidence pointed to suicide, Kubricht said, and the 19-year-old had gone off anti-depressant medications because she was pregnant. The pregnancy apparently was the motive, Kubricht said, because Leach believed he was responsible and did not want to raise a child. Leach, 21, wore gloves and left none of his own DNA behind, Kubricht said. "He was very, very meticulous," Kubricht said. "It was very well-planned and well executed." There was no answer at Leach's residence in Rosenberg on Thursday. He was arrested Tuesday, a day after his indictment for murder, and remained in county jail on $100,000 bond. He was expected to get a court-appointed attorney, Kubricht said. "Something [the adviser] said, between that and the movie, he felt in order for him to have redemption he would have to confess his sin and do his time," Kubricht said. Leach faces up to life in prison if convicted. (26 Mar 2004, CNN) (to index)

* KILLINGS IN IRAQ DON’T HALT MISSIONS - The recent killing of four Baptist aid workers in Iraq has not discouraged area churches from continuing their missionary efforts in dangerous countries, religious leaders say. Missionaries "risk their lives to let people who would never hear the name Jesus have the same opportunity we have in America," said William Hurley, chairman of Reston Bible Church's missions committee. Mr. Hurley said the church has about 241 missionaries overseas, but would not say whether any of them are in Iraq. Still, he is painfully aware of the dangers. Two close friends working in Colombia several years ago were taken captive, then executed. "It could happen at any time," he said. (28 March, The Washington Times) (to index)

* PARTS OF BIBLE TO BECOME HATE SPEECH - The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has asked for prayer regarding Bill C-250 (An Act to Amend the Criminal Code) which would add "sexual orientation" to the current list of identifiable groups (i.e. colour, race, religion and ethnic origin) in the "hate propaganda" sections of the Criminal Code of Canada. The EFC addressed the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on Wednesday March 17. We have followed up on our oral presentation with a new written submission to the Senate Committee During the previous session of Parliament Bill C-250 passed at the House of Commons with only one amendment. This bill was reinstated in the new session, and has now passed second reading. On February 20, the bill was referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. The EFC continues to have concerns that this legislation will threaten religious expression on the marriage issue and may result in certain Bible passages being considered to be "promotion of hatred." (18 March 2004, EFC) (to index)

* CHRIST’S NOVEL RETURN IS BEST SELLER - An evangelical novel about the return of Jesus Christ based on an apocalyptic reading of the biblical book of Revelation is to hit the bookstores and best-seller lists in the US. Bookshops have ordered more than 2m copies of Glorious Appearing - more than Hillary Rodham Clinton's memoir sold in its first six months - which has shot to No 4 in the Amazon internet book rankings the day before its release. Glorious Appearing is the last in a 12-book series called Left Behind published over the past nine years. The first 11 novels sold more than 40m copies, making the authors, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins, the best selling novelists in the country, beating even John Grisham. Coming in the wake of the success of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which details Jesus’ last 12 hours before crucifixion, the Left Behind series is the latest example of the huge impact religious themes are having on popular culture. Originally sold only in Christian bookshops, the series is now in mainstream stores including Barnes & Noble and Wal-Mart. (30 March, The Guardian) (to index)