* NG KERK TO CHECK IF SATAN EXISTS
* NG KERK ACCEPTS GAY PASTORS, WITH CONDITIONS

* NG KERK TO CHECK IF SATAN EXISTS - The Dutch Reformed Church (NGK) has appointed a task-team to decide if Satan really exists.

A proposed decision on "spiritual warfare and deliverance (casting out evil spirits)", was referred by the NGK's General Synod meeting on Tuesday for further investigation, because a number of delegates felt that such a policy would literally deny the existence of the devil.

In terms of the policy proposal the church would distance itself from certain "spectacular" forms of deliverance, including lengthy confrontational discussions with devils, and the idea that people can become possessed.

Many delegates were upset that a report intended to underscore the policy, stated that evil could rather be seen as an internalised part of humankind, or as part of unjust social structures, rather than as a supernatural being.

Professor Johan van Rensburg, a Free State University theologian, said the report contained a "highly dangerous, unscientific and irresponsible" point of departure, namely that the biblical passages in which Jesus Christ cast out evil spirits were actually descriptions of psycho-pathological phenomena.

Matthew chapter 8 described Jesus casting out evil spirits, which then took possession of swine.

"Now, what psycho-pathologies were cast into those swine?" Van Rensburg demanded.

By contrast, Dr Ben du Toit said, when one works with a pre-modern interpretation of evil, the effect is precisely to reduce it.

"A devil that dwells among us, committing all kinds of (evil) deeds is not as big a threat as the evil that exists within each one of us."

"To think of the devil as a pre-modern figure, is to constrict the destructive influence of evil in the world."

Professor Adrio Konig who proposed an amendment to listen to the arguments of deliverance, said the church should also provide clarity on its thoughts about the devil.
The amendment was carried by 277 votes to 75.
(News24, Beeld, 5 June 2007) (to index)

* NG KERK ACCEPTS GAY PASTORS, WITH CONDITIONS - The Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) made a major step forward in its position towards gay people in the church.

On 6 June delegates at the General Synod, in Boksburg on the East Rand, accepted a recommendation by the moderators of the church's 10 regional synods that is more accommodating towards gay members. Piet Strauss, a professor at the University of the Free State, was also elected as the new moderator of the church.

More than 80% of the 400 delegates voted in favour of the recommendation that gay people should be allowed to become a dominee (pastor). However, they have to live a celibate lifestyle.

Strauss said: "We would like to see a dominee in the Dutch Reformed Church not being an active gay person and that will be a standard by which he would be to serve as a dominee.

The church boards now also have the right to individually decide on how to handle the differences on homosexuality within the congregation. (SABC, 7 June 2007) (to index)

International

* STATEMENT OF CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA ON THE PASSING OF RUTH BELL GRAHAM
* HISTORY'S WORST MASS KILLER GETS HOLLYWOOD MAKEOVER
* POLISH MAN WAKES UP FROM 19-YEAR COMA
* CONVERT LOSES LANDMARK CASE
* PAKISTAN CONDEMNS RUSHDIE HONOR

* STATEMENT OF CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA ON THE PASSING OF RUTH BELL GRAHAM - Concerned Women for America (CWA) offers its condolences to Ruth Bell Graham's family and loved ones. Mrs. Graham has gone home to be with the Lord.

Ruth was born to parents who were medical missionaries in China. At an early age Ruth decided she wanted to remain single and pursue missions in Tibet, but the Lord had a different plan for her life. In 1941 Ruth met Billy Graham and they married two years later. Mrs. Graham was a dedicated wife, mother of five children, and friend to so many people. She had a heart for people in need and spent her life sharing the Truth. She shared her faith in Christ with many and will be remembered for her faithfulness to her family, friends and God.

Beverly LaHaye, founder and chairman of CWA, remarked on Ruth's legacy:

"What a wonderful example Ruth Graham has been for Christian women. Even though I did not have the pleasure of being a close friend, we met on a couple of occasions and were involved working on a book together with other women. She stood by Billy through the great days and through the difficult ones as well. I have never heard her give one word of negative criticism about her husband. I have met and known several of her children and they all have spoken so highly of their mother and her devotion to God and her husband."

Wendy Wright, president of CWA, said "Ruth Graham's gentle spirit and deep devotion to God fashioned her into a lovely model of Christian womanhood. She lived humbly in the glow of Billy's spotlight, her life quietly yet profoundly showing 'This is the way, walk in it.' Ruth was a rare person for whom fame did not distract her from what is True, right and best. Heaven must be rejoicing as the One she loved most welcomes her home." (Concerned Women for America, 15 June 2007) (to index)

* HISTORY'S WORST MASS KILLER GETS HOLLYWOOD MAKEOVER - A man who is believed to have killed up to 100 million people in his life is to be the subject of a positive $60 million biographical film portrait, if a Hollywood producer gets his way.

"Challenging Heaven" by Steven North will tell the story of the founding of Communist China with Mao Zedong.

North is currently trying to romance Beijing into offering support for the project.

"This is a very positive portrayal of Mao, and we are hoping that once the script clears the approval process, China will come forward with services and support," he said.

North is hoping to begin shooting after next year's Beijing Olympics.

Among the kinds of support North seeks from the Chinese government are thousands of extras.

Those extras are not likely to be paid scale. China is notorious for its continued use of slave labour as well as near-slave wages.

Though Mao, like fellow dictator Fidel Castro, is still romanticized to a degree in the West, most historians would agree he ranks at or very near the top of the worst mass murderers.

About 70 million Chinese were killed or died as a result of his brutal reign. That figure does not include millions of Tibetans, Koreans and members of other ethnic groups and nationalities.

In fact, the name of the Mao movie is significant. Mao once described himself as "without law and without heaven."

Mao wrote: "I do not agree with the view that to be moral, the motive of one's actions has to be benefiting others. Morality does not have to be defined in relation to others. … People like me want to … satisfy our hearts to the full, and in doing so we automatically have the most valuable moral codes. Of course there are people and objects in the world, but they are all there only for me. … People like me only have a duty to ourselves; we have no duty to other people."
(WorldNetDaily.com, 4 June 2007) (to index)

* POLISH MAN WAKES UP FROM 19-YEAR COMA - A Polish man has woken up from a 19-year coma to find the Communist party no longer in power and food no longer rationed, Polish TV reports.

Railway worker Jan Grzebski, 65, fell into a coma after he was hit by a train in 1988.

"Now I see people on the streets with mobile phones and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin," he told Polish television.

He credits his survival to his wife, Gertruda, who cared for him.
Doctors gave him only two or three years to live after the accident.

"It was Gertruda that saved me, and I'll never forget it," Mr Grzebski told news channel TVN24 of his recovery.
Mrs Grzebski is reported to have moved her husband every hour to prevent bed sores.

"I cried a lot, and I prayed a lot," Mrs Grzebski said on Polsat television.
"Those who came to see us kept asking: 'When is he going to die?' But he's not dead."

When Mr Grzebski had his accident Poland was still ruled by its last communist leader, Wojciech Jaruzelski.

"When I went into a coma there was only tea and vinegar in the shops, meat was rationed and huge petrol queues were everywhere," Mr Grzebski said.

The following year's elections ushered in eastern Europe's first post-communist government.

"What amazes me today is all these people who walk around with their mobile phones and never stop moaning," said Mr Grzebski.

"I've got nothing to complain about."
(BBC News, 2 June 2007) (to index)

* CONVERT LOSES LANDMARK CASE - Malaysia's top civil court rejected a Muslim woman's appeal to be recognised as a Christian in a landmark case that tested the limits of religious freedom in the moderate Islamic country.
A three-judge Federal Court panel ruled by a two-one majority that only the Islamic Shariah Court has the power to allow Lina Joy, who converted to Christianity in 1998, to remove the word "Islam" from the religion category on her state identity card.
Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim said: "Apostasy is a matter linked to Islamic laws. It's under the jurisdiction of the Shariah court. Civil courts cannot interfere."
"She cannot simply at her own whims enter of leave her religion," Judge Ahmad Fairuz said. The ruling is likely to drive another wedge in the Malaysian society which has become increasingly polarised in recent years, with Buddhist, Christian and Hindu minorities complaining that their religious rights are held hostage to Islam. Muslim groups that say Islam is under threat because of people like Joy, hailed the verdict.

Judge Richard Malanjum, the only non-Muslim on the panel, sided with Joy, saying it was unreasonable to ask her to turn to the Islamic Shariah court because she could face criminal prosecution for apostasy there.
He said the constitution was the supreme law of the land and Joy - who was not present at yesterday's hearing - should have the freedom to choose her religion.
Joy is "extremely disappointed" with the verdict, said her lawyer, Benjamin Dawson. She had not decided on the next course of action." Joy can remain a Muslim, go to the Shariah court or leave the country.
Joy, 43, was born Azlina Jailani. In 1998, the National Registration Department granted her request for a name change but refused to drop the Muslim categorisation.
She appealed against the decision to a civil court but was told she had to take it to the Shariah court. A series of rejected appeals finally brought her case to the Federal Court, with Joy arguing that she should not be bound by Shariah law because she was a Christian. (The Mercury, 31 May 2007) (to index)

* PAKISTAN CONDEMNS RUSHDIE HONOR - Pakistan on Monday condemned Britain's award of a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie as an affront to Muslim sentiments, and a Cabinet minister said the honor provided a justification for suicide attacks.

"The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism. If someone exploded a bomb on his body, he would be right to do so unless the British government apologizes and withdraws the 'sir' title," ul-Haq said.

Iran's late spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a 1989 fatwa, or religious edict, ordering Muslims to kill the author because his book, "The Satanic Verses," allegedly insulted Islam. The threat forced Rushdie to live in hiding for a decade.

Britain's envoy defended the decision to honor Rushdie, one of the most prominent novelists of the late 20th century whose 13 books have won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize for "Midnight's Children" in 1981. Britain on Saturday announced the knighthood in an honors list timed for the official celebration of the queen's 81st birthday.

In the eastern city of Multan, hard-line Muslim students burned effigies of Queen Elizabeth II and Rushdie. About 100 students carrying banners condemning the author also chanted, "Kill him! Kill him!"

Lawmakers in Pakistan's lower house of parliament on Monday passed a resolution proposed by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Khan Niazi who branded Rushdie - who was born in India into a Muslim family - a "blasphemer".

Robert Brinkley, Britain's high commissioner to Pakistan, defended the decision to honor Rushdie for his contributions to literature.

Asked if he was concerned it could provoke unrest in Pakistan, Brinkley said, "We will just have to see where it goes from here. There's certainly no reason for that."

At the Multan protest, Asim Dahr, a student leader from the group Jamiat Turaba Arabia, demanded Rushdie face Islamic justice.

"This queen has made a mockery of Muslims by giving him a title of 'sir.' Salman Rushdie was condemned by Imam Khomeini and he issued a decree about his death. He should be handed over to the Muslims so they can try him according to Islamic laws," he said.

"Sir Salman's honor is richly deserved and the reasons for it are self-explanatory," said spokesman Aidan Liddle. (WashingtonPost.com, 18 June 2007)(to index)