* YOUNG PEOPLE SPEARHEAD BIBLE DISTRIBUTION IN GABON - Young Christians eager to share God’s Word with others have become a vital part of the Bible Society in Gabon’s distribution work over the last few years, thanks to an initiative entitled Bible Marathon. Since this project began in 2004, young people representing a wide range of Churches have spent their summer holidays taking the Scriptures from Bible House in Libreville to people who would not otherwise have encountered them.

This year’s Bible Marathon began on August 1 with a large group of young Christians gathering at Bible House to collect their stocks. Those who had participated in previous years went straight out into the streets to begin selling their Bibles, motivated by the promise of earning commission of up to 15 percent. Those who were new to the project received training from Bible Society staff before joining their colleagues. The participants’ quest to find new customers and to share God’s Word with people who had not previously encountered it was both challenging and rewarding as the reports below reveal.

"I was surprised to find that people were thirsty to hear God’s Word," says Tanguy Malemba, a member of the Assemblies of God Church. "Participating in this event allowed me to discover different Bible versions. It was also the first time that I had prayed for healing for a stranger. The Marathon gave me an insight into some of the problems people face and encouraged me to read the Bible regularly in order to be able to answer their questions. Following this experience, I have a strong desire to serve God by distributing the Bible, and I’d like to open a bookshop."

Tchister Mvoulou, the participant who had distributed the most Bibles by the time the Bible Marathon ended on September 15, found that he, too, began to read the Bible more regularly as a result of his involvement. And like Tanguy, he is now keen to open a bookshop. "I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the Marathon and I think that all young Christians should participate at least once." he says.

"The Marathon was very enjoyable, even when difficulties arose," agrees Djessika Kelenguet. "I hardly know where to start in talking about my experiences! I had some wonderful moments that I will never forget. In certain parts of Libreville I encountered hardship and extreme poverty that I didn’t know existed. It was very sad to see families who cannot afford to feed themselves properly. I grew spiritually through participating in the Marathon: I used to find it hard to give to others, but now I know how to share. In particular, I now find great joy in sharing God’s Word. Sometimes I bought Bibles for people who could not afford them out of the commission I received from the Bible Society. I was also able to earn enough money to buy my school supplies, which has helped my own family."

With a total of almost 5,000 items distributed through the Bible Marathon, the initiative was once again a great success for the Bible Society. "We are looking forward to the next Marathon in 2008," says General Secretary the Rev Georges Thierry Mabiala Tchibinda. "In fact, some of the participants are so keen to repeat their experience that they want to sell Bibles again during the Christmas and Easter holidays and to start next year’s Marathon in July." (United Bible Societies, October 2007) (to index)

* ANTI-ABORTION GROUPS STAGE RALLY - Religious and anti-abortion groups have been holding a rally to mark 40 years since abortion was legalised.

Activists met at the Houses of Parliament to call for a reduction in the upper time limit for abortion.

They later walked to Westminster Cathedral for a service commemorating 6.7m abortions performed since 1967.

Marie Stopes International said that although abortion rates needed to come down, the 1967 act had made it safer for women to terminate pregnancies.

Campaigners against abortion began their protest on Friday night when they projected the number of abortions on to the riverside face of the Houses of Parliament.

In the 40 years since abortion has been legal in Britain, the number of terminations taking place each year has increased from 22,000 to almost 200,000.

However, on Wednesday Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said the government did not believe there is sufficient scientific evidence to lower the legal abortion limit of 24 weeks.

Julia Millington, political co-ordinator for Alive and Kicking, the pro-life alliance organising Saturday's events, said the campaign was intended to raise awareness of the rising number of abortions and call for a change in the law.

She said nothing had persuaded the Department of Health that survival rates had improved for extremely premature babies born before that time.

She said: "We believe there is increasing public concern about these latest figures and we want to draw attention to this anniversary."

Lord Steel, who piloted the 1967 act, suggested he would like to see lower abortion rates, but he said there was no such thing as a "correct" number and that each case had to be considered "on its merits". (BBC News, 27 Oct 2007) (to index)

* ‘GAY’-RIGHTS LEADER QUITS HOMOSEXUALITY - He was a rising star in the "gay rights" movement, but Michael Glatze now declares not only has he given up activism – he's no longer a homosexual.

Although Glatze cut himself off from the homosexual community about a year and a half ago, he says the column likely will surprise some people.

"This will actually be news to anybody I used to relate to," he told WND.

The radical change in his life, Glatze recalls, began with inner "promptings" he now attributes to God.

"I hope I can share my story," he said. "I feel strongly God has put me here for a reason. Even in the darkest days of late-night parties, substance abuse and all kinds of things – when I felt like, 'Why am I here, what am I doing?' – there was always a voice there.

Glatze said he became aware of homosexual feelings at about the age of 14 and publicly declared himself "gay" at age 20. Finally, after a decade in which his leadership role in the homosexual activist world grew – but alongside it, a mysterious inner conflict – he says he finally was "liberated."

In fact, he writes in his WND column today, "'coming out' from under the influence of the homosexual mindset was the most liberating, beautiful and astonishing thing I've ever experienced in my entire life."

Before "coming out" in his column today, Glatze contacted WND Managing Editor David Kupelian after reading his book, "The Marketing of Evil, which Glatze said "has given me so much help in my process of healing from the profound influences of evil in our current society."

Glatze's transformation calls to mind that of another prominent "gay" magazine publisher who also has renounced her former lifestyle. Lesbian activist Charlene Cothran, longtime publisher of Venus magazine, became a Christian and gave her magazine a new mission "to encourage, educate and assist those who desire to leave a life of homosexuality." She adds: "Our ultimate mission is to win souls for Christ, and to do so by showing love to all God's people."

In his column, Glatze doesn't mince words, calling homosexual sex purely "lust-based," meaning it can never fully satisfy.

"It's a neurotic process rather than a natural, normal one," he writes. "Normal is normal – and has been called normal for a reason."

After becoming editor of Young Gay America magazine at age 22, Glatze received numerous awards and recognition, including the National Role Model Award from the major homosexual-rights organization Equality Forum. Media gravitated toward him, leading to appearances on PBS television and MSNBC and quotes in a cover story in Time magazine called "The Battle Over Gay Teens."

Toward the end of his time with Young Gay America, Glatze said, colleagues began to notice he was going through some kind of religious experience.

Just before leaving, not fully realizing what he was doing, he wrote on his office computer his thoughts, ending with the declaration: "Homosexuality is death, and I choose life."

"I was so nervous, it was like I wasn't even writing it myself," he said.

Inexplicably, he told WND, he left the words on the screen for others to see.

"People who looked at it were stunned; they thought it was crazy," he said.

But he left his co-workers wondering about where he stood, never having fully explained his decision to step down.

Glatze said he thought opponents of homosexual activism were "mean and crazy, and they wanted to hurt me."

"I thought they were out to get me," he said. "They made me really, really mad – and scared, I think. I wanted them to go away."

Glatze said he couldn't allow himself to think they were sincere in their beliefs.

But he now has deep respect for a Christian aunt who disapproved of his lifestyle.

She "was never judgmental, but always firm," he said. (WorldNetDaily, July 2007) (to index)

* THIEF ACCEPTS INVITATION - A thief has stolen a book titled "Steal this Book" from a modern art exhibition in Switzerland.

The organisers of the Basel Shift Festival have decided not to report the theft to the police yet, and hope the thief will return the book.

The book with the words "Steal this Book" emblazoned across its cover had been placed in an incubator by artists from the Viennese artist's group Ubermorgen.

A spokesman for the artists said: "The central part of the work was a book with the title 'Steal this Book' as a way of representing in art an internet hacking operation that made entire books readable on amazon.com, instead of just single pages.

"It was an attempt to praise those that fought for the right for literary freedom, and not an invitation to steal the book."

The book was written by Abbie Hoffman in 1970 and published in 1971, and includes advice on growing marijuana, starting a pirate radio station, living in a commune, stealing food, shoplifting, stealing credit cards, making pipe bombs, and obtaining a free buffalo from the US Department of the Interior.

Many bookstores refused to carry the book, because so many patrons followed the advice of the book's title and stole it.(Ananova News, Oct 2007) (to index)