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Christian
News
* Restoration of KwaSizabantu Auditorium 2009 - There has been tremendous background work for some months on the restoring of the Auditorium which burnt down in an accidental fire last year 2008. The very visible signs of the restoration are now
beginning to happen. Since 26 January the floor of the Auditorium is being repaired. Also,
the entrance of the mission road (from the R74) is being greatly expanded to allow the
"abnormal load" trucks which will be bringing in the very long laminated-wood
beams shipped in from Europe, via Antwerp harbour in Belgium. The ship's arrival date in
Durban is set for 30 January and, after customs, it will be a huge venture to get the
beams to the mission. Some of the main R74 road has to be quickly repaired and the
entrance to the mission expanded because of the abnormal load trucks which will deliver
the beams. There will be 32 main beams (6 on each main load) and 2 narrow beams for the
sides. The sheer length of the beams is mind boggling. Each beam will be joined to another
to complete an arch (only 2 beams per arch covering 60 metres). There will also be 6
containers of other parts of the building. * Sanctity Life Sunday, Media Statement – 1 February 2009 - Since the ANC led Government promulgated the "Termination of Pregnancy" Act on 1 February 1997, more than 800 000 unborn babies have been aborted. The Department of Health has often stated that there are far too few girls and women using "their sexual reproduction rights" in state hospitals and still get "back-street" abortions. The Department is also unhappy with the reluctance of many of their hospitals to freely offer abortion services (because most doctors and nurses want to heal and not kill and remain pro-life despite years of special indoctrination courses given on site by the Health Department). The main private group offering "low priced termination of pregnancy" is the Marie Stopes Clinic, which has abortion facilities in most cities. Interestingly enough, they recently closed one of their nationwide projects because of "lack of interest". If one thinks in terms of statistics (even though they are usually not precisely accurate), consider the following: every year, in South Africa, about 20 000 people are murdered (fewer than 5% of the killers are successfully convicted and jailed); about the same amount of people die on our roads every year. And, about 4 times as many unborn babies are killed every year. That makes "being in the womb" the most dangerous place to be in this country. Many churches and organizations commemorate 1 February as "Sanctity Life Sunday". We encourage people to get this message to church and community leaders to make a point of speaking up "for those who cannot speak for themselves" (Prov 31:8). Materials about abortion are available from CFT and can be emailed to anyone who requests them at: mail@cft.org.za. Contact person: Mrs Nina McNeil: Tel 073 745 5740 * R1 Million Booze Fine on Cards - Specific limits on the amount of alcohol sold to individuals, a ban on drinking in cars, tough action against patrons of illegal shebeens and fines of up to R1-million to defaulting retailers are some of the features of the Western Cape Liquor Act. Not only owners of illegal shebeens but also their suppliers and patrons face stringent new measures as the Western Cape strives to contain alcohol abuse and illegal trade. And drinking in cars, described by Garth Strachan, MEC for finance, economic development and tourism, as an abominable practice, will be outlawed. The Act prohibits licensed liquor retailers from selling more than a certain quantity of alcohol to unlicensed buyers. Fines for transgressing retailers would range from R50 000 to R1-million. "While the whole Act will only come into operation in February or March 2009, the provincial government has moved swiftly to bring into operation those sections of the Act that deal with the very scourges we seek to address through this Act," Strachan said. A vital part of the Act which has been fast-tracked is one making it an offence for patrons to knowingly buy liquor from an unlicensed shebeen. Licensed outlets will be targeted if it is found that prostitution or drug dealing takes place on the premises. "We want to make sure people know what is
prohibited, what they should not do, so that we can visit the full might of the law upon
them if they transgress," said Strachan.
* Israel Has Fewer Friends Than Ever, Even In America Israel has never been more isolated. Its best friend, the United States, had vetoed 41 Security Council resolutions condemning Israel in the past three decades, but was about to vote for the Jan. 8 resolution denouncing the attack on Gaza when President Bush intervened, at the behest of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Still, in the face of unprecedented global criticism, the U.S. didn't dare veto, but merely abstained. Europe, never Israel's close ally, erupted in near unanimous outrage over Gaza, with fits of anti-Semitic violence in France, Sweden and Belgium. Israel is accustomed to attacks from the left and the U.N. This time, though, Amnesty International has accused Israel of war crimes (using white phosphorus against civilians), and the secretary-general was unusually outspoken. After Israel bombed five U.N. compounds, Ban Ki-moon called the attack "heartbreaking … outrageous and unacceptable." His condemnation of Hamas rocket attacks came later, in milder terms. Israel's last major military excursion, into Lebanon in 2006, aroused less anger. Its closest European ally is Britain, where Tony Blair initially refused to call for a ceasefire in Lebanon. By day two in Gaza, his Labour successors were pushing for a ceasefire; one M.P. called Israel's leaders "mass murderers." The global outcry in 2006 was tempered by disgust at Hizbullah's rocket campaign, which killed 43 in heavily populated northern Israel. This time, Hamas rockets hit a patch of sparsely populated southern Israel, killing three, while the Israeli response has been far more deadly. Some 1,300 Palestinians have been killed—compared with 500 Shiites in Lebanon. The one region where Israel is arguably not more isolated is the Middle East. Israel's push for Arab recognition suffered a setback when Mauritania and Qatar severed relations, but four Arab summits have reached no consensus on how to respond to Gaza. Major states, led by Jordan and Egypt, want to lend no comfort to their Persian rival, Iran, the backer of Hamas. Moreover, Hamas has not emerged as a plucky hero to the Arab world, the way Hizbullah did in 2006. When the fighting quieted last week, Hamas held a "victory" parade in Gaza City, and it fizzled. Israel has just one key friend, America. A recent Pew
poll shows 55 percent of U.S. Republicans, but only 45 percent of Democrats, approve of
Israel's actions in Gaza. Given that Democrats now rule, Israel may need to worry more
about the mood on Main Street than on the Arab Street. * Another European country outlaws prostitution - Norway is the latest European country to outlaw the buying of sex. This follows similar laws that have been passed in other Scandinavian countries namely, Sweden and Finland. The Norwegian authorities say they want to stamp out sex tourism and street prostitution. "Buying sex is unacceptable because it favors human trafficking and forced prostitution," the Deputy Justice Minister was quoted as saying. Citizens of Norway who are caught buying sex at home or even in other countries, will face hefty fines and could go to jail for up to six months. The tough new measures go further than similar ones introduced by other Scandinavian countries. Norwegian police have been authorized to even use wire-tapping devices to gather evidence. The government launched a publicity campaign before the law came into force. Prostitutes have been offered access to free education and health treatment for those with alcohol or drug problems. Doctors for Life International, applauds the Norwegian Government for acknowledging that prostitution is a front for human trafficking and for passing these new laws to protect their citizens. We call on all South Africans to take note of the international trend regarding laws on prostitution. Let’s learn from those who have learnt from experience. Prostitution promotes human trafficking, child abuse and organized crime and must remain a crime Doctors for Life International, represents more than 1500 medical doctors and is involved in helping people exit prostitution through a fulltime centre in the Point area, Durban. DFL has commented extensively on these issues and has
also made submissions to the Constitutional Court and the Law Reform Commission. For more
information visit www.dfl.org.za * Graham’s “Beloved Singer” Celebrates 100th Birthday - The famous baritone singer who for decades accompanied American evangelist Billy Graham on evangelistic 'crusades' around the world, celebrated his 100th birthday Sunday, February 1. George Beverly Shea, often described as "America's Beloved Gospel Singer," was also to be the guest of honor Tuesday, February 2, at a private gathering of family and friends at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, in the American state of North Carolina. "On the ladder of life, I have reached rung 100, and I can see the scenery a little better than those who are still climbing," Shea said of his 100th birthday in comments obtained by Worthy News. He still sings. Last year, at the age of 99, Shea performed in front of large audiences, taking part in Franklin Graham's Festivals in several parts of the country. He has also joined "third generation of Grahams" by performing at Will Graham Celebrations in the United States, organizers said. He was born in the town of Winchester, in Canada's
province of Ontario, on February 1, 1909, where his father was a Wesleyan Methodist
minister. "Between Crusade, radio, and television dates in many countries, he has sung hundreds of concerts and recorded more than 70 albums of sacred music," said the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). "Bev was the very first person I asked to join me in evangelism. I have sometimes said that I would feel lost getting up to preach if Bev were not there to prepare the way through an appropriate song," Billy Graham has said. "I will always be grateful not only for his musical contributions to our Crusades but also for his warm spirit and his personal friendship over the years." For his "significant contributions to Gospel music," Shea was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame in February 1996 and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association in 1978. He has been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards, winning one in 1965. Shea, who also had a career in network radio since
the 1920s, holds "the world record" for singing to the most people in person,
reaching hundreds of millions through Billy Graham's worldwide Crusades, BGEA said. * Israel Finds Historic Natural Gas Field - Israel says it might have made the largest discovery of natural gas in its 61-year history, which could dramatically reduce its dependency on foreign imports. In a statement, monitored by Worthy News Saturday, January 31, National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said the Jewish state was "witnessing a historic moment in Israel's energy market." Over three trillion cubic feet of gas at the Tamar site was discovered, just off the Israeli port of Haifa, according to U.S. based energy giant Noble Energy Inc., which led the exploration. "If it turns out in a few weeks that the indicators received in recent days are true, then we are talking about the biggest find in Israel's history," explained Minister Eliezer. Since Israel's recognition in 1948, its territory was already known for natural resources such as as timber, potash, copper ore, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand, and natural gas. Yet, the latest discovery could dramatically reduce the country's reliance on energy imports, Eliezer suggested, but he cautioned "this find didn’t resolve all of the country’s energy problems." Currently Israel receives natural gas from neighboring Egypt under a 20-year deal made in 2005. However, the latest discovery would likely meet Israel's natural gas demand for about 15 years and reduce its dependence on gas imports from Egypt and, offshore, from Gaza, industry officials said. "It could solve the country's gas problems for many years and generations to come. We now won't be dependent on others for gas, and we'll even be able to make exports," claimed Yitzhak Tshuva, who controls Delek Group, one of the participants in an Israeli consortium of energy firms. The consortium involved in the project also comprise Delek Group's subsidiaries Delek Drilling and Avner Oil Exploration, Isramco Negev 2, Dor Gas Exploration, along with Noble Energy. Nobel Chief Executive Charles Davidson said the gas well was "one of the most significant prospects that we have ever tested and appears to be the largest discovery in the company's history." The site is 90 kilometers (56 miles) offshore and over 1,600 meters (one mile) underwater. The well is reportedly covered by more than a mile of salt, according to experts. The Chief Executive Officer of Israeli mutual fund firm Halman-Aldubi Group, Dan Halman, told The Jerusalem Post the project could mean a business "revolution which will have an impact on the Israeli economy for the coming generations." However Halman agrees with Israeli government officials that "Big celebrations are still premature" as "the drilling is complicated and production possibilities are not yet completely clear." In addition, he said, gas transportation is a much
more complex and expensive process than oil transportation.
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