*Tato a další zprávy jsou (pouze v aktuální den) v originální anglické verzi zde.

In a move condemned by the U.S. government, Lao authorities have evicted three Christian families from their homes for refusing to renounce their religious beliefs. The Associated Press reported that the 14 believers from Kengkok village in the country's southern Savannakhet province are being sheltered by other Christians after being forced from the church parsonage where they were living last month. Authorities also destroyed parts of the parsonage and converted the main section into a village meeting hall. The church building had been confiscated earlier and turned into a preschool. A local official then boasted publicly that there were "no more Christians" in his district. Department officials also cited reports that Christians in the northern city of Luang Prabang and elsewhere were facing pressure from Lao authorities to renounce their faith or face eviction or detention. William Inboden, special adviser to the U.S. ambassador-at-large for religious freedom, said that some people have been arrested "just for speaking freely and openly about their faith. In other parts of the country, Lao Christians have been ordered to close their churches and to stop their worship practices." (Religion Today/Missions Insider)

2 LATVIAN CHURCHES PREPARE TO PROTEST RESTRICTIVE RELIGION LAW

Two Latvian churches that have been refused registration status as associations under the country's religion law are preparing protests against the article that does not allow more than one church of any one denomination to register. The refusal affects the Confessional Lutheran Church with 11 congregations and the Autonomous True Orthodox Church. "We have asked for this discriminatory article to be abolished," said Archbishop Viktor Kontuzorov, leader of the Autonomous Orthodox Church, in Daugavpils on 29 April. "No European state apart from Latvia has such a discriminatory article. It's absurd that an Orthodox Church still has to live in the catacombs." Without registration as an association, religious communities find it difficult to own property, face public suspicion, do not enjoy tax-exempt status and cannot set up training establishments in the name of the religious community. The Confessional Lutheran Church has been able to register as a "new religious movement," a lesser status requiring registration to be renewed every year for the first 10 years. Janis Filipsons, deputy head of the Justice Ministry's Religious Affairs Board in charge of registration, reiterated the law which states, "Congregations of the same denomination may establish only one religious association (church) in the country." (Forum 18 News Service)

* HCJB World Radio worked with Latvian Christian Radio in 1995 to help establish FM outlets in three cities, Liepaja, Riga and Talsi.

CANADIAN BILL COULD LABEL BIBLE AS 'HATE LITERATURE,' CHRISTIANS FEAR

Faith groups have circled May 15 on their calendars as the day the House of Commons is scheduled to vote on a contentious bill they fear could label the Bible as hate literature. Bill C-250, introduced by British Columbia New Democratic Party Member of Parliament (MP) Svend Robinson, seeks to add sexual orientation to the list of identifiable groups subject to protection from hate propaganda under the Criminal Code. This has raised fears, mainly among Christians, that if passed, the law could leave the Bible, and possibly the catechism of the Catholic Church, open to being interpreted as hate literature because of their condemnations of homosexuality. Robinson has assured faith groups his bill will not limit or threaten religious expression. Meanwhile, Ontario Liberal MP Dan McTeague, who last summer said the bill would be shot down, now says the bill's wording will have to be worked out so that it "does not trample on religious perspectives." (Religion Today)

FLOODS IN ARGENTINA INUNDATE HOMES, MINISTRY CENTER

Twelve days of rain have flooded people out of their homes and caused ministries to vacate their premises in Argentina's Santa Fe region. The constant downpours forced authorities to open doors of a dam to alleviate worse flooding upstream. The water overflowed the Salado River, "totally covering" some homes and a ministry center. Rescue workers plucked some people from rooftops. One woman was so threatened by the floodwaters that she deliberately killed her 8-month-old baby to keep her from drowning. Members of the evangelical mission assisted by Christian Aid Mission evacuated all its members from the stricken area. Electricity and telephone service are out, and a ministry spokesperson was able communicate by going to a public communication center away from the flooding. Looting was taking place in some places, and the entire region was in a state of emergency. It was hoped that the flood would crest by May 1. (Missions Insider)

* ALAS, HCJB World Radio's Latin American satellite radio network, provides Christian Spanish programming to more than 100 outlets in 18 countries. These include radio outlets in three cities of Argentina: Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Jujuy.

U.K. TOWN TO CELEBRATE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN WESLEY'S BIRTH

Special events commemorating the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, have been planned for Epworth, North Lincolnshire, England, this summer. Among them is the staging of a new play, "Mister Wesley," written by Roy Clarke, author of the popular British sitcom, "Last of the Summer Wine." The play will premiere June 18 in Epworth, the small town where Wesley was born in 1703 and lived for 40 years. It was in St. Andrew's Church in Epworth where Wesley preached on his father's tomb after being denied access to its pulpit because of his "Methodist" beliefs. Other anniversary events include a Wesleyan street market and pageant, the dedication of a specially commissioned bronze statue of Wesley, an exhibition of his life and writings, a flower festival and joint church services. For details visit www.wesley300.com. (Assist News Service)

THIRD WORLD RELIGIOUS PRACTICES PART OF MIAMI'S ETHNIC MIX

Miami, Fla., with its ethnic diversity and Third World religious practices, is "very much a mission field," says Latin America Mission's Ken MacHarg. LAM missionary Al Ortiz says the practice of santería, for example, mixes traditional African gods with Roman Catholic saints and involves magical and spiritual dimensions. "Hundreds of botánicas (witchcraft shops) can be found throughout the Miami area, selling everything from statues to ward-away spirits to chicken and sheep used in sacrificial ceremonies," Ortiz says. He works with a ministry called Christ for Miami which is working to encourage local pastors who say that they often counsel church members who find animal parts in their neighbors' yards. One evangelical pastor in Miami says there is no toleration of santería among evangelicals. "When they convert to Jesus Christ, they give up these practices," he says. (Mission Network News)

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