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V odpovědi na legalizaci manželství stejného pohlaví, ke kterému došlo tento týden ve státě Massachusetts, vysílá v živém přenosu vedoucí evangelikální skupina „Bitvu za manželství“, a to celostátně v rozhlase a televizi v neděli večer. Záměrem je spojit kongregace v USA. Národní asociace evangelikálů (NAE) vyzývá církevní sbory po celé zemi, aby se připojily k vysílání, kterého se zúčastní čelní představitelé křesťanstva včetně Jamese Dobsona, Chucka Colsona, biskupa Wellingtona Boona a Teda Haggarda. „Cílem je ukázat sborům, jak chránit manželství a jak se do toho mohou zapojit,“ řekl Tony Perkins, prezident Family Research Council. „Není to jen bitva za manželství, ale o samotný základ naší kultury.“ Prezident NAE Haggard, který zastupuje více než 43,000 kongregací, řekl, že modlitba bude klíčovým nástrojem celé události. „Po vystoupeních přednášejících bude následovat třicetiminutová modlitební chvíle za náš národ, který se ocitl na této rozhodující křižovatce, budeme prosit Boha, aby bránil svou instituci manželství a rodiny,“ řekl. „Bitva za manželství bude vysílána přes počítačovou síť a do sborů bude přenášena přes satelit. (Charisma News Service) |
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PASTORS THREATENED BY MOBS IN SRI LANKA
The pastor of the Prayer Tower Church in Mahawewa, Sri Lanka, was building a
new residence, but rumors that he was building a Bible School raised
opposition from local Buddhists. According to a report from the National
Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, a mob of around 400 people,
including some from neighboring villages, surrounded the pastor’s house May
18, threatened him and destroyed his water well. The pastor was warned to
not report this incident to the police. Two days earlier, the home of an
Assembly of God pastor in Yakkala was invaded by about fifty people, led by
a Buddhist monk. After threatening him and demanding that he stop conducting
worship services, they seized Christian literature and left. (Voice of the
Martyrs)
EGYPTIAN COURT ORDERS RETURN OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITY CARD
In an unprecedented verdict on April 13, an Egyptian court ordered the
Interior Ministry to return formal Christian identity status to a Coptic
Christian who had converted to Islam 11 years ago and then returned to her
Christian faith. The decision resolved a six-month stand-off with state
security officials and required them to return the Christian I.D. card of
Mira Makram Gobran Hanna to her possession. Now 30, Hanna had signed papers
in March 1993 to convert to Islam but obtained the approval of the
ecclesiastical council to return to the Coptic Orthodox Church 13 months
later. The recent ruling in Hanna’s favor upholds the principle of freedom
of belief written in the Egyptian Constitution, according to her legal
counsel Nagib Gibrael. “This verdict indicates the reliability of the
Egyptian courts,” Gibrael said. Under the Egyptian government’s
long-standing interpretation of Islamic law, Muslims have been forbidden to
convert to another faith. (Compass Direct)
SURPRISE ELECTION RESULTS BRING HOPE FOR CHRISTIANS IN INDIA
Christians in India hailed the victory of Sonia Gandhi’s Congress Party in
this month’s general election as a triumph for religious freedom. Five days
after the election results were announced though, supporters of the former
government launched a propaganda campaign against her, claiming that as an
Italian-born Roman Catholic she would support the conversion of Hindus to
Christianity. In a surprise move, Gandhi resigned from party leadership,
nominating former finance minister Manmohan Singh as her replacement. The
upset election ends years of domination by Hindu nationalists and signals
hope for an end to persecution against Christians. The change has already
forced Tamil Nadu State to repeal its anti-conversion laws. “Civil society
is now looking forward to the rejection of the Hindu agenda that has
affected many areas of Indian life,” said Dr. Joseph D’Souza, president of
the All India Christian Council. “A national anti-conversion law is now out
of the question.” Rochunga Pudaite of Bibles for the World says, “Now, there
is going to be a wide open door of opportunity for the church in India that
we have never had before and we have to seize every opportunity in order to
tell the good news of Jesus Christ.” (Mission Network News/Compass)
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION DISGUISED IN TURKMENISTAN’S NEW STATUTE
Under intense international pressure over its repression of religious life,
Turkmenistan’s president, Saparmurat Niyazov, this month revoked the
punishments introduced into the Criminal Code last year on persons involved
in unregistered religious activity. However, copies of the model statute
handed out to religious communities by the Adalat (Justice) Ministry seem to
require all religious communities to now pay 20 percent of their income to
the government’s Gengeshi (Council) for Religious Affairs and imposes other
tight controls. These controls include forcing registered communities to
provide the state with information that could be used for its continued
persecution of religious believers. The statute did not signal any respite
in persecution, thus allowing religious communities to exist in theory but
be persecuted in practice. Religious leaders in Turkmenistan have already
said that they find the restrictions in the model statute unacceptable.
(Forum 18 News)
* HCJB World Radio works in partnership with Back to the Bible to air
Christian Turkmen programs. Twice-weekly broadcasts began airing from an
undisclosed site outside of Turkmenistan in 2001 and moved to daily
programming in 2003.
MINISTRY TAKES CHRISTIAN COMPASSION, CRITICAL AID TO RUSSIA
An ongoing Christian outreach to the people of the former Soviet Union is
about to kick into high gear. This summer, hundreds of U.S. mission
volunteers will head to various parts of Russia as part of Operation
Carelift, an outreach of Josh McDowell Ministries. Operation Carelift is a
subsidiary ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International. Each winter
and summer, Operation Carelift volunteers spend two weeks in Russia and
surrounding republics delivering humanitarian aid to children in places of
need such as orphanages, boarding schools, hospitals and youth prisons.
Operation Carelift President Duane Zook says there are special missions
planned for Russia’s street children. He says the outreach “gives them hope.
It gives them somebody who can hug them.” (Agape Press)
* HCJB World Radio reaches across Russia with a variety of radio ministries.
The mission has been sending gospel broadcasts across the country via
shortwave since 1941, first from Quito, Ecuador, and now from the U.K. In
the early 1990s the ministry began “planting” local radio ministries in
Russia and now works with partners in more than a dozen cities. In 2000 HCJB
World Radio helped launch the first Christian Russian radio satellite
network (operated by Christian Radio for Russia), reaching across Euro-Asia.
Downlinks have been installed with more than 26 partners in Russia alone.
CHURCHES URGED TO TAKE PART IN ‘BATTLE FOR MARRIAGE’ SIMULCAST
In response to the legalization this week of same-sex marriages in
Massachusetts, a leading evangelical group is hosting a “Battle for
Marriage” live, nationwide simulcast on Sunday night to rally congregations
in the U.S. The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is urging
churches across the country to sign up for the broadcast, which will feature
prominent Christian leaders, including James Dobson, Chuck Colson, Bishop
Wellington Boone and Ted Haggard. “The goal is to educate churches about
what must be done to protect marriage and how they can get involved,” Family
Research Council president, Tony Perkins, said. “It is not only a battle for
marriage, but for our very culture.” Haggard, president of the NAE, which
represents more than 43,000 congregations, said prayer will be a key part of
the event. “Following the speakers, we will spend 30 minutes praying for our
nation at this critical juncture, asking God to defend His institutions of
marriage and family,” he said. “Battle for Marriage” can be viewed via
computer and is available to churches through a satellite feed. (Charisma News Service) |
Zprávy HCJB 21.5.2004
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