Zprávy HCJB 15.3.2009 - 21.3.2009

	Podle průzkumu v USA dále klesá zájem o náboženství
	Nedávno zveřejněná studie z roku 2008 ukazuje, že 15 procent Američanů je bez vyznání. Přitom v roce 1990 to bylo jen 8.2%. To ukazuje, že mezi Američany ubývá křesťanů. Křesťanství přitom podle této zprávy není vytlačováno jinými náboženstvími, jde o odmítání jakékoli organizované víry. Peter Sprigg z Family Research Council řekl, že výsledky průzkumu nutí k zamyšlení. Dnes se tři ze čtyř Američanů sami nazývají křesťany, zatímco v roce 1990 to bylo devět z deseti. Nejvýraznější úbytek je vidět u hlavních protestantských církví, naproti tomu někteří evangelikální analytici v tom spíš vidí zářící kraj černého mraku. „Tato zpráva je převážně dobrá,“ řekl Glenn Stanton, ředitel oddělení pro studium rodiny při Focus on the Family. „Ukazuje, že lidé se o křesťanství zajímají, a že jsou přitahováni původním křesťanstvím, které je bibličtější a hlubší.“ Zdroj: EP News
	V Indii se místní policisté jedné vesnice rozhodli nepodporovat vyhánění domorodého misionáře
	Místo aby dál přesvědčovali misionáře Mehul Om (kterého podporuje Gospel for Asia) aby opustil vesnici, několik místních policistů odešlo z jeho domu se pocitem lásky Pána Ježíše, který zakusili poprvé v životě. V roce 2008 se Mehul s rodinou usadil ve vesnici s převážně protikřesťansky naladěným obyvatelstvem. Cítil se být povolán jim sloužit, i když to bylo dost riskantní. Také se podle zákona musel hlásit na místní policii, protože je kněz a je novým obyvatelem vesnice. Po necelém roce působení se od některých místních obyvatel dočkal falešného udání. Policie se u něj doma objevila, aby věc vyšetřila. Důkazy se nenašly, policisté mu nicméně řekli, aby se pro své vlastní bezpečí odstěhoval. Ten ale, místo aby zaraženě přemýšlel, využil příležitost a kázal policistům evangelium. To se tak dotklo jejich nitra, že Mehulovi dovolili ve vesnici zůstat a pokračovat v práci. Zdroj: Gospel for Asia
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině
	HCJB GLOBAL BUILDS ON WATER PROJECTS IN ECUADOR TO EXPAND INTO AFRICA Source: HCJB Global As the world marks World Water Day on Sunday, March 22, HCJB Global is expanding its clean water projects beyond the borders of Ecuador. World Water Day, designated by a U.N. General Assembly resolution, has been celebrated annually since 1993. HCJB Global Hands, the ministry’s healthcare outreach, launched its first African water project in Hateka, a village outside of Accra, Ghana, in February. This was the community’s first clean water supply, completed through a cooperative effort of HCJB Global and Theovision, a local ministry that specializes in recording audio Bibles in African languages. Formerly, residents obtained water from an abandoned well that caved in while it was being dug. “The water was stagnant, dirty and very unsafe to drink,” said HCJB Global engineer Jeremy Maller who helped with the installation of the well. “I watched the large drill turn as it pushed through the earth,” he said. “Later, water began spraying from the borehole, and we knew that clean water was now going to be a reality for Hateka for the first time!” The clean water project in Hateka, serving both the village and the surrounding area, is part of HCJB Global’s Voice and Hands Initiative in Africa to integrate media and healthcare to impact communities. Before becoming a full-time missionary, Maller served in Ecuador for several months as a working visitor and was mentored by HCJB Global’s long-time water project director in Ecuador, Bruce Rydbeck. While Ecuador has made huge strides in building its infrastructure, only about 50 percent of rural Ecuadorians have access to an improved drinking water source. Many of these residents resort to using contaminated water, often resulting in disease and even death. Others spend hours each day hauling water from distant sources, expending valuable resources. In an effort to address this problem, HCJB Global Hands has been involved in Clean Water Projects in Ecuador in since 1980, utilizing funds from individual donors, churches, governments and collaborating charitable organizations. Through the mission’s rich history of helping with water projects, HCJB Global Hands is now able to expand to Sub-Saharan Africa. “Development flourishes and health is improved by implementing biblical values,” Rydbeck added. “Training in water system management and hygiene are as integral to the program as evangelism, discipleship and pastoral training.” He emphasized that each benefiting community is required to provide manual labor, local materials and some of the finances for their project. The communities also build their own latrines and participate in hygiene sessions to receive the collaborative help from HCJB Global Hands. “The local people work in the hot sun as well as cold, pelting rain to dig many miles of pipe trench more than a yard deep by hand,” Rydbeck explained. “They haul tons of cement, sand and stone to remote building sites. They solve difficult construction issues with minimal resources. “As a result, the sense of pride and ownership runs deep when they complete the project, providing clean water and sanitation at each home. They know that God empowers us when we harmonize our plans with His desires.” The Clean Water Projects team in Ecuador has 19 staff members who work with communities in the country’s coastal areas, highlands and jungles. In 2008 work was completed in 20 communities, giving more than 1,200 households access to clean water. SURVEY: INTEREST IN RELIGION IN U.S. CONTINUES TO DECLINE Source: EP News A recently released study conducted in 2008 indicates that 15 percent of Americans have no religion. That’s up from 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., showing that Americans are slowly becoming less Christian. The challenge to Christianity does not come from other world religions or new religious movements, but from a rejection of all organized religions, stated the report. Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council said the survey results were a “matter of concern.” Three out of four U.S. citizens called themselves Christian in the survey compared with nine out of 10 in 1990. The most notable declines in the report came from mainline Protestant churches, but some evangelical analysts see a silver lining in this cloud. “This report is mostly good news,” said Glenn Stanton, director of family formation studies at Focus on the Family. “It indicates people are still interested in and attracted to Christian traditions that are more biblically serious and faithful.” SAVING SOULS VIA CELL PHONE, INTERNET Source: Christian Newswire Internet evangelist Bill Keller is now using innovative, pioneering technology to save souls via cell phone. Keller, who hosts a popular television and radio program aired on secular stations, contracted Red Planet Media, Inc. of Orlando, Fla., to provide his liveprayer.com site with frontline technology to reach cell phone users around the world with the gospel. “When we launched Liveprayer, the only people doing livestreaming video on the internet were the pornographers,” Keller reflects. “We countered by tapping into vanguard technology to bring people around the globe the truth of the Bible, and the hope of Christ via live streaming video.” Keller will make video a daily devotional available free of charge. “The only cost to the user is whatever their cell phone company charges them to access the internet and for text messages,” he said. Those who access Keller’s new cell phone site can also send a prayer reque st via their cell phone, and receive a personalized response back to their phone via text messaging. BAPTIST, SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST LEADERS DISCUSS MUTUAL CONCERNS Sources: Baptist World Alliance, rlg media Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam recently met with the international leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to affirm a mutual commitment to shared values and goals on religious freedom. Callam expressed delight at “collaboration in the past,” and said he looks forward “to these opportunities continuing with greater intentionality.” John Graz, director of public affairs and religious liberty for the Adventist church, said both Baptists and Adventists “share a passion for religious freedom, and in many countries around the world we cooperate closely to promote and defend this freedom.” POLICE OFFICERS DECIDE AGAINST EXPELLING NATIVE MISSIONARY FROM TOWN IN INDIA Source: Gospel for Asia Instead of convincing Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Mehul Om to leave their town, several policemen left his house having heard of Jesus’ love for the first time. In late 2008 Mehul and his family moved to a village dominated by people opposed to Christianity. Because of their local law, he felt called to serve those villagers even though it meant great risk to himself. The law also required that he register with the police because he was a minister and a newcomer to the village. At the end of Mehul’s first year there, area residents filed false accusations against him. Police officers showed up at Mehul’s door to investigate. Not finding any proof against Mehul, they advised him to move away from the village for his own safety. But instead of being discouraged, Mehul took the opportunity to share the gospel with the policemen. This message touched the policemen’s hearts, and they gave Mehul permission to stay in the village and continue working. RENEWED VIOLENT ATTACKS CHALLENGE PEACE PROCESS IN NORTHERN IRELAND Sources: Premier Christian News, rlg media A second violent incident has challenged the peace process in Northern Ireland. The Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) says it shot and killed police constable Stephen Carroll in County Armagh, and claims its attacks will continue. The shooting took place 48 hours after two soldiers were killed by the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA). Stephen Cave, director of the Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland, said there has been a firm and unified response to the attacks. “It is a shocking tragedy,” he said. “We thought we’d left this behind. And yet what is going on alongside of that is a new sense of unity, of purpose, across both communities in Northern Ireland. Standing together, people of faith, people of no faith, and saying we do not want to let this dictate where we are going for the future and what this country is going to be built on.” The CIRA is one of a number of dissident republican paramilitary groups opposed to the peace process that have carried out bomb and gun attacks on civilians and security forces. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned the murderers, insisting there would be “no return to the old days” in Northern Ireland. SECOND MEMBER OF HEAVY METAL BAND LEAVES DRUG LIFESTYLE, FINDS CHRIST Sources: Associated Press, Canadian Press A second member of the popular heavy metal band Korn has abandoned a drug lifestyle and put personal faith in Jesus Christ. This week the group’s bass player, Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, releases his book, Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery and Korn. He describes himself as a mean addict and womanizer who quit drugs cold turkey after his father, a born-again Christian, shared with him his dying wish: for his son to find God. Former Korn band member Brian “Head” Welch left the group after becoming a Christian in 2005. The book includes letters that Arvizu wrote to each band member, apologizing for his past bad behavior. RIGHTS GROUP ACCUSES OF LIBYA DETAINING, TORTURING CHRISTIANS FOR LEAVING ISLAM Source: BosNewsLife Libya’s feared intelligence service has “detained and tortured” four Christians for converting from Islam, as part of a wider crackdown on people embracing Christianity, human rights group said in comments monitored by BosNewsLife. International Christian Concern (ICC) said the believers, whose names were not identified, were imprisoned for the past seven weeks in Tripoli, Libya’s capital. “Libya’s External Security Organization is believed to be behind the detention and torture of the Christians” ICC said, citing local sources. The security agents have reportedly barred families from visiting the detained converts and ICC said they “are putting severe physical and psychological pressure on the Christians in order to force them to reveal the names of other converts.” ICC said the detention and alleged torture of the Christian converts come despite efforts by Libya to improve ties with the international community. Libya began re-establishing relations following the recent lifting of sanctions, which were imposed due to the country’s involvement in the bombing of an American airliner, in which 270 people were killed. PAKISTANI FACES ‘BLASPHEMY’ ABETTING CHARGE, DANGERS Source: Compass Direct News A Pakistani investigator has ruled out a charge against a Christian for “blaspheming Islam” but retained another for abetting blasphemy, and advocates worry the stigma of the charges could make him a target for local Islamists. Hector Aleem, 51, remains in Adiyala Jail in Rawalpindi, near Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad. His lawyer said he believes law enforcement officers and community members framed Aleem for his social activism on behalf of Christians so that the stigma of the charges would subject him to the danger of violence. The case began last November when a Muslim scholar received a text message insulting the Islamic prophet Mohammed. Investigating Officer Zafer Ikbal ruled out the possibility of a blasphemy charge since evidence showed the message came from an unlisted telephone number, not Aleem’s. This move followed a Feb. 2 decision by Judge Sakhi Mohammad Kohut to exonerate Aleem of blasphemy by moving the case from an anti-terrorism court to a magistrate court; with the change of court, the investigating officer had considered anew the possibility of a blasphemy charge. Aleem’s attorney, Malik Tafik, said the remaining charge’s connection to blasphemy against Islam could put Aleem in danger of attacks by Muslim extremists even if he is found innocent. “He will continue to be in danger from religious extremists after the case finishes,” Tafik said. “Even though he is only charged with abetment, he is still in danger.” * HCJB Global Hands sent two medical teams from Ecuador to Pakistan following a powerful earthquake on Oct. 8, 2005, that left tens of thousands dead and thousands more injured and homeless. Staff members helped SIM International with relief efforts. UZBEKISTAN OFFICIALS REFUSE TO LET CHRISTIANS BURY THEIR MUSLIM RELATIVE Source: Forum 18 News Service The burial of a Muslim man in Uzbekistan has been obstructed by the secret police because the dead man’s widow and son are Christians, said a local official and a local imam. Zhumabai Smetullaev’s burial was obstructed in northwestern Uzbekistan. In another area, Karakalpakstan authorities do not allow burials of Christians to involve area residents, indicating exclusion of the deceased person’s family from the community. Nonparticipation of the community indicates exclusion of the deceased person’s family from the community. Mahalla (town) officials admitted that Smetullaev’s burial had been obstructed but denied that the initiative came from them. Pressure on the family continues with authorities warning people that whoever accepts Christianity will be punished. Officials reportedly told local believers, “Your dead will not be buried.” All non-state-controlled Muslim and non-Russian Orthodox religious activity in Karakalpakstan is a criminal offence. * HCJB Global Voice airs 2.5 hours of weekly programs in the Northern Uzbek language, spoken by 19 million people in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, from an AM station outside of the region. A weekly 30-minute program in Southern Uzbek, spoken by 1.4 million people in Afghanistan, airs from the same site. © Copyright 2009 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA

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