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Latin Christian music hits
Russian television
Moscow, November 3rd, 2003 (MercadoCristiano/ACPress.net).
Two Russian television
channels, with an audience of more than 110 million viewers,
are playing Latin Christian music videos, and interviews with
the artists.
NTV, the leading independent broadcaster in Russia, invited
Boris
Dedenev to give a live interview about his experiences filming
Latin
singers and asked him to explain what 'Christian music' is,
as the term
is unknown in Russia. To give them a taste of its diversity,
he played
extracts from Roberto Orellana and Miguel Angel Guerra, the
song 'Jesus
is Lord' by Marcos Witt, and 'Love came' by María del
Sol.
Source: Mercado Cristiano. Editing: ACPress.net
Canterbury
admits magnitude of Anglican crisis
London, November 4th, 2003 (BBC/ACPress.net).
The Archbishop of Canterbury,
Rowan Williams, has admitted publicly the magnitude of the crisis
in the Anglican Communion and says it could yet lead to division
because of the election of Gene Robinson, a practising homosexual,
to the post of bishop in the American Episcopal Church.
Williams was speaking on BBC Radio after a meeting between virtually
all the Anglican Primates in London did not come to any firm
conclusions. Opponents of the ordination (ie. orthodox members
of the Church) want severe disciplinary measures to be taken.
The offending diocese meanwhile are determined not to retract
from their heretical position.
Source: BBC. Editing: ACPress.net
Immigrants may be hope for
Christianity in Europe
London, November 4th, 2003 (Milamex/ACPress.net).
Faith has gone into hiding
in the developed world whilst it goes from strength to strength
and competes successfully against Islam in the developing world.
A stereotype perhaps, but one which fits much of the reality
of Christianity in the modern world.
In Europe, medieval cathedrals stand forlorn in a spiritual
wasteland, with flocks of tourists milling round their feet
but few believers seeking the Lord within their doors. The secularisation
of Europe is one of the factors which separates it from the
United States where religious faith plays an important role
in politics and society, and shapes to a large extent the view
Americans have of the world.
Some might call it naivety, others that Americans have a simpler
and clearer view of right and wrong than their more sophisticated
European counterparts. Whereas one in three attends church in
the USA, only 1 in 20 does so in France on a weekly basis. Catholic
priest Jean Francois Bordarier comments: "What is surprising
is not that so few go to church, but that some still do."
The greatest hope for Christianity in Europe may well be the
immigrants who come from the Third World and whose ancestors,
in many cases, were converted under European missionaries. Black
churches have proliferated in cities such as London, Paris and
Amsterdam, populated mainly by immigrants from Nigeria, Sierra
Leone and other African countries. A recent report by Christian
Research in Britain showed that people from an Afro-Asian background
made up more than half of churchgoers in central London, despite
comprising less than a quarter of the population.
According to some estimates, more than 25 million people in
England identify themselves with the Church of England, but
only 1.2 million attend each week. Here in Spain, the Evangelical
Church's numbers have been maintained, and in some cases swelled,
by South American immigrants.
Source: MILAMEX. Editing: ACPress.net
French stand firm on Muslim
head-coverings
Paris, November 4th, 2003 (ElPaís/ACPress.net).
The issue of religious
head-coverings just will not go away in France. The Mayor of
Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, has ordered the Council's Disciplinary
Commission to punish a woman civil servant who refuses to take
off her Muslim headscarf while at work nor shake hands with
men due to her sense of shame.
It is not an isolated case. In Besancon a supply teacher has
been sacked for coming to class with her head covered. The French
Left will not tolerate any religious symbols in public buildings
so that the neutrality of the state can be maintained with regard
to different beliefs. Yet the French Right is not far behind.
President Jacques Chirac took the opportunity the other day
on a visit to an area of high immigration to say: "Laicism
is not negotiable. It is unacceptable to question the equality
of the sexes or the dignity of women as basic tenets of modern
society."
However, more and more women in France are claiming the right
to be unequal in the name of religion, despite the consequences
this can have on their professional lives. A law graduate was
recently turned down at Nancy Law School because she would not
remove her headscarf while taking the lawyer's oath which would
have enabled her to practise. A 12-year-old girl has been unable
to attend school in Thann, in north-east France, since the middle
of last month, because she refuses to remove her scarf. She
spends her days in the school office, physically banned from
entering the classrooms, where she will stay until either the
school or her parents have a change of mind.
The police believe that some teenagers are being manipulated
by fundamentalists and attended a conference on Iraq in January,
although they deny this. Two forces combine to make this a powerful
cocktail in France: the fear of radical Islam, and a deep-seated
tradition of laicism.
Source: EL PAÍS. Editing: ACPress.net
Yet the crucifix must go
too
Rome, November 4th, 2003 (ElPeriódico/ACPress.net).
While the French refuse
to countenance the appearance of anything which smacks of religion
in their schools and Town Halls, the Italians are loathe to
get rid of such symbols - as long as they are Catholic, that
is.
The Chairman of the Italian Islamic Union, Adel Smith, has stirred
up a hornet's nest - not for the first time - by insisting that
the crucifix be removed from the wall of the classroom where
two of his daughters study. A judge in L'Aquila agrees, and
the girls can now carry on their lessons in peace. The sentence
was to the effect that no symbols of any particular religion
should be displayed in a state school.
Not everyone agrees thought. The Education Minister says he
has absolutely no intention of organising a nationwide collection
of school crucifixes and he reserves the right to appeal in
the courts against the judge's decision. The law by which the
Catholic symbols appear on school walls dates from the 1920s,
but has never been revoked. Not even in 1929, when the Vatican
and the Italian government signed an agreement by which, among
other things, Italy ceased being officially Catholic.
The Catholic bishops are fuming: "It is a state law in
force", they reminded anyone who would listen. Prime Minister
Berlusconi's Forza Italia party commented: "Parliament
should intervene immediately to re-establish popular and democratic
sovereignty. The sentence offends the basic values of our history,
culture and national identity."
Adel Smith is no stranger to controversy. Last year on a live
television debate about race and religion, he stood up and punched
his interviewer. A few years earlier he complained about the
crucifix in his children's school and the Headmaster removed
it to keep him happy. However, the rest of the pupils' parents
complained and it was put back. There have been other cases
too in Italy: a nurse in Milan refused to go to work because
there was a cross on the hospital wall, while a schoolteacher
removed a crucifix out of sensitivity on the first day a Muslim
pupil attended, but again the rest of the parents complained
and it was soon back in its place.
---Last year, the Education Ministry suggested a room be kept
in each school, free of any religious symbols, where non-Catholics
could go and pray.
Source: EL PERIÓDICO. Editing: ACPress.net
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Meltdown
in Patagonia
Buenos Aires, November 3rd,
2003 (ACPress.net).
Melting rates in the
Patagonian glaciers in southern Chile and Argentina have accelerated
in recent years due to the rise in temperatures, lower snowfall
and the rapid break-up of icebergs.
American satellites have detected a reduction in the icefields
in South America which doubled between 1995 and 2000 in comparison
with earlier measurements. The two fields cover an area of 17,000
square kilometres and include 63 glaciers. Some flow into the
ocean, others into mountain lakes. Investigators estimate that
glaciers are losing the equivalent of 41.68 cubic kilometres
of ice a year. This means that the Patagonian glaciers are putting
an immense amount of water into the sea in comparison with other,
much larger, icefields.
Source: Agencias. Editing: ACPress.net
New
edition of Bible Dictionary published
Guatemala, November 3rd, 2003
(ACPress.net).
The publication of the
second, revised edition of Certeza's New Bible Dictionary in
June this year is the culmination of three year's cooperation
between three Hispanic publishers - Andamio (Spain), Lámpara
(Bolivia) and Certeza (Argentina) - and marks a high point in
the production of Christian literature in Spanish.
In its first edition the dictionary was recognised as one of
the most complete dictionaries in Spanish. The second edition,
coming after 3 years hard work including revision, translation
and adaptation, is even more complete than the first. The Executive
Committee of United Certeza (comprising representatives of the
three publishers involved) met recently in Guatemala and confirmed
its policy of publishing important works for the Hispanic world
under the trademark of United Certeza (UC).
UC combines the three Hispanic publishing houses connected to
the international student movement, IFES (International Fellowship
of Evangelical Students) through their respective national bodies.
Their aim is also to strengthen the work of the individual publishers.
Source & Editing: ACPress.net
Call for responsible approach
to sexuality in Peru
Lima, November 3rd, 2003 (Alc/ACPress.net).
Faced with a government
initiative to distribute contraceptives in secondary schools
as part of a plan to prevent the spread of sexually-transmitted
diseases, especially Aids, the evangelical association 'Peace
and Hope' (PH) says the problem cannot be resolved merely through
such isolated measures.
PH agrees that the state has a responsibility to intervene in
the social problems that affect the health of the nation, such
as unwanted pregnancies or sexually-transmitted diseases. However,
it believes such problems require an integral approach including
education about taking responsible sexual decisions, rather
than merely throwing condoms at them. PH recognises the effectiveness
of contraceptives, but thinks the approach should be broader.
A condom reduces the risk of pregnancy and the spread of contagious
diseases, but it does not eliminate the risks completely, nor
does it modify a person's sexual conduct.
If a teenager is given a condom and told it is safe, all this
achieves is to make them feel completely secure and so encourage
them to expose themselves to further risk. PH call for better
sex education from the later stages of Primary School, and for
parents to be helped to educate their children more effectively
with regard to sexual ethics and others of similar importance.
PH also asks that families are neither condemning nor indifferent
towards their children's sexuality, and calls on the Press to
deal with the subject responsibly, and not in a sensationalist
fashion.
The PH statement concludes with a call to the Peruvian people
"to consider the principles for life that Jesus taught.
God desires that we live life to the full. This of course includes
the development of responsible and pure sexuality based on solid
values and principles."
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
The Army takes to the streets
in Cuba
Havana, November 3rd, 2003
(Alc/ACPress.net).
About 700 members of
the Salvation Army marched through the streets of the Cuban
capital to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the organisation's
presence on the island.
The march began at the Army's headquarters in Havana, in Marianao
district, and ended at the William Booth Old People's Home where
a celebratory Conference was held. Apart from Salvation Army
leaders, among the participants was Dora Bell, representing
the government, Reinerio Arce, Chairman of the Cuban Council
of Churches, and Alejandro Nieto, Chairman of the Evangelical
League.
The Conference was chaired by Robin and Shona Forsyth, Territorial
Chairman of Feminine Ministries in the region, and Lieutenant-Colonel
David and Martha Mothershed, from the Southern United States
branch. Delegates from all over Cuba joined in a diverse programme
of events including worship, youth programmes, the enrolment
of new soldiers and meetings where important decisions were
made about the future of the Salvation Army in Cuba.
Founded in London in 1878 by William Booth, the Salvation Army
combines Gospel preaching with intensive social work. One of
its main distinguishing features is its 'Penitents' Pew', in
which it puts new converts in the front row so they can tell
everyone present how God has worked in them, and they confess
their sins publicly. The Salvation Army does not consider the
sacraments necessary for salvation - in this they are, of course,
in line with all evangelicals - but do not even practise baptism,
which sets them apart. It makes them hard to pin down; are they
a church, or not?
They have a manual which sets down the rules of the Army, and
are best known for their street bands playing hymns, and their
military hierarchy - stretching from General down to Private,
passing through Brigadier, Captain and Lieutenant. The Conference
in Havana finished with a 'holiness meeting' in which the hosts
gave thanks to God for being able to hold the meeting and expressed
their hope that the Salvation Army might continue to bring God's
Word of hope and physical help to the needy, in Cuba.
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
Large Bible consignment
arrives in Cuba
Havana, November 3rd, 2003
(Alc/ACPress.net).
A significant consignment
of Bibles has arrived in Cuba as part of a donation by the Bible
Society and other evangelical organisations, and is already
being distributed among churches on the island.
The copies of the Holy Scriptures come mainly from South Korea,
Colombia and Brazil, and there is other Christian literature,
including Sunday School material and Bible commentaries for
pastors. Castro's regime has allowed large Bible consignments
into Cuba for about the last 20 years, easing Customs regulations
for their entry. Even in the 1970s, when church-state relations
were at an all-time low, the flow slowed but never dried up
completely.
Distribution of the Bibles is supervised by the Bible Commission
of the Cuban Council of Churches, who also organised the importation
of 100,000 Study Bibles at the time of the Pope's visit, and
again for the Cuban Evangelical Celebration in 1999. The Bibles
are handed out proportionately, according to the number of members
in a denomination. The first Sunday in December is celebrated
as Bible Day, and at a special service in Havana, Christians
will give thanks that God's Word is reaching every corner of
their country.
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
Pastor shot dead in Chiapas,
Mexico
Mexico. November 3rd, 2003
(AP/ACPress.net).
A Pentecostal minister
was shot dead in an ambush of his car in the latest case of
religious violence in this troubled region of southern Mexico.
Police found the body of Mariano Díaz, an indigenous
tzotzil, in his car which had fallen into a ditch by the side
of a road in San Juan Chamula, a village whose population is
mainly Catholic. There have been numerous murders and clashes
in this area since the 1960s, where local Catholics have often
attacked evangelicals, murdering some and forcing others to
flee their homes.
State investigators and police tried to take the pastor's body,
which had been hit by two bullets, to carry out an autopsy,
but villagers prevented them from doing so. Cultural customs
there do not allow autopsies. Two empty cartridges from an assault
rifle were found near the car. Earlier this year, an indigenous
woman was stoned to death by a mob who accused her of practising
witchcraft.
Source: AP Editing: ACPress.net
President
of Ecuador turns up at evangelistic meeting
Guayaquil, November 3rd, 2003
(Alc/ACPress.net).
The President of Ecuador,
Colonel Lucío Gutiérrez, unexpectedly turned up
at the Model Stadium of Guayaquil where more than 40,000 evangelicals
from all over the country had gathered to hear the Puerto Rican
preacher, Yiye Avila.
Avila is one of the biggest crowd-pullers in Latin America and
is currently on an evangelistic tour of Ecuador. President Gutiérrez,
46, who came to office last January, attended the meeting accompanied
by MP Renán Borbúa and the provincial Governor,
Alberto Merchán, and a full security contingent. During
the meeting he received a Bible from Avila.
The President raised the Bible in his hands and read 2 Chronicles
1:10 where King Solomon asks God: "Give me wisdom and knowledge,
that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this
great people of yours?" Afterwards, prompted by the preacher,
Gutiérrez spoke to the crowd and asked them 'Who lives?'
'Christ', they replied in unison. 'Glory to His name.'
Despite the applause this produced, some were unhappy with the
President's participation and whistled. Avila reproached them
and called for greater respect to be shown to their President.
"You chose him to be President. Instead of criticising
you should pray that he fulfils his role in the best way.' His
comments met with more applause. Avila prayed for Gutiérrez
and asked God to help him govern with wisdom, before the President
left without stopping to speak to the Press.
Evangelical leaders at the meeting said: "It is our responsibility
to continue praying for our authorities and especially for our
President, that the Lord gives him wisdom, surrounds him with
the right people and gives him courage to take wise decisions
which will benefit our country. But especially that salvation
will reach his life and continue the restoration of his family
life."
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
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Christians
still lost among the Jewish booths
Jerusalem, November 4th, 2003
(Iglesia.net/ACPress.net).
More than 10,000 people
joined the annual Jerusalem March which ended with a colourful
parade through the streets of the Israeli capital. The occasion
was the Sukkot (Booths) celebration, and many Christians were
among the participants, eager to show their support for the
Jews.
The March happens every year during the Feast of Tabernacles,
or Sukkot, which was the third designated in Old Testament times
for the people of Israel to keep. Since Jesus Christ came to
Earth and 'tabernacled' among us (John 1:14) however, the Feast
has been obsolete for Christians.
Source: Iglesia.net. Editing:
ACPress.net
American tattoo boom
Madrid, November 4th, 2003
(Afp/ACPress.net).
Tattoos are all the rage
in the USA currently.
A pretty picture, a message of love or a sage thought....whatever
the content of the tattoo, American youngsters are crowding
in at the local tattoo house to have one. It is estimated that
36% of American youngsters have been tattooed at least once.
Not even ear or lip-rings, dental jewels or other bodily attachments
can match the joys of a tattoo, apparently.
In total, around 45 million Americans have a tattoo, which is
16% of the population. Bob Wilson, a tattoist for the last 16
years in a mainly rural area of the USA, says that there are
5 tattoo shops every 10 miles, with several artists available
at each one. A city like Tucson, with a population of 750,000,
officially has 32 tattoo establishments, but there are certain
to be twice as many.
What has caused the huge growth in the tattoo industry? Improved
hygiene is a factor, governed by rules put out by the American
Red Cross, and also the sophisticated materials used, offering
up to 80 different colours. Local authorities have also played
a part; New York State only legalised tattooing in 1997, after
a 36-year-old ban due to a hepatitis outbreak. And why do people
get tattooed? 34% feel 'sexier' with one, 29% feel more rebellious,
and - wait for it - 5% feel 'more intelligent'.
Source: AFP. Editing: ACPress.net
The not-so-noble Nobel prizes
Madrid, November 4th, 2003
(20M/ACPress.net).
Every year at the Sanders
Theatre at Harvard University in the USA, awards are presented
to things 'which cannot or should not be reproduced', and they
follow the Nobel prize categories.
This year ten prizes have been awarded. The Engineering award
went to the 1949 inventors of Murphy's Law, which states that
if something can go wrong, it will. If there are two ways of
doing something, but one ends up in a catastrophe, you can be
sure someone will do it that way.
The Physics prize went to the Australian investigators for their
work in analysing how much strength was required to drag a sheep
over different surfaces, which was published in the magazine,
'Applied Ergonomics.' A group from University College, London,
carried off the Medicine trophy for their work in proving that
London taxi-drivers have better developed brains than the rest
of their compatriots. Yet perhaps the biggest surprise is that
this research was published in the prestigious scientific magazine:
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Two psychologists from Rome and Stanford (USA) Universities
respectively took the honours in their specialist field for
research published in 'Nature' magazine entitled: 'The exceptionally
simple personalities of politicians.' The Chemistry award went
to Japan and to Yukio Hirose from Kanazwa University for his
contribution to humanity in studying the chemical reasons why
pigeons did not settle on a particular bronze statue in his
home city. Mind you, it could be useful information for Councils
around the world. Watch out, a bronze statue could be going
up somewhere near you.
The Literature Prize went to John Trinkaus, from Zicklin Business
School in the USA, for his meticulous study - running to more
than 80 articles - on anomalies of daily life such as the percentage
of youngsters who wear baseball gloves back to front, or wear
white trainers as opposed to ones of a different colour, or
the percentage of people who exceed the maximum number of goods
permitted through a quick check-out counter at the supermarket.
Useful things like that.
In Economics, the prize has gone to a country, Liechtenstein,
because it is possible to hire it - the whole place! - for conventions,
weddings and other functions. And finally, the Peace prize went
to Lal Bihari, from India, for remaining active even when declared
legally dead, for directing a campaign against inept bureaucracy
and covetous relatives, and for setting up the Association of
Dead People.
By way of a postscript, one should mention that the Inter-Disciplinary
award went to researchers from Stockholm University who came
up with the impressive conclusion from their work that 'chickens
prefer good-looking humans'! It certainly makes a change from
the meaningless, politically-correct awards given out in Oslo
each year.
Source: 20M. Editing: ACPress.net
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