Castellón, January 3rd, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The main theatre in the coastal city of Castellón played host to the recent Centenary celebrations of the Seventh-Day Adventist movement, a meeting also organised with the aim of raising funds for the needy, especially in Iraq

The Adventists, associate members of Ferede and who call themselves a 'church', began working in Spain in 1903, and their origins internationally go back to the late 18th century. The meeting include piano recitals, solos and choral pieces. The two countries with most Adventists are Russia (129,541) and Rumania (73,097), respectively. The traditional opinion among evangelicals is that the Adventists are not an evangelical movment, due to unorthodox views they hold on various points of doctrine

Barcelona, January 3rd, 2003 (ACPress.net).
Mohamed Kamal Mostafa, the Islamic imam of Fuengirola, who is on trial for publishing a book containing advice to husbands on where to hit their wives without leaving bruises, defends his position on the teaching of the Koran.

Kamal admitted that he wrote about 'punishing' women in his book 'Women and Islam', but that he was merely 'modernising' the Koran in the views expressed there. He said his opinions had been misunderstood, but added that what he has said is no different from what "the prophet said 14 centuries ago." Kamal is accused of discriminating against women, and could face up to 3 years in prison. He says his book merely follows the Sunna, a book of Koranic interpretation, and that he wanted to limit that interpretation, "because in the Islamic world, men kill women."

Kamal tried to justify himself by saying that no Muslim may deny the Koran, "because that would be heresy." At another point in the trial, he said "My view is different", recalling the case of author Salman Rushdie, who is on the wanted list in Islamic countries for allegedly insulting Islam. 1,668 copies of the book were published; 1,500 went to the mosque in Fuengirola, 128 to the Islamic Centre in Madrid, and 40 stayed in Barcelona. Publisher Mohwafak Kanfach, when asked if he would print a second edition, said only if the case was resolved satisfactorily. After the book caused such controversy, Kanfach included a 3-page explanation with each copy of the book.

Kamal, 43, has been the imam in Fuengirola for a number of years, and an advisor for the Islamic Federation in Spain. The prosecution pointed out that this made him a man of influence and spiritual leadership in his community, thus increasing his sense of responsibility. Kamal said he had written 17 books related to Islam which have been used in 14 Muslim schools in southern Spain. He also appointed all 23 teachers in those schools, all of them women, something which confirmed the suspicion that he wields great influence in the Islamic community there.

He claimed his book was written for women in an attempt to modernise the Koran, and also that "Islam has given women more rights than other schools of thought." He did not elaborate as to which ones these might be. Marial Cabezo, Chairman of Inshallah Cultural Association, said the book did not reflect the position of women in Islam, as "the prophet never justified violence", and said the book could encourage physical abuse.

Madrid, January 7th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
According to an article in the web magazine, 'Protestante Digital' by pastor Manuel de León, the building-centred church is not meeting the needs of a society infected by religious indifference and a resurgent interest in magic and the supernatural.

.León says "Religion and society have gone their separate ways, and a church centred on its building does not seem to solve the problems which exist outside its walls. The rejection of God has left humanity unworried, and God without prophets." León believes that the Reformation which led to the freeing of the conscience, the re-evaluation of personal values, and to modernity, has not always developed in a social sense. "Sometimes Christianity has considered contemplation more important than action, theory instead of practice. The Kingdom of God has been seen as a kingdom in heaven which distracts men from making an effort to improve life on earth."

León blames, in part, what he sees as the excessive professionalisation of the clergy where the minister does everything and is often controlled by the all-powerful denomination, not that different from the case in the Catholic Church. So he asks if we realise that all of us are ambassadors and servants, and not just the pastors. Has God ended up without prophets? No, he has left us His Word.

Seville, January 7th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The government has given its verdict on the current debate in France about the use of the Islamic veil in schools and other public buildings. As French experts recommend new legislation to ban religious symbols from schools, the Spanish Education Minister, Pilar del Castillo, agrees that such symbols should be removed but does not think a new law is necessary.

In France people are talking in terms of 'attempts at de-stabilising the Republic' which, if a handful of religious symbols can do that, suggests they ought to follow the example of their neighbour to the south and bring back the monarchy quick! Despite Castillo's claims that symbols are not a problem in Spain, not all evangelical pupils or parents would agree. School governors can vote such symbols out but many remain on the questionable basis that 'the majority are in favour' of their remaining. Evangelical and other non-Catholic pupils have suffered discrimination, especially in the past.

Muslims have also called for crucifixes to be removed from state schools, on the basis of the officially lay nature of the Spanish state. The Education Minister said it was better not to have religious symbols where there were more than one religious group represented at a school, even though she pointed out that Catholics still formed the immense majority.

There are around 300,000 foreign pupils in Spanish schools, almost half of them in Primary School. There have been a handful of cases where girls refused to attend class unless allowed to wear a veil, but as yet no official policy on how to deal with this situation. Respecting the beliefs of immigrants is the line taken in Andalusia. Muslim women living in Spain have complained that people have the wrong idea about Islam, and that in wearing a veil they are freely exercising a right guaranteed in the Constitution. If teenagers can go to school with ear-rings or tattoos, why not veils, they argue. The debate is merely beginning.

Will we finally see the removal of Marian statues and crucifixes from our schools?

Barcelona, January 7th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Christmas is becoming less popular among a quarter of people between the ages of 20 and 50, according to research carried out by Euro Net Research, which also shows that interest has only grown in 12% of those interviewed. 11% say outright that they do not like Christmas.

The majority of those interviewed said they did not like the prolongation of the festive season, with adverts starting ever earlier in the year, lights switched on and shop-windows dressed 'for the season' well before the big day is even in sight. 30% are against the season being lengthened, and a further 28% are unhappy about it. As for when Spaniards give their family presents, 43% opt for Epiphany, 28% for Christmas and 22% are happy to go either way. 4% choose alternative dates: when?, one wonders. February 29th?

Many people find shopping at Christmas time stressful (some of us find it stressful at any time of year!), including 47% of men and 31% of women. However, before you dismiss the new generation of Spaniards as a miserable bunch of Scrooges, 36% of men and 61% of women find Christmas shopping fun. Whoopee!

Strasbourg, January 7th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Mauricio Turco, a Euro MP, has filed two complaints with the European Union at the preferential fiscal treatment the Catholic Church receives in Spain and Portugal, "in detriment to Community rights."

Turco claims that Spain and Portugal are violating E.U. rules on tax harmonisation by granting the Catholic Church exemption from VAT when that organisation is not on the approved list. These fiscal benefits date from special accords made by each government with the Vatican. In the case of Spain, this exemption includes the purchase of goods to be used in worship. Apparently, the European Union wrote letters to both governments between 1989 and 1991 about the infringement, but never sent them! Turco also accuses the Commission of failing in its duty to protect the E.U. Treaty, by filing the letters.

Turco quite rightly accuses them of having done so for political reasons "which is very dangerous for the democratic process within the E.U., itself ever more fragile." Before applauding too loudly at the MP's  initiative, it would be interesting to know whether any of the exemptions enjoyed by evangelicals may also be in the firing line.

Madrid, January 7th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The net is closing in, and not just in distant Strasbourg. The Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, says his Council plans to purchase or take over land owned by the Catholic Church in the centre of the Spanish capital.

Surprise and indignation reign in episcopal corridors. The move puts the huge real-estate assets owned by the Catholic Church in the public eye at a time when its image has suffered in society at large and when many Catholics have stopped contributing to it through their tax returns. Archbishop Rouco has never felt comfortable with Gallardón. Whilst his predecessor made much of his Catholic faith, Gallardón is one of those who think that one's personal faith should remain in the private sphere of one's life, and not be brought into the public domain.

TeleMadrid is one of the few stations not to grant the Catholic Church free air-time (under Gallardón's chairmanship of the Madrid region), while the first agreement signed with a religious group by the regional assembly while chaired by Gallardón was with the Evangelical Council of Madrid.

The Madrid diocese does not want it widely known how much land it owns. It is directly or indirectly responsible for around 5,000 religious buildings in the capital. 468 churches, more than 1,000 flats for priests, 1,092 convents and monasteries, and many other buildings such as schools and centres. The majority of them are located in central Madrid.

Madrid, January 7th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The new Catholic R.E. syllabus, which comes into force in September, will include work on divorce, the purpose of sexuality, genetic manipulation, abortion, euthanasia, self-defence, the death penalty, drugs and alcoholism, according to a government bulletin just published.

Pupils will be able to choose between confessional R.E. and a general Religion class. The aim of Catholic R.E. classes will be to give pupils an understanding of the meaning of life. Religion classes will become compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 17, while it will remain optional in Infants. Other subjects in the Catholic syllabus include: God, Jesus Christ, statues, festivals, sin, and man in a broken relationship from God, himself and others. The miracles of Jesus, and a study of other religions is also on the syllabus.

Secondary School pupils will study the purpose of sexuality, looking at marriage in terms of commitment, faithfulness and the procreation of children. They will also cover topics such as divorce and those mentioned earlier, as well as 'religion in the Constitution', 'faith vs atheism, agnosticism and indifference', and 'church-state relationships.' Infants classes (3-6-year-olds) would cover topics such as 'the sexual difference between boys and girls as a gift from God', 'love of Jesus Christ', 'dialogue with God' and 'expressions of thanks and joy for belonging to a family.'

Left-wing parties and lay parents' groups are up in arms that a non-confessional state allows such topics as divorce and sexuality to be taught in confessional R.E. classes, clearly because they do not agree with what is being taught about them. They take issue with the title 'Divorce and its problems'. The Socialist Party criticises the fact that children will be taught that divorce is wrong, even though the state allows it as legal. The Department of Education pointed out that the Catholic Church already taught on these issues when the Socialists were in power. Furthermore, in those days there was not an alternative Religion class as in offer now.

In fact, a major battle is being fought for the soul of the nation, between those who do not want any ethical absolutes taught to children, and those who want to teach that there is a right and wrong on matters of sexuality, marriage and the family. Evangelicals will not always find it easy to know with whom to align themselves, but they need to be thinking through the issues as a matter of some urgency.