Cuban journalist argues for Church transparency

Quito, June 30th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
While some church leaders prefer to keep internal problems and corruption quiet, a Cuban journalist recommends complete transparency so that the Church does not lose credibility in society.

Alejandro Querejeta, Sub-Editor on the 'La Hora' newspaper and a Baptist Church member, says many leaders believe journalists should only publish news which is edifying and casts the Church in a good light. They think the Press should ignore the corruption and other problems because this damages the image of the Church. Querejeta made the observations in a talk at at Communications Conference in the Ecuadorian capital organised by the Latin American and Caribbean Press Agency (ALC).

The event brought together about 30 editors, church communications directors and Christian journalists from across the continent. Querejeta argued that those who wanted "constructive journalism" were hiding the painful part of the reality of church life. He did not think this had been beneficial, historically, for the Church. He quoted his Cuban compatriot, José Marti, who in 1882 said: "If we avoid resolving a problem whose resolution could bring bad things, we only leave a harvest of bad things to our children."

The Cuban journalist defended investigative Christian journalism which told the whole truth about church life, as well as analytical comment upon it. He said that in recent years, there had been church leaders who had fallen into embezzlement, sexual harassment, adultery and domestic violence, yet this information had been kept quiet so as not to damage the Church. Such an approach, argued Quejerjeta, removed moral authority from the Church.

Though the rain may have kept some away, Ramírez considered that "we have made a great effort to mobilise the Church and show the awakening that there has been among God's people" in Colombia. There were representatives of various denominations and delegations from different parts of the country, as well as the Christian press. The event concluded with praise, worship and prayers for the overcoming of denominational barriers, as well as intercession for peace in the country.

Milwaukee, USA. June 30th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Three Methodist ministers from Wisconsin, USA, were given heavy fines by the American authorities for having visited Cuba to develop relations with the Methodist Church on the island.

Each pastor will have to pay the American government around 25,000 euros because they were part of a delegation which went to Cuba, via Canada, in 1999. Washington says they did not request official permission which is necessary due to the blockade on Cuba, which has been strengthened under President Bush. A Methodist spokesman said "the punishments go against religious freedom and are discriminatory." The fines are backdated to the trip five years ago. The lawyer defending the ministers, Art Heitzer, said his clients made the trip for humanitarian reasons, a purpose allowed by the White House at that time.

The current government has tried to tighten up on visits to Cuba by North American citizens and fine those who have travelled there. Last month at least one American has been sent to prison for doing "business with the enemy", and another three have been charged. June 30th sees the introduction of more anti-Cuban measures designed to bring down the Socialist system on the island. These include preventing Cuban-Americans from visiting Cuba, as well as American humanitarian trips.

Cecilia Holland, 27, boarded a minibus at Badr Gardens to travel to her home in the suburb of Haj Yousif on the evening on 13th April when she was arrested for not wearing the hijab. About 10 police forced the bus to stop and dragged her from it. She was modestly dressed in long sleeves and an ankle-length skirt, but her hair was uncovered in Khartoum temperatures of 100-105 degrees F (37-41°C).

The group of policemen forced her into their vehicle, striking her in the process. Four other women were already inside. When seven more had been arrested they were taken to a police station and held overnight. The next morning Cecilia was taken to Sizana Islamic Court where the Muslim policemen testified against her. She was not allowed to make any kind of statement or speak in her own defence. She was accused of "standing near a garden at night" and not wearing a scarf on her head. They also misrepresented Cecilia by stating that she was "jobless", refusing to register her employment. She is a catering officer for a local non-governmental organisation and holds a diploma in catering from Khartoum Applied Sciences College. Cecilia is one of more than two million non-Muslim southerners in and around the capital Khartoum who have been displaced as a result of the 21-year-long civil war between the mainly Arab Muslim North and the mainly African Christian and animist South, who rebelled when the government tried to impose Islamic law on them.

The Islamic court declared Cecilia guilty and sentenced her to 40 lashes on the back and fined her 10,000 dinars (about £28), equivalent to one third of her monthly salary. She was released that afternoon after being whipped and paying the fine. Earlier in April, the government had renewed its insistence that all Sudanese citizens residing in Khartoum would be under shari'a (Islamic law). Cecilia has a European grandparent and therefore has paler skin and longer hair than most southern Sudanese. While the police may have initially mistaken her for an Arab Muslim, her name and accent should have proved her Christian and southern Sudanese identity to them. However, the police told her that no-one, "not even a non-Muslim" was exempt from the Islamic dress code.

Toronto, July 1st, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Archbishops representing more than half of all Anglicans around the world have called for the expulsion of the Canadian Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion over its support for homosexual relationships.

22 Primates representing 50 million out of a world total of 77 million Anglicans made the statement. Archbishop Gregory Venables said the recent decision by the Canadian Church to confirm the 'integrity and sanctity of gay relationships between adults' was "re-writing the Christian faith. The use of the term 'sanctity' (applied to homosexual relationships) means the decision is final, and this is unacceptable." Venables heads the Anglican Church in six countries in South America.

Strangely enough, the Canadian Church stopped short of authorising same-sex blessings, but still caused a scandal and an outcry within Anglicanism for its heretical stand. Venables warned that the Church could split on this issue and called for the Canadian Church, along with the American Episcopal Church which appointed a homosexual bishop last year, to be expelled forthwith.

New York, July 1st, 2004 (ACPress.net).
In the light of the earlier article about fines dished out by the American authorities to three Methodist pastors for visiting Cuba, a report to issue from New York condemning religious persecution in the world seems rather like the pot calling the kettle black. There is more than a whiff of hypocrisy in one nation telling others what to do, when it does not practise it itself. Yet this does not take away from the awful reality of Christian suffering in many parts of the world.

In recent weeks, there have been various cases of murder, torture and lynching involving Christian victims, such as the two Pakistani youngsters murdered on the instigation of Islamic imams. The American Commission on Religious Liberty seeks to identify governments guilty of systematic violation of basic religious rights. In February this year, the Commission recommemded that 11 nations be placed on a blacklist of "special concern."

Six of them are new to the list: Eritrea, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. They join five old offenders ­ Burma, China, North Korea, Iran and Sudan. Countries under observation in this area include Nigeria, Egypt, Indonesia and Uzbekistan, countries where Christians are also suffering greatly. Belarus, Georgia and Cuba have also been added to the 'observation' category.

Religious violence against non-Hindus in India continues unabated while a new law in Turkmenistan virtually bans all religous activity, and calls for the death penalty for those who engage in "illegal religious worship." The Vietnamese government continues its campaign to stamp out Christianity, while Christians and other non-Muslims are arrested, tortured and degraded by the Saudi Arabian authorities. A similar story can be told regarding China, where torture and other kinds of abuse of religious prisoners is common. Long sentences in forced labour camps remain the norm.

New York, July 1st, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Billy Graham's comment on hearing of the passing of ex-American President, Ronald Reagan's Christian faith was "deeper than that of most people."

A recent book entitled "God and Ronald Reagan: Aspiritual life", written by Paul Kengor, sought to investigate the faith of the man, who together with Margaret Thatcher, is credited with bringing the Cold War to an end. Reagan's mother was Protestant and he certainly had sincere faith in Jesus. Kengor says it was frequently ridiculed when Reagan was in office. "For me personally it has been an emotive experience to discover and help to highlight this little-known side of Reagan; a side which the President would have liked to have been recognised."

Michael Reagan, Ronald's son, says Kengor's conclusions are right. Reagan enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Church, he himself being an Anglican. He shared many ethical ideas with evangelicals, including his opposition to abortion. Conservative evangelicals have perhaps been the most loyal sector of Republicanism since Reagan's time. Reagan referred to God frequently, both publicly and in private, and when he returned to the White House after recovering from an assassination attempt, said: "Whatever happens from now on, I owe my life to God and I shall serve Him in every way I can."