San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico.
July 20th, 2004 (ACPress.net).   The religious monopoly once imposed on much of Latin America has long since disintegrated, and a recent meeting in the conflict-ridden state of Chiapas addressed the issue of religious diversification.

The 10th Congress of the Latin American Religious Studies Association (ALER) chose the experts to tackle the subject with as much care as the location of the conference. Chiapas has been the scene of much persecution of indigenous evangelicals by radical Catholic land-owners in recent years. The Mexican government was also represented at the Congress. In her opening address, Chairman Carolina Rivera, said predictions of secularism had been proved very wrong. While it is true that secularisation is increasing, there is also a revival of religious belief in much of Latin America.

In Chiapas itself, Rivera reminded the Congress that non-Catholic religious alternatives had been present there for more than 100 years, despite that in academic and Press circles it continues to be taken for granted that Protestantism arrived there in the 1930s with translators and missionaries from the Summer Institute of Linguists. Yet there is clear evidence which shows that Protestantism was extant in parts of Chiapas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, 40 to 50 years before American missionaries arrived. Yet even today, there are people who will not tolerate the conversion of a person from Catholicism to a different belief, such as evangelical Christianity, and that some who do convert are subjected to all kinds of rejection by family and society.

San Leopoldo, July 20th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Although they are often considered two subjects impossible to reconcile, the relationship between faith and psycho-therapy helps to understand the anxiety which affects people, according to German theologian and therapist Eugen Drewermann, who also says that Freud incorporated some of Jesus' ideas into his teaching.

Edmund Freud, the German founder of psycho-analysis, highlighted important parts of the message of Jesus, according to Drewermann, who was speaking at a Symposium on Counselling and Pastoral Psychology in Brazil recently. He claims that bourgeoisie ethics is based on faulty premises, namely that freedom exists to do good or to do evil. Drawing on the example of Jesus, Drewermann said that morality outside Jesus only serves to understand and describe symptoms, but without the slightest power to bring about a cure.

In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus invites everybody without making any moral distinctions. This attitude represents an extended hand, capable of overcoming differences and frontiers. However, the person who does not feel poor in spirit perceives Jesus' invitation as a threat, said Drewermann, arguing that "we can only be good with the grace we experience."

Quoting the apostle John that only the truth can set us free, the German theologian added that psycho-therapy can "take each person by the hand and lead them to the formation of their personality." This requires trust, as it is impossible for one to accept the other if he judges, manipulates or corrects him. Psycho-therapy seeks the causes of human affliction through full trust, and opening the door to a person's past can be useful in this regard. Given the choice between the Gospel and psycho-therapy, it is not hard to choose.

Rio de Janeiro, July 20th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Evangelical pastor and local Councillor Joao Monteiro de Castro was murdered on the day the campaign officially began for municipal elections across Brazil which are scheduled for October.

Police in Rio de Janeiro said that although robbery has not been ruled out as a possible motive, they are also looking at whether politics or revenge were behind the killing. De Castro, 70, was standing for re-election as a Councillor for the Liberal Front Party, a post he has held since winning in the 2000 election. He was shot in the chest while travelling in a specially reinforced vehicle, together with his daughter, who suffered bullet wounds to the face.

Nyala, Sudan. July 21st, 2004 (ACPress.net).
«Action by Churches Together (ACT) International» and «Caritas Internationalis» have joined forces to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur Province in western Sudan. The two groups represent Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic churches.

A communiqué from the newly-formed joint action committee, ACDER, said "it is the first time two global networks have worked together to give a truly ecumenical response to the needs of the population of Darfur." Two rebel groups have been engaged in fierce fighting with the Sudanese government in the area since February 2003. Their grievance is that the regime in Khartoum has abandoned them ­ they are mainly black tribes ­ to the horrors of Arab militias who have been murdering, raping and enslaving tribespeople for years.

It is estimated that more than 20,000 people have died, a million are internally displaced and a further 160,000 have fled to Chad, where Caritas is helping 30,000 refugees. In Darfur, ACT is working with 67,000 homeless people. ACDER has an 18-month plan which it hopes will be long enough for people to be able to return to their homes. However, the most pressing problem ­ even more than food ­ is safety. The aid workers can hand out food but they cannot offer protection. Up to a million people could be at risk, both from militias and the lack of food.

Cairo, July 21st, 2004 (ACPress.net).
A 17-year-old Christian girl has disappeared from her family for a second time two months after she was abducted and held overnight by Muslim men, whilst local police blocked her return to her family.

On Tuesday 2nd June, a Christian girl (name withheld) disappeared in Egypt. Her family, who have endured a horrific ordeal since she was abducted in April are now completely devastated. The family were from a district of Cairo and the local police had not only refused to protect her on previous occasions but are also believed to have aided her abductors.

During her initial abduction she reports that she was sexually abused and drugged in order to manipulate her. A cross tattoo on her hand was forcibly removed. Her abductors tried to force her to convert to Islam, and one now claims to be her husband. Egyptian law specifically forbids the marriage of a girl under 21 without her parents' consent. It is also illegal to convert a Christian girl under the age of 18. Despite these facts, the local police have supported her abductors and intimidated her family, blocking their every effort to get her back.

The earlier abduction took place on Tuesday 6th April 2004. The Christian girl had left her house that afternoon with her savings pass book and some money. About 10 p.m. that night her parents reported her disappearance to the police. The family suspected a local Muslim man because their daughter had previously complained of harassment by him, and they mentioned this to the police. When brought in for questioning the suspect admitted to having her money, saying she had given it to him.

Throughout the ordeal, the local police were uncooperative with the family, if not abusive. On Wednesday 7th April a number of local Muslim leaders, including a local Member of Parliament, were seen at the police station showing their support for keeping the girl away from her family. The police eventually told her parents they could collect her at 5 p.m., with no explanation of her current whereabouts. They returned but were not permitted to take their daughter home until midnight. During these seven hours they were intimidated and were not allowed to see their daughter, while the local Muslim leaders reportedly had access to her. The suspects were released in time to organise further abuse outside.

As the family finally drove home their car was struck apparently intentionally by another vehicle and they had to return to the police station. The police refused to document the incident, but the girl was kept in detention another night, ostensibly for her protection. In reality it appears, her captors wanted another opportunity to pressurise her into refusing to rejoin her family. The police made it difficult for them to reclaim her again the next day, 8th April.

The Christian girl has related how she had been influenced by the suspects for two years. For example, they threatened that her family would come to harm if she did not leave them. The suspects have never been charged. Late on 8 April the family took refuge in another location and on 14 April they had to leave Cairo altogether.

This case shows an unbelievable disregard for the rights of children and the institution of the family. It also shows a complete disregard for law by some Egyptian police and the prejudice with which they treat minorities, particularly Christians. However, it is not an isolated case. This case highlights a very serious issue in Egypt. Unfortunately, the forced conversion of young Christian girls in Egypt is a recurring theme. Many methods are used, from intimidation and pressure to a quick underage marriage as the 'honourable' conclusion to a rape for which no one is charged.

Typically, almost as soon as she is away from her family and in the hands of a Muslim man, a Christian girl is treated as though she has officially converted and needs to be protected from her parents. An official conversion may not have been registered, since it is illegal to convert a child under 18, but she is kept from her family nevertheless. Christians who have gone to the police to report a missing girl or to receive information about her are then treated as criminals themselves. They are considered second-class citizens who would try to harm her or force her to reconvert to Christianity.

Under Egyptian law it is illegal to marry a girl under the age of 21 without her parents' consent. Yet marriage following a rape is seen to "legitimise" an underage marriage, no matter that the rapist and the groom are usually one and the same person. Police in Egypt would be very quick to prosecute a man who had abducted a Muslim girl under 18. Yet time and time again members of the Egyptian police have overlooked and sometimes even aided Muslim men in stealing Christian girls from their families and abusing them in the name of Islam.

New York, July 21st, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Diets allegedly based on biblical teaching are in vogue in the United States, and books claiming to tell you what Jesus or other biblical characters would have eaten is on sale in Christian bookshops.

The modern salesmen of these biblical diets use 'God' as their pitch to attract devotees. The fact that they disagree among themselves makes it hard for all of them to be 'based on God.' One of the diets on offer is called "In the Weigh Down Diet". Written by someone claiming to call themselves Gwen Shamblinadvises. He says that to lose a stone or two, one must submit to "the perfect borders of hunger and the fullness of God." Another, written by Don Colbert, asks 'What would Jesus eat?' and answers 'living food'. This, apparently, discounts fruit and vegetables and forbids any kind of dead or processed food.

One of the most extravagant must be the 'Hallelujah Diet' concocted by the Rev. George Malkmus in North Carolina, USA. Inspired, if that's the term, by Genesis 1:29, his formula has been a great success, commercially at any rate. The 'Hallelujah Diet' says 80% of one's intake must be raw food, and discounts all animal products except honey. His defence is that in the time of Genesis, people lived for hundreds of years. So, follow his diet and live for 900-odd years. Experts point out the lack of key vitamins in this diet, so whether one would have any energy left to shout 'Hallelujah' after trying it for a while, is open to some doubt.

Yet whatever the failings of such diets, the 'biblical' market shows no sign of slackening. There is even a company called 'Garden of Life' selling "advanced biblical hygiene articles". No comment.

Los Angeles, July 22nd, 2004 (ACPress.net).
A film released recently in Hollywood is "sad, prejudiced and against Christianity", according to Christian media analyst, Ted Baehr. The film 'Saved' mocks the Christian faith.

Actors Mandy Moore, Jena Malone and Macaulay Culkin play a group of young people at a Christian school who "believe everything." The film shows such perversions of the truth as a girl who receives instructions, supposedly from Jesus, to have sex with a boy "to save him from homosexuality." There is also a young Jewish girl who worked as a stripper.

Baehr has called on the Jewish and Muslim communities to join Christians in protesting against the film. "It is wrong to laugh at our God and at believers, or indeed any other religion." The film is apparently aimed at Christian audiences and could do much damage to Christian youth. God though, as His Word says, will not be mocked.

Peking, July 22nd, 2004 (ACPress.net).
A 34-year-old woman has been beaten to death by police after she was arrested for handing out Bibles in southwest China's Guizhou province.

The French News Agency quoted China's state run Legal Daily newspaper as saying that police in Guizhou's Tongzi county arrested Jiang Zongxiu, a farmer, on June 18th on suspicion of "spreading rumours and inciting to disturb social order." They had planned to detain her for 15 days, the report said, alleging Jiang died in police custody the afternoon she was arrested. Her mother-in-law, Tan Dewei, who was arrested with Jiang but later released, told reporters police kicked Jiang repeatedly during interrogation. Police later informed Jiang's family she had died of a sudden illness and turned over her body to the family, but relatives saw she was covered with bruises and blood stains.

It is at least the second published killing of a Christian by Chinese police in as many months, although human rights watchdogs believe torture of Christians and dissidents is widespread in the Communist nation. Chinese police officials have refused to comment on the case. An operator manning the phones at the Guizhou police station said she was "not aware of the incident. The unprecedented report of the attack by state media is seen as a sign of public disgust with police tactics and China's continuing crackdown on religious practitioners.

Kabul, July 22nd, 2004 (ACPress.net).
A spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban guerrillas told Reuters that they had slit the throat of Muslim cleric Maulawi Assadullah on 30th June because he was propagating Christianity in the remote Awdand district of Ghazni province.

Speaking about the convert from Islam, Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi said, "A group of Taliban dragged out Maulawi Assadullah and slit his throat with a knife because he was propagating Christianity." He said, "We have enough evidence and local accounts to prove that he was involved in the conversions of Muslims to Christianity."

Hakimi also warned that any foreign aid workers found to be involved in spreading Christianity in Afghanistan would  face a similar fate. At least 33 foreign aid workers have been killed by the Taliban since the beginning of last year. The number of Afghan Christians killed by the Taliban is not known.

Madrid, July 21st, 2004 (ACPress.net).
As if 'Genesis diets' were not enough (see article 3 in this section), not to mention the Pope's tongue (see article 2 in Europe section), news comes from the USA that certain clergy are giving communion to people's pets. Yes, that's right ­ dogs, cats and so forth.

The Episcopalian Church in Connecticut, for instance, offers communion to dogs and also does a nice turn in canine funerals. It has started a monthly service called 'Holy Communion for Pets.' "In this service, cats and dogs receive the Lord and a special blessing", says the American paper 'Wall Street Journal', which adds that St John the Divine Cathedral in Manhattan has held blessing services for all kinds of animals ­ from rabbits to elephants ­ for years. Prize of the week though must go to All Saints' Anglican Church in Fort Lauderdale where they have doubled attendance at evensong since allowing pets in once a month. The Catholic Church is trailing somewhat behind in this matter, as it 'only' blesses animals on a special feast day, St Anthony's.

When the animals are beyond even receiving Communion however, the business goes on. One of the products most sought after at 'Petco', a firm specialising in the needs of domestic animals, are animal headstones for their graves. Meanwhile, the card firm 'Hallmark' has produced a condolence card for those who've recently lost a beloved pet. The inscriptions inside include this gem of sentimental tripe: "A soul as sweet as yours can never be forgotten."

Lest our cousins across the Atlantic think we are getting at them, and for the sake of journalistic honesty, we have to add that British dogs are not being left out. According to the 'Independent' newspaper, the animals the British love more than their spouses will soon have access to a yoga workshop. The image of dozens of paw-crossing poodles leads us to the conclusion that who really needs spiritual attention are the owners, not the pets whose quality of life they so keenly seek to improve.

Noone denies that animals often seem better and more sensible than people, but perhaps this is going a little too far, suggests the Spanish paper 'La Razón'. ACPress.net signs off for the summer wondering what monkeys have done to deserve the theory of evolution.