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Cautious
welcome for Prince Charles’ decision to marry
London, February 17th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The Evangelical Alliance
in Britain has given a cautious welcome to the news that Prince
Charles is to marry Mrs Parker-Bowles, considering it the lesser
of two evils.
In a statement, the Christian organisation said: “The Evangelical
Alliance welcomes the formalising of Prince Charles' and Mrs
Parker Bowles' relationship. As with the Church of England,
the Evangelical Alliance contains both those opposed to the
remarriage of divorcees in all circumstances, and those who
believe that such remarriage may sometimes be acceptable. Even
so, we recognise that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles'
impending marriage represents a serious move to put their relationship
on a more moral footing. Given their intention and desire to
marry, we also recognise that the choice of a civil ceremony
followed by a church blessing is probably the best way to proceed.”
Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance said,
"The announcement of Prince Charles' and Mrs Parker Bowles'
marriage should be seen as a positive move. As with many modern-day
liturgies marking the remarriage of divorcees, we trust that
the blessing service at St George's Chapel will offer clear
opportunities for expressing remorse for past wrongs and repentance
for hurts caused in both their previous marriages."
“The Alliance recognises that historically, constitutionally
and legally, such a formalising of Charles' and Camilla's relationship
does not, in and of itself, prevent Charles from inheriting
the monarch's historic authority as Supreme Governor of the
Church of England. However, in theological and spiritual terms,
we acknowledge that the couple's previous divorces, their documented
adultery and the nature of their extra-marital relationship
up to this point, do present difficulties for many of our Anglican
members and others with respect to Charles' suitability to govern
the Church of England.”
“Although Mrs Parker Bowles was previously married to a Roman
Catholic, we understand that this association with Catholicism
effectively ended with her divorce, and that she will be entering
this marriage as an Anglican. Consequently, we see no major
constitutional problems arising on this front. We do hope, however,
that Charles and Camilla will take their church commitments
and responsibilities seriously in their married life - both
before, and if he does so, after Charles accedes to the throne
and presumably becomes Supreme Governor of the Church of England.”
Source: EA. Editing: ACPress.net
Anglicans to recycle rubbish
and use organic bread and wine
Canterbury, February 17th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The Church of England
is to undertake ‘a green revolution’ in a campaign of environmental
protection entitled ‘Sharing God’s Planet.
The initiative includes such gems as ensuring ministers use
organic bread and wine at Communion, that the clergy recycle
their rubbish (does that include back copies of sermons? Only
joking!), and that ‘Fair Price’ commodities be sold at church
festivities. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, was
due to defend the campaign before the General Synod this week.
The ‘Sharing God’s Planet’ document speaks of the “devastating
effects” which could be wreaked if “climatic changes, soil and
water conditions, and the world of living creatures reach the
point of no return.”
Williams, often described as a ‘hairy leftie’, is expected to
blame industrialisation for climate change and to recommend
that all Christians buy sensibly. As an example of this, he
is likely to mention the firm ‘Body Shop’. He will also ask
every local minister to carry out an “ecological audit” in their
church. The Synod will be held the day after the Kyoto Protocol
comes into effect, which Williams thinks does not go far enough.
He is also calling on the authorities to reduce CO2 emissions
according to the population of a country rather than its industrial
output.
Source: ABC. Editing: ACPress.net
Desperate calls for House
of Lords to reject religious hatred Bill
London, February 17th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
More and more Christians
in the UK are hoping and praying that the House of Lords will
reject the Religious Hatred Bill which was shamelessly pushed
through the Commons by the government, despite serious doubts
about aspects of it on all sides of the chamber. Some Christians
are seriously concerned that it will be used to curtail evangelism
and any reasonable criticism of other religions, most notably
Islam.
The Barnabas Fund is calling on the House of Lords to be firm
in the face of government pressure and reject laws banning incitement
to religious hatred which pose a serious danger to free speech.
The proposed legislation, which forms Schedule 10 of the Serious
Organised Crime and Police Bill, was passed by the House of
Commons on Monday 7th February and now proceeds to the Lords.
The law is tucked away on just 3 pages of this otherwise unrelated
Bill. MPs from all sides of the house were in outrage at the
very limited time allowed by the government for discussion of
this crucially important issue with potentially huge ramifications
for free speech. Both in Committee and at Report Stage the government
consistently rejected reasonable amendments which, though not
perfect, would have reduced the risk the law poses to legitimate
free speech.
The government’s approach does little to allay fears that it
is introducing the law as a blatant piece of electioneering.
In a recent article in the Muslim Weekly government minister
Mike O’Brien appeared to confirm that the law is a direct result
of lobbying by Muslim leaders. The Sunday Times reports that
Muslim leaders are threatening to withdraw support from parties
that do not back the law.
The government has argued that the law will not ban missionary
activity, religious jokes or criticism of another’s beliefs.
However, larmingly in the Report Stage debate in the Commons
Mr Khalid Mahmood, a Labour MP, appeared to give the impression
that he personally did not rule out the possible application
of the law in the case of The Satanic Verses. When pressed on
this point Home Office minister Hazel Blears avoided giving
a direct confirmation that Salman Rushdie could not be prosecuted
under the law.
Barnabas Fund’s International Director, Patrick Sookhdeo, said:
“We are deeply disappointed that the House of Commons has passed
this proposal. We call on the House of Lords to resist government
pressure to push this Bill into law swiftly for purely electoral
reasons. We urge peers to ensure that the issue of religious
hatred, with its huge potential implications for free speech,
is properly debated at length. We call on them to remove this
dangerous proposal from the Bill.”
The government argues that the law is needed to prevent far-right
groups and extremists of all religions whipping up hatred against
the followers of other faiths. However, a broad based coalition
of journalists, senior lawyers, MPs, peers, human rights groups,
civil liberties organizations, religious organisations, secularists
and actors, amongst others, co-ordinated by Barnabas Fund fear
that far from achieving this laudable aim the law will instead
effectively end up banning all legitimate criticism of religion
and religious practices.
The Barnabas Fund is concerned that those who speak out on behalf
of millions of people who suffer as a result of particular religious
teachings, such as Muslims who convert to another faith (who
should be executed according to Islamic law) or Dalits (treated
as “untouchables” in the traditional Hindu caste system), could
be silenced.
Source: Barnabas Fund. Editing: ACPress.net
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Evangelical
journalist wins National Journalism Prize in Ecuador
Quito, February 17th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
An evangelical journalist,
Edwin Chamorro Erazo, has been awarded the 2004 National Journalism
Prize for Radio Journalism, an award given by the National Union
of Journalists in Ecuador, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary
this year.
Chamorro won the prize for his professional work. He is the
producer of the radio programme ‘Foro Latinamericano’, heads
up the news team at ‘Radio Internacional HCJB-La Voz de los
Andes’, and is a lecturer at the Christian Communications Centre.
At the awards ceremony, other journalists were honoured, and
some who have died were remembered.
The day before, Chamorro was invited by the Latin American Council
of Churches to give a talk about the current political scene.
There were many evangelical leaders present, who had come to
discuss the political instability currently besetting Ecuador.
At the meeting, the Director of the Education Department of
HCJB Radio, Carlos Pinto, said Chamorro is highly respected
for the objectivity of his reporting, the versatility of his
cultural programmes, the consistency of his faith, and for his
18 years’ work for the radio station.
"My job is journalism, I’ve been trained for it, it’s my
passion.” Thus Chamorro defined his vocation. His students at
the Christian Communications Centre describe him as a journalist
who works with devotion, sacrifice and commitment.
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
Mexican singer will adopt
outside her home country
Monterrey, February 17th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The well-known evangelical
Mexican singer, Yuri, has said she will adopt a child in Europe
and not in her home country for fear of suffering extortion.
Yuri, who disappeared from the concert stage for several years
after her conversion, said that if she did not become a mother
this year, she would adopt a Russian child. “If God does not
give me a child this year, I am going to start the adoption
procedure in Russia.” She added that she has had help from psychologists
on how to help an adopted child, who usually suffer from low
self-esteem. Yuri is currently promoting her new album in Monterrey.
Source: Efe. Editing: ACPress.net
Colombian President speaks
at evangelical Convention
Bogota, February 17th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The President of Colombia,
Alvaro Uribe, criticised arrogance and advocated tolerance in
a speech to 25,000 people at the Convention of the International
Charismatic Mission (ICM).
“Ask God that He will never allow arrogance to blind us and
hide from us the true needs of our people. Ask God that we feel
for our neighbour even at difficult times..which can cause bitterness.
Ask God that we do not lose tolerance, at those times when we
are sure we are right.” Such were Uribe’s words at the closing
ceremony of the Convention. The President added that he had
heard the pastor, César Castellanos, and his wife – now Colombian
Ambassador to Brazil - several years ago.
The Castellanos couple were present at this Convention, and
are the founders of the ICM. Uribe praised the values of ethics,
fraternity and fellowship which the ICM preaches and practises.
He said they were a guarantee for Colombia. He said he did not
hesitate to send Claudia Castellanos to be Ambassador to Brazil,
because she represents the ethical and work values of the ICM
church. He thanked the ICM for making it possible for several
delegations from other countries to attend the Convention. These
included delegates from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala,
Guyana, Honduras, India, Italy and Kenya.
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
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People
turning to Christ in Sri Lanka in wake of tidal wave
Colombo, February 17th, 2005
(ACPress.net).
The World Evangelical
Alliance (WEA) is also helping in the rescue operation following
the Asian tidal wave.
According to John Candelin, Chairman of the Religious Liberty
Commission of the WEA. “volunteers involved in humanitarian
aid are trying to piece together all the information they have
received but still noone knows exactly how many churches were
destroyed or how many Christians killed in the disaster. We
know that at least one church in Mulaitivu lost 58 members who
were inside the church building when the wave hit the island.
Another church in Trincomalee lost 28 members, and one in Kalmunai
lost 40. The estimate is that about 3,000 Christians died (in
Sri Lanka).”
Churches are helping in the severely affected northern, eastern
and southern areas of Sri Lanka. But the catastrophe has also
given them the opportunity to show the love of God to people
in these regions. Candelin says that through this witness and
practical help, many people are turning to Christ.
Source: AEM. Editing: ACPress.net
Ray of hope for beleaguered churches in central Vietnam
Hanoi, February 17th, 2005
(ACPress.net).
Vietnam's Prime Minister,
Phan Van Khai, will allow outlawed Protestant "house churches"
in the restive Central Highlands to operate if they renounce
connections to a former guerrilla group that Hanoi has accused
of organising massive anti-government protests.
The official announcement states that, under the decree, the
house churches, which had been banned by the government, will
be allowed to operate if they revoke all ties to FULRO, the
French acronym for the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed
Races, a guerrilla group that fought alongside the Americans
during the Vietnam War, said the Liberated Saigon newspaper.
The underground churches are operated by followers of Dega Protestantism,
an unsanctioned form of evangelical Protestantism that Vietnam
has condemned as being linked to a separatist movement. If the
religious followers there have pure religious needs, commit
to abiding by the law, do not work for the reactionary FULRO,
and have no connection to Dega Protestantism, the local government
will create conditions for them to carry out normal religious
activities at home or at suitable places in their villages.
Source: Assist. Editing: ACPress.net
Little ‘Passion’ at Oscars
this year
Los Angeles, February 17th,
2005 (ACPress.net).
You could have predicted
it with your eyes shut: Mel Gibson’s film, ‘The Passion of the
Christ’, has been virtually ignored by the purveyors of the
Oscars, the Arts and Film Academy in Hollywood.
The film which offers a polemical view of Christ’s last hours
leading up to the crucifixion has only been nominated in the
production, make-up and soundtrack categories. Gibson himself
had refused to promote the film in an attempt to have it considered
for the 2004 Best Film award. In a rather cynical aside, Frank
Pierson, Chairman of the Academy, said Gibson had earned enough
money – over 300 million euros – from the film to set up his
own film studio. Does Pierson foresee the awarding of a new
prize next year – the ‘Mellors’, or something like that? Perhaps
it is indeed time for an alternative to the anti-Christian and
politically-correct Hollywood circus.
At least Gibson may take solace in one fact; Michael Moore’s
polemic against the policies of George Bush, ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’,
did not get any nominations at all.
Source: AGENCIAS. Editing:
ACPress.net
A.C.Press:
The News Agency of the AEE (Spanish Evangelical Alliance)
Digital magazine at the website: www.ACPress.net
Telephone: 91 747 14
89; Fax: 91 747 59 24; E-mail: noticias@ACPress.net. Postal
address: Apartado 59198, 28080 Madrid, Spain. Co-ordinator
of A.C.Press News: Jonathan Dawson, E-mail: jdawson@protestantedigital.com
A.C.Press is part of the Spanish Evangelical
Alliance, whose E-mail is: oficina@AEEsp.net (www.AEEsp.net)
The Alliance is a forum for fellowship, reflection and the development of Christian
thought, produces various publications, and is involved in
the struggle for religious liberty. It is also part of the
European and World Evangelical Alliances.
A.C.Press news items may be reproduced as long
as their source is mentioned (ACPress News) |
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