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'You know who I am': Obama's presidential seal falls off podium during s...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 6 Oct 2010 05:34:00 -0700

he presidential seal fell off President Barack Obama's lectern and clattered to the stage as he delivered a speech to a women's conference.

"That's all right, all of you know who I am," the president joked to laughter from the audience when he realized what had happened.

"But I'm sure there's somebody back there that's really nervous right now, don't you think?" the president added, referring to whatever staffer had hung the seal on the front of his lectern so precariously.

"They're sweating bullets," he said, laughing. "Where were we," he then said, and returned to his remarks.

It happened about halfway through the president's speech to Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women Summit" Tuesday night at Carnegie Mellon Auditorium.

Bible Study Knowing God By J.I. Packer

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:21:00 -0700

Comments by Readers.

Profound book about the God of the Bible
First, I must admit that Knowing God is the first book by Packer that I have read. Luckily, I was not disappointed. Considered a modern Christian classic by many, Knowing God lives up to its reputation. In it Packer presents a balanced view of God - who He is, what He is like, what He has done for us, and what He expects from us in return. I had a pretty good understanding of some subjects before reading this book, but found myself learning a lot as Packer challenged me to dig deeper into the Bible, and apply my faith in order to get a clearer picture of God.

I really enjoyed this book because I have been looking for "deep" Christian books that are neither full of fluff (like a lot of the recent self-help style Christian books), or too full of theology to grasp (thick, boring tomes that most Pastors can't even finish). I found that Knowing God fits nicely into this category. Packer's thoughts about God are deep, yet concise. He includes a lot of scripture to support his perspective, which indicates that it is not written for a "new" or "baby" Christian, and he also includes some historical and academic material as well. I liked the fact the he quotes many sources which enabled me to write down the titles to other books which go deeper into subjects of interest to me.

Overall, I recommend this book to Christians who have a firm grasp of their faith, and are looking for guidance on how to grow a deeper relationship with God. One of the keys is gaining a better understanding of God, and this book offers an excellent starting point for that journey.

Knowing God has been a Christian classic for over 35 years. Packer is often brilliant in his insight, like his chapters on God's will, knowledge and the struggle of the Christian life. These are comprehensive discussions on vital Christian life topics. At other times he gets so involved in the minutiae that it is difficult to stay with him. Examples include his...

Tremendous Book!
This book was a tremendous book on the attributes of God by a tremendous theologian. My favorite part is when Packer quotes the Puritans. He quotes them a lot, too. The Puritans are an often forgotten group, except for the negative things that happened. Packer shows that the Puritans were amazingly following after God and His statues.

This is the only devotional-type book that I have ever enjoyed. While it was fairly devotional in content, Packer put Theology into it. He doesn't just put milk in the content, but also adds meat to it. I love it when he talked about such things as the atonement, election, etc. These are topics that most devotional writers will not even touch, because they are "too controversial". But, Packer tackles the issues with tenacity.

I love the chapter on the Grace of God. That was my very favorite chapter. Packer talked about how most Christians today really don't believe in the grace set forth in the Word. He also quotes a bunch of hymns that the Puritans wrote. This just shows how amazing they really were. This is a great read for someone wanting to study the attributes of God.

A Modern Spiritual Classic
Packer's Knowing God is a modern classic, focusing on both the theology and the spirituality of knowing and loving God. Packer lives up to his name in that he "packs" his book(s) with incredible truths, yet he writes with a smooth prose in easily digestible chapters. This book covers the doctrine of the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but especially focuses on the character and attributes of God and their relevance and application to our spiritual lives. This is probably the best popular treatment of "theology proper" written in the past century and deserves to be read by any Christian. This would be a great book to give a young and hungry Christian who is beginning to be discipled. Few things are more important to one's long-term spiritual health than having a high view of God. This book goes a long ways to helping us lift our gaze upwards. Buy all means, buy this book.

Highest recommendation,
This is a great book. I have used it in no less than three different Bible studies. By now, my copy is bent and worn from use and I have grown a great deal through studying with it. I would recommend this book highly, particularly if you are looking for a book to go through as a group. Packer's book has been used to introduce thousands to the theological study of God's word. Indeed, it was the first Christian book I read as a youth that engaged my mind in a meaningful way. "Knowing God" is theological - and completely grounded in the Bible - but it is also very readable and includes suggested questions at the end of each chapter. There is something in this book for both mature and beginning Christians.
The book is divided into three parts. The first concerns (roughly) how we can know God, the second speaks of the attributes and character of God, and the final reflects on the Christian life and the way in which knowing God affects that life. Buy it and read it.

Luis Palau: Mass evangelism still works

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:59:00 -0700

Fifty years into proclaiming the Gospel, evangelist Luis Palau has not slowed down in telling the world who Jesus Christ is.

It may be a bit traditional or just plain simple, but he strongly believes that "the more we preach, the more the Gospel spreads".

At 75, the Argentina-born preacher continues the tradition of mass evangelism that he picked up from Billy Graham. And like Graham, he has had to face critics who doubt his method of preaching.

Luis Palau celebrates 50 years of ministry this year.

Recalling his early days as a preacher, he told The Christian Post: "I remember when Billy Graham was starting out, I was present at a conference he gave in London. And somebody said 'well, mass evangelism doesn’t work.' And he (Graham) threw his head back and laughed and said that’s been said since the beginning of history that it doesn’t work.

"The proclamation of the Gospel works," he said confidently. "It's not the method that works, but the proclamation."

Palau feels that a clear proclamation of the Good News is missing in many churches today - and that that is setting up the younger generation to stumble in their faith life.

Many youths who fall away from the Christian faith are not converted to Jesus Christ "from the heart", he says.

"If you really know Jesus Christ, you don't throw him overboard, or as they say under the bus, just because some professor questions creation or evolution is promoted or [because of] some story of the crusades in the Middle Ages. And that totally destroys the faith of young people," the evangelist said. "If you really know Jesus Christ you may be startled by some attack from a professor, but you don't just easily give up on the faith."

Palau said he is convinced that young people need to be confronted by "the claims of conversion, repentance and faith".

He remembers being a good Christ follower, having been brought up in the church. He was enamoured with Jesus Christ, church and prayers, he said. But it wasn't until he was asked pointedly, "If you die today are you going to heaven or hell?" that he really got serious. He was 12 years old then.

"That startling question woke me up," he said. "I said I'm going to hell. And the counsellor led me to Christ."

"I think we really need that clear confrontation," Palau stressed. "We parents and grandparents must not be coddling the young people, saying "he's a fine fellow, he's a nice boy.' He may be nice but one day he's going to behave unnicely and we've got to see them confronted by the reality of death and life, of eternity."

Though Palau, who has preached to millions of youths, does believe too many young people are dropping out of the church, he hesitated to go by the statistics that are popularly cited by pastors and the media. One of the more familiar ones is that only four per cent of young Americans will be Bible-believing Christians as adults

"I think that it's been overstated, in my opinion," Palau commented. "I think that the stats are overblown."

"[But] I think if there is – and there is no doubt – a leakage (of youth), it's the nonconversion of too many of our young people who we think that by osmosis, they can absorb Christianity," he said. "That's not the way it works. It's got to be a conversion from the heart."

Palau is heading into his third evangelistic festival this year and the focus again is the youth. Tens of thousands are expected to converge at Mission Bay Park in Southern California this weekend for the San Diego City Fest.

Palau has brought alongside him acclaimed Christian artists the Newsboys, Kirk Franklin, Phil Wickham and Marisol to draw the younger generation as well as families.

"School has started so therefore, we think it's easier for the Christian young people to connect with a non-Christian friend and try and bring them out," he said.

For the past year and a half, the Palau team has been preparing the grounds of the city for a good harvest this weekend. Some 45,000 volunteers from local churches contributed to hundreds of community service projects since April and festival organisers are encouraging believers to share the reason for their service at the one-day event.

"We've penetrated the community. There's always much more to go. But we hope to leave a good seed behind," Palau said.

Reflecting back on 50 years, the international evangelist sees how much has changed since he first began preaching in the Spanish world. At that time, there were very few Bible-believing Christians in South America and their influence was very minimal, he recalled.

In the early years of evangelism, he met opposition and sometimes received threats, he said. He continues to meet resistance and even sees uninterest from Protestant circles today. But he feels today is a better time to be alive and serving the Lord.

"To see multitudes and multitudes still come together to hear the Good News of Jesus, that gives me great joy," he shared. "The Lord called me when I was a teenager, or at least I sensed the impulse to evangelise cities, and He has graciously allowed us to do that. That is a great joy."

"[Jesus] said if I be lifted up, I will bring all men to myself. That’s our dream."

And his "secret" to going on strong is a daily walk with Christ.

"I say there’s no secret, to be honest. It’s all out in the open," he noted. "CS Lewis called it the same old thing. We are so used to new, new, new that we think there must be a new approach. Not really. It’s a relationship with Jesus everyday, listening to his voice, taking lots of time with Him rather than less."

Palau has shared the Gospel in person to 25 million people in 72 countries with more than one million registered decisions for Jesus Christ.

Andrew Palau preaches love in Uganda despite terrorist threats

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:54:00 -0700

More than 80,000 people turned out to hear Andrew Palau preach in Kampala over the weekend in spite of heavy security and fears of another terrorist attack.

The two-day Love Kampala Festival went ahead at the city’s Kololo Airstrip even after the local authorities ramped up security in the wake of another terrorist threat.

Just one week before the festival, a Somalian man was arrested on suspicion of terrorism onboard a Uganda-bound flight that was also carrying seven members of Palau’s team. The latest threat comes after a fatal attack on Kampala in July, when the al-Qaeda-linked Somalian terrorist group al-Shabab set off two bombs in the capital, killing 76 people.

Andrew Palau preached the Gospel to more than 80,000 people in Kampala, despite security concerns.

The city authorities responded to the latest scare by issuing new guidelines for public events, forcing all festivalgoers to pass through metal detectors before being granted entry to the grounds.

Despite the extra measures, the mood at the festival was upbeat as Palau, the 44-year-old son of legendary evangelist Luis Palau, told of how he had once been dependent on alcohol, drugs and promiscuity before being saved by Jesus.

“God loves Uganda and God loves you,” he said. “God wants you to know that you can experience true freedom through his Son Jesus Christ.”

During his visit, Palau also addressed members of the Ugandan parliament and spent time visiting local schools, prisons and slums.

One slum he visited, home to more than 8,000 people, received its first ever toilet facility from the festival team.

Former Ugandan Army Commander and presidential adviser General Elly Tumwine contributed to the festival by writing its opening song, “God Loves Kampala”.

He praised the festival’s positive message and said it demonstrated that Ugandans were excited about the future and were not going to allow fear to win.

He said: “Wherever there is light, darkness runs away. Wherever there is love, fear goes away. Wherever there is hope, hopelessness goes away.”

There were also performances by popular Christian worship artists Nicole C Mullen and Dave Lubben, Jamaican reggae and gospel singer Papa San, Ugandan artists Wilson Bugembe and Beth Mugisha, and the African Children’s Choir.

A ‘Season of Service’ preceded the event, with local churches engaging in social action, including running medical clinics, food distributions, clean water projects and neighbourhood renovation.

The festival, which was broadcast live across 30 African nations, was praised by the Archbishop of Uganda, the Most Rev Henry Orombi, who said it had helped to strengthen unity among the more than 1,000 churches that had taken part.

Dr Tim Robnett, Vice President of Luis Palau Alliance Ministries, said the festival was a great success.

“The festival accomplished the goal of fostering a new level of trust and collaboration among churches which will lead to future locally-run evangelistic campaigns and church growth," he said.

“From the beginning our purpose was to create a sustainable network of church, business and government leaders willing to work together so as to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the region."

Are we just too afraid to ask people to church?

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:35:00 -0700

As more than 600,000 people across the United Kingdom are being invited to special church services for Back to Church Sunday this weekend, one of the founders of this movement is on a mission to mobilise long-term church growth.

Michael Harvey, who first helped to launch Back to Church Sunday back in 2004 in Manchester, England, has spent the last year travelling across the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, preparing churches to invite their friends back to church by running seminars called "The 12 Steps to Becoming an Inviting Church".

Harvey explains how he came up with this teaching series.

"I noticed the national church statistics on Back to Church Sunday were that 80% of congregations don't invite their friends to church," he told the ASSIST News Service.

"This was right across the board of all the churches that participated. So I was really seeking out why 8 out of ten of us actually find it difficult to invite a friend to church. So the seminar came out of that problem."

Michael, who's also a business consultant with MJH Associates, which helps business unlock their growth, has run his seminars in almost 100 locations constantly travelling on planes, trains and automobiles and even a hovercraft. Despite spending so much time on the road he sees this as a "calling" to make an impact around the world.

Michael Harvey says that wherever he travels he comes across churches all facing the same challenges.

"Everywhere I go, church leaders are grappling with exactly the same problems; that people are afraid of their friends saying no. In every seminar this comes up. I answer this in the seminars by saying, 'Who do we know in the Christian faith who was rejected?' That generally hits home to the church that actually it's okay for us to ask a friend and for them to say no. It's absolutely fine.

"But we don't ask our friends because we're afraid they'll say no to us. So the highlight for me is if we can get to grips with what is stopping us growing and it seems to be the same right across the Western church. Once we overcome this then we can see thousands of people added to the church."

Harvey says that he wants churches not to be put off if things don't always go to plan. "The 12 steps of becoming an inviting church in my view is a learning tool," he explained. "I want the whole exercise to be a learning experience so that when thing don't go as well as we want them to, we can actually reflect on what we've done.

"Then we can see what God might want to say to use through what's gone on in the process. So my hope is it's a learning experience for church leaders. And as a result of that in years to come many people will be added to the church."

As Back to Church Sunday is continually being launched into other countries around the world, including the United States, Michael is always hearing from different pastors tell him their inspiring stories.

"I speak one-on-one to leaders around the world and one pastor in Canberra in Australia had just done his Back to Church Sunday and he told me that sixteen people had come to his church and early signs indicated that some of these people are going to be added.

"There was also one lovely story of a family with the mum and dad bringing along their son's girlfriend to church and then the following week the girlfriend brought their son. It shows that once you get invitation going it's like a ball rolling down a hill. It gathers pace because those who are invited find it much easier to invite than those of us who have been in church for a long time."

Straight after this weekend Michael starts on his journey again to prepare for next year's Back to Church Sunday and will be launching his second seminar which includes "The Ten Keys to Keeping".

Opponents of women bishops establish new society in Church of England

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:30:00 -0700

The new Mission Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda has been met with consternation from supporters of women bishops.

Anglo-Catholics have established a new society as the Church of England moves closer to consecration of women bishops.

The Mission Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda was launched this week by nine Anglo-Catholic bishops, including the Bishop of Chichester and the Bishop of Gibraltar, as draft legislation on women in the episcopate was sent out for consideration to dioceses this week.

The new society has been founded as an alternative to leaving the Church of England and joining the Catholic Church under the auspices of an Ordinariate offered by Pope Benedict.

The Church of England's General Synod voted in July to send draft legislation on women in the episcopate out to dioceses for consideration

The bishops said the society would provide a place within the Church of England “where catholics can worship and minister with integrity without accepting innovations that further distance the Church of England from the greater churches of the East and West”.

They said they were rallying “to protect and preserve Anglican tradition” as they spoke of the “unanimous condemnation” among Anglo-Catholics of the draft legislation on women bishops.

Women And The Church (WATCH), a group in support of women bishops, hit out at the new society.

"It seems curious if not paradoxical that in proposing to form a Society for those who will not accept women bishops, the bishops concerned should choose St Hilda of Whitby as one of their patron Saints," the group said in a statement.

"As Abbess of a double monastery, with men and women 'under her direction' (Bede), kings and bishops came to her for guidance and advice.

"How sad that the example given by St Hilda in her obedience to a decision concerning the ordering of her church is ignored by those using her name, who are themselves unwilling to accept the decision made by the Revision Committee and endorsed by the General Synod."

Anglo-Catholics said the unveiling of the society reflected a determination “not to accept a Code of Practice but to work for and create a more realistic approach which allows the integrity of those who cannot accept this innovation to be preserved, to flourish and grow within the Church of England”.

Dioceses have until November 14 to debate and vote on the draft legislation, although they are not able to make any substantial changes to it.

If the draft legislation is approved by the majority of dioceses, it will be brought before General Synod for the final drafting stage in 2012, when it could still fall without a majority.

The Church of England does not expect the first women bishops to be consecrated before 2014.

Muslim extremists suspected in death of Christian worker in India

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:24:00 -0700

Family members of a Christian worker who was found dead in a Muslim area in Jharkhand state a day after the Islamic Eid festival said they suspect he may have been murdered by local residents.

The body of Shravan Kumar, who had worked with the Gospel Echoing Missionary Society, was found lying in a well near the Idgah Mosque in Garhwa town in the wee hours of Sept. 13, a close relative of the deceased told Compass by phone.

Kumar, 31, lived in Pratapgarh district in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state. He left for Garhwa, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from his house, saying he wanted to see a colleague there on Sept 10.

“But neither did he visit the colleague, nor did he get back home,” said the relative.

On Sept. 15, a family member went to Garhwa looking for him. He found his picture in an advertisement police had placed in a local newspaper in an effort to identify the body.

“When Kumar’s body was handed over to the family, it was beyond recognition; it had swollen,” said the relative.

Later, the family member went to the well in Garhwa where the body was found. Local youths who pulled Kumar’s body from the well the morning of Sept. 13 informed the family member that they noticed injuries on his face and around his neck. Police were immediately informed, but officers did not arrive until 10 p.m.

“Kumar had lived in a rented house in Garhwa a few years ago, and on the morning of Sept. 12 he visited his old landlord and mentioned that he planned to preach in the Idgah Mosque area,” said the source, adding that Kumar’s family suspected “that he preached to the Muslims on the Eid festival, and as a result he was killed and thrown in the well.”

A police spokesman, however, said he refused to believe that Kumar was murdered. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Singh told Compass that “as of now” police were not exploring any possibility of a crime.

“The post-mortem report says there was no injury mark on his body, and he died by drowning,” Singh said.

In 1998, Kumar had received a head injury after suspected Hindu nationalist extremists hit him with a rod in Sitamani in neighbouring Bihar, the relative said.

“Since then, he had been suffering from a mild psychological ailment,” he added. “If he did not take his daily medicine, he would get a little disturbed and begin to preach to non-Christians aggressively. This is what may have happened on Sept. 12 when he preached in the Muslim area.”

Kumar, who became a Christian from a Hindu background in 1997, held prayer meetings in his house shortly after his conversion against the wishes of local Hindu nationalists, the relative added.

The religious atmosphere in India was tense at the time of his death. On Sept. 13, Muslim mobs burned a Christian school and a church, both belonging to the Church of North India (CNI), in the Muslim-majority Kashmir region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. No students or staff members of the school were hurt, but at least five Muslims died and more than 50 were injured as security officers opened fire at the mob to prevent the burning of the school.

Also, on Aug. 13 Muslims attempted to burn a CNI hospital in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, but security forces managed to prevent it. In a separate incident the same day and in the same state, a mob vandalized the Catholic-run Good Shepherd High School in Pulwama district.

In a similar incident the same day, Muslims in Malerkotla town in northern Punjab state burned the furniture of a CNI church.

These incidents took place after the Quran was allegedly desecrated in the United States. Although Florida Pastor Terry Jones had withdrawn the threat to burn the Quran to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Iranian government-run news channel Press TV showed dubious clips of the Quran being torn in the US.

Kumar’s family fears that the police will overlook the available clues indicating the role of local Muslims and instead claim that he committed suicide.

“No one who knew Kumar can believe that he could have committed suicide,” said the relative. “Although he was psychologically unwell, he always faced life’s problems boldly.”

Kumar, the sole bread winner in the family, is survived by a 25-year-old wife and a 5-year-old daughter.

According to the 2001 Census, Jharkhand has a population of around 27 million, out of which 4.06 percent are Christian. Muslims account for close to 14 percent of the state’s population.

Ground Zero mosque may be moved further away from WTC site

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:20:00 -0700

An attorney for Hisham Elzanaty, the man who claims to be the majority stakeholder in the project, said he is considering building the Islamic community center at 30 Cliff Street, the location of an active mosque about seven blocks away from ground zero.

“It is nicely situated on a nice piece of property,” said Wolodymyr Starosolosky , Elzanaty’s attorney, according to Fox News New York. “It seems well attended. All sorts of people come there – white Americans, black Americans, people from the Middle East and so forth. It is very active.”

Starosolosky said he already met the imam of the 30 Cliff Street mosque and the people there “were very kind and very courteous.” He also clarified that his client is the ultimate decision maker in where the Park51 project will be built because he has the most money invested in it.

Notably, most media have reported the decision maker as mosque developer Sharif El-Gamal of Soho Properties or Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam of the Park51 mosque.

Elzanaty, in an interview with Fox, also said it was his idea that the Park51 site be located two blocks from ground zero.

The latest development in the emotionally-charged debate about whether an Islamic center and mosque should be built near ground zero suggests that moving the site farther away is still a real possibility.

Earlier this month, Imam Rauf told CNN’s Soledad O’Brien that while he regrets the controversy that the proposed center has created, he cannot move it now due to national security reasons. If the center is moved, he argued, extremists will proclaim that Islam is under attack and use that idea as a recruiting tool.

In general, Rauf has avoided talking about relocating the Park51 project, although he has said leaders involved in the plan were considering all options to resolve the problem. The detailed comments of Elzanaty’s attorney, therefore, are a sharp contrast to that of Rauf and other Park51 leaders.

"There is a long road to go before you get to the end," remarked Starosolosky, noting that his client plans to consider many ideas and proposals before reaching a conclusion about the location.

The proposed $100-million, 13-story Islamic center and mosque is expected to include a swimming pool, cultural center, culinary school, restaurants, bookstores, and interfaith prayer space.

According to a New York Times poll last month, two in three New Yorkers – including many who support the proposed Islamic community center and mosque near Ground Zero – say leaders of the project should find a location further from the 9/11 crash site.

Coptic leader apologises for bishop's Koran remarks in Egypt - said Muslims are guests only.

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:11:00 -0700

The leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt has apologised for the "inappropriate" comments made by the church body’s second highest ranking cleric regarding the authenticity of some Koran verses.

Last week, Bishop Bishoy sparked outrage when he was quoted by the Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper as saying that "Muslims are only guests" in the country. Bishoy was also quoted in the Egyptian media for wondering about the time frame for the revelation of the Koranic verses disputing the divine nature of Jesus Christ.

The bishop reportedly said these verses were inserted by one of the Prophet Muhammad's successors after his death. Muslims believe that Muhammad received all verses through the Archangel Gabriel during his lifetime and they are the immutable word of God.

In an interview with Egypt’s news agency, Pope Shenouda III said debating religious beliefs “are a red line, a deep red line”.

"The simple fact of bringing up the subject was inappropriate, and escalating the matter is inappropriate," added Shenouda, whose church body comprises 95 per cent of Egypt’s Christians.

“I'm very sorry that the feelings of our Muslim brothers have been hurt."

On Friday, after the bishop’s remarks were made known, thousands of Muslims demonstrated and Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Center held an emergency meeting to condemn the bishop's statements.

"Such irresponsible statements threaten ... national unity at a time when it is vital to maintain it," said the statement.

Notably, however, the latest row comes just weeks after an Islamic publishing house angered Egypt's Christian community by publishing a "forged Bible" that the Coptic Church said amounted to blasphemy and religious intolerance.

The owner of the Islamic Enlightenment Publishing House, Abuislam Abdullah, wrote in the introduction of the publication that the goal of printing the text was to “prove” there are multiple versions of the Bible and that Christians had “forged theirs”.

In a strange statement, Abdullah also said the version of the Bible his company published was written before the Book of Genesis.

The Coptic Church, in response, demanded the publishing house take the book off the shelves and said it would consider taking legal action if the company did not remove the text from publication. It called the book “extremely offensive”.

Although Egypt's Muslims and Copts generally live in peace, tensions are on the rise over the construction of new churches and reported cases of conversions.

Christians in Egypt claim they are marginalised in society and reportedly suffer from violent forms of abuse. They also lack fair representation in the government, leading to further abuse of the minority group.

Since 2002, Egypt has been on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s “Watch List” for its serious religious freedom violations, including widespread problems of discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights violations against members of religious minorities.

According to Egypt’s constitution, Islam is the “religion of the state” and the country's “principle source of legislation”. Egypt’s Christian population, meanwhile, makes up eight to 12 per cent of the overall population.

Still, while small, Egypt’s Christian population stands as the largest Christian community in the Middle East and is also among the oldest. The Apostle Mark reportedly founded the Coptic Church in the first century when he brought Christianity to Egypt. Muslims brought Islam to Egypt six centuries later, after which the country gradually came to be predominantly Muslim.

Muslim Mob Attacks Christians in Gujrat, Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:05:00 -0700

A mob of Muslim extremists on Thursday (Sept. 23) shot at and beat dozens of Christians, including one cleared of “blasphemy” charges, in Punjab Province’s Gujrat district, Christian leaders said.

The attack on Tariq Gill, exonerated of charges of blaspheming the Quran on Sept. 3, 2009, and on his father Murad Gill, his mother and the other Christian residents was the latest of more than 10 such assaults on the Christian colony of Mohalla Kalupura, Gujrat city, since Sept. 8, the Rev. Suleman Nasri Khan and Bishop Shamas Pervaiz told Compass.

About 40 Islamists – some shooting Kalashnikovs and pistols at homes and individuals on the street, others brandishing axes and clubs – beat some of the Christians so badly that they left them for dead, Pastor Khan said. So far, 10 families have been targeted for the attacks.

On Thursday (Sept. 23) the assailants ripped the clothing off of Gill’s mother and dragged her nude through the streets, Pastor Khan said.

Among the Christians attacked on Thursday (Sept. 23) were Rashid Masih and his family, he said. The critically injured Masih and his family members, Gill and his parents, and the other injured Christians were initially rushed to Aziz Bhatti hospital in Gujrat, Pastor Khan said, and then transferred to Abdullah Hospital in nearby Lalla Musa to receive more advanced care.

“The injured Christians were under the observation of able doctors at Abdullah Hospital in Lalla Musa,” Pastor Khan told Compass by telephone.

Bishop Pervaiz, central vice chairman of the Pakistan Interfaith Peace Council, said the mob was led by two members of the National Assembly, Meer Anjum and Farasat Dar, at the behest of a powerful member of the Punjab Assembly named Sheikh Islam. The three Muslim politicians were not immediately available for comment, but the Gujrat superintendent of police investigations, identified only as Hafeez, told Christian leaders they were respectable legislators who were innocent.

Also asserting that the three Muslim politicians were behind the violence, Pastor Khan said the assailants have vowed to mount an attack on Mohalla Kalupura similar to the Islamist assault on Gojra in 2009. On Aug. 1, 2009, an Islamic mob acting on a false rumor of blaspheming the Quran and whipped into frenzy by local imams attacked the Christian colony in Gojra, burning at least seven Christians to death, injuring 19 others, looting more than 100 houses and setting fire to 50 of them. The dead included women and children.

Bishop Pervaiz said the attackers in Gujrat have threatened to kill him, Pastor Khan and Bishop Yashua John and continue to roam the streets of Mohalla Kalupura looking for Christian residents to kill.

The Lorry Adda police station house officer (SHO), inspector Riaz Qaddar, has stated publicly that “no stone would be left unturned” to apprehend the gunmen, but the Christian leaders said he has refused to act.

“The SHO flatly denied indicting the Muslim mob and especially the Muslim legislators,” said Pastor Khan, chairman of Power of God’s Healing Ministry International Pakistan and national coordinator of Jesus’ Victory Gospel Assembly of Pakistan.

Bishop Pervaiz said that besides the Christian accused of blasphemy, the attacks also may have been sparked by the election victory last year of an area Christian – who was slain a few days after taking office. Yaqoob Masih won the Tehsil Municipal Authority Gujrat election by a landslide, and a few days after he took office on Dec. 15, 2009, Muslim candidates running for the same office killed him, Bishop Pervaiz said.

He added that Lorry Adda police did not register a murder case at that time.

In the blasphemy case, Tariq Gill was falsely charged on Aug. 15, 2009 under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws for desecrating the Quran, but due to the intervention of Christian leaders, influential Muslim elders and police, he was exonerated of all allegations on Sept. 3, 2009, said Bishop Pervaiz, who is also chairman of the Council of Bishops and head of the National Churches in Pakistan.

“Muslim legislators Meer Anjum, Sheikh Islam and Farasat Dar had resentment against Murad Gill’s family over this blasphemy row as well,” said Bishop Pervaiz, “and now through these assaults, which are becoming more frequent and massive, emboldened Muslims have found a way to vent their fury.”

The Christian leaders said they approached District Police Officer Afzaal Kausar about the attacks, and he sent the application for charges to Hafeez, the superintendent of police investigation in Gujrat.

“But he did not bother to watch the video we shot of the attack and shrugged off the matter,” Pastor Khan said.

He said that Hafeez told them that Anjum, Dar and Islam were respectable legislators, “and without any investigation declared them innocent.”

This afternoon Pastor Khan led a protest at the Islamabad National Press Club. He said more than 250 Christian protestors reached Islamabad despite an attempt by Inspector Qaddar of Lorry Adda police station to arrest them before they left the area.

“But the invisible hand of Almighty God helped us, and we safely made it to Islamabad,” Pastor Khan said. “Although the government has clamped a ban on all sorts of processions and demonstrations, we successfully staged the sit-in before National Press Club Islamabad.”

Saying he regretted that the demonstration had drawn little attention, he added that the protestors would remain in front of the building tonight demanding justice. The pastor said tomorrow (Sept. 28) they would protest in front of the Islamabad Parliament House.

Iran's Nuclear Agency Trying to Stop The destructive Stuxnet worm

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:51:00 -0700

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's nuclear agency is trying to combat a complex computer worm that has affected industrial sites throughout the country and is capable of taking over power plants, Iranian media reports said.

Experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran met this week to discuss how to remove the malicious computer code, or worm, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported Friday.

The computer worm, dubbed Stuxnet, can take over systems that control the inner workings of industrial plants. Experts in Germany discovered the worm in July, and it has since shown up in a number of attacks - primarily in Iran, Indonesia, India and the U.S.

The ISNA report said the malware had spread throughout Iran, but did not name specific sites affected. Foreign media reports have speculated the worm was aimed at disrupting Iran's first nuclear power plant, which is to go online in October in the southern port city of Bushehr.

Iranian newspapers have reported on the computer worm hitting industries around the country in recent weeks, without giving details. Friday's report also did not mention Bushehr.

The Russian-built plant will be internationally supervised, but world powers remain concerned that Iran wants to use its civil nuclear power program as a cover for making weapons.

Iran denies such an aim and says its nuclear work is solely for peaceful purposes.

While there have been no reports of damage or disruption at any Iranian nuclear facilities, Tuesday's meeting signaled a high level of concern about the worm among Iran's nuclear officials.

The destructive Stuxnet worm has surprised experts because it is the first one specifically created to take over industrial control systems, rather than just steal or manipulate data.

The United States is also tracking the worm, and the Department of Homeland Security is building specialized teams that can respond quickly to cyber emergencies at industrial facilities across the country.

Paris Hilton Denies Entering japan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:41:00 -0700

NARITA, Japan - Paris Hilton was denied entrance into Japan on Wednesday, two days after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge in Las Vegas.

Japan has strict immigration laws that bar entry to those convicted of drug offenses, although exceptio

ns are occasionally granted.

"I'm going back home, and I look forward to coming back to Japan in the future," a smiling Hilton said to reporters at Tokyo's airport.

The 29-year-old celebrity socialite was supposed to promote her fashion and fragrance lines at a news conference Wednesday morning in Tokyo. She arrived Tuesday evening but was stopped at the airport and spent the night at a hotel there after being questioned by officials.

Denied Entry after Questioning

A Japanese immigration official said she was denied entry Wednesday after a total of about six hours of questioning over the two days. The country has taken a tough line with famous figures in the past, although it also grants exceptions on occasion.

Soccer icon Diego Maradona was initially banned from entering the country during the 2002 World Cup finals for his past drug offenses, but was eventually given a 30-day visa as a "special delegate."

The Rolling Stones struggled for years to gain entry to the country but were eventually allowed in despite its members' drug convictions.

In January 1980, former Beatles member Paul McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession upon arrival at Narita airport. He was deported without carrying out a planned concert tour by his rock group Wings.

Tokyo was the first stop on Hilton's planned Asia tour, during which she planned to visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and open a new retail store in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Lawmakers Spotlight N.Korea Sex Trafficking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:36:00 -0700

Members of the House Human Rights Commission hosted a congressional hearing this week, shining a spotlight on how China is ignoring the plight of North Korean refugees living in the country.

Lawmakers heard firsthand the horrors of three North Korean women who were sold into the sex trade.

"Ninety percent of the women who flee North Korea fall victims to traffickers, and the Chinese government does nothing about it," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said. "In fact, it is the Chinese government's ruthless policy of repatriating North Koreans that makes them so vulnerable to the traffickers."

"Hopefully, when President Obama meets with the leader, particularly the leader of China later on this year, he will raise this issue. He will raise this," Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va, added.

"This administration has lost its voice. It is silent on these issues. And this aught to be on the forefront," Wolf said. "Nuclear issues are important, but human rights for the people of North Korea is particularly important too."

China also returns refugees to North Korea, where they face imprisonment and death.

Some recommended that China's status be upgraded on the State Department's human trafficking list. Doing so would allow the United States to place economic sanctions on the country.

Six arrested in Gateshead over 'Koran burning'

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:40:00 -0700

Officers detained two men on September 15 and four more yesterday and all six were bailed pending further inquiries, Northumbria Police said.

''The arrests followed the burning of what are believed to have been two Korans in Gateshead on September 11,'' the spokesman said.

The men hide their faces as they hold a copy of the Koran prior to setting fire to it

''The incident was recorded and a video placed on the internet.''

In a video still accessible on YouTube, six young men in hooded tops or wearing scarves over their faces can be seen pouring petrol on a book and setting it alight, before burning another.

On the video, which appeared to have been filmed behind a pub, they cheer as the first book bursts into flames.

Northumbria Police said the men were not arrested for watching or distributing the video, but on suspicion of burning the Koran.

Gateshead Council and the force issued a joint statement to stress that community relations in the area were good.

It said: ''The kind of behaviour displayed in this video is not at all representative of our community as a whole.

''Our community is one of mutual respect and we continue to work together with community leaders, residents and people of all faiths and beliefs to maintain good community relations.''

The men may have been copying Florida-based Pastor Terry Jones, who caused an international outcry by threatening to burn the holy book on September 11, although he did not go ahead with the plan.

Second Church Threatened with Demolition in Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:35:00 -0700

A second church in Orang Asli is slated for destruction even though the native parishoners don't know why.

The church, located in a forested area of Pos Pasik, is only accessibly by four-wheel drive.

"The community has always had bamboo churches which have to be replaced once every two years," said Moses Soo, bishop of all Orang Asli churches in Kelantan. "Two years ago, the government began providing brick houses for the villagers and this sparked the idea of a brick church too."

Cash for the church construction, which began in May, was raised by the community and aided by Soo.

"As a gesture of courtesy, the villagers sent a letter to the Department of Orang Asli Affairs informing it of their plans," said Soo. "In August, they received a reply from the JHEOA Deputy Director-General Nisra Nisran Asra Ramlan, saying that permission was denied and they were to stop work immediately."

However, with the church nearly complete, the Orang protested that they were not seeking permission from JHEOA and that their letter was merely a notification.

"The land belongs to the Orang Asli and they consider it their right to build a church on it," said Soo. "Furthermore, the JHEOA didn't provide any reasons for its decision so the villagers sought legal counsel."

Lawyer Lum See Cheng advised the Orang Asli to ignore the JHEOA letter; he formally told JHEOA that its permission was not needed and also requested reasons for its rejection.

"The JHEOA is only responsible for the Orang Asli welfare," Cheng said. "It has no authority to issue such orders, and by denying the Orang Asli a safer building, it is in fact going against its role of taking care of their welfare."

"This is a religion-related issue," Cheng claimed. "Otherwise, I don't see why the authorities would be so interested in meddling in the affairs of people who live deep in the heart of the jungle."

If the church is demolished, it would be the second such incident in Kelantan: in 2007, an Orang Asli church in Gua Musang was demolished on orders from the Gua Musang District Council. The case was presented to the Kota Baru High Court in 2009, which deemed the demolition unlawful because the notice served was only seven instead of the obligatory 30 days.

"But Pos Pasik is outside the council's jurisdiction," Lum said, "so no authorities have any grounds to deny the villagers the church that they are building out of their own efforts and funds."

Although the Orang Asli have no title to the land, it belongs to them by default.

Pope attacks current of ‘aggressive secularism’ in Britain

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:25:00 -0700

Pope Benedict XVI has begun his four-day visit to Britain with a warning against “aggressive forms of secularism” that are failing to tolerate traditional values.

Addressing the Queen and other leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Deputy Prime Minister, the Pope spoke of the "Nazi tryanny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews".

He said: "As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget, how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a 'reductive vision of the person and his destiny'.".

Pope Benedict XVI rides in the Popemobile down Edinburgh's Princes Street on the first day of his four day visit to the United Kingdom

The Pope spoke of his desire to "hold out a hand of friendship" to British people.

He urged them to live by the values of “honesty”, “respect” and “fair-mindedness” and warned them not to forget their Christian heritage.

“The Christian message has been an integral part of the language, thought and culture of the peoples of these islands for more than a thousand years,” he said.

“Your forefathers’ respect for truth and justice, for mercy and charity come to you from a faith that remains a mighty force for good in your kingdom, to the great benefit of Christians and non-Christians alike.”

He continued: “Today, the United Kingdom strives to be a modern and multicultural society.

“In this challenging enterprise, may it always maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate.

“Let it not obscure the Christian foundation that underpins its freedoms.”

Thousands of people lined the streets of Edinburgh today to catch a glimpse of the Pope in his famous white Popemobile. Protestors who had planned to express their opposition to the visit could barely be seen amid the throngs of people waving Scottish flags and flags bearing the face of the Pope.

The Pope flew into Scotland this morning for the first official state visit made by a pontiff to Britain and the first visit by a pope since John Paul II made a pastoral visit in 1982.

In her welcoming speech, the Queen spoke of her appreciation of the Holy See’s involvement in improving the situation in Northern Ireland and its “important role” in international issues, supporting peace and development and addressing common problems like poverty and climate change.

“Your Holiness, your presence here today reminds us of our common Christian heritage, and of the Christian contribution to the encouragement of world peace, and to the economic and social development of the less prosperous countries of the world.

“We are all aware of the special contribution of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly in its ministry to the poorest and most deprived members of society, its care for the homeless and for the education provided by its extensive network of schools.”

The Queen said the visit would provide an opportunity to deepen the relationship between the Roman Catholic church, the Church of England and the Church of Scotland.

She went on to say that the relationship between different faiths had become a "fundamental factor" in cooperation within and between states.

"It is therefore vital to encourage a greater mutual, and respectful understatnding," she said.

"We hold that freedom to worship is at the core of our tolerant and democratic society."

The Pope flew in Edinburgh International Airport this morning, where he was greeted by the Duke of Edinburgh and senior Catholic leaders, including the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O'Brien.

He will travel to Glasgow today for an open-air mass at Bellahouston Park, before flying to London tonight. He will hold another open-air mass in Hyde Park on Saturday and end his visit on Sunday with an open-air mass in Birmingham’s Crofton Park to beatify John Henry Newman.

Sarah Kelly sings of emotions, struggles and hopes in new album

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:22:00 -0700

Midnight Sun is the latest project from Christian music favourite Sarah Kelly.

The album became something of a collaboration among friends for the two-time Grammy nominee. Kelly enlisted several trusted friends to co-write several of the songs, including her worship leader husband Jonas Ekman, Jeremy Hunter (Taylor Swift, Jonny Lang), and Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay).

Justin Knox (Colbie Caillat), Hunter and Dane came in to share the production credits, and Steve Mason from Jars of Clay even signed on to play on four of the album’s more rock-based songs.

Justin Knox (Colbie Caillat), Hunter and Dane came in to share the production credits, and Steve Mason from Jars of Clay even signed on to play on four of the album’s more rock-based songs.

A combination of rock riffs, love letters and straight ahead worship songs colour the project, making Midnight Sun a bit tricky to truly classify in one single genre. Kelly was able to have complete freedom recording Midnight Sun, and wanted to create a true statement that life is a combination of emotions, struggles and hopes.

The album’s first single, “Day and Night,” is Kelly’s personal testimony set to music. The single is currently going for adds at Christian radio.

“I think Midnight Sun is a good representation of the real me,” Kelly says. “I’m a woman who wants to talk about life, and for me that’s rock and relationships and that love for God that I just can’t contain.”

Over the past few years, Kelly has been transformed from a broken and bruised writer who felt that her voice was no longer worthy of her calling. She admits that much of this feeling was self-induced, and she had to regain her own ability to believe in the gifts that God has given her.

After spending time in Sweden, her second home, Kelly found her voice again. There, Kelly was able to renew her spirit, her calling, and return to the states happy, healthy and healed. Newly married, Kelly now leads worship regularly at Woodlands Church in Woodlands, Texas, and spends much of her time training up a new generation of musicians and songwriters.

A percentage from each song from Midnight Sun goes to support a different charity, a concept unique to most album projects. Each charity is a favourite of Kelly, and spans a variety of projects from cancer research to human trafficking. The list of charities can be found on Kelly’s website.

“The reason I wanted to do an independent album, was so I could give the publishing money to these causes,” explains Kelly. “It seems that the fruit of ‘Christian music’ should go to things that Jesus cares about, not to my big house fund, or the label's next big artist's promotion fund. If God wants to bless this album, more kids get fed, more girls get out of the brothels, more cancer research happens. Music is for honoring God and bettering life. My prayer is that this album accomplishes this both musically and practically.”

Midnight Sun is the story of Sarah Kelly’s journey from hurt to hope, grasping to not only the knowledge, but the deep belief of God’s unique plan and passion for each of us.

Bollywood producers announce new movie on Jesus Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:15:00 -0700

The Indian film industry is to shoot a movie on the life of Jesus Christ for the first time.

Produced by Aditya Productions, the movie is believed to be India's highest budget movie at an estimated cost of $30 million.

Shooting will begin in the Holy Land in October under the direction of veteran Bollywood film-maker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao.

The film will depict the story of Jesus Christ from his birth until his death and resurrection and will be released in English and three Indian languages in 2011.

The producer of the movie, Konda Krishnam Raju, told media it was the first time in the 79-year history of the Bollywood film industry that a movie on Jesus Christ was being made.

The film will include seven devotional songs and make-up artist Christien Tinsley, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on The Passion of the Christ, has been hired to work on the make-up effects.

South Indian star Pawan Kalyan will narrate the Telugu and Malayalam versions. Film makers are still to disclose the cast of the Hindi and English versions.

"There are millions of people in India who follow Christianity. It is a great faith. There is a great audience for such a film," said Kalyan.

The producers have been granted special permission to film in Bethlehem and also Jericho.

Director Rao told reporters that he hoped the film would spread "the message of love and peace" around the world.

US tells Egypt to bring Christmas Eve killers to justice

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:03:00 -0700

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has called on Egypt’s government to resume the trial of three men charged with the murder of seven people in a small southern Egypt town on Christmas Eve.

Since February, court proceedings have been postponed numerous times, and USCIRF is pressing the government to ensure that Saturday’s scheduled trial go on as planned.

“Justice delayed is justice denied,” remarked USCIRF chair Leonard Leo, whose agency makes policy recommendations to the US President, Secretary of State, and Congress with respect to matters involving international religious freedom.

“Is it possible for Coptic Orthodox Christians to get justice in the Egyptian court system?” he asked.

On January 6, as Coptic Christians prepared to observe Christmas Day, gunmen travelling in a car opened fire in a shopping district in the town of Nagaa Hammadi and later in front of the southern Egyptian town’s main church as worshippers emerged from midnight mass.

The shooting resulted in the deaths of six Christians and one Muslim security guard, who was assigned to protect the church.

Though police arrested three men two days later, some Coptic Christians believed the Christmas Eve attacks would go unpunished or draw light sentences, as is frequently the case.

Surprisingly, however, the Egyptian government initially decided to bring the Naga Hammadi case to trial quickly. But after eight months, there have been no convictions and, as Leo noted, “there is no end in sight.”

“Unfortunately, this only encourages further violence and is reminiscent of so many past trials where justice was never served,” he added.

Christians in Egypt and elsewhere have often criticised local authorities in Egypt for their handling of such cases, with many increasingly accusing the Egyptian State Security and other security authorities of having a hand in many of the crimes taking place against the Copts in Egypt.

Some even say the latest attack was in retaliation to the victim church's refusal to participate in government-sponsored "reconciliation sessions" after a November 2009 attack by Muslims on Coptic properties.

According to the 2009 US State Department Report on Egypt, “reconciliation sessions” are commonly used by the government to deter Coptic Christians from seeking justice following sectarian attacks.

The reconciliation sessions “generally obviated the prosecution of perpetrators of crimes against Copts and precluded their recourse to the judicial system for restitution", the State Department noted.

In its call for action Friday, USCIRF said it has recommended that the United States more aggressively press the Egyptian government to prosecute perpetrators responsible for sectarian violence and to remove de facto responsibility for religious affairs from the state security services, with the exception of cases involving violence or the advocacy of violence.

Due to persistent and serious religious freedom concerns, Egypt remains on USCIRF’s Watch List. Egypt has been on the Watch List since 2002.

India's president under pressure to protect Christians

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:00:00 -0700

India’s president is being pressed to protect Christians in the country’s northern Kashmir region after a mob burned down the oldest school there and also attacked other Christian institutions nearby.

“I am pained to state that though the local authorities were informed about a possible attack … no protection was provided,” stated the Rt Rev Pradeep Kumar Samantaroy in a message to President Pratibha Patil.

“You are aware that the Christians in the State of Jammu and Kashmir are a tiny minority who always live and serve under stressful and sometimes threatening situations,” the Church of North India bishop added Wednesday. “The present situation has made the Christians in Jammu and Kashmir feel very insecure.”

Muslims shout slogans as they burn a placard bearing the name of US President Barack Obama in Jammu, India, on Tuesday in protest of the reported desecration of Korans in the US.

On Monday, hundreds of Muslims in the divided region of Kashmir took to the streets in violent protest over the reported desecration of Korans in the United States.

Around two dozen people reportedly died in the clash that ensued between police and protesters, and the Tangmarg Tyndale Biscoe branch school was burned to ashes.

The school, which is managed by Samantaroy’s diocese, the Diocese of Amristar, had been providing education to 550 children from 150 villages around the town of Tangmarg. It had been founded in 1996 by the Tyndale-Biscoe & Mallinson School Educational Society to cater for those in the economically deprived sectors of the community.

After Monday night, however, the three-storey wooden building was completely destroyed by the fire that was set by an angry mob, which was responding to reports of a man in the United States who desecrated the Koran over the weekend.

In a statement on Thursday, the activist who helped to organise the action against the Koran said his group was “truly sad” to hear of the deaths that followed their demonstration in front of the White House on Saturday, but said that to blame them for the violence was "ludicrous”.

“Such logic is like saying that a woman who is abused by her boyfriend or husband is guilty of bringing violence on herself because she said or did something that irritated him,” stated Randall Terry, who founded the anti-abortion organisation Operation Rescue.

In addition to the Tungmarg Tyndale Biscoe branch school in Kashmir, other Christian institutions also came under attack, including the Roman Catholic Good Shepherd High School at Pulwama that was also set on fire and the Church of North India hospital at Anantnag that was stormed by protestors, two of whom were shot and killed by security forces.

“Today the school, the pride of the children who studied here and the staff who have put everything into the school, is a heap of ashes. I cannot express my own shock and sense of loss,” reported Rahinder Kaul, headmaster of Tungmarg Tyndale Biscoe, according to the Anglican Communion News Service.

“[M]any, many students broke down completely while talking to me,” he added. “Theirs is by far the biggest loss.”

Aside from the loss of property, Samantaroy said the burning of the school building caused “irreparable damage to the sentiments of the Christian Community.”

According to estimates, Christians number around 25,000 in Kashmir, 15,000 of which are Catholic.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu appeals to world to give generously to Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:57:00 -0700

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other leaders are calling on the world to give “more quickly and generously” to help millions of people affected by floods in Pakistan.

The Elders, a group of distinguished independent leaders, warned that the situation in Pakistan was deteriorating rapidly and that little aid was reaching many of those affected.

Some 3.5 million people are now at risk of water-borne illness such as hepatitis and diarrhoea. The Elders said the scale of the flooding was “disastrous” and that its long-term impact would be felt by around 20 million people.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

A Pakistani man carries relief goods in flood hit Muzaffargarh district, Punjab province, Pakistan, Thursday, August 19, 2010.

Tutu appealed to governments and individuals to give as generously as they did in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in January.

“I urge people all around the world to hold the people of Pakistan in their hearts and in the heart of the human family at this time,” he said.

“Let us not for a moment allow ourselves to feel that some are less deserving of our help than others.

“It is time for us to stand in solidarity with the people of Pakistan. Please give generously and help to share their enormous burden as they struggle to recover.”

The call for more donations comes as the United Nations General Assembly meets today to discuss Pakistan’s humanitarian emergency.

It has launched a $460 million emergency appeal but so far only half of that amount has been pledged, with aid agencies warning that the amount of money that has come in so far will not last more than three months.

The Disasters Emergency Committee said £24 million people had been raised by the British public so far, enabling its members, including Christian Aid and World Vision, to reach over 700,000 people.

DEC Chief Executive Brendan Gormley said the public had “understood that this crisis is still growing in scale and requires ongoing support to make a real difference to the millions affected”.

“With a fifth of Pakistan under water, aid agencies continue to work around the clock to reach those in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. And with the risk of diseases like cholera and malaria growing by the day, it is vital that people keep giving,” he said.

An estimated 1,600 people have died in the floods, while hundreds of thousands have lost their homes, and crops, livestock and communication networks have been destroyed.

Christians seek Pakistan debt cancellation

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:54:00 -0700

group of South Asian Christians in Britain is pressing for the cancellation of Pakistan’s international debts as the recovery from this summer’s devastating floods looks set to run into years.

The South Asian Forum of the Evangelical Alliance warns that life-saving relief efforts for some 20 million flood victims could be jeopardised if the Pakistani government is forced to send almost a third of its annual budget revenues to foreign creditors.

Pakistani families displaced by flood live in a camp setup for displaced people in Thatta, Pakistan on Thursday Sept. 16, 2010

The group’s founder, Ram Gidoomal, said that the Pakistani floods had been met with less publicity and fewer calls to action than the Indian Ocean tsunami, Kashmir floods and Haiti earthquake, despite the UN’s estimation that the number of people affected is higher than the three disasters combined.

“It’s no surprise that people are fed up hearing about war, strife and disasters in Pakistan,” said Mr Gidoomal. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the sum total of my native country and it also doesn’t mean that the suffering of 20 million Pakistani people isn’t any more or less important than those of other nationalities.

He is urging British Christians to add their names to an online petition to be handed to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund by advocacy group Avaaz. The petition calls for the cancellation of Pakistan’s international debt so that the country can focus on recovering from the floods.

Mr Gidoomal, originally from Pakistan’s Sindh province, said: “Servicing debts to international donors currently costs Pakistan around $3 billion annually.

“This is almost triple what the country spends on healthcare and is shocking when you consider that 38 per cent of the country’s five-year-olds are underweight, more than half the population is illiterate and two thirds live below the poverty line.”

The call comes days after the UN launched a $2bn appeal to help the stricken country, its biggest ever humanitarian appeal. UN Secretary General said at the launch that the Pakistan floods were the worst natural disaster the UN had ever had to respond to.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told the Liberal Democrat party conference this week that Britain would “dramatically increase” its aid provision from the £60 million it has already provided for flood victims.

Steven Curtis Chapman’s latest album soars up iTunes charts

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:52:00 -0700

Grammy Award-winning artist Steven Curtis Chapman' new project, 'Safe In The Arms'
was only released this week but has already garnered the No 2 spot on the iTunesChristian & Gospel Albums Chart.

Available only in digital formats, Safe In The Arms features a never before released song, "Close To Your Heart" featuring worship artist Matt Redman and a special new acoustic recording of "Beauty Will Rise", the title track off his last studio album that released last year.

In addition, Chapman opens up in a in-depth interview about Beauty Will Rise, his most personal album to date.

Fans can also hear from Chapman’s wife, New York Times Best-Selling Author Mary Beth as she talks about her journey over the last few years as she discusses in her latest book Choosing to See, which is currently No 13 on the New York Times Best-Sellers List.

Additionally, the family-themed release includes a new song from the emerging four-piece rock band Caleb, which highlights the talents of Chapman’s sons Will and Caleb.

Christians launch anti-slavery initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:49:00 -0700

A new Christian anti-slavery initiative has been launched by a handful of people who feel strongly about the suffering of those entrapped in slavery.

The Christian Anti-Slavery Today (CAST) has been launched to raise awareness of contemporary slavery and effectively combat it within a Christian context.

"Many people do not understand the shocking reality of slavery today," explained spokeswoman Bisi Omiteru.

"Therefore education remains a primary objective. CAST is providing free resources for different age groups to heighten awareness."

There are an estimated 12 million people enslaved worldwide, affecting every every continent. Many, including children, are forcibly trafficked and abused in Britain today.

CAST is launching under the umbrella charity Siloam Christian Ministries. Initial projects include Siloam’s work among young girls at risk and those rescued from trafficking in India.

The initiative will equip others with ways to oppose slavery through advocacy and action.

"Believing that every man, woman and child has value in the sight of God, CAST opposes the abuse of human rights," said Bisi.

"We want to mobilise individuals to do simple things like ethical shopping or writing to policy makers. Also, we recognise the importance of working under the auspices of the local church."

Churches are starting focus groups to act together and plan events. Freedom Festivals will highlight contemporary slavery and celebrate how freedom is being gained. Such activities will be within the context of local churches acting together yet will engage with the wider community.

Individuals becoming involved range from British church leaders to a teenager in Eastern Europe. CAST team members are motivating others by putting their biblical basis into practice. They note that Romans 12 means everyone using their individual gifts to act together.

Projects will include supporting existing ministries through fundraising and other means.

Pope expresses ‘sorrow and shame’ over child abuse

noreply@blogger.com (Christ Writings) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:45:00 -0700

The Pope apologised again for the Catholic Church’s handling of child abuse in a meeting with victims yesterday.

The Pope spent 40 minutes yesterday with five people who had been abused by Catholic priests as children.

The Pope spoke of his “sorrow and shame” suffered by victims and prayed with them.

A spokesperson for the Pope said: “He was moved by what they had to say and expressed his deep sorrow and shame over what victims and their families had suffered.

“As he has done on other occasions, he prayed that all the victims of abuse might experience healing and reconciliation, and be able to overcome their past and present distress with serenity and hope for the future.”

The Pope also sought to assure the victims that the Catholic Church was continuing to implement “effective measures” to ensure the safety of young people in its care and that it was continuing to collaborate with civil authorities in bringing suspected abusers to justice.

The meeting followed on from the Pope’s strongest apology for the scandal yet, in a mass at Westminster Cathedral on Friday in which he expressed his “deep sorrow” at the “immense suffering” caused by paedophile priests.

Later in the day, the Pope met safeguarding professionals and volunteers responsible for child protection.
The Pope told them of the need for preventative measures to be “maintained with vigilance” and any allegations of abuse to be dealt with “swiftly and justly”.

He said: “It is deplorable that, in such marked contrast to the Church’s long tradition of care for them, children have suffered abuse and mistreatment at the hands of some priests and religious.

While insisting that there should never be grounds for complacency, the Pope said the efforts by the Catholic Church in Britain and elsewhere in the last ten years to ensure the safety of children and young people “should be acknowledged”.