AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER * CHRISTIAN CHIEF EXECUTIVES IN CHINA * NEW ZEALAND ANGLICANS DIVIDE OVER GAY ORDINATION * REFORMED HOMOSEXUAL DEMANDS A VOICE IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS * TRADITIONS WEIGH HEAVILY ON CHINA'S WOMEN * BELFAST CHURCH IS BREAKING DIVIDING WALLS BETWEEN PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS * SCHOOL OFFICIALS CUT OFF MICROPHONE ON MENTION OF THE NAME OF JESUS ----------------------------------------------- CHRISTIAN CHIEF EXECUTIVES IN CHINA China is officially an atheistic country, where some local officials still persecute religious dissenters: However at least 30 CEOs of major Chinese companies have become Christians. They even conduct Bible studies within their companies. Their stories are fascinating. One executive in his 40s, Mr. Han explained in his conference room that he came from a poor, rural family: His father died when he was 12, and he often went hungry. The future CEO "studied very hard to change the situation of my family," scored high on tests, entered Beijing University, and went on to garner a grand salary. Han was an atheist who thought that "only rural grandmas believe in God." By the end of 1999, he "had enough money for my whole life" but "had emptiness and suffering within me. I thought, maybe I will become happy by starting my own business." Han did that and made even more money, but his depression became deeper. He tried burning incense at a Buddhist temple and felt a little better, but misery quickly returned. For six months, he paid a top Taoist sage to give him a schedule each month with favourable and unfavourable blocks of time and tried to arrange his meetings accordingly -- only to find that some at the good times went poorly, and some he was forced to have at bad times went well. In 2002, a classmate who had studied in the United States suggested that Han visit a church. He and his wife did, and she immediately became a believer but he "tried to keep awake in the pew and could not." By August, 2003, he was "very depressed. Only when I was cornered and understood that man's end is dust did I become serious about reading the Bible. Then Irealized that my preconceptions were wrong, that belief in God is not unscientific, that by myself, I don't know where I'm from and where I'm going." Han became a Christian and found his new faith changing not only personal but business practice: "As a company we pay our taxes strictly and honestly; we treat our employees with love and pay them in a timely fashion." Those practices are unusual in China." Other Chinese CEOs have their own stories. As one CEO Mr. Wang related, "I begged God, what shall I do? For the first time, I prayed from the bottom of my heart." One manager, who once was a Communist party member attests to the ways Wang's company is different from state-owned ones and others where "bribery is common." He says CEOs who become Christians no longer have mistresses or win contracts by proffering prostitutes to customers. These Chinese executives see Christianity bringing immediate as well as long-term benefits, but they do not preach a "prosperity gospel." In fact Wang's company lost a large order it needed for profitability because he refused to pay a bribe, an act some of Wang's financial backers think is foolish. Source: World Magazine ----------------------------------------------- NEW ZEALAND ANGLICANS DIVIDE OVER GAY ORDINATION Leading Anglicans said that the ordination of a 'practising homosexual' in Dunedin could split the Church in New Zealandand the Anglican Communion. The Latimer Fellowship and Anglican Mainstream NZ have written a letter to the three Archbishops of the New Zealand Church appealing to them to stop or postpone the ordination of a man who is understood to be in an 18-year same-sex relationship. "We believe that this ordination should be at least postponed until after proper consultation and debate has been conducted on what is certainly a deeply divisive issue," said Revd Max Scott, Chairman of Anglican Mainstream NZ. The letter stated "If this ordination proceeds, it would not only breach the Constitution and Canons of the Church but fly in the face of the calls for restraint on this issue from the wider Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. In a separate letter the Vicar's of New Zealand's 10 largest Anglican Churches have also expressed their own protest at the proposed ordination. As yet, the Archbishops and the house of Bishops have been unable to give a clear response to the letters, though Latimer and Mainstream were assured that on-going discussions are being held with the Dunedin Bishop. Due to the inadequate response from the New Zealand Bishops, the Latimer Fellowship and Mainstream have been compelled to write to the Archbishop of Canterbury and other bishops throughout the Anglican Communion requesting their assistance. "We want them to know that the actions of one bishop in New Zealand do not have the support or agreement of all the New Zealand Anglican Church" said Rosemary Behan, an Anglican laywoman in the Christchurch Diocese and a member of the Latimer Fellowship. "We are requesting the Archbishop of Canterbury's help and intervention so that the Anglican Church in NewZealand do not offend their brothers and sisters in Christ, throughout the world." she said. The Latimer Fellowship is a 60-year-old society of Evangelical Christians within the Anglican Church who seek to maintain the authority of the Bible in the church's life. Anglican Mainstream NZ is a network of faithful Anglicans advocating for orthodox faith, promoting biblical values and building a strong church. Source: Mainstream NZ ----------------------------------------------- REFORMED HOMOSEXUAL DEMANDS A VOICE IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS Angered by what they see as the promotion of homosexuality in schools, thousands of American parents are banding together to demand that their children be taught that it is possible to stop being gay. Organisations such as Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), are trying to ensure that their view is aired alongside gay rights messages. Alan Chambers, the president of Exodus International, an umbrella for ex-gay support groups, said: "The gay community says that you can't change. But there is an alternative. Now more and more teenagers are able to see there are two sides to this issue."Mr Chambers, 34, was drawn to men from boyhood. "When I was 11, I found myself struggling with same-sex attraction issues. I was told by a school counsellor that there was nothing I could do about it. I had to accept I was gay. That made me want to die." At 18, he joined a local Christian group in Florida and was convinced that it was possible to change. He renounced his previous sexual leanings, and within eight years he was married. He now has two children under two. Melissa Fryrear, of Focus on the Family, was a lesbian for a decade. She attributes her former orientation to "having been violated by a man outside my family when I was a child", plus a lack of an emotional bond with her mother and a frequently absent father. "When I was coming to the end of my proverbial rope, I discovered there was a biblical sexual ethic outlined in scripture and I started to hear wonderful stories of people who had overcome homosexuality." Miss Fryrear, 40, said she faces more discrimination as an "ex-gay" than she did as a lesbian. "It seems that gay and lesbian activists want me to go into the closet. I have been called things I could never repeat to my mother. "I have had death threats. I have to travel with personal security. I get a Christmas card each year with human faeces smeared on it." Regina Griggs, the executive director of PFOX, said: "People are not born gay and there's never been a test that has found a gay gene. She became involved in PFOX when her teenage son announced that he was gay. 'But he's at the point where he admits now that change is possible." Unlike some hardline Christians, Mr Chambers and Miss Fryrear accept that homosexual feelings may be genuine, arguing that they are a complex mixture of innate tendencies, childhood factors and personality traits. Mr Chambers suggested that he would never completely shake off his past. "I'm not above being tempted. I'm human," he said. "But it's not something that rules my life. I am attracted and committed to my wife and I have developed heterosexual feelings in general. I choose to live beyond these things and they don't control me any more." Source: telegraph.co.uk ----------------------------------------------- TRADITIONS WEIGH HEAVILY ON CHINA'S WOMEN In China one woman kills herself every four minutes. According to World Health Organisation statistics, China is the only countryin the world where more women commit suicide than men. Every year, 1.5 million women attempt to take their own lives, with 150,000 succeeding in doing so. The problem is worse in rural areas where the suicide rate is three times higher than in the cities. Suicide attempts may often be impulsive, but they are the result of burdens that weigh heavily on the shoulders of rural women. Marriage is a big issue where traditional attitudes still prevail. Many marriages are arranged and operate like business deals in which the groom's parents "buy" the bride, and she becomes part of their family. This leads to emotional problems for young wives who leave their own family and friends to enter an alien environment. "They have their father-in-law to deal with, their mother-in-law, various uncles, sisters-in-law and so on. She's got to gain everyone's acceptance. When there are conflicts, she's the weakest." Particularly in arranged marriages, where the husband may sense his wife is unwilling to be with him, resentment can build up, leading to arguments and violence. It is estimates that 70-80% of suicides are the direct result of conflicts between husbands and wives. For most women there is no easy way out of an unhappy marriage. Divorce would mean leaving behind the financial security of the family, casting them into an uncertain future. The government realises the extent of the problem. For many years, marriage laws have made arranged marriage and bride-buying illegal. However, traditional attitudes are hard to change. Modern trends are also placing China's women under increasing pressure. In rural areas where social security is weak, sons are preferred to daughters, as only sons will stay in the village to look after elderly parents. When daughters marry, they must move to their husband's family home. Combine this with strict birth control policies, and the result is that many female foetuses are aborted. For every one hundred baby girls born in China, 117 boys are born, according to the official figures. By 2020, China could be short of around 40 million women, leaving many young men unable to find wives. Xie Lihua is worried about the consequences of this imbalance. "Women will face an even more terrible future in 20 years time. Abduction and trafficking of women will increase. So will prostitution, as well as sexual violence against women and rape. I think this problem really must be solved from the ground up". Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- BELFAST CHURCH IS BREAKING DIVIDING WALLS BETWEEN PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS Several members of New Life City Church, (formerly New Life Fellowship) in Belfast recently went over the wall dividing Catholic from Protestant areas of the city to the Catholic community and did a Prayer Walk around some of the streets on Falls Road. Says Pastor Jack McKee: "This was such a challenge to us, for although we have done several Prayer Walks in 'Protestant' communities during times of internal conflict and feuding, we have never before done this in a 'Catholic' community." McKee said: "We did not know what to expect or how people would respond to us, but no sooner had we begun the walk, when we got to talking with people on the streets about Jesus. It was so amazing to see several open up to us as they both listened and talked. All of the responses were so positive that God was confirming to us that this is the way to go in the coming weeks and months." McKee states: "Death, serious injuries and destruction have often been inflicted by bomb and bullet as this community has come under attack several times, by IRA terrorists, and other Republican terrorist organizations. On the other hand, Loyalist groups based within the Shankill community have often inflicted their own form of vengeance on neighbouring Catholic communities leaving death, destruction and grief in their trail." A huge concrete wall, standing some 20 feet high, separates Protestant and Catholic communities for the purpose of protecting them from each other. This is the only remaining dividing wall still standing in post-modern Europe. Source: Breaking Christian News ----------------------------------------------- SCHOOL OFFICIALS CUT OFF MICROPHONE ON MENTION OF THE NAME OF JESUS Brittany McComb recently graduated from Foothill High School thus earning the right to speak to those attending the graduation ceremony. McComb wrote a commencement speech which contained some Biblical references, and thanked "Christ." She submitted what she'd written to school officials, who in turn, ran it past the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). After censoring the references, as well as the name of Christ, officials returned the speech to Brittany, who after much thought, decided to read the original version at the ceremony. However, High School authorities managed to cut off Brittany's mic, just before she mentioned Christ. According to the report in the Review Journal, jeers arose from the other graduating students and their families, and continued for several minutes. "I went through four years of school at Foothill and they taught me logic and they taught me freedom of speech," explained Brittany. "God's the biggest part of my life. Just like other valedictorians thank their parents, I wanted to thank my lord and saviour." Source: Breaking Christian News Have you visited our Web Site? http://www.ausprayernet.org.au/ You can print this e-mail with formating at the following web-address: http://www.ausprayernet.org.au/newsletter/PrintNewsletter.php?e_id=00000001125
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