AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER * SERVE THE POOR - BUT LEAVE YOUR BELIEFS AT THE DOOR CHRISTIAN CHARITIES TOLD * CHRISTIANS IN CHINA'S EARTHQUAKE DISASTER AREAS RAIDED BY POLICE * 2008 PERSECUTION REPORT ON CHINA RELEASED * POPE WANTS HUMANITY SAVED FROM HOMOSEXUALITY * MASSIVE PRO-FAMILY RALLY FLOODS SPAIN * SOMALIA: PRESIDENT READY TO PRACTICE SHARIA LAW ----------------------------------------------- SERVE THE POOR - BUT LEAVE YOUR BELIEFS AT THE DOOR CHRISTIAN CHARITIES TOLD UK Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has said that churches are ideally placed to help people through the current economic crisis – but added that faith groups using public money to do this work should not “proselytise.” This could affect churches and other religious groups running debt-counselling services. Speaking to leading church debt experts at the Evangelical Alliance’s Life Beyond Debt conference, Blears said religious charities deserve to be recognised for their “astonishing work." She said: “By making a commitment to offer the practical advice about family budgeting and debt management, the churches and groups here today can make a great difference to their neighbourhoods.” But she added that the government is working towards a charter of excellence. “This charter would mean faith groups, who are paid public money to provide services, promising to provide those services to everyone, regardless of their background and promising not to use public money to proselytise.” She added that there is a balance to be struck: “It’s not about trying to stop the people manning the soup kitchens, or making home visits, talking about their faith if people ask, or being open about what motivates them.” When questioned about this, she said she wanted to enter a dialogue with churches over this issue. “I don’t want to get to the place where the very thing that motivates you is stripped away. That’s self defeating,” she said. Director of Public Policy Dr R David Muir said that faith groups already provide services to people regardless of their background. “The government wants the social action and welfare that faith groups provide, but there is a danger that they also want faith groups to leave their beliefs at the door. “Our faith is what equips us as Christians to provide support and compassion to those who are spiritually and emotionally damaged by debt. “We are glad that the government is open to discussion on this critical issue. We look forward to working with them." Source: Evangelical Alliance Press Release ----------------------------------------------- CHRISTIANS IN CHINA'S EARTHQUAKE DISASTER AREAS RAIDED BY POLICE Police are reported to have raided four households in the Sichuan earthquake disaster area. At about 3 p.m. on the afternoon of December 24, as the earthquake victims and the Christian volunteers were re-constructing a building damaged by the earthquake were taking a rest on the construction site, more than 40 policemen and an estimated 10 police vehicles illegally raided the site. The households are believed to have been raided because of the help they received from Christians. The policemen, untidy, badly dressed and reeking with alcohol were vicious in their attack. They beat, swore at and insulted the people at the scene. They threatened to demolish the house, newly built by the earthquake victims. The Police also seized Bibles, hymnals, televisions, motorcycles and many other items owned by the Christians. During the raid, the police refused to present documents to prove their actions were legal. Due to its remote location, it is hard for the area to receive assistance from the government and official relief agencies. Most of the earthquake victims in the area are still living in simple and crude shacks. In cold and snowy weather, where the temperature is 4-5 degrees below zero, it is extremely difficult for the disaster victims to make it through the winter without care and assistance from the outside. Since the earthquake, Christian volunteers have continuously provided assistance to the earthquake victims and have won approval and praises from them for doing so. The raid by the police is extremely unpopular among the local earthquake victims. They want to hold the police liable for their illegal conduct. The consensus among them is that receiving assistance from Christian volunteers and accepting Christian beliefs are their rights as citizens and that it is very unreasonable for the government to attack them and punish them for helping themselves while the government is not able or willing to provide any assistance. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- 2008 PERSECUTION REPORT ON CHINA RELEASED The 2008 Persecution Report has been released documenting significant increase of persecution of house church Christians in China, during the past year. The report will now be reviewed by the UN. The 2008 Persecution Report, whilst not comprehensive of all the abuses of human rights and religious freedom in China, covers the majority of provinces and municipalities in China and involves many types of persecution and indicates a trend towards targeting Christians in urban areas with tougher tactics. The year of the Beijing Olympic Games marks a year of increased persecution of house church Christians. In 2008, the total number of house church Christians persecuted in the nation increased 157%. In Beijing alone, persecution increased 418%. Commenting on the report a spokesman for China Aid said "It is important to note that persecution of Christians is clearly human rights abuse. The Chinese government does not recognize the human rights of house church Christians because they are not members of the registered church." Source: China Aid ----------------------------------------------- POPE WANTS HUMANITY SAVED FROM HOMOSEXUALITY Pope Benedict XVI says saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction. "The Church should also protect man from the destruction of himself. A sort of ecology of man is needed," the Pontiff said in a Christmas address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration. "The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less." The Catholic Church teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are. It opposes gay marriage and, in October, a leading Vatican official called homosexuality "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound". The pope said humanity needed to "listen to the language of creation" to understand the intended roles of man and woman. He compared behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations as "a destruction of God's work". He also defended the Church's right to "speak of human nature as man and woman, and ask that this order of creation be respected." Source: Vatican Press Release ----------------------------------------------- MASSIVE PRO-FAMILY RALLY FLOODS SPAIN As part of a huge public outcry a pro-life Mass drew hundreds of thousands of people to central Madrid recently to hear the case for the traditional family. Although city officials and police would not give an official estimate of the number of people present, the Associated Press said the crowd in the Plaza de Colon appeared to number in the hundreds of thousands. In a message played at the start of the service, Pope Benedict XVI appealed to families to keep their love strong. More than 300 priests, 22 bishops and five archbishops also attended the Mass. The Roman Catholic Church has been a fierce advocate of the traditional family in the face of Spain's liberal Socialist Government, which has legalized gay civil unions and introduced measures making it easier to divorce. A similar Mass and rally were held at this time last year in the same square, and organizers put attendance at well over a million. Then, bishops criticized the Spanish government over its social policies but this time there were no such remarks. Source: ASSIST News Service ----------------------------------------------- SOMALIA: PRESIDENT READY TO PRACTICE SHARIA LAW Somalia’s newly elected president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has told Islamist leaders and commanders of government forces that he was ready to practice Sharia law. The newly-elected leader said he would form an inclusive government and extend a hand to armed groups still opposed to the UN-sponsored reconciliation effort. The young cleric and former opposition leader, was recently elected as Somali’s president, but he faces a daunting task of bringing change to the war-torn nation of Somalia, which has not had a central government for eighteen years. Mr. Ahmed called for international aid and urged civilians uprooted by two years of fighting to return home. The president said he would rebuild the national security forces and called for the opposition to join his government in seeking to restore stability to the troubled nation. Source: Intercessors Network
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