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Today’s Headlines:

CONGOLESE OFFICIALS RELEASE 7 EMPLOYEES OF CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION VIETNAMESE CLERGYMAN ARRESTED FOR PREACHING ‘ILLEGAL SERMONS’ 40,000+ CHRISTIANS FLEE IRAQ FOLLOWING ATTACKS ON CHURCHES HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP URGES END TO PAKISTAN’S BLASPHEMY LAW ‘TRIBUTE TO UNKNOWN GOD’ DRAWS THOUSANDS AT OLYMPICS BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGIST CLAIMS TO HAVE FOUND JOHN THE BAPTIST’S CAVE

Today’s News Stories:

CONGOLESE OFFICIALS RELEASE 7 EMPLOYEES OF CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo released seven employees of Radio Hosanna, an evangelical radio station in the southern city of Lubumbashi, on Saturday, Aug. 7. However, they refused to let the station resume operations since shutting it down three days earlier. On Wednesday, Aug. 4, national intelligence agents and police officers raided the station and confiscated the equipment, including the transmitter, and arrested four of the station’s journalists, two technicians and a security guard. The raid stemmed from the rebroadcast of a sermon by Albert Lukusa, pastor of the Nouvelle Cit © de David (New City of David) Church which owns Radio Hosanna. During his sermon, Lukusa criticized the government, alleging that it is corrupt and has mismanaged the country’s economy, reported the local press freedom organization Journaliste en Danger. Lukusa, who was arrested by members of the National Intelligence Agency on Aug. 3, remains in detention in Lubumbashi. Authorities accused the pastor of insulting the head of state and “inciting people to revolt against national authorities.” The raid took place after station employees announced Lukusa’s detention on-air, rebroadcast his sermon and invited listeners to call in to express their opinions. (AllAfrica.com)

* HCJB World Radio works with local partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo to broadcast the gospel on FM stations in Boma, Bukavu and Kinshasa. Programs go out in English, French, Kikongo Fioti, Lingala, Luba and Swahili. Weekly programs in the Songe and Kikongo San Salvador languages also air from local FM stations in the country.

VIETNAMESE CLERGYMAN ARRESTED FOR PREACHING ‘ILLEGAL SERMONS’ The head of an illegal church group in Vietnam has been arrested for preaching without permission. Hong Thien Hank, 57, a clergyman for an illegal splinter branch of the Cao Dai Church, was detained along with his wife at their home in the southern province of Tien Giang. The pastor has been accused of illegally promulgating the beliefs of an “unauthorized sect” and printing and distributing religious information without permission. All churches and religious organizations in Vietnam must receive authorization from the government to operate. The Cao Dai Church, with about 5 million followers — mainly in southern Vietnam — was officially recognized by the government in 1997. (WorldWide Religious News/ABC)

40,000 CHRISTIANS FLEE IRAQ FOLLOWING ATTACKS ON CHURCHES An estimated 40,000 Christians have left Iraq in the wake of recent attacks on churches in the country, says a government official. In statements Sunday to the Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, the minister for displacement and migration, Pascale Icho Warda, said that the emigration “is due to the insecurity and the recent attacks on churches in Baghdad and Mosul.” Four attacks on Christian places of worship in Baghdad and two in Mosul left at least 10 dead and 50 wounded in early August. On Aug. 2 Pope John Paul II sent a message to Archbishop Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and president of the assembly of the Catholic bishops of Iraq, to express his sympathy. “At this time of trial I am spiritually close to the Iraqi Church and society, and I renew the expression of my heartfelt solidarity to the pastors and faithful,” the papal telegram said. John Paul II assured Iraqi Christians of his prayer and “constant commitment” so that a “climate of peace and reconciliation will be established in the beloved country as soon as possible.” Christians comprise about 700,000 of Iraq’s 24 million inhabitants. (WorldWide Religious News/Zenit)

HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP URGES END TO PAKISTAN’S BLASPHEMY LAW The International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) has called on Pakistan to change its controversial Blasphemy Act. Under the law, which has been in force since 1986, an alleged defamation of Islam or the prophet Mohammed may be punished with the death sentence. Many non-Muslims, especially Christians, have been indicted and convicted. But the law is often abused as a means of private revenge, reported the ISHR based in Frankfurt, Germany. Two Christians convicted under the act, Anwar Kenneth and Kingri Masih, are on death row. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf reportedly has promised more than once to change the blasphemy law. But his announcements have never been put into practice, apparently because of pressure from Islamic extremists. ISHR has also called for the abolition of other brutal forms of punishment such as stoning or whipping for offenses like adultery, gambling and alcohol consumption. Of Pakistan’s 156 million inhabitants, 96 percent are Muslims, 2.3 percent are Christians and 1.5 percent are Hindus. (IDEA)

‘TRIBUTE TO UNKNOWN GOD’ DRAWS THOUSANDS AT OLYMPICS Nearly 2,000 years ago Paul traveled to Greece, shared the gospel and explained how people could know personally the God they called the “unknown god.” In honor of that, FLAME 2004 held a “Tribute to the Unknown God” rally in Athens as part of its Olympic Games outreach. Fotis Romeos of AMG International says 10,000 people attended the event. “We never had such a meeting in any place of Greece. This was the greatest gathering for a Christian cause, ever to take place in Greece.” Olympic outreach is just beginning, and he’s excited about the potential for evangelism. “We have a great number of Greeks coming from across Greece, but also I was able to locate people from Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq. I also located people from South America, Africa and Eastern Europe. We Practically have the world in our yard.” The ministry is also handing out New Testaments and video copies of the “Jesus” film. (Mission Network News)

BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGIST CLAIMS TO HAVE FOUND JOHN THE BAPTIST’S CAVE British archaeologists Shimon Gibson says he has found a cave near Jerusalem where John the Baptist may have baptized his disciples. Gibson spent five years excavating the site near Jerusalem, unearthing objects apparently used in ancient purification rituals, reported the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Inside the cave, a huge cistern with 28 steps leads to an underground pool. During a tour of the cave, archaeologists discovered ancient wall carvings that they say tell the story of the fiery New Testament preacher as well as a stone that they believe was used for ceremonial foot washing. But the Bible says John baptized in the Jordan River, and other archaeologists note that there is no proof that John ever set foot in the cave. The carvings stem from the Byzantine period and apparently were made by monks in the fourth or fifth century, possibly to commemorate John the Baptist at a site linked to him by local tradition. The 79-foot deep cave is at present-day Kibbutz Tzuba, about 2.5 miles from John’s birthplace of Ein Kerem. Gibson’s team found a quarter of a million pieces of pottery, apparently from artifacts used in the immersion process. (Assist News Service/AgapePress) * * * * * * * * * * * * * James A. Ferrier HCJB World Radio U.S. Ministries Communications Director E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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