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Today’s Headlines:

6 OF RUSSIAN PASTORS’ 8 CHILDREN CONFIRMED DEAD IN HOSTAGE CRISIS ‘HATE CRIME’ CONVICTION REVERSED FOR 2 BRAZILIAN EVANGELISTS CATHOLICS IN INDIA SHOCKED BY BRUTAL MURDER OF PRIEST INDONESIAN CHURCHES FACE CONTINUED THREATS, ATTACKS OPEN DOORS BRINGS ENCOURAGEMENT, TRAINING TO SUFFERING WOMEN PROMISE KEEPERS EMPHASIZES TAKING BIBLICAL STAND ON MORAL ISSUES

Today’s News Stories:

6 OF RUSSIAN PASTORS’ 8 CHILDREN CONFIRMED DEAD IN HOSTAGE CRISIS After days of searching for their children, pastors and brothers Taymuraz and Sergey Totiev in the southern Russian town of Beslan, North Ossetia, have discovered that six of their eight children died in the recent hostage drama. “Tragically, out of the eight Totiev children who were in the school, only two have survived,” said Sergey Rakhuba, vice president of U.S.-backed Russian Ministries in a statement. The children of Taymuraz and Ria Totiev who died were identified as Larissa, 14, Luba, 12, Albina, 11, and Boris, 8. “A daughter named Magina was found, released from the hospital, and is recovering at home,” Rakhuba added. The children of Sergey and Bela Totiev who died were Dzerassa, 15, and Anna, 9. A son, Azamat, 12, is in the hospital and is being treated for a “severe eye injury.” The children are believed to have died Friday, Sept. 3, during a gun battle between Russian forces storming the school complex and militants demanding independence for neighboring Chechnya. News about the deaths came after two days of national mourning in Russia. While thousands of people gathered in the town square in Beslan, North Ossetia, Russian Ministries led a prayer meeting on the front lawn of its office building in Wheaton, Ill. More than 1,200 people were taken hostage in Beslan, near Chechnya. At least 326 were killed — half of them children — and 727 wounded, Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov said. Only 210 bodies have been identified. (BosNewsLife/Reuters)

‘HATE CRIME’ CONVICTION REVERSED FOR 2 BRAZILIAN EVANGELISTS An appeals court in S £o Paulo, Brazil, has reversed the conviction last year of two evangelists charged with violating the nation’s “hate crime” law. The landmark case involving evangelicals and Afro-Brazilian spiritists is the first to test a federal law declaring it a crime to “practice, induce, or incite discrimination” against members of another religion, Compass Direct reported. Umbanda and Candomble spiritist groups brought criminal charges more than two years ago against Baptist pastor Joaquim de Andrade and Anglican Aldo dos Santos, claiming that gospel tracts they distributed at the annual Iemanja festival disparaged the African deity, and therefore violated the federal law. In April 2003 the men were found guilty of the charges, but they refused to pay the fine imposed and appealed the verdict. Andrade hailed the appeals court’s recent decision as upholding freedom of speech and their right to conduct personal evangelism in public places. “We can certainly continue evangelistic work on the beaches, in the streets, in plazas and through all communications media in Brazil,” he said. “The judges’ ruling came out favorably toward us because we are not breaking the law of our country. There has been recognition that we have the right to give our testimony.” (Religion Today/Charisma News Service)

* HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel in Portuguese to Brazil via shortwave from Quito, Ecuador, and maintains a world office and radio studios in Curitiba. Portuguese programs, which have been on the air continuously since 1947, generate more listener letters than any language service at Radio Station HCJB in Ecuador. The ministry’s Portuguese programs also air on local radio stations across Brazil.

CATHOLICS IN INDIA SHOCKED BY BRUTAL MURDER OF PRIEST The Catholic community of India is in shock following the brutal murder of Father Job Chittilappilly whose body was found dead with knife wounds early Saturday, Aug. 28. He had been threatened for alleged “proselytism.” Chittilappilly, 71, served the Syro-Malabar community for 45 years, lived in the parish residence of Our Lady of Grace Church in Thuruthiparambu in the southwestern state of Kerala. Although the motive for the murder is still unknown, investigators said that the crime appears to be an execution. Nothing was touched or stolen from the parish residence, reported the Fides missionary agency. He was attacked before conducting mass. Local sources reported that the priest had recently received intimidating telephone calls, threatening him with death if he did not cease to “proselytize.” The murder added to a chain of attacks against Christians in Jharkhand and Orissa, recently condemned by the conference of Catholic bishops of India which appealed for religious tolerance and the intervention of the civil authorities. (WorldWide Religious News/Zenit)

INDONESIAN CHURCHES FACE CONTINUED THREATS, ATTACKS Several churches in Indonesia have faced threats or attacks from mobs, forcing some to close, reported local sources. A mob forced three churches to close in Bogor City on Monday, Aug. 23, claiming that the churches did not have permission to operate. On the evening of Sunday, Aug. 29, a mob attacked the Christ Assembly Church’s Ministry Post in Bekasi City, West Java. The gate of the church, windows and tiles were destroyed. Twenty people have since been arrested, including a prominent leader in the community. In the Ancaekek subdistrict of Bandung City, church leaders were gathered together on Thursday, Aug. 19, and informed that houses used for church meetings must close, effective Monday, Sept. 6. (Voice of the Martyrs)

* HCJB World Radio worked with local Indonesian partners to establish local Christian stations in Sumba Island and Kupang, West Timor, with help from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind. Plans are also being made to establish a station on Roti Island.

OPEN DOORS BRINGS ENCOURAGEMENT, TRAINING TO SUFFERING WOMEN Open Doors USA is bringing encouragement and training to abused and persecuted women in foreign cultures through a program called, “Women of the Way,” says Jane Huckaby, vice president of donor programs. “In many of these cultures women are already considered second-class citizens. When you add to their status ‘Christian’ and ‘women’ they are just the lowest of the low.” Many have little hope because they’re denied basic rights and persecuted. “Women of the Way” is committed to strengthen and support women who live in countries hostile to Christianity. “These women might as well be orphans themselves when their husbands are taken from them,” she says. “They become almost a burden on the church. And they don’t have thing that they can do to contribute to the church. What we do is provide literacy training and skills training, providing ways for them to make a contribution to their families, to their communities and to their churches.” As these women become more self-supporting, they are able to share the gospel, Huckaby says. (Mission Network News)

PROMISE KEEPERS EMPHASIZES TAKING BIBLICAL STAND ON MORAL ISSUES Leaders of Promise Keepers (PK) say the men’s ministry is moving from a movement to a mission as it encourages men to have more of an impact on society for Christ. PK, the men’s ministry known for its arena and stadium events, recently began taking biblical stands on issues such as same-sex marriage, pornography, abortion, and other issues. Bishop Joseph Garlington, a frequent PK speaker, says it is vital for men to impact society for Christ when fellow citizens of that society are fighting against deeply rooted spiritual convictions. “God doesn’t give you a voice only to move through the earth and be silent,” he said. (Religion Today/Agape Press)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 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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