AMIDST THE RUBBLE CHURCHES ARE GROWING IN IRAQ

COURTS CONFIRM ALL PROTESTANT BAN IN UZBEKISTAN’S NORTH-WEST

AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR CAPTURES HEARTS AT LIVE8

CHRISTIAN SATELLITE TELEVISION IN THE MIDDLE EAST INVOLVES IMPAIRED CHILDREN

STUDY: RELIGION HAS ‘HIGH SIGNIFICANCE’ FOR MAJORITY OF U.S. DOCTORS

Today’s Top Stories: AMIDST THE RUBBLE CHURCHES ARE GROWING IN IRAQ Beneath the rubble of news about bombings, hostage-taking and political wrangling in Iraq, a more positive picture of fledgling evangelical churches exists. In the northeast, Iraqi Kurdistan offers a haven for Christian activity as the two rival Kurdish governments reportedly grow in their toleration of Muslims becoming Christians. In the south, the evangelical church is growing rapidly. In Baghdad, a total of 15 evangelical congregations have started since the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime in April 2003. Officially, only two evangelical churches existed in the capital during Hussein’s rule. Now there are more than a dozen congregations, all led by local Iraqi pastors. “The people are open like never before,” said Ghassan Thomas, pastor of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Baghdad. “It is because we have no peace. This is how we connect our message to the nation: I preach on the topic, ‘How do we get peace?’ and everyone listens, especially when I talk about the deeper peace that Christ brings.” (Compass Direct)

COURTS CONFIRM ALL PROTESTANT BAN IN UZBEKISTAN’S NORTH-WEST An appeal against the regional Justice Ministry ban by the last legal Protestant church in northwestern Uzbekistan has been turned down. All Protestant activities in northwest Uzbekistan are now banned. Meanwhile, another example of official condoning of anti-Protestant campaigns by local residents against Muslim-born converts to other faiths has come to light. An Uzbek Protestant, who preferred to be anonymous, told Forum 18 of the case of Daniyara Ibaidulayev, a Protestant convert who was beaten up by his brother and another villager on June 29. The two cut his lips with a knife, telling him he must return to Islam. The district public prosecutor’s office told Ibaidulayev that “his problems would cease as soon as he returned to Islam.” (Forum 18)

AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR CAPTURES HEARTS AT LIVE8 The infectious joy of the African Children’s Choir, formed from AIDS orphans from the Nkomazi region in the northern part of South Africa, captured the hearts of some 200,000 people who packed Hyde Park, London, on Saturday, July 2, for the Live8 concert. They performed on stage with stars like Paul McCartney, Bob Geldof, George Michael and Mariah Carey and shone like lights from a continent that has seen so much pain in recent years. This is one of many choirs founded by Ulster-born Ray Barnett, the head of Friends in the West, that have delighted crowds around the world – but this was their biggest appearance, as it was carried live on BBC 2 Television in the UK, AOL on the web, and MTV also featured portions of the concert in central London, one of many that day around the world focusing on poverty in Africa and organized by Bob Geldof. The Choir was started in 1984. (ASSIST News Service)

CHRISTIAN SATELLITE TELEVISION IN THE MIDDLE EAST INVOLVES IMPAIRED CHILDREN SAT-7, Christian Satellite Television for the Middle East and North Africa, is producing programming that includes physically and mentally disabled children. Treasure Valley, a new game show, has taken extra measures to include children with special needs and to illustrate to its viewers that children with physical or mental challenges can and should be integrated into “regular” activities. By seeing that children with physical and mental challenges can succeed in regular tasks (in this case as game show contestants) the producers of Treasure Valley believe many thousands of Arab viewers will begin to give their disabled neighbors the recognition and rights they are entitled to. (Mission Network News)

STUDY: RELIGION HAS ‘HIGH SIGNIFICANCE’ FOR MAJORITY OF U.S. DOCTORS A new study from the University of Chicago has found that religious beliefs are an important element in the practice of many doctors across the U.S. The study of U.S. physicians found that 76 percent believe in God, 59 percent believe in an afterlife, and 55 percent say religion influences how they practice medicine. The high significance of religion in medicine and healthcare is further evidenced by the recent growth that the organizations jointly known as the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) have experienced. “We have more than 17,000 members now,” said CMDA President Dr. David Steven. “We’re seeing a huge surge of students and residents becoming associated with the organization which is really encouraging as we look to the next generation of Christian doctors.” The CMDA notes that most medical schools across the U.S. are now addressing the importance of religious faith in the healing process. (Agape Press)