INDONESIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ CASE GOES TO HIGH COURT

TRAVELERS FROM INDIA WARNED AGAINST EVANGELIZING IN SAUDI ARABIA

RELIEF AGENCY AFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO SUDAN AFTER TRAGIC DEATH

NEW MINISTRY FOCUSES ON TECHNOLOGY, TRAINING TO SPREAD GOSPEL

STUDY SHOWS IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON TEENS’ BEHAVIOR, THINKING

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INDONESIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ CASE GOES TO HIGH COURT

With angry hecklers in the West Java courtroom calling them liars, three Indonesian women accused of trying to convert Muslim children tried to defend themselves. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun were questioned about activities and materials used in their Christian education program for children from an elementary school. Bangun explained that the children prayed, read the Bible, sang and sometimes colored pictures. In response, Judge Hasby J. Tholib said the women never should have allowed Muslim children to attend the program. Bangun and Zakaria replied that they had no hidden agenda and had been completely honest with the children’s parents, who gave full consent to the program — though none will come forward to say so now. Before the hearing ended, the prosecuting attorney announced that the case would be transferred to the High Court, a move that could considerably lengthen the trial. (Compass)

TRAVELERS FROM INDIA WARNED AGAINST EVANGELIZING IN SAUDI ARABIA

Indians traveling to Saudi Arabia have been warned not to carry religious scriptures, photographs or idols. An official statement issued in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday Aug. 3, said that religious activities in private residences or undertaking missionary or preaching activities are banned in Saudi Arabia and could invite stringent punishment. C.R. Banswal, principal secretary (political) to the Andhra Pradesh government, said the Indian ambassador in Riyadh had said that detention cases of Indian nationals on allegations of involvement in religious activities in that country were increasing. The statement said the Saudi religious police recently arrested nine Indians for preaching Christianity. “He (the ambassador) has therefore expressed the view that it is urgent and important that all Indian nationals be forewarned prior to their departure from India against carrying any religious scriptures, photographs or idols with them to Saudi Arabia,” said the statement. The ambassador said the Indian nationals should also be strictly briefed against organizing group religious activities in private residences or undertaking missionary or preaching activity. “This would be a major preventive measure in promoting the welfare of the Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia,” the statement added. (Indo-Asian News Service)

RELIEF AGENCY AFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO SUDAN AFTER TRAGIC DEATH

Following the death of John Garang, the recently sworn-in first vice president of the new Sudanese government, one relief organization said it is committed to working toward a lasting peace in the conflict-torn nation. In a news release from Lutheran World Relief (LWR), the agency offered its condolences and affirmed its commitment to the people of Sudan. “John Garang’s unfortunate and tragic death makes an already precarious peace agreement that much more vulnerable,” said LWR President Kathryn Wolford. “Now, more than ever, the international community needs to maintain both its political pressure on all sides to honor their commitments, and its support for the vital humanitarian and reconstruction efforts the region will need if lasting peace can truly be achieved. The people of Sudan deserve nothing less and we must not allow this tragedy to undo the prospects for reconciliation.” Garang, who had been the leader of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement (SLM), the rebel movement in Southern Sudan, was a signatory to the Comprehensive Peace Accord in January that ended the 21-year battle between north and south. He died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, July 31, while returning to Sudan from an official visit to neighboring Uganda. The crash comes little more than three weeks after he was sworn in as the first vice president of Sudan on Saturday, July 9. He was 60 years old. (Religion Today/Assist News Service)

NEW MINISTRY FOCUSES ON TECHNOLOGY, TRAINING TO SPREAD GOSPEL

A U.S.-based ministry called Wide Net that launched earlier this year is specializing in using technology and consulting to help Christian ministries worldwide spread the gospel. “Our cost structure is incredibly low, but then the funds that we do receive can actually fuel the economic development of believers in that developing nation,” explains Wide Net’s Jason Williamson. The organization also provides training via conferences. “A lot of the people [who attend the conferences] are totally unchurched — they’re unreached. They’re not targeted by the traditional outreach. We have people at the end of a conference coming up to us saying, ‘Can we go to someplace to learn more about the Bible?'” Williamson added that many are coming to Christ through these efforts. (Mission Network News)

STUDY SHOWS IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON TEENS’ BEHAVIOR, THINKING

A recently released report reveals the findings of a landmark study on how technology influences teen behaviors and attitudes. Jack Samad, senior vice president of Strategic Partnerships and Internet Safety at the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, says parents need to be aware of this study. One reason the findings are so important, he says, is that very often “technology is being produced at such a fast rate that parents are not able to take precautionary measures to protect their teens.” Samad, a nationally recognized expert on teenagers and emerging technologies, is the producer of the curriculum, “Sex & Young America.” He has interviewed teens around the U.S. about how they use the Internet and how it affects their thinking and behavior. “We are trying to get ahead of the curve by writing legislation to protect kids from unsolicited material being distributed through new devices,” he said. “It’s time for parents to talk openly and honestly with their kids about this important subject.” The National Coalition has drafted a paper describing the impact of emerging technology on teens and offering advice to concerned parents about how to protect their children from exposure to objectionable content through new devices. Samad also spearheaded the coalition’s website, FilterReview.com, which provides Internet filtering devices designed to help safeguard children as they surf the web. (AgapePress)