Today’s Headlines:

BELIEVER DIES AFTER BEATINGS BY AUTHORITIES IN ERITREAN PRISON

JAILED PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN ACCUSED OF ‘BLASPHEMY’ RELEASED ON BAIL

HINDU EXTREMISTS LAUNCH ‘RECONVERSION’ CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN INDIA

DESPITE PRESSURES, INDIA SEES MAJOR GROWTH IN CHURCHES

‘PODCAST’ IS BECOMING ‘GODCAST’ IN PARTS OF EUROPE

Today’s Top Stories:

BELIEVER DIES AFTER BEATINGS BY AUTHORITIES IN ERITREAN PRISON

In the first known death of a Christian imprisoned by authorities during a crackdown of believers in the East African country of Eritrea, a believer reportedly has died as a result of mistreatment in detention. Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported that Kelati Awalom, a member of the Rhema Church in Asmara, died at his home on Sunday, July 24, as a result of injuries he sustained from being beaten in prison. Awalom had been detained on three separate occasions. While in detention for the third time recently, prison guards beat Awalom so severely that one of his arms was paralyzed. Last Friday a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for Christian prisoners in Eritrea was held at the urging of Eritrean Christians. Some 500 Christians are currently imprisoned for their faith in Eritrea. (Religion Today/Charisma News Service)

JAILED PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN ACCUSED OF ‘BLASPHEMY’ RELEASED ON BAIL

A believer who ran afoul of Pakistan’s strict blasphemy law was released from bail on a bond of US$4,200 Saturday, Aug. 6. Yousaf Masih, 60, was arrested on Tuesday, June 28, in the Lalkurti area following an allegation that he had deliberately burned pages of the Koran. After Masih’s arrest, a news release from the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) stated that he was brutally tortured in a police station and later moved to the Central Jail in Peshawar where he was kept in a special cell. Serious concerns were beginning to emerge about Masih’s health before he was released from prison. When Masih was informed about his impending freedom, “he fell down on his knees and loudly said, ‘Hallelujah!'” An APMA official called Masih’s release a “great miracle. For the first time in Pakistan that (someone accused of blasphemy) is released from jail on bail in a very short span. . . . These types of blasphemy cases [often] take years for any kind of outcome.” APMA Chairman Shahbaz Bhatti added, “The APMA is thankful to all those who prayed for Yousaf Masih to be released. Although he is out of prison . . . he and his family (are) still under life threats. Kindly continue to pray for Yousaf Masih, his family and APMA members and lawyers who will continue to pursue this case until the charges of blasphemy against him are dropped.” (Assist News Service)

HINDU EXTREMISTS LAUNCH ‘RECONVERSION’ CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN INDIA

Hindu extremists have begun a campaign to “reconvert” Christians from Dalit backgrounds in north-central India’s Uttar Pradesh state. The World Hindu Council (VHP) plans to convert to Hinduism at least 80,000 Dalits (“untouchables”) in the region by year’s end. Hindu organizations conducted a survey claiming more than 200,000 Dalits in one part of the state had converted to Christianity. John Dayal, a member of India’s National Integration Council and president of the All India Christian Council, said he was “amused” by the campaign goals. “Which caste will [these Dalits]

profess after they become Hindus?” he asked. “Will the VHP make them all Brahmins [the highest caste in Hinduism] so they can live with dignity . .. . or will they be forced to live with other Dalits in filthy ghettos?” (Compass)

DESPITE PRESSURES, INDIA SEES MAJOR GROWTH IN CHURCHES

In India, a country plagued by the caste system and anger toward anyone who disrupts that system, God is moving in an incredible way, says Joseph D’Souzsa of Operation Mobilization (OM). The Good Shepherd Community Church, for example, recently ordained eight new pastors. There are now about 1,500 of these churches across the country as thousands of people are coming to Christ. Most of those coming to know the Lord are from the Dalit community. It’s happening in places such as Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. “People are coming to know the Lord every week, and we view this as absolutely tremendous,” D’Souzsa said. However, he remains concerned. “I am deeply burdened with the major task of discipling all those who are turning to the Lord. Without doubt this is going to be the number one challenge for all of us. Nothing less than transforming lives, transforming churches and transforming communities is going to demonstrate to the larger Dalit society that Christ is the answer for their lives and problems.” OM is holding a major discipling, training and nurturing conference for new believers, pastors and elders in the Punjab region in October. About 10,000 people are expected for this event. (Mission Network News)

‘PODCAST’ IS BECOMING ‘GODCAST’ IN PARTS OF EUROPE

In a phenomenon that has amazed the clergy, thousands of worshipers are using their iPods to listen to sermons. While most people use their fashionable portable music players to download their favorite pop tunes from the internet, many are adding a spiritual element to their play lists. Rev. Leonard Payne, the vicar of a remote parish in Suffolk, U.K., has been overwhelmed by the response after he posted some of his homilies on the Apple iTunes store last month. “We were stunned. Within a short period of time, more than 2,400 people had downloaded one of the sermons,” he said. “The volume was so great we had to change servers, and in the last five days of July more than 230 copies of our talks have been delivered — an incredible reaction to the work of a small rural congregation.” Payne’s church has developed its own website for more adventurous members of the congregation and includes a selection of his sermons for those who missed the services and wanted to listen at home. But Payne said his church had become the first in England to be able to place the sermons on iTunes, the Internet music store. “This will not replace church because people have to meet together,” he said. “But it is a very useful tool.” (WorldWide Religious News/The Telegraph)