Today’s Headlines:

CHRISTIANS IN BANGLADESH CALL FOR JUSTICE IN MURDERS OF 2 BELIEVERS

INDONESIAN MUSLIM LEADER URGES END TO ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS

INDIA’S SUPREME COURT TO HEAR PRIVATE PETITION FOR DALIT CHRISTIANS

CHINESE CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR PERSECUTION IN U.S. TO IGNITE REVIVAL

MAGIC KINGDOM EXECUTIVE PLANS WORLDWIDE CHURCH-PLANTING EFFORT

Today’s Top Stories:

CHRISTIANS IN BANGLADESH CALL FOR JUSTICE IN MURDERS OF 2 BELIEVERS

Police are continuing to seek the killers of Tapan Kumar Roy and Liplal Mardi, two Christians brutally murdered in Bangladesh on the night of Wednesday, July 27. Roy and Mardi were healthcare workers for Christian Life in Bangladesh and often showed the “Jesus” film at the invitation of local villagers. Edward Ayub, a respected area Christian leader, said the two men had received verbal threats from Hafez Abdullah al-Mamun, the supervisor of the madrassa (Islamic school) in Dhopapara village where the two men were based. Police regard Abdullah as a suspect, but no arrest has been made. They detained a young man named Yunus Kazi on Tuesday, Aug. 2, on suspicion of murder, but released him that night after questioning. (Compass)

INDONESIAN MUSLIM LEADER URGES END TO ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS

Kiai Haj Abdurrahman Wahid-Indonesia’s most renowned Muslim leader, better known as Gus Dur-has issued a strong appeal to the extremist group, Islamic Defender Front (FPI), to stop all hostilities against Christians in Indonesia. Gus Dur was once president of the nation and he is president of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia which boasts more than 40 million members. During a press conference he warned that he would not hesitate to send youth of the Barisan Serba Guna (a paramilitary section of the NU) to Bandung-the capital of West Java-to help Christians defend themselves against extremist attacks. The appeal comes after a series of 23 attacks against Protestant churches perpetrated by the FPI in recent months. “I strongly urge FPI leaders and its members to consider seriously my warning. I want this message clearly understood, that you have made two serious mistakes by closing churches and by attacking the Ahmadiyah (an Islamic sect),” he said. (WorldWide Religious News/AsiaNews)

INDIA’S SUPREME COURT TO HEAR PRIVATE PETITION FOR DALIT CHRISTIANS

On Thursday, Aug. 25, India’s Supreme Court will hear a private citizen’s petition challenging the Presidential ordinance of 1950 which took away affirmative action benefits from lower-caste Dalit Christians. The Dalit Freedom Network reported that the country’s constitution had earlier allowed for affirmative action benefits for all Dalits. Then an ordinance which took away this fundamental right from Dalit Christians was passed. The Dalit Freedom Network says the government of that day received bad advice from some of the upper-caste Christian leaders and from those who wanted to steal religious freedom from the Dalits. It was argued that since the Christian faith does not teach or support the caste system, all affirmative action benefits must be withdrawn from Dalit Christians. Now Dalit Christians are working to influence the Indian parliament to rectify this situation and end discrimination on religious grounds. (Assist News Service)

CHINESE CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR PERSECUTION IN U.S. TO IGNITE REVIVAL

James Draper, president of the Southern Baptist’s LifeWay Christian Resources, says believers attending Chinese house churches are praying that American Christians might experience the kind of persecution they have seen in China so that it would ignite a similar revival in America. Draper, a prominent leader in the rapidly expanding Chinese house church movement, was asked how American Christians could pray for house churches in China. “Stop praying for persecution in China to end,” he said. “For it’s through persecution that the church has grown. . . . We in America are being bowled over by the ball of secularism.” Draper said the “sleeping Christianity” in North America needs a wake-up call. “This isn’t a clarion call to political activism by the ‘religious right,’ as we are called. It’s important for us to be involved in the political process, but politics directed by man is temporal and corruptible. The gospel of Jesus Christ is eternal and incorruptible.” (Assist News Service)

MAGIC KINGDOM EXECUTIVE PLANS WORLDWIDE CHURCH-PLANTING EFFORT

A Magic Kingdom executive wants to expand the kingdom of God in a mammoth church-planting effort that he hopes to grow worldwide. Al Weiss is also chairman of the board of Vision USA, an interdenominational movement birthed with initial support from the Baptist General Conference. “God’s vision is to reach the world with His gospel through church planting,” Weiss said. He noted that 2,400 churches in the U.S. close each year. “There are no churches being built in many of the subdivisions and commercial areas of high-growth cities,” he said. “If there is land available, it’s out of reach for a lot of churches.” Vision USA raised $5.7 million in just six months to plant churches in the Orlando, Fla., area. The ministry’s initial plan was to start 20 “flagship” churches in Orlando, purchasing 20 parcels and devoting $225,000 to salaries and start-up costs for each church. The group’s new target is to raise $300 million and plant 1,000 churches nationwide. “The scope has gotten way beyond what human beings could even think about and realize,” Weiss said. “God said to walk forward in faith, and He will provide. That’s what He’s been doing — opening door after door and performing miracle after miracle.” (CharismaNow)