Today’s Headlines:

IBS COMPLETES TRANSLATION OF BIBLE IN CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH

SRI LANKAN ORPHANAGE OVERRUN BY MOB OF 200 BUDDHISTS

OCCULT VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA PROMPTS CALLS FOR LEGISLATION

CHRISTIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM SHARES HIGHER GOALS IN SOUTH AFRICA

GERMAN FAMILY FACES EVICTION FOR ‘LOUD NIGHT PRAYERS’

Today’s Top Stories:

IBS COMPLETES TRANSLATION OF BIBLE IN CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH

The International Bible Society (IBS) announced that a new conversational Spanish version of the Bible called Nueva Biblia al D ­a is complete and will be available to the public by the end of this year. Geared for youth and those being introduced to Scripture for the first time, the version is expected to have a high impact in the Latin American community. It will also be available in various formats based on the specific needs of its audiences, including an illustrated New Testament that was released in Miami this summer. “The team has done a magnificent job translating in a dynamic equivalency format (thought for thought) from the original languages to Spanish,” said Larry Downs Jr., vice president of Grupo Nelson Publishing. (Evangelical News)

SRI LANKAN ORPHANAGE OVERRUN BY MOB OF 200 BUDDHISTS

An orphanage in Sri Lanka run by the Dutch Reformed Church has been taken over by Buddhists. In recent days, posters around the town of Balana, Sri Lanka, demanded the orphanage cease renovation work. The Dutch church refused to bow to intimidation and continued as planned. On Sunday, Aug. 6, approximately 200 people forced entry to the property and began destroying the orphanage. A Buddhist flag was placed on the roof and the house parents were told they would be burned alive if they did not leave. They fled, leaving the orphanage. (Voice of the Martyrs)

OCCULT VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA PROMPTS CALLS FOR LEGISLATION

Following the atrocities of an occult leader who set two females ablaze in Lagos, Nigeria, a local theologian has called for legislation to stop religious violence, exploitation and a growing number of occult centers that pass themselves off as “churches.” The occult leader, know as Rev. Dr. King, was said to be known for hypnotizing his members with his evil powers and initiating members with some ritual in the name of baptism. Now under arrest for murder, King intimidated his followers to the point many remain afraid to comment on his actions. Theologian Martins Iwuanyanwu is calling on the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Christian Association of Nigeria to sponsor the bill, saying that if King’s church and others like it were required to register in Nigeria, questions about training, ordination and education might have been asked. Iwuanyanwu stated that “any occultist or witchdoctor who lacks patronage could be tempted to dust [off] an old Bible and go into ministry.” (Assist News Service)

CHRISTIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM SHARES HIGHER GOALS IN SOUTH AFRICA

A Christian women’s soccer team from New Zealand is using their sport to bridge the culture gap in Cape Town, South Africa. On top of the cultural, racial and economic differences, the team also faces the reality that lesbianism is a popular practice among South African women soccer players. Many of the women have been abused and hurt by men in a country where sexual abuse is so prevalent that it is almost normal. The women will work alongside a sports ministry in Cape Town called Ambassadors in Sport, playing about eight matches with club teams. The team then takes time to share testimonies and mingle with the other women. Returning team member Rebecca Stitt says, “We just want to offer them hope and open their eyes to the love of Jesus.” Additionally, the team hopes to play a match against female prisoners and visit a local orphanage. (Assist News Service)

GERMAN FAMILY FACES EVICTION FOR ‘LOUD NIGHT PRAYERS’

A seven-member family is facing eviction from their Berlin apartment due to complaints about their loud prayer sessions that keep the other residents awake at night. Neighbors say the screams and singing as part of the family prayers originate from the second story, sometimes beginning at 2:30 a.m. and can be heard all the way to the fifth floor. “I really don’t want to disturb the neighbors, but the high volume is needed in the battle against the devil,” said the father who is contesting the eviction order in court. Third-floor resident and taxi driver Horst Berghahn said he had asked the family to lower the volume several times without result since they moved in 10 months ago. “We have to work in the morning and need our sleep,” he said. (WorldWide Religious News/Reuters)