INTERNATIONAL NEWS 18th December 2006

AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* SOMALIA TOWN THREATENS TO BEHEAD PEOPLE WHO DON’T PRAY 5 TIMES DAILY

* WESTERN SUDAN – DARFUR SITUATION IN ‘FREE FALL’

* DESIRE TO HEAL EMOTIONAL HURTS MAIN REASON FOR LEAVING HOMOSEXUAL LIFESTYLE

* JESUS IS COOL BUT THE CHURCH IS NOT

* CHINESE SEEKING SOCIAL, POLITICAL REFORM LOOK TO CHRISTIANITY

* DISNEY LAY-OFFS MEAN R-RATED FILMS OUT

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SOMALIA TOWN THREATENS TO BEHEAD PEOPLE WHO DON’T PRAY 5 TIMES DAILY

Residents of a southern Somalia town who do not pray five times a day will be beheaded, an official has said, adding the edict will be implemented in three days. Shops, tea houses and other public places in Bulo Burto, about 124 miles northeast of the capital, Mogadishu, should be closed during prayer time and no one should be on the streets, said Sheik Hussein Barre Rage, the chairman of the town’s Islamic court. His court is part of a network backed by armed militiamen that has taken control of much of southern Somalia in recent months, bringing a strict interpretation of Islam that is alien to many Somalis.

Those who do not follow the prayer edict after three days have elapsed, “will definitely be beheaded according to Islamic law,” Rage told The Associated Press by phone. “As Muslims we should practice Islam fully, not in part, and that is what our religion enjoins us to do.” The courts have introduced public executions, floggings of convicts, bans on women swimming in Mogadishu’s public beaches and on the sale and chewing of khat, a leafy stimulant consumed across the Horn of Africa and in the Middle East.

Source: Fox News

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WESTERN SUDAN – DARFUR SITUATION IN ‘FREE FALL’

Every day, the 2.5 million people chased from their homes in Darfur face the threat of starvation, disease, and rape, while the few lucky enough to remain in their homes risk displacement, torture and murder.

At least 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur since the conflict began in 2003. The conflict in Darfur has spread to two neighbouring countries and is now in a “free fall” with 6 million people facing the prospect of going without food or protection, the departing UN humanitarian chief said.

Jan Egeland, who has just stood down, said in an interview that one of the biggest problems he faced was convincing countries of the dire situation in the western region of Sudan. “I think some of the Arab countries and Asian countries have not really understood we’re in a free fall.

“It’s not a steady deterioration. It’s a free fall and it includes Darfur, eastern Chad, northern Central African Republic,” he said. Egeland blamed the Sudanese government, parts of the rebel movement, ethnic leaders in Darfur and the government of Chad for fuelling the war, which began in 2003 when rebels from ethnic African tribes rose up against the Arab- led central government.

Source: Intercessors for America

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DESIRE TO HEAL EMOTIONAL HURTS MAIN REASON FOR LEAVING HOMOSEXUAL LIFESTYLE

A survey of same-sex-attracted men reveal that those who seek change may be less influenced by outside pressure or shame than is generally assumed.

The survey was conducted by the non-religious, non-profit self-help organization, People Can Change, which is made up of former homosexual men who have “overcome unwanted homosexual attractions” and are now living heterosexual lives. Out of a total of 205 completed surveys, which asked respondents to cite their main motivations for changing their same sex attractions, 77% said a “desire to heal emotional pain” was their main reason, as opposed to outside influence.

Founder and executive director of People Can Change, Richard Wyler, commented on the report, “This survey indicates that same-sex-attracted men who seek change may be less influenced by outside pressure or shame than is generally assumed. Rather, they are more often motivated by their personal spirituality, deeply held values and beliefs, a desire to have a family, and a desire to heal emotional pain.”

Some of the other motivations cited in the poll were:

–personal spirituality – 68%

–desire for wife and children – 66%

–religious teachings – 63%

–desire for non-sexual male friendships – 63%

–conscience – 63%

–expectation of unhappiness in gay life – 63%

Source: Breaking Christian News

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JESUS IS COOL BUT THE CHURCH IS NOT

Dunedin City Baptist Church, recently conducted three focus groups to discover the perceptions and experiences of the general population. Staff worker Mike Simpson says the project based the research on a similar survey carried out by the Bible Society of New South Wales, which was subsequently used as a basis for the “Jesus. All about Life” campaign, which is running across Australia. The Australian focus groups found that the Church is associated with intolerance, hypocrisy and a lack of acceptance.

But Jesus “was to a large degree separated from all of these things … many people indicated that they believed Jesus Himself would reject the rule-bound, prescriptive, rigid and doctrinaire behaviours and attitudes that they themselves had rejected in their separation from involvement in formalized religion.”

People had a negative image of the Church, which seemed to stem from negative reporting in the media and a feeling that they had come to church looking for something spiritual and had not found it. One theme that emerged was the lack of authenticity experienced by a number of people in their contacts with the Church. “While it was not everyone’s experience, some had not seen authentic Christianity being modelled within the Church. Others had not experienced the spiritual reality they were seeking and others had not been shown how Christianity relevantly answered the questions of life.”

While the Church institution scored consistently badly in the discussions, individual Christians who lived out their faith with integrity were not tarred with the same brush of hypocrisy. Despite what they had heard or experienced of the Church, though, respondents still had a positive perception of Jesus. However, Mr. Simpson felt that to a large extent they were remaking Jesus in their own image. “Jesus was someone who is gracious, and fun to hang out with, who would come out partying – He wouldn’t be opposed to that sort of thing, not judgmental. He would be everyone’s best friend, a really cool Guy. There wasn’t the whole gospel picture of Jesus. “While people tended to interpret Jesus more in light of what they thought were positive traits, rather than based on a knowledge of the Biblical accounts, we were still surprised how positively He was viewed. “In the same way that people could distinguish Christians who were true to their faith from those who did not live it out – and often still saw the core of Christianity as positive despite the negative view they had of the institution – we were very pleased that, despite everything, Jesus is seen as an attractive figure.” Another positive aspect which emerged from the focus groups was a general sense that the Church had a lot to offer as a place for community. “Community was the main advantage that group participants thought would come from being involved in Christianity.” “A guide for decision-making and a sense of meaning and hope were advantages expressed. But the most consistently mentioned was the sense of belonging that a Christian community could provide.” Mr. Simpson said the obvious conclusion was that if the Church was going to overcome some of the negative feelings and thoughts, a good way to do it would be to be socially active in the community. “The research suggests that churches need to do better in terms of an authentic expression of Christianity and that we have a real opportunity to provide community in an increasingly fragmented world. “It also suggests that Christians could be doing a better job of helping people to discover for themselves who Jesus is and exactly how and why he is such a positive figure.”

Source: Breaking Christian News

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CHINESE SEEKING SOCIAL, POLITICAL REFORM LOOK TO CHRISTIANITY

Growing numbers of Chinese activists for democracy and social reform in China are converting to Christianity as a source of strength for their causes. Beijing lawyer Li Heping, a former atheist who converted to Christianity several years ago, says he was impressed by Christianity’s role in promoting freedom, human rights and democracy worldwide. Christianity in China has grown exponentially in recent years, reaching an estimated 45 million believers-the majority attending illegal house churches rather than state-approved organizations.

Many believe this growth is associated with a popular shift from communist ideals toward capitalism and social change. The Chinese government is wary of Christianity because of its Western ties as well as the network of believers whom they cannot control. Prominent free-speech advocate Liu Xiaobo, a non-Christian, says, “Christianity is a challenge to the Communist Party because more people are turning to it, and it presents alternative viewpoints.”

Source: Intercessors Network

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DISNEY LAY-OFFS MEAN R-RATED FILMS OUT

Famed family-film maker Disney is headed back to its roots, with confirmation of cuts of 650 employees that will include a phase-out of its R-rated movies. Oren Aviv, newly appointed president of production at Walt Disney Pictures, told the Hollywood Reporter that the company’s coming productions will be along the lines of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Chronicles of Narnia,””National Treasure” and “Miracle.”

“If it’s a great idea and it’s done with quality and care, then it qualifies to be a Disney movie,” he told the newspaper. The studio, which founded its greatness on the classics for families and children, had branched out in the 1990s to grasp R-rated projects with its Touchstone and Miramax labels. Touchstone was created to deal with more mature themes, and is expected to remain but be significantly smaller, generating only two or three films a year. Miramax handles independent and art-house films and now operates separately from Disney.

Those actions, along with Disney’s endorsement of “Gay Days” at its theme parks, had prompted a series of conservative and Christian groups to announce boycotts of the company. The American Family Association launched its boycott of Disney in 1996 and relinquished it only after the resignation of former CEO Michael Eisner, under whose leadership Disney made many of those moves.

The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, also conducted an eight-year boycott against the Mouse over Disney’s support of homosexual-themed events and movie subjects. After it was concluded, Rev. Richard Land, of the convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said while it may have done little financially to Disney, the boycott did show conservative and Christian parents Disney no longer deserved unbridled trust. Disney never indicated that those boycotts had any impact on its bottom line.

The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance also listed boycotts of Disney by The Catholic League and the Assemblies of God. The Southern Baptists also had been joined in their effort by several other Christian denominations and groups as well as several Muslim and Jewish groups. Now, Aviv told the Reporter, he will see to it that what the company brings to its audience is something the whole family can enjoy.

“That to us has always defined a Disney movie, and that definitely hasn’t changed,” he said. Aviv’s predecessor, Nina Jacobson, recently had suggested the company move into the horror film genre, but Aviv said he would take some convincing. The return-to-family-fare move comes as “Pirates” turned in a weekend sales total of $135.6 million and the computer-animated “Cars,” released by the Pixar unit, has been declared a hit.

Source: WorldNetDaily.com

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