Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Episcopalians Consider Freeze on Gay Bishops
- Christian Girl in Nigeria Has Muslim Man Forced on Her
- India’s Supreme Court Denies Tribal Posts to Converts
- Book of Hope Leader Recruits 500 Rwandan Volunteers for "Hope Rwanda"
Episcopalians Consider Freeze on Gay Bishops
U.S. Episcopal leaders will try to safeguard their membership in the worldwide Anglican Communion by holding back, at least until 2008, on electing new homosexual bishops and on allowing same-sex unions, according to two Episcopal bishops. The Washington Times reports that church leaders are even considering "repentance" for the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, an active homosexual.
Christian Girl in Nigeria Has Muslim Man Forced on Her
“If you are forcing me to marry a man who is a Muslim simply because of my decision to become a Christian, then I will rather have you kill me than accept to marry this man.” According to Compass Direct, these were the bitter words of Jamila Noma, now 16, to her father, Malam Noma, in an Islamic court two years ago in Jimeri village in Bauchi State of northern Nigeria. The girl had been arrested by police and brought before an Islamic court on the orders of her father when she became a Christian and rejected his decision to marry her off to Muslim man.
India’s Supreme Court Denies Tribal Posts to Converts
The Indian Supreme Court on March 28 quietly ruled that conversion of tribal people to Christianity could disqualify them from running for some elective offices if the posts involve religious functions. Compass Direct reports that this ruling emerged from the court’s verdict upholding a law that excludes Christians from running for the office of headman in Elaka Jowai, Meghalaya state. Dr. John Dayal, president of the All India Catholic Union, said the court has deeply injured minority rights. “The issue is both one of separation of church and state and of the right of minority religion believers to seek whichever secular political or administrative office they wish to,” Dayal said.
Book of Hope Leader Recruits 500 Rwandan Volunteers for "Hope Rwanda"
Book of Hope's team of volunteers led by Cal Ratz will traverse some of the most difficult "roads" in Rwanda in an effort to reach more than one million students in 100 days as Book of Hope participates in "Hope Rwanda: 100 Days of Hope" April 7-July 15, 2006. Hope Rwanda is the international Christian relief effort that coincides with the dates of Rwanda's 100 days of genocide April 7-July 15, 1994. Hundreds of people from more than 20 Christian and humanitarian organizations from around the world will travel to Rwanda to conduct a massive country-wide rebuilding and relief effort. Ratz, who has been to Rwanda seven times, has been preparing for Book of Hope's "Hope Rwanda" effort for the past two years. "There are massive logistics involved in distributing Book of Hope Scripture books to two million children throughout the 12 provinces of the country," he said. "Rwanda is called 'The Land of 1,000 Hills,' and on every hill is a school. And the roads leading up those schools are mostly impassable." Since February, Ratz's team of 14 experienced trainees from America has trained some 500 Rwandan volunteers to conduct the Hope Rwanda/Book of Hope distributions in local schools. Part of that training includes participating in a Book of Hope Scripture book distribution program in area schools. "People have gone 10-15 miles uphill on foot carrying two boxes of Book of Hope Scripture books with them to get to these hard-to-reach schools," Ratz added. "But our volunteers have found the hardship to be more than worth it."
