Religion Today Summaries - July 7, 2005

Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk News Staff | Published: Jul 06, 2005

Religion Today Summaries - July 7, 2005

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world. In today's edition:

  • Christians Can Be Instrumental In Positively Transforming Culture

  • High Court Vacancy 'Most Critical in Pro-Family Movement's History'

  • Compassion International Encouraging Christians To Become More Involved In Fight Against HIV and AIDS

  • Mozambique: No Respite for Drought-Ravaged Country

Christians Can Be Instrumental In Positively Transforming Culture
Agape Press

Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention wants Christians in America to know they can be instrumental in positively transforming their culture. For instance, Land says it is vital for the nation once again to respect the value of each human life, and he urges believers across the U.S. to become radical change agents in their culture. "…part of the judgment of God on America is abortion. We have a Social Security crisis because of abortion. If it weren't for abortion, we'd have 41 or 42 million more Americans working. They wouldn't have been aborted [if abortion were not legal], and they would be contributing to Social Security," the SBC leader says. In his new book, “Imagine! a God Blessed America”, Land looks at several areas where repentance and renewal must take place. "If we had an America where every life was valued," the author contends, "it would be a very different place. We would cut down on one-third of all abortions, and we would start radically altering our extended living and assisted living facilities." It is not too late, Land insists, for widespread revival to take place in America.

High Court Vacancy 'Most Critical in Pro-Family Movement's History'
Charisma News Service

Christian groups are calling on President Bush to nominate a solid conservative to replace Sandra Day O'Connor in the U.S. Supreme Court -- a vacancy they called the most "critical in the history of the pro-family movement." Last Friday, O'Connor, 75, the first woman appointed to the high court and a key swing vote on issues such as abortion and the death penalty, announced her retirement -- the first court vacancy in 11 years, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins said his group "plans to motivate significant grassroots support" for a conservative nominee. "We will wage an unprecedented effort for a fair and prompt up or down vote through the mobilization of 20,000 churches across the nation," Perkins said. Christian Coalition of America president Roberta Combs encouraged believers to join her organization's Judicial Task Force (www.cc.org/taskforce.cfm www.cc.org/taskforce.cfm). "We will link thousands of pro-family activists all across America via phone, fax and the latest tools of the Internet to ensure quick and effective action at critical moments in the nomination and Senate confirmation process," she said. D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Ministries in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and founder of the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, said his group would deliver more than 200,000 signatures for the Center's Judicial Vacancy Petition this week to the president.  (www.charismanews.com)

Compassion International Encouraging Christians To Become More Involved In Fight Against HIV and AIDS
Agape Press

The Colorado-based child development ministry Compassion International is encouraging Christians to become more involved in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Scott Todd, HIV-AIDS program manager for Compassion International, points out that today there are about 40 million people infected with HIV worldwide. "The reason why it's called a pandemic," he explains, "is because it's global. In terms of the growth of this pandemic, about 14,000 new infections are occurring each day. And of those 14,000 new infections each day, about 2,000 are happening in children who are born to mothers who are HIV-positive." Compassion International has established an HIV-AIDS fund to help children worldwide whose lives have been affected by the disease.

Mozambique: No Respite for Drought-Ravaged Country
Christian Aid Mission

On the heels of 2002's devastating drought, one of the worst in its history, Mozambique is again facing famine after receiving no rain since January. Native missionaries working in already desperate areas hope to provide relief aid to those they are reaching even as they and their families face hunger. Writing of these sacrificial missionaries, whom she visited in Mozambique several years ago in the midst of the last famine, Christian Aid's Africa director says, "They work in areas that are remote and miserable even under normal conditions." "Normal" for Mozambique has meant poverty for years. A history of wars and natural disasters has left the sub-Saharan country crippled. This situation highlights the country's need for relief work done by indigenous Christian ministries. The recent drought is reported to have affected over one million people in southern and central Mozambique. Worsening the situation is the lack of proper means for transporting food to the south and central parts of Mozambique. Roads are inadequate and trucking companies almost non-existent. Christian Aid has long supported several indigenous mission groups in the country. Native gospel workers were quick to help in the past, and they are ready to do so again, though they must travel by foot up to a week to reach the remotest villages. "Any help we send them would be wonderful," says Rae Burnett, Christian Aid's Africa director.

 

Religion Today Summaries - July 7, 2005