Religion Today Summaries - November 5, 2004

Presidential Prayer Team Calls For Day Of Prayer And Fasting
PresidentialPrayerTeam.org

The Presidential Prayer Team (PPT) today called upon Americans to fast and pray on Sunday, November 7, to bring the country to a position of unity after Tuesday's elections. "One of America's greatest strengths is the ability of Americans to stay united in the face of divisiveness," said John Lind, PPT's President/CEO. "Throughout American history, prayer has brought unity when unity seemed impossible. Prayer is the greatest unifier available to us. The Bible instructs us to buoy our leaders with our prayers." PPT's Pray the Vote initiative brought together over 100,000 people who committed to pray daily for God's will to be done through the election process. Some 46,000 people participated in a November 1 Virtual Prayer Rally. "We're delighted that a record number of people voted this year," said Lind. "Now, for the love of our country, please join us this Sunday in a day of prayer and fasting for our country to come back together and move forward." Now more than 3 million participants strong, The Presidential Prayer Team is a non-profit, non-partisan effort dedicated to informing and encouraging people to pray daily for the President and our nation. Membership is free and open to anyone who is willing to commit to pray each day.

Prof Fired for Conservative Views Seeks Damages, Reinstatement
Jim Brown and Jenni Parker, AgapePress

A former professor at a New York community college claims he was fired because of his conservative political and religious beliefs. Dr. Michael Filozof has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, alleging liberal members of the school's Political Science Department waged a campaign of harassment and ridicule against him. According to Filozof's representative, attorney Nelson Thomas, his client's support of President George W. Bush and the Iraq War sealed his fate. The lawyer says the official argument that the school gave for letting the instructor go "was that he was not a good citizen and he was philosophically conservative." Meanwhile, Thomas says, "In the evaluations that he received from the college -- even the ones in which he was terminated -- they went through what a wonderful teacher he was, how well respected he was by all members of the student body, including Democratic students in his class." However, the attorney notes that the otherwise widespread appreciation of Filozof was not shared by the political science department at Monroe Community College, which he says clearly does not value ideological diversity in earnest. The former MCC faculty member alleges his constitutional rights were violated. Thomas is seeking all damages available to Filozof, including his lost wages, and is asking the court to order that his client be reinstated at the college.

Iraq: Christian Leader Shot by Muslim Extremists
Christian Aid

An evangelical Iraqi Christian leader was shot last week by radical Muslims, according to reports received recently by Christian Aid. He sustained two bullet wounds to his shoulder and one to his leg. Thankfully, he is alive and recovering from the attack. The leader is known to an indigenous ministry supported by Christian Aid in Iraq. Apparently, he had been warned by extremists to take down the cross on the top of the building where he regularly conducted services and to stop leading Christian meetings there. He ignored the demands. The attack on this pastor is the latest in a string of violence against Christians in Iraq. On October 16th, five church buildings were bombed in Baghdad. Some Christians are fleeing the country, afraid of the growing animosity of militant Muslims. Please pray for the many who are committed to stay and spread the gospel in the face of growing danger. Pray for complete healing for the Christian man who was shot, and for comfort for his family and congregation.

Nigeria: Christian Nurses Threatened To Stop Worship Services At Hospital
Charisma News Service

Muslim militants have threatened to kill Christian nurses unless they stop conducting worship services at a hospital. The nurses work at the Federal Medical Center in the town of Keffi, located in the central state of Nasarawa, Compass Direct reported. An undated letter received recently by hospital management and the hospital's chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Nurses (FCN) said: "We are making it abundantly clear that our thirst for your heads/blood is mounting daily if you continue with your worship services in the hospital unabated." Subsequently, the medical director and chief executive at the hospital banned Christian-related activities at the facility and banned the FCN chapter indefinitely, Compass reported. "How can they ban us from praying or worshiping here," FCN secretary Christiana Shiaki asked, "when the Muslims have two mosques built with public funds for them here in the hospital?" Violence between Muslims and Christians in central Nigeria over the last three years has left more than 53,000 people dead, most of them Christians, the Associated Press reported. Christians have been killed in riots and militia attacks carried out by radical Muslim groups. Muslim militias reportedly receive foreign funding to purchase weapons and material. The militias often mount attacks from neighboring countries, such as Niger and Chad, which have large Muslim populations. (http://www.charismanow.com)