Baptist Press Stories for May. 11 2012 --------------------------------------- Worldwide, moms give comfort, assurance amid war, grief http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37813 Foster mom loves children only to let them go http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37814 Thai mother aims to break dark cycle http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37818 Mother's Day church attendance ranks 3rd http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37815 Anti-religion campus policies targeted by ADF http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37820 CULTURE DIGEST: Methodists maintain biblical stance on homosexuality http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37816 FIRST-PERSON: Gay marriage misconceptions http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37819 FIRST-PERSON: Barriers, blockades & our faith http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37821 FIRST-PERSON: Jesús es nuestra esperanza http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37817 --------------------------------------- Worldwide, moms give comfort, assurance amid war, grief By Will Stuart May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37813 EDITOR'S NOTE: As Mother's Day is celebrated in America, few may stop to remember the mothers throughout the world whose lives are quite different from those in the United States. In three articles from the International Mission Board, snapshots of such mothers are offered. SYRIAN BORDER, Northern Jordan (BP) -- Miriam* sits against a wall on a pad that will double as a pallet this evening in the small, attached room that serves primarily as a kitchen. She's one of 14 people who live here. Children slip in and out of the unfurnished room, their bare feet trekking quietly against the cement floors. They do not stay long, but the presence of strangers draws them back again and again. Miriam is the center of this world. Little ones race to her, flop in her lap, then are gone. Older ones settle next to her for a moment and press against her. As long as she is here -- as long as they can touch her -- all is well. They seek the assurance of her presence, fly off, then return at unexpected intervals when something deep jars them and they need the reassurance of her presence again. Sometimes it is only minutes. Conversation between the adults is strangely quiet. There should be rage, hollering, fists beating the air. It belies the suffering Miriam and her family have endured. There is nonchalance in the telling -- passion and agony have been numbed, perhaps by the need to tell again and again -- of memories that will not die, that can only be quieted. They tell of their city in Syria tumbling about them as the shelling came closer. The loss of friends, neighbors and family amid the chaos, the desire to survive, the seeking of something as simple as water. They tell of the cousin who died. The son. The uncle. The husband. They talk of their journey south to Jordan and safety, crossing the desert in the night on foot because the border was closed, avoiding army patrols. They tell of those left behind, those in hiding, wondering who will survive. And what will become of the son still fighting? They ponder the uncertainty, if they will ever return home. The stories are difficult. Still the children drift in, linger, listen, drift out. They, too, are caught in the cycle. They have heard the stories before. They have lived them. Miriam points to a little one, not yet 10, and tells how when his brother was shot down in the street the boy lingered over the body long enough to raise a fist against the gunman and scream before scampering to safety. He is brave, she says. Then weeps. Miriam is a good mother. There is something unnatural here. In a place filled with cycles, one cycle is broken: It is unnatural for mothers to bury their children. The world is filled with good mothers, mothers whose children died too soon and did not live to bury their mothers. It matters not the agent -- disease, violence, addiction, war, foolish decisions. The cycle is broken. The good mothers are left to speak in whispers of the obscenities they witnessed. To repair a breach they cannot mend. To be the center for those who remain. To be the touchstone when those they love are jarred by the unexpected and when assurance is needed once again. To join with that good mother who walked with her Son to the foot of the cross. --30-- *Miriam is the pseudonym for a good mother. Will Stuart is a photojournalist who occasionally writes for the International Mission Board. He recently worked among refugees fleeing the fighting in Syria. -- End of story -- Foster mom loves children only to let them go By Michael Logan May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37814 THAILAND (BP) -- Instead of receiving flowers on Mother's Day last year, Susan Quaid* marked the day by giving away a child. Susan, who cares for at-risk children in Thailand as an International Mission Board worker, recalls when she traveled to another country last year to help facilitate the adoption of a child she had reared since it was four days old. Emotions came pouring out when Susan attended an international church service before returning to her home that day in Thailand. "The message was so good for me," she said. "I was bawling all through it and later a woman came up to me and asked, 'Can I pray for you?' She didn't know I was in that country just to give this baby away." Susan had been asked to care for the baby by the family of the birth mother who had been a student in Thailand and became pregnant. Susan worked closely with the family and an adoption agency to ensure that the child would find a loving home. "Mother's Day is not always a happy day," she said. "That dawned on me last year, and I realized that we all need to be aware of our community because there are moms who are grieving today." It was a painful day but hardly unique for Susan, who usually has as many as 10 children living with her and her family. Susan has learned to say goodbye to several children after years of caring for them as a foster parent. "It never gets easy to part," she said. "I didn't think about that part. But it's worth it because we see these children that don't get adopted and know our care makes a difference." Susan and her husband Ken* have served in Thailand more than 14 years. Most of those years, they have worked with the Thai government as foster parents. Susan also supervises two women prisoners who live with the Quaids as part of a work release program in which they are learning to become au pairs. The Quaids have other missionary responsibilities in Thailand, but this part of their work melds with a larger ministry by IMB missionaries to reach out to women who are trapped in the drug and sex trade of the region. The program has three emphases: prevention, intervention and after-care. "Some people focus on prevention and look for ways to intervene before these women get into trouble," Ken said. "[Other IMB missionaries] reach out to women who are ensnared in the drug and sex trade. And we are part of the after-care focus." Specifically, the Quaids have watched God take their willing hearts and build an enriching, if not somewhat chaotic, home where they are able to love abandoned children who often come out of Southeast Asia's sex and drug trade. "We work closely with the Thai government," Susan said. "The kids that we receive are from a ... government orphanage. And [the] request from the government is to give us the ones that are sick or weak or failing to thrive. "[We] receive these kinds of children because the government has said, 'We want their health to improve so that they can be adopted in the future, internationally to other countries.'" The Quaids regularly have paid local women to help with the care of the children, and the Thai government also has provided some funds. They have expanded to include the women prisoners after a set of ads in local church newsletters were seeking qualified au pairs. "I started thinking," she said, "Why don't we help girls that cannot leave Thailand to be live-in nannies just like the au pair program? And since then we've been doing that." A Thai court entrusts the Quaids with women prisoners who have served about half their terms and have shown good behavior. "They are still overseen by the prison," Susan said. "They come here every 14 days to do drug tests and to make sure they are still here." The prison director has been pleased from the start, Susan said. "He said [to me], 'This sounds awesome. Nobody's ever offered this opportunity to the girls.'" The Quaids' home is an open transitional place where others from the Christian community may come to help, with Susan noting, "People who want to care but don't know where to start can come here to make a difference. "It would be too large of a step for a local Christian family to bring a prostitute or a sick baby into their own home, but these same Christian families have been drawn here to care. It's a place where local Christians can touch the lives of those hurting." In working with prison officials recently on final details for receiving a new prisoner, a 16-year-old girl arrested for trafficking in drugs, Susan was telling them "about all the Christians that have gotten involved in recent months. The community has started accepting them because we are a comfort zone for others to touch them and care for them." The Quaids remain awed by all the lives touched by this ministry. Each new challenge has seen God order the next step. "We didn't search for this," Susan said. "It sort of came to us. Working with the prison girls just flowed out of caring for babies that were born into at-risk situations. We didn't plan this. One part of giving started another part." Yet the joy of all that God has given them does not buffer the parting grief that Susan particularly feels each time one of "her" children move on to adoption. "I live within the moment, and I don't think about the time when my next little one will leave," she said. "Every child that leaves here is a time of grieving for me. I pour my love into these kids, and it is a loss when they go. "The orphanages that we work with will call and say, 'Oh, I know you are going to cry next Tuesday because one of your babies is going to a new home.' But there are more important things going on here than my heart being broken again." --30-- *Names changed. Michael Logan writes for the International Mission Board. -- End of story -- Thai mother aims to break dark cycle By Evelyn Adamson May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37818 THAILAND (BP) -- Rays of sunlight spray over the mountains, ushering in a new day for May Messang* in Thailand. Air thick with heat and humidity surrounds her as she stands on the pavement. Her ponytail bobs back and forth when she runs. Every morning, she circles the playground, skirting around bicycles, toys, swings and a small trampoline before her daily responsibilities begin. In these early moments she is free -- free to think, to run, to remember. "When I run, I think about my mom and dad. I wonder how they are doing," Messang says, adding softly, "I [have been] in prison for four and a half years." Her early life has been laced with rough experiences. A transient childhood saturated with drug dealers and prostitutes landed her in a juvenile detention center. Her eyes shift and she adjusts her posture before cautiously unfolding her memories. "I didn't grow up with my parents. [My] mom and dad [are] divorced since I was a kid," the small Thai woman confides. "I lived with my brother for a while [and] it wasn't too long before my mom got arrested." Later came the marriage of her mother to an unwelcoming stepfather. Messang returned to live with her brother among disreputable thugs. She married when she was 15 and had her first child at 17. Shortly after she gave birth, Messang was arrested when police raided her home. Her dark eyes soften when the sound of waking toddlers drifts from a nearby window, bringing her back to the present. She smiles and explains that because of her five years of "exceptional" behavior in the detention center, she's been given a second chance -- a chance to work with children, a chance for a better life, a chance to find peace. Messang is one of two women chosen for a groundbreaking work release program in Thailand founded by International Mission Board workers Ken and Susan Quaid*. The detainees join other Thai young women training to be au pairs at the Quaids' foster home. They learn childcare and child safety. The end goal for most of the women is to work internationally as a nanny. For Messang, who cannot leave Thailand, she hopes to one day be a "live-in" nanny within her home country. When Messang first arrived at the foster home several months ago, her emotions swirled. This is the first program of its kind in Thailand and no one really knew what to expect. "I was so nervous, I couldn't sleep," she says before pointing out an added bonus to her new surroundings. "Because I get to walk around the garden here, I feel like I have more freedom." Susan admits she was just as nervous as the girls she welcomed into her program. She worried about how to react to them and their stories. After prayer, she and Ken decided the only way to react was to "accept them for who they are" and to go on with life as normal. "I was very cautious in the beginning. I could hear their feet on the track outside while it was still dark -- very, very early. I'd peek through my window and ask, 'What are they doing?'" she laughs in recollection. "The girls were simply sweeping, mopping and cleaning the rooms. They never even left a wrinkle on the beds." Determined to make the most of her new start, Messang sticks close to Susan, learning childcare basics like changing diapers, giving hugs and scheduling activities. Messang is amazed at Susan's choice to care for orphans. "Susan is so happy, she [treats the] kids like her own children," Messang says, adding that she sees something different in Susan -- something she has not experienced in her life. "She gives people a chance." The Quaids offer Messang a chance to break out of a cycle of drugs and prostitution that seems to ensnare so many Thai girls. Messang's quiet gratitude to this couple winds its way into her everyday actions. Susan observes the girls and to what extent they are improving. She notes how Messang's interaction with the children has changed. "I see [her] giving the children a kiss goodbye," Susan says. "I see attachments and emotions, where in the beginning it was a still face [or front]." When Susan sees Messang interact with the children, she often wonders whether the Thai woman thinks of her own child. The young woman's hands shake ever so slightly at the mention of her son. "When I see those kids, they do remind me of my own child," Messang admits. "When I take care of these kids, it's like I'm taking care of my own. He's almost 4 now." A hollow grief is exposed in her eyes as she pauses, lost in the past again. She then offers her impression of Susan and how this work release program is changing her. "Susan is kind to me, better than my own relatives. My relatives don't even give chances like Susan has given me," the young Thai woman says. "I'm happy to be around her, happy like finding a new life. I will change myself and will not go back to the old life. I will throw away that old life." The missionary smiles at the declaration. This is just the first step in offering hope for a changed life not only for Messang but for other women who need a second chance. --30-- *Names changed. Evelyn Adamson is a writer in Southeast Asia. -- End of story -- Mother's Day church attendance ranks 3rd By Staff May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37815 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Between Easter and Christmas, Mother's Day may be the most likely day people will attend church, according to a study by LifeWay Research. In a national poll of 1,000 Protestant pastors, LifeWay Research asked what the three highest attendance Sundays were throughout the year. Mother's Day (59 percent) ranked third behind the standard religious powerhouse holidays of Easter (93 percent) and Christmas (84 percent). [IMG=32591@right@400]Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, said, "Clearly, mothers want to be present for the affirmation that is typically offered in most churches, but families also are present knowing their attendance will honor their mother. Many families make church attendance on Mother's Day nearly obligatory." Among the seven specific days tested, Father's Day was mentioned the least, falling behind even homecoming celebrations. "The attendance difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day is telling," McConnell said. "Either churches are less effective in affirming fathers, or families believe Christian fathers don't value their participation in worship services." The study asked the question: "At your church, which day typically has the highest attendance for worship services?" In addition to Easter, Christmas, Mother's Day and Father's Day, three other days were listed: homecoming or anniversary of the church (16 percent), a special day to invite friends (14 percent) and Fourth of July (4 percent). Twenty-six percent of respondents indicated another day. There was significant variation in responses when filtered by geographic regions and by educational level: -- Churches with less than 50 in attendance were most likely to select Mother's Day (9 percent) and least likely to select Easter (41 percent). -- Protestant pastors with a graduate degree were less likely to select Mother's day (3 percent to 8 percent) than pastors with at most a bachelor's degree. -- Protestant pastors of churches in the South were most likely to select homecoming (9 percent). No other region had more than 1 percent of pastors making this selection. -- Churches with attendance up to 49 people (8 percent) and between 50 and 99 people (7 percent) were more likely to select homecoming. "Holidays and special days, regardless of which ones, offer an opportunity for churches to host guests who might not otherwise attend church," McConnell said. "Encouraging attendees to invite family and friends for services on these special days is a natural time to ask since many people will be considering attending." The telephone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors was conducted May 18-25, 2011. The calling list was randomly drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church. Responses were weighed to match the actual geographic distribution of Protestant churches. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +3.2 percent. Margins of error are higher in subgroups. --30-- Compiled by the staff of LifeWay Research. -- End of story -- Anti-religion campus policies targeted by ADF By Leigh Jones May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37820 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (BP) -- The Alliance Defense Fund has launched a nationwide campaign to convince state universities and colleges to change policies that restrict students' First Amendment rights. Its strategy starts with persuasion but could culminate in lawsuits. The organization of Christian lawyers expects at least a few cases to end up in federal court, which could encourage the nation's highest court to wade into the fray. "The Supreme Court really needs to step in and clarify for universities that they can't select particular views to censor," said Kevin Theriot, Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) senior counsel. Theriot and his team have been working on the campaign for about a year, but the group's failure to convince the Supreme Court to hear what many believed would be a seminal case for religious liberty on campus helped bring urgency to the project. On March 19, the Supreme Court declined to hear ADX v. Reed, a case involving a Christian sorority and fraternity at San Diego State University. The school told the groups they couldn't require leaders to sign a commitment of faith, and the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. In issuing its ruling, the Ninth Circuit relied heavily on a 2010 Supreme Court ruling in CLS v. Martinez, in which the justices said a state school could create an "all-comers" policy requiring all groups to open membership and leadership to all students. But the Ninth Circuit did not rule on whether an "all-comers" policy could have exceptions, an issue the ADF and other religious liberty advocates hoped the high court would clear up with ADX v. Reed. The Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case does not mean it agreed with the lower court's ruling. It only means other cases took precedent on the docket. The ADF hopes to persuade the high court to take up the issue in the future by litigating several similar cases through federal courts around the country. Lawyers from the ADF and The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty are using the same tactic to challenge the contraception mandate included in the new health care law. Legal experts say the high court is more likely to take a case if circuit courts issue contradictory opinions on similar issues. And the lawyers have plenty of cases to choose from. The CLS v. Martinez ruling has prompted several schools, including Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tenn., to adopt what they describe as "all-comers" policies, although administrators apply them selectively. "It's really targeted toward Christian groups, no doubt about it," he said. "They are the only ones who want to select leaders on the basis of belief. These policies are a poorly disguised attempt to discriminate against religious groups." Although the Vanderbilt case has received a lot of attention in recent months, it won't be on the ADF's list of offenders. As a private school, Vanderbilt is free to adopt policies that restrict constitutionally protected religious liberties. But plenty of state schools have scrambled to follow Vanderbilt's lead. ADF lawyers have identified more than 160 public universities with unconstitutional policies. The team sent letters to 40 schools in 23 states in early May in its first volley of challenges. Seventeen of the schools have policies that restrict the freedom of campus Christian groups to select members or leaders. The rest have policies that violate free speech, restrict protest activities to limited areas of campus or exclude religious groups from access to student fee funding. The group saw its first victory shortly after mailing the first batch of letters. Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina agreed to change its policy limiting student expression to a small wooded area on campus. Courts have come down on the side of protestors in several similar cases in the last year. The Alliance Defense Fund is just one organization pursuing campus religious liberty cases. Both the Foundation for Individual Liberty in Education (FIRE) and the Christian Legal Society regularly challenge unconstitutional policies. Individual groups facing discrimination on campus also fight attempts by school administrators to stifle their rights. The next case involving a campus Christian group could come from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where the student senate revoked official recognition for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship over violations of the school's nondiscrimination policy. --30-- Leigh Jones writes for World News Service, where this story first appeared. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- CULTURE DIGEST: Methodists maintain biblical stance on homosexuality By Staff May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37816 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- The United Methodist Church has opted not to follow other mainline Protestant denominations in a drift toward liberalism on the issue of homosexuality in declining to alter language in a guiding document. In a vote of about 60 percent to 40 percent May 3, delegates to the General Conference, the denomination's governing body, maintained language in the Book of Discipline characterizing homosexuality as "incompatible with Christian teaching." Methodists prohibit same-sex unions and expect clergy to be celibate if single and monogamous if married. The number of Methodists in the United States is shrinking while the denomination is growing in African and Asian countries where the church is theologically conservative, the Associated Press said. Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, credited delegates from Africa, who comprise about 30 percent of the total, with upholding the denomination's official stance. "Thanks to its global membership, United Methodism uniquely is growing in members and rejecting liberal accommodation of secular Western culture, unlike declining U.S. mainline Protestant denominations," Tooley said. "Likely to have an African membership majority within a decade or so, United Methodism can anticipate a bright future ahead that is more tied to vibrant global Christianity than to dying liberal Protestantism in America," Tooley said. At the General Conference, homosexual activists wearing rainbow stoles protested the vote by singing and interrupting the meeting, AP said. Some cried when the tally was announced, and leaders briefly halted the business session because of the protest. Because the General Conference convenes once every four years, the denomination's stance on homosexuality is not expected to come up again until at least 2016. GROUPON BOYCOTT GROWS OVER PORNOGRAPHY -- More than 15,000 people have contacted the online coupon company Groupon to cancel their memberships after Morality in Media uncovered Groupon's substantial support of pornography. Groupon offered discounts on tours of a pornography studio in San Francisco, and after a boycott was launched in April, Groupon supported an event at the Playboy mansion, Morality in Media said. Advertisements related to those two offers "have now been wiped from the company's site though expired coupons for other businesses are still on the site." "Until Groupon announces that it will no more support sexually exploitive businesses, the boycott will grow," Dawn Hawkins, executive director of Morality in Media, said. When Groupon was confronted about its support of a pornography studio, the company responded, "This business has proven to be a responsible member of their community and the tour offered in this deal is historical and informational in nature." A "Boycott Groupon" page has been set up, and supporters may email Groupon executives and call on them to "reject partnership with businesses that glamorize the exploitation and abuse of women," Morality in Media said. For more information, visit pornharms.com. KOREANS FIND BABY FLESH IN PILLS -- South Korean customs authorities have found in luggage and mail during the last nine months more than 17,000 pills filled with the ground-up flesh of unborn and stillborn babies. The gruesome trade originates in China, where some healthcare providers are informing medical groups when babies are aborted or delivered dead, according to the Daily Mail. The babies' corpses are dried in medical microwaves, then ground into power and placed with herbs in capsules, the British newspaper reported. Tests on the pills showed they consisted of 99.7 percent human remains, according to a San Francisco Times report cited by the Daily Mail. Some of the babies whose bodies were used in the pills may have come from China's "dying rooms," where children are left to die by parents who already have a child, the newspaper said, citing some unnamed reports. China has a coercive population control program, known as the one-child policy, that has produced a regime of forced abortion and sterilization, as well as reports of infanticide. The capsules are considered to have medicinal powers, according to various reports, including the enhancement of sexual performance. Ethnic Koreans who are from northeast China but now live in South Korea were the primary smugglers of the pills, a customs officer told the Daily Mail. "Welcome to the brave new world," pro-life lawyer Kristi Burton Brown wrote on Live Action's website. "A world where even aborted babies do not go to waste. A world where murdered innocents are not allowed to rest in peace. A world where the money made off abortion simply isn't enough anymore. A world where monetary profits reign, and human beings literally kill and consume one another. Welcome to the world abortion has created." GA. ENACTS BAN ON PAIN-CAPABLE ABORTIONS -- Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, signed into law May 1 a ban on abortions at 20 weeks or more into pregnancy based on evidence a baby in the womb experiences pain by that point. Georgia becomes the sixth state to prohibit pain-capable abortions with legislation modeled on a bill crafted by the National Right to Life Committee. The others are Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. At least 1,500 unborn children a year will be saved under the law, said Dan Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life (GRTL), but he acknowledged it fell short of what pro-lifers desired. It was amended to include an exception for a "medically futile" pregnancy, giving a doctor the opportunity to abort a child if he decides a baby may have a condition that would cause his death after birth, according to GRTL. "While this new law represents significant progress in saving lives, a last-minute amendment that allows doctors to end so-called futile pregnancies is a first step to establishing a eugenic policy in Georgia," Becker said. "It opens the door to destroying babies doctors think may be less than perfect." In other developments in the states: -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, vetoed two pro-life bills, one April 26 that would have required state licensing of abortion clinics and one April 30 that would have prohibited telemedicine, or Webcam, abortions by mandating a doctor's presence to dispense the abortion drug RU 486, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. -- Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican, signed into law May 1 legislation banning telemedicine by requiring a doctor to be present when providing a woman with RU 486, according to the Associated Press. -- The Kansas Senate voted 23-16 May 2 for a bill strengthening conscience protections for healthcare providers who decline to take part in abortions or to prescribe abortion-causing drugs, AP reported. The House of Representatives already has approved the measure, and Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is expected to sign it into law. -- The Alabama Senate approved in a 30-2 vote April 24 a bill to bar plans in the state's health insurance exchange from covering elective abortions, according to AP. -- The New Hampshire Senate voted 18-5 April 25 to ban partial-birth abortions and returned the bill to the House with amendments, AP reported. INDIAN WOMAN UNCOVERS ILLEGAL ABORTION SCHEME -- An Indian woman forced by her in-laws to undergo six abortions has helped uncover a ring of doctors and clinics practicing illegal sex-determination ultrasounds and abortions. Amisha Bhatt, who married Priyavadan Bhatt in 2000, had six abortions from 2001 to 2009 under coercion from her husband and in-laws, who were intent on her having a son, The Times of India reported April 23. She gave birth to a daughter, Kamya. Bhatt, 36, filed harassment charges with the police against her husband and his family, but she also sought data under the country's Right to Information Act from health authorities. Bhatt's request revealed her name was not on the lists filed with the government of those receiving ultrasounds, according to The Times. Her effort uncovered in three districts an illegal scheme between doctors and sonogram clinics performing sex-determination tests in arrangements with in-laws who sought male babies, according to The Times. "This meant that the government had no information on the tests conducted on me, as mandated under [an Indian law]," she said, the newspaper reported. "There may have been many such women like me. The doctors were maintaining a secret list of patients on which sex determination tests were being conducted." As a result, two doctors lost their licenses, the government analyzed the rules governing the filing of reports and other women who had been forced to have abortions were rescued, according to The Times. RELIGIOUS COALITION FOR REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE SELECTS KNOX -- The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) has named Harry Knox as its new president. Knox, who served on President Obama's Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, previously worked for the Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest lobbying organization for homosexual, bisexual and transgender rights. RCRC, which works for the protection of abortion rights, represents 15 liberal denominations and religious traditions. "Few liberal lobbies in Washington are as shameful as RCRC, which claims God opposes any restrictions on abortion," said Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, which works for renewal in mainline Protestant denominations. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach and Washington bureau chief Tom Strode. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Gay marriage misconceptions By Kelly Boggs May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37819 ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- President Barack Obama announced on May 9 that he favors the government recognition of same-sex marriage. One day earlier, North Carolina voters passed a constitutional amendment stating that only marriage between one man and one woman would be recognized in the state. With the juxtaposition of these events, one of the most divisive sociopolitical issues of modern times has been forced center-stage in American discourse. Along with the renewed discussion has come several misconceptions. One misconception is that North Carolina, along with 31 other states, has banned gay marriage. In actuality all voters in the Tar Heel State did was to establish that the only legally recognized marriages in their state will be those that take place between a man and a woman. I do not know anywhere in America that homosexual couples cannot wed. There are churches in every state that will conduct gay weddings and bless same-sex unions. Homosexual couples are free to marry, but 32 states have voted to not legally recognize those unions. Another misconception is that a majority of Americans are in favor of legalizing homosexual marriage. In March, an ABC News poll indicated 52 percent in the U.S. support same-sex marriage. Other polls over the past year have reported similar results. In North Carolina, 61 percent of the electorate voted to affirm traditional marriage. In fact, of the states that have held referendums on the subject of marriage -- [URL=http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37797]32 to date[/URL] -- the vote to affirm traditional marriage has passed by an average margin of 67-33 percent. Put another way, 64 percent of the states have weighed in on the subject of marriage and an overwhelming majority have favored recognizing the traditional view of matrimony. How are we to understand the disparity between public opinion polls and the voting booth? To put it simply, when people are confronted with a poll on gay marriage, they are [URL=http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35507]not responding with their true feelings[/URL]. Either that or the questions are asked in such fashion as to skew the outcome of the poll in favor of homosexual marriage. There can be no other conclusion. Why would someone be less than honest when responding to a poll? It is simple. No one wants to be viewed as bigoted and/or hateful, which is how homosexual activists have long portrayed anyone who dares to disagree with homosexual behavior or same-sex marriage. When a poll is taken, it normally requires speaking directly to someone on the phone. Most Americans are not confrontational and certainly do not relish the fact of being thought of as "homophobic," so when asked their opinion on gay marriage, they keep their feelings secret. But when people enter a voting booth, they are alone with their convictions. No one is privy to their vote. Absent is the intimidation factor of being considered hateful or bigoted. Hence when people vote on the subject of matrimony, they vote what they believe deep down to be true -- the state should only recognize marriage that is between one man and one woman. A Gallup poll released in May 2011 found that "U.S. adults, on average, estimate that 25 percent of Americans are gay or lesbian." The percentage is much lower, but even with the perception that one in four American's are homosexual, the electorate in 32 states have still voted to recognize only traditional marriage as legitimate. The true number of homosexuals is much lower than 25 percent. A study released in April of 2011 by Gary Gates, a demographer-in-residence at UCLA, found that only about 4 million adults in America identify as gay or lesbian. This figure represents 1.7 percent of the nation's population. President Obama's support of homosexual marriage juxtaposed with that of North Carolina's affirmation of traditional marriage underscores that while Americans are willing to tolerate homosexual behavior, they are just not willing to equate it as being on par with heterosexuality. Nor are they willing to celebrate it as natural, normal or healthy, which is what marriage is designed to do. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message www.baptistmessage.com, newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Barriers, blockades & our faith By Jeff Iorg May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37821 MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP) -- One of the most puzzling spiritual dilemmas is discerning the difference between a barrier and a blockade. Sometimes, God allows difficulties to test our faith. He wants to build endurance in us and show his power through us. It's painful, but God shapes our character through these challenges. Let's label these circumstances "barriers" to be broken down, climbed over, or otherwise surmounted. We are better Christians when we triumph through these struggles. Other times, God allows similar difficulties -- not to test us, but to stop us in our tracks. Let's call these circumstances "barricades." These are huge stop signs God erects to get us to freeze, reconsider our options, and go a different direction. Continuing to pound your head into an immovable, God-sized obstruction is painful and futile. Discerning the difference between barriers and barricades is challenging. It's not easy to figure out what to do when you first run into resistance. Most Christians aren't quitters. We expect to swim upstream and paddle harder when the current intensifies. But is that always the best response? Initially, probably so! But when increased flow is a precursor to a coming tsunami of God-generated opposition, it's best to get out of that stream altogether. When we planted our church in Gresham, Ore., a marketing consultant surveyed the community on our behalf and told us, "Get out while you can. This will be a very difficult place to start a church." We considered that counsel, rejected it, and plowed ahead. It was hard -- some days, very hard. But we persevered and a great church resulted. A barricade that was really a barrier! When we wanted to add a staff person to the Northwest Convention staff, the need seemed genuine and a suitable candidate was willing to serve. But there was no money. We prayed and worked and asked and connived -- to no avail. God thwarted us at every turn. The opportunity passed and that position was never filled. A barrier that turned out to be barricade! These are just two examples of how puzzling this dilemma can be. It continues to be a major discernment issue for me as a leader. My usual sources for direction in decision-making -- the Bible, the Spirit, past experiences, timely information, and wise counsel -- are helpful but, to be honest, it's still a struggle. My hunch is sorting out the differences between barricades and barriers are a struggle for a lot of you -- but also something some of you do better than me. What have you learned about this process? I would like to hear your story at jeffiorg@ggbts.edu. --30-- Jeff Iorg is president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., just north of San Francisco, and the author of "Live Like a Missionary." This column first appeared at his blog, JeffIorg.com. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Jesús es nuestra esperanza By Octavio J. Esqueda May. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37817 NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/espanol]http://www.bpnews.net/espanol[/URL] LA MIRADA, Calif. (BP) -- El que espera, desespera" dice un refrán popular. Esperar algo no es satisfactorio para nadie y en ocasiones las salas de espera en oficinas y consultorios se convierten en salas de tortura para muchos que, como yo, son impacientes y perciben el tiempo de espera como un tiempo perdido. Esta creencia común puede percibir a la esperanza como algo negativo y algo no muy deseado. Sin embargo, la esperanza, desde el punto de vista bíblico, es una virtud esencial y tiene una connotación positiva. De hecho, la esperanza de los creyentes siempre está basada en Dios y sus promesas. Nuestro Dios no solamente es una fuente de nuestra esperanza sino que El es el Dios de esperanza: "Y el Dios de esperanza os llene de todo gozo y paz en el creer, para que abundéis en esperanza por el poder del Espíritu Santo (Rom. 1:13). La esperanza de los cristianos está personificada en Jesús: "Pablo, apóstol de Jesucristo por mandato de Dios nuestro Salvador, y del Señor Jesucristo nuestra esperanza"(1 Tim.1:1). El carácter de Dios, quien siempre es bueno, fidedigno y verdadero nos motiva a confiar y esperar en El y en sus promesas. Así que, el teólogo Jurgen Moltmann en su famoso libro La teología de la esperanza nos dice que "la esperanza no es otra cosa que la expectativa de aquellas cosas que por la fe creemos han sido claramente prometidas por Dios." Con frecuencia también la escatología, la doctrina de las cosas futuras, es percibida por muchos como algo controversial y, por lo tanto, como algo que es mejor hacer a un lado. Algunos cristianos dicen con esta actitud que "lo que será, será" y es mejor dejar que Dios haga lo que tenga que hacer cuando lo crea necesario. Desgraciadamente esta manera de pensar es totalmente equivocada al propósito bíblico de las promesas futuras de Dios. De hecho, Brian Dailey ha definido acertadamente a la escatología como "la esperanza de los creyentes de que el estado incompleto de su experiencia presente con Dios será resuelta, su sed presente será saciada, su necesidad presente de liberación y salvación será satisfecha." La esperanza es una virtud esencial de la vida cristiana porque hace que nuestra vista y confianza esten fundamentadas en un Dios bueno que cumple sus promesas y que un día redimirá completamente nuestra vida y circunstancias. La escatología es la doctrina de las buenas noticias para quellos que han confiado en Cristo y que viven bajo las promesas de Dios. Además, la esperanza no es solamente la expectativa de algo que Dios cumplirá en el futuro sino que tiene repercusiones presentes. La perspectiva de nuestra vida y nuestro comportamiento cambian cuando nuestra esperanza en Dios y en sus promesas forman parte de nuestra vida como seguidores de Jesucristo. De hecho, nuestra esperanza como cristianos debería originar por lo menos cinco respuestas presentes en nuestras vidas: 1. Debemos mantener nuestra fe firme y sin vacilaciones: "Mantengamos firme, sin fluctuar, la profesión de nuestra esperanza, porque fiel es el que prometió" (Heb. 10:23). 2. Debemos vivir vidas puras como hijos de Dios: "Mirad cuál amor nos ha dado el Padre, para que seamos llamados hijos de Dios; por esto el mundo no nos conoce, porque no le conoció a él. Amados, ahora somos hijos de Dios, y aún no se ha manifestado lo que hemos de ser; pero sabemos que cuando él se manifieste, seremos semejantes a él, porque le veremos tal como él es. Y todo aquel que tiene esta esperanza en él, se purifica a sí mismo, así como él es puro"(1 Juan 3:1-3). 3. Debemos renunciar a la impiedad y vivir de una manera sobria, justa y piadosa: "Porque la gracia de Dios se ha manifestado para salvación a todos los hombres, enseñándonos que, renunciando a la impiedad y a los deseos mundanos, vivamos en este siglo sobria, justa y piadosamente, aguardando la esperanza bienaventurada y la manifestación gloriosa de nuestro gran Dios y Salvador Jesucristo, quien se dio a sí mismo por nosotros para redimirnos de toda iniquidad y purificar para sí un pueblo propio, celoso de buenas obras" (Tito 2:11-14). 4. Debemos actuar con inteligencia vivir de una manera santa: "Bendito el Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que según su grande misericordia nos hizo renacer para una esperanza viva, por la resurrección de Jesucristo de los muertos ... Por tanto, ceñid los lomos de vuestro entendimiento, sed sobrios, y esperad por completo en la gracia que se os traerá cuando Jesucristo sea manifestado; como hijos obedientes, no os conforméis a los deseos que antes teníais estando en vuestra ignorancia; sino, como aquel que os llamó es santo, sed también vosotros santos en toda vuestra manera de vivir; porque escrito está: Sed santos, porque yo soy santo"(1 Pedro 1:3,13-16) 5. Debemos mantenernos firmes, constantes y creciendo en el servicio a Dios ya que Jesús ha conquistado a la la muerte: "Así que, hermanos míos amados, estad firmes y constantes, creciendo en la obra del Señor siempre, sabiendo que vuestro trabajo en el Señor no es en vano" (1 Cor. 15:58). Para los cristianos la esperanza no produce desesperanza o es infructuosa sino que nos motiva y guía para vivir confiados en Dios y en sus promesas. La narrativa bíblica termina con la promesa del regreso de Jesús quien es nuestra esperanza y nos asegura "Ciertamente vengo en breve" y como cristianos podemos responder confiados "amén; sí, ven, Señor Jesús"(Ap.22:20). --30-- Octavio Javier Esqueda es profesor en los programas doctorales en educación en Talbot School of Theology de la Universidad Biola en La Mirada, California. Es miembro de la iglesia bautista Green Hills en La Habra, California y ha tenido la oportunidad de enseñar en diferentes países, instituciones y niveles académicos. -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net