Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 8 2011 --------------------------------------- South Sudan to celebrate independence amid concerns http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35717 Deepwater Horizon saga: a 'backdoor blessing' to coastal churches in La. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35718 In Israel, group targets Messianics http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35719 At neglected African hospital, volunteers share 'their skills & hearts' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35720 INT'L DIGEST: Iran pastor to be executed? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35721 NEWS BRIEFS: House forbids 'gay marriages' on military bases http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35722 FIRST-PERSON: 163 million girls aborted in Asia? Sadly, yes http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35723 FIRST-PERSON: The census & the future of the Great Commission http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35724 EDITORIAL: El DREAM Act y su versión 'limpia' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35725 --------------------------------------- South Sudan to celebrate independence amid concerns By Tom Strode Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35717 WASHINGTON (BP)--The Republic of South Sudan will become the world's newest independent country Saturday, but it will celebrate with questions and threats still pending. South Sudan will mark its independence with a ceremony in the capital of Juba, capping a bloody, lengthy path to freedom. The celebration will follow a two-decade-long civil war between the Arab Islamic north and the mostly Christian south that ostensibly concluded with the signing of a 2005 peace agreement. That agreement, though its implementation is still incomplete, required a referendum to determine the future status of the southern part of the country. In January of this year, nearly 99 percent of the southern Sudanese who voted in the referendum chose independence. Questions still remain for the new state and its old country, such as: Where exactly will the border between the two be, especially regarding the region of Abyei? How will the revenues from the oil-rich south be divided? Will southern Sudanese maintain citizenship rights if they continue to live in the north? There is also the danger of militia forces possibly backed by Khartoum fomenting unrest in South Sudan. Despite the uncertainties, advocates for religious liberty and human rights applauded the milestone. It was "a long time in coming" for people who "paid a tremendous price," Rep. Frank Wolf, R.-Va., told Baptist Press. Southern Baptist religious freedom leader Richard Land said July 9 "will be a great day for southern Sudan and its people." The southern Sudanese "have suffered terrible deprivations, and hundreds of thousands have died under the brutal Khartoum regime," said Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). "Their 98 percent-plus vote for independence in the referendum was compelling proof of their desire to rule themselves as an independent nation. "Freedom-loving people around the world should celebrate with the people of southern Sudan this propitious occasion," he said, "and the world community should do everything in its power to guarantee the full independence and sovereignty of its new neighbor, the Republic of South Sudan." Faith McDonnell told Baptist Press her first reaction "is to be very happy for South Sudan, to almost not be able to believe that it is happening." "It's just a miracle, really," said McDonnell, director of the Church Alliance for a New Sudan at the Institute on Religion and Democracy. USCIRF Chairman Leonard Leo said it would be "a tremendously exciting day for the people of South Sudan and the world." In the written statement, Leo called it "a tremendous achievement for American diplomacy and the work of the international community. Dedicated, bi-partisan efforts spanning the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama and numerous sessions of Congress, as well as the tireless work of many special envoys to Sudan ... were central to achieving peace and creating" the Republic of South Sudan. There are multiple concerns for the new country, longtime observers say. Wolf told BP he expects the southern Sudanese "are going to have a lot of problems." The congressman, who has visited Sudan five times since 1989, said his concerns include the lack of infrastructure, the underdeveloped resources, the loss of a "whole generation" during the civil war and the continued rule of Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Yet, Wolf said, the southern Sudanese "have a lot of spirit and strong faith. So I'm pretty optimistic that they're going to do well." For Christians outside South Sudan, life can be expected to be more difficult, Wolf and McDonnell told BP. Al-Bashir has said he plans to enforce Shariah law in Sudan. "I think we are going to see our Christian brothers and sisters going through a really hard time if they are not in South Sudan," McDonnell said. Wolf said, "I wouldn't want to be a Christian living in downtown Khartoum, and yet there are a number of them. [A]n amazing thing -- the church is really alive" in the south and part of the north. As independence day for South Sudan neared, al-Bashir's military attacked regions at the border but not in the new country. Khartoum forces invaded and bombed Abyei in May, driving more than 100,000 people from their homes, the Enough Project reported July 7. They began bombing the Nuba Mountains in the state of South Kordofan in early June, displacing more than 70,000 people, and reportedly have practiced ethnic cleansing, according to the Enough Project. South Sudan will occupy about the lower one-third of what was formerly the largest African country in land area. The region of Abyei rests in the middle of the border between Sudan and South Sudan, and the sides have been unable to reach an agreement on how to determine its future. North and south disagree on which residents in Abyei should be able to vote in a referendum. Christians and others in the Nuba Mountains sided with the south in the long civil war that was based largely on religious differences, with the militant Arab Islamic forces backed by Khartoum pillaging Christian, animist and moderate Muslim villages. It is estimated more than two million people in the south and central parts of Sudan died at the hands of the Khartoum-supported militia and another four million or so were displaced. While there has been some peaceful resolution in the south, the western region of Sudan has been the scene of ongoing, ethnic cleansing for the last eight years. Khartoum military forces and Arab militias supported by the government have committed widespread atrocities against African Muslims in Darfur. The genocide has resulted in the killing of an estimated 300,000 people, as well as rampant torture, rape and kidnapping. Nearly four million people have fled their homes because of the attacks. The U.S. State Department has designated Sudan as one of only eight "countries of particular concern," a category reserved for the world's worst violators of religious liberty. USCIRF is a nine-member panel selected by the president and congressional leaders. It reports to the White House and Congress on religious freedom overseas. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. -- End of story -- Deepwater Horizon saga: a 'backdoor blessing' to coastal churches in La. By Diana Chandler Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35718 LAFITTE, La. (BP)--It's been more than a year since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, leased by oil giant British Petroleum, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, just 41 miles off the Louisiana coast, killing 11 workers and contaminating waters that are home to the state's large fishing industry. Once oil began washing ashore, federal officials for a season prohibited fishing in the once-prolific waters. Remarkably, area pastors say their congregations are stable, if not thriving, as the largest marine oil spill in history became a blessing in disguise for the local economy. Still, they express concern about the spill's potential long-term effects on the Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem and human health. "There's definitely concern about how this is going to play out in the long run and the unknown," said Eddie Painter, a then-commercial fisherman who now pastors Barataria Baptist Church in Lafitte. "Actually, it was a backdoor blessing for us. It provided some tremendous ministry opportunities." The cleanup effort allowed Painter's church the chance to minister to the community in a unique way. On most days during the cleanup, the church delivered some 200 meals to area senior citizens and missions centers as far away as New Orleans, using excess food prepared for British Petroleum cleanup workers. "The hours were long for the ministry," Painter said of the church's efforts. "It was seven days a week, 12 to 15 hours a day." But he and leaders of other Baptist churches along the Louisiana coast say their ministries have been blessed despite the upheaval. "From all the reports I'm getting, everything is looking pretty good," said Lynn Rodrigue, who leads Port Sulphur Baptist Church, where about 60 worship on Sundays. "I would say basically, now everything is back to normal. [The spill] really turned things upside down for a while. "The giving is back to normal and the attendance is back up. I think actually the oil spill was a blessing to many people financially. I know some people who made $300,000 or $400,000 in six months." Fishermen were able to make money by leasing their boats to British Petroleum during cleanup efforts and, to Rodrigue's knowledge, there were no reports of related health concerns in his congregation of more than 100. While litigation attorneys have been calling, Rodrigue said he's had no need to respond. Now that fishing has resumed, Rodrigue said he has talked with area fishermen who are enjoying big catches. "They're catching oysters. They were making like 100 sacks a day, which is really good for oysters," he said. At nearby Venice Baptist Church, pastor Steve McNeil reports that his small congregation of 12 worshipers includes one family of fishermen who leased two boats to British Petroleum during the cleanup and have now returned to fishing. "He's done well. God has blessed him before, during and after the spill," McNeil said. "By and large, our community benefited financially in the short term. This year appears to be a good year," the pastor said. "The main effect was a [temporary] lifestyle change," he said, though noting that some families have been adversely affected. At Barataria Baptist, Painter, a bivocational pastor at the time of the spill, was preparing to resume crabbing on his boat when the explosion occurred in March 2010. He opted to hire two workers and lease his boat to haul ice during the cleanup. Painter sold his boat several weeks ago to concentrate on being a pastor and obtaining a master of divinity degree at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Shortly after the spill, officials and cleanup workers descended upon the community in droves, and fishermen had to temporarily find a new livelihood. "Our little community looked like somebody kicked over an ant hill," Painter said. "Our mayor did a great job of getting most of our people employed with [British Petroleum]." After the spill, Barataria Baptist participated in the Unlimited Partnership New Orleans program that places NOBTS seminarians in part-time ministry positions at struggling churches, Painter said, and was able to grow its small group ministry. Also, the church hosted British Petroleum's hazardous materials handling classes during the cleanup operation, which allowed Painter the opportunity to open those meetings with public prayer. --30-- Diana Chandler is a regional reporter for the Baptist Message, official newsjournal for churches in the Louisiana Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- In Israel, group targets Messianics By Staff/Compass Direct Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35719 JERUSALEM (BP)--An ultra-Orthodox Jewish group in Israel that singles out Jewish Christians -- known as Messianic Jews -- for harassment and abuse is taking aim at a couple it falsely claims is manipulating minors into becoming Christians. The group, Yad L'Achim, placed leaflets around the home of Serge and Naama Kogen in Mevasseret Zion, a suburban community located just west of Jerusalem. The same week someone took out a full-page ad in a local newspaper, giving the couple's address and telling residents they were part of a missionary group "targeting" the community. The Kogens are native Israelis and hence not part of any missionary group. The protest came at a time when Yad L'Achim is trying to push new "anti-missionary" laws through the Knesset, Israel's national parliamentary body. Under Israeli law, spreading one's faith is legal, but "proselytizing" to minors and gaining converts through "material incentives" is illegal. According to its website, literature and speeches, Yad L'Achim wants to make "proselytizing" by all non-Jewish groups illegal. The group does not specify which non-Orthodox groups they consider to be truly Jewish, or how groups with secular viewpoints might be similarly censored. The advertisement invited the public to a protest planned against the Kogens, and on June 26 about 20 of the group's supporters demonstrated outside the couple's home, where they denounced them over megaphones for 90 minutes. The protests came after Yad L'Achim lost a court case against the Kogens and their congregational leader, Asher Intrater. The group had accused them of "proselytizing" minors. During the protest, a distraught 16-year-old girl, the alleged target of the couple's "missionary" efforts, said all of Yad L'Achim's claims were false. Donna Lubofsky maintains she has never converted to Christianity. She wanted to speak at the protest to give her side of what happened, but the organizers wouldn't let her, she said. "They are all liars, all liars! Ask them, why won't they let me speak?" Donna told Compass at the protest. "They won't let me speak because what they are saying is untrue. They [the Kogens] never tried to get me to believe. They are just good people." 'A LOT OF LOVE' The Kogens met Donna a year ago while they were next-door neighbors. Naama Kogen said Donna, whom she described as a "genius," had some issues adjusting to a new school, and her home life seemed problematic. The girl quickly became a regular fixture at the Kogen household and "a close part of the family," in Kogen's words. "She said she had never seen a family like ours. We have a lot of love in our home," Kogen said, adding the teenager told her the time she spent in their house was the first time she felt loved. Kogen said that during the course of the friendship, problems persisted in the girl's home, and at times she was afraid to return there. She also said the teenager began experimenting with alcohol and other potentially self-destructive behaviors from which the Kogens were able to deter her. Kogen and her husband were emphatic in their claim they never discussed religion with Donna, but that she expressed interest in attending their congregational worship. Kogen said she obtained permission from Donna's mother, and she attended Shabbat meetings with the congregation for about two months. But Donna's mother, Bella Lubofsky, told protestors that the Kogens "took" the girl "every Friday." The problems came to a head after a disagreement at the Kogen home when Lubofsky allegedly pushed her daughter, and the Kogens had her spend the night until things calmed down. Soon afterward, Lubofsky reported the Kogens to the police for "proselytizing." Serge Kogen said police investigated the case, found that they had done nothing illegal and dropped the investigation. Yad L'Achim, not dissuaded by the police finding, went to court and brought charges directly against the couple and against Intrater, leader of the Ahavat Yeshua Congregation. As with the police, the court found nothing illegal and on June 14 dismissed all charges against Intrater and the Kogens. MISREPRESENTATIONS Started by ultra-Orthodox Jews, Yad L'Achim is known for its aggressive, confrontational style. At other protests, followers of the group have assaulted Messianic Jews. The group claims Messianic Jews are enemies of the Jewish people and have no place in Israel. The group makes no distinction between Christianity and cults, or between Christians and "missionaries." Referring to the protest on its website, Yad L'Achim described Naama Kogen as a missionary "who has been having a devastating impact on local youths." The group goes on to say that Donna "soon found herself attending prayer groups and being subjected to brainwashing. Gradually she came to accept J and began to pull away from her parents...." The website does not mention the failure of the case Yad L'Achim filed. Intrater, the congregational leader, said Yad L'Achim is a fringe group whose views aren't representative of most in Israel. The group has tried to frame its argument as one of Jews against Christians and has dredged up the specter of hundreds of years of anti-Semitic persecution to lend weight to its argument, he said. Intrater said he sees the entire issue as a disagreement between two groups of Jews. He said the first generation of Jews who believed in Jesus didn't refer to themselves as "Christians," and it is a title he avoids. Most "Messianic Jews" don't use the term in reference to themselves. Instead, they prefer to be known as Jews who believe in the Messianic claims of "Yeshua," the Hebrew name for Jesus. "They look at us as worse than Christians," Intrater said. "They look at us as if we've betrayed our people and become Gentiles. And they want to annihilate us. We see ourselves as true Jews. We see it as an argument over who is the true Messiah. What we want to say is, 'Who is the real Messiah?' They feel hatred toward us and see us as the enemy. We don't look at them that way. These are our people, and we love them." The Kogens still have contact with Donna, but her parents don't allow her to go to the congregation. The Kogens, Asher and others agreed that Donna should obey her parents' wishes as long as she is a minor. They sent her and her parents each a letter to that effect, which according to Kogen was very painful to the girl. Supporters from Yad L'Achim continue to plaster her streets with leaflets. They have also started handing out pamphlets at the mall. More insidiously, on June 29 the Kogens' landlord asked them to leave their apartment because she was receiving phone threats ordering her to evict them, Kogen said. The man making the threatening call told the landlord that if she didn't remove the couple, "we will." The caller said he would burn down the Kogens' home. The landlord offered the couple money to move, but the Kogens -- who had moved into the apartment only two months ago -- refused to move again. On June 26, the landlord talked with the couple again. At the congregational meeting July 1, Serge Kogen told the group the landlord said, "We could stay as long as we want." --30-- From Compass Direct News (www.compassdirect.org), a California-based news service focusing on the persecuted church. Used by permission. -- End of story -- At neglected African hospital, volunteers share 'their skills & hearts' By Mark Kelly Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35720 SANYATI, Zimbabwe (BP)--Volunteers are digging into the renovation of the historic Sanyati Baptist Hospital so new generations of Zimbabweans can experience for themselves the love of the Great Physician. Many more teams, however, will be needed to complete the ambitious five-year project. A 17-member team, mostly of Kentuckians, launched the renovation in May, replacing worn trusses and metal roofing on the hospital's pharmacy and medical records warehouse. They were followed by 11 volunteers from Tennessee and Florida. A four-member team from Georgia is on the ground at Sanyati for the first two weeks of July, said project director Peter Sierson of Pleasant Heights Baptist Church in Columbia, Tenn. As many as 60 teams will be needed over the next five years to complete the project, which is being conducted in partnership with the Baptist Global Response relief and development organization. The first team of volunteers tore into the roofing work -- an act of faith, considering the roofing supplies hadn't arrived yet, said Mark Byler, a physician from Kansas City, Mo., who serves at Sanyati. "With only four workdays -- and no roofing materials -- the scene looked challenging, but this group was up for the task," Byler reported. "By faith, they began tearing off the leaky, rusted, metal roofing sheets and piling them in a nearby storage facility. This revealed some very termite-ridden trusses that had to be replaced, as they literally just crumbled to the ground. The new roofing material was on the way -- maybe." By the end of the second day, however, the roofing material arrived and the team spent four hours unloading the heavy steel sheets by the light of the moon and a pickup truck, Byler said. "What seemed like only hours later, on day 3, the new gleaming-white roofing was in place and skillfully being fastened down," he added. Other team members spread out through the hospital, crawling up in the ceiling spaces to trace out old wiring systems, Byler said. They ran new wiring for a solar power system that provides electricity for X-ray and ultrasound equipment, the labor and delivery area, the operating room, and immunization and lab refrigerators. One team member, Tina Weitkamp, a clinical nursing instructor at the University of Cincinnati, spent time teaching nurses and the nursing students about techniques in neonatal resuscitation and how to help newborns in distress, Byler noted. The volunteers finished up their week touching up, applying cement and finishing repairs on hospital equipment. Texas volunteers Gerald and Bobby Thornton served as on-site project coordinators from Feb. 1 to May 18. Tennessean Don Smith, who recently retired after 22 years as a project manager in hospital construction, followed the Thorntons and plans to serve on site through August. The five-year "extreme makeover" plan will greatly extend Sanyati's renowned 60-year history of meeting both physical and spiritual needs, Byler said. The hospital treats an average of 35,000 outpatients and 1,800 inpatients a year. The staff performs about 1,000 surgeries and delivers more than 2,000 babies each year. Southern Baptist missionary physician Archie G. Dunaway Jr. was killed at Sanyati in 1978 by guerrillas fighting against the government of what was then Rhodesia. Byler described the volunteers as "generous, hard-working, dedicated men and women [who] did more than just put up roof and wires; they ministered to people they'd never met before in many ways." "They shared words of encouragement and prayers with people of the community and patients. They shared devotions with the staff in the morning. They shared a meal at a local village of believers. They shared the Word of God at two different local churches. "They unselfishly shared their skills and hearts in a way that will last long after the new ceilings start to fade and leak," Byler added. "God's love, shown in this practical way, is making an impact at Sanyati Baptist Hospital." --30-- Mark Kelly is senior writer and an assistant editor for Baptist Press. Learn more about the extreme makeover of Sanyati Baptist Hospital at www.sanyatimakeover.com. For information about volunteering, e-mail psierson@pleasantheights.com. Baptist Global Response is on the Internet at www.gobgr.org. View a video related to this story here: Sanyati Hospital: First 'extreme makeover' volunteers from BGR on Vimeo.

-- End of story -- INT'L DIGEST: Iran pastor to be executed? By Mark Kelly Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35721 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Christians in Iran have challenged news reports that the death penalty for pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been annulled, saying that in reality the country's supreme court appears to have added a precondition requiring him to renounce his faith or face execution. "There has still been no written confirmation of the court's decision on Pastor Nadarkhani's appeal against a death sentence for apostasy, despite efforts to source this," according to a July 5 statement from Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a human rights organization. Nadarkhani was arrested in October 2009 while attempting to register his church. His arrest is believed to have been due to his questioning of the Muslim monopoly on the religious instruction of children in Iran, the CSW statement said. He initially was charged with protesting; however, the charges against him were later changed to apostasy and evangelizing Muslims. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Pastor Nadarkhani, Mr Dadkhah and their families at this uncertain time," said Andrew Johnston, advocacy director for Christian Solidarity Worldwide. "CSW is gravely concerned about the judicial process in Pastor Nadarkhani's case and the precondition to recant his faith. Johnston said CSW is again urging "the Iranian regime to respect the stipulations of international treaties to which it is party, including the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees freedom of religion and freedom to change one's religion or belief.... The international community must act urgently to press Iran to ensure ... that Pastor Nadarkhani in particular is acquitted of a charge that is not in fact recognized under Iranian civil law." U.S. DRAWDOWN COULD HURT AFGHAN CHRISTIANS -- An American troop drawdown in Afghanistan could spell doom for the country's Christian minority, an Afghan exile warned in late June, as President Barack Obama announced his plans for phased troop withdrawal. "If U.S. troops are not in Afghanistan the Taliban will come to power," Obaid S. Christ told World Magazine. "We will have the same situation we had in the 1990s when the Russians left Afghanistan, when we had civil war and millions [were] killed." The U.S.-backed government of Hamid Karzai has been no friend to Christian converts either, said the exile, who changed his name and fled Afghanistan in 2007 when an Islamic court issued an arrest warrant after he publicly decided to follow Christ. Two civilian courts sentenced two Afghan Christians to death earlier this year for changing their religion. They were released and allowed to leave the country after international pressure was exerted on Karzai's government. HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS SOFT-PEDAL SHALIT CASE -- Five years after Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas militants, 12 prominent human rights organizations released a statement that called only for improving the conditions of his imprisonment, not demanding his release. The statement, which was posted on the website of Human Rights Watch, www.hrw.org, only called on Hamas to "immediately end the cruel and inhuman treatment of Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit of Israel and allow him to communicate with his family and receive visits from the International Committee of the Red Cross." Columnist Noah Pollak, in Commentary Magazine, challenged the limited concern for Shalit, noting, "If a better example of the utter moral collapse of the human rights community exists, it would be hard to find. The statement is one of passionless brevity -- just a few sentences long -- and expresses no opinion on the standing of Hamas, or on its 2006 raid into Israel, or on the legitimacy of its goals and methods." Pollak continued, "Remarkably, it doesn't even demand the release of Gilad Shalit. The most that this allegedly courageous and principled human rights community could bring itself to say to the terrorists of Hamas is that they should improve the conditions of Shalit's imprisonment." Human rights groups cite "the inflexible requirements of international law" when it comes to condemning Israel, but disregard those same principles when political considerations get in the way, Pollak wrote. "These same champions of international law have lost their voices, and their outrage, when it comes to making what should be the easiest of judgments: That it is against international law to raid a sovereign state for the purpose of abducting its citizens, that Shalit's imprisonment is barbaric and utterly without legitimacy, and that Hamas must release him immediately," Pollak wrote. "Yet the human rights groups stand together in refusing to say these words, preferring to pick and choose their principles depending on political circumstances. If these groups actually cared about international law, they would be far less brazen in ignoring it when it doesn't suit the politics of the moment." EGYPT RADICALS THREATEN MORE THAN COPTS -- If Egypt's radical Islamists succeed in converting the country's revolution against dictatorship into an Islamic state, the result not only would be that the country's Coptic Christian minority would be destroyed, but peaceful coexistence with Israel and the West would be jeopardized, a religious freedom advocate warned. "Egypt's Coptic Christians ... are the most visible bloc standing in the way of impatient jihadists and violent Salafis, who reject the Muslim Brotherhood's stated approach of a more gradual and democratic cultural shift," Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, wrote June 10 in The New Republic. "[A] heightened campaign of violence is being directed against Egypt's Copts and is presaging a mass exodus from the country -- an event which, if it transpires, will have devastating effects on the multicultural makeup of the entire Middle East." Islamists -- and those wanting their political support -- do not regard the Copts as "real Egyptians" and treat them as second-class citizens, Shea wrote. "Copts are officially discriminated against by an Ottoman-era law that restricts their ability to build or even repair their ancient and crumbling churches and monasteries," Shea wrote. "When they suffer violent assaults by Muslims, they are typically denied justice, with trial judges instead presiding over 'reconciliation' sessions, with the victimized Copt being forced to shake hands with his Muslim aggressor.... In recent decades, Egyptian extremists and security forces have periodically attacked Copts in what the international media mislabels as 'sectarian clashes,' but which can more accurately be described as pogroms and acts of terror." Following Egypt's revolution, which many Copts supported, Islamists now seem poised to assume power, Shea wrote. "Fear among Copts that the recent escalation in violence and discrimination is only likely to worsen following Islamist victories at the polls this fall makes their mass exodus, similar to the one that took place in Iraq, seem nearly inevitable," Shea wrote. "As Egypt's largest non-Muslim community, the Copts are also the largest of such communities in the entire Muslim Middle East. And if the Copts do leave, this vast region, historically known as the great multicultural crossroads of civilizations, would see the end of an old and important experience of religious pluralism. This does not bode well for peaceful coexistence with either Israel or the West." HUNGARY RELIGION LAW OPPOSED -- A proposed new law in Hungary would deal a serious blow to religious liberty in that country, a group of 22 religious freedom advocates told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R.-Fla., in a June 28 letter. The proposed measure before Hungary's parliament would "de-register" minority faiths that were registered as legitimate religions since the adoption of Hungary's 1990 Religion Law, while allowing favored religious organizations to maintain their registered religious status, according to a statement from the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The letter urged Clinton and Ros-Lehtinen to raise the issue of this proposed religion law with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and leaders of the Parliament ahead of a possible vote. Richard Land, the ERLC's president, and 22 other signatories said in the letter: "Over a hundred religious organizations currently registered as such will be retroactively stripped of their status as religious communities and 'de-registered' as religious organizations if these provisions become law.... There is no question that the proposed Hungarian law relegates 'de-registered' religious communities to an inferior status. Religious organizations that have been 'de-registered' may not use the name 'Church' and will also lose their status as a religious organization if they are not 're-registered' through burdensome court proceedings.... These requirements represent a transparent attempt to suppress minority religious freedom in complete contravention of ECHR [European Court of Human Rights] decisions and UN and OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] standards." --30-- Mark Kelly is senior writer and an assistant editor for Baptist Press. -- End of story -- NEWS BRIEFS: House forbids 'gay marriages' on military bases By Staff Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35722 WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill July 8 with an amendment aimed at preventing military chaplains from performing "gay marriage" ceremonies on military bases. The amendment by Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R.-Kan., passed 236-184. It would prevent funds from being used to train chaplains in preparation for overturning the military policy against open homosexuality, commonly called the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, The Hill website reported. The amendment was part of a Defense spending bill that passed, 336-87. Huelskamp said his amendment would ensure the military is "not used to advance a narrow social agenda." In May the Navy authorized "gay marriage" ceremonies on bases located in states where such unions are legal. The Navy, under pressure, suspended the directive "pending additional legal and policy review." Huelskamp said the amendment would "prohibit the enforcement" of the Navy's directive. "I fear that chaplains who refuse to perform these ceremonies may find themselves under attack and their careers threatened," he said on the House floor. "... We must ensure the religious liberty of all military members, particularly that of chaplains." The House version of the bill must be reconciled with the Senate's version, which has yet to pass. THOUSANDS OF ABORTIONS UNREPORTED IN ILLINOIS -- A state system for monitoring abortions in Illinois is so broken that as many as 17,000 of the procedures may go unreported each year, according to the Chicago Tribune. A Tribune investigation found the following among the shortcomings in the Illinois Department of Public Health's required collection of information on abortions in the state: -- State regulators have recorded between 7,000 and 17,000 fewer abortions per year than those reported by the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research organization that tracks the procedures nationwide. -- The department receives reports from only 26 abortion providers, though the Guttmacher Institute says there are 37 in the state. This may mean some clinics are operating "off the books," according to the newspaper. -- Almost 4,000 reports of complications from abortion in 2009 did not include the required description. -- The department has never attempted to discipline an abortion provider, even though refusing to report complications is a basis for losing a license and intentionally failing to provide complete reports is a crime. Maurice Stevenson, whose wife died in 2002 from an infection after an abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago, told the Tribune, "It's outrageous. These procedures, complications and deaths should be public record." Planned Parenthood could not confirm if it reported the death of Stevenson's wife because its records for 2002 are in storage, the Tribune reported June 16. The Tribune report was not surprising, according to the Chicago-based Pro-life Action League. The Pro-life Action League "wishes to see abortion outlawed, but while it is legal we believe the lives and health of women should be protected," said Joe Scheidler, the league's national director, in a letter to the Tribune. "Yet abortion advocates fight any regulations, fearing they might restrict abortion." --30-- Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press, and Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: 163 million girls aborted in Asia? Sadly, yes By Kelly Boggs Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35723 ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--The term "pro-choice" in relation to abortion was first used in the mid-1970s, the result of "sloganeering to avoid the harness of 'pro-abortion,'" observed journalist and columnist William Safire. Supporting a woman's ability to "choose" sounds much better from a public relations stand point than arguing for her right to an abortion. The most ardent advocates of abortion believe a woman should be able to "choose" an abortion for any reason and at any time during pregnancy -- no limits. After more than 30 years, the mantra of "choice" has not only gone around the world, but with the advent of amniocentesis and ultrasound, the reasons women "choose" abortion have greatly expanded. In the U.S., around 90 percent of babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the womb are aborted. Meanwhile, some women pregnant with multiples now choose to abort one or more of the babies, even if all are healthy. Another troubling trend is sex-selective abortion. In many countries, healthy unborn baby girls are having their lives snuffed about because, according to their parents, they are the wrong sex. The consequences of sex-selective abortion are exposed in a new book, "Unnatural Selection," by researcher Mara Hvistendahl. "For as long as they have counted birth," writes Hvistendahl, "demographers have noted that an average of 105 boys are born for every 100 girls." While the average can vary ever so slightly, any significant skewing of the ratio is due to unnatural causes. "That extra 5 percent of boys compensates, as the German statistician Johann Peter Sussmilch observed in 1741, 'for the higher male losses due to the recklessness of boys, to exhaustion, dangerous tasks, or migration,'" writes Hvistendahl. As one who believes God is the creator and sustainer of life, I view the universality of the natural sex ratio as the Lord's provision for sustained procreation. Currently in China, there are 121 boys born for every 100 girls -- though there are regions where the number tops 150. In India the ratio is 112 males for every 100 females. The two most populous nations on the earth skew the average worldwide sex ratio to a 107 boys to every 100 girls. Asia is not alone in its pronounced gender imbalance. Hvistendahl found that Azerbaijan has a sex ratio of 115 males to every 100 females, the Republic of Georgia stands at 118 and Armenia at 120. A conservative estimate, according to Hvistendahl, is that in the last 30 years 163 million females in Asia alone have been victims of sex selective abortion. That's more than the female population in the United States. Western feminists blame male-dominated cultures for sex-selective abortions. While the cultures with the most alarming sex ratios do put a premium on producing boys, Hvistendahl found the overwhelming choice for aborting an unborn girl was made by the pregnant women and sometimes the mother-in-law. Others point to poverty as the root cause for sex-selective abortion. However, Hvistendahl found that it was a country's rich, not its poor, that first embraced the concept. "Sex selection typically starts with the urban, well-educated stratum of society," she writes. The behavior then trickles down until it is accepted by the broader culture. A society with more males doesn't bode well for females, or males, according to Hvistendahl. Women will become a commodity, and -- with a lack of males -- young girls in developing countries are likely to be sold off to provide income for the family. Another consequence of the skewed sex rate is crime. According to Hvistendahl, the best predictor of crime in certain Chinese provinces and India is sex ratio, not economics. Where the male sex ratio has spiked, crime has followed. "Historically, societies in which men outnumber women are not nice places to live," Hvistendahl writes. "Often they are unstable. Sometimes they are violent." To put things in perspective, Hvistendahl notes that worldwide, during the same time period, AIDS has claimed an estimated 25 million people -- far fewer than the estimated number of sex-selective abortions (163 million). "AIDS has the attention of non-governmental organizations, policymakers and school children around the world. It boasts its own United Nations agency," she writes. "Sex selection remains mostly invisible, however, a more pervasive and yet quieter epidemic...." Why the silence when it comes to sex selective abortion? Where are the feminists and activists speaking out on the practice? It is because their worldview is rooted in choice -- no limits. Though sex-selective abortion is not thought to be taking place in great numbers in the United States, there is nothing to keep it from happening. If "my body, my choice" is the argument for abortion, then there is no choice that is not valid. If abortion is only about a woman's choice, then aborting a baby because of gender is as valid a reason as any other. The term "pro-choice" might have been a public relations move to place abortion-on-demand in a more favorable light. However, the practice of abortion-by-choice has resulted in the death of millions of precious babies, many of them girls. "But in the end, this is a book not about life and death but about the potential for life -- and denying that potential for the very group responsible for perpetuating our beleaguered species," Hvistendahl writes. Could it be we are in the process of aborting ourselves to death? If so, it will be because of choice -- unfettered, unlimited choice. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press and editor of the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The census & the future of the Great Commission By Denny Burk Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35724 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--The findings from the 2010 census are set to be released this summer, but some preliminary estimates are already being reported by the Associated Press. Every Southern Baptist (and indeed every Christian) who wants to understand what Great Commission ministry is going to look like in this century needs to pay attention to these numbers. Probably the most significant item in this report relates to minorities. No doubt, many readers have already heard that demographers predict that by 2050 whites will no longer be the majority in the United States. This census finds that for the first time minorities already make up a majority of babies in the U.S. This means that the churches in America that wish to fulfill the Great Commission in the United States will have to have a strategy for reaching America as it is, not as it was. In short, that means that we are going to have to believe and practice what our parents taught us: "Red, yellow, black and white -- they are precious in His sight." If a church is not welcoming to minorities, not only will it be in sin (Matthew 28:19; Revelation 5:9-10), it will also become increasingly irrelevant. Here's another item from the report that we need to pay attention to, according to one demographer quoted in the story: "We're moving toward an acknowledgment that we're living in a different world than the 1950s, where married or two-parent heterosexual couples are now no longer the norm for a lot of kids, especially kids of color." This reality is as sad as it is sobering. But it also alerts us to another set of challenges that we have to face. First, more than ever, androgynous disciple-making is no longer going to cut it (and really, it never did cut it). Making disciples in our churches must include an unflinching commitment to a biblical vision for families. This means that our churches are going to have to teach our men to be faithful husbands and fathers, our women to be faithful wives and mothers, our little boys to grow up to be Christian men, and our little girls to grow up to be Christian women. In short, we have to bear witness to and live out biblical manhood and womanhood. The culture is pressing us to abandon this vision, and apart from a tenacious commitment to that vision our families will disintegrate just like they are in the rest of the culture. Second, our churches need to be ready to minister to people who do not belong to a traditional family. We are already facing this reality, and it looks like the trend is only getting more dire. Who else but the church of Jesus Christ will be able to bring the Gospel to single moms and fatherless children? And who else but the church will be able to be a surrogate family for those who need one? Are we ready for this challenge? Is your church meeting this challenge now? Again, if a church is unwilling to meet this challenge, not only will it be in sin (Matthew 25:40; Psalm 68:5), it will also become increasingly irrelevant. As I think about the Southern Baptist Convention, I know that these figures represent challenges to business as usual. But that is OK. Sometimes we need our cages rattled. My hope and prayer is that our response will be a deepening commitment to the Great Commission -- that in our own country we would commit to making disciples of every people group. The Lord's arm is not too short to save (Isaiah 59:1). Let's join Him in this work. --30-- Denny Burk is associate professor of New Testament at Boyce College, the undergraduate arm of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. -- End of story -- EDITORIAL: El DREAM Act y su versión 'limpia' By Luis R. López Jul. 8 2011 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35725 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] NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Días atrás en el marco de la Celebración de la Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas en San Antonio tuve el privilegio de participar en el Hispanic Education Luncheon. Este almuerzo se llevó a cabo en las instalaciones de Trinity Baptist Church en la ciudad de El Alamo. Doy gracias a Dios por el esfuerzo de los hermanos bautistas de Texas y la Iniciativa Educativa de la BGCT y la Convención Bautista Hispana del estado. Tenemos mucho por hacer en cuanto a elevar el nivel de educación de nuestro pueblo si queremos estar mejor preparados para enfrentar el futuro como nación y denominación. El programa de becas para estudiantes hispanos de esta Convención estatal debe ser emulado por muchas de nuestras organizaciones regionales y locales. Su propósito es loable y sus implicaciones de largo alcance inmensurables. El futuro de nuestra nación yace relacionado intrínsecamente en la preparación de nuestro pueblo. En esta lucha, la dificultad de muchos jóvenes indocumentados cuyos padres migraron hace muchos años atrás se hace evidente. La presión de no poder continuar sus estudios universitarios después de concluir la enseñanza media ha ido creciendo a través de los años y el dolor de ver sus sueños truncados nos hace sentir muchas veces frustrados. Por otra parte, el esfuerzo de las autoridades federales y estatales en atender el número creciente de estudiantes (más de 65 mil cada año) se enfoca en tratar de encarar un problema mayor: el resolver el estatus de ilegalidad de millones de personas en el país. La solución del problema trasciende, desde cualquier punto de vista, la connotación de que se estaría otorgando una "amnistía" en lugar de una reforma migratoria integral. Mientras más tiempo pase, el problema se hace más grande y la frustración crece de ambas partes. El pasado 11 de mayo, el Dream Act volvió a ser introducido por un grupo de senadores. Si bien recordamos, en diciembre de 2010, la Cámara de Representantes aprobó con 216 votos (de 435) la medida, pero una semana más tarde el Senado la rechazó por 55 votos a favor y 43 en contra. Se necesitaban 60 votos. Recordemos que el Dream Act fue enviado por primera vez al Congreso en 2001, desde entonces la falta de una mayoría ha impedido su aprobación y con ello la frustración sigue aumentando. Aplaudo la reciente declaración de la entidad política pública de nuestra Convención Bautista del Sur (ERLC) apoyando –- con condiciones -– una legislación 'limpia' de este proyecto de ley para aquellos "cuya presencia ilegal en este país no es el resultado de su decisión." Esto es un avance. Queda aún mucho por hacer. Muchos conocemos de cerca las luchas de jóvenes brillantes que han visto truncados sus sueños de seguir con una educación universitaria. Pensar en ellos, su futuro y el país que estamos ayudando a construir nos impulsa a ver este tema con un sentido de responsabilidad. La versión 'limpia' del Dream Act permitiría a los jóvenes que están en esta situación ilegal sin que sea su culpa, la oportunidad de alcanzar la meta de obtener el estatus legal sirviendo al país en el ejército u obteniendo una educación que los haría miembros productivos de la sociedad. En los próximos días, escucharemos muchas voces hablar de este tema, algunas apasionadas, otras indiferentes. Algunas de esas voces no comprenden el tema, otras carecen de una perspectiva completa del asunto. Ezequiel 18:2 dice "¿Qué pensáis vosotros, los que usáis este refrán sobre la tierra de Israel, que dice: Los padres comieron las uvas agrias, y los dientes de los hijos tienen la dentera." El consejo de Ezequiel al pueblo de Israel fue pertinente y como creyentes tenemos la responsabilidad de orar y llamar a nuestros representantes políticos a abordar este asunto y hacerlo de forma justa. Frente a la incertidumbre en que se encuentra la discusión de una reforma migratoria integral, el unir esfuerzos para lograr la aprobación de una ley que ayude a cumplir el sueño de estos jóvenes indocumentados que fueron traídos aquí por sus padres parece imperativo. Estos no deben ser forzados a cargar toda la culpa de su presencia ilegal en el país. Limitarlos a vidas que frecuentemente bordean los niveles de pobreza por acciones en las no tuvieron parte alguna de responsabilidad sería un castigo muy severo. Oremos por nuestros Senadores y legisladores para que con justicia construyamos un mejor país. Porque Él vive, --30-- Luis R. López es el Director de LifeWay Español de LifeWay Church Resources en Nashville, Tenn. http://www.LifeWay.com/espanol -- 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