40 Iranian Jews Make Exodus from Iran, Arrive in Israel to Escape Dangers
Tuesday , December 25, 2007
TEL AVIV, Israel —
Greeted by joyous relatives and a crowd of Israeli TV reporters, about 40 Iranian Jews landed in Israel Tuesday, leaving behind their lives in an increasingly bellicose Islamic regime for new homes in the Jewish state.
The new immigrants took a covert route, facilitated by the Israeli government and backed with funding from American evangelical Christians who see their efforts as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Relatives screamed in delight and threw candy at the newcomers as they emerged into the airport reception hall after a long bureaucratic procedure.
Two brothers, Yosef and Michael, said they were glad to be in Israel. They declined to give their family name in order to protect relatives.
"I feel so good," said Yosef, 16. "I just saw all of my family. You can't put that into words."
Michael, 15, said he told all his friends where he was going, and they wanted to come along. "I was scared in Iran as a Jew," he said. "I would never be able to wear a skullcap in the streets there." Others said they felt safe in Iran, discounting warnings that Jews could become targets.
The brothers arrived with their parents and a sister and were greeted by their grandparents, whom they had not seen since the grandparents left for Israel six years ago.
The sensitivity of the operation was in evidence throughout. No details about their route of exit from Iran were given, but it was assumed they came through a third country.
"I'm in heaven," gushed Avraham Dayan, 63, waiting for his son, daughter-in-law and grandson. He said he had not seen his 38-year-old son in 11 years, missing his son's wedding and the birth of his grandson.
The newcomers were also mobbed by Israeli reporters and TV camera crews. Their arrival was the top story on the evening newscast of Israel's Channel 2 TV. TV pictures broadcast locally did not show their faces, reflecting concern that publicity could lead to harm of Jews still in Iran.
The operation was sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a charity that funnels millions of dollars from evangelical donors each year.
Yehiel Eckstein, a rabbi who founded the Jewish-evangelical International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, said each immigrant receives $10,000 (euro6,950) from the group to help get them started in Israel because they "start in Israel with nothing," leaving behind all their possessions.
Interviewed by telephone from Chicago, Eckstein warned that the situation facing Iranian Jews is critical, because of the attitude of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." Despite a recent U.S. intelligence report that found Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons program, Israel believes Iran is still trying to build a nuclear bomb. It already has long-range missiles.
"Our feeling is that this is very similar to the situation of Jews in Germany in the 1930s," Eckstein said of the threat facing Jews in Iran. "By the time they realize it's not going to blow over, it'll be too late. All it needs is a U.S. or Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear program for them to come down strong on the local Jewish population."
Benjamin Yakobi, 16, has lived in Israel seven years. Waiting for his cousin, he said Israel is safer than Iran. "Here we are all Jewish, and we are not worried that someone will do something," he said.
Other experts, as well as Jews who have arrived quietly from Iran in recent months, discount the dire warnings, saying Jews are living relatively comfortable lives in Iran now.
Altogether this year about 200 Iranian Jews have arrived in Israel of a total of about 25,000 Jews in Iran. Michael Jankelowitz, spokesman for the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency, which deals with immigration, said more Jews have arrived in Israel from Iran in 2007 than in any other year since the 1978 Islamic revolution there, and the group of 40 was the largest.
"Jews have been coming to Iran over the years in discreet and secret ways," said Yossi Shraga, the Jewish Agency official in charge of immigration from Middle East countries.
Iran's Jewish community is protected by the Islamic Republic's constitution and has one representative in the 290-seat parliament.
Nonetheless, the Jewish community has led an uneasy existence under Iran's Islamic government.
In 2000, Iranian authorities arrested 10 Jews, convicted them of spying for Israel and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from four to 13 years. An appeals court later reduced their sentences under international pressure and eventually freed them.
No comment was available Tuesday from the Iranian government or the Jewish lawmaker.
"Generally, Jews are free to practice Judaism inside Iran," said Meir Javedanfar, an Israeli analyst whose family emigrated from Iran in the 1980s. Iranian Jews, however, are increasingly concerned about the intensity of attacks on Israel by the Iranian press, which they view as bordering on anti-Semitism, he said.
Evangelicals explain their support of Israel in terms of keeping Israel strong, following a biblical prophecy that creation of a Jewish state here is a step toward the Messianic Age.
However, the involvement of evangelicals is a sensitive issue in Israel. Evangelicals are considered among Israel's staunchest allies in the United States, but some Israelis are uncomfortable with their hard-line views and the religious basis of their support, saying their ultimate goal is to convert Jews to Christianity. The evangelicals deny that.
No Joke: Clowns Spread the Gospel
Tuesday , December 25, 2007
TAMPA, Fla. —
The clown walked into church like he owned the place.
KoKoMo stood proudly in the sanctuary of Carrollwood Baptist, his huge white shoes planted firmly, his head-to-toe sequins glimmering, his nose and wig as red as a Christmas bow.
It was no joke. KoKoMo was decked out for God.
The Rev. Tom Rives adopted his alter ego about 35 years ago and has used it ever since. The message delivered in his high-pitched voice is weighty for a clown: It is of love and salvation.
Rives believes clowning is a means to teach about Christ. "People who wouldn't talk to a preacher will talk to a clown," he says.
KoKoMo and a troupe of clown friends have also shown up at prisons, hospitals, fairs and shopping malls here. The King's Clowns, as they call themselves, aim to proselytize while entertaining, disarming their audiences with their silly characters.
Carrollwood's sanctuary is dotted this night with red and white poinsettias and rows of chairs filled with people. Out of sight, Rives and 10 other clowns gather in a circle while the pastor prays.
"Father, may the message get across," he says in a deep voice with a slight Southern drawl.
Within moments, Rives appears before the congregants, his face caked in white, a tiny blue hat perched crookedly on his head.
"Hi!" he squeals. "I'm KoKoMo the Clown!"
What follows is an hour-long series of skits performed by the clowns, each with a Christmas theme and a Christian message: Be thankful. Honor Christ daily. Remember it is more blessed to give than receive.
In between acts, KoKoMo enlists the help of children to pull off magic tricks. He transforms a giant playing card into one displaying an image of Christ. A stuffed dove is brought to life. A little girl's jaw drops when KoKoMo turns numerous colored scarves into one multicolored piece of fabric.
Vicki Musser, 50, who came to watch the clowns' show, said children and adults alike can take away something positive.
"It's not so formal in this kind of service. You can relax a little more," she said. "And I think they can understand a little better."
The act was born in Tennessee around 1970, when Rives was new to ministry and attended a workshop sponsored by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clowns. He never expected to pair his work with his love of the circus, but before long, it just made sense.
Rives sometimes incorporates clown skits in his regular services. A couple of times a year, there's a full clown service, and the troupe regularly visits other places.
Clowning, the 61-year-old pastor says, has allowed him to reach people who otherwise would not be reached. Some have accepted Christ. Others leave with questions about their faith. And many simply experience an innocent joyfulness the clowns see as an expression of Christ's love.
"You can be at a red light dressed as a clown and the people next to you will just be smiling and waving," said Robin Singleton, 45, who has been performing as Skittles for two years while wearing a rainbow-colored jumpsuit and wig.
Rick Racki, aka Riff-Raff, the troupe's only hobo clown, said the outfits make people more receptive to a spiritual message.
"There's something inside them that just opens up," the 43-year-old said. "They're more open. They're less afraid."
When the skits have ended, the clowns have stopped making balloon animals and no one else asks to compare the size of their shoes, Rives walks silently to his office and drapes his costume over a mannequin. The show is over, but his work is never done.
Huckabee Campaigning for 23 Percent Sales Tax
Monday, December 24, 2007 11:08 AM
By: Newsmax Staff
Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee wants to impose a 23 percent federal sales tax on all Americans.
But the plan he endorses, called the fair tax, would also eliminate federal income taxes, as well as payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare, capital gains taxes, corporate taxes — and the IRS.
"The first thing I'd love to do as president: Put a 'going out of business' sign on the Internal Revenue Service," Huckabee declared at one presidential debate.
Proponents of the fair tax say it would increase the incentive to save by taxing money spent rather than money earned, eliminate loopholes in the tax code, and free taxpayers and businesses from the often costly task of preparing tax returns, the Los Angeles Times reports.
"What we would do with the fair tax is eliminate all the taxes on productivity, which means you could earn anything you want," Huckabee said. "You wouldn't be penalized for saving, earning, for having a capital gain, making an investment."
To ease the impact of the sales tax on low-income families, proponents want to give individuals and families a "prebate," a cash payment to cover the sales taxes on spending up to the federal poverty level.
This year, a couple with two children would have received $6,297, or $525 a month, according to the organization Fairtax.org.
But critics say the fair tax would largely benefit the wealthy, who save the largest share of their income. They also maintain that the tax would actually have to be significantly higher than 23 percent to maintain the government at current levels. Brookings Institute tax expert William Gale estimates the tax could be as high as 50 percent, which would likely lead to widespread tax evasion.
"It's a crackpot plan," Bruce Bartlett, a former Treasury Department official who opposes the sales tax, told the Times.
"Anyone who supports it should not be taken seriously."
And Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, said campaigning for a national sales tax would be "political poison" for a presidential candidate.
But Fairtax.org has spent about $2.5 million to promote the idea in early primary and caucus states, and some observers say Huckabee's support for the plan has helped lift him from the back of the presidential pack to the status of a front-runner.
Huckabee told a crowd in South Carolina in May: "I have a dream that one day in this country … April 15 will just be another beautiful spring day."
Huckabee Angers Some Catholics
Sunday, December 23, 2007 6:31 PM
Rising Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee risked his standing with Catholic voters on Sunday by courting his evangelical base at the church of a controversial preacher accused of disparaging Catholics.
There are a few remnants of anti-Catholicism among evangelical Christians in the South but the two sides have found much common political ground over the past three decades in their strident opposition to abortion and gay marriage.
But the visit to Cornerstone, pastor John Hagee's imposing "mega-church" in the Texas city of San Antonio, was fraught with
political perils for Huckabee given his efforts to woo conservative Catholics.
Huckabee, a folksy former Arkansas governor and former Baptist preacher, has had a meteoric rise in opinion polls in recent weeks, largely because he has connected with the Republican Party's influential evangelical wing.
This puts him in serious contention with less than two weeks before the January 3 nomination battle in Iowa, which starts the
state-by-state process to pick the Republican and Democratic candidates for November's presidential election.
Religion plays a big role in politics in the United States, where levels of belief and church attendance are much higher than in Europe. Evangelicals number around 60 million in the country of 300 million people, while the Catholic population has been put at close to 70 million.
Taking a break from the Iowa campaign trail, Huckabee delivered a Christmas season sermon at Cornerstone about Christ's birth and embraced Hagee, calling him "one of the great Christian leaders of our nation."
Hagee is a fiery preacher best known for his writings on the Middle East, where he reads contemporary events as unfolding Biblical prophecy. He is staunchly pro-Israel, saying that God had made his love for the land and its people clear.
The Catholic League says Hagee is virulently anti-Catholic -- a charge he denies -- and it is getting the word out that Huckabee is rubbing shoulders with an anti-Vatican figure.
Huckabee's campaign insisted his visit to Hagee's church should in no way be taken as a slight to Catholics.
"Three members of the senior leadership of the campaign are Catholic, including our national chairman. Gov. Huckabee is committed to being a leader of all Americans," said Charmaine Yoest, one of his senior advisers.
CATHOLIC ANGER
But some Catholics were angry about the visit.
"Hagee has a history of denigrating the Catholic religion," said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, the largest Catholic civil rights group in the United States.
In his recent book "Jerusalem Countdown," Hagee wrote: "Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews."
In the same book, Hagee did applaud the late Pope John Paul II's efforts to reach out to Jews.
But Catholic bloggers on the Internet were mostly critical about Huckabee's visit. The Catholic News Agency ran the headline: "Mike Huckabee to speak at strongly anti-Catholic preacher's church."
One Catholic blogger said while Huckabee was an eloquent spokesman for the "culture of life" -- code for the anti-abortion cause -- his visit to "a church pastored by a raving anti-Catholic bigot" was deeply troubling.
At Cornerstone, Huckabee's appearance went down well with the crowd of several thousand worshipers, who frequently interrupted his remarks with loud applause.
"I think he is a good and godly man," said Suzanne Ramirez. But asked whether she planned to vote for Huckabee in the Texas primary in March, Ramirez said she had not made up her mind.
Huckabee said earlier on Sunday on the CBS show "Face the Nation" that he was running to be president of the entire United States, not just the Christian community.
"That's how I served as governor," he said. "People look at my record and they didn't see that I put a tent out on the capital grounds and had healing services and I didn't replace the dome with a steeple."
Faithful Mark Christmas Day Across Globe
Tuesday, December 25, 2007 6:30 PM
ROME -- As the faithful marked Christmas Day, political and religious leaders called for peace and reconciliation amid flickers of hope in places long plagued by conflict.
In Iraq, Christians made their way past checkpoints on Tuesday to fill Baghdad churches in numbers unthinkable a year ago. And in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, where tradition says Jesus was born, Christians celebrated in an atmosphere of hope raised by the renewal of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
For them, and for all those in the "tortured regions" of the world, Pope Benedict XVI prayed that political leaders would find "the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions."
Benedict, delivering his Christmas Day address from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, urged the crowd to rejoice over the celebration of Christ's birth, which he hoped would bring consolation to all people "who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war."
In violence-ridden Baghdad, venturing out in large numbers late at night is still unthinkable, so the Iraqi capital's Christians celebrated Midnight Mass in the middle of the afternoon on Christmas Eve.
On Tuesday some 2,000 went out to the Mar Eliya Church in the east of Baghdad where Iraq's Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, leader of the ancient Chaldean Catholic Church, celebrated Mass.
He told the congregation that Iraq is "a bouquet of flowers of different colors, each color represents a religion or ethnicity but all of them have the same scent."
He congratulated Muslims for their Eid al-Adha holiday, falling near Christmas, and Muslim clerics _ both Sunni and Shiite _ attended the service in a sign of unity.
"May Iraq be safe every year, and may our Christian brothers be safe every year," Shiite cleric Hadi al-Jazail told AP Television News outside the church. "We came to celebrate with them and to reassure them. ... This national gathering is beautiful against the sectarian fighting, and God willing from this lesson we'll all pray for peace."
Christian pilgrims in Bethlehem filled the ancient Church of the Nativity, waiting in line to see the grotto that marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
The large numbers and the cacophony of languages was evidence that more visitors were there this year than in the past several years.
The outbreak of the Palestinian uprising against Israel in late 2000 and the fighting that followed had clouded Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem for years, battering the tourism industry that is the city's lifeline.
Kiel Tilley, 23, a science teacher from Charlevoix, Mich., said the relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at a U.S.-sponsored conference last month reassured him before his trip to Bethlehem. "The peace process made me feel safer."
The experience, he said, was "very powerful and meaningful to me. ... It's very moving to visit a place which I always read about in the Bible."
In Afghanistan, British soldiers stationed in Helmand province found a little joy far from home at a meal where they wore red Santa hats and opened gift boxes. And U.S. service members went to early Christmas Mass at a base in Kabul.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spoke to the nations of the Commonwealth in a televised Christmas message, urging people to think of the needs of the vulnerable and disadvantaged living on the edge of society.
During a service at Canterbury Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the 77 million-member Anglican Communion, urged his flock to protect the environment _ saying that "human greed" threatened to distort the Earth's fragile balance.
In Belgium, where a terrorism alert on Friday led to a security clampdown, police kept up a visible presence in downtown Brussels and in busy shopping malls on Christmas Eve.
Belgium's king, Albert II, urged reconciliation between French- and Dutch-speakers after a six-month political crisis led to fears the country could split up.
Austrian President Heinz Fischer expressed concern about the division of wealth in society and the hardships people face because of illness, disability and unemployment.
In Puerto Rico's colonial district of Old San Juan, locals sang and rattled maracas along cobblestone streets, celebrating a Puerto Rican-style caroling known as the "parranda." People hosted revelers with holiday cookies and coquito, a sweet seasonal drink made from rum and coconut.
Others enjoyed the holiday by heading to one of the U.S. Caribbean territory's palm-fringed beaches for a sun-soaked Christmas picnic.
President Bush planned a Christmas Day lunch with his family at the presidential retreat in the mountains northwest of Washington.
In Paraguay, those who rose early Tuesday to watch the pope's televised Christmas Day message, heard him include in his remarks for the first time a few words in the indigenous Guarani language. Guarani and Spanish are official languages in Paraguay. Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, addressed Paraguayans in Guarani during a 1988 visit.
In the Philippines, a largely Roman Catholic nation of 89 million, weeks of yuletide preparations culminated on Christmas Eve with Mass before midnight, followed by a sumptuous dinner called "noche buena," that was capped with an exchange of gifts.
Christmas celebrations often are occasions for family reunions, and tens of thousands of Filipinos who work overseas booked flights to return home to be with their loved ones.
On Christmas Day, many families visited relatives, and in the capital, Manila, Filipinos flocked to Rizal Park for picnics.
Gospel Music Channel Fastest Growing Cable Network
by Staff
December 20, 2007
ATLANTA, (christiansunite.com) -- Recent distribution agreements and launches across multiple MSOs have driven Gospel Music Channel (GMC) past the 22 million household mark, the network announced today. GMC has added more than 14 million cable subscribers in 2007, exceeding its projections and making the nation's only 24/7 Gospel/Christian music television channel the fastest growing (non-launch) network of the year.
GMC's latest distribution gains include launches by: Bresnan Communications (MSO-wide throughout Colorado, Montana and Wyoming); Charter Communications (Central and West Divisions); Comcast Digital Cable (New Jersey Region); Cox Communications (Pensacola Region, FL.); and Time Warner Cable (Northeast Ohio Division, Cleveland/Akron; Austin/Waco/Killeen, TX.)
"We were very ambitious in our projections for the channel's cable growth this year. To exceed those goals by nearly double reflects both the strong desire of the cable operators to provide their customers with positive, family-friendly and inspiring music television programming, as well as a tremendous effort by our talented team," said Charles Humbard, founder and president, GMC. "We are grateful to our partners in the cable industry for their strong support this year and look forward to new heights in 2008."
Previously announced 2007 launches include systems run by Comcast Digital Cable (Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Denver, Houston, Pittsburgh, Sacramento Knoxville, Houston, Paducah); Cox Communications (Hampton Roads and Roanoke, Va., Omaha, Oklahoma City and Tulsa); Charter Communications (Charter Midwest and Fort Worth, Texas); and Knology (Huntsville, Ala., Augusta & Columbus, Ga., and Charleston, S.C.); Time Warner Cable (New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Kansas City, San Diego, Northeast and Southwest Ohio, Charlotte, Raleigh and other markets); and Bright House Networks (Bakersfield, Calif. and Tampa.) GMC also launched on Sky Angel satellite network in 2007. With its 2007 distribution agreements, GMC is now seen in each of the top ten markets (DMAs), 23 of the top 25 and 46 of the top 50.
GMC has affiliation agreements with all four of cable's largest MSOs: Comcast Cable, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Charter Communications. The recent annual Beta Research Cable Operator Study revealed that Gospel Music Channel ranks as the #1 network to add among cable providers (200K+ and 100K+ subscribers). The channel also ranked #1 in "audience attentiveness to advertising," and #1 in "feeling comfortable viewing with family" in a recent major advertising industry research report. Another new research study found that GMC viewers are 43 percent more likely to be highly influential in the community and have a 57 percent larger social circle than the viewers of other cable networks.
A key catalyst for the network's growth has been its ongoing commitment to producing original programming. Gospel Music Channel has become the largest producer of original Gospel/Christian music television in the world, producing more than 200 hours of concerts, series, specials and video, producing all new content in High Definition. Most recently, GMC premiered a new weekly series, The Kitchen Sink, an hour-long music performance, news, entertainment and variety program; the only national show of its kind featuring Christian and gospel music. The show is a combination of live in-studio performances by top artists, lively interviews, world premiere videos, the latest entertainment news and previews, undiscovered new talent, inspiring feature stories and more.
The channel's growth also can be attributed in part to an aggressive grassroots marketing effort. This outreach is led by GMC's Ministry Partnerships team, expanded this fall to help broaden and strengthen the channel's local community relationships, as well as its database and viewership. Operating within GMC's marketing department, the Ministry Partnerships unit already has made significant strides in engaging with churches and affinity groups. Thus far, more than 2,700 churches in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Tampa, Seattle and St. Louis have been engaged on multiple levels. In 2008, the initiative
will expand to the top 25 markets, in addition to new-launch markets outside the top 25.
On the ad sales front, GMC welcomed Wal-Mart and P&G as new advertisers to the channel in 2007, with Wal-Mart signing on as the first sponsor of The Kitchen Sink, with program integration. GMC's extensive lineup of special holiday programming includes as sponsors Lionsgate, Unilever, Hallmark, Walgreens and Salvation Army, among others.
Gospel Music Channel is the first and only 24- hour, advertiser-supported, all music entertainment network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring, and diverse music that is gospel.
Santa Claus Refuses to Navigate by 'Golden Compass' -- Calls for Boycott of Movie and its Sponsors
by Staff
December 20, 2007
ST. LOUIS, (christiansunite.com) -- Santa Claus, along with prominent Christian leaders, has strongly denounced the subversive movie "The Golden Compass" as an evil attempt to lure children into Phillip Pullman's "Dark Trilogy" -- a series of books which the author himself claims as its goal the "Killing of God".
The movie has created controversy among both Christian and non-Christian religious leaders.
Santa has posted a video response to the movie at YouTube, condemning both the movie and the books on which it is based, calling for a boycott of New Line Cinema and the movie's sponsors, including Random House, Yahoo, Sega, Inkworks and MySpace.com.
"Anyone with the goal of tearing children away from God and who says that he wants to see God dead in our hearts does not deserve your financial support" said Santa.
"New Line Cinema and Hollywood need to know that enough is enough," said Desiree Krummenacher, a volunteer for the ChristmasGram project. "Movie producers need to know that you cannot repackage evil in enticing images and expect us to feed it to our children. We're tired of having anti-Christian messages embedded in our children's entertainment. Parents all over the world should join us in boycotting New Line Cinema and its sponsors."
Christian leaders have praised ChristmasGram for using Santa to promote the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Christ. ChristmasGram.com creates personalized video messages from Santa that include a narration of the Nativity, and the birth of Jesus. The videos can be custom tailored for each family.
Reverend Mark Creech of the Christian Action League says in a message to his members, "I am encouraging all subscribers to this newsletter and the Christian Action League to take a moment, visit ChristmasGram.com (where preview video's available) and think of at least 1 child you could send this heartwarming message to."
Santa is available for live, in studio, or satellite interviews to organizations and news services regarding this very special project and his mission to reconnect families with the real meaning of Christmas.
Proceeds support Christian organizations and Churches that refer Christmas Gram's to their members.
Christian Democracy Activist Peng Ming Suffering from Severe Health Issues While Serving Life Sentence in China
by Staff
December 20, 2007
MIDLAND, Texas, (christiansunite.com) -- Hu Bei Province- Democracy and Human rights activist, Peng Ming, continues to suffer from severe medical conditions while serving a life sentence in Han Yang Prison No. 19.
Peng Ming, an official United Nations Refugee and resident alien of the United States, serves as the Chief Strategist and Administrator of Modern China Development Strategic Studies Research Institute. He has resided in the United States since 2001. On July 18 of 2002, after becoming a Christian, he was baptized at Forerunner Church and later became a member of Harvest Holy Ground Church in San Francisco, CA. Mr. Peng has been a peaceful advocate of freedom, democracy and human rights for the People's Republic of China for several years until his recent arrest.
In May of 2004 Peng Ming traveled to Thailand to visit his elderly parents. At some point during his travels Mr. Peng was lured into Myanmar where he was kidnapped at gunpoint by 8 Chinese special agents. Mr. Peng was then transported to China. In an arbitrary and seemingly vindictive judgment, Peng Ming was sentenced to life in prison by Chinese officials in October of 2005, on accusations of engaging in terrorism activities. He has served 40 months to date in a heavily guarded prison cell in Han Yang, and continues to suffer from medical conditions that have been ignored by prison officials.
Peng Ming's Health Rapidly Deteriorating
Mr. Peng has suffered from chronic kidney stones since first being diagnosed in 1984. CAA has learned that since his imprisonment, Peng Ming has developed a severe case of kidney stones that have contributed largely to the rapid degeneration of his heath. In addition, in April of 2005, while incarcerated, Peng Ming suffered a massive heart attack. He received no medical treatment from prison staff. Miraculously, Mr. Peng survived this episode and continues to recover from behind bars. These and other health issues are compounded by prison officials who continue to afflict Mr. Peng with sleep deprivation, and malnourishment. Peng Ming has been without proper medical attention for more than 3 years to date.
Diplomatic Efforts for Peng Ming's Unconditional Release
In June of 2007 an urgent appeal was sent to Chinese officials from the United Nations Human Rights Council; Working Group for Arbitrary Detention. The Working Group established that Mr. Peng Ming is an official UN Refugee and would be granted permanent alien resident status from the USA. Furthermore, the UN Council declared that the deprivation of his liberty is arbitrary and in direct contravention of articles 19 &20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that the Government take the necessary steps to remedy the situation of Mr. Peng Ming.
In addition of the UN effort for this case, the US Congressional leaders and senior Bush administration officials have been urging the Chinese government to release Peng Ming. Congressional leaders including Congressman Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts, Chris Smith and Senator Richard Lugar have concerned this case. Congressman Frank Wolf, the co-chairman of the House Human Rights Caucus has written letters on Oct 31 this year to key Administration officials urging them to press the Chinese government to release Peng Ming. On November 6 and 29, the US Ambassador in Beijing Clark T. Randt and Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey T. Bergner have written back to Mr. Wolf respectively that they regard "China's handling of Peng Ming's case is deplorable". Both said they have been monitoring Peng Ming's case closely and have been expressing their "serious concerns over his treatment to the Chinese government on multiple occasions" including the recent inquiry to China's Foreign Ministry on November 2 to press for answers for Peng Ming's case." Both of them finally reaffirmed their commitment to "continue to protest China's treatment of Mr. Peng and seek his release at every opportunity."
It is hoped that this unique case of arbitrary detention of an official UN Refugee, will result in the unconditional release of Mr. Peng by China, based on emergency medical parole and just fundamental humanitarian ground.
U.S. Based Family Group Strengthens Ties with China
by Staff
December 20, 2007
DUNKIRK, Maryland, (christiansunite.com) -- A delegation from the Family of the Americas Foundation (FAF) has returned from the People's Republic of China following talks intended to steer the world's most populated nation away from its compulsory population control policies. The five- person delegation was led by Family of the Americas Foundation President Mercedes Arzú Wilson, L.H.D.
FAF representatives first traveled to China in 1986 to teach the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning (NFP). FAF officials have now made a dozen trips to the country to train thousands of new teachers.
"We wanted to present a positive, life-affirming and family-strengthening alternative to forced abortion, sterilization, and the damaging effects of artificial birth control," Wilson said after returning to the U.S. from the week-long trip that began on December 1, 2007. "Today, the most prestigious universities in Shanghai and Beijing, along with several government- run hospitals, are teaching the Ovulation Method."
The Ovulation Method is a scientifically and medically proven technique that should not be confused with the Rhythm or Temperature Methods of NFP. This newly enhanced family planning program has always been greeted with great enthusiasm by Chinese family planning officials and physicians.
On their most recent visit to China, the FAF delegation addressed groups of educators, family planning officials, physicians, nurses, and students. "The people of China are anxious to spread this knowledge throughout their country," Wilson said. FAF unveiled the latest editions of its NFP educational materials, including the addition of a CD-ROM. The Ovulation Method program may also be used on cell phones, iPods, and similar equipment. "A woman is now able to keep a record of her fertility cycle on these devices, millions of which are now in use in China."
Members of the FAF delegation included Nancy Budowski, a Master Teacher of the Ovulation Method, who spoke about the rampant spread of sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. Judith Leonard, director of Family Life and Natural Family Planning for the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, addressed the links between induced abortion and breast cancer and between artificial birth control and several major health conditions, including cancer, stroke and heart disease. Douglas R. Scott, Jr., president of Life Decisions International, offered practical suggestions for convincing Chinese youth to lead a chaste life and embrace NFP after they marry. Master Teacher James Landi provided graphics and videos he had produced for the Chinese audience. Wilson spoke about studies that verify the effectiveness and practicality of the Ovulation Method and the dramatic low divorce rate with couples that practice this form of NFP.
The FAF delegation was delighted to learn that the Chinese family planning officials had conducted an additional study of their own on the effectiveness of the Ovulation Method. After receiving the overwhelmingly positive results, the officials decided to introduce a slogan coined and used in the State of Kansas to promote the Ovulation Method--"99 percent effective; 100 percent natural. Your body knows."
Two Chinese women who have used the Ovulation Method for several years praised the program's effectiveness and ease of use. They also noted that use of NFP had strengthened their marriages. The women had suffered physical and emotional consequences from having to endure induced abortions as a result of becoming pregnant while using IUD's, pills and condoms.
Professor Jin-xun Xu, M.D., director of the Projection & Statistics Division of the Shanghai Municipal Commission and Family Planning, expressed a strong desire to expand the working relationship and cooperation between FAF and his country's family planning office.
"Women in China are like women everywhere," Wilson said. "They want to be treated with respect. They want to safeguard their health and emotional wellbeing. The women of China now have an option that does both."
Wilson, author of "Love & Family: Raising a Traditional Family in a Secular World," has been a leading voice in the promotion of the Ovulation Method of NFP for several decades. Her most recently released book, Love & Fertility, provides practical information about the Ovulation Method, along with the latest scientific research and statistical evaluations from around the world.
For additional information: www.familyplanning.net
Tenth Judicial District Court of Tennessee Participates in Religious Persecution
by Staff
December 21, 2007
TELLICO PLAINS, Tenn., (christiansunite.com) -- A Tellico Plains man serving over a Christian mission property is charged criminally by anti Christian neighbors for trespassing on his own property.
"Corruption in the Tennessee 10th Judicial Circuit seems to becoming a way of life after The Ten Commandments were removed from our court house." says Appalachian Youth Missions Counsel Member Scott Morgan. "It's sad when frivolous criminal complaints are filed to obstruct Christian Mission Work, but it's even worse when the district attorneys office supports these frivolous complaints.
A criminal summons for trespassing was served on Mr. Morgan and National Missions Coordinator George Raudenbush, signed by Monroe County Clerk Martha Cook on May 4, 2007. According to court records, the complainant Marlene Duncan an anti Christian activist, swore out the same complaint during April of 2006 against Mr. Raudenbush a Christian Missionary. All complaints were dismissed including the most recent by a grand jury finding no wrong doing on the part of Mr. Morgan or Mr. Raudenbush.
Mr. Morgan filed a police report after being pursued, harassed and attacked by Mrs. Duncan at a local restaurant for his Christian involvement with Appalachian Youth Missions. No action was taken by law enforcement or the district attorneys office.
During a prior court proceeding, Mr. Morgan was instructed by Monroe County Circuit Court Judge John B. Haggler that his Christian Bible had no place in his courtroom. This week Judge John B. Haggler stepped down from the bench under criminal investigation. "What surprised me most was that both the district attorney Steve Bebb, Monroe County Clerk Martha Cook and local Bar President Peter Alliman zealously supported Judge Haggler after his suspicious activities were uncovered by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation" "It says a lot about our district attorney, county clerk and local bar association when they openly support an anti Christian judge who is under criminal investigation".
Last year, Mr. Raudenbush the National Missions Coordinator for Appalachian Youth Missions was abducted and tortured and a mission vehicle was fire bombed destroying it completely. No action was taken by the district or state attorneys office.
Every American Citizen is endowed with an inherent right and responsibility to hold public officials accountable. For further
information visit: www.tnccc.com and www.appalachianyouthmission.org/deliveredfromdeath.htm
Heavy security in Indonesia for Christians this Christmas
Posted: Monday, December 24, 2007, 11:34 (GMT)
More than 17,000 police and soldiers have been deployed in the Indonesian capital to guard against a repeat of Christmas Eve attacks seven years ago, when Christian churches in the mainly Muslim nation were bombed.
There had been no intelligence reports of a possible attack by Islamic militants but police were taking no chances, Jakarta police spokesman Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said on Monday.
"We are anticipating any eventualities even though there are no indications of an attack," he said.
Police will check churchgoers' bags in some locations, another police officer said.
The coordinated bombings targeting churches on Christmas Eve in 2000 left 18 people dead nationwide.
The bombings and a series of other attacks that followed have been blamed on members of the Southeast Asian regional militant group Jemaah Islamiah.
Jakarta's police chief, Adang Firman, said extra security would be provided to bigger churches.
"The threat of terror is always present," he told Elshinta radio.
Volunteer groups, including members of Islamic mass organisations, will help police to ensure peaceful Christmas celebrations, said the Jakarta police spokesman.
The youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organisation in the world's most populous Muslim country, is deploying 15,000 members nationwide to guard Churches and other venues used by Christians during Christmas.
"We do this every year. We live in a diverse nation and we respect differences," the youth wing's chairman, Syaifullah Yusuf, was quoted as saying on the group's Web site.
Around 10 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are Christian. Muslims make up about 85 percent of the population and while the vast majority are moderates, there is an active militant minority.
Police have arrested hundreds of militants linked to JI since the 2002 Bali bombings in which more than 200 people were killed.
There has not been a major attack since three suicide bombers blew themselves up in Bali in October, 2005, killing at least 20 people. But police and some analysts say Indonesia still faces a considerable threat from Islamic militants.
A lonely Christmas for Christians in North Korea
Posted: Monday, December 24, 2007, 8:31 (GMT)
For a moment, it is silent in a darkened room. Then the oldest of four men speaks. He knows that he must talk quietly, but his heart is 'breaking' as his lips begin to move.
"Lord, we have sinned, because we have bowed before the image of Kim Il-sung. And Lord, our parents sinned too, because they bowed before the idols of the Japanese. Lord, forgive us!
The people of Israel had to remain in the desert for 40 years when they made a golden calf, but we ... we have been suffering for more than 50 years now. When will it be enough, Lord? When may we again open the churches of our forebears?" The talking stops. The sound of sobbing men fills the small, bare living room.
There are no fairy lights, no Christmas dinner, or, any kind of carol service for the followers of Jesus Christ in North Korea at Christmas. In fact, the scarcity of any kind of electrical light, food or joy leaves vast swathes of this country shrouded in darkness, hunger and gloom most days of the year. Christmas day in North Korea is like any other.
The scene on the streets of the capital Pyongyang symbolises the emptiness of the existence. Here, a 21 metre high statue of Kim Il-sung dominates the city. As people with tense, expressionless faces go about their business, they have to bow each time they pass, before continuing their way through the city, with its magnificent monuments, well-kept parks and dilapidated flats.
The only official births celebrated nationally are that of deceased former leader, Kim Il-sung, and the current leader, his son Kim Jong-il. Sculptures and portraits of Kim Il-sung who ruled over North Korea from 1948 until his death in 1972, are on display everywhere, pervading offices, factories, homes and streets. North Koreans and tourists alike are expected to bow to these idols.
Brother Simon, who co-ordinates the work of Open Doors from a secret location in China says, "Of course Christians reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas but being a Christian in North Korea is a lonely business."
Church service
Simon describes how some Christians in North Korea try and celebrate Christmas in the same way they try to commemorate Sunday. "For example, a Christian will sit on a park bench. Another Christian will come and sit beside him. Sometimes it is dangerous even to speak to one another, but just to know they are both Christians is enough. If no one is around, they may be able to share a memorised Bible verse or prayer request.
Simon explains that "Christmas is mainly celebrated in the heart of the Christian… although sometimes it is possible to hold a meeting in remote areas. Occasionally, it may also be possible for Christians to go unobtrusively into the mountains and to hold a 'service' at a secret location with as many as 60 or 70 believers."
Children
Although parents cannot be open about their faith in front of their children they still do their best to pass on God's truths. Simon explains, "They will tell them stories from the Bible but never mention 'God' or 'Jesus'.
Brother Simon estimates there are at least 200,000 and maybe even as many as half a million underground Christians. At least 70,000 of these Christians are imprisoned for their faith in political prison camps, which few survive.
Despite all this, the Church is growing. This is mainly due to refugees who come to faith in China and then return. One such woman is Dae. She was nineteen when she left her country to escape hunger and misery. Sadly, in China like many North Korean women she was sexually abused by various men and ended up a physical and psychological wreck, until a Chinese Christian woman started to take care of her. As Dae listened to her, she slowly opened up to God's Word and was physically and spiritually healed as she came to faith.
Equally distressing is the story of 11 year-old Jong Cheol. After finding faith in China, Jong and his friends were arrested by the Chinese police and mercilessly sent back to North Korea. After brutal treatment by the Korean authorities Jong was executed, simply for being a Christian.
Hope
At Christmas, we remember how God's Son came to the world over two thousand years ago. Because of His sacrifice on the cross, there is still hope for North Korea. This hope is living in countless people who are prepared - if necessary this Christmas - to give their lives for their Lord. Like the 11 year-old Jong Cheol, they want to remain faithful to their Redeemer until death.
Sarkozy breaks French taboo on church and politics
Posted: Sunday, December 23, 2007, 10:17 (GMT)
President Nicolas Sarkozy has broken a French taboo by urging a more active role for religion in public life, but stopped well short of the American-style mix of faith and politics his critics say he wants to copy.
A twice-divorced "cultural Catholic", Sarkozy used a visit to the Vatican on Thursday to declare France was rooted in Christianity and needed Catholics to be more active in public life because faith helped give meaning to life.
His trip to Rome, which included being inducted as honorary canon of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, provoked charges that he was trying to blur the separation of church and state and make religion a political issue as in the United States.
In its front-page cartoon on Friday, the Paris daily Le Monde showed Sarkozy dressed as a bishop, with President George Bush shouldering a cross and an American flag and confessing to Pope Benedict: "I think this guy is stealing my job."
The Communist daily L'Humanite scoffed that Sarkozy had bowed his head to the Pope "like an altar boy" and "abandoned all reserve and placed his status as a Catholic above that of the head of a secular state."
In his speech accepting the canon's title, an honour given to French leaders since the 17th century, Sarkozy made repeated references to France's Christian roots - a link that Paris refused to have mentioned in Europe's planned constitution.
He also gave Pope Benedict a copy of his 2004 book "The Republic, Religions and Hope" in which he first spelled out his dissenting views about faith and French politics.
UPHOLD BOTH SIDES
But "Sarko the American" - a nickname he earned for his pro-American views - stressed he agreed with the separation of church and state and only wanted to ease some practices that faith leaders, especially Muslims, consider anti-religious.
"We should uphold both sides - accept the Christian roots of France ... while defending secularism," he said. "We don't want to change the law separating church and state. The French don't want that and the religions don't want it either."
Sarkozy said France needed "convinced Catholics who are not afraid to say who they are and what they believe." But he made clear he welcomed outspoken believers of all faiths and was not trying to mobilise Christians to support certain policies.
"Of course, those who do not believe should be protected from all forms of intolerance and proselytism," he said. "But a person who believes is a person who hopes. The republic has an interest in having many men and women who hope."
RTL radio commentator Serge July noted the Catholic Church in France has criticised Sarkozy's crackdown on immigration and plans to drop most restrictions on Sunday shopping. "Catholics may vote for him, but the bishops are wary," he said.
The president stopped short of discussing his own religious views, avoiding a faux pas the French might find even less pardonable than talking about religion and politics in general.
French commentators have expressed amazement that candidates in U.S. primaries discuss the Bible, question others' beliefs, reject evolution or declare that freedom required religion.
"France is very hostile to religion in politics," said Olivier Roy, a leading expert on secularism and religions, especially Islam. "We have different traditions for dealing with this."
Star of Bethlehem: Fact or Fiction?
By Gailon Totheroh
CBN News Science and Medical Reporter
December 24, 2007
CBNNews.com - Ever since the 1600s, people have used astronomy, history, and the Bible to try to identify the Star of Bethlehem.
So was the star something real, seen in the heavens as a sign of the coming Messiah? Or was it, as some say, merely made up by the early Church?
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
With today's telescopes, the grandeur of the skies is more visible than ever before. Yet even with the naked eye the Psalmist proclaimed "the heavens declare the glory of God."
How can he do that? Could the Star of Bethlehem be an example in announcing the Messiah? Or is this some kind of misguided astrology?
"The Bible comes down extremely hard on astrology. Reverence for the stars, the idea that stars order your life or guide you or whatever - did you know it was a killing offense in the Old Testament?" Star of Bethlehem expert Rick Larson said.
But the Bible also says that God put signs in the sky. Perhaps the Star of Bethlehem was like a thermometer.
"A thermometer can tell you if it's hot or cold but it can't make you hot or cold -- because it's not an active agent. Stars are like that. According to the Bible they can tell you things; they can be signs from a higher power, from God on high. But they can't make you do anything, they're burning balls of gas, you know," Larson said.
A new DVD documents Larson's discoveries that came after a decade of studying the mysteries of the "star of wonder."
A number of experts consider his conclusions the most plausible in a subject full of opinions.
And some even think Larson has gone far beyond what astronomer John Mosley and historian Ernest Martin told CBN News in 1994.
"Even Virgil in the 1st Century in his fourth Eclogue mentions this messianic personage who was to come, who was to rule all the nations," Martin said.
Mosley said, "I thought that this happened in such a known period of time and such a public place - the Roman Empire - that people would have figured this out long ago. That's not the case. It's very controversial."
Larson has analyzed what heavenly signs in the book of Matthew brought the wise men to Bethlehem. He found nine testable points.
"My idea is that if the Bible has nine characteristics and I find something in the sky that has, you know, eight of them, it might be interesting, but it's not the star. It's got to line up with Scripture or it doesn't do the job for me," Larson said.
Using astronomy software, he then searched the ancient skies for matching events the Magi would have seen in the time around the birth of Jesus. That era was from 3 to 1 BC.
The Identities of the Three Wise Men
But who were these mysterious wise men? One ancient Jewish writer speaks of them.
"He describes a particular school of Magi, calls it the Eastern school and these Magi he praises. He says these guys understood the natural order and are able to explain the natural order to others. And they were, according to Philo, probably what we might call proto-scientists," Larson explained.
Consider the Magi seeing Jupiter, the king planet, in the night sky one mid-September evening of 3 B.C.
"This is Jupiter; the smaller object is a star. It has a name; it's called Regulus -- that's the same root word as our word "regal." The Babylonians called Regulus Sharru which means king," Larson said.
This close proximity is called a conjunction. Larson explains what it would have looked like: "Jupiter passed Regulus, changed it's mind, stopped and went back for a second close approach. That's two, passed Regulus again."
And that's three.
This took place in the constellation of the Lion, associated in ancient times with Israel. And the magi, attuned to such proclamations in the sky, might well have started thinking that a mighty king was to be born in Israel.
But there's more: following Jupiter into the sky is Virgo the Virgin," and she's clothed in the sun and she has the moon at her feet," Larson said.
Sound familiar? That's from the last book of the Bible, Revelation 10 which reads, "A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet." And she's described as pregnant.
Theologians recognize this passage as John having a vision of the Virgin Mary with Jesus in her womb.
"When you see that in the sky, and realize that John wasn't just recounting a vision. His vision involved actual astronomical events. That really got me. When I saw Virgo rise clothed in the sun with the new moon birthed at her feet, it stunned me," Larson said.
The Significance of Rosh Hashana
That new moon marks the onset of Rosh Hashana - the Jewish New Year - the day God is said to have created the world. Larson says the evidence supports this day as the time when the Holy Spirit conceived Jesus.
So is there another sign?
"Nine months after that first conjunction -- nine months -- the gestation period of a human," Larson said. "We see Jupiter and Venus come together to form the brightest star anyone had ever seen."
That's mid-June of 2 B.C. - again near Regulus in Leo.
"This is such an unusual conjunction that I can tell none of your viewers have ever seen such a conjunction because none have occurred in the 20th century. They're that rare, extremely rare," Larson said.
This coin represents how impressive the star was - as the Romans placed the star in the upper left. Of course, the Romans thought it was all about them -- a sort of Star of Rome rather than the Star of Bethlehem. And that's probably what made the Magi ride toward Israel.
Larson said, "So they ride to Israel's capital, Jerusalem, and say to the ruler Herod, 'We've seen his star in the East. Where's the baby king?' And he says, 'Bethlehem.'"
"As they're riding out toward Bethlehem, they look up in the sky and there's Jupiter, the king planet, over the little town of Bethlehem," he said. "They ride down and find the baby boy, there are three gifts, they have the first Christmas."
The date: Dec. 25, 2 BC.
"Of course, they didn't use our calendar -- you know December 25th meant nothing to them. They never heard of December, but to us it could be a sign and it is interesting that the gifting did occur on December 25th," he said.
There are indeed more signs -- many of which revolve around the death of Jesus on the cross. But that's an Easter story -- and can be found on Larson's DVD as he explains Good Friday's celestial events.
While the mortal Augustus has long passed from history, Jesus is worshipped by millions around the world as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, The Eternal One Who created the heavens - and the signs of His own coming.
Surveyed Americans Believe in Biblical Truth
CBN News
December 22, 2007
CBNNews.com - Most Americans believe the stories in the Bible are true, according to new research by the Barna Group.
The survey asked U.S. residents their take on some of the Bible's stories.
Here are the results.
It was found that 75 percent of adults believe that the story of Jesus being born to the virgin Mary is the literal truth. Sixty-eight percent of adults surveyed believe that Jesus fed 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish.
Barna also holds that 64 percent of adults surveyed believe in the story of Noah's Ark and the Flood that covered the entire earth.
Another survey Barna conducted questioned Americans on six other significant Bible stories.
"The story of Jesus Christ rising from the dead after being crucified and buried," the most important account in the Bible at the heart of Christianity, is believed to be true by 75 percents of adults
surveyed.
About 65 percent believe in the account of Old Testament prophet Daniel surviving the lion's den.
Did Moses literally part the Red Sea? It's reported that 64 percent of Americans deem this to be true.
How about David killing the massive Palestinian warrior Goliath? Approximately 63 percent of surveyed adults believe that he hurled a stone at the giant with a sling shot - a fatal blow described in the Old Testament.
Sixty percent accept as fact that Peter walked on the water with Jesus.
The same percentage believe in the Genesis account of creation, which tells us that God created the universe in six days.
The findings of the Barna Group show that a large majority of Americans believe a large number of accounts in the Bible to be absolute truth - despite the fact that its authority is constantly challenged in today's society.
Candy Canes Get Girl in Trouble at School
CBN News
December 21, 2007
CBNNews.com - A 7-year-old got in trouble at school for passing out candy canes with a Christmas message.
The Virginia Beach girl gave the candy canes to classmates in her cafeteria at lunch, but her teacher told classmates to rip off the Christmas notes and return them to the girl.
The notes told the story of Jesus' birth.
The girl's parents told CBN News they're frustrated that the school was uninformed about their daughter's right to religious expression.
U.S. Department of Education policy states "students in informal settings, such as cafeterias, may pray and discuss their religious views with each other."
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