ELECTIONS 2009: A WATERSHED IN INDIAN POLITICS?
Elections provide a kaleidoscopic view of the India and the kind of world views entertained by the people at large and those who seek to lead the nation. And the variety is fascinating, puzzling, frightening, frustrating and at times entertaining as in a circus. There were hilarious moments like when Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party came out with a manifesto that vowed to work against the use of English in education, and computers in new projects. READ MORE

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CHRISTIAN PUNJABI BOOK RELEASED
Amritsar: A Punjabi book - Rooh di Khurak (Food for the spirit) - first- of- its kind spiritual resource in Punjabi was released in Amritsar during a gospel convention held on 30 and 31 May organised by Bethlehem Punjabi World Outreach.  READ MORE

APOSTOLIC CHURCHES ALLIANCE (ACA)
With a desire to promote unity, build relationships, and see increased cooperation amongst Churches, a few pastors from growing independent churches in Kerala have come together and formed a body called the “Apostolic Churches Alliance” (ACA). Based upon voluntary relationship and partnership, this Alliance has been designed to bring support and strength to leaders of similar vision and like-passion, who have a desire to see the five-fold ministry fully operating in the Church so that believers everywhere are equipped for God's service and the Body of Christ is built up. READ MORE

CHRISTIAN COUNCIL WELCOMES BINAYAK SEN'S BAIL
The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) welcomed the release of award winning renowned doctor and human rights activist Dr Binayak Sen who was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Monday. Dr Sen, who was awarded the 2008 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights, was confined in Chhattisgarh jail for two years over his alleged links with a banned group. His detention has been declared in breach of international law by Amnesty International. READ MORE

ORISSA VICTIMS TO RETURN FROM KERALA
Dozens of Christians who were sheltered in Kerala during the Kandhamal violence will revert to their villages in Orissa. Tentative plans are underway by the Kerala Government to send back at least 56 Christians who were offered refuge during last year's Orissa carnage. READ MORE

VATICAN APPOINTS NEW BISHOP IN KOCHI
Bishop Dr Joseph Kariyil is the new Bishop of Kochi, replacing the former Bishop John Thatunkkal, who was suspended for adopting a 29 year old woman as his daughter. The Vatican on Monday made the announcement after Pope Benedict XVI appointed three new Indian bishops. READ MORE

FIVE CHRISTIANS ARRESTED ON CONVERSION CHARGES
Allegations of "forced conversion", last week, led to the arrest of five Christians in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh. The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) reported that Hindu extremists on May 7 barged into a prayer meeting attended by members of Jeevan Lal Church and Campus Crusade for Ministry and injured some of the attendees. READ MORE

CHURCH GROUPS MOBILIZE AFTER CYCLONE LEAVES HUNDREDS DEAD
Church people are mobilizing relief supplies after a powerful cyclone ripped through India and Bangladesh leaving hundreds dead and millions marooned. Cyclone Aila on Monday hit the Indian state of West Bengal and the coast of Bangladesh leaving 200 dead and 2.6 million people stranded, officials said. READ MORE

AICC AND NESC CONDEMN EX-DEAN'S MURDER
Imphal, May 26, 2009: All India Christian Council and North East Support Centre & Helpline have condemned the gruesome Killing of Former Dean of Manipur University on Monday, 25 May 2009, in the University campus. Md. Islamuddin was killed by three unidentified persons on Monday around 12.30 noon. READ MORE

COMMUNAL OUFIT WORRIES ORISSA CHURCH LEADERS
Church leaders in Orissa have expressed apprehensions over a growing outfit, which they say could be a potential threat to the communal harmony and peace in the State.In a letter to the chief minister of Orissa, Naveen Patnaik, Catholic and Protestant leaders said "a certain Laxmi Baba staying in Mahindragiri in Ganjam district is organizing an outfit on communal lines and has already trained 300 youth as per information available." READ MORE

NO CRPF FORCES IN KANDHAMAL FROM NEXT MONTH
From next month, there would be no CRPF forces to guard the Christians in relief camps in the communally sensitive Kandhamal. According to reports, the Centre has decided to withdraw all paramilitary forces by the end of this month. READ MORE

GFA TAKES UP RELIEF WORK IN SRI LANKA
Colombo, May 19: Sri Lanka's civil war between the government and the Tamil Tigers rebel group is now over, and it is time to minister to the survivors, says Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan. "While the 30 year long conflict has come to an end by the news of the Tamil Tigers' surrender, in reality this is the beginning of pain and crisis for hundreds of thousands of people who are displaced," Dr. Yohannan said. "There are 25,000 now in refugee camps, and the suffering is especially acute among the children and elderly. READ MORE

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CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS PROP. 8
SACRAMENTO, May 26: The California Supreme Court rendered its opinion regarding Proposition 8, upholding the traditional definition of marriage in the state Constitution. By a vote of the people in the November, 2008 general election, Prop 8 has been in place in the Constitution as Article 1, Section 7.5, stating Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. READ MORE

MOR GABRIEL SYRIAC ORTHODOX MONASTERY WINS BACK LAND
ISTANBUL (Reuters)- One of the world's oldest functioning Christian monasteries has won a legal battle to have land it had owned for centuries restored to it, after a Turkish court ruled on Friday it could not be claimed by the state. READ MORE

MERCY SHIPS FOUNDERS RECEIVE HUMANITARIAN AWARD
London, May 6, 2009: Mercy Ships founders Don and Deyon Stephens have received an award for the lifesaving work of their medical ministry. The husband and wife team were presented the Variety Club International Humanitarian Award by Prince and Princess Michael of Kent at a glittering ceremony in London on Tuesday night. Previous winners of the award include Sir Winston Churchill and Audrey Hepburn. READ MORE

NRI NURSE SUSPENDED FOR "CHRISTIAN" ADVICE TO PATIENTS
Leicester, 25 May 2009: An NRI nurse was suspended from his job after he suggested his patients to seek God during a training session at his hospital in Leicester, England. Anand Rao, a nurse with over 40 years experience, was suspended by the Leicester NHS Trust after he advised two women who played the roles of patients to turn to God. READ MORE

CHRISTIANITY TODAY ENDS FOUR PUBLICATIONS, LAYS OFF STAFF
Christianity Today International announced last Friday that it is to close four of its publications and lay off 30 employees. Publications coming to the end of their run in the next few months are Today's Christian Woman magazine, the Campus Life College Guide, the Christian history bulletin inserts Glimpses, and the bimonthly newsletter Church Office Today. READ MORE

PENTAGON ABANDONS BIBLE QUOTES ON ITS REPORTS
Washington: The Pentagon said on May 18, 2009 that it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House as was practice during the Bush administration. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he did not know how long the Worldwide Intelligence Update cover sheets quoted from the Bible. Air Force Maj. Gen. Glen Shaffer, who was responsible for including them, retired in August 2003, according to his biography. READ MORE

MEL GIBSON FILM BANNED
Tashkent: Nurulla Zhamolov, the senior religious affairs official for the Karakalpakstan [Qoraqalpoghiston] Autonomous Republic of northwestern Uzbekistan, has banned specific religious books and films confiscated from religious believers on at least three occasions known to Forum 18 News Service in 2009. READ MORE

RELIEF FOR PAKISTANI CHRISTIANS AS GOVT SANCTIONS 5% JOB QUOTA FOR MINORITIES
In a major relief to Christians in Pakistan, the Federal Cabinet has sanctioned a job quota of five per cent for minorities in all government departments. With Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in chair, the Cabinet on Wednesday ratified the quota and also agreed the representation of the minorities in Senate. READ MORE

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND ALLOWS GAY PASTOR
London: The Church of Scotland has approved the appointment of an openly homosexual minister the latest case of tensions over sexuality to prompt division in the Anglican Communion. The church's ruling body voted on May 23, 2009 by 326 to 267 to support the appointment of the Rev. Scott Rennie, 37, who was previously married to a woman and is now in a relationship with a man. READ MORE

NEWLY ELECTED CHRISTIANS IN INDONESIA FORCED TO CONVERT TO ISLAM
Jakarta: An Islamic group in West Sumatra province, Indonesia, has issued threats against Dominikus Supriyanto, the only Catholic to win a seat in the district legislature in recent general elections, warning him that he should convert to Islam if he wants to retain the seat. READ MORE

PALAU TO PREACH IN RWANDA 15 YEARS AFTER GENOCIDE
Evangelist Andrew Palau is getting ready to bring his message of hope and Good News to the people of Rwanda 15 years after the 1994 genocide killed an estimated one million people in 100 days. A Season of Service (SOS) has been launched in the run up to the Kigali Festival in July to coincide with the country's 100-day commemoration of the brutal slaughter of Tutsis and moderate Hutus by members of the majority Hutu population. READ MORE

"DEMOGRAPHIC WINTER:" POPULATION CONTROL A DISASTER IN THE MAKING
Christian Newswire, May 27: Commenting on a May 24 story in The London Times, "Demographic Winter" Producer Barry McLerran said an association of liberal billionaires (called the Good Club) was "working with a 1960s paradigm" and that their philanthropy will exacerbate a 21st century problem. READ MORE

AMNESTY'S ANNUAL REPORT CRITICISES VIOLENCE AGAINST CHRISTIANS
The annual report of the Amnesty International has strongly criticised the Indian government for the violence against Christians in Orissa and Karnataka. In its 2009 report, the leading human rights organisation noted that, for "two months" Christians were attacked in the state of Orissa in the aftermath of the murder of a local VHP leader. READ MORE

WHO: GET MORE GRAPHIC WITH SMOKERS
GENEVA (AP): Cigarette packages should include images of sickness and suffering caused by tobacco, along with written warnings, the World Health Organization said Friday. The U.N. agency urged governments to make people more aware of the health consequences of smoking. It said most countries still do not warn consumers of the risks on packages of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco. READ MORE

US SENATORS APPEAL FOR ZHISHENG'S RELEASE
Washington DC: A few senators in the US have written a letter to the Chinese premier asking him to release Gao Zhisheng who went missing. Gao Zhisheng (b. 1966) is a Chinese army veteran and selftaught lawyer who was disbarred, detained, and tortured by the Chinese secret police after taking on human rights cases. These included defending fellow activists, and religious minorities like Falun Gong and Chinese underground Christians. In 2006, he authored a memoir on his life and work, the English translation of which, A China More Just, was subsequently published in 2007. He was a candidate for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize. Gao went missing February 4, 2009 READ MORE

SRI LANKAN HUMANITARIAN CRISIS FAR FROM OVER
While euphoric Sri Lanka celebrates its victory over LTTE, Christian relief agencies warn the humanitarian crisis created by the conflict is far from over. "Now that the Sri Lankan government has won the war, they must ensure that they win the peace," says Robin Greenwood, director of Christian Aid's Asia division. READ MORE

IRANIAN AUTHORITIES TRY TO SILENCE CONVERT IN U.K. BY ARRESTING HIS FATHER
In an attempt to silence a Christian human rights activist living in England, Iranian authorities arrested and interrogated his Muslim father for six days before releasing him on Tuesday, May 19. READ MORE

CALL2ALL CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG
A Global Congress bringing thousands of top Christian leaders across the world together to network and more effectively strategise together on completing the Great Commission will be held in Hong Kong from June 1 to June 4 2009. This International Call2All Congress will be immediately following the Global Day of Prayer (May 31, 2009) and preceding the Global Day of Missions (June 7, 2009). READ MORE

GALLUP POLL SHOWS PRO-LIFERS NOW IN MAJORITY
WASHINGTON, May 15: A new Gallup Poll shows that for the first time in 15 years Americans who identify themselves as pro life are in the majority. The poll showed 51 percent of Americans identified themselves as pro-life. That number is up from 44 percent less than a year ago. READ MORE

PARENTS AGAINST FREE BIBLES IN SCHOOL IN DALLAS
Frisco: There is a book battle of sorts taking place in Frisco schools. This isn't about a textbook it's about the "Good Book." The district permits free Bibles to be put out for students; but there's a fine line between non school literature that's "put out" and "given out.” Debbie Lutz has two children in Frisco schools. "How is that allowed?" she asked. "It makes me very mad." READ MORE

N KOREA: CHRISTIANS PRAY AMID GOVT'S AGGRESSION
The underground Christian body in North Korea has launched a prayer campaign for evangelisation in the country in response to the government's recent missile testing and threat to attack its southern counterpart, South Korea. Church leaders in the country say the situation is extremely unstable inside and urge North Korean Christians to become more united during this difficult time, according to Open Doors sources. READ MORE

CHURCH LEADERS RELEASED
Beijing (China): Sixteen Christians who were detained by officials while attending a communion service in Shuitaizi village, Henan province in late have been released, according to recent report from ChinaAid. The 16 church leaders were released on May 8-9, 2009 due to international pressure and were not required to complete their sentences of 10-14 days in detention or pay their fines of 1,000 Yuan. READ MORE

NEPAL TO PROBE INTO CHURCH ATTACK
Kathmandu May 24, 2009: Nepal's premier elect Madhav Kumar Nepal on Sunday promised a probe into the blast in a church here which killed two Indians, a teenage girl and a women, in a first such incident targeting a Christian shrine. A day after he was elected Nepal's prime minister, Nepal visited the Catholic Assumption Church located at Dhovighat, the biggest Christian shrine of Nepal established in 1995, where a powerful blast took place on Saturday. READ MORE

KUWAIT ELECTS FIRST WOMEN MPS
Women won four seats in the Kuwaiti parliamentary elections, a historic first and one of several electoral surprises that appeared to reflect a deep popular frustration with the political deadlock in the oil rich gulf state of Kuwait. The election of four women MPs could help improve the situation for Christians and other minorities in the Middle East, said an expert on Islam and human rights. “Kuwait itself is usually seen as moderately 'progressive,' and I think this is a big deal,” Dr Paul Marshall, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, told The Christian Post. READ MORE

CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE UNITE FOR PRAYER
Hundreds of millions of Christians around the world came together in prayer on Pentecost Sunday, May 31, for the annual Global Day of Prayer. Individuals from 220 nations gathered in local churches, stadiums and other venues for the fifth annual event that crosses denominational lines and cultural barriers. READ MORE

ETHNIC KOREAN PASTOR EXPELLED FROM TIANJIN AND CHURCH ABOLISHED
TIANJIN - On May 16, 2009, the Office for Religious Affairs in Jinghai county, Tianjin issued a notice abolishing Immanuel Church and banning Pastor Han Changxu, an ethnic Korean, from serving in the church. Pastor Han Changxu, a native of Heilongjiang province, was ordained as a pastor by the Presbyterian Church in 2008. He has been serving in Immanuel Church in Jinghai county, Tianjin since 2004. During the 2008 Olympics, authorities in Tianjin placed Pastor Han on surveillance when they discovered he had contacts with missionaries from South Korea.  READ MORE

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• Whatever happened to our Bible Colleges? Part IV - Philip P Eapen

• The Palestinian Christian: Betrayed, Persecuted, Sacrificed -Dr.Abe W.Ata

• Editorial : Raising up grass root level leaders

• Young India: Influencing young minds - Dr.C.S.Blesson

• Enigmatic Suraiya Begum bids adeau - Philip P Eapen

• Lincoln remembered - MPK Kutty

• Examine your ways, Mr.Advani

• Fr.Thomas: Christians of Orissa an example of faith for the universal Church

• Blossoming buds: Choosing a career the biblical way

• Science Track: Human Ape Hybridization: A Failed attempt to prove Darvinism - Jerry Bergman, Ph.D