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‘CASTE IMPLIES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION’
New Delhi (24 Feb 2010): A meeting of two
visiting British Parliamentarians with some Indian MPs,
Church leaders and other invitees
 at
the Constitution Club here on February 24 turned into a
discussion of the impact of the Bible and Christians on
issues of justice and progress of the Indian society.
The British MPs Andrew Reed and Lord Alton, along with
John Hughesdon, chairman of the British and Foreign
Bible Society, came on a visit in connection with the
year-long bicentenary celebrations of the Bible Society
of India.
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GAY RIGHTS: 16 GROUPS TO OPPOSE DELHI HC VERDICT
New Delhi (HT): Using fresh arguments that
range from imperiling India's defence to making its
people delusional, 14 new organisations have joined the
final legal battle against the decriminalisation of
homosexuality. On Saturday, the number of petitioners in
the Supreme Court - challenging the July 2009 decision
of the Delhi High Court to strike down an anti-sodomy
law - stood at 16 from the original two.
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CATHOLIC CHURCH BANS SKYLINE PUBLISHERS FOR CHRIST
CARICATURE
New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Catholic Church in
India Friday banned in all its member schools a New
Delhi-based publisher for printing pictures of Jesus
Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer can in
another in a book for primary classes in Meghalaya.
Skyline Publication in the national capital published
the pictures in the cursive handwriting exercise books
for students of Class 1.
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STRONG OPPOSITION AGAINST HC VERDICT ON GAY RIGHTS
Only two groups in India initially opposed the
decriminalizing of homosexuality by the Delhi High
Court. Now, there are total 16 organizations reportedly
fighting against the ruling. The July 2 verdict has been
challenged by two Christian church coalitions, three
Muslim NGOs, two Hindu astrologers, a disciple of yoga
guru Baba Ramdev, an NGO run by a former Delhi police
officer, and an environmentalist.
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NEARLY 50% OF INDIAN BRIDES ARE UNDER 18
New Delhi (TOINS): Child marriage
continues to remain a big problem in the country, with
half the women getting married before attaining the
minimum legal marriageable age of 18 years, according to
a study released by health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad
here on Saturday. "Marriage happens very early for most
of the women in most states - one fifth were married
below the age of 15 years and 49 percent were married
before turning 18," said the study.
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CONDOLENCE MEETING HELD BY DELHI MINORITY COMMISSION
AND ARCH DIOCESE OF DELHI
A condolence meeting was held at the Cathedral Church in
Goldakkhana on Thursady evening (February 24) in
connection with the beheading of the two Sikhs by
terrorists in Pakistan recently. Several religious
leaders attended the meeting jointly organised by the
Delhi Minority Commission and the Cathedral Federation.
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NATIONAL |
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CHURCHES ATTACKED AS TROUBLE BREWS OVER JESUS PICTURE
ROW
February 22, 2010 John Malhotra - Two churches
were burnt and members of the Christian community
attacked after tension erupted Saturday over the
publication of a poster depicting Jesus Christ in an
offensive manner in Batala, Punjab. Police said trouble
began after some Christian youths were protesting
against an objectionable picture of Jesus holding a beer
can and a cigarette in some newspapers.
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 DON
MOEN TO VISIT INDIA
Mumbai: The composer of favourite
Christian songs such as "God is Good" and "God will make
a way" is set to visit India for the first time on a
three-city tourof Mumbai, Chennai and Shillon. Don will
be perform and lead God's people in worship on April 24,
2010, at MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex.
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STAMP TO MARK 200 YEARS OF BIBLE SOCIETY OF INDIA
February 19, 2010, Dibin Samuel - The
Indian government will be releasing a special stamp to
hon or
200 years of the Bible Society of India (BSI). The stamp
will be released on Feb. 21 at St. Paul's Cathedral by
West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan. Apart from important
parliamentarians, three members of British House of
Commons as well will attend the function.
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DEACONS ESCAPE PUNE BLAST, HELP VICTIMS
Pune (UCAN) - Two newly ordained deacons,
who narrowly escaped the Saturday’s a bomb explosion in
Pune, said they were happy to rescue several victims.
Deacons Joemon Kurusingal and Roy Mathews, students of
Pune’s Papal seminary, were ordained on Feb. 13 morning.
They were going to visit patients in government-managed
hospital in the city later in the evening when the bomb
exploded near a restaurant they had just passed.
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11 CHRISTIANS ARRESTED IN ORISSA
February 18, 2010 (EFI): Orissa police on
February 3 arrested 11 Christians based on the complaint
lodged by Hindu extremists of ‘assault’ in Badimunda
village, Kandhamal, Orissa. According to our
correspondent Rev. Ashish Kumar Parida , about 5 Hindu
extremists threatened two believers identified as Sumit
Pradhan and Samuel Nayak not to worship Jesus any more
or face dire consequences, further telling them there is
no place for church and Christians in the area.
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 CHRISTIAN
GROUP CONDEMNS PUNE BLAST THAT KILLED 15
February 15, 2010, Babu Thomas - The
Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) Monday
condemned in the “strongest possible terms” the bomb
blast in Pune that killed 15 people and left nearly 60
injured. The blast took place Saturday evening at Pune’s
popular German Bakery that is located near a Chabad
House, a Jewish prayer house.
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CHURCH WANTS MANUAL SCAVENGING ELIMINATED BY 2010
February 17, 2010, Dibin Samuel -To raise
public awareness on manual scavenging, a large number of
Christians took to the streets for a Walkathon in Nagpur.
Held under the aegis of National Council of Churches in
India and organised by Rotary Club Nagpur, the Sunday
Walkathon called for the 'Elimination of Manual
Scavenging by 2010'.
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MEGHALAYA CONFISCATES 'BLASPHEMOUS' TEXTBOOKS
BBC, 19 Feb 2010: The government in the
Indian state of Meghalaya has confiscated textbooks
showing pictures of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette and
a can of beer. The book has been used for primary
classes and has caused a furore in the north-eastern
state, where more than 70% of the population are
Christians. State Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh
said legal action against the publishers was being
contemplated.
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CHRISTIANS TO CONTINUE PEACE MARCH
LUDHIANA 22 Feb (TOINS): Members of
Christian community blocked traffic at Jagraon Bridge
for over four hours on Sunday, against the publication
of a picture of Jesus Christ allegedly in an
objectionable manner and burning of two churches in
Batala. They were also protesting against the arrest of
people belonging to their community and demanded that
the administration should release them immediately,
reasoning that those taken into custody had only been
raising voices for the protection of their religion.
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ADS TO PERSUADE KANDHAMAL VICTIMS TO RETURN
Feb 19, 2010, Babu Thomas -The Orissa
Government will soon publish media ads asking riot-hit
families to return to their villages in Kandhamal. "We
will soon go to media appealing to people to return to
their villages in Kandhamal as normalcy has been
restored," said Kandhamal special administrator, MS
Padhy. Noting that the district is violence free for the
last 15 months, Padhy urged Christians to return to
their villages and start life afresh.
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FINGERPRINTS TROUBLE ST. ANNE’S SCHOOL
A Catholic school in Madhya Pradesh has run into trouble
for collecting students’ fingerprints, an illegal act in
India. Officials of St. Anne’s Senior Secondary School
in Madhya Pradesh state’s Sehore district have
apologized and explained they undertook the exercise to
prevent mischief makers from damaging school property.
The school was forced to declare a holiday yesterday
[Feb. 15] after a student organization affiliated to the
state’s ruling pro-Hindu party protested the school’s
action.
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AT 90, SALESIAN NEEDS 15 MORE YEARS TO FINISH BIBLE
COMMENTARY WORK
UCAN: An Indian Salesian priest who has
already celebrated his 90th birthday is praying for
another 15 years to fulfill his mission. Father Sylvanus
Sngi Lyngdoh is into the 20th year of writing a Bible
commentary in Khasi, a tribal language of Meghalaya
state in northeastern India. “God has to give me another
15 years to complete the work I have begun,” the Khasi
dressed in traditional tribal turban and shawl, told UCA
News recently.
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AICC CALLS FOR JUDIAL PROBE INTO VIOLENCE AGAINST
CHRISTIANS IN PUNJAB
Chandigarh, February 23, 2010: Nearly
three thousand Christians from the three cities of
Panchkula, Chandigarh and Mohali gathered in protest
against the wide spread violence against Christians in
Punjab by religious fundamentalist elements of Sangh
Parivar and their associates.
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CHRISTIANS RALLY FOR PEACE IN PUNE
February 24, 2010 (Babu Thomas, Christian Today):
Catholics and Protestants took to the streets
Monday to condemn the Pune blast that killed about 16
and wounded 57, last week. A peace rally was held in
which over 3,000 Christians reportedly took part
mourning for the dead and praying for peace in the city.
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TWO CHURCHES VANDALIZED IN BATALA
Batala, Punjab, Feb 21, 2010: The
 Christian community in Batala and its adjoining area
(District Gurdaspur) of Punjab is facing serious threat
to life and property from the Hindu extremists outfits (Bajrang
Dal and Shiv Sena). The communal tension that suddenly
erupted yesterday (20-02-2010) was the outcome of highly
objectionable depiction of Christ that was displayed on
Ram Naumi Hoarding in Jalandhar. A protest call was
immediately given by the Christian Community of Punjab.
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CHRISTIAN FAMILY IN AHMEDABAD GETS JUSTICE
The honourable High Court of Gujarat has passed an order
to shut down a manufacturing unit that cause untold
nuisance to a Christian family in the neighbourhood.
Mrs. Mrudula John Christie residing at Maninagar in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat had filed a Special Civil Application
NO. 2284/2009 before the Hon'ble Gujarat High Court
alleging mental torture. The Hon'ble Gujarat High Court
has given justice to Mrs. Christie who is a peace loving
government employee from minority Christian community.
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DIVORCE MADE EASIER: JUST ONE YEAR OF SEPARATION IS
SUFFICIENT, RULES COURT
Kochi, Feb 26, 2010 (Manorama) – The
honourable High Court of Kerala, has ruled that couples
who seek divorce by mutual agreement need to stay
separated just for one year. Earlier, according to the
relevant law (section 10A (1), couples had to wait for
two years. This ruling is binding on Christian couples
too who seek divorce by mutual consent.
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DETECTION KIT MAY ENABLE CANCER DIAGNOSIS AT HOME
Mumbai, February 19: Timely diagnosis is
crucial to effective treatment and recovery from cancer.
To aid early cancer detection scientists are now
involved in efforts to create a tiny liquid sensor that
can detect cancer. If so, this could culminate in a home
detection kit to detect cancer. The device will make use
of an acoustic resonant sensor smaller than a human hair
that can test fluids from the body to detect various
diseases, which includes breast and prostate cancer. It
is being developed by Jae Kwon, who is assistant
professor of electrical and computer engineering, at the
University of Missouri.
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KERALA CHURCH BUYS BANK STAKE
February 18, 2010, Asian News - The Kerala
Catholic Church in Kerala has raised Rs 250 crore ($54
million) to buy a substantial stake in Catholic Syrian
Bank (CSB), which is on the radar of rival Federal Bank.
The development comes after the Catholic community,
primarily the Syrian Catholics, recently goaded Thrissur
Archbishop Andrews Thazhath to form an action committee
under the banner of CSB Protection Committee and made
him its chairman, the India Times reports.
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SIKH TRADERS BEHEADED IN PAKISTAN
Islamabad. Feb 21, 2010: Two Sikhs were
beheaded by Pakistan based Taliban militants in Khyber
and Orakzi areas near Peshawar. The Sikhs beheaded were
among a group of persons of unconfirmed number, who had
been kidnapped by the Taliban 34 days earlier.
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MEGHALAYA CONSIDERING BLASPHEMY LAW IN WAKE OF PROTESTS
February 24, 2010, John Malhotra - The
government of Meghalaya is now considering bringing a
blasphemy law in the wake of swelling outrage over an
objectionable picture of Jesus Christ published in a
school textbook. A nursery cursive writing exercise book
published by Delhi-based Skyline Publications had
depicted Jesus Christ with a beer can and a cigarette.
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WORLD |
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FREED HAITI VOLUNTEER: I THOUGHT WE HAD ALL THE
PAPERWORK
 Jim
Allen, one of the eight American volunteers freed from
jail in Haiti, said he believed the team had all the
paperwork necessary to take Haitian children to an
orphanage in the Dominican Republic. “We were told that
all the documents required to get kids into the
Dominican Republic she (team leader Laura Silsby) had,”
said Allen to Anderson Cooper on CNN’s “AC360” Friday
evening. “And on the Haitian side there were some
documents that we needed to acquire and that was part of
our goal also.”
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MULTI-SITE CHURCHES SPREADING IN POST-CHRISTIAN
EUROPE
February 25, 2010 (Lillian Kwon, Christian Post):
Amid decreasing church attendance in Western
Europe, multi-site churches have still managed to take
root and spread, according to one mission group.
Leadership Network has released a brief report providing
snapshots of the various kinds of multi-site churches
growing in Europe.
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STREET PREACHERS MURDERED IN FLORIDA
Feb. 16, 2010 - The murder of two young
street preachers in Florida by a teenager whom they
shared the Gospel with is “alarming,” said a
spokesperson for a religious freedom watchdog group.
Eighteen-year-old Jeriah Woody, whose street name is
“Plug,” is charged with two counts of first-degree
murder. Woody allegedly shot and killed Tite Sufra, 24,
and Stephen Ocean, 23, on Jan. 30 after they shared
about Christ with him during the 15 minutes they talked.
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ARCHBISHOP CONCERNED OVER CHRISTIANS IN ARAB WORLD
Amman - The Archbishop of Canterbury,
Rowan Williams, said Saturday that he was extremely
worried about the shrinking number of Christians in the
Middle East, and urged Christians in Britain to come to
the aid of their brethren in the region.
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WARREN: MEGACHURCHES, MULTI-SITE VENUES ARE BIBLICAL
Feb. 11, 2010 - There's a myth today that
megachurches are just a contemporary fad and will fade
out. That's just not true, asserted famed evangelical
pastor Rick Warren. "Christianity for 2,000 years has
had large churches, including the very first one," the
Saddleback Church pastor said Wednesday during a
four-day conference. "The first church in Jerusalem was
five times bigger than Saddleback." Most Bible scholars
say the first church grew from 120 to over 100,000
people within 20 years, Warren noted.
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US CHURCHES WARNED TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER LEAN YEAR
Garden Grove, Feb. 08, 2010 - Churches and
non-profits should prepare for another lean year as
Americans continue to grip their wallets, a researcher
cautioned. "Barring a significant event or shift, the
prospects for a recovery of charitable giving during
2010 appear dim," said David Kinnaman, president of the
Barna Group. "Even while some financial indicators show
signs of life, most Americans are very concerned about
the country’s long-term economic prospects and seem to
be tightening budgets and scrimping on donations."
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MISSIOLOGIST: PLANTING CHURCHES IS THE BEST FORM OF
EVANGELISM
Feb. 12, 2010 - Missiologist Ed Stetzer on
Thursday visited southern California to try to persuade
thousands of pastors to get involved in what he
considers the most effective form of evangelism – church
planting. Though church planting has become the "hot big
thing" in recent years, it's still something most
churches in the country are not engaged in.
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UGANDA MIGHT PUNISH HOMOSEXUALS WITH DEATH PENALTY
A proposed law in Uganda that would require execution of
some homosexuals has stirred much controversy not only
within the country but all around the world, reports
Christian Telegraph. According to LifeSiteNews.com, the
Ugandan measure has four aims: (a) defining "marriage in
Uganda as that contracted only between a man and a
woman; (b) prohibit and penalize homosexual behavior and
related practices in Uganda as they constitute a threat
to the traditional family;
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NEW LEGISLATION HOPES TO GIVE ORPHANS PERM ANENT
HOMES
Haiti (MNN) ― Wednesday, the Haitian
government released eight of the ten American
missionaries who were detained for taking children from
the country illegally. While Bethany Christian Services
adoption ministries were not affected by the incident,
spokesman John VanValkenburg said, "More than anything,
the situation with the group from Idaho has just brought
more attention to child welfare situations and the
importance of following foreign law."
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MISSIONARIES SAFE AFTER COUP IN NIGER
Fri, 19 Feb 2010 - After a successful but
controversial military coup of Niger took place
Thursday, Assemblies of God missionaries to the African
country of Niger have all been reported safe, according
to AG World Missions. Many believe the coup or some type
of action has been coming since Niger President Mamadou
Tandja chose to "rule by decree," extending his own
presidency to a third term and dissolving the country's
parliament last June.
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POPE BENEDICT XVI CRITICISES AIRPORT BODY SCANNERS
Nick Pisa, (The Telegraph) 21 Feb 2010:
The Pope made his comments during an audience with
airport workers held at the Vatican. Although the
Pontiff did not mention the words body scanner it was
clear what he meant as he told the 1,200 strong crowd:
"Every action, it is above all essential to protect and
value the human person in their integrity. "Respecting
these principles can seem particularly complex and
difficult in the present context.
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IRAQ CHURCH LEADERS TO SPEAK WITH COMMON VOICE
 Michelle
A Vu, (Christian Post), February 21, 2010: A
global ecumenical body has welcomed “with great hope and
deep satisfaction” the decision of diverse church
leaders in Iraq to establish a council to speak with a
common voice. “In our view, it is a development that
augurs as much for the future of the churches in Iraq as
it does for Iraq as a nation,” said the Rev Dr Olav
Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of
Churches.
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DEMAND FOR BIBLE OUTSTRIPPING SUPPLY IN CHINA
February 19, 2010, (Charlie Boyd) - The
Bibl e
Society has reported a growing demand for copies of the
Bible in China where an estimated 500,000 people
converted to Christianity in 2009 alone. Although some
four million Bibles were printed and distributed across
China last year, the rapid growth of the church year on
year means that demand for Bibles is now outstripping
supply, according to the Bible Society.
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CHRISTIAN MUSIC STARS UNITE FOR HAITI RELEASE COME
TOGETHER NOW
February 21, 2010, Kevin P. Donovan, (Christian
Post)- While the star-studded cast of
“Valentine’s Day” was helping the romance flick snag the
box office’s No. 1 spot with its $52.4 million debut,
another star-studded crew released its highly
anticipated project over the same weekend but with a
different aim.
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SUZANNE FILES FOR DIVORCE; BENNY HINN 'SHOCKED’
February 21, 2010, Audrey Barrick, (Christian
Post) - After more than 30 years of marriage,
faith healer Benny Hinn may be heading to divorce court.
Benny Hinn Ministries on Thursday confirmed that his
wife, Suzanne Hinn, filed a petition for divorce in
Orange County Superior Court on Feb. 1. She cited
irreconcilable differences.
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HOSPITAL SEES HAITIANS TURN TO CHRIST, AS DEATH TOLL
RISES
Authorities in Haiti now estimate 200,000 people h ave
been killed by last week's 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
That would make the catastrophe one of the deadliest
ever. More than 1.5 million people are believed
homeless. Many are streaming out of the capital,
Port-au-Prince, reports MNN. However, the suffering
continues in the city as the cries of anguish echo
through the streets from those who have still gone
untreated for their injuries.
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SAUDI MORAL POLICE EMPLOYEE WHIPPED FOR HAVING 6
WIVES
A Saudi court has sentenced an employee of the kingdoms
religious police to 120 lashes for marrying six women.
According to an official at Ahad al-Massarha court in
the southern province of Jazan, the man said he was not
educated enough to know that Islam did not allow men to
marry more than four women at any one time.
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MISSION STRATEGIST SAYS 'CAMEL' METHOD IS REACHING
MUSLIMS
February 19, 2010, (Michelle A Vu, Christian
Post): A frontier mission strategist who worked
among Muslims in the Philippines for 10 years weighed in
on the debate over the controversial Camel method of
reaching Muslims, calling it “very useful”. David Taylor
(a pseudonym), senior editor of the Global Mission
Database and author of Operation 10/40 Window, said the
method is bearing “remarkable fruit all over the world”.
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ESSENTIAL NEWBORN CARE TO PREVENT STILLBIRTHS
DEVELOPED
A team of U.S. researchers has devised a training
program for midwives, nurses, doctors, and birth
attendants that can save one in every three babies from
a stillbirth. The training includes simple techniques of
helping the newborn start breathing and keeping it snug
and clean can help in slashing the increasing rate of
stillbirths in developing and poor countries of the
world.
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OPENLY GAY PRIEST CLOSER TO BISHOPRIC
dA controversial priest who has a lesbian partner has so
far received more than half the votes she needs to be
consecrated as an assistant bishop. And the 120-day
consent process began just a month ago. The Rev Canon
Mary Douglas Glasspool has 29 consents to become bishop
suffragan, according to a recent report by the Diocese
of Los Angeles. She needs 56 to be confirmed as the
second openly homosexual bishop in The Episcopal Church.
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10-YEAR-OLD HOLDS STUFFED ANIMAL DRIVE FOR HAITIAN
CHILDREN
After seeing the devastation in H aiti on the news, one
fourth-grade girl decided to do something about it,
reports MNN. 10-year-old Christa Wood says watching the
after effects of the earthquake made her feel she had to
do something. She began thinking of ways she could help
children in Haiti, and she decided on something she knew
would bring her comfort in a rough situation: stuffed
animals.
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2 YEARS LATER, ERITREA FREES 14 CHRISTIANS
Feb. 18, 2010 - Eritrean authorities
recently released 14 Christians who had spent the last
two years in harsh military camps, a Christian
persecution watchdog reported Thursday. Twelve young
Christians were released from Adi-Nefase military camp,
located in the southern port city of Assab, Eritrea,
according to Open Doors USA. All 12 of the released
Christians are members of the Kale-Hiwot Church and were
high school students at the time of their arrest.
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PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY
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