phobia,” including Dec. 30 bombings that killed two Christians in Baghdad, Iraq; Dec. 24 killings of six Christians at churches in northeastern Nigeria; and a Dec. 25 blast that injured six at a Roman Catholic church on Jolo, an island in the Philippines.


Looking for some respect According to a Gallup survey, more than half of the world’s Muslims believe Westerners don’t respect them. In Gallup’s “Measuring the State of Muslim-West Relations” report, nearly 75 percent wanted to see more respect for the Koran and 54 percent said it would be helpful to have fair treatment in policies that directly affect Muslims. More than three-quarters of those surveyed in the U.S. said Muslim-Western con- nections are beneficial, compared to 63 percent of Iranians who felt such connections were beneficial.


Lutherans vs. rats


After rats infested Chin State, Myan- mar, the ELCA sent $10,000 to help. The Myanmar Lutheran Church is using the funds to provide emergency food to about 1,500 people. The rats destroyed homes, small animals, rice, vegetable and pineapple crops, even clothing, said James San Aung, mission director for the Myanmar Lutheran Church. While the U.N. Development Program provided rat traps, many villagers no longer had rice to eat and couldn’t afford a bag of rice for $30. “For us, rats are a nui- sance, but there the rats are an envi- ronmental hazard that has escalated to the point of crisis,” said Megan Brad- field, associate director for ELCA International Development and Disas- ter Response.


Creationism holds steady


Four in 10 Americans believe God created humans in something like their present form within the last


10,000 years, according to a Gal- lup Poll. That represents a slight dip from 2008 when 44 percent said they didn’t believe divinely made humans evolved over time. But the number has remained stable since 1982. Nearly as many Americans (38 percent in 2010) say they believe humans evolved over time but that God guided the pro- cess. Americans who believe humans evolved apart from any divine inter- vention crept up from 14 percent in 2008 to 16 percent this year.


Lutheran police officer killed Police officers came from throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire on Dec. 30 to the funeral of John Maguire, 60, a police officer who served Woburn, Mass. He was killed in a shoot-out


with a jewelry heist suspect out on parole. Since the sanctuary of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, where he, his wife and two of their three grown chil- dren are members, only seats 400 wor- shipers and 4,000 were expected, the service was moved to Aleppo Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass. Marsha Heydenreich, a pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Andover who for- merly served Redeemer, presided and preached.


Christians arrested in Iran Iran arrested 25 evangelical Chris- tians and detained or sought to detain more than 60 others on Christmas Day. According to Christian Solidar- ity Worldwide, a religious freedom 12 


BRIAN STETHEM/CLU


Sun power At a Dec. 15 dedication ceremony, freshman biology major Luke Robinson


speaks about a solar-powered fountain designed and built by students at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks. It was created for instructor Robert Rumer’s introduction to engineering class.


February 2011 11


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