News
‘End the violence’ in Sudan F
ighting between the Sudanese gov- ernment in the north and members of a southern former rebel group threat- ens the independence of South Sudan. “End the violence immediately,” Olav Fykse Tveit, World Council of Churches general secretary, wrote to combatants in June. Tveit, a Lutheran pastor, called for pressure from countries that helped Sudan’s 2005 peace agreement end 21 years of civil war. At presstime, the conflict had trapped 300,000 and displaced 40,000 others in Kadugli, the capital of oil- producing South Kordofan, which was not allowed to join South Sudan in seeking independence. Sudanese
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greater role in providing services as “painfully stale.” In response, Cam- eron said he could see nothing “good or moral” about passing national debts to the next generation and trap- ping people on welfare or in poorly performing schools.
Anthem doesn’t play on
Goshen [Ind.] College, a Mennonite school, reversed its 2010 decision to allow the playing of the “Star- Spangled Banner” at sporting events because it glorifies war. The college’s board of directors released a state- ment that read, in part, “As a result of a thoughtful, thorough, prayerful period of listening, learning and dis- cerning, it is the board’s judgment that continuing to play the national anthem compromises our ability to advance the vision (of Goshen Col- lege) together.”
Relief needs better coordination Leading religious and relief-assistance experts agree that international aid to Haiti would be far more effective if it
10 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
were better coordinated. Experts spoke of the need for more effective distribu- tion of aid at a June 7 roundtable dis- cussion organized by the Lutheran World Federation’s Department for World Service. Keys to improved coordination include: better defining the role of nongovernmental organi- zations, registering church-related groups with the Haitian government and figuring out each entity’s role, said Haitian Sen. Kely Bastien.
India churches protest Indian churches are expressing con- cern over political corruption. Roger Gaikwad, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, said, “Corruption has gone into the very fabric of the nation. But unfortunately, even civil protests against it are getting increasingly politicized.” The NCCI condemned a June violent crackdown by about 5,000 police officers on 50,000 sup- porters of yoga guru Swami Ramdev during a yoga convention and fast in New Delhi.
church leaders have accused Islamic militias and the northern government of ethnic cleansing as well as looting and destruction of churches. Even before the recent clash, the
ELCA committed $50,000 for ACT Alliance to care for displaced people and “pre-position” emergency sup- plies. The ELCA contributed another $250,000 for the Lutheran World Fed- eration’s response, which includes pre-positioning aid in neighboring countries. To help, give to ELCA International Disaster Response, 39330 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694-9300; give by credit card at 800-638-3522 or at
www.elca.org.
Policy change sought Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., is part of a group of lawmakers and clergy urging President Barack Obama to repeal a nearly 10-year-old policy that allows faith-based organizations that receive federal funds to base hiring and firing decisions on religion. “It is shocking that we would even be having a debate about whether basic civil rights prac- tices should apply to programs run with federal dollars,” Scott said.
Postponed in Pakistan
After a key witness fled the country, an anti-terrorism court in Faisala- bad, Pakistan, suspended the trial of suspects in the August 2009 murders of 10 Christians and the burning of 100 homes in Gojra. The court also granted bail to the last three of 66 sus- pects arrested (others were already released). Stoked by rumors of blas- phemy against Islam, hundreds of Muslims were bused in to attack Christians in Gojra, said church sources who asked to remain anony- mous. Those sources also said Chris- tian witnesses are being pressured to withdraw the case.
Pick your issue Americans across religious groups consider it worse for a politician to cheat on taxes or take bribes than to commit adultery or send sexually explicit messages to someone who’s not their spouse, according to a sur-
Quote
Your prayers should comple- ment, not compete with, proper medical care.
Clackamas County (Ore.) Circuit Judge Jeffrey S. Jones, as he sentenced two members of an Oregon City, Ore., faith-
healing church to 90 days in jail for failing to get medical care for their infant daughter who is nearly blind due to an untreated growth (hemangioma).
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