Religious persecution report A May report from Amnesty Inter- national drew attention to the per- secution of religious minorities in the last year. Christians in Algeria faced prosecution for unauthorized religious activity, including building churches. Spain’s regional Catalan government dropped a requirement for municipalities to provide space for those building new places of wor- ship. Eritrea only allowed religious practice by those of recognized faiths (Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catho- lics, Lutherans and Muslims) and “arrested, arbitrarily detained and ill-treated” others. In China, reli- gions or churches without state sanc- tion “risked harassment, detention, imprisonment and, in some cases, violent persecution.”
Islamic leaders & polio Islamic leaders and mosques are working to eradicate polio in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, the only remaining polio-endemic nations. Past vaccination efforts were adversely affected by rumors that vaccines were unsafe or con- trary to Islam. In Pakistan, more than 20 Muslim scholars issued fatwas (authoritative religious opinions) that call for parents to immunize their children, said an aide to the prime minister. As of May, 52 of the 55 known polio cases were in Paki- stan, Nigeria and Afghanistan—a big change from 1988 when there were 125 polio-endemic countries and 350,000 global cases of the disease.
Poll tracks ‘new normal’ President Barack Obama’s endorse- ment of same-sex marriage caused speculation on what his evolved position will mean politically, but a Gallup poll indicates the public largely backs his views and that his stance may not hurt him at the bal- lot box. The May poll showed that by
Leaning silo of N.D. For years, the silo on Steve
Schimelfenig’s farm towered precariously over his barn. It had to come down. Meanwhile, each Sunday during the Easter season kids at his congrega- tion, Bowden [N.D.] Lutheran, collected noisy offerings in tin cans. The change was piling up for the ELCA Malaria Campaign. Schimelfenig looked from the metal cans to the metal bands encircling his silo and decided the two belonged together. Family and parishioners joined him in May when he pulled the silo to the ground. The bands were brought to the scrap metal dealer. He asked the clerk to make the check out to the church for the campaign.
a 54 to 42 percent margin, American adults consider gay and lesbian rela- tions “morally acceptable.” The level of approval has grown steadily since 2002, when it stood at 38 percent, so much so that Gallup considers the current situation “the new normal” in U.S. public opinion.
Lutherans care for the poor
Leaders from 38 Lutheran churches in Europe said in May that “increas- ing indebtedness, rising unemploy- ment rates especially among the young, and diminished communal resources have caused an increased demand in social and diaconal ser- vices.” They said Europe’s Luther- ans must rely more on volunteers, but carry out rich diaconal work in such places as Amsterdam, Nether- lands, where a congregation opens its doors to neighbors for community and friendship; Baden-Baden, Ger- many, and Budapest, Hungary, where church artisans sell their works to raise money for food and medicine for the poor; and Riga, Latvia, where those in need receive 2,000 meals a week.
Churches as global citizens Lutheran World Federation General Secretary Martin Junge said churches must be global citizens, actively tackling global issues. “Churches need to address the moral question of why resources are available to rescue a financial system that col- lapsed because of its ‘casino’ addic- tion, while few resources are found for the unemployed, young families and those with HIV/AIDS,” he told European Lutherans gathered for a
Quote
People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in creed and theology. Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview.
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a Mormon, addressing graduating students at the evangelical Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va.
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