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Christian
News * CFT SOCCER TOURNAMENT - 11 FEBRUARY 2012 * CFT
SOCCER TOURNAMENT - 11 FEBRUARY 2012 -
"A resounding success", said Mr Danie Bosman, CFT president. The soccer
tournament was a first for CFT, i.e this type of soccer. It took place on 3 reduced
fields, at Gateway's Sports Arena on 11 February 2012. The 16 soccer teams, of 6 players
each, were from all over KwaZulu-Natal. Play was 15 minutes for each match except for the
final. The Soccer Arena's manager, Mr Peter Hooper, kindly made his arena available, at no
costs for CFT. Teams were from different churches and organisations. An
evangelizing team was busy speaking one on one with people about the real issues of life. Everybody
had great fun and the quality of play was amazingly high. The winning team was from
Harbrook near Harding. The
evangelizing team found many people hungry for the Word of God. Tracts were handed out and
the personal, probing conversations touched many people's hearts. Pray that the seed that
was sown will grow and bear fruit unto Eternal Life. *
LIFE-CHAINS AT BALLITO AND ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA - A number
of Life-Chains and other Pro-Life actions are being held in February and March, across
South Africa, on the anniversary of 15 years of legalized abortion on demand. There is
deep anger about the fact that over a million unborn babies have been legally aborted
since 1 February 1997. A large majority of South Africans are against abortion-on-demand.
There is a move to encourage citizens not to vote for pro-abortion political parties. Ballito:
Life Chain, Saturday, 4 February, 3pm - 5pm, Ballito Drive, outside the Checkers Mall.
Contact Danie Bosman, 083 6370189 Cape Town:
March to Parliament, 12:30 Wednesday, 1 February, Keizersgracht St, below CPUT (previously
Cape Tech). 13:00: Prayer Rally and placard protest outside gates of Parliament. Contact:
Africa Christian Action, 021-6894481 or info@christianaction.org.za. Polokwane(Pietersburg):
Life Chain, Saturday 4 February. Contact: David Frew: 072 2507 031 or
frew.david@yahoo.com. Bloemfontein:
Saturday, 4 February, 9:30am, on sidewalk outside Mimosa Mall, start in parking lot south
of Brandwag Shopping Centre. Contact Freestate Pro-life Network, Dr Faan Oosthuizen - 083
265 9395 or sdoosthuizen@xsinet.co.za. Hammanskraal
(30km from Pretoria): Saturday, 3 March, near the Jubilee Mall Contact: Biblical Christian
Network, Dieter Claassen: 082 495 7607, dieterc@telkomsa.net. REPORT
BACK ON THE 4 FEBRUARY 2012 BALLITO LIFE-CHAIN CFT
organised the Life-Chain at Ballito that was very well attended - the best attendance
ever. Various churches and organisations joined in the 2 hour demonstration on 4 February
2012. An outstanding characteristic of this event was the large majority of teens and
young adults. There is a new generation that feels very strongly about the right to life
of unborn children. This is also an international trend. At a
January Pro-Life march in Paris, which many members of CFT could attend, from Europe as
well as South Africa attended, it was very obvious that 80% of the 10,000 protesters were
young people. The South
African Life-Chain was part of similar events in other cities internationally where the
promulgation of the law for abortion on demand on 1 February 1997 in South Africa was
remembered. * THE GOLDEN SCEPTER * THE
GOLDEN SCEPTER - "And
it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained
favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his
hand. So Esther drew near and touched the top of the sceptre." (Esther 5:2)? * BIDEFORD
TOWN COUNCIL PRAYERS RULED UNLAWFUL - A Devon
town council acted unlawfully by allowing prayers to be said at meetings, the High Court
has ruled. Action was
brought against Bideford Town Council by the National Secular Society (NSS) after atheist
councillor Clive Bone complained. Mr Justice
Ouseley ruled the prayers were not lawful under section 111 of the Local Government Act
1972. However,
he said prayers could be said as long as councillors were not formally summoned to attend. The
judgement was being seen as a test case which could affect local councils across England
and Wales. Mr Justice
Ouseley ruled the prayers as practised by Bideford Town Council had been unlawful because
there was no statutory power permitting them to continue. The NSS,
which said prayers had no place in "a secular environment concerned with civic
business", argued the "inappropriate" ritual breached articles 9 and 14 of
the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect an individual's right to freedom of
conscience and not to face discrimination. 'Bizarre
ruling' Mr Justice
Ouseley said: "A local authority has no power under section 111 of the Local
Government Act 1972, or otherwise, to hold prayers as part of a formal local authority
meeting, or to summon councillors to such a meeting at which prayers are on the
agenda." He told
the court: "There is no specific power to say prayers or to have any period of quiet
reflection as part of the business of the council." Referring
to Bideford, he said: "The council has on two occasions by a majority voted to retain
public prayers at its full meetings. "But
that does not give it power to do what it has no power to do." The judge
acknowledged the case raised issues of general public importance and gave the council
permission to appeal. Speaking
after Friday's outcome, Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government, said the ruling was "surprising and disappointing". He said:
"Public authorities - be it Parliament or a parish council - should have the right to
say prayers before meetings if they wish." Anthony
Inch, a Bideford town councillor and Torridge district councillor, said he hoped there
would be an appeal leading to the ruling being overturned. "I'm
disgusted, surprised and saddened by the decision," he said. Simon
Calvert, of the Christian Institute, said: "We are pleased that the court has said
the saying of prayers at meetings does not breach human rights laws. "But
it is bizarre that they should be declared unlawful because of the 1972 Local Government
Act." He added:
"The judge's finding that the Local Government Act doesn't give local authorities
power to include prayers as part of their formal meetings - we think that's extraordinary. "I
mean we're talking about a practice that goes back to the Elizabethan era. "And
the logic of the judge's ruling may be that it could also be unlawful for a council to
start its meeting with the beginning of the national anthem. It may even throw local
authorities' Diamond Jubilee celebrations up in the air." Keith
Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society said: "This
judgment is an important victory for everyone who wants a secular society, one that
neither advantages nor disadvantages people because of their religion or lack of it." He added:
"Acts of worship in council meetings are key to the separation of religion from
politics, so we're very pleased with the judgment, and the clear secular message it sends
- particularly the statement made about the 1972 Act." 'Great
pity' He added:
"I think it's a great pity that a tiny minority are seeking to ban the majority, many
of whom find prayers very, very helpful, from continuing with a process in which no-one
actually has to participate." Mr Bone,
who ended up leaving the council because of its "refusal to adjust" its prayers
policy, said on Friday: "Quite frankly I am delighted. I'm not surprised, I expected
to win. * SEXUAL REVOLUTION COSTING BRITAIN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY: STUDY
- Great Britain’s culture of sexual promiscuity is not only destructive to the
country on a moral level—it also comes with a hefty price tag, according to a recent
“Cambridge Paper” published by England’s Jubilee Centre, a Protestant
public policy institute. After
adding together the direct costs of promiscuity as well as the indirect costs resulting
from family breakdown, the paper concludes that “£100 billion (157 billion USD)
annually is probably a reasonable starting point,” which is “about twice as much
as alcohol abuse, smoking and obesity combined.” The number would be equivalent to
almost £1,400 per year per taxpayer, according to Peter Saunders of Britain’s
Christian Medical Fellowship. The paper’s
author, Guy Brandon, notes, “legally, sex is a private matter between individuals”
and that “under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, adults are essentially free to act as
they choose, regardless of marital or relationship status.” However,
“There is some recognition of the flaws to this approach. Few people genuinely doubt
that sexual freedom has consequences for third parties.” The
consequences of Britain’s libertine attitude toward human sexuality include family
breakdown and unhealthy outcomes due to greater promiscuity, Brandon argues. While a
recent study by the British government, Breakdown Britain, found that family breakdown
costs the taxpayer £24 billion ($37.8 billion), the author arrives at a much higher
result by taking other effects of promiscuity into account. The direct
effects of promiscuity alone cost each taxpayer about $60 ($94) per year, and include the
cost of abortions, treatment for STDs and the infertility they cause, and maternal care
for pregnant teens. However, on top of these
consequences are more indirect effects that also entail serious expenses, including work
absenteeism, domestic violence, and educational underachievement, which Breakdown Britain
and other studies have identified as consequences of domestic breakdown. “The
moral hazard that arises from our society’s uncritical endorsement of sexual freedom
results in massive public costs,” concludes Brandon, who offers three possible
responses: the “Big State” approach, which aggravates the problem by shifting
the costs of sexual irresponsibility to the society as a whole, the approach of harsh
legislation represented by such traditions as Sharia Law, or the “Biblical model”
of “greater accountability for sexual choices, strengthening extended families by
increasing rootedness and giving them joint financial interests. “ “In
this, the Christian sexual ethic of faithfulness and stability has not only spiritual
justification but offers a pragmatic answer to a failing culture that generally views
Christian standards as hopelessly out of date,” Brandon writes. * EU
ROUNDUP: GAY ACTIVIST SAYS ORIENTATION NOT FIXED; RUSSIAN CITY TO OUTLAW PROMOTING
HOMOSEXUALITY - The
municipal government of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city and cultural
centre, is set to pass a bill prohibiting promotion of homosexuality. The bill,
which prohibits “public activities promoting homosexuality,” is being denounced
by homosexualist activist groups as “anti-gay” and it is being vocally opposed
by the U.S. State Department. The bill
proposes to outlaw the dissemination of information “which could cause damage to the
health or moral and spiritual development of minors, including by inducing them to form
warped perceptions that traditional and non-traditional married relations are equally
socially acceptable.” If passed
it would impose fines on individuals or groups promoting homosexuality, pedophilia, or
“transgenderism” to minors. The U.S.
State Department deplored the plans, saying, “As Secretary Clinton has said gay
rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights. We have called on Russian
officials to safeguard … freedoms [of speech and assembly], and to foster an
environment which promotes respect for the rights of all citizens. “We
have also consulted with our EU partners on this issue. They share our concerns and are
also engaging Russian officials on this. The United States places great importance on
combating discrimination against the LGBT community and all minority groups.” But the
bill’s author, United Russia deputy Vitaly Milonov, has denied it will infringe on
civil rights and freedoms. “We are only talking about propaganda as this information
about sexual deviations affects our children,” he
said. * VICTORY:
TEXAS ULTRASOUND LAW GOES INTO EFFECT AFTER HEATED COURT BATTLE - A Texas
law requiring women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound went into effect Tuesday,
despite a court challenge from pro-abortion opponents. Under the
new law, abortion doctors are required to perform an ultrasound and give women the option
to see the ultrasound image and hear the child’s heartbeat. The mother may decline;
however, the abortionist must describe her unborn child. Exceptions are made when the
unborn child was conceived in rape or incest, or suffers from a severe disability. Mothers
must then observe a 24 hour waiting period before choosing to continue with the abortion,
although the waiting period can be reduced to two hours if they live over 100 miles from
an abortion clinic. A
temporary injunction issued by District judge Sam Sparks had prevented the law from going
into effect when it was passed last year. Sparks’ decision was overturned by the 5th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but ended up back in his courtroom on an appeal by the
Center for Reproductive Rights. Sparks
ruled that he could not stop the law from going into effect because he was bound by the
Circuit Court’s decision, but reiterated his own stance that the law was a violation
of a doctor’s free speech rights. According
to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, Sparks’ position is in conflict with precedent
set by the U.S. Supreme Court, which, he said, “plainly authorizes the state to
regulate abortion procedures.” State Sen.
Dan Patrick, who authored the Texas bill, says its potential impact is enormous, partly
because of the sheer number of abortions that occur in the state, about 75,000 a year. Patrick estimated that the law could stop up to one
in five abortions, saving about 15,000 lives a year. “There’s
no other piece of legislation anywhere else in the country that has that kind of impact,”
he told the Houston Chronicle. “I don’t take credit for it. It’s God’s
hands.” Texas
Right to Life director Elizabeth Graham says that Patrick’s estimate may even be
conservative. According to Graham, pro-lifers who work with abortion-minded women report
that 70 to 80% of such women choose life for their children after viewing ultrasound
images. “If
the clinics are following the law according to its legislative intent, then we think the
law could reduce the number of abortions in Texas by at least 30 percent,” she told
MSNBC. Opponents
of the law are contending that women are not swayed by the sonogram images, some even
claiming that they have been implementing it since October and have not noticed a decrease
in the number of abortions. Center for
Reproductive Rights attorney Julie Rikelman does agree with the bill’s sponsor,
however, that it is a unique piece of legislation. It is “the most extreme
ultrasound-related law that is being enforced in the United States,” she said. * HOW
PLANNED PARENTHOOD HOOKS KIDS ON SEX - As
Planned Parenthood kicks off National Condom Week tomorrow, it will also be actively
engaged in selling sex to children as young as those in grade school with graphic videos
and books. The
American Life League has compiled a video exposing some of Planned Parenthood’s
disturbing materials that are presented to school-age children across the country. “Any
parent that sees the video of Planned Parenthood’s material for school children will
be horrified,” said Jim Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League. “Planned
Parenthood’s business model is aimed at making money from people who are engaged in
sexual activity. Those are the women who will have abortions, which made up 51% of Planned
Parenthood’s clinic revenue in 2010.” In one
section the video, “Hooking Kids on Sex,” talks about a book for 10-year-olds
with graphic images about how to masturbate, put on a condom and have sexual intercourse. “If a
dirty old man showed this book to kids in a park, he’d be arrested,” said
Sedlak. “Why does Planned Parenthood, a taxpayer-funded organization, get to
distribute these books to our children and get more government money?’ The video
also discusses Planned Parenthood of the Upper Hudson’s S.T.A.R.S (Seriously Talking
About Responsible Sex), which required applicants to the program to be high school
students and go to the sexually explicit Capital Pride. “Planned
Parenthood wants kids to choose it for their sexual education over their own parents,”
said Sedlak. “It wants to be the trusted friend and advocate of kids of all ages. It
knows that a conversation about sex with a stranger or browsing a Planned Parenthood
website about teen sex is easier than talking with their parents. The abortion giant has
no problem using tax dollars to exploit that fear and make money off those kids.” * BIBLE
COLLEGE BOMBED IN SUDAN - A Bible
school supported by Samaritan's Purse was destroyed on February 1 in the latest bombing
raid to hit South Kordofan, a Sudanese province that borders the newly created independent
country of South Sudan (for more on South Sudan, click here). Eight bombs were dropped in
the area of Heiban Bible College during the school's first day of classes. According to
eyewitness accounts, the bombing required a sustained effort with at least four flyover
passes. Fortunately,
no injuries were reported. "We have been working for years in Sudan,"
Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham said after the attack. "Today our Bible
school in Heiban in the Nuba Mountains was bombed by the Sudanese Air Force. No one was
killed or hurt, but buildings were destroyed. Please pray for the safety of believers, and
that God would intervene." Since early August, at least four churches built by
Samaritan's Purse have been destroyed by bombing or burning. Thank the
Lord no one was injured or killed. Pray the Lord will strengthen the faith of the students
and other believers after this attack and ask Him to provide for them. Pray the Holy
Spirit will bring new life and faith to the people around the Nuba Mountains. Pray for
those behind these attacks.
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