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News Update - 3/22/10
Health Care Bill Passes Congress, Federal Abortion Funding in Question
On Sunday evening, March 21, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve what appears to be a pro-abortion health care bill in a 219-212 vote.
The bill edged through the House after Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) announced earlier this afternoon that he and his fellow group of Democrats who had been holding out for the addition of language banning abortion funding into the bill, had struck a deal with the White House involving the promise of an executive order from President Obama that Stupak said would uphold the Hyde amendment in health care reform, and prevent abortion funding.
The group of Democrats led by Stupak then promised to throw their weight behind the bill, pushing it past the 216 vote threshold that it needed to become law. The executive order deal, however, has been unanimously condemned by pro-life advocates, including the National Right to Life Committee and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as woefully inadequate.
NRLC released a statement on the afternoon of March 21, following Stupak’s announcement that he would vote for the bill, in which they said, “The executive order promised by President Obama was issued for political effect. It changes nothing. It does not correct any of the serious pro-abortion provisions in the bill. The president cannot amend a bill by issuing an order, and the federal courts will enforce what the law says.”
The USCCB agreed with the assessment of NRLC, pointing out that “only a change in the law enacted by Congress, not an executive order, can begin to address this very serious problem [abortion funding] in the legislation.”
Southern California City Says Home Bible Study Must Get Permit
The Associated Press reports that Rancho Cucamonga is trying to demand that a Bible study of 15 people be required to obtain a conditional use permit by Good Friday in order to continue meeting. This is the second time the city has targeted the group.
The city says the group advertises on the Internet as a church, and neighbors have complained about 40 to 60 people meeting there weekly. The group’s defense, Pacific Justice Institute, says the gatherings usually draw about 15 people and is only a Bible study, not a church.
Other residents of southern California have met similar demands, but have usually been allowed to continue without a permit. Last year, San Diego County withdrew a similar demand, saying it should not have been made in the first place.
Religion Today Summaries
Nigeria: Fulani Muslims Murder 12 Villagers
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that religiously-tinged violence continued in Nigeria on Wednesday, when 12 people were killed.
Six women, four children and two men in Byei village near the city of Jos were attacked by Fulani Muslims, just over a week after around 500 Christians were massacred with machetes by a similar group of attackers.
Most of the victims were attacked in their beds. One women and her son had their tongues cut out, while another was burnt alive in her home along with her two young children. Four further victims were hospitalized, two with gunshot wounds allegedly from AK 47s, and the others with machete wounds. Twelve houses were also burnt in last night's attack, which took place 4 kilometers away from Riyom Local Government Council. Victims say some attackers were dressed in military uniforms.
Religion Today Summaries
Christians Launch Appeal over Expulsion from Morocco
The Christian Post reports that Christian foster parents expelled from the country last week have publicly launched an appeal to the Moroccan government, hoping to be reunited with their foster children.
Morocco accused Village of Hope workers last Monday of proselytizing and demanded they leave the country immediately. The foster parents, who cannot legally adopt their foster children in Morocco, left behind 33 orphaned and abandoned children.
“In doing this we are not trying to shame Morocco or the people,” said Herman Boonstra, director of Village of Hope, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle. “We simply want to be reunited with our children and we are worried about their welfare.” Many of the children didn’t remember any other parents. “The eviction process was the most painful situation imaginable and was one of the hardest experiences of my life,” Boonstra said.
Religion Today Summaries
Survey: Less than Half Link Easter to the Resurrection
Religion News Service reports that less than half of U.S. adults link Easter directly to the Resurrection of Jesus, even though most describe Easter as a religious holiday.
According to a Barna Group survey, seven in 10 respondents mentioned religion or spirituality in their response to an open-ended question about how they describe what Easter means to them personally, but just 42 percent tied Easter to the Resurrection. At 73 percent, baby boomers (ages 45 to 63) were the most likely to describe Easter as a religious holiday, compared to two-thirds of those ages 26 to 44 and Americans 64 and older. The youngest group of adults (ages 18 to 25) were least likely, at 58 percent, to use that kind of description.
“The Easter holiday in particular still has a distinctly religious connection for people but…the specifics of it are really fading in a lot of people's minds,” said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group.
Religion Today Summaries
Muslim Activists Protest Indonesian Church
Demonstrators from 16 Islamic organizations, including one hard-line group, descended on a neighborhood in West Java, Indonesia, on Feb. 15 in an effort to close a church that has been legally operating since 1992.
Indonesia requires the permission of more than 60 neighbors and a permit from local authorities to establish a place of worship, the Compass Direct news service reported. M. Tetelepta, pastor of the Galilea Protestant Church in the Galaxy area of Bekasi City, told Compass Direct that the church had the required consent before purchasing the property in 2006, which was done in cooperation with the government.
Murhali Baeda, head of the local branch of the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front, told the Antara news agency that posters and banners in the area prove the church is not accepted by the community. He also accused the congregation of offering people incentives like food to profess faith in Christ. “At night praises to their God in the form of songs disturbs the people's sleep,” Baeda told the news agency.
The pastor denied the church bribed people to accept Jesus and pledged worship services would continue as usual, in spite of the demonstrations.
Health Care Bill Passes Congress, Federal Abortion Funding in Question
On Sunday evening, March 21, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve what appears to be a pro-abortion health care bill in a 219-212 vote.
The bill edged through the House after Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) announced earlier this afternoon that he and his fellow group of Democrats who had been holding out for the addition of language banning abortion funding into the bill, had struck a deal with the White House involving the promise of an executive order from President Obama that Stupak said would uphold the Hyde amendment in health care reform, and prevent abortion funding.
The group of Democrats led by Stupak then promised to throw their weight behind the bill, pushing it past the 216 vote threshold that it needed to become law. The executive order deal, however, has been unanimously condemned by pro-life advocates, including the National Right to Life Committee and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as woefully inadequate.
NRLC released a statement on the afternoon of March 21, following Stupak’s announcement that he would vote for the bill, in which they said, “The executive order promised by President Obama was issued for political effect. It changes nothing. It does not correct any of the serious pro-abortion provisions in the bill. The president cannot amend a bill by issuing an order, and the federal courts will enforce what the law says.”
The USCCB agreed with the assessment of NRLC, pointing out that “only a change in the law enacted by Congress, not an executive order, can begin to address this very serious problem [abortion funding] in the legislation.”
Southern California City Says Home Bible Study Must Get Permit
The Associated Press reports that Rancho Cucamonga is trying to demand that a Bible study of 15 people be required to obtain a conditional use permit by Good Friday in order to continue meeting. This is the second time the city has targeted the group.
The city says the group advertises on the Internet as a church, and neighbors have complained about 40 to 60 people meeting there weekly. The group’s defense, Pacific Justice Institute, says the gatherings usually draw about 15 people and is only a Bible study, not a church.
Other residents of southern California have met similar demands, but have usually been allowed to continue without a permit. Last year, San Diego County withdrew a similar demand, saying it should not have been made in the first place.
Religion Today Summaries
Nigeria: Fulani Muslims Murder 12 Villagers
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that religiously-tinged violence continued in Nigeria on Wednesday, when 12 people were killed.
Six women, four children and two men in Byei village near the city of Jos were attacked by Fulani Muslims, just over a week after around 500 Christians were massacred with machetes by a similar group of attackers.
Most of the victims were attacked in their beds. One women and her son had their tongues cut out, while another was burnt alive in her home along with her two young children. Four further victims were hospitalized, two with gunshot wounds allegedly from AK 47s, and the others with machete wounds. Twelve houses were also burnt in last night's attack, which took place 4 kilometers away from Riyom Local Government Council. Victims say some attackers were dressed in military uniforms.
Religion Today Summaries
Christians Launch Appeal over Expulsion from Morocco
The Christian Post reports that Christian foster parents expelled from the country last week have publicly launched an appeal to the Moroccan government, hoping to be reunited with their foster children.
Morocco accused Village of Hope workers last Monday of proselytizing and demanded they leave the country immediately. The foster parents, who cannot legally adopt their foster children in Morocco, left behind 33 orphaned and abandoned children.
“In doing this we are not trying to shame Morocco or the people,” said Herman Boonstra, director of Village of Hope, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle. “We simply want to be reunited with our children and we are worried about their welfare.” Many of the children didn’t remember any other parents. “The eviction process was the most painful situation imaginable and was one of the hardest experiences of my life,” Boonstra said.
Religion Today Summaries
Survey: Less than Half Link Easter to the Resurrection
Religion News Service reports that less than half of U.S. adults link Easter directly to the Resurrection of Jesus, even though most describe Easter as a religious holiday.
According to a Barna Group survey, seven in 10 respondents mentioned religion or spirituality in their response to an open-ended question about how they describe what Easter means to them personally, but just 42 percent tied Easter to the Resurrection. At 73 percent, baby boomers (ages 45 to 63) were the most likely to describe Easter as a religious holiday, compared to two-thirds of those ages 26 to 44 and Americans 64 and older. The youngest group of adults (ages 18 to 25) were least likely, at 58 percent, to use that kind of description.
“The Easter holiday in particular still has a distinctly religious connection for people but…the specifics of it are really fading in a lot of people's minds,” said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group.
Religion Today Summaries
Muslim Activists Protest Indonesian Church
Demonstrators from 16 Islamic organizations, including one hard-line group, descended on a neighborhood in West Java, Indonesia, on Feb. 15 in an effort to close a church that has been legally operating since 1992.
Indonesia requires the permission of more than 60 neighbors and a permit from local authorities to establish a place of worship, the Compass Direct news service reported. M. Tetelepta, pastor of the Galilea Protestant Church in the Galaxy area of Bekasi City, told Compass Direct that the church had the required consent before purchasing the property in 2006, which was done in cooperation with the government.
Murhali Baeda, head of the local branch of the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front, told the Antara news agency that posters and banners in the area prove the church is not accepted by the community. He also accused the congregation of offering people incentives like food to profess faith in Christ. “At night praises to their God in the form of songs disturbs the people's sleep,” Baeda told the news agency.
The pastor denied the church bribed people to accept Jesus and pledged worship services would continue as usual, in spite of the demonstrations.
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