News Update—5/10/10

Kyrgyz Christians Weigh Freedom under New Government
Mission News Network reports that Christians in Kyrgyzstan are waiting to see if their religious freedom will be greater under the country’s new government.

Violence from the April coup has killed at least 100 people and left hundreds more wounded, prompting further unrest and looting. “We really hope that this uprising will lead to more freedom for people there, more freedom for evangelical church ministry [and] for Christianity overall,” said Sergey Rakhuba, vice president of Russian Ministries.

But the dangers have disrupted the ministries’ School without Walls and other programs. “We have quite a few people on the ground there with this new initiative to train new young Christian leaders. Everything is on hold right now, but we are talking to our people [and] how we can reach out to those who have been affected.”

Religion Today Summaries

Britain’s Christians Alarmed over Street Preacher’s Arrest
Christian Today reports that Christians in Britain are worried that the arrest of a street preacher in Cumbria may lead to more restrictions on religious freedom in the UK.

A part-time police officer arrested Dale McAlpine in his home town of Workington, in Cumbria, last month for publicly saying that homosexuality is a sin. McAlpine says he included homosexuality in a larger list of sins listed in the Bible in a conversation with a passerby, and did not publicly preach on the subject.

Former Catholic Herald editor Cristina Odone condemned the event in the UK Telegraph, calling McAlpine’s arrest part of a “new inquisition.” “Fuelling the inquisitors is a vicious secularism that allows no tolerance for views based on Christian values,” she said. “A civilized, tolerant society requires negotiation between... a preacher’s right to proclaim his beliefs and a gay’s freedom to live out her sexuality.”

Religion Today Summaries

Churches Reach Out to Tennessee Flood Victims
Baptist Press reports that churches and Baptist associations across Middle Tennessee are reaching out to members and residents who were impacted by a record-setting flood. More than 13 inches of rain fell over the weekend, causing the Cumberland River to crest more than 10 feet above flood stage, flooding thousands of homes and closing sections of three interstates.

Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville had at least 20 families whose houses received flood damage, some of them losing everything. Todd Young, associate pastor of education and activities at the church, helped a church family Sunday evening move their furniture upstairs, safely away from the floodwaters. He was heading out to help more families Monday afternoon and said he witnessed images in the flooded areas he won’t soon forget.

“I saw people walking out of their houses, in water, holding their bags over their heads like in Katrina,” Young told Baptist Press.

Religion Today Summaries

Virginia Governor Restores Prayer in “Jesus’ Name” by Police Chaplains
Christian Newswire reports that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has restored the rights of six State Police chaplains to pray publicly “in Jesus name.” The executive order reverses the policy of his predecessor Governor Tim Kaine.

“This victory comes after our two-year campaign for Jesus name,” said Chaplain Klingenschmitt, who led a 1,000 person rally outside the Governor’s mansion in 2008, then submitted up to 15,000 petitions to reinstate the chaplains jobs and free speech.

Now that McDonnell has fulfilled his campaign pledge, the six chaplains, including Rex Carter and Mike Honaker, who had turned in their badges rather than deny Christ, will be invited back to their chaplain jobs, and given free speech to pray “in Jesus name.”

Religion Today Summaries

Ugandan Primate Resigns from Key Anglican Body
Religion News Service reports that Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda has reportedly resigned from the standing committee of the Anglican Communion. The archbishop cited the election of a lesbian bishop by the Episcopal Church as part of an unacceptable “revisionist theology.”

At the same time, Orombi called for an urgent meeting of the primates, or senior bishops, of the Anglican Communion without their colleagues from the U.S. and Canada, “and with an agenda set by the participants themselves.” His announcement was made in an April 9 letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

His resignation is the second this year, following Archbishop Mouneer Anis of Jerusalem and the Middle East in February. The standing committee, which functions as an executive body, consists of 14 members of the Anglican Communion. The committee includes the Episcopal Church primate and other members of the Episcopal Church.

Religion Today Summaries

Tennessee Abortion Opt-Out Becomes Law without Gov.’s Signature
A Tennessee law opting the state out of the new national health care reform’s abortion mandate went into effect Wednesday, after Democratic governor Phil Bredesen refused to either sign or veto legislation passed by overwhelming majorities in both chambers of Tennessee’s state house.

The law forbids insurance companies receiving public subsidies in the state-run health exchange from offering or requiring abortion coverage when the exchanges come online in 2014.

Bills approved by the legislature in Tennessee can take effect even if the governor declines to take action on them. A veto from Bredesen, who is pro-abortion, would likely have been an act of political futility, as the measure (HB 2681 / SB 2686) had passed the state House 70-23 and the state Senate 27-3. 

The law states: “No health care plan required to be established in this state through an exchange pursuant to federal health care reform legislation enacted by the 111th Congress shall offer coverage for abortion services.”

The bill will not alter the state’s TennCare program, which provides Medicaid subsidies for abortions only in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother as mandated by federal law.

Tennessee’s General Assembly was the first state legislature in the U.S. to pass legislation eliminating elective abortion as a benefit in federally required health care exchanges. However, while Bredesen let the bill remain on his desk, Arizona beat Tennessee as the first state to opt-out of the abortion funding mandate, with pro-life Governor Jan Brewer signing similar legislation into law.

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