Indonesian Theology Students Withstand Threats, Illness
Some 1,000 seminary students are resisting efforts to evict them from the former municipal building of West Jakarta where they have taken refuge after Muslim protestors drove them from their campus last year.
On Oct. 27 officials began evicting about 300 students of Arastamar Evangelical Theological Seminary (SETIA) from blocks I and II of the former mayoral building, but those in blocks III, IV, and V chose to remain.
The students, some of whom had sown their mouths shut as part of a hunger strike, asserted that new quarters offered by the Jakarta Provincial Government are not yet fit for occupancy—dirty and unkempt with broken windows and doors. They said the property offered, the North Jakarta Transmigrant building, has not functioned since 1999, and its five buildings accommodate only 200 to 300 students.
The seminary students told Compass that unidentified mobs have threatened them, telling them to leave the former municipal complex immediately.
“They threaten us and tell us that if we do not move, our safety cannot be guaranteed,” said SETIA’s Yulius Thomas Bilo.
The Rev. Matheus Mangentang, rector of SETIA, confirmed that the threats had been made. Asked about the identity of the mobs, he said he knew only that they appeared daily to intimidate and threaten students.
“We are going to move as soon as possible—Dec. 31 at the latest,” Mangentang said. “If we don’t, the place is no longer safe.”
He added, however, that they would not move until their new location was clear.
“We have not wavered in our desire to return to our own place, because we actually have our own campus in Kampung Pulo, East Jakarta,” Mangentang told Compass.
The Jakarta Provincial Government has not allowed the students and staff to return to their campus, citing fear of more violence.
“It is not permissible for them to return to Kampung Pulo; conditions are not conducive,” the Jakarta area secretary who goes by a single name, Muhayat, told Compass.
In July 2008 hundreds of protestors shouting “Allahu-Akbar [“God is greater]” and brandishing machetes forced the evacuation of staff and students from the SETIA campus in Kampung Pulo village. Urged on by announcements from a mosque loudspeaker to “drive out the unwanted neighbor” following a misunderstanding between students and local residents, the protestors also had sharpened bamboo and acid and injured at least 20 students, some seriously.
Water and Electricity Crisis
Conditions for the 1,000 students living in the former West Jakarta mayor’s complex are worsening.
“Since the end of October, we have had no electricity and no water,” said Alexander Dimu, head of the student senate. “We have to depend upon our own resources and donations to buy water. We need about
Julie was able to shed the pounds and regain her self-esteem. She shares her story and tells about being a contestant on season four (2007) in her new book Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining My Worth. To hear her inspiring testimony, listen to podcast. {audio source_mp3=””} Julie’s Story: The Spiritual Side to My Weight-Loss Struggle One of the most interesting aspects of being on The Biggest Loser was the ubiquitous presence of cameras and production crew. It wasn’t uncommon for my teammates and me to be interrupted even during the most grueling of workouts in order to be interviewed for To be sure, it was a situation that elicited a mixed response: A break was always welcomed during one of Jillian’s workouts, but who wanted to be punished by her upon returning to the gym? Fairly early in the show, one of the production assistants pulled me from a treadmill and asked me to come outside to talk on camera about my thoughts on the experience thus far. It was maybe two minutes into our little chat when I saw her swivel her head toward the cameraman and with a heavy sigh say, “Cut.” Still the peoplepleaser of the bunch, I asked if I’d said something wrong. “No, it’s the bells,” she said, and nodded toward the distance behind me. “We’ll start over when things quiet down.” There were microphones everywhere on campus, it seemed. They were in our bathrooms, in our bedrooms and in the dining room where we ate every meal. There were precious few locations that weren’t wired up with a mic, but Hollie and I found each and every one and swapped secrets the entire season long. Jillian pitched a massive fit every time anyone interrupted our workouts. I later learned from production crew that they used to draw straws to determine who had to enter the gym to remove one of her team members for an interview. I had been so focused on whatever it was I was saying that I had failed to notice the majestic church bells pealing their noontime chime. I looked toward the church that I could not see and closed my eyes as the bells finished their song. I thought my faith was stuck in Jacksonville, God, but you’re clearly here with me now. I sat perfectly still while I awaited his reply, anxious for conversation with the one I’d kept at a stiff arm’s length. “I know you thought you were alone here,” he seemed to say, “but I’ve been with you all along.” “Here?” I thought with a small, wry smile. “They let you come to Hollywood?” Every 15 minutes from that day forward, I noticed those church bells ringing. They chimed on the quarter-hour, on the half-hour, at fifteen ’til and when the top of the hour came-how had I missed them before? Regardless of what we were doing, sound technicians would curse and all production activity would cease. But for me those bells weren’t a source of frustration; they were a reminder to talk to God. I was away from my church, my pastor and the familiar to-dos of my youth, and yet it was in the midst of that utterly stripped-back state that I came face to face with God. My rules were being replaced with relationship, and my faith felt fresh and new. While I worked out on campus, much of the spiritual knowledge that I’d acquired as a kid came to mind. (Six-hour workouts could even drive pagans to pray.) I recalled the verse in Psalm 139 that says my body is fearfully and wonderfully made. I remembered 1 Corinthians 6:19, which says that our bodies are temples of God. I was I thought also about Bible characters who exhibited strength in the midst of tough situations. The one that rose to the surface immediately was the story of David and Goliath-a reference even Jillian would cite to motivate me toward greater success. During a long treadmill-run, I’d think about tiny David facing the nine-foot-tall Philistine with nothing but a few smooth stones, and I’d regain faith in the fact that despite my small size, I could and would prevail. “You’re going down, thunder-thighs! You don’t stand a chance, big belly!” My “insurmountable” circumstances were nothing for my mighty God. He had been faithful to give me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reclaim the life he so badly wanted me to live, and I wanted more than anything to be found faithful in return. With each dawning day and every small goal achieved, my faith in the goodness of God rose. I had spent most of my life seeking purpose, security, companionship in a thousand different places. I’d just never looked to Him. As I began to look to God to supply every single thing I needed, I witnessed Him releasing me-“saving” me, as it turns out-from the things that had held me captive for years: legalism, an overemphasis on trying to please people, fear, heaviness both in my body and in my heart. At every turn, He was fulfilling His promise to help me bear up under what life had thrown my way. “God is faithful,” 1 Corinthians 10:13 says. “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” There were plenty of temptations for me on campus, but you try sneaking a Snickers This excerpt from Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining My Worth by Julie Hadden is reproduced with permission from Guideposts Books. Copyright © 2009 by Julie Hadden. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy, click on the book below. A ‘Biggest Loser’ Contestant Loses More Than Weight
Stay-at-home mom Julie Hadden was 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighed 218 pounds and by medical standards considered morbidly obese when she pleaded with God to help her lose weight. But she had no idea He would use the hit reality TV show The Biggest Loser to help rid her of both the physical and spiritual weights that controlled her life.
download mp3
one segment of the show or another.
reminded that my body had been created to worship him, and that my frame was intended to be strong.
with the God of the universe standing right by your side. “I’m with you in this struggle,” He’d remind me, “and with My help, you’re capable of making choices that are wise.”
Pentecostal Inmate Allowed to Preach Again
A New Jersey State Prison inmate has won back the right to
preach to his fellow prisoners.
Howard Thompson Jr., an ordained Pentecostal minister, had
been prohibited from preaching in 2007 when prison officials banned inmates
from preaching, even when supervised by prison staff.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on
Thompson’s behalf last year, arguing that the ban was unconstitutional. On
Monday, the group announced that it reached a settlement with prison officials
that allows Thompson to preach at weekly worship services and to teach Bible
study classes.
“The decision by prison officials in New Jersey to
allow Mr. Thompson to resume practicing his faith is a welcome acknowledgement
that religious freedom in this country extends to all,” said Daniel Mach,
director of litigation for the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.
“The ban on prisoner preaching was clearly at odds with the law and the
American value of religious liberty, and this decision was long overdue.”
Thompson, who was convicted of murder in 1985 and sentenced
to 30 years to life in prison, has been active in the prison’s Christian
community since his incarceration in 1986. Ordained in 2000, he preached at
Sunday services, taught Bible studies and founded the prison choir. Then two
years ago, prison officials issued a blanket ban on such preaching by
prisoners.
The ACLU said the prison’s chaplaincy staff actively
supported and encouraged Thompson’s ministry work, believing he was a positive
influence on other inmates.
Thompson said the ban kept him from fulfilling his ministry
calling, which he had done “honestly, effectively and without any incident for
years.”
“All I have ever wanted was to have my religious rights
restored so that I could continue working with men who want to renew their
lives through the study and practice of their faith,” Thompson said.
The settlement does not allow Thompson to lead services, but
permits him to preach with the consent of a prison chaplain or approved
volunteer. It also requires him to provide an outline of his sermon or Bible
study lesson to the chaplain or volunteer in advance for review and approval.
If approval is denied, Thompson must be given a written explanation of the
reason.
China Sentences House Church Leaders to Prison
Bypassing the court system, China arbitrarily sentenced five more leaders of the
Fushan Church in Linfen City, Shanxi Province, on Monday, this time to
re-education labor camps for two years, according to China Aid Association
(CAA).
A Chinese court last week sentenced five house
church leaders to three to seven years in prison after they were arrested en
route to Beijing to file a complaint about an attack on their church, according
to the advocacy organization. The five leaders sentenced to labor camps this
week were accused of “gathering people to disturb the public order” after they
organized a prayer rally of 1,000 people the day after military police and
others attacked their church members and building on Sept. 13.
Pastors Yang Rongli (left) and Wang
Xiaoguang, shown In this
image released by China Aid Association, were among 10 house church leaders sentenced to prison or hard labor in recent weeks.
In what CAA
termed “an arbitrary administrative sentence by the Public Security Bureau
enacted so the leaders would not be ‘required’ to go through the court and
prosecution system,” China delivered the verdicts to church leaders Li
Shuangping, Yang Hongzhen, Yang Caizhen (wife of Pastor Yang Xuan, who was
sentenced to three years of prison on Nov. 25), Gao Qin (also known as Gao
Fuqin), and Zhao Guoai.
“Yang Caizhen was seen
being beaten severely during an interrogation,” CAA said in a press statement.
“Having had one of her front teeth knocked out during a beating, and fasting and
praying during her detention, Ms. Yang is reported to look very
fragile.”
The church leaders, the
latter four women, were arrested on Nov. 11. They had helped to organize a
prayer rally after the Sept. 13 attack on the Fushan Church branch congregation
in Linfen, when some 400 uniformed police and civilians
bearing shovels, batons, bricks, iron hooks and other weapons had beaten members
of the church who were sleeping at the nearly finished factory building used as
a worship site.
With several Fushan County
officials involved in the attack, more than 30 Christians were seriously injured
among the 100 Christians who were hurt, CAA reported. According to
the Epoch
Times, a church member’s
relative obtained a license to build the shoe factory and was allowing the group
to meet there, as the church was growing too large to meet in homes and the
building could hold up to 400 people.
As Chinese authorities
had kept the families of Gao Qin and Zhao Guoai under tight surveillance, CAA
relied on church sources to confirm their sentences to labor camp. The
organization said family members had confirmed the sentences of the other
three.
“Linfen house church
Christians continue to be monitored by Chinese military police, including
neighboring Golden Lampstand Church (Jin Dongtai) in Linfen City,” CAA
stated.
The organization said
authorities violated Chinese law by refusing to provide family members of the
prisoners with copies of documents notifying them of the sentences.
All 10 of the Fushan
Church leaders plan to appeal their sentences, according to
CAA.
“To arbitrarily send
five innocent citizens to labor camps is in direct violation against the
international human rights covenants and norms the Chinese government has signed
and even ratified,” said CAA President Bob Fu.
The
five pastors previously sentenced were
arrested on Sept. 25 without a warrant, according to CAA. Yang Rongli was sent
to prison for seven years for “illegally occupying farming land” and “disturbing
transportation order by gathering masses.”
She and four other
pastors were sentenced on Nov. 25 at the People’s Court of Raodu
district, Linfen City, Shanxi Province. Yang’s husband, Wang Xiaoguang, was handed a sentence of
three years on the charge of “illegally occupying farming
land.” Cui Jiaxing was sentenced to four and
half years, and Yang Xuan to three and half years, on the same charge; Zhang
Huamei received four years of prison for “disturbing transportation order by
gathering masses.”
The pastors were arrested by
Shanxi Province officers of the Public Security Bureau
(PSB). Fu characterized their trial as a farce,
saying the case demonstrated a deteriorating state of religious freedom in
China.
Yang Rongli and Wang
Xiaoguang had led the Fushan Church, part of a
50,000-strong house church network in Linfen and the surrounding villages, for
more than 30 years.
The Beijing PSB has misrepresented the demolition
and attack on the Linfen branch church as a response to a “violent uprising,” Fu
said.
I’ll Have My Pollo with Perro, Por Favor
I tell my friends in Latin America that my Spanish is peligroso—dangerous.
Here’s why.
I took three semesters of Spanish in college and spent
hours practicing conversation with a Nicaraguan immigrant a few years ago. But
when I travel in Latin America these days, my mantra is: Mi español es muy
peligroso. My Spanish is very dangerous.
On my first visit to Guatemala, for example, I discovered
its most popular fast-food restaurant, Pollo Campero. It means “country
chicken,” and (with apologies to KFC) it is the moistest, tastiest, most
delectable fried chicken on the planet. You will smell it on flights from
Guatemala to Miami because people like to take boxes of it to relatives.
| “Please don’t be intimidated by people who speak another language, or judge them because they are different. God may want to use you to build a bridge.” |
But when I told my Guatemalan friends how much I loved
the restaurant, they looked shocked. That’s because instead of saying Pollo
Campero I said Pollo con Perro. Very similar pronunciation, but the
latter means “chicken with dog.” Yuck! Or as my Hispanic friends say, “¡Asqueroso!”
It gets worse. Once when I was in Venezuela with a group
of ministers, our hosts took one of the women speakers to a churrasquería,
a restaurant that specializes in piling your plate with multiple pounds of
grilled meats including lamb, beef, sausage, pork and chicken. When the lady
came back to the hotel I wanted to say, in Spanish, “You had a lot of meat.”
What I told her, in front of seven horrified friends, was that she was fat.
¡Mi español es muy peligroso!
I’ve heard countless embarrassing stories of how Spanish
has been misused in sermons by American speakers, and some I can’t repeat here.
Once an evangelist visiting Peru exhorted an audience to lift their hands in
worship. He should have said, “¡Levante sus manos!” Instead he
exclaimed, “¡Levante sus monos!” which means, “Lift up your monkeys!” (I
am sure the worship was especially joyful that morning.)
Another time a visiting speaker asked all the adúlteros,
or adulterers, to come to the altar as he concluded his message. He became
frustrated when no one moved, so he turned to the bewildered host pastor and
asked why the people weren’t responding. Finally, after one man walked
sheepishly to the pulpit with his head bowed, the host pastor explained that
the speaker meant to ask for all the adultos, or adults, to move to the
front. Oops! (I hope the repentant man received prayer.)
Language is tricky, and it can create insurmountable
barriers between people. Yet I have found that even though I make a lot of
goofy mistakes in Spanish, the Holy Spirit is eager to help me communicate even
when culture stands in my way.
I have recently started mentoring a young man from
Guatemala through e-mail. I know this is not the ideal way to disciple a young
Christian, especially when he speaks no English and I speak “dangerous”
Spanish. Yet with the help of Google Translate and other online translation
programs, I have been able to send him encouraging messages and helpful advice.
And now his brother-in-law is asking for similar input from me. Somehow the
love of God is able to transcend every wall.
My correspondence with my friend Luis is not perfect, I
will admit. Recently when he wrote to me and I ran his message through the
translation program, he closed his letter by saying, “I love you, potato.”
(What he actually said was, “I love you, papa.”) I knew what he meant. Those
little errors are not going to stop me from pouring my life into someone who
might one day change a nation.
This is really the essence of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit
was poured out on a world that had become a Babel of confusion, division and
isolation. Yet through Pentecost’s miraculous burst of supernatural languages,
God made it clear that He would reach every tribe, tongue and nation with the
gospel of Christ.
Eventually the apostle Peter dared to venture into an
Italian house, even though he had been brought up by a kosher Jewish mother and
taught to stay away from foreigners. I am sure Cornelius and his immigrant
relatives preferred Latin over Hebrew. Yet the Spirit fell on them all (see
Acts 10:44-45) when Peter brought the gospel. It wasn’t long before Italian
converts showed up in Rome, worshipping in a church in Caesar’s household.
Wherever the Spirit moves, barriers are torn down. Please don’t be
intimidated by people who speak another language, or judge them because
they are different. God may want to use you to build a bridge.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. You can find him on Twitter at
leegrady.
You Will Be Like Him!
1 John 2:18-3:6 When we went to India in 1980, I met a young man who I had a hard time loving. He was a manipulator, and I did not care for his mode of operation. During our visit to India I managed to be civil toward this young pastor, but it was not easy. Frankly on many occasions I wanted to tell him off, but the Holy Spirit helped me hold my tongue.
Upon our return from India, I was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and I said to the Lord, “Lord, I don’t think I can look forward to seeing this young Indian man in heaven because I just simply do not like him. Then I heard the Lord speak to my heart the following: “When you get to heaven and see this young man, you will simply love him because he will be just like Me.”
There are probably people you know today whom you are not looking forward to seeing in heaven. The words I received on that day in the kitchen offer wonderful hope. What is even a better hope is that I too will be like Jesus. This means all my character flaws, insensibilities and lack of love will be replaced by His perfect love. JOY!! Listen to John’s words in our reading today: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).
Knowing I will be like Jesus when I see Him face to face does not give me an excuse to sin willfully here on earth. On the contrary, I am challenged to lean more upon His righteousness and perfect love than ever by daily abiding in Him. Only by abiding in Him will I be able to purify myself. I’m not that good, but He is!! GLORY!!
Lord, help me to love everyone with Your love as I live out my days here on earth. I blow it so often, but You are the perfect One who can help me daily to not sin in my heart. My heart is to love as You love, and I know this will only happen as I daily abide in You. Your love far exceeds any I would have to offer anyone.
READ: Daniel 9:1-10:21; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28
Same-Sex Marriage Bill Advances in D.C.
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The Washington, D.C., City Council on Tuesday approved a first reading of a bill to legalize gay marriage in the nation’s capital.
The measure, passed in an 11-2 vote, must be approved in a second vote in two weeks in order for the bill to be sent to Democratic Mayor Adrian M. Fenty for his signature. Fenty has expressed support for the measure.
The bill would be subject to a 30-day congressional review period before becoming law. If the measure were approved, the District of Columbia would join five states in allowing same-sex marriage.
Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, the ranking member of the subcommittee that has oversight over district laws, said the bill would be difficult to derail in Congress with Democrats who support homosexual marriage in the majority.
“I think traditional marriage is a winning issue, but the Democrats right now have the House and the Senate and the presidency, and they will be using a lot of procedural things to actually block such a vote in the Congress,” Chaffetz told CBN News Tuesday. “I want to be realistic and I want to be optimistic, but our ability to actually overturn this in the Congress is going to be very limited.”
A cross-section of faith leaders known as the Stand4Marriage DC Coalition have for months been petitioning to put marriage to a vote. But last month the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics rejected their petition for a citizens’ initiative seeking to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
The coalition filed suit in Washington, D.C., Superior Court to reverse the board’s decision. Gay marriage bans have passed in all 31 states that have put the issue to a vote.
“To deny the people their fundamental right to vote on such an important issue as the definition of marriage in our society is simply appalling,” said Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church in suburban Washington and chairman of the Stand4MarriageDC Coalition.
Marion Barry and Yvette M. Alexander were the only city council members to vote against the bill. Barry, who earlier this year supported same-sex marriage, said he opposed the bill because his constituents reject gay marriage, the Washington Post reported.
“I stand here today to express in no uncertain terms my strong commitment to the gay and lesbian, bisexual, transgender community on almost every issue except this one,” Barry said.
He said the council should have authorized a referendum on the issue.
Council member Harry Thomas Jr., who supported the bill, said he had to stand up “for the least of those among us” even though many of his constituents also oppose same-sex marriage, the Post reported.
While not formally involved in the Washington, D.C., marriage battle, more than 150 Christian leaders issued a joint declaration last month reaffirming their opposition to abortion and gay marriage, and pledging to protect religious freedoms.
In a 4,700-word document called The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience, the leaders said they will not “bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriage or the equivalent or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family.”
Signatories include 15 Roman Catholic bishops, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, Princeton University professor Robert George, National Association of Evangelicals President Leith Anderson, and a host of seminary leaders and pastors.
Another 150,000 people signed on to the document within a week after its release.
Bible Translators Join in Fight Against AIDS
A Florida-based ministry known for its Bible translation work has taken aim at addressing one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises: AIDS.
For the last four years, Wycliffe Bible Translators has been educating African communities about the devastating impact of AIDS, which has orphaned some 14 million children in sub-Saharan Africa alone. So far, teams have translated Kande’s Story, an AIDS awareness curriculum, into 90 languages in 12 African nations, including Kenya, Mozambique, Zaire, Cameroon and Congo.
“Surprisingly, Bible translation-and the language development that is foundational to it-can be a starting point for solutions to some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian issues,” said Kathie Watters, coordinator of Wycliffe’s AIDS Education Program in Africa.
Watters, a registered nurse and linguist, experienced the devastation of AIDS firsthand. While Watters was working in Cameroon as a Bible translator, her friend and housekeeper died of AIDS. As a result Watters helped develop Kande’s Story, which tells the true story of a girl whose parents die of AIDS, leaving her to care for a houseful of orphans.
The curriculum, which includes an audio version of Kande’s Story, uses the story as a springboard for discussing medical facts about HIV/AIDS and Bible study lessons related to sexual purity, compassion and caring for the sick.
Translated in areas where Wycliffe’s Bible translation work already is under way, the materials often are the first local-language AIDS education resources the communities have had, Watters said.
She believes literacy is key in fighting HIV/AIDS, which is a leading cause of death in most African nations. According the World Health Organization, roughly 5 percent of the adult population in sub-Saharan Africa is HIV-positive.
“It’s the gap in the whole AIDS education [process] that I think Wycliffe is uniquely positioned to fill,” Watters told Charisma. “Some people say they’ve heard the information in English or French, but they never really understood it until they heard it in their own language.”
Watters said one pastor in the Congo thought he could contract AIDS by touching people with the disease or going into their rooms. “Now, I know I can go there and I won’t get AIDS,” Watters said the pastor told her. “And I see I should be going there and talking with them and telling them to talk to God about their distress.”
In Cameroon, a man said he thought AIDS was just a conspiracy concocted in the West. But after hearing Kande’s Story in his language, he told Watters he believed AIDS was real and planned to get tested. “And we see that many places,” she said.
Watters said AIDS still carries a stigma in Africa, and many Christians are often reluctant to reach out.
“Even in the church, many of those people [with AIDS] are thrown out, rejected,” Watters said. “In Kande’s Story, people see a model of how the people reached out to these children. That’s reinforced by the Bible studies, where they see … how Jesus was compassionate toward lepers-people in that time who were stigmatized by their disease.”
After just the first lesson, Watters said a community in Kenya formed what they call the good neighbor society. “They started caring for people with AIDS and prayed with them and read Scripture to them,” she said. “Like the church did in Kande’s Story, they reached out to orphans and helped them.”
The AIDS education materials are also being used as part of an adult literacy program in Ethiopia, and there has been talk of broadcasting audio versions of the story on FM stations.
Trans World Radio may adapt Kande’s Story into a radio broadcast in the Burundian language, Watters said, and there are plans to expand the materials into more nations and languages next year.
Same-Sex Marriage Bill Advances in D.C.
The Washington, D.C., City
Council on Tuesday approved a first reading of a bill to legalize gay marriage
in the nation’s capital.
The measure, passed in an 11-2
vote, must be approved in a second vote in two weeks in order for the bill to
be sent to Democratic Mayor Adrian M. Fenty for his signature. Fenty has
expressed support for the measure.
The bill would be subject to a
30-day congressional review period before becoming law. If the measure were
approved, the District of Columbia would join five states in allowing same-sex
marriage.
Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz
of Utah, the ranking member of the subcommittee that has oversight over
district laws, said the bill would be difficult to derail in Congress with Democrats
who support homosexual marriage in the majority.
“I think traditional marriage is a winning issue, but the Democrats right
now have the House and the Senate and the presidency, and they will be using a
lot of procedural things to actually block such a vote in the Congress,” Chaffetz
told CBN News Tuesday. “I want to be realistic and I want to be optimistic, but
our ability to actually overturn this in the Congress is going to be very
limited.”
A cross-section of faith leaders
known as the Stand4Marriage DC Coalition have for months been petitioning to
put marriage to a vote. But last month the District of Columbia Board of
Elections and Ethics rejected their petition for a citizens’ initiative seeking
to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
The coalition filed suit in
Washington, D.C., Superior Court to reverse the board’s decision. Gay marriage
bans have passed in all 31 states that have put the issue to a vote.
“To deny the people their
fundamental right to vote on such an important issue as the definition of
marriage in our society is simply appalling,” said Bishop Harry Jackson,
pastor of Hope Christian Church in suburban Washington and chairman of the
Stand4MarriageDC Coalition.
Marion Barry and Yvette M.
Alexander were the only city council members to vote against the bill. Barry,
who earlier this year supported same-sex marriage, said he opposed the bill
because his constituents reject gay marriage, the Washington Post
reported.
“I stand here today to
express in no uncertain terms my strong commitment to the gay and lesbian,
bisexual, transgender community on almost every issue except this one,”
Barry said.
He said the council should have
authorized a referendum on the issue.
Council
member Harry Thomas Jr., who supported the bill, said he had to stand up “for
the least of those among us” even though many of his constituents also oppose
same-sex marriage, the Post reported.
While not formally involved in
the Washington, D.C., marriage battle, more than 150 Christian leaders issued a
joint declaration last month reaffirming their opposition to abortion and gay
marriage, and pledging to protect religious freedoms.
In a 4,700-word document called The
Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience, the leaders said
they will not “bend to any rule purporting to
force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriage or the
equivalent or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality
and immorality and marriage and the family.”
Signatories include 15 Roman
Catholic bishops, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, Princeton
University professor Robert George, National Association of Evangelicals President Leith
Anderson, and a host of seminary leaders and pastors.
Another 150,000 people signed on to the document
within a week after its release.
Julie Hadden’s Spiritual Journey With Weight Loss
Stay-at-home mom Julie Hadden was 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighed 218 pounds and was obese by medical standards when she pleaded with God to help her lose weight. She had no idea He would use the hit reality-TV show The Biggest Loser to help rid her of both the physical and spiritual weights that controlled her was able to shed the pounds and regain her self-esteem.
She shares her story and tells about being a contestant on season four (2007) in her new book, Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining My Worth (click here to purchase). To hear her inspiring testimony, listen to our podcast.
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