Muslim Brotherhood Hostility Towards Christians Worsens, Claims Evangelical Leader

Rev. Refaat Fikri, Chairman of the Media Board of the Evangelical Synod, revealed that the situation of Copts under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood is getting worse, and it is expected to become increasingly worse with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

Rev. Fikri commended the sentencing of Abu Islam to 11 years in prison on charges of contempt of Christianity, incitement to strife and disturbing the public security, but he noted he has reservations that the judgment was not final and can be challenged and refuted.
Rev. Fikri called for justice in all issues of blasphemy, whether against Christianity or Islam.
"The verdict did not make Abu Islam retract his provocative and hostile remarks, and he attacked the church and Copts over a telephone call with a TV program yesterday," Rev. Fikri told Mideast Christian News.
Commenting on the Islamists' threats to Copts to dissuade them from participating in the demonstrations on June 30, which demand overthrowing President Mohamed Morsi, Rev. Fikri noted that the threats target all Egyptians, including Copts who are a part of Egyptian society, to foil the demonstrations.

"The Egyptian people have proved that they have a lot of rebels that will not pay attention to such threats,"

Rev. Fikri wished success for the demonstrations scheduled for June 30 to bring about real change, and is hoping that they do not turn violent.
Culled from Christina Post

Pope Encourages Unity Among Catholics and Evangelicals, Stresses Unity in Body of Christ

 

The Pope addressed unity within the Catholic Church and other Christian communities during his series of weekly talks on the nature of the Church.
"How much damage is caused to the Church by divisions among Christians, by being apart, by narrow interests," said the Pope in his weekly address. "The divisions among us, but also the division between the communities: evangelical Christians, Orthodox Christians, Catholic Christians: why are we divided?"
He encouraged his audience to pray and work for unity within the Body of Christ. He also illustrated the relationship between Christ and his church.
"The image of the body helps us to understand this deep bond between Church and Christ," he said. "The image should be a reminder that as members of the Church we must allow Christ to work through us, he added, noting that "being part of the Church means being united to Christ and receiving from him the divine life that makes us to live as Christians."
He even cited the words of St. Paul, explaining how he observed that the body has many different parts.
"There is no dull uniformity but the richness of the gifts that the Holy Spirit distributes," he continued.
The Pope stressed that believers must learn to overcome selfishness and divisions and touched on the importance of remaining in union with the Pope and the diocesan bishop, along with avoiding conflicts with other members of the Church.
He concluded speaking to his midday audience by touring St. Peter's Square in the popemobile. While riding around he stopped and invited a down syndrome man into the vehicle to sit in his seat. The man, Alberto di Tullio, caught the Pope's attention with the soccer jersey he was wearing as it belonged to the Pontiff's native Argentina.

Pope Francis: 'Scandalous' That Millions Are still Starving; Economic Crisis No Excuse

Pope Francis has spoken out against the hunger crisis that millions of people around the world still face, saying that it is "truly scandalous" that in this day and age more isn't being done to help them, noting that the global economic crisis cannot be used as an excuse for inactivity.

"It is a well-known fact that current levels of production are sufficient, yet millions of people are still suffering and dying of starvation. This is truly scandalous," the Roman Catholic Church leader said in a speech on Thursday before 400 participants at the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization Conference.
"A way has to be found to enable everyone to benefit from the fruits of the earth, and not simply to close the gap between the affluent and those who must be satisfied with the crumbs falling from the table, but above all to satisfy the demands of justice, fairness and respect for every human being."
The pontiff said that the purpose of the meeting was to "share the idea that something more can and must be done" to help the poor, and that they need more than simply goodwill and promises that often have not been kept.
According to world hunger statistics, 33 percent of the earth's population is considered to be starving. Close to 1.5 million children die from hunger every year, and as many as 98 percent of people who live in developing countries do not have enough to eat.
In his speech, Pope Francis also reminded the audience of the well-known parable in the Bible of the Good Samaritan.

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"He is not prompted by philanthropy or the fact that he has money at his disposal, but by a desire to identify with the person he helps: he wants to share his lot. Indeed, after providing for the man's care, he announces that he will return to inquire after his health. What is involved here is more than mere compassion or perhaps a desire to share or to promote a reconciliation which can overcome differences and disagreements. It is a willingness to share everything and to decide to be Good Samaritans, instead of people who are indifferent to the needs of others," he continued.
The Vatican leader argued that the current global crisis cannot be used as an alibi for not helping people. "The crisis will not be completely over until situations and living conditions are examined in terms of the human person and human dignity," he said.
Pope Francis also promised that the Catholic Church and all of her structures and institutions are fully committed to aiding the fight against world hunger.
The Catholic leader has concerned himself heavily with the fate of the poor throughout his ministry, and has spoken out on the issue many times since being elected to the papacy earlier this year.
Earlier in June, the pointiff criticized those who are more concerned with the Stock Market rather than starving children and homeless people dying on the streets.
"If in so many parts of the world there are children who have nothing to eat, that's not news, it seems normal. It cannot be this way! Yet these things become the norm: that some homeless people die of cold on the streets is not news. In contrast, a ten point drop on the stock markets of some cities, is a tragedy. A person dying is not news, but if the stock markets drop ten points it is a tragedy! Thus people are disposed of, as if they were trash," the pope said.
Culled from Christian Post

Another Nigerian Pastor Killed By Gunmen In Borno

Fleeing members of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, on Thursday attacked a Mobile Police transit camp located in Limankara village, Borno State, killing many people.
The pastor of a local church was said to be among those killed by the gunmen that attacked the village.
The violent sect had last week killed 22 people including pupils and fishermen in a revenge attack in Maiduguri where the offensive against them by Special Forces had reduced their attacks to the minimum.
Some gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members had attacked fishermen, local tea sellers and some residents at Alau River near Maiduguri where they killed some people.
The insurgents also attacked a private school, Ansarudeen Private Primary and Secondary School at Jajeri, a surbub of Maiduguri, where they killed seven pupils writing the National Examination Council examination and two teachers.
Limankara, a farming border community between Borno and Adamawa, was said to be a safe haven for residents of Gwoza in Borno, who fled from the ongoing military onslaught on members of the sect.
The community is 10 kilometres (six miles) from Gwoza, which has a Mobile Police Training School.
The refugees were said to be waiting for the security situation in Gwoza to normalise before going back to their homes when they were attacked in Limankara.
Though the report could not be confirmed because telephone services had been cut in the three north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the Executive Director of Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, told our correspondent on Friday that an authoritative source confirmed the incident to him.
Lipdo said, “Reports say that Limankara community at Borno/Adamawa border was attacked by men of Boko Haram on Thursday. Sources said some people were killed during the attack. One of those killed was a pastor in the community.
“Many had fled the killings in Gwoza to settle in Limankara awaiting military victory over Boko Haram.”
The police could not be reached for reactions as calls to the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, did not go through.

Nigerian Christians Faults Jonathan’s comment on killings

The Christian Association of Nigeria has faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s stance on Boko Haram insurgency in the North, insisting that the sect has attacked and killed more Christians than Muslims.

The President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, through his Special Assistant, Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Kenny Ashaka, said it was difficult to believe that the President made such a statement, since it had become public knowledge that Christians had been at the receiving end of the terrorists’ attacks.

Oritsejafor challenged the authorities to provide figures of Muslims who had died as a result of Boko Haram attacks and compare it with the over 2,000 Christians that had been killed by the sect.

He said, “Well, I won’t want to believe that President Jonathan said that. But if we verify that he actually said that more Muslims had died in Boko Haram attacks than Christians, we will respond to him appropriately. But everybody knows that Boko Haram has been targeting Christians. Have you heard of any mosque that was either bombed or burnt by Boko Haram? I’ve only heard of Boko Haram attacking people coming out of the mosque. Those are targeted people – Muslims who are not sympathetic to Boko Haram.

“It is on record that more than 2,000 Christians have been killed by Boko Haram. Have you heard Islamic leader talking about Muslim casualties the way we have been shouting? Anybody saying that should bring out the figures of Muslims that have died in this crisis. I believe the onus of proof lies on the people propagating such misinformation.”

He added that the sect had made it clear from the outset that they were targeting security agents; some Muslims, who give them out; and Christians.

Also, Christians in the North has vented their anger on the President over his comment.

They said if the comment credited to the President were correct, then it was unfortunate that the President will utter such “unpardonable statement.”

The spokesman of CAN in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Sunday Oibe, in a statement on Saturday in Kaduna, insisted that the statement was unfortunate and an attempt by the President to distort facts.

At the opening session of a meeting with the Honorary International Investor Council led by Baroness Lynda Chalker at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, President Jonathan said the unfolding events in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states had confirmed his belief that religion was not the cause of the insurgencies in the country.

He attributed the insecurity in the country to the activities of “internationally-backed terror groups,” adding that “People thought the insurgency is about religious issues but the pattern of attacks shows clearly that it has nothing to do with religion. Just as there are threats to churches, so also are threats to mosques. They attack everywhere, killing Muslims and Christians. Even more Muslims have died in the conflict than Christians have.”

Church links absence of religious studies to unrest in Nigeria

THE cause of insecurity, corruption and other degenerative behaviours found among the people have been linked to the non-inclusion of religious studies in the nation’s educational system.
This was the view of the President of North Western Nigeria Union of Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Nigeria, Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi, who said the absence of God from the classrooms has resulted in the steady decadence that is currently taking the nation into the abyss of indiscipline and underdevelopment.
Owolabi, who was speaking on state of the nation, said, “early missionaries introduced the concept of God and the dignity of man into the classroom, which gave birth to great names like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, whose legacies are indelible in the history of Nigeria, saying no sooner their generation passed away than the new leadership forcefully removed religion out of the nation’s educational system.”
He said: “the void thus created by the removal of morning devotional and prayer sessions from school schedules is subsequently filled by violence, corruption and wanton indiscipline that has resulted to a total loss of honesty, integrity and insecurity.”
The cleric observed that since this has gone from one generation to another, unless Nigerians turn around from their evil ways, nothing good will come out of the nation.

Catholic faithful protest alleged imposition of Bishop

Economic and social activities were grounded in Ahiara, Ahiazu Local Council in Imo State, last Thursday, following a wide protest embarked upon by some Catholic faithful in the area over the appointment of Monsignor Peter Opkaleke as the Bishop-elect of the Ahiara Mbaise Diocese.
Included in the protest were some priests who insisted that the consecration scheduled to hold on May 24 should be cancelled and called for an indigene of the area to be appointed bishop.
Some of the placards carried read: “No ordination of Opkaleke. Awka has five bishops. Mbaise has no bishop. Mbaise unequivocally rejects Opkaleke. We reject injustice. We want Mbaise bishop.”
President of the Ahiara Diocesan Priests Association (ADPA), Rev. Fr. Austin Benedine Ekechukwu and Rev. Fr. Dominic N. Ekweariri, as well as top priests in the body, said the appointment was unique in pastoral realities, adding that the people had right to reject anyone imposed on them.