Saturday 29 November 2008

PRAY FOR THAILAND AND CONGO




Pray for Thailand and the Congo
Two separate uprisings have prompted Church of God World Missions to issue prayer alerts.
In the Congo, an uprising on the border near Uganda threatens Church of God congregations and members. Though no specific reports of harm to our pastors or destruction of churches has been verified, the danger is very real.
In Thailand a protest has resulted in the takeover of the Thai airport. One of our missionaries, Harold McLeod, who is Superintendent of the Church of God in that region, is among thousands who has been trapped in the airport for several hours.
During this time of Thanksgiving, please pray for peaceful resolutions to both of these conflicts and the safety of our contituents.

WE PRAY AND SALUTE FOR THESE DARING OFFICERS WHO HAVE LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR OUR SAFETY




ASOK KAMTE - Daring, but with an exceptionally cool head made Ashok Kamte an excellent negotiator in crisis situations -- a quality for which he was summoned late Wednesday night to deal with terrorists holed up in Mumbai buildings.
Kamte, a 1989 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, who died fighting terrorists near Mumbai's Metro cinema, was one of the brightest of his batch, and one of the few officers who dared to take on challenges directly.
Having undergone special training for negotiating hostage situations, Kamte was chosen to tackle one of the worst crisis faced by the financial capital of the country.
The Mumbai Police specially summoned him to undertake the operation at Metro Cinema near Cama Hospital in the city where he laid down his life fighting terrorists along with encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in Mumbai, Kamte was a key officer in the state police. He had also served as the Commissioner of Solapur where he became a hero among locals.
With over 400 fans on his Orkut profile, Kamte enjoyed a lot of respect during his tenure at Solapur.
"A cop that turned Solapur from a wrong city to the right one. The person who every responsible Solapurkar liked and loved. This community has been created to pay the respect and gratitude that he deserves," wrote one person on the social networking web site.
Survived by his wife and two children, Kamte had a panache for body building during his college days. His friends at the IPS academy also remember him as a great athlete and one of the brightest cadets of his batch.
HEMANT KARKARE - Hemant Karkare (c. 1954 – 26 November 2008) was the chief of the Mumbai Anti Terrorist Squad. He was killed during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks after being hit in his chest by three bullets fired by terrorists.
Karkare was a 1982 batch IPS officer (see 1982 photo as fresh recruit and also held a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur. As an ATS Chief, he was involved in the Malegaon blast probe and naxalite-infested Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
Mr.Karkare had solved the serial bomb blasts in Thane, Vashi and Panvel and was also credited for the stunning revelations in the investigation of the September 29 blast in Malegaon. In January 2008, he was named the head of the ATS after returning to the state cadre. He was credited for helping to uncover the stunning revelations that came about in the investigation of the September 29th blast in Malegaon in which three bombs exploded in Gujarat and Maharashtra of India, killing eight people and injuring 80 (two bombs were detonated in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing seven). Despite his credible work on the case, his work on the investigation received major criticism from several political organizations after the ATS insinuated that political groups might have been behind the attacks.he is known for his discipline and fair investiga also worked in the R.A.W ( Research and Analysis Wing) -- the India's external intelligence agency -- in Austria for seven years.

VIJAY SALASKAR - Vijay Salaskar (died November 26, 2008) was an Indian police officer with the Mumbai Police. An encounter specialist, he was killed while fighting terrorists in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Before his death he was heading the Anti-Extortion Cell, Mumbai.
Salaskar, an M Com from Mumbai University, had joined the force as a sub inspector. He had been believed to kill around 75 dreaded criminals in police encounters. After being out of the spotlight for quite sometime, the encounter specialist was given the plum posting of heading the anti-extortion wing of the crime branch.
He was also known for his professional animosity against Arun Gawli, a notorious gangster turned politician from Mumbai.
It is worth quoting his beliefs he talked about in his interview with Pritish Nandy.When asked, "How did you acquire this reputation as a sharpshooter, an encounter specialist?", his response was, "Frankly, I do not see myself in any such role. But people see me as that. The media sees me as that. Gradually perhaps I am coming to accept myself in the role. Though I must confess, I do not like such a reputation. It unnecessarily creates a bad impression, particularly among human rights activists. They feel I am a trigger-happy policeman. Famous for killing others. I do not enjoy having such a reputation, sir. I just do my job."
Worthwhile to know was one more answer to the question, "How does it feel to kill a man, looking him in the eye?", to which he had said, "In a shootout, no one has time for such niceties. Either you kill or you get killed. I am plain lucky to still be alive. In this job, you know, we take one day at a time. Who can predict what tomorrow will bring?"
These were his words in March, 1999. On November 26, 2008, Salaskar died during the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
SANDEEP UNNIKRISHNAN - Being in the forefront of the National Security Guards operations at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan not only waged a valiant battle against the terrorists but also did his best to save his injured colleagues and in the bargain lost his life. He showed the real warrior in him before laying down his life.
Thirty-one-year-old Major Sandeep is the only son of retired ISRO officer K. Unnikrishnan, who is settled in Bangalore.
His father told presspersons: “I lost my son in Mumbai on Friday. Though I do not like to call him a martyr, I can proudly say that he has done something for this country.”
He was informed of the death of his son by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (National Security Guards).
According to information reaching the family, “Major Sandeep was leading a team and during the operations two of his colleagues sustained bullet injuries. In a bid to save them Sandeep turned back. The bullets fired by the terrorists pierced him. On November 26, he had called us and said that one of his childhood friends is getting married in the city on December 17. He had planned to attend that marriage,” Mr. Unnikrishnan said.
Major Sandeep was ambitious, talented and a brave soul, said his friends and neighbours. He joined the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the Bihar 7th Regiment in 1999.
He was drafted to the NSG after his gallantry was recognised,” Kiran Srivasthav, a childhood friend of Major Sandeep told The Hindu.
According to Anirudh Uppal, Inspector-General (Headquarters) National Security Guards (NSG), Major Sandeep had exposure to counter insurgency operations after having served in Jammu and Kashmir for two terms.
He was deputed to the NSG on January 20, 2007 and participated in various operations conducted by the elite force.
The gallant officer of the team commander of 51 SAG was deployed to clear Hotel Taj Mahal of extremists on November 27.
He led the team from the front and engaged the terrorists in a fierce gunfight. When one of the NSG commandos was injured in the exchange of fire, he arranged for his evacuation and regardless of personal safety chased the terrorists who, meanwhile, escaped to another floor of the hotel, and while doing so Major Sandeep continuously engaged them. In the encounter that followed, he was seriously injured and succumbed to injuries.

GAJENDER SINGH - In New Delhi, it was a solemn moment as senior officers of the NSG, the Indian Army and the paramilitary forces paid tributes Gajender Singh, who was killed in a gunbattle with terrorists in Mumbai’s Nariman House Friday.
The body of Singh, who is survived by his wife, was flown in a special aircraft to his hometown Dehradun in Uttarakhand Saturday for the funeral.
Priyanka Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, told reporters at Gajender Singh’s funeral: “I condole the death of those killed in the Mumbai terror attack and my heart goes to the security personnel who laid down their life battling terrorists.”
“The nation is reacting to it unitedly and we should take a resolution to fight against terror. I have also lost someone to terrorism,” she told reporters after casting her vote.

JEWISH RABBI AND HIS FAMILY DIED IN THE NARIMAN HOUSE OPERATION,MUMBAI


MUMBAI - A peace-loving centre for Jews from around the world to take rest, pray and learn about the religion is how Nariman House has been described by leading Jews in the city.
Mumbai’s Jewish community united in prayer for Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, his wife Rivka — they were among those killed by the terrorists — and other Jews held hostage inside the House.
Nariman House, also Chabad House, is the headquarters of the ultra-orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Hasidic Jews. It has been housing Jewish travellers in Mumbai since 2003.
Many residents of Nariman House are Israelis travelling in India. It provides fully kosher food.
In an interview to an Israeli newspaper, Rabbi Holtzberg, who grew up in New York had earlier said the centre helped many young Jews who “need relief” from their time in the army.
The Consul General of Israel in Mumbai, Orna Sagiv, said: “It functions as a social group and many Jews from Mumbai go there on Fridays. The Jews staying there are either backpacking travellers or businessmen. Nariman House is a nice place for them to go to and be with people from their own community,” Sagiv told Hindustan Times before receiving news of their deaths.
“I know Rabbi Holtzberg well and his lovely wife and their child. They are nice people. It is a very worrying time and we are just waiting and praying.”
The chairman of a Jewish charitable trust, who knew Rabbi Holtzberg well, said the entire Jewish community here — about 5,000 — was praying.
“He was one of the finest human beings I knew,” said chairman of Sir Jacob Sassoon Charity Trust based in Warren Road and city’s leading Jewish community figure Solomon Sophar.
“The Rabbi gave Jews coming from Israel and elsewhere a place to stay and, importantly a place to be able to pray. He was doing his duty to God and to man. He was not preaching to outsiders and, as our religion states, did not try to convert others from outside the religion.”

Friday 28 November 2008

GOD ONCE AGAIN WELCOME ON LICENSE PLATES IN INDIANA


INDIANA - God is welcome once again on personalized license plates in Indiana.
Ron Stiver, commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, said Tuesday he is reversing a recently adopted agency policy that had barred the mention of religion or a deity, ending a monthlong controversy that had resulted in a lawsuit.
The short-lived policy was "well-intended and legally defensible," Stiver said. "At the end of the day, it comes down to what makes the most common sense."
The answer, he said, was to revert to the previous policy, in which a committee of BMV employees weighs each request for a personalized license plate, deciding whether the plate "carries a connotation offensive to good taste and decency or would be misleading."
That wording, he said, "sufficed before; it should suffice now."
The BMV didn't think so in December 2007 when, in reviewing 230 of its policies, it decided to be more specific by adopting a new rule allowing the agency to bar plates that referred to drugs, alcohol, bodily functions and parts, political parties, violence, race, gender, religion or a deity.
The policy struck some as particularly perplexing because one of Indiana's official license plates, which is used on more than 2 million vehicles, states: "In God We Trust."
The new policy didn't go into effect until Nov. 6, and within days, the BMV was sued by Liz Ferris, a 36-year-old Cambridge City woman, who for several years had had license plates that read: "BE GODS."
This year, though, her plate -- like similar ones requested by more than 60 other Hoosiers -- was rejected because of the new policy. Ferris filed a federal lawsuit, saying her First Amendment rights to free speech were being violated.
Last week, the BMV decided to allow her and three other motorists who had appealed their rejections to keep their plates. But Ferris' attorney, Erik Stanley of the Alliance Defense Fund, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based group that advocates for religious liberty, said the lawsuit would continue.
Neither Ferris nor Stanley could be reached Tuesday to comment on whether they will now drop the lawsuit.
Stiver said that after deciding to let Ferris and the other three motorists keep their plates, he reviewed the policy in depth and decided to drop it.
He said a letter will be sent to the 60 other motorists whose plates mentioning God had been rejected but who had not appealed, giving them the chance to get the plates in 2009.
Dale Raber, a painter who lives in Southport, has had three personalized plates: "CALVARY," "ONE KING," and "GODS 4 US." He was encouraged to hear the BMV was changing its policy.
"I was really concerned we were losing our rights. It disturbed me," said Raber, 52. "I think this is going to make a lot of people more comfortable. I'm very glad they changed their minds."
The controversy was the first for the BMV -- once a frequent target of derision from taxpayers -- after considerable improvement in customer satisfaction since Stiver took the helm a couple of years ago. A new State Board of Accounts audit released Tuesday praised "extraordinary improvement from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in creating a controlled and secure business environment."

NEARLY 150 DEAD, 400 INJURED IN MUMBAI FIDAYEEN ATTACK: CHRISTIANS DECRY THE ATTACKS




Churches and Christian organisations in India have condemned terrorist attacks across Mumbai that have left 119 people dead and 300 injured.
Armed men took hundreds of tourists hostage in the Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Trident hotels late Wednesday night as part of a coordinated attack on India's financial capital. A number of hostages were freed from the Taj Mahal Palace on Thursday but it is believed that hostages are still being held at the Oberoi Trident.
An official with the National Council of Churches in India told Christian Today India that the group “condemns the heinous attacks and requests unity and peace at this time".
"As the country is going through a turbulent time, we request Churches and Christians in the country to join hands, to shed tears for the people of this nation. For peace and stability to prevail," he added.
Investigating officers say the terrorists were targeting foreigners, mainly Britons and Americans.
The Evangelical Fellowship of India expressed its “deep grief” at the attacks, which saw the gunmen open fire and launch grendades at locations across the city, including the two five-star hotels, the main railway station, a restaurant popular with tourists, and a hospital.
People take cover at the sound of gunfire outside The Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train...


EFI appeals to all sections to society to maintain calm and requests prayers for the family of those killed and injured,” said the organisation’s General Secretary, the Rev Dr Richard Howell.
Although a group of suspected Muslim extremists have claimed responsibility for the attacks, the president of Gospel for Asia, Dr K P Yohannan urged caution in laying blame with a particular group until a full investigation had been carried out.
"This is definitely a well-planned and executed incident to bring instability to the nation in the light of the national elections coming up," he said. "But I have real reservations about placing blame on the Muslims ... until there is a complete investigation of these horrible attacks, I am not ready to blame the Muslims. Anyone can take a Muslim name for their group."
Dr Yohannan said he was concerned that the attacks would spread to the rest of the country.
"India always treated foreigners with such respect and value," he said. "This is totally against the nature of Indians. The question is, will this spread over all the country?
"We know that only the Gospel of Christ can change human hearts, regardless of caste, race or religion. That is why we must pray for India at this time."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown assured a "vigorous response" to the attacks.
He said: "I have sent a message to Prime Minister Singh that the UK stands solidly with his government as they respond, and to offer all necessary help.
"Urgent action is under way to offer every possible protection to British citizens in the region."

LONDON BUSES DECLARING THE GOOD NEWS


LONDON, UK -- MEMO, a ministry dedicated to spreading the Good News on public transport networks in the UK for 125 years, has launched a new advertising campaign on London buses reassuring commuters of God's comfort in the midst of the global credit crunch.
According to a story written by Anne Thomas and posted on the UK website -- www.christiantoday.com -- the campaign that was launched on Monday, will see MEMO's ads displayed inside 200 buses throughout central London for the next four weeks.
They ask commuters if they feel "Crunched?" before quoting Luke 2.10 - 11, "Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you - This very day in Bethlehem your Saviour was born - Christ the Lord."
The MEMO comes just ahead of an ad campaign to be launched on London buses by the British Humanist Association in January, running with the provocative slogan, "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
"Amidst all the discouraging news in our nation at this time we trust that many will find peace and reassurance as they respond to the Good News that 'Christ the Lord' was born into this world 'for a time such as this'," said a spokesperson for MEMO.
"We invite Christians to pray that many will be challenged to respond in one way or another and will 'want to know more about God's message' for them personally at this time."

BLASTS IN MUMBAI, MANY KILLED AND INJURED: PLEASE DO PRAY FOR THEM

MUMBAI, INDIA -- Gunmen who arrived by boats launched attacks on at least seven locations in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday night, killing more than 120 people, authorities say.
CNN reported that Indian soldiers took position outside Chabad House, the scene of one the Mumbai attacks.
By Friday morning local time, authorities believed militants still were in two luxury hotels and a Jewish center in the city.
CNN said the following is what is known about the attacks:
Police said gunmen arrived by boats at the Mumbai waterfront near the Gateway of India monument on Wednesday night. The gunmen hijacked cars, including a police van, and split into at least three groups to carry out the attacks.
Authorities said one group headed toward the Cafe Leopold, a popular hangout for Western tourists, firing indiscriminately at passers-by on the street. The group then opened fire and lobbed grenades at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station.
CNN said that as police rushed to the scene of the attacks, gunmen attacked the Cama Hospital for women and infants. Several people were killed at the hospital, and a standoff there lasted until Thursday morning.
CNN reported that police said two other groups attacked the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels, taking hostages there.
Gunmen also took hostages at the Chabad House, where several Jewish families live, police said. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, the city's envoy for the community, was being held inside with his wife, a member of the Hasidic Jewish movement said. Gunmen and hostages still were believed to be in the house Friday morning.
CNN reported police said gunmen fired indiscriminately from the Chabad House. Stray bullets killed a couple in their home and a 16-year-old boy who stepped outside. Two women and a child escaped from the building Thursday, a government official said.
At the hotels, hostages or people who were trapped left at various times Thursday and Friday. Commandos entered both hotels, trying to flush out militants and rescue others.
CNN said that by Friday 12:30 a.m. local time, one gunman remained in the Taj hotel, and two others remained at the Oberoi hotel, the director-general of the National Security Guards said. At 1 a.m., one gunman was killed at the Oberoi hotel, the official said. He said he couldn't say for sure how many gunmen were still at the Oberoi.
An undetermined number of nonmilitants remained inside the hotels Friday morning, CNN reported NSG director-general J.K. Dutt said.
“There are some of them inside the rooms, and they are not prepared to open the doors,”he said. “Probably they are fearing that it might not be an innocent.”
CNN said fire fighters battled fires at both hotels. By early Friday, it appeared what had been a major fire at the Oberoi had been extinguished.
According to CNN, by Friday morning, 125 had been killed in the attacks, including at least six foreigners, authorities said. An Italian and a Briton were among the confirmed dead. Another 327 people were wounded, including seven Britons, three Americans and two Australians.
At least nine gunmen were killed in fighting with police by Friday morning. Also among the dead were 14 police officers and the chief of the Mumbai police anti-terror squad.
CNN's sister network in India, CNN-IBN, quoted police sources as saying there were about 26 gunmen.
CNN said authorities found 8 kilograms (17 pounds) of RDX, one of the most powerful kinds of military explosives, at a restaurant near the Taj, indicating that the attackers may have been planning more violence.
According to CNN, the Indian navy, stepping up patrols on the country's western coast after the attack, was questioning the crew of the MV Alpha, a ship detained with the help of the Indian coast guard, British authorities said. The authorities said they believe the attackers' boats came from this ship, and that they believe the ship is from Karachi, Pakistan. However, Karachi police said they have no evidence the attackers departed from their city.
CNN said several Indian news outlets have been reporting that a group called the Deccan Mujahideen e-mailed them to claim responsibility. Intelligence officials said little is known about the group. U.S. officials and security analysts said the sophistication of the attacks may indicate a more-established group is responsible.
CNN said state media Press Trust of India, citing Union Cabinet Minister Kapil Sibal, reported the gunmen had worked for months to prepare, even setting up “control rooms” in the two luxury hotels that were targeted.

Thursday 27 November 2008

20,000 MUSLIMS ATTACK A CHURCH IN CAIRO, TRAPPING THOUSAND CHRISTIAN WORSHIPPERS INSIDE


CAIRO, EGYPT -- Human rOne thousand Christians were today trapped inside the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in West Ain Shams, Cairo, after more than twenty thousand Muslims attacked them with stones and butane gas cylinders. The Church's priest, Father Antonious, said the situation is "extremely dangerous."
Assyrian International News Agency (http://www.aina.org/ ) says the Muslim mob that attacked the church blocked both sides of the street and encircled the church building, broke its doors and demolished its entire first floor.
In its report, AINA says the mob were chanting Jihad verses as well as slogans saying "we will demolish the church" and "We sacrifice our blood and souls, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Islam," while the entrapped Christians chanted "Lord have mercy."
According to AINA, the incident started on the occasion of the inauguration of the Church today, when the Muslims hastily established a Mosque in the early hours of this morning, by taking over the first floor of a newly-built building facing the Church and started praying there.
The AINA report says: "When the security forces tried to disperse the mob, they went to nearby homes and shops owned by Christians, and were armed with sticks, butane, knives and other sharp objects. Witnesses said the mob included children from as young as 8-years old to men of over 50-years old, in addition to women."
AINA said the Church building was originally a factory that was adapted into its present state. It took over five years to complete and to get the necessary permissions from the authorities to have a Church established.
ights organizations and lawyers were refused entry into the besieged Church, according to the AINA report.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MICROSOFT GIANT BILL GATES


These are some facts about Bill Gates have been sent to me by one of my friends. I don't know about the source of this information but now a days Windows users are sending this interesting information to each other through emails so there must be some truth in it.


1. Bill Gates earns US$250 every SECOND, that's about US$20 Million a DAY and US$7.8 Billion a YEAR!

2. If he drops a thousand dollars, he won't even bother to pick it up because during the 4 seconds he picks it, he would've already earned it back.

3. The US national debt is about 5.62 trillion dollars, if Bill Gates were to pay the debt by himself, he will finish it in less then 10 years.

4. He can donate US$15 to everyone on earth but still be left with US$ 5 Million for his pocket money.

5. Michael Jordan is the highest paid athlete in US. If he doesn't drink and eat, and keeps up his annual income i.e. US$30 Million, he'll have to wait for 277 years to become as rich as Bill Gates is now.

6. If Bill Gates was a country, he would be the 37th richest country on earth.

7. If you change all of Bill Gate's money to US$1 notes, you can make a road from the earth to moon, 14 times back and forth. But you have to make that road non-stop for 1,400 years, and use a total of 713 BOEING 747 planes to transport all the money.

8. Bill Gates is 40 this year. If we assume that he will live for another 35 years, he has to spend US$6.78 Million per day to finish all his money before he goes to heaven.And the last one...

9. If Microsoft Windows' users can claim US$1 for every time their computers hang because of Microsoft Windows, Bill Gates will be bankrupt in 3 years..

Tuesday 25 November 2008

THREE PEOPLE SHOT, ONE DEAD, INSIDE A NEW JERSEY CHURCH


CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY -- A man shot and killed his estranged wife in a Clifton, New Jersey church just before noon Sunday, and opened fire on two other people before fleeing in a Jeep, police said.
According to a story by Claire Heininger in the Newark, New Jersey Star-Ledger, Reshma James, 24, died of her injuries about 4 p.m., at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Paterson, Clifton police Detective Capt. Robert Rowan.
The two other victims, a 47-year-old woman, who was the younger woman's cousin, and a 23-year-old man, remain in extremely critical condition in an area hospital. All three were shot in the head, the Star-Ledger reported Rowan said.

St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church (from church website).
The gunman, identified as 27-year-old Joseph "Sanish" Pallipurath of Sacramento, Calif, opened fire in the vestibule of St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church, an Asian-Indian house of worship in Clifton, the Star-Ledger reported authorities said.
Police believe Pallipurath drove to New Jersey from his home in California.
The Star-Ledger reported that police are still searching for Pallipurath, who they said escaped in a 1994 green, soft-topped Jeep with California license plate No. 5JHD200. He is believed to still have the silver handgun he used in the shooting and is considered dangerous, police said.
James had escaped what police described as an abusive marriage. The Star-Ledger reported police said the abuse dated to their years in India, then continued after they moved to California. Most recently, James had left him to live with a relative in New Jersey, where she filed a restraining order against her husband, Rowan said.
The Star-Ledger reported that the restraining order wasn't enough to stop Pallipurath, who confronted his wife and the two others in the church vestibule, toward the end of a three-hour Sunday service, Rowan said. It was unclear why the three victims were not with the rest of the congregation in the sanctuary.
Once inside the church, Pallipurath confronted his wife, and after a brief argument, opened fire on all three.
The Star-Ledger said multiple 911 calls appear to have been made from the church. A variety of law enforcement agencies are working the case.
According to the church website (www.stthomasnj.org), members are mostly first-generation immigrants from India, and their children. They had belonged to St. Peter's Parish in Yonkers, N.Y., according to the website. The congregation moved into its current location in 2000, making it the largest church in the North American Knanaya Community.
The Star-Ledger reported that Clifton Mayor Jim Anzaldi said he heard about the shooting while attending Sunday service in a different church.
“It's a shock, that somebody would have gone into a church like that,” he said. “You always hear about those things happening out west. It's a terrible thing.”
The Record of Bergen County reported that John Daniel of West Paterson said he was home sick when he received a call from his wife who, along with their 17-year-old son, attended the service.
Daniel said his wife called him on her cell phone and told him that she was down on the floor, someone was shooting and that he should call 911.
The Record reported that when asked if it would be difficult to return to the church, Daniel said, “Does it stop us from coming to church? No way.”

OBAMA SKIPS CHURCH, HEADS TO GYM


UNITED STATES - President-elect Barack Obama has yet to attend church services since winning the White House earlier this month, a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors.On the three Sundays since his election, Obama has instead used his free time to get in workouts at a Chicago gym.Asked about the president-elect's decision to not attend church, a transition aide noted that the Obamas valued their faith experience in Chicago but were concerned about the impact their large retinue may have on other parishioners."Because they have a great deal of respect for places of worship, they do not want to draw unwelcome or inappropriate attention to a church not used to the attention their attendance would draw," said the aide.Both President-elect George W. Bush and President-elect Bill Clinton managed to attend church in the weeks after they were elected.In November of 1992, Clinton went to services in Little Rock, Ark., on the three weekends following his election, taking pre-church jogs on the first two and attending on the third weekend a Catholic Mass with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, with whom he was trying to smooth over lingering campaign tensions.
In the weeks after the contested 2000 election, Bush regularly attended services at Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas, and Al Gore was frequently photographed arriving at and leaving church in Virginia.On his first day as president-elect, following weeks of Florida recounts and court hearings, Bush went to church with his wife, Laura. They attended an invite-only prayer service on Thursday, Dec. 14, at Tarrytown United Methodist Church. About 300 people attended, including top campaign staff and visiting clergy. During the service, the Rev. Mark Craig, senior pastor at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, told Bush, "You have been chosen by God to lead the people."Obama was an infrequent churchgoer on the campaign trail, though he did make a series of appearances in the pews and pulpits of South Carolina churches ahead of that heavily religious state's primary.The issue of where he worships is, of course, fraught. For about two decades, Obama and his family attended Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. But, with the public disclosure earlier this year of incendiary sermons at Trinity by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama and his wife, Michelle, in June resigned their membership in the large South Side congregation.At the time, the then-Illinois senator said that he didn't want his "church experience to be a political circus" and expressed regret for the unwanted attention members of the congregation had received, noting that some reporters had taken church bulletins only to call sick members and shut-ins. During the campaign, Obama returned to Chicago to attend the South Side's Apostolic Church of God on Father's Day Sunday to give a speech aimed at the black community on the importance of fatherhood and family.A number of Washington, D.C., churches of different denominations and traditions are now competing to become the spiritual home of the new first family.The Obama aide said the family "look[s] forward to finding a church community in Washington, D.C."

DISGRACED PASTOR RETURNS, AS A CHRISTIAN BUSSINESS MAN


Earlier this month, a guest took the pulpit at Open Bible Fellowship in Morrison, Ill., a 350-member church surrounded by cornfields. The speaker was an insurance salesman from Colorado named Ted Haggard.
The former superstar pastor, disgraced two years ago in a sex-and-drugs scandal, had returned — this time as a Christian businessman preaching a message that was equal parts contrition and defiance. Haggard linked his fall to being molested in second grade and apologized again.
His two sermons were posted, fleetingly, on Haggard's Web site under one word: "Alive!"
While his exact plans remain unclear, Haggard is unmistakably making himself a public figure again, nine months after his former church said he walked away from an oversight process meant to restore him.
The man who confessed to being a "a deceiver and a liar" is asking for another hearing, finding encouragement from a loyal circle of supporters, skepticism from those evangelical leaders who think it's premature and complex emotions at the Colorado Springs church he betrayed.
Haggard, 52, resigned as president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals and was fired from New Life Church amid allegations that he paid a male prostitute for sex and used methamphetamine.
Haggard said in 2006 he bought the drugs but never used them, confessed to "sexual immorality" and described struggling with a "dark and repulsive" side. He had risen from preaching in his basement to taking part in White House conference calls — and fallen so far that he became a late-night punch line.
As part of a severance package with his former church, Haggard agreed to leave Colorado Springs for a period and not speak publicly about the scandal, church officials said at the time. But he never really disappeared, making news when he relocated his family to Arizona and solicited financial support in an e-mail.
Haggard's plea for funds was rebuked by a three-pastor team overseeing his "restoration" — a healing process that doesn't necessarily mean a public return. In February, New Life Church announced that Haggard had prematurely ended that relationship.
One restoration team member, H.B. London, said a return to vocational ministry in less than four or five years would be dangerous for Haggard, his family, former church and Colorado Springs.
"To sit on the sidelines for a person with that kind of personality and gifting is probably like being paralyzed," said London, who counsels pastors through a division of Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs-based conservative Christian group. "If Mr. Haggard and others like him feel like they have a call from God, they rationalize that their behavior does not change that call."
Haggard, who declined to be interviewed, is not the first fallen evangelical figure to agree to oversight and then balk. In the late 1980s, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart confessed to liaisons with a prostitute, begged forgiveness and submitted to the Assemblies of God, his denomination. Swaggart was ordered not to preach for a year, but resumed broadcasts after a few weeks and was defrocked.
Haggard's support system includes Leo Godzich, who runs a Phoenix-based marriage ministry and said he met with Haggard at least once a week for more than a year. Godzich said Haggard remains committed to restoration, has paid a high price and still has much to offer.
"If all men are honest, all men are liars and deceivers," Godzich said. "Once someone is gifted and called, that is something they generally cannot escape. They will be used in that regard again."
"True redemption occurs when someone is fulfilling a destiny and purpose in their life."
Haggard's Nov. 2 return to the pulpit was set in motion by the Rev. Chris Byrd, a college classmate from Oral Roberts University. Byrd said he first invited Haggard to speak at his church last summer to offer the Haggard family support, help them heal and teach his own flock about sin and forgiveness.
By then, Haggard had moved his family back to Colorado Springs and was selling life insurance at their $700,000 home down the road from New Life Church, angering some who thought he should stay away.
"I had confidence his heart was solid, his theology is sound and the message he's always bought to the body of Christ would come forth," Byrd said. "The Bible is filled with great leaders, men and women of God, who have failed. They were restored and resumed roles they were called to previously."
In the sermons, Haggard said a co-worker of his father molested him when he was 7, an experience that "started to produce fruit" when he turned 50. Haggard said something "started to rage in my mind and in my heart." Haggard said though some allegations were exaggerated, "I really did sin."
He apologized for making his family suffer, acknowledged suicidal thoughts and chastised church leaders for missing an opportunity to use his scandal to "communicate the gospel worldwide." Haggard said he emerged with a stronger Christian faith and marriage than he'd ever had.
Byrd said he was not restoring Haggard to Christian ministry and introduced him as a businessman — hinting at a possible future speaking to churches and civic groups.
"You could make a career out of your reformed fallen Christian life," said David Edward Harrell, a retired Auburn University history professor who studies charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity. "What you can't do is go back and do the same thing. Once you've lost that clientele, it's lost."
Evangelicals believe God can change hearts, yet Haggard also must be held accountable and should not return to ministry early, if ever, said David Neff, editor of Christianity Today magazine.
"It's like someone who has announced he's an alcoholic and they've got that under control and are dry now," said Neff, a National Association of Evangelicals executive committee member. "You don't want to chance putting them back in the situation where it could happen again."
The risk is diminished if Haggard seeks a role outside the pulpit, Neff said. Yet if Haggard stumbles again as a Christian speaker, it could crush those he inspired, he said.
On the Sunday after Haggard's return went public, Russ Gordon sat studying his Bible in the coffee shop of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. A church member for 12 years, Gordon said he's concerned Haggard stopped the restoration process, but he listened to Haggard's sermons and found them sincere.
"I can't really judge what's in his heart," Gordon said. "I think we have to watch and observe and see his actions. We as Christians believe in giving second chances. I just say, we all have fallen short."
Sitting a few tables away, Sandy Oltrogge had harsher words for her former pastor.
"I wish he'd just leave it alone and let God promote him and not promote himself," she said. "It's good he can apologize, but I don't think anyone can believe anything he says after that."
A New Life spokeswoman would not comment on whether the church believes Haggard has violated his severance agreement, which paid him a year's salary. The church is trying to move on.
"It's sort of like the mouse in the corner," said church elder Paul Ballantyne. "If he wants to squeak, he can squeak. But I don't think it's going to affect New Life."
Haggard's replacement, Brady Boyd, approved a three-sentence statement saying that while the church cannot endorse Haggard returning to ministry, "we do wish him only success in his business endeavors."
And on the day Haggard returned to the pulpit in another state, Boyd began a sermon series on heaven.

POPE QUESTIONS INTER-FAITH DIALOGUE


ROME — In comments on Sunday that could have broad implications in a period of intense religious conflict, Pope Benedict XVI cast doubt on the possibility of interfaith dialogue but called for more discussion of the practical consequences of religious differences.
The pope’s comments came in a letter he wrote to Marcello Pera, an Italian center-right politician and scholar whose forthcoming book, “Why We Must Call Ourselves Christian,” argues that Europe should stay true to its Christian roots. A central theme of Benedict’s papacy has been to focus attention on the Christian roots of an increasingly secular Europe.
In quotations from the letter that appeared on Sunday in Corriere della Sera, Italy’s leading daily newspaper, the pope said the book “explained with great clarity” that “an interreligious dialogue in the strict sense of the word is not possible.” In theological terms, added the pope, “a true dialogue is not possible without putting one’s faith in parentheses.”
But Benedict added that “intercultural dialogue which deepens the cultural consequences of basic religious ideas” was important. He called for confronting “in a public forum the cultural consequences of basic religious decisions.”
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope’s comments seemed intended to draw interest to Mr. Pera’s book, not to cast doubt on the Vatican’s many continuing interreligious dialogues.
“He has a papacy known for religious dialogue; he went to a mosque, he’s been to synagogues,” Father Lombardi said. “This means that he thinks we can meet and talk to the others and have a positive relationship.”
To some scholars, the pope’s remarks seemed aimed at pushing more theoretical interreligious conversations into the practical realm.
“He’s trying to get the Catholic-Islamic dialogue out of the clouds of theory and down to brass tacks: how can we know the truth about how we ought to live together justly, despite basic creedal differences?” said George Weigel, a Catholic scholar and biographer of Pope John Paul II.
This month, the Vatican held a conference with Muslim religious leaders and scholars aimed at improving ties. The conference participants agreed to condemn terrorism and protect religious freedom, but they did not address issues of conversion and of the rights of Christians in majority Muslim countries to worship.
The church is also engaged in dialogue with Muslims organized by the king of Saudi Arabia, a country where non-Muslims are forbidden from worshiping in public.

KAZHAKSTAN RELIGIOUS LAW STIFFNED : A MINISTRIES STUDIES IMPACT


Kazakhstan (MNN) ― Kazakhstan's Parliament is discussing the new amendments to the religion law this week. The measures are causing great concern for mission groups, especially those who provide children's Christmas programs, like Slavic Gospel Association.
SGA's Joel Griffith says the harsher law prohibits children from participating in religious gatherings without permission from both parents, and it bans the distribution of religious materials in public places. The allowance is distribution in permanent buildings designated by the state.
The Senate also removed judges' discretion over the level of fines imposed for violating the Religion Law. It could be trouble for next year's "Immanuel's Child" and "Christmas for Orphans" programs. "If that law actually does clear all hurdles and is signed into law by Kazakhstan's president, obviously, there is some potential impact."
Forum 18 reports the Majilis were set to discuss the Senate changes on the same day as a roundtable with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) experts was scheduled to begin.
Pray, because while the draft is not officially a law yet, the likelihood is that it will pass. Griffith explains, "We've seen a general trend for the past couple of years with former Soviet countries tightening up their restrictions on religious observance, especially in countries that have a Muslim majority. So I think it is probably fairly realistic, unless the Lord intervenes, that we could continue to see these kinds of restrictions take place."

CAGAYAN VALLEY STATION TO REACH MULTITUDES OF ETHNIC GROUPS


Philippines (MNN) ― Pastors and missionaries have long been troubled by the Cagayan Valley. It's a remote area that desperately needs the Gospel, but the problem encountered by believers is how to reach the region. Just one trip to a village requires a 10-hour car ride followed by 1-2 hours in a jeep, 2 hours in a canoe and finally a long hike.
The Far East Broadcasting Company gathered with local churches to develop a radio project that would share Christ's love with every ethnic group in the Philippines. Permits have been granted and a lease agreement signed to start construction on the Cagayan Valley radio station this spring. When fully operational, the station will offer Christian programming to more people groups than any other FEBC-Philippines station, including 3 groups that were once headhunters.
Located in the northern Philippines, Cagayan Valley is home to millions of people from 30 distinct language groups. FEBC will build and operate the radio station, while local churches will produce the programs. Program production is scheduled to begin in March and will be broadcast in 4 tribal languages, gradually increasing to 14.
Station manager Emmanuel Perez is also preparing the daily operations schedule to begin this spring. Training of broadcasters and programmers has taken place in preparation for the station's first on-air broadcast, which is scheduled for the summer

Monday 24 November 2008

RATE FOR KILLING A PASTOR : $250


ORISSA - Hindu extremist groups are offering money, food and alcohol to anyone who murders Christians and destroys their homes.
The violence is nothing new in Orissa, India, where India's Communist Party estimates that more than 500 Christians have been killed by Hindu mobs in Orissa since late August, 12 times more than official government claims of only 40 homicides.
But now the stakes are even higher – and pastors have a bounty on their heads.
Faiz Rahman, chairman of Good News India, said Hindu militants are targeting Christian leaders, the Christian Post reported.
"The going price to kill a pastor is $250," he said.
Rahman, a head of several orphanages in Orissa State, said he's helped 25 pastors to leave refugee camps, but 250 Christian leaders are still in shelters.
"All of the pastors are high value targets," Rahman told the UK-based Release International. "We've got to get them out of the refugee camps."
An All-India Christian Council spokesman said, "People are being offered rewards to kill, and to destroy churches and Christian properties. They are being offered foreign liquor, chicken, mutton and weapons. They are given petrol and kerosene."
One official said he personally authorized "cremation of more than 200 bodies" found in jungles after Christians were blamed for the death of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 24. They continue to be persecuted even though Maoists openly admitted to murdering Saraswati.
Thousands of homes and churches have been destroyed, and an estimated 50,000 Christians have been forced to flee the violence. Mission Network News estimates 5,000 Christian homes have been burned and 200 churches ruined. According to the Christian Post, 30,000 people remain in government-operated refugee camps. Tens of thousands are living in forests – many seriously wounded.
Father Manoj, based at the archbishop’s office in Bhubaneshwar, said Christians remain in hiding.
"They are too scared to go home. They know that if they return to their villages they will be forced to convert to Hinduism."
Religious rights group Barnabus Fund told the group Hindu militants "forced" Christians in Orissa to "convert" to Hinduism by threatening them with rape if they refused.
Neighbors reportedly gang-raped a Hindu woman after her Christian uncle refused to renounce his faith, according to reports.
Another Christian woman named Jaspina was told by neighbors, "If you go on being Christian, we will burn your house and your children in front of you." She and her family were forced to eat cow excrement to "purify" themselves of Christianity.
Other Christians were doused with gasoline and told to participate in conversion ceremonies or be lit on fire.
This week, Hindu extremists said they have set a deadline for the capture of Saraswati's murderers. If the killers are not caught by Dec. 15, they promised to begin a massacre on Dec. 25, Christmas day.

A NEW EFFORT TO TRANSLATE BIBLE INTO ALL LANGUAGES BY 2025


ORLANDO, Fla. — A new effort to translate the Bible into every living language kicks off Saturday with the help of a $50 million anonymous gift to the Orlando-based Wycliffe USA — the world's largest bible-translation company.
The goal of Wycliffe's Last Languages Campaign is to translate the Bible for all of the 2,400 languages that still do not have one. Those represent about a third of all languages spoken and include nearly 200 million people, mostly in three regions — Central Africa, northern India-southern China and Indonesia-Papua New Guinea.
The translations are expected to take at least 17 years to complete.
Robert Creson, president of Wycliffe, would identify the cash donor only as someone with a longtime interest in biblical translation.
"It's a huge encouragement and a huge investment of faith," he said.
Samuel Mubbala, a Ugandan translator working on a Bible in his native language, knows how difficult the task can be.
Mubbala grew up speaking a non-written language called Lugwere that is used by about 500,000 people. He helped create an alphabet for it a few years ago and then started translating scripture into the newly written language.
Although the Bible already had been translated into a related Ugandan language, that version did not seem to speak to him intimately enough.
For example, Mubbala said, in one of the written languages of Uganda the word "believe" has three shades of meaning — accepting, agreeing and religious faith.
But in his native language, "belief" referred only to agreeing and accepting. So when some speakers of Lugwere heard their salvation could be ensured if they believed and were baptized, they happily agreed to it. But they didn't understand that the baptism ceremony was founded on faith in Jesus Christ.
Mubbala and others had to come up with a new linguistic construction that Lugwere speakers understood as something like "to trust in God or Christ as true."
Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by American missionary Cameron Townsend, who saw the need for native-language Bibles while working in Guatemala in 1917. The company was named for John Wycliffe, who initiated the first English translation of the Bible in the 14th century.

ANONYMOUS DONOR GIVES $50 MILLION FOR BIBLE TRANSLATIONS


ORLANDO, Fla. — A new effort to translate the Bible into every living language kicks off Saturday with the help of a $50 million anonymous gift to the Orlando-based Wycliffe USA — the world's largest bible-translation company.
The goal of Wycliffe's Last Languages Campaign is to translate the Bible for all of the 2,400 languages that still do not have one. Those represent about a third of all languages spoken and include nearly 200 million people, mostly in three regions — Central Africa, northern India-southern China and Indonesia-Papua New Guinea.
The translations are expected to take at least 17 years to complete.
Robert Creson, president of Wycliffe, would identify the cash donor only as someone with a longtime interest in biblical translation.
"It's a huge encouragement and a huge investment of faith," he said.
Samuel Mubbala, a Ugandan translator working on a Bible in his native language, knows how difficult the task can be.
Mubbala grew up speaking a non-written language called Lugwere that is used by about 500,000 people. He helped create an alphabet for it a few years ago and then started translating scripture into the newly written language.
Although the Bible already had been translated into a related Ugandan language, that version did not seem to speak to him intimately enough.
For example, Mubbala said, in one of the written languages of Uganda the word "believe" has three shades of meaning — accepting, agreeing and religious faith.
But in his native language, "belief" referred only to agreeing and accepting. So when some speakers of Lugwere heard their salvation could be ensured if they believed and were baptized, they happily agreed to it. But they didn't understand that the baptism ceremony was founded on faith in Jesus Christ.
Mubbala and others had to come up with a new linguistic construction that Lugwere speakers understood as something like "to trust in God or Christ as true."
Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by American missionary Cameron Townsend, who saw the need for native-language Bibles while working in Guatemala in 1917. The company was named for John Wycliffe, who initiated the first English translation of the Bible in the 14th century.

Sunday 23 November 2008

STUDENTS IMPRISONED IN SHIPPING CONTAINER AND BIBLE'S BURNED IN ERITREA


ERITREA - On August 5, Eritrean authorities locked eight high school students in metal a shipping container and burned hundreds of Bibles at Sawa Defense Training Centre.
According to Compass Direct News, the students were imprisoned in the container after they objected to authorities confiscating and burning 1,500 Bibles taken from new students who arrived at the training center for the new 2008-2009 school year.
“During the time that the Bibles were set on fire, the Chief Commander of Sawa, Col. Debesai Ghide, gave a warning to all the students by telling them that Sawa is a place of patriotism, not a place of Pentes [Pentecostals]. Eight male students to whom God gave boldness to speak against the burning of the Bibles have been taken into custody in one of the metal containers that the military uses as prison cells for Christians who have been found practicing in the center,” Compass reported.
The Eritrean government cracks down on Christians, often placing believers in metal containers which are extremely hot during the day and cold during night. Nearly 1,800 Eritrean Christians are believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea. It is believed more than 28 clergymen are being held.
Jailed Christians are routinely subjected to physical beatings and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs. Police and military authorities continue to demand the prisoners return to one of the three “official” Christian denominations recognized by the government. But even the legally recognized denominations-the nation’s historic Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches-have come under government disfavor in recent years past year, incurring threats and even jailing by security police officials.
The Voice of the Martyrs has provided assistance and encouragement to persecuted believers in Eritrea. VOM has supported the families of martyred believers through VOM’s Family of Martyrs Fund. VOM encourages you to pray these students will be released. Ask God to encourage other Christians suffering for Christ’s sake in Eritrean prisons.

CHRISTIANS REMAIN STRONG AND RESOLUTE DESPITE MUSLIM'S CLOSING THE CHURCH IN INDONESIA


INDONESIA – Recently, Muslims closed a church in Jatimula, Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia and blocked Christians from entering and holding services.
According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in Indonesia, “Muslims blocked the alley leading to the church building. Pastor Anna and Huta Julu had to lead worship outside their church building and believers had to sit in the dirty alley to pray outside their church.”
VOM contacts added, “The sign outside the church building stated, ‘This church building is sealed,’ and it was written on a letterhead belonging to the Tambun Selatan district of Bekasi local government.”
This is the second time Muslims have closed the church in Bekasi. The church was first closed on September 10, 2005 when a mob of 100 Muslims nailed boards over doors and windows and prohibited believers from entering the building.
Despite the church’s closure believers in Indonesia rejoice in suffering for Christ. In 2005, Huta Julu said, “…we peered between the boards to check for damage inside [the church]. Three of us stood outside in the darkness and prayed. We thanked God that He allowed this to happen to us. We were very encouraged because we knew the Apostles experienced the same thing. We are never disappointed for being Christians.”
VOM has supported and encouraged believers in Indonesia and provides Christian books like Extreme Devotion to believers. Praise God for the unwavering faith of believers in Indonesia. Ask God to watch over Pastor Anna and Huta Julu as they continue to lead other believers in Indonesia. Pray for protection for believers as they couragesously live for Christ in the midst of hardships.

SAUDI MAN KILLED HIS DAUGHTER FOR CONVERTING TO CHRISTIANITY


SAUDI ARABIA - Recently, a Saudi member of the religious police cut his daughter’s tongue off and burned her to death for converting to Christianity.
The father, who works for the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, killed his daughter following a debate on religion, according to a report by the United Arab Emirates-based Gulf News.
Media organizations in Saudi Arabia are reporting that the victim wrote a blog under the name "Rania" a few days before her murder. According to the Saudi Arabia Ukhdoud news website, the victim wrote that her life became an ordeal after family members grew suspicious about her after a religious discussion with them. She said her brother found some Christian articles written by her as well as a cross sign on her computer screen. Since then he started to insult her and blamed the Internet for pushing her to change her religion, Gulfnews.com reported.
Saudi religious scholars frequently warn against the dangers of Christian Web sites and satellite television, which they say attract young Muslims to change their faith. They [Muslim scholars] decreed that watching these channels or browsing these websites which call for conversion to Christianity by various means is against the teachings of Islam, the Web site reported
"Our contacts have told us of new Christians simply disappearing when their families learned of their conversion," said Todd Nettleton, Director of Media Development for The Voice of the Martyrs, "but now even Arab media outlets confirm the violent response of radical Muslims to Christianity. We pray that someday this man will come to know Christ, and find forgiveness for ending his daughter’s life. Our hope is that someday he will see his daughter again, in heaven."
The Voice of the Martyrs supports the evangelism efforts of Christians in Saudi Arabia, despite the great cost.
"We call on Christians everywhere to pray for believers facing intense persecution in Saudi Arabia because of their faith," said Nettleton. "Pray God will encourage them and give them boldness to stand up for Christ."

Friday 21 November 2008

WITCHCRAFT AS A CURRICULA IN ASSAM SCHOOLS ?


WITCHCRAFT AS A CURRICULA IN ASSAM SCHOOL ?

ASSAM - The National Commission for Women ( NCW) has mooted introduction of a subject relating to ‘dayan pratha’ or witchcraft in the syllabus of primary education in Assam to eradicate the growing menace.
Neeva Konwar, member of the National Women Commission, said witch-hunting, like an infectious disease, was slowly spreading to newer areas and solutions would have to be found to eradicate the evil practice.
“The idea behind introducing dayan pratha in primary schools is to bring about awareness from an early age to do away with the primitive practice of witch-hunting based on superstitious beliefs,” said Konwar.
Mridula Saharia , chairperson of the Assam State Women Commission, stressed the need for better medical facilities and mass awareness in remote rural areas to eradicate the evil practice. She said women cell should be activated at panchayat and district-level to tackle the evil.
The practice of witch-hunting is prevalent among some tribal communities in the state. These include Bodos, Ravas and the greater Adivasi community.
The Assam government had already adopted multi pronged strategy to combat witch-hunting. The Assam police have also intensified their drive to curb this problem. Codenamed ‘Project Prahari’, the crusade includes community policing measures, besides regular awareness campaigns, among tribal chiefs and village elders.
The police campaign is now focusing on educating villagers and holding meetings in areas dominated by tribal people.

Y2K - SOME INTERESTING FACTS OF THE MILLENIUM MELT DOWN


The Millennium Meltdown - A Retrospective Analysis

Y2K - What Happened and What Didn't- January 10, 2000

Ten days into the new millennium many people are wondering about the Y2K crisis. Naturally many are asking themselves whether or not the Y2K problem was a real crisis or whether it was blown out of proportion by media, consultants, and various books like The Millennium Meltdown. A careful analysis of the issue reveals that Y2K is a genuine problem and that we would have suffered major breakdowns if we had not awaken to the danger, taken the proper corrective action, and fixed millions of computers and billions of lines of code worldwide.
Let's look at several key issues:
Was Y2K a genuine computer and technology crisis or was it all hype?
Virtually every major bank, industry, and government in the world analyzed this situation, concluded it was real, and committed over $600 billion globally to fix their key computer systems before failures affected their operations and infrastructure.
According to the IBM corporation's 1999 special edition of their THINK magazine headlined Understanding Y2K, the Y2K problem would cost approximately $3.6 trillion to completely fix all computers worldwide and the work would not likely end until 2004. An estimated 500,000 computer programmers worked on Y2K worldwide.
John Koskinen, the Y2K czar for the White House, revealed that a government department replaced three key computer systems but the Chief Information Officer of the department decided to keep the three original computer systems running without fixing their Y2K problems to see what would happen. Koskinen declared to Associated Press on Jan. 5 that, All three of the systems failed following the Y2K rollover and could not be used. The systems simply stopped and became unusable. He described the experiment as an interesting example of what happens with systems that have failures. This strongly suggests that computer systems would have failed if repairs had not been completed.
The breakdown of major infrastructure in the West African nation of Gambia due to its failure to fix its computers provides an understanding of what could have occurred worldwide if all organizations and businesses had refused to fix their Y2K problems. According to the International Y2K Co-operation Center significant power outages were evident in the Gambian energy sector, while major or significant disruptions crippled air and sea transportation, the financial sector and government services. In addition, failures have been reported in the Gambian Treasury Department, the national tax service and at the Customs Service.
Those who naively suggest that Y2K was all hype should ask themselves why banks (who are not generally known to throw their money away) would spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of man hours to fix the problem if the problem did not threaten their profits and ability to function in the new millennium.
An analogy to Y2K might be this: A man visits a doctor complaining about some medical problems. The doctor warns him that he will become seriously sick in a few months unless he takes the prescribed medicine. The man takes the medicine as prescribed and finds that the threatened disease does not develop. Later the man complains to the doctor that his diagnosis must have been incorrect because he has not fallen ill. How would the doctor ever prove that his diagnosis was correct?
Why have so few major Y2K problems appeared in the first few days of January 2000?
It is important to remind ourselves that most computer experts have warned that the systemic nature of the Y2K problem would manifest only an expected 10% of the total problems in the month of January. Most experts suggest that many small accumulating errors in unrepaired programs will only manifest as observed problems during the next twelve to eighteen months. During the last year I have constantly told audiences on radio, TV, and in conferences that Y2K would not be apocalyptic but that it would be characterized by delays, errors, problems, and frustrations that would turn up over the next year to eighteen months. In addition, because of the awesome investment of manpower and dollars in fixing and replacing critical computer systems I suggested that we would not likely see too many major failures on the January 1st rollover.
Many Y2K problems have already occurred during the first ten days of January but have received relatively little coverage in the major media. There has been a tremendous media spin by the government and the financial community to encourage the media to minimize Y2K coverage to avoid the slightest danger of bank runs or a fall in the stock market.
A majority of Y2K problems will occur in the millions of small businesses throughout the world who chose to do nothing to fix their computers. While it is virtually certain that many of them will experience Y2K problems in unrepaired systems it is very unlikely that they will call a press conference to announce they are experiencing problems. Obviously, it is dangerous to a business to announce Y2K failures because customers could change suppliers and their competitors will rejoice. There is no incentive for any business to announce Y2K problems. Therefore, we will only learn about Y2K failures that are so large they cannot be hidden.
*A number of Y2K problems have already occurred during the first ten days. A list of a number of these Y2K problems is listed at the end of this article.
Is there anything about the first few days of our Y2K experience that surprised me?
Yes. I am personally delighted and somewhat astonished that so few serious problems occurred in the infrastructure systems such as electrical power, gas, and the financial community. When I wrote The Millennium Meltdown almost two years ago the level of awareness about the Y2K problem was abysmal. In addition, at the time of writing two years ago, most organizations had barely begun serious preparations to fix their mission critical computer systems. I am very impressed with the massive effort of computer programmers and information technology leaders to fix this serious problem before it caused serious damage to our economy.
However, as stated above, the top experts, including White House Y2K czar John Koskinen, Capers Jones, and Edward Yourdini warn that we are not out of the woods yet. Many more complications, errors, delays, and problems will crop up in both small and large organizations over the next eighteen months.
Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America stated, I don't believe it was hype. It was a real problem. I am surprised that so few major problems have been reported to date in infrastructure in Third World nations as well as in Russian and China which spent less money and time on Y2K. To date, only the West African nation of Gambia has reported massive Y2K failures in electricity, government, transportation, taxation, and customs. However, it is still too early in the process to declare victory. The next few months will reveal how successful we have been worldwide in fixing this problem.
Were the personal preparations you suggested in The Millennium Meltdown appropriate?
I repeatedly pointed out in The Millennium Meltdown, and in my various speeches, that no one but God could know in advance how badly Y2K would affect any particular city, county, or person. Therefore, following the biblical advice of Proverbs 27:12 and Proverbs 6:6-11, I suggested that a person should prayerfully ask God for guidance and make a reasonable amount of preparations in the area of securing financial records, some cash, heat, and 2 weeks of food and water for your family. Was this prudent or was it excessive? My recommendations were similar to many other responsible authorities. In fact, the Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency all recommend that we should acquire the above listed items to be prepared to protect our families against an interruption of goods and services in the event of a future disaster.
IBM's THINK magazine recommended to their employees the following: Stock non-perishable foods, water and medications you use regularly. Have some extra cash on hand; fill your gas tank a day or so before New Year's Eve; and have blankets, gloves, flashlights and extra batteries on hand in case of power failures.
This is the official Red Cross Y2K Checklist as posted on their Internet web site:
___ Check with manufacturers of any essential computer-controlled electronic equipment in your home to see if that equipment may be affected. This includes fire and security alarm systems, programmable thermostats, appliances, consumer electronics, garage door openers, electronic locks, and any other electronic equipment in which an embedded chip may control its operation.
___ Stock disaster suppies to last several days to a week for yourself and those who live with you. This includes having nonperishable foods, stored water, and an ample supply of prescription and non prescription medications that you regularly use. The Red Cross Disaster Supplies Kit checklist includes storing a gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food, a first-aid kit, non-prescription drugs, various sanitation items such as toilet paper, tools such as flashlights and battery-operated radio, a non-electric can opener, warm clothing, extra eyeglasses or contact lenses and much more.
___ As you would in preparation for a storm of any kind, have some extra cash or traveler's checks on hand in case electronic transactions involving ATM cards, credit cards, and the like cannot be processed. Plan to keep cash or traveler's checks in a safe place, and withdraw money from your bank in small amounts well in advance of 12/31/99.
___ As you would in preparation for a winter storm, keep your automoile gas tank above half full.
___ In case the power failures, plan to use alternative cooking devices in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. Don't use open flames or charcoal grills indoors.
___ Have extra blankets, coats, hats, and gloves to keep warm. Please do not plan to use gas-fueled appliances, like an oven, as an alternative heating source.
___ Have plenty of flashlights and extra batteries on hand. Don't use candles for emergency lighting.
___ Be prepared to relocate to a shelter for warmth and protection during a prolonged power outage or if for any other reason local officials request or require that you leave your home.
___ If you plan to use a portable generator, connect what you want to power directly to the generator; do not connect the generator to your home's electrical system. Also, be sure to keep a generator in a well-ventilated area either outside or in a garage, keeping the door open. Don't put a generator in your basement or anywhere inside your home.

A List of Y2K Problems That Occurred During the First Ten Days

Known Problems on January 1, 2000(Source: The Y2K History Project Statistics on the Internet)
Jan. 1 Sacramento, Ca (USA) -- bank account errors (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Palm springs, CA (USA) -- airport disruption (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Ellijay, Georgia (USA) -- telecommunications (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Prescott, AZ (USA) -- 911 failure (6 hours) Harrington

Jan. 1 Delaware (USA) -- bank computers are down (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 San Diego, California (USA) -- drinking water (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Woodland Park, CO (USA) -- telecommunications (1 hour)

Jan. 1 St. Louis, MO (USA) -- telecommunications

Jan. 1 Huntington Beach, California (USA) -- water supply (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Prescott, Arizona (USA) -- tax errors

Jan. 1 Dallas, Texas (USA) -- water supply (24 hours)

Jan. 1 Alberta (Canada) -- cash withdrawal limitations (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Clearwater, Florida (USA) -- lost records

Jan. 1 Scttsdale, AZ (USA) -- failed ATM machine

Jan. 1 Santa Fe, NM (USA) -- food stamps (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Orlando, Florida (USA) -- drinking water

Jan. 1 Stow, Ohio (USA) -- gasoline (instantaneous)

Jan. 1 Ackley, Iowa (USA) -- train disruption

Jan. 1 Benton, Ar (USA) -- insurance problem (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Roanoke, VA (USA) -- failed ATM machine (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Orange County, CA (USA) -- train disruption (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) -- cash withdrawal limitations

Jan. 1 San Jose, CA (USA) -- failed ATM machine (instantaneous)

Jan. 1 Yakima, WA (USA) -- failed medical equipment

Jan. 1 Jackson, Michigan (USA) -- telecommunications (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Eastman, Wisconsin (USA) -- telecommunications (3 hours)

Jan. 1 Richmond, VA (USA) -- drinking water (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 St. George, Utah (USA) -- failed ATM machine

Jan. 1 Richmond, VA (USA) -- flashlights (more than 24 hours)

Jan. 1 Denver, CO (USA) -- drinking water

Jan. 1 Three Rivers, MI. (USA) -- social security

Jan. 1 Lewiston, ID (USA) -- bank computers are down (12 hours)

Jan. 1 Farmingville, Long Island, New York, NY (USA) -- cash withdrawal problems (24 hours)

Jan. 1 Westminster, Colorado (USA) -- failed ATM machine (3 hours)

Jan. 1 Minot, north Dakota (USA) -- explosion (instantaneous)

Partial List of Y2K Problem Reports From Jan. 3 to Jan. 10, 2000 (Source: Center for Y2K and Society - Internet)
Report dated January 10, 2000
Jan. 3 Two Citgo gas stations (Marion County, Florida) forced to accept cash due to Y2K

Jan. 3 Computer malfunction at an air traffic control center in New Hampshire Delays Flights

Jan. 3 Brief outages interrupt Chicago Air Traffic at O'Hare International Airport

Jan. 3 Y2K alert issued for dialysis machines by director of the Int. Y2K Coordination Center

Jan. 3 Gambia (West Africa) has massive energy, taxation, phone, and customs Y2K failures

Jan. 4 Y2K bug bites driver's license issuing in half of New Mexico's motor vehicle offices.

Jan. 4 Indiana has Y2K problems with licenses, registrations

Jan. 4 U.S. nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee still has Y2K glitch

Jan. 4 Y2K hits ATF and other agencies licensing software system

Jan. 4 Microsoft reports bugs in Web-page software,

Jan. 4 Godiva Chocolates - cash registers and computers were down in their NYC, NY store

Jan. 5 A small part of a Danish bank's payment system was erased

Jan. 5 MSNBC reported the stock exchange in Islamabad, Pakistan crashed after rollover

Jan. 5 Ticketing machines on some buses in Australia briefly jammed

Jan. 5 Bug hits [Washington, DC] Fire Dept. payroll system reads 1900

Jan. 5 The Palatka-Putnam, Florida 911 service was experiencing intermittent Y2K problems

Jan. 5 MP3 device hit by Year 2000 glitch

Jan. 5 Pentagon's radar-imaging Lacrosse spy satellite hits Y2K glitch

Jan. 5 4th largest national auto insurance database affected by Y2K

Jan. 5 France's Syracuse II military satellite system has Y2K glitches

Jan. 6 Minor nuclear reactor problems: 1 in Spain, 1 in Ukraine, 5 in Japan and 8 in the US

Jan. 6 Glitches hit government and bank computers in Hong Kong and mainland China

Jan. 6 U.S. Dept. of Defense issues 230 checks dated 1900

Jan. 6 Credit Card Processing Company Could Be First Major Multi-system Y2K Failure

Jan. 6 EPA's ERNS database for reporting chemical spills goes down due to Y2K problem

Jan. 6 FAA Center in Leesburg, Virginia Computer Glitch Delays Air Traffic on East Coast

Jan. 7 FEMA has its own Y2K glitch in its database of reservists and regular staff

Jan. 7 Chicago Bank Computer Glitch Delays Medicare Payments in 8 States

Jan. 7 The MTX inventory system for the Utah Food Bank crashed by Y2K bug on Jan. 3

Jan. 7 Glitch zaps some Liberty Cash cards

Jan. 7 Y2K bug bites 22 counties in Arkansas County Management Info. Systems Association

Jan. 7 Y2K Glitch Hits Some Credit Cards Causing Multiple Charges for Some Cardholders

Jan. 7 Y2K Problems in train-pass vending machines in Tokyo

Ja n. 7 Norway loses numerous government computer archive records

Jan. 7 Courthouse computers in Italy mixed up prisoner dates by 100 years

Jan. 8 Pinellas County workers are paid twice after a Y2K mix-up

Jan. 8 Livingston, CA's MCS Spectrum accounting software not Y2K-compliant

Jan. 8 Chevy Chase Y2K glitches affect financial software

Jan. 8 Atlanta Y2K fallout: Bureau of Buildings computer slows building permit office

Jan. 9 North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) - several N.A. electric utilities have
reported minor glitches with their energy management system computers

Jan. 9 South Korean court issued summonses to 170 people to appear for trial on Jan. 4, 1900

Jan. 10 A vital payroll computer failed at an Alabama company

Jan. 10 There were 6 to 8-hour electrical outages outside of Islamabad, Pakistan

Jan. 10 Three dialysis machines stopped functioning in Egyptian hospitals

In Conclusion

I have been studying the possible problems concerning Y2K since late in 1997, long before this became well known to the media or public.
For over two years I have stated that Y2K is not a particular event but rather a process that will occur over 12 to 18 months according to the top computer experts.
Nevertheless, there are many who are today trumpeting their conclusion that it was all much about nothing.
For those who doubt that Y2K was ever a genuine problem, ask yourself why major consulting and accounting firms like Ernst & Young, thousands of government organizations, and computer scientists througout the world spent hundreds of billions of dollars and several years of work to fix this.
Consider these points that point to the longer term problem associated with Y2K:
Andy Kyte, a top computer analyst with the Gartner Group, the largest information technology research company, has warned, "Unless purged, the bug will act more like a debilitating disease which insidiously weakens computersystems before finally toppling them." Kyte and other experts have predicted that less than 10 percent of all Y2K-related breakdown will occur in the opening weeks following Jan. 1, 2000. He claims over 55% percent of problems will occur later this year. Kyte warned earlier that "We've been saying for a long time that this was not going to be a pyrotechnic event... It's about the gradual degradation of the efficiency of computer systems."
Nick Fitzhugh, the top Y2K expert at Ernst & Young, also warned that its too soon for companies to relax. Every expert I have talked to warns that the more serious Y2K difficulties will only manifest themself over time. Most experts believe the real Y2K problems will only become apparent in late January to February.
One of the problems is that North Americans have become used to the instantaneous solving of problems and tend to ignore complex, long term problems such as Y2K failures.
We all should have a great deal of gratitude for the millions of computer programmers that worked around the clock for years to solve the worst dangers concerning the greatest technology challenge our world has ever faced. But as someone has said before: "It not over till its over." Only time will tell the full story of this crisis.