To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 08:40:47 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

*** Rabbi makes presumptions about pope

JERUSALEM (AP) - Putting a political twist on John Paul II's upcoming
visit, Israel's chief rabbi said Thursday that the pope's planned
stop at the Western Wall is tantamount to Vatican recognition of
Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem. The pope is scheduled to visit
the wall, Judaism's holiest site, as part of his pilgrimage to the
Holy Land in March. He may be meeting with Israel's chief rabbis at
the site. The Vatican does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the
eastern sector of Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, an area
captured from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast War and coveted by the
Palestinians as their future capital. The Vatican declined comment on
the rabbi's statement. The pope has said previously that no political
significance should be attached to any of his Middle East
pilgrimages. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563689022-c4e

*** Update: Myanmar rebels' base overrun

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Twin 12-year-old boys who lead the fringe
Myanmar rebel group God's Army were reported on the run through the
jungle Thursday after their headquarters was overrun by Myanmar
government forces. God's Army's 100 guerrillas, many of them little
older than their leaders, had split up into three separate bands
headed by the boys, Johnny and Luther Htoo, and a veteran adult
guerrilla, Su Bia, a Thai military intelligence officer said. They
were apparently headed for Karjom mountain, near their fallen camp at
Ka Mar Pa Law on the Myanmar side of the dangerous Thailand-Myanmar
border, the officer said. A local dissident radio station with good
rebel contacts also reported the fall of God's Army headquarters.
God's Army was one of the rebel groups involved in the siege of a
Thai hospital earlier this week. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563688926-bd7
*** Also: Bomb threats rattle Thai town, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563687390-165

*** Malaysia resumes Soros attacks

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad renewed his scathing attacks Thursday against U.S. financier
George Soros, whom he has previously blamed for the collapse of
Malaysia's currency in 1997. "Soros is finished," Mahathir reportedly
said. "He is a discredited player in the currency market." Speaking
to a group of Malaysian journalists in London, Mahathir described the
American financier as "a nonentity whom no one listens to anymore."
Mahathir villainized Soros in 1997, calling him a "moron" and blaming
his "Jewish agenda" for Malaysia's turmoil in its financial markets.
Mahathir later denied he had made anti-Semitic remarks. Soros later
called for Mahathir's resignation, arguing that the Malaysian
leader's economic policies were aimed at benefiting himself and his
cronies. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563687251-e42
*** Also: Malaysia warns Asia central bankers, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563688628-18e

*** Internet a key tool for neo-Nazis

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - The Internet has given neo-Nazis a dangerous
tool to spread racist propaganda around the world, a top Swiss
official told a Holocaust conference Thursday. Switzerland's home
affairs minister, Ruth Dreifuss, urged international cooperation to
prevent the transmission of racist theories, hatred and
discrimination across national borders. "(The Internet) makes it
possible for the perpetrators to organize into networks and
distribute their products and books," she said in a speech at the
International Forum on the Holocaust. Dreifuss said international
experts would propose to include the subject at the World Conference
on Racism next year in South Africa. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563689116-fa5

*** Rudy voodoo doll joined by Hillary

NEW YORK (AP) - Artist David Freeman is giving Hillary-haters equal
time. Last month, Freeman produced a Rudy voodoo doll - as in Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani. Now he's rolled out a Hillary Rodham Clinton doll,
complete with a starter set of five pins. "I'm a guy who has a great
sense of fair play," Freeman said Thursday. He said the Hillary doll
was "necessary for the people who support Mayor Giuliani" in his
expected Senate race against Mrs. Clinton. The 9-inch-tall cloth
dolls come with instructions: "Stick it to him" and "Stick it to
her." "Hillary has a beautiful smile," Freeman said. "She looks so
chipper and lovely. Some say I made her look too good." The Rudy
doll, he added, features a little scowl and his trademark comb-over.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=25636891

*** 2nd American nears sainthood

VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican approved the final step necessary
Thursday for conferring sainthood on Katharine Drexel, a Philadelphia
woman who abandoned the life of a socialite to start an order of nuns
dedicated to the poor. In a ceremony in the presence of Pope John
Paul II, a decree was promulgated recognizing a miracle attributed to
Drexel's intercession. Already beatified, Drexel is now eligible to
become the second saint born in the U.S. Vatican Radio, in announcing
the official recognition of a miracle, praised Drexel as an
"authentic pioneer" of human rights. The miracle occurred when an
American child who was born deaf in both ears gained her hearing at
age 4 after her mother prayed to Mother Drexel, said the Rev. Paolo
Molinari, a Jesuit in Rome who promoted the cause for the nun's
sainthood. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563687643-0bb
*** Also: Pope John XXIII miracle approved, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563688609-2db

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today (1/27/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 08:46:55 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

World government meeting to implement 'global decision-making'

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: World Net Daily

Thu Jan 27,2000 -- The United Nations is sponsoring a global government
conference in the fall designed to examine "the future of the world," and to
create "an organizational structure whereby the peoples of the world can
participate effectively in global decision-making in the context of the United
Nations system." In preparation for this unprecedented conference, "Charter
99: A Charter for Global Democracy" calls for all nations to adopt principles
of "international accountability, justice, and sustainable development" under
the umbrella of democratic representation -- through the United Nations.
Called the "Millennium Assembly and Summit," the meeting is part of the
U.N.'s latest initiative to implement global government. Paving the way for the
meeting, Charter 99 is sponsored by a consortium of influential non-
governmental organizations, or NGOs -- including the World Federalist
Association, Westminster UNA, the One World Trust, the Commission for
Global Governance, and the Royal Commonwealth Society. Addressed to
"all the governments and peoples of the world they represent," it openly
invites representatives from every country to the U.N. conference.

Russia warned by Council of Europe about Chechnya

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: AP

Thu Jan 27,2000 -- The Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly voted
today to give Russia three months to show progress toward peace in
Chechnya and improve the plight of civilians or face possible suspension
from the human rights body. However, the assembly in Strasbourg, France,
rejected proposals for the immediate expulsion of its 36 Russian legislators
or a suspension of their voting rights. A vote to suspend Russia's
membership would have been the first time the assembly has taken such
action against a member nation for almost 20 years and would be seen as
symbolic blow to Russian aspirations for closer ties with European
institutions.

Israeli legislators introduce bill to allow gay adoption

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Israel Wire

Thu Jan 27,2000 -- Members of Knesset Yael Dayan (One Israel) and Naomi
Hazan (Meretz) issued on Monday a bill to enable unmarried cohabitating
couples, including homosexuals and lesbians to adopt children. The current
law qualifies only "man and wife" as fit to adopt children, while the new
proposition suggests that term be changed to "spouses."

Israel wants power grid linked to Jordan's

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz

Thu Jan 27,2000 -- Israel will be asking Jordan to follow through on the peace
treaty promise to link the two country's electrical grids, as a prerequisite to
the purchase of 400-800 megawatts of electricity from Jordan's new
electricity plant in Aqaba. Jerusalem regards linking the electricity grid with
Jordan as the first stage in a broader regional cooperation for electricity,
under which all the electrical grids in the region would be linked. According
to Jordanian sources, the previous government was commited to purchasing
all the electricity produced at the new power plant. Jordan has offered
electricity to Israel at the same price for which the Israel Electric Corporation
sells its electricity, however, making the deal very appealing for Israel. The
Aqaba power plant, which will be built by Argentinian and Italian firms, will be
powered by a gas turbine fed by natural gas from the Saudi field at Tabuk.
Saudi Arabia sees the development of the gas pipe to Jordan as a step
toward providing Israel with natural gas following a future peace agreement
with Syria and the Palestinians. While the government is interested in the
deal, a senior official at the Israel Electric Corporation said the plan to
purchase electricity in Jordan is a "national scandal" which may delay the
building of gas turbine power plants in Israel and increase unemployment in
the country. But the Infrastructure Ministry's director-general regards the
purchase of electricity from Jordan as part of an overall plan to acquire ten
percent of Israel's energy consumption from foreign sources. Such a plan
was included in legislation passed in 1996. This is just step closer Israel
takes to the time of "Jacob's Trouble" as she becomes more dependent on
the world/global system and less on God by turning her back on Him.

Israel's chief rabbis uncertain about whether to meet with pope

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz

Thu Jan 27,2000 -- Israel's chief rabbis, Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron and Yisrael
Lau, have yet to decide whether they will meet with Pope John Paul II,
expected here in March. Originally, the rabbis said that if the Pope wanted to
meet with them he would have to come to the chief rabbinate building. Chief
rabbinate officials say that they are now considering holding the meeting at a
religious Jewish site, possibly the Western Wall, which the Pope will be
visiting during his pilgrimage. The fate of an inter-religious conference
planned by Ramon's Jerusalem Affairs Ministry in connection with the Pope's
visit is also as yet unknown. The original plan was to host a convention of
senior religious figures, but the intended participants did not express
willingness to attend. It is possible that a conference will instead be held with
leading intellectuals, not necessarily religious leaders.

Senior negotiators to begin new round of talks Sunday

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Thu Jan 27,2000 -- According to a PA official, senior delegates from Israel
and the PA on Sunday will begin a new round of intensive talks aimed at
reaching a framework for the final status negotiations by the February 13
deadline.

Israel warns Damascus it could torpedo peace efforts

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Thu Jan 27,2000 -- Following the killing of an IDF soldier in the security zone
of southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Jerusalem on Wednesday issued a
warning to Damascus that its failure to reign in Hizbullah guerillas may
torpedo the current peace initiative. Israel called upon Syrian leaders to use
their influence to stop Hizbullah attacks aimed at IDF and SLA positions
throughout the security zone. The warning came following two days of heavy
fighting in the zone. The Deputy Defense Minister said it was up to Syria to
curtail the militants in Lebanon if it is serious about bringing peace to the
area.

Water-sharing plan revealed

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Arutz-7

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- Water from the Litani River, in southern Lebanon, will be
piped to Israel. Syria will receive water from the Kinneret Sea. This is the
plan that is currently being formulated by the Israeli water committee
delegation to the Israeli-Syrian talks, reports Haggai Huberman in HaTzofeh
today. He said that Barak had planned to keep the program secret "until the
eve of the referendum, and then when the anti-withdrawal people would be
screaming that we will be left without the Golan's water sources, he would
suddenly produce this plan, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat,
and silence the opposition." The water-sharing plan can be worked in either
of two ways: either diverting water from the Litani's "bend" (where the river
turns north; see map at "www.fsk.ethz.ch/encop/13/watershe.gif") to the
Jordan River and the Kinneret, or piping water from the western end of the
river towards Rosh HaNikra (the north-western corner of Israel). Arab sources
have accused Israel of having their eyes on the Litani since the early 1900's.
"What's in it for Lebanon?" Huberman was asked, and responded, "Money."

The West loses it's control of Georgia

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Stratfor Report

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- The Russian and Georgian interior ministers announced
Jan. 22 the launching of joint border patrols to police the Chechen-Georgian
border, reported Russian Radio. If true, this marks a collapse in Georgian
government policy and establishes a new Russian military presence in
Georgia. The shift from a willingness to “observe the border” without
Russians to “secure the border” with Russians marks a transformation in the
Georgian government´s perception of geopolitical realities. Russia is
economically and diplomatically, and in the case of Georgia, militarily,
reasserting its influence in the states of the former Soviet south. Georgia´s
decision informs Putin that the West will not significantly intervene in his
efforts to manipulate the states of the South Caucasus into assisting him in
eliminating the Chechen rebels. For the last five months, Shevardnadze has
sought Western support to maintain Tbilisi´s independent line vis-a-vis
Moscow. Having realized that Washington will not support him, he has
changed Georgian policy to placate Russia. The only way Georgia can be
prevented from falling back into Russia´s orbit is if Turkey establishes a
military presence in Georgia — something that becomes less likely with
every passing day.

Saudis tell US Jews: no backing for peace

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- Leaders of the Anti-Defamation League, one of the most
important Jewish organizations in the United States, returned disappointed
from a visit to Saudi Arabia. In spite of the generous hospitality that was
extended to them by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah at his royal desert camp,
the Jewish leaders were informed by the prince that Saudi Arabia was not
about to make any effort to publicly lend support the Middle East peace
process. Abraham Foxman, head of the league, and his colleagues, were
dismayed by the unchanging position of the Saudis in light of Ehud Barak's
taking office as prime minister and of his commitment to the peace
process.The league representatives also visited Egypt and the Palestinian
Authority and protested the hostility to Israel that they experienced. Foxman
noted the frequent anti-Semitic nature present in caricatures and portrayals
of Israel in Arab newspapers.

Arafat unfurls PA final status plan

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- While Israel-Syria talks floundered yesterday, reports
surfaced that the PA broke new ground last week, presenting the Americans
with a detailed proposal for a final status agreement. Last week Arafat
unfurled the principal points of the Palestinian final-status plan to US
President Bill Clinton. He also asked the Clinton to pressure Prime Barak
and Israel into adopting more flexible positions. Arafat also asked the
Americans to supply a draft peace agreement akin to what they presented
the Israeli and Syrian delegations. Last week apparently marked the first
time that the Palestinians have brought their vision of a final-status
agreement to the highest political levels. The sources close to the PA say
that Clinton responded favorably to the plan, and promised Arafat that he
would move to accelerate progress on the Palestinian track. Sources close
to the PA leadership report that crucial points in Arafat's plan include the
following: Borders: A Palestinian state will be established on the West Bank
and Gaza Strip, in accord with the pre-1967 borders; Jewish settlement
blocs close to the Green Line will be annexed to Israel in a land trade, on the
basis of a formula to be worked out in talks. Refugees: Israel will
acknowledge its responsibility for refugee suffering, and will recognize in
principle the right of return - though it will not necessarily condone its
implementation. An international apparatus will be established to handle
compensation for refugees and their future welfare. Jerusalem: The city is to
remain united, though sovereignty and municipal administration will be
divided in a fashion consonant with the demographics of each neighborhood.

High Court hands in Israel outlaws spanking

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- In what is being labeled a controversial ruling by many
and applauded by child welfare officials, the High Court of Justice handed
down a ruling by which a parent may not spank a child, even if one believes it
is for educational purposes. The justices who presided over the matter and
stated clearly that even one who would strike a child to teach him/her may
not do so. A physical response by a parent for self-defense would be
permitted however. The High Court ruled that a parent might now be charged
with abusing a minor if he/she strikes a child, even if there were no injuries to
that child. Editor's comment: Israel outlaws yet another of God's precepts.
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will
remove it far from him. Do not hold back discipline from a child, although you
beat him with the rod, he will not die, You shall beat him with the rod and
deliver him from Sheol. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets
his own way brings shame to his mother. Proverbs 22:15, 23:13,14 and
29:15.

Swastikas in Beersheba

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- Police on Sunday morning discovered that graffiti
stating, “Dati´im (religious Jews) go home!” and swastikas were painted on
walls of the Afikim School in the Ramot section of Beersheba.

Thousands participate in protest calling for an end to desecrations on the
Temple Mount

Weekend News Today
By Weekend Staff
Source: IsraelWire

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- Some 5,000 persons participated in a protest on
Tuesday night calling for an immediate end to the ongoing illegal Wakf
Authority construction on the Temple Mount of Jerusalem´s Old City in the
area known as Solomon´s Stables. The protest was organized by the Zo
Artzeinu organization, which called for motorists from around the country to
drive to the Kidron Valley area, from where the participants walked while
carrying torches. Officials affiliated with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)
have testified that the ongoing construction continued to cause irreparable
damage to religious artifacts dating back to the Temple era. Nevertheless,
the government has opted to turn a blind eye in the hope of avoiding a
conflict with the Moslem community. As a result of the ongoing construction,
the Wakf Authority has dumped hundreds of truckloads of dirt containing
artifacts in the Kidron Valley.

Thousands flee Somalia drought

Weekend News Today
By Weekend Staff
Source: BBC

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- Thousands of families are being forced to leave their
homes in southern Somalia because of drought and famine. Villages and
towns in the Bakol and Gedo border regions have been deserted as water
supplies dry up. People and cattle have been dying and correspondents say
the situation is especially desperate as the next rainy season is still two
months away.

Somalia: Cholera outbreak claims 19 lives

Weekend News Today
By Weekend Staff
Source: Yahoo! AP

Wed Jan 26,2000 -- An outbreak of cholera has claimed at least 19 lives in
the Somalian capital of Mogadishu in two days, AP reported. Most of the
victims were from densely populated neighborhoods where sanitation is poor.
On Jan. 14, the Nairobi-based Somalia Aid Coordination Body, a grouping of
U.N. and private relief agencies working in Somalia, confirmed the outbreak
and said clinics for cholera victims would be established throughout the city.

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Religion Today items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 08:51:07 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

An Ohio couple is suing, saying they would have aborted their
daughter if they had known she was likely to be born with spina
bifida, an irreversible spinal defect. Lawrence and Patricia
Hester of Springdale want the Ohio Supreme Court to allow Alicia
to collect damages against Drs. Leela Dwivedi and Luis Saldana,
whom they say knew the condition of the fetus and failed to
inform them.
...The Hesters want Alicia, 6, to be compensated for medical and
educational expenses and for pain and suffering she will endure
throughout her life, the Cincinnati Post said. She was born
paralyzed from the chest down, is mentally impaired, and will
require a lifetime of care.
...Lawyers for Saldana say the doctors did not cause the birth
defects and should not be held responsible for the fact that
Alicia is alive. "They are saying the child should be dead,"
attorney Michael Lyon said. "What would have avoided the damages
to this child? Death, termination. I can't imagine the child
standing here 10 years from now, saying, 'I want to be dead.' "
Ann Ruley Combs, a lawyer representing Dwivedi, said that if the
child wins, "we're creating an expectation that every child has a
right to be born perfect."

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold blasphemed Christ and directed
invectives at Christian students and others in a video prior to
the killings at Columbine High (see link #1 below) last year. The
two made five videos before the shooting, venting their rage at
athletes, minorities, and Christians, Christianity Today said.
..."Go Romans. Thank God they crucified that [expletive]," Harris
said, making a vulgar reference to Jesus, CT said. Both teens
then began chanting, "Go Romans" and cheering. "What would Jesus
do?" Klebold yelled. "What would I do?" he said, pretending to
fire a gun at the camera, the publication said.
...The boys singled out Christian student Rachel Scott on the
tape, calling her a "godly whore" and "stuck-up," it continued.
Harris mimicked her faith. "Yeah. 'I love Jesus. I love Jesus.'
Shut the [expletive] up," he said. Scott had told Klebold and
Harris about Christ during a class they shared, and confronted
them about a violent video they made, her father, Darrell, said.
She was one of the first to be killed in the attack.
...The killers hated God, Darrell Scott said. "There seemed to be
an extra element of hatred and vengeance there." Police allowed
victims' parents to see the videos, which have not been released
to the public, CT said. A Time magazine report included some
details from the tapes but did not mention the anti-Christian
elements.
...A student sitting near Rachel Scott says God saved his life.
Mark Taylor, 17, was shot twice from behind, and five more times
in the chest as he sat on a hill outside the school talking about
religion with his friends, The Rocky Mountain News said.
..."I remember being in the ambulance afraid of dying," he told
Columbine Community Church Jan. 26. "I called to God to save me
and He answered my plea. I knew right then, I was certain God was
going to save my life."
...Doctors at University Hospital said they did not expect Taylor
to live. "I'm looking at a dead man," a surgeon told Dr. Bill
Deagle, who also spoke at the church. Taylor's mother said she
couldn't understand why the shooting happened until she
remembered a passage of Scripture about "all things coming
together for the good," she told the News. "I said, 'Lord, all
things?' And He said, 'All things.' "

Hungarian peace officers will encounter the Prince of Peace. Some
42,000 videos about the life of Christ are being sent to police
with the approval of Chief Peter Orban, the French press agency
AFP said. GNN International Visual Bible Society is providing the
videos.
...The ministry wants "to send the message that we have to pray
for power, and that it is important for power to know who Jesus
is," an official said. Individual officers are free to accept or
decline the video, a 20-minute excerpt from a feature film called
Who is Jesus? AFP said.
...Hungary's traditional Orthodox churches do not support the
giveaway. "We would be more than happy to accept a Bible for all
our members if the historical churches sent us copies," a police
spokesman said.

http://www.religiontoday.com
January 28, 2000

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - South Africa considers redefining marriage and pregnancy
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 09:01:08 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

South Africa Considers Redefining Marriage And Pregnancy

CAPETOWN, South Africa (EP) -- The South African Parliament is
considering an "Equality Bill" that would redefine marriage to include
homosexuals, and recognize abortion as part of pregnancy. If passed,
marriage in South Africa would include anyone "in a relationship, whether
with a person of the same or the opposite sex." The bill would also broaden
the term pregnancy to include "termination of pregnancy" to justify abortion,
reports the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).

"The state law adviser's proposal...flies in the face of the moral norms of the
vast majority of South Africans," said Mighty Madasa of ACDP. Madasa said
that broadening the terms is nonsensical. "The terms 'marital status' and
'pregnancy' do not need to be defined. Anyone with common sense knows
what 'marital status' and 'pregnancy' is. Defining the term 'marital status' to
include homosexual and lesbian relationships is merely an attempt to give
special privileges to people practicing a homosexual lifestyle and to attempt
to give homosexuality some form of respectability," said Madasa. "The same
is being attempted by broadening the term 'pregnancy' to include abortion. It
is obvious that abortion is the opposite of pregnancy. Pregnancy is the
process of bringing forth life, while abortion is killing that life."

ACDP reports that the Equality Bill aims to force the acceptance of people
into private clubs, church membership, employment and housing regardless
of relational status.

Madasa condemned the bill, saying, "These laws are an attempt to force
people to override their own freedom of conscience. Surely if a church,
employer or a homeowner chooses not to accept someone into membership
or employment, he has that right. This bill would take away the right of
individuals and private institutions to choose whom they wish to employ or
take into membership."

South African parents are concerned that the bill will bring more homosexual
teachers into the classrooms, compromising the education of traditional
values they wish for their children.

ACDP's immediate concerns are that the redefining of marriage will
contribute to a breakdown of the family in South African, leading to higher
poverty, crime, and youth violence statistics.

 (© 2000, Evangelical Press News Service)

http://www.mcjonline.com/news/00/20000127d.htm

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - ReligionToday Feature Story for Friday, January 28,
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 09:04:41 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

[BPRnote: story sent via Jim. Thanks Jim!]

        C U R R E N T F E A T U R E S T O R Y
              by the Editors of ReligionToday

January 28, 2000

Celebrity quarterback puts God first

Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams, the hottest quarterback in the
National Football League, prints his own trading cards. But it's
not an ego thing.

...The cards tell the story of Warner turning his life over to
Christ. He carries them around so he'll have something meaningful
to hand out to fans who ask for his autograph.

...His new life in Christ is intertwined with his dramatic
rags-to-riches football career. The NFL's most valuable player
will lead his team against the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl
XXXIV on Sunday.

...Warner became a Christian four years ago, shortly after
tragedy touched his life. The parents of his girlfriend Brenda,
now his wife, were killed when a tornado demolished their home in
Mountain View, Ark. They had planned to be baptized that night,
but stayed home because Brenda's mother had a headache, USA Today
said. People at the church were spared.

...Kurt watched as Brenda, a Christian, responded to the tragedy
with poise and grace rather than self-pity. He also knew how she
had dealt with a crippling accident suffered by her son, Zachary,
eight years earlier, when he was dropped on his head as a baby.

...Brenda sat in a rocking chair next to Zachary's hospital crib
for 17 days, watching as he suffered seizures, quoting Bible
verses, and asking God to perform a miracle. Although legally
blind and brain-damaged, Zachary is now a fifth-grader who can
read, gets around fairly well, and takes mainstream and special
education classes.

...Three months after the deaths of Brenda's parents, Kurt became
a Christian. Two months after that he proposed to her, and he has
adopted Zachary and her daughter Jesse.

...Kurt got involved in a Bible study and began to "understand
what was really important in life," he told Crosswalk.com. "I had
my life and my faith, and they were two separate things. But as I
began to grow in my relationship with God, I began to understand
how they fit together."

...The family attends St. Louis Family Church, as does Isaac
Bruce, a Rams receiver. Pastor Jeff Perry leads a Bible study at
the Warners' home each Wednesday night during football season.

...Warner's long road to gridiron success was filled with
setbacks and bad breaks. He warmed the bench for four years at
the University of Northern Iowa. Finally getting a chance as a
fifth-year senior, he led the Panthers to the NCAA Division I-AA
semifinals and was named the Gateway Conference Offensive Player
of the Year.

...But he was passed over in the NFL draft and rejected by the
Canadian Football League. Warner took a job stocking shelves for
minimum wage at the Hy-Vee supermarket in Cedar Falls, Iowa,
while he worked out at a college practice field during the day.

...A year later he was playing again, but in small-time Arena
football, an indoor game using eight players on a side and
50-yard fields. He missed a tryout for the Chicago Bears in 1997
when he was bitten on the elbow by a vicious spider, leaving him
unable to throw.

...After three years he took a step up. He was signed by the Rams
and sent to the Amsterdam (Netherlands) Admirals of NFL Europe,
where in the spring of 1998 he led the league in passing yardage
and touchdowns.

...The Rams hired Warner for the 1998 season, but he played in
only one game. He was left unprotected in the expansion draft,
but the new Cleveland Browns didn't want him, either. Warner was
still with the Rams in 1999, but the team signed
superstar-prospect quarterback Trent Green before the season for
$16.5 million, and it looked like Warner would be overlooked
again.

...Green got hurt, and Warner stepped up to take his place. To
the surprise of almost everyone, he threw a record 41 touchdown
passes, led the league in completion percentage, and took the
Rams to the best record in their conference, 13-3. In five months
he had gone from being an anonymous bench-sitter to a Pro Bowl
selection, and was named the NFL's most valuable player.

...Kurt is now a celebrity but says he owes his success to Brenda
and his faith. He declined an appearance on the David Letterman
Show to spend his wedding anniversary with Brenda. He has his own
frosted flakes cereal, Warner's Krunch Time, and the proceeds go
to Camp Barnabus (see link #1 below), a Christian camp in Purdy,
Mo., for children with special needs.

...Warner told his story at a Billy Graham event (see link #2
below) in St. Louis last fall.

..."Who am I ? I am a devout Christian man," he told the crowd of
40,000. "I am not a football player. That is what I do. When I
throw a touchdown pass now, my thoughts are on how can I use this
success on the field as a platform to glorify and praise my Lord
Jesus Christ. People often ask the secret of my success as a
football player. It has nothing to do with how I work out in the
off-season, or my diet. The secret of my success is simply Jesus
Christ."

(Editor's note: Also see Superbowl. What's a Dad to Do? (see link
#3 below) )

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RELATED LINKS:
1: http://www.campbarnabas.com/
2:
http://www.religiontoday.com/Archive/FeatureStory/view.cgi?file=1999102
1.s
1. html 3: http://news.crosswalk.com/article/1,6777,3334~230,00.htm

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