Taliban Says It Killed 'Evangelistic' Aid Worker

Afghanistan’s Taliban is back, vowing war against aid workers The Taliban, the Muslim extremists who once controlled Afghanistan until ejected by U.S.-led military forces, is still killing people in the country.

Mullah Abdul Samad today said the Taliban was responsible for attacking a vehicle with aid workers from the Voluntary Association for Rehabilitation of Afghanistan. Aid worker Abdul Waheed and his driver, both Afghans, were killed in the attack. A third passenger was unhurt.

“We take responsibility for all the attacks on NGOs (non-governmental organizations) … who are spoiling the Islamic faith of the Afghan people. They are preaching Christianity and distributing books on Christianity among the people,” Samad told Reuters. “All those working in Afghanistan for the interests of America and the Crusaders deserve to be killed.”

Weblog doesn’t know much about VARA, but it doesn’t seem to be religious at all, and it proclaims itself “nonsectarian.”

Last year, notes the Associated Press, ” three of the agency’s employees were abducted in Nimroz and have not been heard from since.”

“We have temporarily stopped work on all our projects in the southern region and workers in the field have been asked to return to the offices,” said VARA’s Mohammed Ismail.

Amina Lawal, whose case rallied the world against Shari’ah law, is free The Nigerian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning under Islamic law was acquitted by a Shari’ah Appeal Court yesterday, bringing cheers around the world.

“Amina Lawal’s case should not have been brought to a court of law in the first instance,” Amnesty International said in a press release. “Nobody should ever be made to go through a similar ordeal.”

The case brought to the attention of the world the horror of Shari’ah law as human rights organizations and governments pleaded for her freedom. The court, faced with dueling political necessities of freeing her and supporting the Islamic law, found itself twisting in knots. By four-to-one, the court said that pregnancy was not enough evidence of adultery, though she has been separated from her husband for two years and admitted to sex outside of marriage.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom welcomed the verdict, but noted “the overturning of yesterday’s decision for technical reasons does not address larger concerns about the criminal application of Islamic law in northern Nigeria and its interference with the religious freedom of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.”

In fact, those cries of victory are a bit muted today: As Lawal’s verdict was made public, so was news that three other Nigerians face execution under Shari’ah law: two for sodomy, and another for child molestation.

What do you call the leader of one of the world’s largest Christian bodies? Speaking of Nigeria, it’s worth noting that Peter Akinola, head of the Church of Nigeria, the largest Anglican body in the world, is the new head of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa. There’s much that can be said about Akinola, but some, such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, summarize him in this headline: “Africa’s Anglican council elects anti-gay head.”

Bono and Steve Taylor, together at last There are many interesting stories on combating AIDS below, but Christian music fans shouldn’t miss this story from The Tennessean, where U2’s Bono, Sixpence None the Richer’s Matt Slocum, and musician/producer Steve Taylor met up with Sen. Bill Frist on U.S. funding on anti-AIDS efforts.

More on AIDS:

Religious leaders expose damning attitudes towards HIV/AIDS | African religious leaders admitted on Sunday that their own institutions were sometimes guilty of spreading the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks)
AIDS fight may be changed by religious care for orphans | A survey of 505 religious organizations operating in six African nations shows that 95 percent support orphans, working almost entirely without outside funds (The Boston Globe)
Faith-based organizations: Part of the solution or part of the problem? | Faith-based organisations have immense influence in their communities. However, this influence has not been fully exploited in the fight against HIV/AIDS (Health & Development Networks, Pretoria, South Africa)
Condom supply to Africa hit by US abortion policy | The Bush administration’s ban on funds to family planning clinics which offer abortion counseling is adversely affecting the supply of condoms to countries hit by HIV/Aids, it was claimed yesterday (The Guardian, London)
US abortion rule ‘hits Africa women’ | The Global Gag Rule – introduced by the US two years ago – prohibits family planning assistance to any non-government group that performs or offers counselling on abortion (BBC)

Politics and law:

Family values down the toilet | How can the GOP women endorse Schwarzenegger? (Robert Scheer, Los Angeles Times)
Senate GOP to revive Pickering nomination | Republican leaders are pressed by conservatives furious over the demise of Miguel Estrada’s judicial nomination after a six-month Democratic filibuster (The Washington Times)
Wall between church & state is lawyers’ con | With some exceptions, the legal theorists at the elite law schools of the country who support the “wall of separation” and their journalistic supporters are agnostics or atheists. Like any religious group, they want to establish their own religion, and they have done so (Andrew W. Greeley, New York Daily News)
Reagan and Thatcher: ‘linked by the Lord’ | The extraordinary friendship between President Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher – seen by outsiders as an historic alliance of political soulmates – was viewed by Mr Reagan as evidence of divine intervention, according to letters he wrote to her (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Churches attack ‘beast’ Mugabe | Christian churches in Zimbabwe have demanded the repeal of oppressive media and security laws as nine reporters for the country’s only independent daily were charged with violating the laws (Associated Press)
Also: Clergy vow campaign against Mugabe’s rule (SAPA, South Africa)
Tas priest says Parliament prayers outdated | A Tasmanian priest says he supports moves to do away with the Lord’s Prayer in State Parliament (Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
Should church be allowed to use hallucinogenic tea? | Religious leaders respond (Los Angeles Times)

Religion in the workplace:

Workers’ religion enforced by law | Employers may have to provide prayer-rooms for staff and allow religious holidays as part of radical new laws to prevent discrimination at work (The Scotsman)
Religion in the workplace: Keep your faith, lose your job | Accommodating employees’ reasonable religious practices entails only minimal adjustments by businesses (Charles Haynes, First Amendment Center)

Religion on the playground:

Park playground’s brick pavers lead to suit against state | Dan and Olga Buchanan wanted commemorative brick to say “Thank you Jesus, Daria & Evan Buchanan” (The Seattle Times)
Rejection of inscribed brick leads to lawsuit (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Couple sues over inscription omission (Associated Press)

School vouchers:

For vouchers, a mixed report card | Milwaukee program spawns qualms amid successes (The Washington Post)
Vouchers find favor outside GOP | The Washington mayor and a California senator support a $13-million school plan (Los Angeles Times)
D.C. vouchers debate resumes in Senate | Williams Makes Rare Visit to Chamber as Feinstein Supports His Vision for Program (The Washington Post)
Senators considering compromise on vouchers | GOP backers open 11th-hour talks with Democrats on D.C. plan (The Washington Post)
D.C. vouchers bill stalls in Senate | But some Democrats negotiated behind the scenes with Republicans on an amendment they hope will attract Democratic support for a $13 million school-voucher initiative for the city (The Washington Times)

Religious symbols:

Cross is sold to highest bidder | A historic preservation group, offering more than $104,000, says the icon will remain in Grant Park as a symbol of Ventura’s heritage (Los Angeles Times)
Ala. Justice Moore to get Nov. 12 trial | The Court of the Judiciary refused a request by Moore to delay the trial until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on his planned appeal in the monument case, which could take weeks or months. (Associated Press)
Demonstrations over Ten Commandments displays planned for Winder | The controversy over courthouse displays of the Ten Commandments has groups lining up to either support or condemn Barrow County’s decision to fight a lawsuit calling for their removal (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Christians protest rulings | Demonstrators at courthouse inspired by Ten Commandments dispute in Alabama (The Indianapolis Star)
Christian activists rally to protest controversial federal court rulings | Acting as what they called an informal ecclesiastical court, the demonstrators from the group Life Link declared the U.S. Supreme Court “in contempt of the court of almighty God” (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland)
Protesters decry court decisions | Outside the federal court in Wichita, more than 100 people gather to protest rulings that they say violate Bible teachings (The Wichita Eagle, Kan.)
Commandments moved from Mont. courthouse | Workers moved the stone to the city’s Range Riders Museum, which is privately run (Associated Press)

Staines verdict analysis:

Law, order, and religious conversions | The impact of the Staines judgement (Subhash Agrawal, The Financial Express, India)
Hindu extremism in powerful hands | The BJP is only one member of a congerie of Hindu nationalist groups known as the sangh pariwar, whose goal is “Hindutva”: a Hindu rather than a secular India (Nick Hordern, Financial Review, Australia)

Church life:

Praying and playing—together | Some churches are making their facilities work overtime, combining the Biblical with the practical (St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)
Unholy row as church turns the other cheek | Calcot neighbours are furious that a spate of vandalism on a local church could go unpunished after officials at a church—the latest target for attack—say they don’t want the culprits to be prosecuted (Reading Chronicle, U.K.)
Featured attraction: sermon in Cineplex I | Increasingly, churches nationwide are choosing multiplex cinemas as their worship homes – seeing the comfortable theaters as well located, easily accessible, and attractive to people who might not otherwise attend church (The Christian Science Monitor)
New church adds a charismatic flare | Type of Christian worship isn’t widespread in county (Deerfield Review, Ill.)

Youth:

Disconnected youth | The connectedness deficit is the difference between what the biological makeup of human beings demands and what many children’s social situations supply in the way of connections to other people and to institutions that satisfy the natural need for moral and spiritual meaning (George F. Will, The Washington Post)
Groups with Christian message ready to rock Civic Center Sunday | The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will pull from 200 area churches Sunday to put on its biggest Asheville event since the 1975 crusade (The Asheville Citizen-Times, N.C.)
Teen ministries: A time of testing | Several evangelical youth ministries in Wichita were hit hard by the slumping economy but are working to regroup (The Wichita Eagle)
Keeping the faith | Churches in Australia are struggling to remain relevant to young people (The Advertiser, Adelaide, Australia)
Diocese focuses on youth’s needs | Nearly 4,000 teenagers attend a special Mass today at Cal State San Bernardino (The Press-Enterprise, inland California)
School policy allows formation of ‘pagan’ club | Senior tried unsuccessfully to launch club two years ago (Azle News, Tex.)

Missions and ministry:

Jews for Jesus campaign exposes tensions | Tensions heightened when Jews for Judaism, an organization that calls itself “a counter-missionary group,” shadowed Jews for Jesus volunteers in the street (CanadianChristianity.com)
Upheavals, broken lives frame relief worker’s life | Even when the geopolitical and natural worlds are calm, World Relief in Miami is never quiet (The Miami Herald)
Charity work draws interfaith support | As interfaith groups have sprung up across Texas, none brings together as many faiths as Habitat for Humanity (San Antonio Express-News)
Ex-thief ‘Murph the Surf’ to retell his story in film | Now living in Crystal River and leading a prison ministry, Jack Murphy became a legend for stealing jewels (St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)
KC Promise Keepers event attracts thousands | Standard article (The Kansas City Star)
Road rules for recovering alcoholics | Temptations for business travelers in recovery are everywhere (The New York Times)
Moved by the spirit | As a devoted real estate agent, Amy Charlton always followed the money. Now she’s following God, to parts unknown (St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)
Sister Wendy on club crusade | Evangelist Wendy Sanderson is leading a project to put spirituality into the lives of late-night revellers, starting with the capital city of Wales (BBC)
Young Christians turn rags to riches | IUN senior collecting, reconditioning used T-shirts for ministry work (The Times, Northwest Indiana)

Bible:

Teen mag aims to be Christian style Bible | Despite the hip fashion-magazine format, with images of stylish, smiling young women, quizzes and celebrity birthdays, Revolve delivers a conservative message to its young Christian audience (Scotland on Sunday)
The testament of youth | In the US, the Bible has just been relaunched as a teen magazine for girls (The Guardian, London)
Church rewrites Bible in feminist language | The term disciple is to be changed to “disciples and disciplesses” and forms of address such as Lord or Our Father are to be omitted (Ananova)

Life ethics:

France seeks euthanasia review as quadriplegic dies | Vincent Humbert, 22, died after a team of doctors gave up their fight to keep the quadriplegic alive after his mother injected a form of barbiturate into her son’s intravenous drip late Wednesday (Associated Press)
Earlier: Mother arrested over euthanasia attempt | A passionate pro-euthanasia plea by a 22-year-old Frenchman left mute, blind and paralyzed following an accident was published yesterday, hours after his mother was arrested for trying to help him die (The Guardian, London)
Low-birth Russia curbs abortions | Women denounce law reducing reasons for legal terminations (The Guardian, London)
Commons anti-cloning bill likely to stumble because of prolife MPs | Many observers involved in the 10-year debate over the legislation in its various versions believe it won’t be resurrected if allowed to die once again (Canadian Press)

Gay marriage and related issues:

Gay wedding bells. Why no hubbub? It’s Canada | Canada is a country where compromise, consensus and civility are the most cherished political values (The New York Times)
Gay marriage becomes routine for Dutch | Two years after enacting law, up to 8 percent of weddings are same-sex unions (The Washington Post)
Gay marriages are still far from approval by Albany | The state of New York, known nationally as a relatively liberal place, is not yet ready to lead the way on civil marriages for gays and lesbians, despite this week’s decision by the Democratic State Committee to support such a measure, lawmakers and aides said (The New York Times)
Foes of partner law file suit | A state senator and others contend that the expansion of rights for gay couples ‘subverts’ a 2000 initiative on marriage (Los Angeles Times)
Marriage and the GOP platform | Marriage, as of one man and one woman, has been the bedrock of civilization from the beginning of recorded history. We should not allow intolerance by the few to pre-empt the settled moral judgment of civilization (Editorial, The Washington Times)
Why marriage is not a civil right to be redefined | It is a profound theological, psychological, sociological and biological reality with a twofold purpose: lifelong relationship and procreation (Mark E. Powell, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.)
Gay marriage and the Ten Commandments | If marriage is treated as a civil institution by government, rather than a religious sacrament, then gay and lesbian couples should have the same legal rights and benefits as heterosexual couples (Jim Maynard, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.)

More on sex, marriage, and family:

Gay priest rebellion in church | A new Uniting Church alliance that claims to represent up to 80 per cent of members was formed yesterday to reverse gay ordination and restore “biblical principles” (The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
Church slams Chile divorce plans | The Roman Catholic archbishop Francisco Errazuriz said divorce would threaten the family and undermine the sanctity of marriage (BBC)

Anglican tensions:

Episcopalians voice outrage on gay bishop | Episcopal Diocese of Virginia called the meeting to give parishioners a chance to tell Diocesan Bishop Peter J. Lee and Assistant Bishops Francis Gray and David Jones what they thought of the election of Canon V. Gene Robinson, a homosexual, as the new bishop of New Hampshire (The Washington Times)
Forum airs tensions over gay bishop | Many criticize va. Episcopal leader for voting to confirm N.H. colleague (The Washington Post)
Evangelicals side with church rebels | Support sent to Americans resisting blessing of gays (The Guardian, London)
Evangelicals ‘must learn from gays’ | Leading evangelical academics said homosexual sex was outlawed by the Bible, and they rejected liberal arguments that the Scriptures could be reinterpreted in a modern context. But they emphasized the need to welcome homosexual couples in their churches (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Religious leaders condemn homophobia | Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have signed an open letter published today supporting Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams in his efforts to combat homophobia (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Also: Imams join plea for gay tolerance | Faith leaders back archbishop with attack on extremism (The Guardian, London)
Also: Religious leaders back homophobia fight (Ananova)
The Episcopalians’ dilemma | The problem is that in the most vital parts of the Anglican Communion — Africa and Asia — homosexual behavior is condemned as sinful by leaders who quote the Bible against the practice (David Yount, Scripps Howard News Service)
City date dropped by the gay bishop | He’ll still speak at conference, but it’ll be by video (Manchester Online, U.K.)

Catholicism:

Vatican may limit girls’ role in Mass | The proposals, which have not yet been formally presented to Pope John Paul II, come at a time when some parts of the church are concerned that having altar girls might lead to a female priesthood (The Washington Post)
Also: Anger at Vatican plan to ban altar girls | Document would also stop millions of Roman Catholics around the world dancing, or even clapping, in their churches, clamp down on adult, lay pastoral assistants, forbid priests during sermons quoting from ethical texts other than the Gospels, and would rank services jointly celebrated with Protestant ministers or Orthodox priests alongside black masses as one of the four “most serious” abuses (The Guardian, London)
Also: Vatican reportedly split over crackdown (Associated Press)
Also: No clapping, dancing at Mass, Vatican to warn (Reuters)
Pope skips audience because of illness | Mild “intestinal problems,” says Vatican (Associated Press)
Also: Pope cancels weekly audience (BBC, video)
Irish Catholic Church attendance down | Only half of Roman Catholics attend weekly Mass in predominantly Catholic Ireland, and 75 percent believe priests should be allowed to marry, according to an opinion poll (Associated Press)
Church hits language barrier | Spanish-speaking Catholic priests are sought for a burgeoning community (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Eastern Orthodox:

Russian Patriarch Alexy II visits Estonia | His first since a bitter dispute over the status of the faithful in the former Soviet republic threatened to split Orthodox Christians worldwide (Associated Press)

Judaism:

Temple transformation | Some so-called synagogue change initiatives borrow from evangelical Protestant megachurches, which aspire to win over “spiritual seekers.” (The Denver Post)
‘Storahtelling’ enlivens worship | New approach welcomed as Jewish new year begins (The Washington Post)
OSU study on family wealth riles Jewish leaders | Critics worry study fosters anti-Semitic stereotypes (Associated Press)
Earlier: US study: Jews richer because of religion | The average net worth of American Jews is three times that of the general population and that of conservative Protestants is half of the average, according to a new national study by Ohio State University on religious affiliation and wealth (The Jerusalem Post)

Muslim military chaplains:

Military probes hiring of clerics | Policy includes the requirements for individual applicants for the chaplaincy and the requirements for the religious organizations that certify religious ministry professionals for the chaplaincy (The Washington Times)
Muslims in the military | The arrest of two Muslim-American servicemen based at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, raises some complex questions about the conflicting loyalties of Muslim-American soldiers in the war against radical Islamic terror (Editorial, The Washington Times)

Books:

After strange gods | Avishai Margalit reviews Norman Podhoretz’s The Prophets: Who They Were, What They Are (New York Review of Books)
The transforming power of faith | Blair Worden reviews Reformation: Europe’s House Divided by Diarmaid MacCulloch (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Religion in the News: Alan Wolfe’s culture anti-war | Wolfe says most Americans are amiable souls in matters of religion, too, and that the powerful American culture sands down the rough edges of how believers behave, regardless of what official creeds might command (Associated Press)

TV:

‘Joan’ asks: What if God was one of us? | CBS’ Joan of Arcadia isn’t the year’s most promising new drama just because it has the most intriguing premise: God visits a high school girl, his wonders to perform (USA Today)
Residents back KOCE sale to group keeping PBS link | About 75% support such a sale at a below-market price to keep it out of televangelists’ hands, a Cal State Fullerton survey shows (Los Angeles Times)
Residents want KOCE as it is | More than 80% of Orange County residents favor keeping KOCE-TV as a PBS affiliate, committed to airing local programs, rather than selling it to a religious broadcaster for a higher price (The Los Angeles Times)

The Passion:

Mel Gibson commits a sin of omission | The filmmaker has ignored Hollywood’s rules about Jesus (Los Angeles Times)
Vatican distances itself from praise of Gibson’s movie | In a letter sent to the Anti-Defamation League, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the top Vatican liaison to the Jewish community, said that any endorsements of the film from top church leaders represented “purely personal” views and bore “no official status.” (Forward)
Articles are already stirring passions over Gibson’s movie | The film’s virtues and sins are grist for an escalating media war being waged long before the film arrives in the local megaplex (The Boston Globe)

Interfaith efforts:

A religious cornerstone in Surf City | Noble Waite, who spent his much of his life serving his country and community, will finish his most recent service as president of the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council (Los Angeles Times)
Kazakhstan faith talks seek to subdue religious clashes | More than 120 delegates from 18 religions pledged to combat violence by propagating the peaceful values of their different faiths (The New York Times)

Crime:

Pastors arrested in parks relieved of duties | Two pastors arrested in Arlington public parks Monday for indecent exposure and public lewdness in separate incidents have been relieved of duties by their respective churches (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)
The price of their redemption | Deeper Life has the unusual distinction among churches of having a felony record (The Tampa Tribune)
Group accuses churches of being frauds | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta is suing a network of Spanish-speaking churches for falsely claiming to be Catholic (Associated Press)
Pastor must repay flock | 14 trusting investors lost nearly $900,000 in scheme (The Arizona Republic)
Gaines’s parents sue priest, church | A spokesman for the Pittsburgh Diocese, responded to the suit by saying the church believes it has acted responsibly (The Washington Post)
Father, sitter guilty in boy’s murder | The adoptive father and baby sitter of a 9-year-old boy who died after being wrapped from head-to-toe in duct tape were convicted Thursday of murder and child abuse (Associated Press)
Also: Testimony: Mother said God directed children’s punishment | Christy Edgar trial continues (The Kansas City Star)

Abuse:

Sex abuse suspect held post with church youth group | Pastor of First Evangelical Congregation Church says charges not related to church work (The Express-Times, Pa.)
Catholic Church pays Dade youth | The Miami Archdiocese’s first settlement of a clergy abuse case since the U.S. scandal began comes with no confidentiality pact (The Miami Herald)
Miami Archdiocese pays first settlement (Associated Press)
N.H. Catholics demand ouster of 2 bishops | Victims of pedophile priests and groups seeking change within the church rallied outside Bishop John McCormack’s parish church for two hours before and during a morning Mass (Associated Press)
Irish victims of clergy abuse seek others in Hub | Four years ago, the Irish government offered an apology, and a blank check, to thousands of people who suffered abuse in those institutions. But victim advocates accuse the government of doing nothing to alert those who left Ireland after abuse that they are entitled to settlement money (The Boston Globe)
Openness vowed on clergy abuse policy | Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley has pledged that any future changes to the Archdiocese of Boston’s child protection policies will be put through a thorough, open process designed to head off accusations that the church is slipping back into excessive secrecy in handling accusations of clergy abuse, a spokesman said (The Boston Globe)
Anglicans at odds on sex protocol | Australia’s Anglican bishops are at odds over a national sexual abuse protocol, with the bishops of Melbourne and Bendigo preferring to keep their present system (The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
The last bastion of trust must never be violated | As if priests were not already under enough scrutiny, their right to security in the confessional is now under attack (James Murray, The Australian)

More articles of interest:

Derek Prince dies at age 88 (CBN.com)
American researchers launch study of religion in public life | Backed by a $3.3 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, scholars from Rice and Notre Dame will embark on a long-term study of religious beliefs and behaviors among various ethnic groups (Voice of America)
Stressed motorists seek divine inspiration | Nearly three in four drivers admitted to saying the odd prayer while behind the wheel and 22% said they prayed on a regular basis (Ananova)
Ancient Roman church discovered in Burdur | A villager from Yusufca applied to the district governor of Golhisar after stumbling across painted frescos and he delivered these frescos to the district governor (Turkish Daily News)
Divining nature’s plan | A generation after his pioneering work in the Burgess Shale, Conway Morris is convinced that far from being a random, directionless process, evolution shows deep patterns, and perhaps even a purpose (U.S. News & World Report)
Dolphins punter Royals keeps faith, may lose job | Mark Royals credits his Christian faith with helping him enjoy a 15-year NFL career, but the Dolphins’ punter now wonders whether his recent on-field difficulties are a sign to begin preparing for life after football (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Religion news in brief | Beyond What Would Jesus Drive, Georgian president promises reforms, and other stories (Associated Press)