Christian teen recovering from attack by Islamists

Christian teen recovering from attack by Islamists
Voice of Martyrs helping with medical, emotional cataclysm
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© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

In many ways Noviana Malewa is like any other teen-aged Christian girl in Indonesia. But it is her eyes – which reveal a sadness and strength far beyond her years – that are different, and give evidence of the emotional and mental trauma of her own experience with radical Islam, a new report concludes.

That, and the machete chop scar that runs from her cheek bone across her face down onto her neck, says the report from Voice of the Martyrs.

As WND has reported, Noviana and three of her friends were walking on a school path Oct 29, 2005, when they were assaulted by radical Islamic jihadists wielding machetes. Noviana was the only survivor, and suffered the massive slash across her face and neck; the other three girls were decapitated.

VOMedical, a division of the outreach to persecuted Christians worldwide that deals with medical issues, eventually was able to arrange transportation for Noviana to a hospital in Surabaya, and officials are planning to continue follow-up physical treatment.

"Though Noviana's physical scars are beginning to heal, she still struggles with the emotional and mental scars from witnessing the brutal murder of her three friends. Yet, she remains steadfast in her faith," the group confirmed in its report.

Noviana and her friends had been taking a small footpath on their way to their Christian high school in Poso, Indonesia, when radical Islamists dressed all in black jumped suddenly from the jungle and began slashing the girls with machetes.

VOM reports that Noviana fought back as she was struck, then fell to the ground and rolled down into a ravine. Above, she heard her friends screaming.

Just as she was about to lose hope, a van of soldiers appeared and the attackers fled. The soldiers then took her to a hospital.

But she had to be hidden in a Christian village and guarded by police because her testimony was needed in court, and the radical Muslims who had killed her friends still were hunting her. At that point it was too dangerous even to leave her in a hospital, but after months of negotiations to guarantee her safety, arrangements were made for her to be in the Surabaya hospital, VOM said.

She's had successful surgery and VOM is working on continuing care, officials said. She suffered from an involuntary tick in her eye and another near her mouth because of the nerve damage from the slash, and she also suffered other nerve damage and a dislocated jaw.

Earlier reports said daily massages are being used to stimulate nerve repair and skin salves must be given daily. Plastic surgery also was obtained to reduce the scarring.

Authorities said Theresia Morangke, 15, Yarni Sambue, 15, and Alfita Poliwo, 17, were killed in the attack. Their heads were found in bags on the steps of a church and along a road, carrying a message, "We will murder 100 more Christian teenagers and their heads will be presented as presents."

The Pakistan Christian Post reported that Noviana recalled streaming with blood.

"All I could do was pray to Jesus for his help,' she said.

According to a subsequent report in The Jakarta Post, the Islamic suspects in the deaths have confessed to the fatal attack. Authorities reported that the suspects have ties to Noordin Top, who is considered a key leader of the Al-Qaida-linked group Jamaah Islamiyah.

There also have been reports that the defendants told authorities they planned the murders as a "gift" to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

VOM is a non-profit, interdenominational ministry working worldwide to help Christians who are persecuted for their faith, and to educate the world about that persecution. Its headquarters are in Bartlesville, Okla., and it has 30 affiliated international offices.

It was launched by the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who started smuggling Russian Gospels into Russia in 1947, just months before Richard was abducted and imprisoned in Romania where he was tortured for his refusal to recant Christianity.

He eventually was released in 1964 and the next year he testified about the persecution of Christians before the U.S. Senate's Internal Security Subcommittee, stripping to the waist to show the deep torture wound scars on his body.

The group that later was renamed The Voice of the Martyrs was organized in 1967, when his book, "Tortured for Christ," was released.

Stewardess 'banned from taking bible on plane'

Stewardess 'banned from taking bible on plane'
By Laura Clout

An air stewardess is claiming religious discrimination against an airline which she says banned her from taking the Bible to Saudi Arabia.

The stewardess has been told by BMI that it is against the law of the insular Middle Eastern country to bring in religious books other than the Koran.

The woman, who is understood to be a committed Christian, takes her bible everywhere she goes and is now set to take the airline to an industrial tribunal claiming discrimination on religious grounds.

BMI, formerly British Midland Airways, said today it was merely following the Foreign Office advice that no non-Islamic materials or artefacts are allowed into the country.

A spokesman from the airline said: "We issue advice to all our staff and passengers that these are the guidelines.

"She is saying she wants to carry her bible with her. We are saying we can't start designing rules around individuals when we've got several hundred members of staff. To take every personal preference into account would be impossible."

On its web site the Foreign Office says of Saudi Arabia: "The importation and use of narcotics, alcohol, pork products and religious books, apart from the Koran, and artefacts are forbidden."

BMI said it offered the stewardess the opportunity to transfer from long-haul duties to short-haul, but she refused.

The case follows that of British Airways worker Nadia Eweida, also committed Christian, whose objection to BA rules which forbade her visibly wearing a cross led to a review by BA of its uniform policy.

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2006.

Pro-Life Student Sues Virginia School for Prohibiting Abortion Fliers

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor

Harrisonburg, VA (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life student prevented from distributing pro-life literature during a national pro-life day for students has filed a lawsuit against the Virginia school that limited his free speech rights. Andrew Raker was censored for distributing pro-life leaflets on campus during the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity.

On October 24, Raker wore a pro-life T-shirt and distributed postcard-size fliers in support of the pro-life day where students take a vow of silence to "speak up" for unborn children killed in abortions.

The following day, he was pulled from class by Millbrook High School’s principal and told that his literature distribution would no longer be permitted because other students might object or consider the materials to be religious in nature.

The principal also threatened to make him remove his pro-life T-shirt and spoke against his desire to start a pro-life group on campus.

Raker has previously distributed literature for years without any disruption or complaints.

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, a pro-life law firm, filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction today against officials of the Frederick County Public Schools on Raker's behalf.

“The free speech rights of Christian and pro-life students do not end at the schoolhouse gate,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman.

“Students are capable of freely handing a leaflet to their classmates in a non-disruptive manner. Much ignorance exists about what the Constitution really says about this," Bowman added. "Millbrook’s policy is hostile toward our client’s viewpoint against abortion, and it cannot be allowed to continue.”

After the incident, Raker received a letter from school official J. Richard Plaugher informing him of a policy which had not been circulated to students or parents that requires pre-approval of literature distribution before and after school and bans literature distribution even at lunch time.

The policy contains no standards governing the approval process.

“The First Amendment prevents officials from chilling constitutional speech on campus,” Bowman said.

"Regardless of whether school officials agree with Mr. Raker’s views, they cannot abolish his and other students’ First Amendment rights when they step onto campus," he concluded.

ADF attorneys filed their complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Raker v. Frederick County Public Schools. A hearing on the preliminary injunction motion is scheduled for Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. EST in Harrisonburg before Judge Samuel G. Wilson.

Copyright © 2003-2006 LifeNews.com. All rights reserved.

Exodus from Bethlehem, it's no longer a Christian town, who is really to blame?

Exodus from Bethlehem, it's no longer a Christian town, who is really to blame?
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Posted: December 23, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

On one thing we can all agree this Christmas: Bethlehem is no longer a Christian town.

But why?

If you believe the New York Times or former President Jimmy Carter, the Israelis are to blame. Those nasty Jews built a security fence around the town, apparently with the specific purpose of persecuting Christians, who have fled the town in droves.

Here's what Carter had to say in calling the security fence a crime against Christianity: "[It] ravages many places along its devious route that are important to Christians. … In addition to enclosing Bethlehem in one of its most notable intrusions, an especially heartbreaking division is on the southern slope of the Mount of Olives, a favorite place for Jesus and his disciples."

Tracing this particular myth of the Middle East is easier than many others. It first gained urban legend status two years ago when the New York Times blamed Israel's security fence for the dwindling Christian population in formerly Christian towns like Bethlehem.

While Snopes did nothing to bust this hoax, I did my best when I first read the story by Greg Myre. It began:

In the town where Christians believe Christ was born, the Christians are leaving. Four years of violence, an economic free fall and the Israeli separation barrier have all contributed to the hardships facing Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, one of the largest concentrations of Christians in the region.
There you have it. Why are the Christians leaving Bethlehem? At least partly, according to the New York Times, because of the Israeli security fence. And, of course, the New York Times is Jimmy Carter's gospel.

But, as I pointed out then, the claim defies common sense. Just ask yourself a question: Why would the security fence disproportionately affect Christians? If the security fence were contributing to the exodus, it should be causing an exodus of Muslims as well, right?

Last year, perhaps taking their cue from the New York Times, the story was recycled in a thousand other news venues. Political leaders around the world took up the lie as their own. And, of course, Arab and Muslim leaders were only too happy to begin championing the cause of these poor, misplaced, mistreated Christians.

There's just one problem. It's a total, bald-faced lie.

Here is the truth. Bethlehem, once a 90 percent Christian town, now claims only 12 percent of its population of 60,000 Arab residents as Christians. The number drops day by day, month by month, year by year. Last year, for comparison purposes, the town was 35 percent Christian.

They haven't left for no good reason. They have left for very good reasons. In fact, knowing the conditions these Christians face today, it's surprising there are still some around. But the exodus of Christians has nothing to do with the Israeli security fence.

Six years ago, when the latest exodus began, the Israelis had not even started construction of the security fence.

Up until 1948, Bethlehem was more than 90 percent Christian. The Arab-Israeli war of 1948, begun by Arab states in response to the founding of Israel, brought an influx of Muslim refugees to the Bethlehem area and signaled the start of a demographic shift. Then six years ago, the exodus of Christians became a flood.

Buried in the New York Times story of two years ago was a key paragraph that explained why:

In the early days of the uprising, Muslim gunmen in the Bethlehem area took hilltop positions in Beit Jala, which is predominantly Christian. That afforded them a clear firing line at the southernmost part of Jerusalem. When the Israeli military responded, Beit Jala residents found themselves on the front lines of the conflict, and occasionally among its casualties.
In other words, Muslim terrorists have intentionally placed Christians in the crossfire between them and Israel. They did that when they seized the Church of the Nativity, nearly destroying it, defecating in the hallways, smashing statues and stealing precious objects. The Israelis, for their part, negotiated an end to the standoff rather than destroy the church that represents so much to the Christian world.

If the Israelis contributed in any way to the exodus of Christians, it was by withdrawing from Bethlehem and the so-called "Palestinian territories" in the West Bank. Since they left, the Palestinian Authority has waged a jihad against the Christian community, raping women, extorting businessmen, lynching "collaborators" and seizing homes.

That's why the Christians have left and continue to leave. They enjoyed life while their towns were under the control of Israel. Once they were turned over to the terrorists, there wasn't much left to keep them in the areas in which their families lived for generations.

It took WND Jerusalem bureau chief Aaron Klein to set the record straight last year.

"All this talk about Israel driving Christians out and causing pain is nonsense," a Bethlehem Christian community leader told WND. "You want to know what is at play here, just come throughout the year and see the intimidation from the Muslims. They have burned down our stores, built mosques in front of our churches, stole our real estate and took away our rights. Women have been raped and abducted. So don't tell me about Israel. It's the Muslims."

Christmas war erupts in unlikely place

Christmas war erupts in unlikely place
By SHERRI DAY

TAMPA - They wanted to make Christmas bright for patients at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital.

But, quite by accident, a group of parents, teachers and sisters from the Villa Madonna Catholic School stepped into the Christmas wars. Improbably, their opponent was St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, which has its roots in the Catholic Church.

At issue: whether the group could distribute religious-themed gifts to patients. During a Dec. 11 visit, the hospital staff assessed the group's offerings and quickly made a decision. Ornaments that read "Joy to the World" and "Peace on Earth" were in. Nativity lapel pins, ornaments bearing a "Merry Christmas" message and Jesus-themed T-shirts were out. They could only be given to patients with parental consent.

"Yes, we were founded by Catholic sisters, but we serve everybody in our community," said Sister Pat Shirley, a Franciscan sister and the hospital's vice president of missions. "We have to create an environment in which all feel comfortable whether it be Christmas or Hanukkah or Gasparilla or any circumstance."

The hospital, Sister Shirley said, has patients from varied religious backgrounds and carefully scrutinizes gifts, particularly those of a religious nature. Other bay area hospitals forbid donating religious items.

Sister Kim Keraitis, the school's principal and a member of the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, found the hospital's political correctness appalling.

"It's not Tampa General," Sister Keraitis said. "It's not Wal-Mart. It's a Catholic hospital, so if you want to distribute items that say 'Merry Christmas' even if there are people there that are of other faiths, it's kind of understood that it's a Catholic hospital."

The group's visit was the second year they went to cheer patients at Christmas. This year, 18 supporters planned to sing songs about jingling bells and red-nosed reindeers. One couple would dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and distribute glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets to brighten children's nights.

But the glow jewelry, apparently, was held up at the North Pole.

So Sister Keraitis proffered ornaments, nativity pins and red T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Jesus is the heart of Christmas ... Villa Madonna wishes you a Merry Christmas."

"What is Santa Claus with an empty sack when you go into a Children's Hospital?" said Kimmie Martinez, a Villa Madonna teacher and parent who dressed up as Mrs. Claus. "The sister saved us."

Thus began the group's unexpected entry into a culture war. Last year, Christian advocacy groups around the nation waged a campaign against retailers who jettisoned "Merry Christmas" for the more secular "Happy Holidays." Bowing to pressure, some businesses, including Wal-Mart, again embraced Christmas this year, muting controversy.

As the group made its way through the hospital last week singing Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, parents eagerly allowed their children to accept the gifts, Martinez said.

When parents were not present, the volunteers asked patients if they said 'Merry Christmas' or believed in Jesus. If they answered yes to either one, they got the gifts, Sister Keraitis said.

"I don't want to cause a big stir, but my concern was the fact that it's a Catholic institution," Sister Keraitis said. "Within the Catholic institution, we shouldn't have to apologize for saying 'Merry Christmas' to people."

The hospital is part of the St. Joseph's-Baptist Health Care System, and part of a collection of 10 private nonprofit hospitals in Pinellas and Hillsborough.

Martinez was not put off. It pales compared to bringing joy to children in distress, and if the hospital allows her, she hopes to return. Next year, however, she'll make sure she has her glow-in-the-dark necklaces.

"I just want to be welcomed back because we all enjoy it," she said.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times

Al Qaeda Sends a Message to Democrats

Al Qaeda Sends a Message to Democrats
December 22, 2006 2:28 PM

Brian Ross and Hoda Osman Report:

Al Qaeda has sent a message to leaders of the Democratic party that credit for the defeat of congressional Republicans belongs to the terrorists.

In a portion of the tape from al Qaeda No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri, made available only today, Zawahri says he has two messages for American Democrats.

"The first is that you aren't the ones who won the midterm elections, nor are the Republicans the ones who lost. Rather, the Mujahideen -- the Muslim Ummah's vanguard in Afghanistan and Iraq -- are the ones who won, and the American forces and their Crusader allies are the ones who lost," Zawahri said, according to a full transcript obtained by ABC News.

Zawahri calls on the Democrats to negotiate with him and Osama bin Laden, not others in the Islamic world who Zawahri says cannot help.

"And if you don't refrain from the foolish American policy of backing Israel, occupying the lands of Islam and stealing the treasures of the Muslims, then await the same fate," he said.

Copyright © 2006 ABCNews Iternet Ventures

Kansas abortionist charged, but judge dismisses counts

Kansas abortionist charged, but judge dismisses counts

State puts together criminal case against George Tiller, district attorney intervenes saying she won't prosecute
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Posted: December 22, 2006
5:00 p.m. Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

The state of Kansas assembled evidence supporting 30 criminal counts filed against Wichita abortionist George Tiller, but the local district attorney intervened to have the charges dismissed, claiming she doesn't support prosecution of the case.

The complaint was drawn up by outgoing Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline and named George Tiller, noting he is accused of providing abortions to females ranging from 10-22 years of age, whose unborn babies were aged 25 to 31 weeks.

In Kansas, it is against the law to do an abortion on a baby older than 22 weeks, unless special medical conditions are met. The charges explain those conditions simply didn't exist.

However, it took only hours for the the prosecutor in the 18th district, Nola Tedesco Foulston, to object and request that a judge dismiss the counts, which he did immediately.

"This District Attorney has not invited or requested, consented or acquiesced, or failed to object to the filing of the Complaint. The District Attorney does in fact object to any such filing by the Attorney General as he lacks the legal authority to file such complaint in this jurisdiction," Foulston wrote.

The dismissal was signed by Judge Paul Clark.

However, officials with Kline's office said he disagreed with the procedural dismissal, and was preparing an "Emergency Motion to Reconsider" to be filed in Sedgwick County District Court.

Officials with Operation Rescue were horrified to see the developments:

"Foulston has come under criticism by pro-life supporters for refusing to prosecute accusations against Tiller because of her personal friendship with him. It is alleged that she adopted her only son through Tiller, who has stated publicly that he has arranged adoptions in return for political favors," a statement on the Operation Rescue website said.

"This is a classic example of why justice cannot be done in this state because so many officials have ties to George Tiller," said OR President Troy Newman. "Money buys a lot of favors here. This miscarriage of justice must not be allowed to stand. "

Officials noted the case was dismissed "without prejudice," which means that until the statute of limitations expires on the allegations, they could be refiled.

Two lawyers representing Tiller held a news conference to confirm the charges, describing them as "technical" violations of Kansas reporting laws.

Tiller had been scheduled to appear in Sedgwick County District Court Wednesday on the charges from cases in which abortion industry forces had battled through the state Supreme Court in unsuccessful efforts to prevent Kline of obtaining the medical records.

Tiller attorney Lee Thompson would not confirm the number of counts, answering only that the case involved a "number of misdemeanors involving a number of patients."

Thompson indicated a summons had been issued to Tiller by a copy being placed in Tiller's door overnight, and he said he had a copy of the complaint, but wouldn't share details.

Newman said pro-life groups had been working to seek the counts filed for years. "We have repeatedly reported on our website and through press releases that we believed that Tiller was breaking the law, injuring women and killing innocent late-term babies that should have had the protection of the law."

He also called on the state Board of Healing Arts "to suspend Tiller's license and close his abortion clinic to insure that further crimes are not committed. We won't rest until Tiller is convicted and behind bars and his abortion mill is permanently closed."

Kline had said the females involved are not under investigation, will not be charged and, in fact, haven't even been identified.

"The complaint speaks for itself, the identity of the patients will not be sought or revealed by my office. These are accusations and Mr. Tiller is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing," Kline said in a prepared statement.

A spokesman in his office said he would not be available for further comment.

Tiller's lawyers said there was no evidence of crimes and promised to hold Kline "personally responsible" for the prosecution.

The Kline summary of the case, however, noted the law restricts post viability abortion "unless two doctors find either: a) the mother's life is in jeopardy if the abortion is not performed; or b) 'a continuation of the pregnancy will cause a substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman…'"

Those are the requirements that were not met, the complaint alleged.

"Violating any of the provisions of this act is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail, a $2,500 fine or both," the summary said.

"Although the late-term abortion statute states that 'upon a second or subsequent offense' for violation of this statute that the person 'is guilty of a severity level 10, non-person felony,' Kansas Supreme Court case law has interpreted such provisions to require a previous conviction before (someone) can be charged with a felony," the summary said.

Kline said Kansas law also provides for revocation of a person's medical license for performing a criminal late-term abortion.

Kline's summary said in nine of the cases, the pregnant "woman or child" was diagnosed as having "Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode," and in four more cases the "pregnant woman or child" was diagnosed with "Acute Stress Disorder."

"In three cases, it is alleged that the clinic reported to KDHE that the fetus was not viable when the defendant's medical records indicate that the fetus was viable," the summary continued.

There might have been other charges, too, but the statute of limitations had expired on some of the case being reviewed, Kline's summary said.

The subpoenas for the records were issued in September 2004, but the documents were provided to Kline's investigators only on Oct. 24, 2006, more than two years later.

"By the time the investigators for the Attorney General's office obtained the files …. 28 of the files subpoenaed by the Court in September 2004 relating to this defendant had expired…," the summary said.

Kline has been investigating whether Tiller and other abortionists were violating the state's abortion laws nearly since he took office, because Kansas law prohibits abortions after the 22nd week of pregnancy unless special conditions are met.

Kline will be replaced in three weeks by Democrat Paul Morrison, who during his election cited no need for investigating the abortionists. However, a spokeswoman reported that he'd made no decision about whether this specific case will be continued.

Operation Rescue officials said Kline's investigation of abortion clinics for "the concealment of child rape and illegal late-term abortions" was the key to Kline's defeat in a state with a governor and industry strongly supportive of abortion.

"Kansas has opted to continue the practice of looking the other way when innocent young girls are taken to abortion clinics by their rapists, who are looking to destroy the evidence of their crimes," said Newman after the election. "It has also voted to ignore violations of Kansas law that bans post viability abortions."

Kline also had raised the issue of state statistics from 2003, when there were 78 abortions on girls under the age of 15. In a state where the legal age of consent is 16, how could 78 girls become pregnant and obtain abortions without a single report of sexual assault, or rape, on a child, he wondered.

Kline earlier had confirmed, in an interview with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, that the medical records indicate late-term abortions that were done for reasons that Kansas law doesn't allow.

Morrison had said during his campaign he would start a domestic violence unit, without any additional expense to the state. "Some of the money that's been used on misplaced priorities could easily fund" the plans, he had told the Lawrence Journal-World.

He cited Kline's investigation of the abortion businesses run by George Tiller in Wichita and Planned Parenthood as an example.

Morrison also got a huge boost in his campaign when a non-profit organization that the newspaper linked to Tiller mailed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of mailings critical of Kline.

The mailings called Kline "Snoop Dog" and were mailed by Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection, said the newspaper, which noted that group had the same office address as ProKanDo, a political action committee Tiller started and is funding to elect pro-abortion candidates.

The abortion clinics had fought releasing the medical records, and held a news conference to advise women the attorney general was seeking information about them. However, Kline never sought the women's identities, only the medical records of the procedures.

A district court judge had agreed with Kline, noting he couldn't realistically be expected to investigate allegations of crime without access to the records that could prove it.

Two Young Christian Women, Minor Tortured in India

Two Young Christian Women, Minor Tortured in India
Hindu extremists break into their home and beat them for refusing to ‘reconvert.’

NEW DELHI, December 22 (Compass Direct News) – A group of Hindu extremists in the southern state of Karnataka have tortured two young women and a girl who converted to Christianity in an attempt to “reconvert” them to Hinduism.

The incident took place in Guruparahalli area, 12 kilometers (8 miles) from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, on December 14. A man identified only as Ramesh broke into the house of three sisters – Jyothi, 20 ; Nandhini, 18 ; and Jalaja, 16. He pressured them to reconvert and beat them for refusing.

The victims, who work in a garment factory, attend the Assembly of God church. Ramesh, who used to live nearby until three months ago, had been opposing the sisters since they converted to Christianity from Hinduism a few months ago.

“The extremists intruded into the house of the women in the evening and got violent upon finding a Bible and other Christian literature on a table,” Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), told Compass.

The intruders told the sisters that they would give them whatever they could ask for, and that Jesus would do nothing for them. The sisters did not react. This made the extremists more furious, and they threw the Bible and Christian literature on the floor and stamped on them.

“The fanatics also replaced a Christian calendar with that of Sai Baba, a Hindu god,” George said. “They pressured the women to worship the picture of Sai Baba and apply vermillion on their forehead as a sign of their conversion to Hinduism.”

When the sisters refused to do so, the extremists beat them. “They pulled the youngest sister’s hair, dragged her and banged her against the wall,” he said. “They beat the other two sisters also very brutally. One of them fainted, as she is an asthmatic patient.”

Sadly, he added, the parents did not come to rescue their daughters. “The fanatics continued to beat and torture the sisters for over four hours and left the place only at 2 a.m.,” George said.

The sisters’ father is allegedly an alcoholic and lives on the income of his daughters.

Fearing further tensions, the three sisters took a taxi and left for their uncle’s place in Bangalore at about 4 a.m. Upon learning about the persecution, the victim’s uncle, identified only as Natesh, lodged a police complaint.

The police arrested Ramesh, who was released on bail on December 20. The police are investigating the case.

George said the December 14 break-in was the third time Hindu extremists had barged into the sisters’ house. Ramesh and others first broke into their house on December 13 to warn them against attending church and reading Christian literature.

When they returned on the morning of December 14, they found Nandhini reading the Bible, which infuriated them. They warned the sisters again and promised to come back in the evening, when they attacked them.

Separately, in Revadihal village on the outskirts of Bangalore, local residents on Tuesday (December 19) pelted stones at a group of Christian missionaries and accused them of converting Hindus.

According to Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), no one was injured as the missionaries took shelter in a van they were traveling in and managed to flee from the village.

Tension prevailed in the village after the incident, but the situation was soon brought under control, said IANS.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) demanded that the government initiate steps to check conversions.


© Compass Direct

US 'Nazi guard' faces deportation

US 'Nazi guard' faces deportation

An 85-year-old man accused of having been a guard at a Nazi death camp has lost an appeal against his deportation from the US to his native Ukraine.
John Demjanjuk, who was ordered to be deported a year ago, can still make a further appeal against this ruling.

He has denied the allegations and his lawyers argued he would be tortured if sent back to Ukraine.

Mr Demjanjuk migrated to the US in 1951 and was briefly deported to Israel amid a 30-year legal battle over his past.

At the time, he was suspected of having been a notorious concentration camp guard, known by the nickname "Ivan the Terrible".

But his name was eventually cleared in an Israeli court and he was spared the death penalty.

Lack of evidence

The Board of Immigration Appeals upheld the 2005 deportation order which said there was no evidence to prove Mr Damjanjuk would be tortured if returned to the Ukraine.

"Simply put, the respondent's arguments regarding the likelihood of torture are speculative and not based on evidence in record," the board stated.

Mr Damjanjuk's lawyer, John Broadley said he was studying the ruling.

"What their reasoning is, we'll have to take a look at, and federal courts will have to look at it, too," he said.

His son, John Demjanjuk Jr, believed an appeal could still be made, adding: "We're not aware of any country offering to accept him from the United States."

The US Justice Department said efforts were continuing to remove him from the country as soon as possible.

Citizenship battle

Mr Demjanjuk returned to the US and his citizenship - which he had lost for allegedly lying to US immigration officials - was restored in 1998.

However, in 2002, an immigration judge ruled that there was enough evidence to prove Mr Demjanjuk had been a guard at several Nazi death camps and again stripped him of his citizenship.

He lost an appeal against the decision in 2004.

Mr Demjanjuk has always insisted he was a prisoner of war with the Nazis, rather than a guard serving under them.

But his 2002 hearing found that he had been an armed guard at the Sobibor, Majdanek and Flossenburg concentration camps where tens of thousands of Jews were killed.

BBC News

Rocky: Pat Robertson Interviews Stallone

Rocky: Pat Robertson Interviews Stallone

CBN News

CBNNews.com - The last installment of the "Rocky" movies, "Rocky Balboa," opened in theaters this week.

And for his final round as the "Italian Stallion," Sylvester Stallone is bringing something new into the ring: Christianity.

"Rocky Balboa" opened Wednesday, and is expected to do well at the box office over the holiday week.

Watch the video by copying and pasting the below link into your address bar...

mms://sm1.cbn.org/News/Archive/HighRes/NewsWatch122206_H_000341p8000945p6.wmv

Watch the video of Pat Robertson's interview with Stallone about the film's spiritual side, on our video player, above.

Governor's signature makes N.J. 3rd state with civil unions

Governor's signature makes N.J. 3rd state with civil unions
Dec 22, 2006
By Staff
Baptist Press

TRENTON, N.J. (BP)--New Jersey became the third state to legalize civil unions when Gov. Jon Corzine signed Dec. 21 into law a bill that grants homosexual couples all the legal benefits of marriage under state law.

Vermont and Connecticut also have civil unions. California has something similar but calls them domestic partnerships. Massachusetts remains the lone state with full-fledged "gay marriage."

Corzine, a Democrat, signed the bill into law approximately two months after the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered the legislature to pass a law granting same-sex couples, "on equal terms, the rights and benefits" of marriage. The justices, in their 4-3 decision, gave legislators the option of legalizing either "gay marriage" or civil unions. Legislators chose the latter, and set out to pass the law by year's end.

"We must recognize that many gay and lesbian couples in New Jersey are in committed relationships, and deserve the same benefits and rights as every other family in the state," Corzine said in a statement.

The bill passed the Assembly 56-19 and the Senate 23-12. Both are controlled by Democrats.

The new law, though, has made few people happy. Homosexual activists had wanted the court to go ahead and legalize "gay marriage" -- something the three dissenting justices supported.

"It's a step forward, but it's not true equality," Veronica Hoff, 52, a lesbian who attended the bill-signing, said, according to the Associated Press.

Lambda Legal, one of the organizations that brought the lawsuit, has pledged to continue fighting for "gay marriage" within the state.

“The court’s decision in Lewis v. Harris gave the New Jersey legislature an historic opportunity to deliver equality, dignity and fairness to families," David Buckel, an attorney with the homosexual group Lambda Legal, said in a statement. "There is no reason to enact civil unions other than to send the message that our families are not worthy of equality."

Conservatives, meanwhile, say the new law is another step toward the decline of the family. Five states now grant homosexual couples virtually all the legal benefits of marriage. Four of those states adopted their laws following a court order.

"Children will be taught from as early as kindergarten that same-sex unions are an equivalent alternative to heterosexual marriage," Toni Meyer Sr., research analyst for the New Jersey Family Policy Council, said in an online analysis. "Right now in Massachusetts kids are being taught how to have homosexual sex and impressionable teens are taught to be open to the idea that they may in fact turn out to be homosexual.

Corzine's signature means homosexual activists went 0-for-3 in 2006 in three major "gay marriage" lawsuits. Supreme courts in New Jersey, New York and Washington state all ruled there was no constitutional right to "gay marriage." But identical lawsuits in four states -- California, Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland -- are still pending.
--30--
Compiled by Michael Foust. For more information about the national debate over "gay marriage," visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage

Copyright © 2001 - 2006 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press

MARRIAGE DIGEST: Wisconsin governor supports passage of civil unions law; Mass. court hears amendment arguments

MARRIAGE DIGEST: Wisconsin governor supports passage of civil unions law; Mass. court hears amendment arguments
Dec 22, 2006
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press

MADISON, Wis. (BP)--Wisconsin voters may have approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex civil unions, but Gov. Jim Doyle says the political battle over the issue is far from over.

The state's voters passed an amendment on Election Day banning both "gay marriage" and Vermont-style civil unions by a margin of 59-41 percent. During his successful re-election campaign Doyle, a Democrat, urged a vote against the amendment. Now, Doyle says it was unfair for amendment supporters to place the civil unions ban in the text.

"I do not believe people in Wisconsin would have voted 'no' on civil unions," Doyle told The Capital Times newspaper in Madison.

The constitutional amendment, placed on the ballot by legislators, prohibits the legalization of "gay marriage" and anything "substantially similar to that of marriage" for unmarried couples. It was designed to ban Vermont-style civil unions and California-style domestic partnerships.

Doyle told the newspaper the issue of civil unions isn't dead yet and that such unions are "one of the things people should be looking at and discussing."

Others, though, disagree.

"I think the people spoke loudly and clearly that they don't want gay marriage or gay marriage by a different name to be legalized in this state," state Rep. Mark Gundrum, a Republican and a co-author of the amendment, told The Times. "In Vermont and Connecticut, it's marriage in everything but the letters used to describe it. That would not be permitted under the amendment."

Civil unions supporters could try to place their own constitutional amendment on the ballot, essentially reversing the effects of the one adopted in November. But to do that an amendment must pass in two consecutive legislative sessions.

Ironically, the legislature placed the amendment on the ballot only after Doyle vetoed a statute in 2003 banning "gay marriage." Unlike statutes, constitutional amendments cannot be vetoed by the governor.

Wisconsin is one of 27 states that have adopted a marriage amendment.

MASS. COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS -- An attorney representing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and 10 other plaintiffs asked the highest court in Massachusetts Dec. 20 to declare the recent actions of state legislators on a proposed marriage amendment unconstitutional.

At least twice in recent months, the legislature has recessed without voting on the proposed constitutional amendment, even though both sides say it has the votes to pass. Romney and others argue the Massachusetts Constitution requires legislators to act on the proposal.

John Hanify, the attorney representing Romney, conceded to the justices that the court could not force the legislature to vote, The Boston Globe reported. But Hanify said justices could place pressure on legislators by calling their actions illegal.

"We're not asking you to tell the legislature how to do their business," he said, according to The Globe. "We're only asking you to declare what their constitutional obligations are."

Legislators are scheduled to meet again Jan. 2. If they adjourn that day without voting on the amendment, then the amendment dies. If it passes, then it must pass once more during the next session in order to appear on the 2008 ballot. Romney hopes the court rules by Jan. 2.

The amendment, which would prohibit "gay marriage," needs the support of only one-fourth of legislators. Approximately 170,000 state citizens signed petitions to place the amendment before the body.

HIGH HURDLE IN FLORIDA -- If a proposed constitutional marriage amendment makes the Florida ballot in 2008, it will need approval by 60 percent of the voters to pass.

That's because on Election Day, voters adopted a constitutional amendment requiring that all future amendments receive 60 percent of the vote, instead of a simple majority as now required. The amendment passed, 58-42 percent.

The proposed marriage amendment has yet to qualify, but it's close. Supporters say they are roughly 35,000 signatures short of the 611,000 required. Petitions can be downloaded at www.florida4marriage.org.

Copyright © 2001 - 2006 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press

Military in Iraq celebrating Christ amidst war, chaplain says

Military in Iraq celebrating Christ amidst war, chaplain says
Dec 22, 2006
By Staff
Baptist Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq (BP)--A Southern Baptist chaplain in Iraq says military personnel are celebrating the birth of Christ in the midst of a war-torn country.

Chaplain LTC Jim White, 3rd Infantry Division, says "in spite of the circumstances," America's finest are celebrating Christmas in Baghdad and throughout Iraq. White, stationed in Baghdad, requested prayer for members of the military who are away from family during the Christmas season -- that they may "sense God's presence each and every day."

Following is the full text of White's message to Southern Baptists:

"Here in Baghdad our soldiers are celebrating the Christ in Christmas in spite of the circumstances. All across our area of operations, Christmas trees are going up, choirs are singing. We're celebrating the birth of our Lord. On behalf of all military Southern Baptist chaplains, we'd like to thank you for your support and wish each of you a Merry Christmas. We'd like to ask you to lift us up in prayer this time of prayer, praying for our Soldiers and Sailors and Airmen and Marines as they go about their work in some of the most dangerous places in the world. As they go about that work, may they sense God's presence each and every day.

"We also [ask that you] pray for our families and loved ones back home, [asking] that you will lift them up before our Lord in a very special way, that they might sense His presence also and that they might have the Christmas spirit and bring us all safely home to them. We also ask that you'll pray for each of our chaplains, that they will sense the when, the where and the how to share God's love this Christmas season to all that they serve. Meanwhile, here in Baghdad, we continue to celebrate the Christ of Christmas."

Copyright © 2001 - 2006 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press

‘95 percent’ premarital sex survey is connected to Planned Parenthood

‘95 percent’ premarital sex survey is connected to Planned Parenthood
Dec 22, 2006
By Erin Roach
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--One of the most popular news stories circulating in recent days is a study by the Guttmacher Institute in New York that says 95 percent of Americans have had premarital sex. But there’s more to the story than is being reported.

“It would be more forthright for the Guttmacher Institute to mention in its reports that it is the research arm for Planned Parenthood,” Richard Ross, founder of the True Love Waits abstinence movement, told Baptist Press. “Corporate profits and staff salaries at Planned Parenthood depend on abortion services.

“Helping Americans abandon any sense that sex belongs in marriage is essential to boosting the demand for those abortion services. Knowing of the tie between Planned Parenthood and Guttmacher could help readers watch for any possible bias creeping into research,” Ross said.

Comments from the study’s author, Lawrence B. Finer, indicate his motivation may be to suggest that programs promoting abstinence until marriage are not worth American taxpayer dollars.

“This is reality-check research,” Finer said in a news release Dec. 19. “Premarital sex is normal behavior for the vast majority of Americans, and has been for decades. The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal government’s funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12-29-year-olds.

“It would be more effective to provide young people with the skills and information they need to be safe once they become sexually active -- which nearly everyone eventually will,” Finer added.

However, Finer's assertion does not square with other studies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2003 that 47 percent of teenagers had had sex, compared to 54 percent in 1991. And the Heritage Foundation said in 2004 that young women who take a virginity pledge are at least 40 percent less likely to have a child out of wedlock and 12 times more likely to be virgins when they marry, compared to young women who do not make such a pledge.

The Bush administration has given abstinence programs hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, and Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told the Associated Press the abstinence approach is useful.

“One of its values is to help young people delay the onset of sexual activity,” Horn said. “The longer one delays, the fewer lifetime sex partners they have, and the less risk of contracting sexually transmitted disease.”

Pat Fagan, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, told USA Today the Guttmacher study is “an attack on abstinence” and its release at the end of the year is “part of a major Congressional battle about to start in January and February … to get rid of abstinence funding.”

Though it has already been released online, the study called “Trends in Premarital Sex in the United States, 1954-2003” will be published in the January/February issue of “Public Health Reports,” a journal of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Finer concluded in his study that because people are sexually active before marriage and are waiting longer to get married, young adults have an especially great need for accurate information about how to protect themselves against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, the news release noted.

But Ross, a professor of student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, disagrees with Finer’s willingness to concede the defeat of abstinence.

“The logic that accompanies this new report seems to be this: When behavior becomes normative, it becomes morally acceptable,” Ross told BP. “I wonder if the folks at Guttmacher would apply that logic to other behaviors among the young. For example, most research indicates that almost all children and youth tell lies from time to time. Should schools and families just accept that as a fact of life and stop calling the young to truthfulness?

“Similarly, most research indicates that almost all children and youth sometimes cheat at school. Should we instruct schools to stop trying to ‘legislate morality’ by punishing cheaters?” Ross said. “Of course there is much about the human condition that is far less than perfect. The question is, Do we just accept every new level of human coarsening as normative and even moral or do we do strive to lead people toward the very best?”

Ross said that since the year True Love Waits became a national movement in 1993, teenage sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, abortions and live births before marriage have declined for 12 consecutive years.

“The fact that many Americans have been immoral during that period does not negate the fact that there are many among the young who are responding beautifully to a clear, positive call to morality and purity,” he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2003 that 47 percent of teenagers had had sex, compared to 54 percent in 1991. And the Heritage Foundation said in 2004 that young women who take a virginity pledge are at least 40 percent less likely to have a child out of wedlock and 12 times more likely to be virgins when they marry, compared to young women who do not make such a pledge.

Copyright © 2001 - 2006 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press

N. Korea Nuke Talks End Without Deal

Dec 22, 8:59 AM (ET)

By BO-MI LIM

BEIJING (AP) - The first talks on North Korea's nuclear program since the communist nation tested an atomic device ended Friday without an agreement to move ahead on disarmament or schedule further negotiations.

During five days of meetings in Beijing, negotiators said Pyongyang refused to talk about its nuclear weapons program, and instead stuck to its demand that the U.S. remove financial restrictions it has imposed on the regime.

North Korea's main nuclear envoy said Friday the communist nation would bolster its atomic arsenal in response to U.S. pressure.

"The U.S. is taking a tactic of both dialogue and pressure, and carrots and sticks," Kim Kye Gwan told reporters. "We are responding with dialogue and a shield, and by a shield we are saying we will further improve our deterrent."

Chinese envoy Wu Dawei released a statement saying the sides simply reaffirmed a September 2005 agreement where the North pledged to disarm in exchange for security guarantees and aid. The countries - China, Japan, Russia, the U.S. and the two Koreas - agreed to return home and "reconvene at the earliest opportunity," Wu said.

Earlier, Japan's top envoy questioned whether the talks would survive as a forum for dealing with North Korea's weapons if they failed again to make any progress.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said after the talks ended Friday, however, that he still believes the six-nation framework is the most effective means of getting a breakthrough.

In more than three years of meetings, the North has only committed in principle to disarm but taken no concrete steps to do so - instead going ahead with its first nuclear test on Oct. 9.

"There will be opinions questioning the credibility of the six-party talks," Japanese envoy Kenichiro Sasae said, without elaborating. He did not say what alternative formats would be proposed, if any.

The U.S. envoy accused North Korea ahead of Friday's meetings of not addressing the actual issue of its atomic programs.

"When the (North) raises problems, one day it's financial issues, another day it's something they want but they know they can't have, another day it's something we said about them that hurt their feelings," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said. "What they need to do is to get serious about the issue that made them such a problem ... their nuclear activities."

Pyongyang says the U.S. is waging a campaign to isolate North Korea from the international financial system and has insisted that it end. The U.S. accuses North Korea of involvement in counterfeiting $100 bills and of money laundering, and has blacklisted a Macau bank that it alleges the North used to launder money to fund its weapons program.

American and North Korean experts had separate talks on the issue this week in Beijing, but made no breakthroughs and were tentatively set to meet in the United States next month.

"We have requested the U.S. to release the sanctions first and then go into a discussion on substantive issues for the implementation" of the September 2005 agreement, Kim said.

Even when it takes up the nuclear issue, Kim said the North wouldn't immediately talk about dismantling the bombs it has already made. But he promised the North won't launch a nuclear attack or sell its atomic technology.

"Since we are already a proud nuclear state, we have already announced that we will not threaten other countries with nuclear (weapons) and fully live up to our responsibility of preventing proliferation," Kim said.

---
Associated Press reporters Mari Yamaguchi and Audra Ang contributed to this report.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All right reserved.

Court will decide if California voters were right

Court will decide if California voters were right
2000 vote overwhelmingly limited marriage to 1 man, 1 woman
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Posted: December 21, 2006
7:50 p.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Nearly two-thirds of all Californians six years ago agreed that marriage is to be limited to one man and one woman, but that doesn't impress the California Supreme Court, which has agreed to review – and re-decide – the issue.

That leaves a state constitutional amendment as the only way to protect traditional marriage in a state where a number of the justices on the high court have become activists for the "gay" agenda, according to a family values organization.

"Everyone who knows that marriage is for a man and a woman needs to wake up and donate to VoteYesMarriage.com, or else real marriage will be flushed down the drain," said Randy Thomasson, a spokesman for the pro-family coalition that is sponsoring The Voters Right to Protect Marriage initiative.

That proposal, officials hope, will be on the 2008 ballot.

"The VoteYesMarriage.com constitutional amendment is the only way to stop judges and politicians from destroying the beautiful, natural institution of marriage between a man and a woman. The California State Constitution is the highest law in the land, higher than the Legislature and the state Supreme Court, and stronger than a regular statute," Thomasson said.

The state had approved, through an initiative, a definition of marriage being limited to one man and one woman in 2000, but the state Supreme Court hasn't ever ruled on the constitutionality of that limit. In 2004, the justices did agree that the city of San Francisco overstepped its authority by creating new "marriage licenses" for same-sex duos and issuing them. However, Justices Joyce Kennard and Kathryn Werdegar at that point wanted those homosexual marriage licenses to continue, and they both remain on the bench. Then earlier this year, Justice Carole Corrigan, who has supported "gay" marriage, was added to the court.

"The people of California spoke in 2000, and the people's voice should be heard," said Senior Counsel Glen Lavy, of the Alliance Defense Fund, which will be participating in the arguments before the court.

"Political special interests shouldn't trump their voice regarding what's in the best interests of families and children," Lavy said. "This is the question the California courts will ultimately be deciding: Who is more important: our children and the voice of the people or politicians and special interest groups?"

The ruling from the California Court of Appeal came in October and said: "Courts simply do not have the authority to create new rights, especially when doing so involves changing the definition of so fundamental an institution as marriage. Judges are not free to rewrite statutes to say what they would like, or what they believe to be better social policy."

"Activists may desperately try again and again to redefine it, but marriage means one man and one woman," said Lavy "Everything else is counterfeit."

There are a total of six combined marriage cases that will be reviewed by the court, officials said.

Former Assemblyman Larry Bowler, R-Elk Grove, said the "writing is on the wall" that the state Supreme Court wants California to become like Massachusetts, which has given formal approval to homosexual marriages.

"While regular folks are preparing to celebrate Christmas, the California Supreme Court and the California Legislature are scheming to destroy marriage and the people's vote on marriage," he said. "The only remaining option is for the people to rise up, donate $2 million to place the VoteYesMarriage.com amendment on the California ballot, and pass it to permanently and fully protect marriage from the threat of judges and politicians."

During November voters in seven more states rejected the idea of "gay marriage" by implementing constitutional amendments that protect the biblical concept of holy matrimony – that is between one man and one woman only.

But legal experts warned afterwards that homosexuals undoubtedly will try to bypass the will of voters however they can.

"When you look at the country as a whole, it's obvious where Americans stand on marriage. But the battle is not over. The opposition will continue to attempt to bypass the will of the people," Lavy said at the time.

In the Nov. 7 election, voters in Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin all adopted such amendments. Colorado voters went even one step further, emphatically rejecting a referendum that would have allowed the extension of benefits to "domestic partners," a plan that would have created an "alternate marriage" plan for homosexuals.

Lavy endorsed marriage amendments "on both the state and federal level because they are the only way to prevent special interests from using the courts to sidestep the will of the people."

To date, in 27 out of 28 states where a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage has been proposed, voters have adopted it, sometimes by margins as high as 8-1.

Lavy said more information about protecting marriage is available at www.domawatch.org, which stands for Defense of Marriage Act, state laws that also have been used to protect marriage.

States Issues Analyst Mona Passignano, of the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family Action, told WND that "gay" marriage supporters are running into a simple problem.

"What they're running up against is that people just want traditional marriage protected," she said.

During 2005, Texas and Kansas voters approved marriage protection amendments, and in the sweep of the 2004 vote, 13 states took the same action, including voters in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Utah, Michigan, Ohio and Oregon who did so on the same night. Missouri and Nevada also voted for the plan. Five other states had done so in earlier elections and another two dozen states have taken the same action, but by statute, not constitutional amendment.

College prez backtracks on cross removal

College prez backtracks on cross removal
Announces 'plaque' to mark Christian beginnings of historic chapel
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Posted: December 22, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

The president of the College of William and Mary College has begun backtracking over his decision to remove a donated bronze cross from the school's historic Wren Chapel, but students and alumni say his proposal for a "permanent plaque" just isn't enough.

WND broke the story on Oct. 27 when university administrator Melissa Engimann circulated an e-mail noting that the cross was going to be stored in order to make the chapel "less of a faith-specific space."

Now President Gene Nichol has sent an e-mail to the "college community" admitting that he "acted too quickly and should have consulted more broadly" in deciding to remove the cross. So to make up for that, he said a plaque would be put up in the chapel and the cross would be put on the altar for extended hours on Sunday.

Students and alums who have assembled in a group called SaveTheWrenCross.org, however, said that wasn't good enough.

"Nichol acknowledged that his unilateral action upset many current students and alumni, who believed that his decision was a dilution of the history and traditions of the College and an example of an animus toward religion in general and Christianity in particular," the group said.

"After apologizing for his failure to involve others in this historic decision, Nichol went on in his letter – apparently unaware of the irony – to dictate what he obviously thinks is a compromise solution to the problem he created," said the organization, which had collected almost 7,500 signatures on a petition seeking the return of the cross.

He promised, first, that he will have placed in Wren Chapel "a permanent plaque to commemorate the Chapel's origins as an Anglican place of worship and symbol of the Christian beginnings of the College." Second, Nichol ordered that 'the altar cross be displayed throughout the day on Sundays with expanded hours.'"

"It is the Wren Chapel, not the Wren Spare Room," wrote Karla Bruno, a 1981 graduate. "Nichol does not address the idea that the Chapel with the cross on permanent display was indeed welcoming as witnessed by the plethora of non-Christian and secular events that have been held there over the years. No one has been turned away because they were not Christian.

"If a visitor is insulted by the history and tradition of William and Mary and chooses to leave a tour and not apply to the College for admission, perhaps that is just as well. We should not be remodeling ourselves to suit a particular sort of applicant – the very narrow sort," she said.

Another graduate, Karen Hall, of the Class of 1978, said Nichols' argument doesn't make sense.

"He explains … the cross has made a number of people feel uncomfortable in the chapel. I would venture to guess that a far greater number of people have been made uncomfortable by the removal of the cross. Why is it that one group's discomfort is enough to merit drastic action, but the other group's discomfort is virtually worthless?"

In Nichol's note, he said he'd asked Louise Kale, the director of the historic campus, to put up the plaque "to commemorate the Chapel's origins" and put the cross back on the altar in the chapel on Sundays.

But Will Coggin, who is planning to graduate in the spring, said Nichol didn't address the issue at hand. "By his own logic, he is now ordering the Chapel to be unwelcoming one day of the week. Thousands of alumni and hundreds of students have called for the return of the old policy, and I will continue to fight for them."

The old policy was that the cross was on permanent display on the altar of the chapel, and was removed only when someone using the room asked that it be removed. Nichol's new policy is that the cross is permanently in storage, and will be brought out only on special request.

"If one takes Mr. Nichol's arguments for removing the cross to their logical conclusion, then the altar, the altar railings, the pews and all other religious symbols should be removed so that the Chapel is welcoming to atheists and the non-religious. In fact, the building should be renamed 'Wren Banquet Hall' because calling it a 'chapel' might be unwelcoming," said Cesar Conda, a graduate in 1983.

The protest group noted in its statement that Nichol himself suggested a "broader College discussion" of the issue, but, "to this day, there has not been a single communication about the decision from the College to all alumni.

"Instead, Nichol has … offered what is essentially another fiat."

The group said its top priority will be for the school's Board of Visitors to talk about the issues at the next meeting, in February.

Nichol wrote that he was distressed about "potential students" touring the Chapel, and choosing to leave immediately after, or a Jewish student who vowed to never return to the building. Singing groups also, he noted, have been "discomfited" by the cross.

But another graduate noted that if someone objects so violently to a symbol of someone else's religion, the problem is with that person, not the symbol.

SaveTheWrenCross.org is an ad hoc coalition of students and alumni who oppose the removal of the century-old cross, which was given to the college by Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in the 1930s.

The students, who organized their group just days after the announcement, had been unsuccessful in getting a change. That's even as nearly 7,500 people were signing its petition, and the school produced only one written complaint about having the cross present.

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has not returned messages left by WND seeking a comment.

She recently was named chancellor of the college. It was during her tenure in the Supreme Court that a growing intolerance by the court for religious symbols – particularly Christian symbols – in public places became evident.

The Wren Chapel, built about 274 years ago, became an integral part of the university when it was a Christian school.

The petitions simply want the old policy back.

"We, the undersigned students and alumni of the College, and concerned citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, disagree with your order to remove the Wren Cross from display on the Wren Chapel altar," the petition says.

"The Wren Cross was given to Wren Chapel by Williamsburg neighbor Burton Parish Episcopal Church in the 1930s and has been a fixture on the altar ever since that time. Before your order, the policy was that if a group or individual using the Wren Chapel desired to not have the Wren Cross on display during their use of the Wren Chapel, then the Wren Cross was removed during such event and then returned to the altar.

"We petition you to rescind your October 2006 order and return to the policy that had governed the display of the Wren Cross prior to your inauguration as the 26th President of the College on April 7, 2006."

"In the name of tolerance, we have intolerance; in the name of welcoming, we have hostility, and in the name of unity, we now have division," said junior Joe Luppino-Esposito.

Vandalism is a hate crime, nativity defender suggests

Vandalism is a hate crime, nativity defender suggests
Catholic leader cites 'devil horns' put on baby Jesus figure
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Posted: December 22, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

A prominent Catholic leader says a rolling wave of vandalism to nativity scenes across the country this year isn't really vandalism: it's a series of hate crimes.

"The vandals in Norwalk, Connecticut, gave us an idea," said Catholic League President William Donohue. "Not only did they trash a nativity scene, they wrote profanity and drew satanic symbols on one of the figures. This isn't the act of some crazy drunks – it is the act of hate-filled persons."

There have been dozens, perhaps hundreds, of incidents of damage to nativity displays this Christmas season, officials have confirmed. "Some of these attacks were clearly motivated by malice," Donohoe continue. "The baby Jesus figure stolen in Plaistow, N.H., was later returned, having been defiled by a pair of devil horns. In Sioux Falls, S.D., someone crushed the face of the statue of Jesus.

"What's worse, the creep in Des Moines, Iowa, burned Jesus' face, doused the statue with red nail polish, and twisted the electrical cord around its neck," he said.

He said his organization has tabulated nearly four dozen attacks on the Christian holiday displays.

So far, under the Catholic League's compilation, there have been thefts from or vandalism on nativity scenes in Tucson, Ariz. ; Millbrae, Calif.; Mission Viejo, Calif; Moorpark, Calif; San Francisco, Calif; Naugatuck, Conn.; Waterbury, Conn. (Jesus was taken, but one of the arms was left behind); Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; Des Moines, Iowa; Sioux City, Iowa; Ammon, Idaho; Chicago, Ill. (32 figures of baby Jesus were nabbed—they were later dumped on the lawn of a Catholic church); Jackson County, Ill. (two incidents); Tinley Park, Ill.; Floyd County, Ind.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Montgomery County, Ind.; Wichita, Kan.; Hardin, Ky.; Lafayette, La. (two incidents); Youngsville, La.; Fitchburg, Mass.; Southborough, Mass.; Winthrop, Maine; Portage Township, Mich.; Fayettville, N.C.; New Bern, N.C.; Columbus, Neb. (12 baby Jesus figures were stolen in one day); Plaistow, N.H.; Dover, Ohio; Utica, Ohio (three incidents); Artemis, Pa.; Bucks County, Pa.; Greenfield, Pa.; Hilton Head, S.C.; Halom City, Texas; Santa Fe, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Winfield, W.Va. and West Allis, Wis.

Some of the cases have been straightforward to solve. In Kansas, for example, a member of a pro-life organization had placed a nativity display on a strip of public land near the clinic of late-term abortionist George Tiller, and one of his workers found it "offensive" and moved it behind fence on the clinic's property.

Others remain under investigation by police, including a case in Draper, Utah. There reporters were told a picture of King Herod was taped to the nativity scene, blindfolds were put on Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus was stolen.

An accompanying note said, "King Herod has taken your baby Jesus," Pastor Harry Berg of Draper Friends Christian Church, said.

Police there are investigating it as a hate crime.

Donohue said the "hooligan" who stole a manger in Southborough, Mass., left the surrounding secular decorations untouched.

"In a few days it will be Christmas, and I imagine that, in your homes, you are putting the final touches to your nativity scenes, which are such an evocative depiction of Christmas," said Pope Benedict XVI in a statement. "I hope that this important element, not only of our spirituality but also of our culture and art, may endure as a simple and eloquent way to remember the One Who came 'to dwell among us.'"

There's even a LordNapping.com website for those who take baby Jesus figurines.

The site argues that the thefts should be celebrated and seen as acts of liberation – as long as the statues are placed in an inn for Christmas.

Authorities are using unusual methods to punish those who taken the statues, too. In Ohio, Brian Patrick and Jessica Lange, each 19, had been ordered to lead a donkey through the town of Fairport Harber after they admitted defacing a statue of baby Jesus from a nativity at St. Anthony's Catholic Church.

Police there said in that case the baby Jesus was stabbed and the numerals "666" were painted on it.

In one town a 70-year-old grandmother stole the infant Jesus on a lark.

The Catholic League is the nation's biggest Catholic civil rights organization, and defends individual Catholics and the institutional church from defamation and discrimination.

Hamas threatens attacks on U.S.

Hamas threatens attacks on U.S.
Terrorist warns 'Middle East is full of American targets'
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Posted: December 22, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Aaron Klein
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

TEL AVIV – Members of Hamas are debating whether to carry out attacks against the United States and may hit American targets if the U.S. continues to support Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' call for new elections, Hamas leaders told WND in a series of interviews.
"There is no doubt that Abu Mazen (Abbas) was encouraged to decide early elections after receiving American promises to support him politically and military," Abu Abdullah, a leader of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, the group's declared "resistance" department, told WND.

The terror leader accused the U.S. of instigating a Palestinian civil war.

"Here the Americans did not support the elections, they actually gave their support and their encouragement to a Palestinian civil war. It is our duty to prove to the Americans that they chose the wrong policy exactly like it is the case in Iraq," said Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' so-called military wing.

Abu Abdullah told WND Hamas has not yet decided to attack the U.S., "but one cannot guarantee that this will be the situation if the conspiracy of chasing our government succeeds."

Asked which U.S. targets Hamas would hit, Abu Abdullah replied, "Do you think that I can give you an answer to this question? I can say that the Middle East is full of American targets and the world has had the occasion to learn what are the weapons of the anti-American forces in the region."

In a move widely seen as an attempt to dismantle the Hamas-led government, Abbas' this past weekend called for new Palestinian elections, prompting violent clashes in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah party.

Hamas, which won parliamentary elections in January, has threatened to boycott the proposed new elections, calling them "illegitimate."

Hamas-Fatah clashes in Gaza have killed at least 16 Palestinians the past five days.

According to multiple reports, the U.S. has been arming and training Fatah militants to bolster them in clashes against Hamas.

A number of Hamas members, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, have claimed in recent days Abbas' call for new elections was orchestrated with the U.S.

Meetings held to debate attacks on U.S.

Several Hamas leaders told WND meetings were held in recent weeks in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to discuss the possibility of targeting the U.S. due to its perceived support of Fatah against Hamas.

Abu Abdullah told WND Hamas' political decision for now is to try to convince the international community, including the U.S., they must "recognize and respect the democratic choices of the Palestinian people and to respect its government."

But, he said, if new elections indeed are held, "I would not be surprised if a change takes place in our present policy regarding attacks against American targets in the region."

"We are saying that in case of a scenario where elections are something concrete and not a political threat like it seems to be now, there is a real possibility that resistance forces in the region will hit American targets. The U.S. is maintaining its support to the idea of the elections and so is the American servant (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair," Abu Abdullah said.

Abbas yesterday said a national unity government between his party and Hamas was still possible, but that for now he was forging ahead with his call for new elections. As PA president, he has the authority to order new ballots.

After almost a week of fighting that saw top members of both factions targeted, Fatah and Hamas yesterday agreed to a truce and began withdrawing militants from the streets. But hours after the cease-fire was declared, Hamas gunmen killed two Fatah police officers, sparking a new round of clashes.

Experts: Hamas capable of attacks inside U.S.

While the latest Hamas threats warned of attacks against American interests in the region, some terrorism experts and senior security officials previously told WND Hamas has cells inside the U.S. that are technically capable of attacking within the country.

"We have information Hamas agents have been on U.S. soil the past few years and that the group may currently have up to 100 agents operating inside America," an FBI counterterrorism agent in New York told WND last October.

The comments reaffirm earlier testimony to the U.S. Senate in which FBI Director Robert Mueller stated, "Although it would be a major strategic shift for Hamas, its United States network is theoretically capable of facilitating acts of terrorism in the United States."

Mueller last February described a Hamas network the FBI believes may be operating in the U.S. mostly for fundraising purposes. While many suspected Hamas-linked charities such as the national Holy Land Foundation have been shut down, the FBI suspects others are still functioning in the U.S.

Holy Land, once one of the largest Islamic charitable organizations in the U.S., closed amid accusations the group was a front for Hamas.

Intelligence sources said the FBI believes Hamas' current U.S. network includes trained jihadists capable of carrying out advanced attacks. Some of the Hamas agents are suspected of involvement with al-Qaida, the sources said.

Yehudit Barsky, director of the Middle East and International Terrorism Center at the American Jewish Committee, said, "Hamas does have people in America who are Muslim Brotherhood-oriented who support Hamas and who could carry out attacks. ... This presence in the U.S. exists."

Terrorism expert Steve Emerson, whose research was credited with helping to close Holy Land, told WND, "Hamas has an extensive infrastructure in the U.S. mostly revolving around the activities of fundraising, recruiting and training members, directing operations against Israel, organizing political support and operating through human-rights front groups. While Hamas has not acted outside Israel, it has the capability of carrying out attacks in America if it decided to enlarge the scope of its operations."

There have been previous indications Hamas indeed has agents operating inside the U.S.

In August 2004, Ismail Selim Elbarasse, a long-time Hamas money man, was arrested reportedly after authorities witnessed his wife videotaping Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Bridge from their SUV as Elbarasse drove. The images captured by Mr. Elbarasse's wife included close-ups of cables and other features "integral to the structural integrity of the bridge," according to court papers.

In an FBI affidavit requesting a search warrant for Elbarasse's house obtained by WND, special FBI agent Shawn Devroude states, "In previous years, al-Qaida commanders and officials stationed in Western countries, including the United States, have recruited Hamas operatives and volunteers to carry out reconnaissance or serve as couriers.

"With the increased law enforcement pressure since 9-11, there has been a renewed emphasis by al-Qaida to find confirmed jihadist supporters in the U.S. by trying to enlist proven members of other groups such as Hamas to make up for the vacuum on the field level."

Also in August 2004, two suspected high-level Hamas operatives, Mohammed Salah and Abdelhaleem Ashqar, were detained in the U.S. and charged with providing material support to Hamas, racketeering and money laundering.

Ashqar, under house arrest in Virginia, denied to WND he was involved with Hamas fundraising and claimed doesn't know of any Hamas networks operating in America.

In November 2003, Jamal Aqal, a Canadian immigrant born in Gaza, was arrested in Israel under suspicion of receiving weapons and explosives training from Hamas for use in future terror attacks in Canada and New York City. Aqal pleaded guilty in 2004 to planning to kill American and Canadian Jewish leaders and Israeli officials traveling in the U.S.

Meet 'Mary Christmas' -- No Joke!

Meet 'Mary Christmas' -- No Joke!
By Dorie Turner
Associated Press

CBNNews.com -- GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- Don't bother making jokes. This family has heard them all. No, they don't communicate directly with Santa Claus.

They don't celebrate the holidays year-round, and they certainly have some not-so-cheerful days. The smirks and the wisecracks are just part of life when your last name is Christmas, and especially so when two of your family members are named - Mary.

"People ask me all the time, `What were your parents thinking?'" said the younger Mary Christmas, 30. "I never minded. It's a conversation piece."

It all started on Christmas Day 1935, when the elder Mary wedded Henry Christmas, becoming Mary Christmas. They had Bob Christmas, who married Peggy and had six children.

Mary was born first and named for her grandmother. The spirit of the season took hold again when Christy Noel, now 23, was born in December.

And it doesn't end there. Bob's brother married Cathy Holiday, and they had a daughter named Carol. And Bob's sister married into the White family, becoming Jeane Christmas White.

The Christmas family lives up to its cheerful name. They are a lively bunch, finishing each other's sentences and laughing at a constant stream of jokes.

"You can tell we're a happy family," said the elder Mary Christmas, who is 90.

So what is Christmas like at the Christmases'?

Christmas Eve involves a family dinner, a church service, the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible and then one gift per family member. The children - ranging in age from 12 to 30 - build forts in the living room out of blankets and furniture and fall asleep watching Christmas movies. Christmas Day includes a big family brunch with biscuits and gravy, and a Christmas dinner.

The Christmas children agree that the only time their last name gets old is roll call at school. Many of them roll their eyes and groan at the thought.

"The first day of the semester in college, I was like, `Here we go,'" said the younger Mary, who graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., where one of her professors made her stand up in front of a large lecture hall full of students when he saw her name on the class list.

Peggy said the name keeps her on her toes.

"When you're out shopping and things, you make sure you're not grumpy or rude to someone who's helping you because in the end when you go to pay, they see your name is Christmas," she said.

They also embrace their holiday heritage. The younger Mary's e-mail address begins with "jinglebells."

Despite the lighthearted way the Christmases talk about their name, they take it very seriously, too.

"It would be my goal that our lives as a family exemplify not just the birth of Christ, but the life of Christ," said Robby, 28.

With that, he was met with a chorus of amens from the rest of the Christmases.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.