The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/30/2012 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: One man's trash is another's treasure by Yvonne Carrington & Marie Curtis Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 2-9 with the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Each year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists' 5,000 international missionaries' initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year's offering goal is $175 million. To find resources about the offering, go to www.imb.org/offering. CAIRO (BP) -- A wise man builds his house upon rock; a foolish man builds his house upon sand. On the outskirts of Cairo, approximately 300 people have built their houses upon trash.
But amid the stench and squalor of shifting garbage, God is building a church on a firm foundation. Desperate for shelter on the outskirts of Cairo, residents use whatever they can find -- sheets of tin and discarded cardboard -- to create makeshift residences within this garbage village. For more than 20 years, families living here have collected trash from area homes and businesses to make some cash. It is estimated that the 17 million people of greater Cairo throw away 13,000 tons of garbage every day. Men rise early in the mornings to gather refuse and transport it back to their community in weathered pickup trucks or overflowing carts pulled by horses or donkeys. Some businesses bring the garbage to them. "Society looks down [on us]," says Joseph,* 31, who has lived in this slum for 14 years. "The smell is not good, the environment is not good." Regardless, he says, he has a message for fellow residents in one of Egypt's poorest areas: "You are not garbage." Family business Joseph's family moved to this garbage village from Asyut, Egypt, when he was 15. His father was a garbage collector and believed relocating closer to Cairo would offer more job opportunities. Believing education was key to a better future, Joseph was determined to go to school. His parents sent him back to Asyut to live with his grandmother during the school year until he finished high school. It was during his teens that Joseph began attending a Bible study. As he read the Scriptures, Joseph felt God transforming his life -- in more ways than one. He realized his worth in Christ was greater than his circumstances in the dump. At 18, he became a believer and the study group leader began mentoring him. He also began attending a nearby seminary. It was around this time that a neighborhood girl caught Joseph's eye. Hiba*, who was born and raised in the garbage village, was a Christian when she met Joseph at a home Bible study. The two dated for five years before marrying. As Joseph studied the Bible, the verses about God choosing the poor of the world to shame the rich resonated with him. Though he and Hiba had dreams of bettering their circumstances, God made it clear He wanted them to serve among their community. "God put in my heart to build a church here," Joseph says. "That has been my dream since [becoming a believer] 10 years ago." First worship service In June 2011, Joseph saw his dream realized. He and several other believers began building a church from discarded cinderblocks and mud. A local Egyptian Baptist church heard about the undertaking and offered leadership and financial support. On Dec. 30, 2011, the church held its first worship service under a partial roof. Since that first service, three people have prayed to receive Christ. This gives Southern Baptists reason to celebrate. Southern Baptist workers in North Africa and the Middle East are training Joseph and local pastors in outreach and evangelism and providing them with needed resources to support church plants. In fact, Joseph's church is but one of many in a rich history of Baptist ministry in Egypt. "Southern Baptists were very influential through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon [Christmas Offering]," says Ron Robinson*, a Christian worker who served in Egypt for 29 years and witnessed the beginning of Baptist work. "When we first went [to Egypt], the work was evangelism that resulted in churches. That was our statement." The work has led to a vital impact on Egyptian churches, which are answering the call to reach their own people. "Now we have partners on the ground near cultural believers who are very capable of sharing the Gospel and dreaming of reaching their country and communities for the Lord," Robinson notes. More dreams Those partners include Joseph. He has more big dreams for his neighborhood. He hopes to raise enough money to finish the church building, which will take about three months to complete. In addition to bringing water and electricity to the entire village, he wants his slum be to legally recognized as a community by the government in Cairo. His continued prayer is to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to all. "In the middle of all this [garbage], where a person could be psychologically broken and worn out, I know and believe that Jesus loves the people and is looking for them," he says. "I have lived this. "God created us as a church, not to be closed in on ourselves but to serve the society around us," he adds. "The people here are very precious to our Lord." No matter where they build their houses. --30-- *Names changed. Yvonne Carrington and Marie Curtis are writers/editors for the International Mission Board. Southern Baptists' gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and through the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist missionaries around the world share the Gospel. Gifts for the offering are received at Southern Baptist churches across the country or can be made online at www.imb.org/offering where there are resources for church leaders to promote the offering. Download related videos at www.imb.org/lmcovideo. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: BE His hands, His voice by Staff Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 2-9 with the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Each year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists' 5,000 international missionaries' initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year's offering goal is $175 million. To find resources about the offering, go to www.imb.org/offering. RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Nepalese pastors brave threats and bombs to see Christ's name glorified in the Himalayas. Believers in West Africa bury a Christian woman, uniting in a strong witness to the Songhai community that refused her a proper burial.
In Central Asia, an IMB doctor's greatest concern isn't for safety but that his ministry will make a difference for the Kingdom. In war-torn Somalia of the '90s, an IMB worker knew he'd have to be willing to die for Jesus -- an experience that led him to spend years learning how and why believers in persecution grow unimaginably strong in the faith. This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions stories remind Southern Baptists that engaging people groups in the hard places comes with risk and sacrifice, not just for missionaries but also for all who obediently choose to be His heart, His hands, His voice. Most U.S. Christians aren't threatened because of our faith, but we need to be in prayer for those who are -- not that persecution will end, but that believers in persecution will stay courageous and bold. This December is the 100-year anniversary of the death of Lottie Moon, the namesake of Southern Baptists' offering that supports global missionaries. The emphasis celebrates her life and looks to her as a portrait of obedience -- a single woman who went to China despite the risks and persisted through war and famine because the Chinese needed to know her Lord. Lottie wrote home to the Foreign Mission Board (now IMB): "Please say to the missionaries they are coming to a life of hardship, responsibility and constant self-denial." Yet, she noted, "If the joy of the Lord be their strength, the blessedness of the work will more than compensate for its hardships." Giving also is a call to obedience and sacrifice. Gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering enable IMB missionaries -- going just as boldly as Lottie -- to live and work at the forefront of lostness and to extend a witness through their full-time ministry.
As Lottie said more than 100 years ago, "How many there are ... who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God." Each individual and church is called to be His heart, hands and voice and to continually take the next step in obedience so that Christ is glorified, even to the ends of the earth. The core question is, then, "What am I doing and what is my church doing to be obedient, to BE His heart, hands and voice, no matter the cost?" --30-- Southern Baptists' gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and through the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist missionaries around the world share the Gospel. Gifts for the offering are received at Southern Baptist churches across the country or can be made online at www.imb.org/offering where there are resources for church leaders to promote the offering. Download related videos at www.imb.org/lmcovideo. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: 'I've wondered if there was something else out there' by Will Stuart Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 2-9 with the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Each year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists' 5,000 international missionaries' initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year's offering goal is $175 million. To find resources about the offering, go to www.imb.org/offering. SOUTH AMERICA (BP) -- Grace, a member of one of the indigenous tribes of South America, speaks with intensity about the future of her people. There are outsiders who would keep them in something of a museum -- as living history, she says -- stuck in a time that has not been a reality for generations. It's not what she wants. Yet the issue is not an easy one. "A lot of our people don't even know our [culture]," she says. "They say they do, but they hide behind it." She wants her people to move ahead -- to "win." She wants them to take advantage of all that is going on about them while retaining the best of their culture. That means they will have to change, she says. Grace has been active -- militant, she says -- in the Indian rights movement. She and her sister have traveled to New York and Florida for conferences. They were part of a group that surrounded the Catholic church in a nearby town and demanded their land back, threatening to breach a dam and flood the town if they didn't get it. Land disputes between Indians and others have been fierce. Non-Indians have hired gunmen to threaten the Indians. People on both sides have died. When Grace talks about Christianity, she speaks of a mix of indigenous, tribal religion; folk Catholicism; superstition and spiritualism; and Catholic dogma. Few from the tribe embrace it. They say they prefer to hold with their traditional faith. She has met some evangelicals -- her term for everyone who is not Catholic -- and was not impressed. "They have faith," she says, "but they don't have love. Faith without love isn't worth much." A visitor tells Grace her words are straight from the Bible. "Next time you come, bring your Bible," she says. "I want to know more about it." The visitor says he has one with him. Grace asks him to get it. For 20 minutes they talk, flipping from verse to verse as they converse. The visitor is astonished at how much of what she says virtually is a paraphrase of the New Testament -- a text she has never read. "There have been times in my life that have been so hard," she says, "I've wondered if there was something else out there." Grace and her tribe are among more than 3,000 unengaged, unreached peoples across the world. Nearly 400 of them are in South America. Isolated by language, culture, history and --in some cases -- geography, they live mostly in small clusters of fewer than 3,000 people. Most will never have a missionary assigned to them. Yet the church is called to take the Gospel to all peoples. Gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering allow IMB personnel to identify and understand these often forgotten people. Those efforts offer Southern Baptist churches committed to embracing unengaged, unreached peoples a basis for beginning their work among them -- to be His heart, His hands and His voice. For prayer: -- that Grace's people truly will have the opportunity to hear about their Savior. -- that more churches will embrace an unengaged, unreached people group that might not otherwise hear the Gospel. (Learn how at www.call2embrace.org.) --30-- Will Stuart is an IMB photographer. Southern Baptists' gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and through the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist missionaries around the world share the Gospel. Gifts for the offering are received at Southern Baptist churches across the country or can be made online at www.imb.org/offering where there are resources for church leaders to promote the offering. Download related videos at www.imb.org/lmcovideo. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Obama's opposition to lotteries applauded by Diana Chandler Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- As two winners of the $588 million Powerball jackpot prepare to split the winnings, new discussion is emerging of President Obama's views of the lottery as a "troublesome" form of "regressive taxation" harmful to the poor. During a "Chicago Tonight" interview as an Illinois senator, Obama spoke against the lottery in that state, new blogosphere discussion is pointing out. Particularly, a blog by Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, links to the 2000 interview. Responses to the blog indicate Obama's view likely resonates with Southern Baptists.
"I would argue that if you look at it as a whole," Obama said in the interview, "in most states across the board this tends to be a form of regressive taxation, and I don't think it's necessarily the fairest way for us to raise revenue in the state. What we know from studies ... is more lottery tickets are sold among working-class folks than there are in Winnetka (Ill.) and well-to-do areas." Illinois instituted its state lottery in 1974, selling its millionth ticket just five months later. "One of the concerns I have obviously is the disproportionate number of people who consistently buy lottery tickets tend to be lower-income and working class people who can least afford it," Obama said in the interview, available on YouTube. "Even if they're not compulsive gamblers, they are probably spending money that they don't necessarily have. "Now, we might say that this is their entertainment dollar the same way that somebody else has an entertainment dollar and spends it on a movie," Obama said. "But I think the fact that the state systematically targets what we know to be lower-income persons as a way of raising revenue is troublesome." Studies indicate more tickets are sold among working-class individuals than among the more affluent, Obama said. Stetzer said he agrees with Obama's view of the lottery. "While someone is going to get rich this week, a whole lot of people are going to get a little poorer," Stetzer wrote. "We don't need another 'tax on the poor' and we don't need the government supporting and promoting such efforts." Stetzer referred to a Carnegie Mellon study that pinpointed "poverty's central role in people's decisions to buy lottery tickets." "Some poor people see playing the lottery as their best opportunity for improving their financial situations, albeit wrongly so," the 2008 study's lead author Emily Haisley, then a Carnegie Mellon doctoral student, has been quoted as saying. "The hope of getting out of poverty encourages people to continue to buy tickets, even though their chances of stumbling upon a life-changing windfall are nearly impossibly slim and buying lottery tickets in fact exacerbates the very poverty that purchasers are hoping to escape." State lotteries have an average return of just 53 cents for every dollar spent on tickets, studies show. This week's record Powerball set off a ticket-buying frenzy, reaching as high as 130,000 tickets sold per minute. One winning ticket each was sold in Missouri and Arizona. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Legal abortion has taken 400 women's lives by Staff Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- More than 400 women have died from legal abortions since 1973, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that also shows the number of abortions fell by 5 percent in 2009. The CDC reported Nov. 21 there were 403 deaths related to legal abortions through 2008, the most recent year for which statistics are available, and the number of abortions in 2009 fell from 825,564 to 784,507, marking the biggest one-year decrease in at least a decade. The Supreme Court legalized abortion effectively for any reason throughout pregnancy Jan. 22, 1973. The deaths related to legal abortions dwarfed those from illegal abortions during the same time period. A total of 56 women died from illegal abortions, according to the CDC. The new report also showed 12 women died from legal abortions in 2008. That total doubled the number of deaths from legal abortion reported in 2007 and was the most since 1989, when 12 also were reported. There likely were more deaths from abortions in both 2008 and during the years since the practice was legalized. For one thing, the CDC statistics, which are based on reports from state health departments, do not include figures from some states. California and New Hampshire have not reported such information since 1998, according to the National Right to Life Committee. At least one other state typically does not provide statistics to the CDC, the NRLC reported. In addition, both abortion clinics and families of women who die have interests in keeping the cause of such deaths unknown. The much larger number of reported deaths from legal abortions in contrast to illegal ones runs counter to the arguments of abortion rights organizations, which contend the procedure needs to be legal in order to be safe and reduce mortality among women who want abortions. The Guttmacher Institute, which compiles its data directly from abortion clinics instead of the states, has reported about 1.2 million abortions annually in recent years. Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, applauded the five percent decrease in abortions in 2009 but said, "At the same time, we have to ask why the abortion-related deaths of 12 women are buried in the very last table of the [CDC] report and unremarked on in the news. The news from this report is that abortion harms women, as well as their babies." The Associated Press attributed the decrease in abortions to more people using contraceptives and to the economy possibly making women more careful not to get pregnant, but World News Service pointed to the undeniable growth in the pro-life movement and to surveys which show public opinion on abortion is changing. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press Washington bureau chief Tom Strode. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Family groups rally opposition to U.N. treaty by Tom Strode Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Senate appears prepared to vote on a United Nations treaty that critics charge would undermine parental authority, the right to life and American sovereignty. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is expected to seek ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD) in a Dec. 4 vote, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). HSLDA, which is leading the opposition, is hopeful, but uncertain, the treaty will fall short of the two-thirds majority required for ratification. "[W]e think we can hold, but it's going to be close," said Will Estrada, a HSLDA lawyer. Senators are under "incredible pressure," Estrada told Baptist Press Friday (Nov. 30). "So we are not taking anything for granted." Critics of the treaty acknowledge the need to expand protections for the disabled in some countries but say the United States already has such safeguards in its Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The CRPD's protections for the disabled are already largely a part of U.S. law under the ADA, but some of its other provisions would threaten American families and self-government, they say. Ratification would mean the treaty would become law under the U.S. Constitution, supersede state laws and be considered binding in the courts, according to HSLDA. In a recent letter endorsed by Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land and 39 other pro-family and conservative leaders, HSLDA included the following concerns: -- An article in the treaty making the "best interests of the child" a "primary consideration" could usurp the "traditional fundamental right of parents to direct the education and upbringing" of a special needs child. -- A diminishing of legal protection for disabled children that could occur "will create an atmosphere discriminatory against those children and their families." -- A 1989 New Zealand law that is considered to comply with the CRPD permits the secretary of Education to require a disabled child to attend a government-operated school if he thinks it best for the student, implying the same thing could happen in the United States. -- Legal action against private American citizens under the treaty could take place based on a court ruling related to another U.N. convention. -- The U.S. could surrender its sovereignty to a committee -- the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities -- established by the treaty. "The question is, who should make critical decisions regarding the care and raising of children who have disabilities? Their parents or United Nations social workers?," HSLDA President Michael Smith said in a written release. "There is no need for the CRPD, as our nation's state and federal laws already protect our precious loved ones with disabilities." The treaty's inclusion in one of its articles of the term "reproductive health" -- sometimes a euphemism for "abortion rights" -- has elicited concern from pro-life advocates. An amendment in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee seeking to make clear "reproductive health" does not include abortion failed. Joni and Friends -- the international disability ministry founded by Christian author Joni Eareckson Tada -- announced its opposition to the treaty Nov. 14. Americans "can advance human dignity for persons with disabilities worldwide by, first, supporting the enforcement of the ADA here at home, and second, investing in those global initiatives which provide spiritual and practical help to improve the wellbeing of people with disabilities everywhere," Joni and Friends said in a written statement. President Obama signed the CRPD in 2009, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved it in a 13-6 vote in July of this year. Three Republicans joined the 10 Democrats on the panel in supporting the treaty. Sen. John Kerry, D.-Mass., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, denied the treaty would have the potential effects forecast by its foes. On the day the committee passed the convention, Kerry said the treaty would not usurp American law and would not change the law on abortion. "I just say to you that it is inaccurate that this [convention] requires any change in U.S. law," Kerry said. He also said the committee established by the treaty has "very, very limited powers" and would not "intrude on the daily lives of Americans." In addition to Land and Smith, other signers of the HSLDA letter included Michael Farris, HSLDA chairman; Penny Young Nance, president of Concerned Women for America; Mat Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel; Phyllis Schlafly, president of Eagle Forum; Tom McClusky, senior vice president of Family Research Council Action, and Tom Minnery, executive director of CitizenLink, an affiliate of Focus on the Family. Land is president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Federal judge upholds Nev. marriage amend. by Michael Foust Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- A federal judge has upheld Nevada's constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, providing a victory for social conservatives who have suffered a string of court losses on the issue. In his Nov. 26 opinion, Judge Robert C. Jones ruled that Nevada had a constitutional right to pass the amendment, which was approved twice by voters -- once in 2000 with 70 percent of the vote and a second time in 2002 with 67 percent. The lawsuit was brought by Lambda Legal, which advocates for gay issues. Within the past year, appeals courts have ruled against the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California Proposition 8, each of which could be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court in coming months. Jones, nominated by President George W. Bush, said Supreme Court action in a 1972 case confirmed Nevada's ability to define marriage as it wishes. That case, Baker v. Nelson, came to the court on appeal from the Minnesota Supreme Court, which had upheld Minnesota's traditional marriage law in a case that was seeking to legalize gay marriage. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal "for want of a substantial federal question" -- that is, the court believed Minnesota had the right under the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman because there was no relevant federal issue. But Jones went further in his ruling, saying Nevada had a legitimate state interest in defining marriage as it did. "The perpetuation of the human race depends upon traditional procreation between men and women," Jones wrote. It is "conceivable," he wrote, that if gay marriage is legalized, "a meaningful percentage of heterosexual persons would cease to value the civil institution as highly as they previously had and hence enter into it less frequently ... because they no longer wish to be associated with the civil institution as redefined, leading to an increased percentage of out-of- wedlock children, single-parent families, difficulties in property disputes after the dissolution of what amount to common law marriages in a state where such marriages are not recognized, or other unforeseen consequences." Jones added, "Because the family is the basic societal unit, the State could have validly reasoned that the consequences of altering the traditional definition of civil marriage could be severe." Jones also pointed to this year's elections, in which three states legalized gay marriage, saying that gays are not politically powerless. "It simply cannot be seriously maintained, in light of these and other recent democratic victories, that homosexuals do not have the ability to protect themselves from discrimination through democratic processes ...," he wrote. The case is Sevcik v. Sandoval. The decision likely will be appealed. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- W.Va. Baptists increase CP giving by Staff Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (BP) -- Messengers to the 42nd annual meeting of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists at Fairlawn Baptist Church in Parkersburg, W.Va., received "inspirational and instructive" reports, according to Terry Harper, the convention's executive director. "Who could doubt that we have wonderful, conservative leaders heading our seminaries after hearing Chuck Kelley from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as he presented the annual Bible study for each session?" Harper wrote to West Virginia Baptists after the Nov. 2-3 meeting, which drew 157 messengers and 51 guests from all 10 Baptist associations in the state. "Some were unable to make it as a result of the effects of Hurricane Sandy and the power outages that resulted from the storm," Harper wrote. "We are grateful for those who came to assist us here in West Virginia, especially the feeding teams from the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. We are also most appreciative for the contributions of so many of you to our disaster relief funds," Harper wrote, additionally commending the Baptist General Association of Virginia for sending relief workers. An offering collected at the pastors' conference and the annual meeting yielded more than $2,000 for disaster relief related to Hurricane Sandy. The annual meeting featured an emphasis on church planting, highlighting several new churches during a video presentation. A "tremendous missions challenge" was given by Steve Davis, the North American Mission Board's vice president for the Midwest region, Harper told Baptist Press. Messengers approved a 2013 budget of $2,631,268, down about $280,000 from the current year. West Virginia anticipates forwarding $567,570 to national and international Cooperative Program ministries. The convention increased its Cooperative Program giving from 38 to 39 percent at the meeting. No shared expense with the SBC are designated in the budget. The North American Mission Board will provide $1,037,905 to the West Virginia convention. Greg Varndell, pastor of Fairlawn Baptist Church in Parkersburg, was re-elected president of the convention. Also elected as convention officers: first vice president, Don Knotts, pastor of Wayside Baptist Church in Buckhannon; second vice president, John Freeman, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Chapmanville; and clerk, Jim Messenger, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in West Union. Messengers approved a change to the convention's constitution now stating that the state Woman's Missionary Union president will serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Executive Board. West Virginia Baptists signed a memorandum of understanding with the West Virginia National Guard in order to establish a framework for churches to partner with the guard to assist soldiers and their families. Messengers passed a resolution on same-sex marriage, stating that marriage is "an institution established by God rather than simply a human social construction" and noted the growing trend in the United States to accept same-sex marriage. In the resolution, West Virginia Baptists went on record opposing same-sex marriage and affirming marriage as between one man and one woman in an "exclusive union delineated in Scripture." They resolved to engage the culture on the issue while standing against hateful rhetoric toward homosexuals. A second resolution emphasized the importance of ministry to college students and stated that the convention would re-establish onsite collegiate missionary positions on certain West Virginia campuses "as soon as it is fiscally feasible" in order to influence and disciple the next generation. A third resolution commended local churches, associations, committees and other volunteers who helped "bring about a meeting characterized by grace, evangelism, worship, encouragement, cooperation, and purpose." --30-- Based on reporting by Greg Wrigley of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Minn.-Wis. Baptists continue CP pledge by Staff Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday ROCHESTER, Minn. (BP) -- Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptists increased their support of national and international Southern Baptist ministries for the third consecutive year, continuing a commitment to .5 percent annual increases toward reaching 50 percent of the anticipated Cooperative Program budget. Messengers at the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention's annual meeting voted to give 14.5 percent of an anticipated $475,000 in 2013 Cooperative Program receipts to national and international missions, after having given 14 percent this year. The convention plans to keep 85.5 percent of CP gifts for ministry in its two member states. The allocations do not include any expenses shared by the state and national conventions. Concurrently, the overall $1,973,321 budget approved by messengers for 2013 is about half of a percentage point above its 2012 budget of $1,962,879. Current officers re-elected to serve an additional term are president, Mike Fahey, pastor emeritus of Roseville Baptist Church in Roseville, Minn.; first vice president, Rich Schulze, pastor of Graceway Fellowship in Green Bay, Wis.; second vice president, Mary Krome of Brown Deer Baptist Church in Brown Deer, Wis.; and recording secretary, Wes Shemwell of Midvale Baptist Church in Madison, Wis. A total of 85 messengers representing 41 of the two-state convention's 166 affiliated churches attended the annual meeting at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Rochester, Minn., with the theme "Every City, Every Place." The state convention has 16,500 members. Messengers set the 2013 annual meeting for Oct. 25-26 at Trinity Baptist Church in Reedsburg, Wis. --30-- Compiled from a report by the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CULTURE DIGEST: Swedish regulators push gender-neutral Christmas catalogues by Staff Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Regulators in Sweden are putting traditional gender roles on the "naughty" list this Christmas. The country's advertising regulatory body has pushed Sweden's Toys "R" Us franchise to publish gender-neutral Christmas catalogues. CNS News, the Media Research Center's news service, showed images of Sweden's Toys "R" Us Christmas 2012 catalog depicting a boy cuddling a doll and a girl shooting a fake gun. Similarly, BR Toys' catalogue for Sweden features a boy hairdressing a little girl. "With the new gender thinking, there is nothing that is right or wrong. It's not a boy or a girl thing, it's a toy for children," Jan Nyberg of Top Toy, which holds the Swedish franchises for Toys "R" Us and BR Toys, told the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyra. Top Toy was reprimanded by Sweden's advertising regulatory body in 2008 for depicting traditional gender roles in its Christmas catalogue that year, and Nyberg said the company received "training and guidance" from regulators about gender stereotypes, CNS reported. Sweden sparked controversy earlier this year by officially adding a gender-neutral pronoun to its lexicon, according to CNS. In Swedish, the word for "he" is "han" while the word for "she" is "hon." The new pronoun, "hen," can be used to refer to someone without indicating gender. LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL IN FLAP OVER 'CHARLIE BROWN' CHRISTMAS -- Charlie Brown is causing quite a stir for one elementary school. An atheist group is taking issue with Terry Elementary School in Little Rock, Ark., for inviting students to a performance of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at a local church, KARK 4 News reported. In a letter sent home by first- and second-grade teachers at the school, children were invited to voluntarily attend the Dec. 14 performance at Agape Church, if they pay $2 to cover the cost of school buses carrying them to and from the show, which will be held during school hours. A parent whose daughter attends the school notified the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, concerned that opting for her daughter not to attend the play would open the girl up to ridicule by her classmates. "We're not saying anything bad about Charlie Brown," Fox News quoted Anne Orsi, vice president of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, as telling KARK. "The problem is that it's got religious content and it's being performed in a religious venue and that doesn't just blur the line between church and state, it oversteps it entirely." A spokeswoman for the Little Rock School District told Fox News the district does not encourage specific religious activity or endorse any specific faith. KARK reported that Agape Church released the following statement: "We hope the complaint or question of a few does not override the opportunity for everyone. This production also included a food drive for area pantries, and we hope that purpose is not lost as well." SITCOM STAR CALLS HIS SHOW 'FILTH' -- Angus T. Jones, one of the stars of the sitcom "Two and a Half Men," has a new message for fans: Stop watching the show. The 19-year-old Jones made his appeal in a YouTube video posted on a channel called The Forerunner Chronicles, in which he describes how he became involved with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "If you watch Two and a Half Men, please stop watching Two and a Half Men. I'm on Two and a Half Men; I don't want to be on it. Please stop watching it. Please stop filling your head with filth," Jones said in the Nov. 26 video. "Do some research on the effects of television in your brain, and I promise you you'll have a decision to make when it comes to the television, and especially with what you watch on the television. It's bad news." Speaking about the dangers of being lukewarm in his faith, Jones added that he believes it's impossible to be a Christian and still appear on Two and a Half Men. "You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't," he said in the video. "I'm not OK with what I'm learning, what the Bible says, and being on that television show. You go all or nothing." On Nov. 27, Jones issued a statement which read in part, "I apologize if my remarks reflect me showing indifference to and disrespect of my colleagues and a lack of appreciation of the extraordinary opportunity of which I have been blessed. I never intended that." PEDIATRICIANS PUSH 'MORNING-AFTER' PILL FOR MINORS -- The country's leading pediatrics association has urged its members to provide information about the "morning-after" pill to under-age, female patients and give them prescriptions in advance for the drug, which can cause abortions. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which has 60,000 members, made the recommendation Nov. 26, according to Reuters News Service. If heeded by pediatricians, the policy would enable girls under 17 to acquire the "morning-after" pill more quickly after sexual intercourse. Under federal regulations, girls 16 and under must have prescriptions to buy the drug. Women 17 and older do not need a prescription, but they must request the drug from pharmacists, who stock it behind their counters. The "morning-after" pill, also known as emergency contraception, is basically a heavier dose of birth control pills. There are two-step versions -- Plan B and Next Choice -- and one-step versions -- Plan B One-Step and Next Choice One Dose. Under the two-part regimen, a woman takes a pill within 72 hours of sexual intercourse and another dose 12 hours later. The one-step version is taken in a single dose within 72 hours. The "morning-after" pill can restrict ovulation in a woman or prevent fertilization, but it also can block implantation of the early embryo in the uterine wall. The latter effect causes an abortion, pro-life advocates point out. PRO-LIFE CONGRESSMAN AGREED WITH FIRST WIFE'S ABORTIONS -- A pro-life Tennessee congressman supported his first wife's two abortions, according to a court transcript released Nov. 15. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a Republican, said Nov. 21 he did not plan to resign, explaining his view on abortion has changed over time, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported. "[Abortion] was just not something that I put as much thought into as I should have, in retrospect," said DesJarlais, who was a doctor before being elected to Congress in 2010. "Going back, if I could change and do things differently, certainly I would." DesJarlais won re-election Nov. 6, about a week before a judge released the transcript from his 2001 divorce trial. The two abortions by his former wife helped him adopt a pro-life stance, DesJarlais said. His marriage to his second wife, Amy, about 10 years ago also helped shape his view, he said. She chose to get married and have a baby after becoming pregnant while in high school, according to the News Sentinel. Her first husband died when their son was 3 years old, and DesJarlais helped rear him after Amy and he were married. DesJarlais also said he regrets having sexual relationships with several women while he was chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tenn., the newspaper reported. His partners in those relationships included three co-workers and two patients. NEARLY 500 BABIES DIE AFTER LIVE BIRTHS FOLLOWING ABORTIONS -- Nearly 500 babies were born alive after failed, late-term abortions and left to die in Canada during the first decade of this century. Statistics Canada reported 491 babies of 20 weeks' or more gestation were born alive after unsuccessful abortions and permitted to die from 2000 to 2009, according to the pro-life blog Run With Life. A Canadian lawyer questioned why there have been no homicide investigations or prosecutions in the infants' deaths. "The lack of prosecution demonstrates two things: first, that political correctness surrounding the abortion issue trumps common sense, common decency and the rule of law; and second, that those who advocate for this type of [behavior] are truly pro-abortion and not pro-choice," wrote Andre Schutten, legal counsel for the Association for Reformed Political Action Canada, Nov. 19. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press Washington bureau chief Tom Strode and John Evans, a writer in Houston. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: America's Christ-less Christmas by Kelly Boggs Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- Political pundits, social commentators and even theologians continue to debate what the most recent election results actually indicate about America. The morning of Nov. 7, we learned that Americans had rejected traditional values, anchored in the principles espoused by the Bible, in favor of homosexual marriage and recreational drug use. Some seem shocked at the election results. But America's slow slide toward secularism has been taking place for some time now. I would argue that for at least three decades, the Christmas season has been a clear indicator of our country's penchant for secular style over traditional substance. The essence of Christmas, the reason for the season as it were, is the birth of Jesus Christ, nothing more and nothing less. It is distinctly and exclusively a religious holiday -- a time when Christians around the world commemorate the birth of their Savior, the very reason for their faith. However, in American popular culture the reality of Christmas has not just been lost; it has been discarded like ripped wrapping paper. Christ's birth is no longer the focus. All things secular trump the sacred as Americans celebrate Christmas in name only. A culture's music reflects its values. Examine the tunes that are popular and you have a pretty good idea of the orientation of a society's moral compass. The easiest way to sample a culture's musical tastes is via the radio. Some radio stations dedicate their entire programming to Christmas-themed music during the month of December. And almost all stations sprinkle their programming with at least some Christmas music. What is considered Christmas music by American pop culture has nothing to do with Christ and his birth. ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, recently released the 25 most popular Christmas songs, based on radio play, for the last decade. Only one song on the list even came close to touching on the reality of Christmas. The tenth-most popular song in the poll was "Little Drummer Boy" -- the most Christ-themed song in the top 25. No. 1 was "Winter Wonderland." The No. 2 spot was taken by "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)." You may like "Little Drummer Boy," but let's be honest: its mention of the reality of Christmas is, at best, subtle. The rest of the songs extol the realities of winter or tout tales of fictional characters. All are secular in nature. Television is a dominant force in American popular culture and has long reflected a secular approach to Christmas. Through the years there have been a variety of TV specials during the Yule season, and most, like the aforementioned music, ignore the reality of Christ's birth. Among America's favorites: "Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer," "Santa Clause is Comin' to Town" and "Frosty the Snowman." Only one holiday classic dares broach the subject of Christ's birth and that is "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Near the end of "Charlie Brown," the blanket-toting character Linus responds to the main character's plea to understand Christmas by reciting the story of Christ's birth from Luke's Gospel. The list of popular Christmas movies is not even worth mentioning. Not one film mentioned in a list of top 25 movies complied by the popular movie Internet site IMDb.com touched on the reality of Christmas. To be sure, there are some good films on the list -- movies that convey some positive messages like "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carole." However, not a single Christmas film deemed popular by American culture has anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. The commercialization of Christmas also reflects the holiday's secularization. Catering to the voracious appetites of American consumers, retailers offer every Christmas novelty imaginable -- and begin selling the gaudy stuff months in advance of the holiday. And Americans respond by buying more and more each year. A person can purchase blow-up snowmen, polar bears, penguins, Santa Clauses. Trees alive and artificial in different sizes and colors are also available, as are a dizzying assortment of light options. Public schools have followed the lead of popular culture, and now many avoid any mention of Jesus Christ. The word "Christmas" has been scrubbed from calendars, and songs that mention Christ's name have been removed from school events. Many public schools now take a "winter" break rather than a Christmas break. In fact, the very word that describes the holiday, "Christmas," has come under increasing assault. The word is viewed as offensive, almost like a curse word, by many. The phrase "Happy Holidays" is the preferred all-inclusive, secular alternative to "Merry Christmas." And of course, Christmas trees are now "holiday" trees. Just as Christ has been slowly but surely ousted from the holiday that bears his name, so America has been sliding into secularism. The Christmas celebrated by popular culture does not honor Christ -- it mostly ignores Him. The same holds true for the values many Americans recently embraced at the ballot box. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message, www.baptistmessage.com , newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVIES: What movie would Jesus watch? by Phil Boatwright Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- What movie would Jesus go see this weekend? I understand that may raise an eyebrow or two, but it's not meant merely to be an eye-grabber. No matter what we do or where we go, we Christians take Jesus with us. I guess I could end this article with that. But this weekend many of us will be enticed into the local cineplex, oblivious as to the film's content, and uncaring as to the message we send to Hollywood and those who know us. So allow me to further my point. I was at a Saturday morning screening of Nickelodeon's "Fun Size" a month ago, the theater full of little girls accompanied by faithful fathers armed with fun-sized snack boxes. I had committed the same mistake I constantly warn my readers to avoid. I had come in blind, unaware if the film is animated or live action, let alone what the synopsis is or the reason for its rating. I "assumed" it was G or PG. If you read on, you'll never make that mistake again. Nor will I. Moviemakers keep dumbing down and crudding up the culture, taking baby steps with each production further away from class or social decorum. Usually it's a bit more suggestively done, but writer Max Werner and director Josh Schwartz treat the material in "Fun Size" as if it were a sequel to the raunchy 1980's "Porky's." They bear no regard for the sensibilities of the youngest audience members, children who are still watching and expecting the movie's star, Victoria Justice (Nickelodeon's "Victorious"), to be in a movie similar to what they see on that cable network. But alas, after viewing this film, they will now be ready for the movies of Will Ferrell and Seth Rogan. The film is rated PG-13, but because middle school-aged girls see her on repeat episodes of "Victorious" daily, they, like this unassuming film critic, are expecting this movie to be geared to them, not their high school sophomore brothers. It really can't be called a comedy despite the fact that there are a few unexpected guffaws (remember what a roomful of monkeys can do with typewriters). But like those primates with keyboards, this film's writers have amassed a collection of crudities and sexual references without any true wit or comprehension. What they've given the audience is something closely resembling smut. At this point, I had intended to describe in detail the crudeness of the content in order to clarify what parents were subjecting their children to. However, I am afraid that some might find the descriptions offensive. If you want to read the film's reason for its rating visit http://www.previewonline.org/rev.php3?3829. But despite the fact that I sensed a lot of jaw-dropping, no one took their kids from the theater. No matter what's said or done on the screen, there's simply no outrage left in many of this generation's parents. Not having children myself, I must guard against false superiority. I can't comprehend how difficult it is to rear children these days. But wouldn't you fire the babysitter if you learned he or she was abusing your kid? If you read what "Fun Size" contains, you'll be given evidence that many in Hollywood are being abusive. And not just to kids. In the new film "Silver Linings Playbook," one particular swear word is used 60 times. How is it that we think crude, offensive or profane language isn't hurting our psyche? In "Hyde Park on the Hudson," Bill Murray as President Franklin Roosevelt is seen committing a sexual act. Is nothing off limits pictorially? And in most every other film this year, there was a token gay character. On this issue, Hollywood allows for no debate. (Pretty soon, because of the media's influence, we who follow biblical instruction will not be allowed to publically debate the sinful nature of this practice. Very soon.) In Ecclesiastes 3 we are told there is a time to laugh and a time to dance. I believe that means entertainment is an elemental part of life. However, here are a couple of verses we often ignore when handing over our $10 to the box office: -- "I will set before my eyes no vile thing" (Psalms 101:3). -- "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11). This is where many begin to roll their eyes, thinking that I'm suggesting we go back to the '50s. There's a whole lot of re-writing of the Bible going on these days, with many in the church preferring to believe that only some of God's Word is inerrant. That's a column for another day, but I'll leave you with this: Have we evolved into beings capable of processing any amount of abuse Hollywood puts before our eyes. Is that what our Creator intended for us? If the Bible truly is God's guideline for our lives, then it applies to every part of our lives, including how we entertain ourselves. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2). So, what are you going to go see this weekend? Keep in mind Who's going with you. --30-- Phil Boatwright is celebrating 25 years of writing about Hollywood from a Christian perspective. In addition to writing for Baptist Press, he reviews films for http://www.previewonline.org/. He is also a regular contributor to "The World and Everything In it," a weekly radio program from WORLD News Group. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: La importancia de lo que no parece importante by Oscar Fernandez Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a http://www.bpnews.net/espanol NASHVILLE (BP) -- Resulta muy difícil establecer una línea divisoria para separar el ritualismo y la religiosidad de algunas costumbres sanas que son importantes, aunque a veces no lo parezca. Yo tuve la suerte de nacer en un hogar cristiano. Recuerdo muchas cosas de los días de mi infancia. Una de ellas es que en mi hogar, nunca alguien se llevó un alimento a la boca sin antes haber dado gracias Dios por ello. En mi mente infantil aquello tenía mucho sentido, ya que mi padre trabajaba siete días a la semana para poder traer el sustento a la casa. En verdad, teníamos que dar gracias porque Dios permitía que mis padres trabajaran y pudieran comprar y cocinar los alimentos que disfrutábamos. Con la juventud vinieron nuevos retos, y uno de ellos fue el "sentir pena" de orar por los alimentos delante de los amigos no creyentes de la escuela. Muchas veces luchaba y trataba de justificarme cuando no lo hacia, diciéndome que aquello no era más que un ritual sin sentido y sin importancia. Fueron años de verdadera lucha que se recrudecieron cuando la sociedad en la que vivía adoptó un sistema de gobierno comunista que se oponía a toda creencia religiosa y a las manifestaciones religiosas de cualquier tipo en público. En aquellos años comencé a evaluar la importancia de lo que había aprendido de niño, referente a la costumbre de dar gracias antes de comer los alimentos, bien fuera en privado o en público. Capté por fin el verdadero significado de este testimonio y lo integré a mi vida, como algo tan natural como respirar. La última vez que fui confrontado por dar gracias en una cena fue en la Ciudad de Juárez. En aquel tiempo servía como pastor de una iglesia en la ciudad de Albuquerque, en el estado de New Mexico, y fui notificado de una persona amiga que estaba de visita en Ciudad Juárez. Decidí hacer el viaje y una vez allá invite a cenar a la persona. Antes de comenzar a comer, le explique mi costumbre de dar gracias y por qué lo hacía. La respuesta que recibí, no fue nada amable, y me hizo sentir muy mal. Pero seguí adelante y di gracias, no solo por los alimentos, sino por aquella persona y por la oportunidad de poder compartir aquel tiempo con ella. Han pasado muchos años de aquel incidente. He olvidado por completo los detalles del lugar, la comida, y de lo que conversamos aquel día. Pero sin dudas, lo que aparentemente era lo menos importante, ha permanecido claro en mi memoria. Claro está que no era poco importante. Hoy día aquella persona es un fiel discípulo de Cristo y ella misma da gracias a Dios en todo momento y en cualquier lugar y de manera especial antes de comer los alimentos. No creo que el hecho de yo haber dado gracias aquel día, a pesar de su negativa, haya sido un catalizador para su conversión, pero si estoy convencido de que si yo no lo hubiera hecho, hoy estaría abochornado de mi mismo y en cualquier ocasión tendría que responderle a esta persona por qué no lo di gracias antes de comer en aquel día. Hay muchas pequeñas cosas a las que no le damos importancia, pero el mundo nos está mirando. El problema con el mundo no es que seamos diferentes, el problema es que no somos suficientemente diferentes. La gente espera de nosotros que actuemos y seamos distintos. No en las grandes decisiones y los grandes problemas, sino en las pequeñas cosas cotidianas, que van desde el programa de TV que vemos hasta los chistes y las cosas que decimos y la manera cómo las decimos. Cuando era niño en mi iglesia se cantaba un himno que mi madre con su desentonada voz de soprano, se pasa todo el día cantando a todo pulmón. El mismo decía: "Nunca esperes el momento de una gran acción; Y que lejos pueda ir Su luz; En la vida, a los pequeños actos da atención; Brilla en el sitio, donde estés". Una semana después de haber celebrado el día de Acción de Gracias, pienso que es adecuado que reflexionemos y decidamos "brillar" en el sitio en el que estemos, para que el mundo pueda ver Su luz reflejada en nosotros. No se trata de ganar grandes victorias, se trata de pelear bien las pequeñas batallas diarias, dándole atención a las cosas que tal vez parecen pequeñas, que en verdad son importantes, aunque no nos demos cuenta y parezcan sin importancia. --30-- Dr. Óscar Fernández es Senior Team Leader, publishing en Adult Ministry, en LifeWay Church Resources Division, LifeWay Christian Resources en Nashville, TN, es además escritor independiente y un estudioso de la Biblia. Su blog http://estudiandolabibliaconoscar.blogspot.com tiene seguidores en 45 países. -------------------------------------------------------------------- SEMANA DE ORACIÓN: 'Me he preguntado si hay algo más por ahí' by Por Will Stuart Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La Semana de Oración por las Misiones Internacionales de este año en la Convención Bautista del Sur es del 2 al 9 de diciembre con el tema "SER Su corazón, Sus manos, Su voz" de Mateo 16:24, 25. Cada año, la Ofrenda de Navidad Lottie Moon para las Misiones Internacionales complementa el dar del Programa Cooperativo para apoyar las iniciativas de compartir el evangelio de los más de 5.000 misioneros internacionales de los bautistas del sur. La meta de la ofrenda de este año es $175 millones. Para encontrar recursos acerca de la ofrenda, vaya a www.imb.org/offering. SOUTH AMERICA (BP) -- Grace, miembro de una de las tribus indígenas de Sur América, habla con intensidad acerca del futuro de su pueblo. Hay extranjeros que los mantendrían en algo como un museo -- como historia viviente, dice ella -- atascados en un tiempo que no ha sido una realidad por generaciones. Eso no es lo que ella desea. Sin embargo el asunto no es fácil. "Mucha de nuestra gente ni siquiera conoce nuestra [cultura]," dice. "Ellos dicen que la conocen, pero se esconden detrás de ella." Ella quiere que su pueblo avance -- para "ganar." Ella quiere que ellos saquen partido de todo lo que sucede acerca de ellos mientras retienen lo mejor de su cultura. Eso significa que ellos tendrán que cambiar, dice. Grace ha estado activa -- militante, dice ella -- en el movimiento de los derechos indígenas. Ella y su hermana han viajado a New York y Florida a conferencias. Ellas fueron parte de un grupo que rodeó la iglesia católica en un pueblo vecino y demandó que se les devolviera la tierra y amenazaron con romper una presa e inundar el pueblo si no la obtenían. Las disputas entre los indios y otros por las tierras han sido feroces. Los que no son indios han contratado pistoleros para amenazar a los indios. Gente de los dos lados ha muerto. Cuando Grace habla acerca del cristianismo, habla de una mezcla de religiones tribales, indígenas; catolicismo folclórico; superstición y espiritismo; y dogma católico. Pocos de la tribu lo adoptan. Ellos dicen que prefieren permanecer en su fe tradicional. Ella ha conocido a algunos evangélicos -- su término para todo el que no es católico -- y no quedó impresionada. "Ellos tienen fe," dice, "pero no tienen amor. Fe sin amor no vale mucho." Un visitante le dice a Grace que sus palabras vienen directamente de la Biblia. "La próxima vez que vengas, trae tu Biblia," dice ella. "Quiero saber más de eso." El visitante dice que tiene una con él. Grace le pide que la lleve. Durante 20 minutos hablan pasando de versículo a versículo mientras conversan. El visitante se queda atónito de cuánto de lo que ella dice prácticamente es una paráfrasis del Nuevo Testamento -- un texto que ella nunca ha leído. "Ha habido tiempos en mi vida que han sido muy difíciles," dice ella, "me he preguntado si hay algo más por ahí." Grace y su tribu están entre las más de 3.000 etnias no alcanzadas y no involucradas en todo el mundo. Casi 400 de ellas están en Sur América. Aisladas por el idioma, la cultura, la historia y --en algunos casos -- la geografía, ellos viven mayormente en pequeños grupos de menos de 3.000 personas. La mayoría nunca van a tener un misionero asignado a ellos. Sin embargo, la iglesia es llamada a llevar el evangelio a todas las personas. Los donativos a la Ofrenda de Navidad Lottie Moon le permite al personal de IMB identificar y entender estos frecuentemente olvidados pueblos. Esos esfuerzos ofrecen a las iglesias bautistas del sur comprometidas con los pueblos no alcanzados una base para iniciar su trabajo entre ellos -- ser Su corazón, Sus manos, Su voz. Para orar: -- que el pueblo de Grace verdaderamente tenga la oportunidad de oír sobre su Salvador. -- que más iglesias adopten una etnia no alcanzada que de otra manera no oiría el evangelio. (Aprenda cómo en call2embrace.org.) --30-- Will Stuart es fotógrafo de IMB. Las ofrendas de los bautistas del sur a la Ofrenda de Navidad Lottie Moon para las Misiones Internacionales y a través del Programa Cooperativo ayudan a los misioneros bautistas del sur alrededor del mundo a compartir el evangelio. Los donativos para la ofrenda son recibidos en las iglesias bautistas del sur a través del país o pueden hacerse en línea en www.imb.org/offering donde hay recursos para que los líderes de iglesia promuevan la ofrenda. Descargue videos relacionados en www.imb.org/lmcovideo. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Nueva creyente motivada a través del servicio a otros by Por Diana Chandler Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (BP) -- Tina Flores recuerda cada detalle de su bautizo en New Seasons Church. Su experiencia en la iglesia bautista del sur en Spring Valley, California, fue muy diferente de la rociada que recibió siendo una niña en la iglesia donde su familia iba en las fiestas y ocasiones especiales. Flores, ahora ya una esposa y madre, aprecia que su bautizo ocurrió después de su profesión pública de fe en Jesús como su Señor y Salvador. "Me bautizaron cuando tenía unos 4 ó 5 años en la religión católica, pero no había sido bautizada como cristiana," dijo Flores. "Esto es algo que yo decidí hacer. Decidí ser verdaderamente lavada de mis pecados y verdaderamente dar mi vida a Cristo, y eso fue lo que pasó." Su hijo preadolescente, Peter, fue bautizado dos años después que su madre. "Le pregunté si entendió lo que significa y me dijo, 'Sí, Mami. Significa que quiero vivir de la manera que vivió Cristo y no de la manera en que viven todos los demás.'" Eugene, el esposo de Flores, también fue bautizado, atraído a la iglesia debido al creciente compromiso de Tina para servir como voluntaria. "De hecho él estaba pasando por una etapa muy dura en cierto tiempo. Realmente no entendía lo que yo estaba haciendo y por qué estaba aquí tanto tiempo… literalmente me metí de lleno [en el servicio cristiano]," dijo Flores. "Estaba ahí tanto como podía y mis hijos estaban junto a mí, sirviendo, mientras mi esposo estaba en casa." A.B. Vines, el pastor de New Seasons, explicó a Eugene el concepto de servicio y le ofreció a este padre y esposo la salvación en Cristo. "Por esto tu esposa está aquí," le dijo Vines, "porque le dio su vida a Cristo y a ella le encanta servir—y Dios nos puso aquí como Sus siervos." Su hijo menor, Anthony, también asiste a la iglesia con su familia. La chispa de la afinidad de Flores con el evangelismo comunitario se encendió en su primera visita a New Seasons. Un día cuando ella y Anthony, entonces un niño pequeñito, fueron a recoger a Peter a la escuela Bancroff Community frente a New Seasons Church, los tres asistieron al programa de refrigerio después de la salida de la escuela. Cuando salía de la iglesia, notó un letrero que decía, "No vaya a la iglesia, sea la iglesia." "Creo que significa que no somos sólo un edificio, eres la iglesia que está dentro de ti," dijo Flores. "Realmente quería demostrarle a mi hijo que a pesar de los tiempos difíciles de ahora, estamos bendecidos, porque tenemos un techo sobre nuestra cabeza y tenemos ropa en nuestra espalda." Ella y Peter participaron en un esfuerzo evangelístico de limpieza del barrio; tan sólo dos semanas después, le preguntó si podían regresar a la iglesia "el domingo, como lo hacen los otros." "Terminé trayendo a mi hijo. Para mí, era asombroso, desde el primer minuto que entré el campus. La gente era… amable y me abrazaba…," dijo Flores. "Admito que llegó un punto donde no me sentía muy cómoda, porque yo decía, 'OK, ¿por qué me abrazan estas personas? No te conozco.' Era algo gracioso; es decir, fue algo lindo, pero no estaba acostumbrada a que alguien se me acerque y me abrace. Normalmente me dan un apretón de manos." Flores ha estado asistiendo a New Seasons desde entonces, diciendo, "No puedo imaginarme otro lugar en donde yo pudiera estar." Cuatro años después, Flores es la recepcionista y asistente administrativa de New Seasons; ella sirve como voluntaria en los ministerios para mujeres y de asistencia alimenticia; y tiene frecuentes oportunidades de testificar sobre Cristo. "Literalmente pasé de ser tan sólo una madre en la comunidad a servir de tiempo completo aquí," dijo. "No puedo imaginar que pueda hacer otra cosa que ser una sierva de Dios." En su relación con Jesús, dijo, "En todo lo que hago siempre quiero asegurarme que lo estoy haciendo para hacer feliz a Dios y no a mí misma. Entre más tengo una relación con Él, más profundo le conozco, y quiero que esté más orgulloso de mí. "En un punto dije que quería que mi abuelo [Frank Pérez] estuviera orgulloso de mí o que mis hijos estuvieran orgullosos de mí. Y ahora, sin que me importe nada más, siempre quiero que Dios esté orgulloso de mí. Y definitivamente eso fue lo que cambió en mí." En el ministerio Sisters Walking by Faith Together en New Seasons, Flores ayuda a preparar alimentos y comparte de Cristo con las mujeres sin hogar que viven en una residencia de transición. Muchas de ellas son adictas al alcohol o a las drogas. "No sólo servimos comida y hacemos nuestra labor. Nos quedamos con ellas y hablamos con ellas y les preguntamos si tienen alguna petición de oración," dijo Flores. "De hecho nosotros vamos al centro de la ciudad a verlas. Compartimos a Cristo con ellas. Realmente es una oportunidad maravillosa porque… muchas de estas mujeres, no se sabe dónde estarán mañana." Cada semana, Flores ayuda en el programa de alimentos de New Seasons. Prepara y sirve alimentos para los residentes locales que llegan al salón de convivencia de la iglesia. Se les invita a los visitantes a sentarse a la mesa y los voluntarios de la iglesia les sirven una comida caliente. "Cada semana, yo y otras personas aquí podemos también servir a la comunidad, demostrarles… quien es Cristo realmente," dijo Flores. "Siempre digo, 'Les servimos como si estuvieran en nuestra propia casa porque están en nuestra propia iglesia.'" --30-- Diana Chandler es una escritora de Baptist Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Decidido un caso 'parte aguas' sobre la libertad religiosa en Canadá by Por el Personal Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday CALGARY, Alberta, Canadá (BP) -- Un caso "parte aguas" sobre la libertad de expresión en cuanto al tema de la homosexualidad ha sido resuelto en Canadá este otoño, dando esperanza a los partidarios de la libertad religiosa en los Estados Unidos, quienes dicen que el fallo pudiera tener un impacto en las futuras decisiones en los EE UU. "Los asuntos de moralidad, incluyendo la moralidad percibida de ciertos tipos de conducta sexual, son temas de discusión en el foro público. La libertad de expresión no protege solamente el discurso de cortesía," escribió en el fallo el Juez de la Corte de Apelaciones de Alberta, Clifton O'Brien. El caso, el cual estuvo en las cortes por una década, involucró a Stephen Boissoin, pastor canadiense, quien escribió unas cartas al editor de su periódico local expresando sus opiniones religiosas sobre la homosexualidad y su preocupación al ver que este comportamiento se estaba promoviendo en las escuelas públicas. Un profesor de la Universidad de Calgary reportó las cartas ante la Comisión de Derechos Humanos en Alberta, acusándolo de discurso discriminatorio. La comisión concordó con el profesor y multaron al pastor con $5,000, prohibiéndole que continuara expresando sus puntos de vista sobre la homosexualidad. En lo que parece ser la victoria final para el pastor, según Alliance Defending Freedom, la Suprema Corte de Alberta afirmó en octubre que Boissoin tenía el derecho de expresar públicamente sus puntos de vista religiosos. "La expresión pública no debe ser censurada simplemente porque los puntos de vista expresados no son populares," dice una entrada del 2 de noviembre en la bitácora de internet de ADF. "... Esta victoria legal tiene un gran significado para la libertad religiosa. Mientras las cortes estadounidenses cada vez más frecuentemente buscan guía en la jurisprudencia internacional, esta victoria de la libertad de expresión tiene implicaciones importantes para preservar y promover la libertad religiosa en los EE UU." Gerald Chipeur, un abogado canadiense afiliado con ADF, dijo, según LifeSiteNews.com, "Este fue un caso parte aguas, muy importante, en términos de la libertad de expresión y la libertad religiosa. Avanzar, será extremadamente difícil, si no imposible, para el debate religioso o político que actualmente está en peligro en las leyes actuales de los derechos humanos en Alberta." Chipeur añadió, "Las herramientas de censura no deberían estar disponibles para prohibir las libertades de expresión religiosa en Canadá. La corte adecuadamente consideró este tipo de discurso religioso como uno no 'discriminatorio'." Los tres jueces declararon que "Boissoin y otros tienen el derecho de pensar ... que la homosexualidad es pecaminosa y moralmente equivocada ... (y) tienen el derecho de expresar ese pensamiento ante otros." --30-- Compilado por Erin Roach, editor asistente de Baptist Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPENDIO CULTURA: Suecia impulsa catálogos navideños de sexo neutro by Por el personal Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Reguladores en Suecia están poniendo los tradicionales roles del sexo en la lista "traviesa" esta Navidad. El cuerpo regulador de publicidad ha impulsado a la franquicia sueca de Toys "R" Us a publicar catálogos navideños de sexo neutro. CNS News, el servicio de noticias del Centro de Investigación de los Medios, mostró imágenes del catálogo de Navidad 2012 del Toys "R" Us sueco que presenta a un niño abrazando una muñeca y a una niña disparando un arma de juguete. Similarmente, el catálogo de BR Toys para Suecia presenta a un niño arreglándole el cabello a una niñita. "Con el pensamiento del nuevo sexo, no hay nada que sea correcto o incorrecto. No es una cosa de niños o de niñas, es un juguete para niños," le dijo Jan Nyberg de Top Toy, que tiene la franquicia sueca de Toys "R" Us y BR Toys, a la agencia sueca de noticias Tidningarnas Telegrambyra. Top Toy recibió una reprimenda de parte del cuerpo regulador de publicidad sueco en 2008 por presentar roles tradicionales del sexo en su catálogo de Navidad de ese año, y Nyberg dijo que la compañía recibió "entrenamiento y guía" de los reguladores acerca de los estereotipos del sexo, reportó CNS. Suecia generó controversia a principios de año al oficialmente añadir un pronombre de género neutro a su léxico, de acuerdo a CNS. En sueco, la palabra para "él" es "han" mientras que la palabra para "ella" es "hon." El nuevo pronombre, "hen," puede ser usado para referirse a alguien sin indicar el sexo. ESCUELA DE LITTLE ROCK SACUDIDA POR LA NAVIDAD DE "CHARLIE BROWN" -- Charlie Brown le está causando bastante revuelo a una escuela primaria. Un grupo ateo está causándole inconvenientes a la Escuela Primaria Terry en Little Rock, Arkansas, por invitar a estudiantes a la presentación de "La Navidad de Charlie Brown" en una iglesia local, reportó KARK 4 News. A través de una carta enviada a los hogares por la maestra de primero y segundo grados de la escuela, los niños fueron invitados a voluntariamente asistir a la presentación el 14 de diciembre en la Iglesia Agape, si ellos pagan $2 para cubrir el costo de ida y vuelta del show en los buses de la escuela, que se llevará a cabo durante las horas escolares. Una madre cuya hija asiste a la escuela le notificó a la Sociedad de Librepensadores de Arkansas su preocupación de si optar por no enviar a su hija a la presentación daría pie a que los compañeros de clase de su hija la ridiculizaran. "No estamos diciendo nada malo de Charlie Brown," citó Fox News a Anne Orsi, vicepresidenta de la Sociedad de Librepensadores de Arkansas, como lo dijera KARK. "El problema es que tiene contenido religioso y está siendo presentada en un recinto religioso y eso no solamente desdibuja la línea entre la iglesia y el estado, la sobrepasa enteramente." Una vocera del Distrito Escolar de Little Rock le dijo a Fox News que el distrito no anima la actividad religiosa específica ni endosa ninguna fe específica. KARK reportó que la Iglesia Agape publicó la siguiente declaración: "Esperamos que la queja o el cuestionamiento de algunos no anule la oportunidad para todos. Esta producción también incluye recolección de alimentos para las alacenas del área, y esperamos que este propósito no se pierda también." ESTRELLA DE SERIE CÓMICA LLAMA A SU SHOW "PORQUERÍA" -- Angus T. Jones, una de las estrellas de la serie cómica Dos hombres y medio (en inglés "Two and a Half Men,") tiene un nuevo mensaje para sus fans: Dejen de ver el show. Jones, de 19 años, hizo su solicitud en un video de YouTube publicado en un canal llamado The Forerunner Chronicles (Las crónicas de los predecesores) en el cual describe cómo se involucró con la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día. "Si tú miras Dos hombres y medio, por favor deja de mirar Dos hombres y medio. Yo estoy en Dos hombres y medio; no quiero estar ahí. Por favor, deja de verlo. Por favor, deja de llenar tu mente de porquerías," dijo Jones en el video del 26 de noviembre. "Haz alguna investigación sobre los efectos de la televisión en tu cerebro, y te prometo que tendrás que hacer una decisión cuando se trate de la televisión, y especialmente con lo que miras en la televisión. Son malas noticias." Hablando acerca de los peligros de ser tibio en su fe, Jones añadió que cree que es imposible ser cristiano y todavía aparecer en Dos hombres y medio. "Tú no puedes ser una verdadera persona temerosa de Dios y estar en televisión en un show como ese. Yo sé que no puedo," dijo en el video. "No estoy bien con lo que estoy aprendiendo, lo que la Biblia dice, y estar en ese show de televisión. Eres todo o nada." El 27 de noviembre, Jones promulgó un alegato que dice así en parte: "Me disculpo si mis comentarios me reflejan mostrando indiferencia e irrespeto a mis colegas y falta de apreciación de la extraordinaria oportunidad con la que he sido bendecido. Nunca fue esa mi intención." --30-- Compilado por John Evans, escritor en Houston. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: La importancia de lo que no parece importante by Por Oscar Fernandez Date: November 30, 2012 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Resulta muy difícil establecer una línea divisoria para separar el ritualismo y la religiosidad de algunas costumbres sanas que son importantes, aunque a veces no lo parezca. Yo tuve la suerte de nacer en un hogar cristiano. Recuerdo muchas cosas de los días de mi infancia. Una de ellas es que en mi hogar, nunca alguien se llevó un alimento a la boca sin antes haber dado gracias Dios por ello. En mi mente infantil aquello tenía mucho sentido, ya que mi padre trabajaba siete días a la semana para poder traer el sustento a la casa. En verdad, teníamos que dar gracias porque Dios permitía que mis padres trabajaran y pudieran comprar y cocinar los alimentos que disfrutábamos. Con la juventud vinieron nuevos retos, y uno de ellos fue el "sentir pena" de orar por los alimentos delante de los amigos no creyentes de la escuela. Muchas veces luchaba y trataba de justificarme cuando no lo hacia, diciéndome que aquello no era más que un ritual sin sentido y sin importancia. Fueron años de verdadera lucha que se recrudecieron cuando la sociedad en la que vivía adoptó un sistema de gobierno comunista que se oponía a toda creencia religiosa y a las manifestaciones religiosas de cualquier tipo en público. En aquellos años comencé a evaluar la importancia de lo que había aprendido de niño, referente a la costumbre de dar gracias antes de comer los alimentos, bien fuera en privado o en público. Capté por fin el verdadero significado de este testimonio y lo integré a mi vida, como algo tan natural como respirar. La última vez que fui confrontado por dar gracias en una cena fue en la Ciudad de Juárez. En aquel tiempo servía como pastor de una iglesia en la ciudad de Albuquerque, en el estado de New Mexico, y fui notificado de una persona amiga que estaba de visita en Ciudad Juárez. Decidí hacer el viaje y una vez allá invite a cenar a la persona. Antes de comenzar a comer, le explique mi costumbre de dar gracias y por qué lo hacía. La respuesta que recibí, no fue nada amable, y me hizo sentir muy mal. Pero seguí adelante y di gracias, no solo por los alimentos, sino por aquella persona y por la oportunidad de poder compartir aquel tiempo con ella. Han pasado muchos años de aquel incidente. He olvidado por completo los detalles del lugar, la comida, y de lo que conversamos aquel día. Pero sin dudas, lo que aparentemente era lo menos importante, ha permanecido claro en mi memoria. Claro está que no era poco importante. Hoy día aquella persona es un fiel discípulo de Cristo y ella misma da gracias a Dios en todo momento y en cualquier lugar y de manera especial antes de comer los alimentos. No creo que el hecho de yo haber dado gracias aquel día, a pesar de su negativa, haya sido un catalizador para su conversión, pero si estoy convencido de que si yo no lo hubiera hecho, hoy estaría abochornado de mi mismo y en cualquier ocasión tendría que responderle a esta persona por qué no lo di gracias antes de comer en aquel día. Hay muchas pequeñas cosas a las que no le damos importancia, pero el mundo nos está mirando. El problema con el mundo no es que seamos diferentes, el problema es que no somos suficientemente diferentes. La gente espera de nosotros que actuemos y seamos distintos. No en las grandes decisiones y los grandes problemas, sino en las pequeñas cosas cotidianas, que van desde el programa de TV que vemos hasta los chistes y las cosas que decimos y la manera cómo las decimos. Cuando era niño en mi iglesia se cantaba un himno que mi madre con su desentonada voz de soprano, se pasa todo el día cantando a todo pulmón. El mismo decía: "Nunca esperes el momento de una gran acción; Y que lejos pueda ir Su luz; En la vida, a los pequeños actos da atención; Brilla en el sitio, donde estés". Una semana después de haber celebrado el día de Acción de Gracias, pienso que es adecuado que reflexionemos y decidamos "brillar" en el sitio en el que estemos, para que el mundo pueda ver Su luz reflejada en nosotros. No se trata de ganar grandes victorias, se trata de pelear bien las pequeñas batallas diarias, dándole atención a las cosas que tal vez parecen pequeñas, que en verdad son importantes, aunque no nos demos cuenta y parezcan sin importancia. --30-- Dr. Óscar Fernández es Senior Team Leader, publishing en Adult Ministry, en LifeWay Church Resources Division, LifeWay Christian Resources en Nashville, TN, es además escritor independiente y un estudioso de la Biblia. Su blog http://estudiandolabibliaconoscar.blogspot.com tiene seguidores en 45 países.