Burmese troops gang-raped and tortured a grandmother in a church in the latest reported case of abuse by Burma's military against the predominantly Christian Kachin minority, BosNewsLife Asia Service reports. Christian Solidarity Worldwide, an advocacy group investigating the attacks in Burma, said the grandmother of 12 was taking shelter alone in a church on May 1 after other villagers had fled the country's northernmost Kachin State, near the Chinese border. "Burma Army troops entered the church, where they beat her with rifle butts, stabbed her with knives, stripped her naked and gang-raped her over a period of three days," CSW said. On May 4, she was taken to the hospital by villagers and reunited with her children, and is now suffering from mental health problems. CSW investigators who visited Kachin State this year said they had received other reports of the rape of women by Burmese troops. "Despite all the signs of change in other parts of the country, crimes against humanity continue to be perpetrated by the Burma Army against ethnic nationalities, particularly the Kachin," said Benedict Rogers, CSW's East Asia team leader.
Burmese Troops Gang-Rape Woman in Church
Monday, May 28, 2012Testimony to House Subcommittee Details Preborn Children's Pain
Monday, May 28, 2012On May 17, members of a U.S. House subcommittee heard graphic testimony on a bill prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy within the District of Columbia, explaining the extent to which preborn children feel the pain of being aborted, WORLD News Service reports. In D.C., abortions are currently allowed up until the moment of natural birth. H.R. 3803, heard by the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the House Judiciary Committee, would end those performed after 20 weeks. Three doctors, including a former abortionist, testified. Dr. Anthony Levatino, a gynecologist who estimates he performed more than 1,200 abortions before becoming pro-life, described in graphic terms abortions performed at the 22nd week. At that stage, a baby is about 10 inches long. Levatino said he would use a 13-inch-long stainless steel clamp with locking jaws to "pull hard" in order to dismember the baby and remove it -- piece by piece -- from the mother's body. "If you refuse to believe this procedure inflicts severe pain on that unborn child, please think again," he said. H.R. 3803 has not yet been scheduled for a hearing before the full House Judiciary Committee.
'Distinctly Christian' Lord's Prayer Banned in Delaware Council Meetings
Monday, May 28, 2012A U.S. district court judge in Delaware ruled that members of a local city council who had been reciting the Lord's Prayer at every meeting for six years must stop because it violated the Constitution, the Christian Post reports. Four Sussex County residents filed suit last year, claiming the prayer violated the First Amendment. The city council argued that the Lord's Prayer was not exclusive to Christianity since it did not make a specific reference to Jesus, but judge Leonard P. Stark said in his decision, "The fact that the Lord's Prayer has been the only prayer recited at the beginning of council meetings for over six years is likely to be found to demonstrate that the council gives Christianity an unconstitutionally preferred status." Judge Stark's injunction to stop the prayer takes effect June 15, meaning that any council meetings after that date that begin with the Lord's Prayer would be in violation of the order. "Whatever happened to freedom of speech?" asked councilman Sam Wilson. "I don't know how we're gonna get around it, but we're gonna have to find a way."
Ministry Leader Releases Latest Resource to Raise Awareness of Internet Porn
Sunday, May 27, 2012Ministry leader and family advocate Josh McDowell reports that he has launched a new series of resources to raise awareness about the growing threat of online pornography. The Just1ClickAway.org website, video and articles from McDowell and other participating organizations offer solutions for families and people of all ages, though McDowell placed a warning label on the video because of its mature content. "The greatest threat to the cause of Christ is pervasive sexuality and pornography," McDowell said. "Today we have, by and large, lost control of the controls because an intrusive immorality is just one click away from our children. With just one keystroke on a smartphone, iPad or laptop, a child can open up some of the worst pornography and sexually graphic content you can imagine. There's never been such access in history." The Just1ClickAway.org video shares statistics about the destructive impact of porn on the Christian family; for example, the average age of first-time views of pornography is 9 years old; 80 percent of 15-to-17-year-olds have been exposed to hardcore porn; the adult porn industry reports that 20 to 30 percent of their traffic comes from children; and 30 percent of pastors have viewed pornography in the last 30 days.
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