Beth Moore, Ten Commandments, Afghanistan & Germany
Study the Bible Online with Beth Moore
Judge Says Ten Commandments in Kentucky Courthouses Are Constitutional
German Soccer League Bans Jesus from the Field
Gospel For Asia To Broadcast In Two Official Afghan Languages
Study the Bible Online with Beth Moore
Women who love Beth Moore Bible studies can get them in just about every format: print, video, audio and even in person. Now they can add the Internet to the list. Moore, a popular author and Bible teacher, will lead her first Internet only Bible study, "Believing God," this fall, said Gene Mims, president of LifeWay Church Resources. Based on the weekly Living Proof Bible studies Moore leads at her church, First Baptist, Houston, the Believing God 10-session series will begin Sept. 26.
"On many weekday nights in the fall and spring we (at FBC, Houston) get together from every denomination you can imagine to worship the one true God and to study his Word together," Moore said in a promotional video. "Now God has presented us a way that we can bring the Bible study to you."
She said her study, Believing God, will only be available on the Internet and is about how Christians can learn not only to believe in God, but also to believe Him and trust Him. "We'll study lives like Abraham and Moses and Joshua. And we're going to learn what it means to believe God, to believe He's who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do."
Mims said LifeWay is taping Moore's Bible study sessions at FBC, Houston, "then putting them up on the Internet in both streaming video and audio format for women to view or listen to from their home computers." Visit www.lifeway.com/BelievingGod for more information and to register.
Judge Says Ten Commandments in Kentucky Courthouses Are Constitutional
On Aug. 22, a federal judge in Kentucky held that a display of the Ten Commandments, together with other historical documents in Rowan and Mercer Counties in Kentucky, are constitutional. Rowan and Mercer Counties were sued = by the ACLU of Kentucky, which requested an injunction requiring the Ten Commandments be taken down while the cases were pending in court.
Rowan, Mercer, Garrard and Grayson counties in Kentucky were sued simultaneously over displays that include the Ten Commandments, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Charta, the Star Spangled Banner, the National Motto, the Preamble to the Kentucky Constitution, the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution, and a picture of Lady Justice. Named "Foundations of American Law and Government," the displays are intended to show several documents that have played a significant role in the founding of the U.S. system of law and government. Grayson County's display was previously ordered removed in May and a decision is pending.
The four lawsuits followed a lawsuit filed by the ACLU in 2000 against McCreary, Pulaski and Harlan counties in Kentucky. In those cases, Judge Jennifer Coffman ordered that the displays, which are identical to the Rowan and Mercer County displays, be taken down. McCreary, Pulaski and Harlan Counties are also represented by Liberty Counsel and have appealed the case to the Sixth Circuit. Oral argument on the McCreary case is expected before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in December.
Rowan County is represented by Mathew D. Staver and Erik W. Stanley of Liberty Counsel. Mercer County is represented jointly by Liberty Counsel and the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Federal District Court Judge Karl Forrester denied the request for an Injunction and instead stated that the displays were constitutional.
Staver hailed the judge's decision as a great victory: "Today's decision begins to turn the tide against the ACLU who has been on a search and destroy mission to remove all vestiges of our religious history from public view. The ACLU's attempts to remove the Ten Commandments from public display are nothing more than historical revisionism at its worst."
German Soccer League Bans Jesus from the Field
(idea News Agency) -- The German Soccer League is trying to ban Jesus from the field. The organization in Frankfurt has told players to stop displaying religious slogans on T-shirts. Last season, Christian soccer professionals, mostly Brazilians, had shown off slogans like "Jesus lives" or "Jesus loves you" after they scored a goal. According to idea, the Soccer League is worried about a possible inflation of religious and political propaganda at football matches.
But the ban has prompted reactions not only from Christian, but also from secular sides. The news magazine "Focus" calls it an "Anti-Jesus-Decree." The Catholic newspaper "Neue Bildpost" criticizes the "exaggerated reaction." Misuse was always possible but could be prevented by other means. "To ban Jesus from the field is the wrong approach." No soccer fan had ever been hurt by seeing Jesus mentioned at a match.
On the other hand, Helmfried Riecker, director of an evangelical agency for mission among athletes, sees the League's point. "The display of religious slogans was not restricted to Christians and could bring about unwelcome reactions," he told idea. "The Christian faith was a matter of the heart, not the shirt. Anyone who puts his or her trust in Jesus will find ways of showing their faith. Athletes had been more outspoken than many other Christians. In that way they have already set an example," Riecker said.
Gospel For Asia To Broadcast In Two Official Afghan Languages
From ASSIST News Service -- On Sept. 11, as people around the world remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on the United States, Gospel for Asia will begin broadcasting the Gospel into Afghanistan. According to the Gospel For Asia website, the programs will be aired daily in the nation's two official languages, Dari and Pashto. Spoken by 4 million Afghans, Dari (Afghan Persian) is the language of commerce and higher education. Pashto is used by around half the nation's population. The programs will initially consist of Scripture reading, eventually including Gospel teaching messages.
"We believe that God has been preparing the hearts of the Afghan people to receive the Word of God," said K.P. Yohannan, president of Gospel for Asia. With only 1,000 to 3,000 believers, Afghanistan is one of the least evangelized countries. In addition, war has decimated the land and impoverished the Afghan people in many ways. One in four Afghan women are widows, and there are four million orphans. "The Lord cares intensely for the people of Afghanistan," continued K.P., "and they so desperately need the hope and peace of Christ."
The GFA site says: "Meanwhile the interim government is forging ahead with the delicate process of reconstruction. Recently Afghans celebrated their nation's independence from Britain for the first time since the Taliban fell. In a symbolic gesture, President Hamid Karzai released a dove into the air to express the desire for lasting peace." - reporting by Michael Ireland.
Originally published August 23, 2002.
