DAWN Fridayfax 1997 #30

DAWN News from India, Hong Kong, South Africa, Sri Lanka, USA

Christians have enough dynamite...

On 15 August 1997, India will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its independence from Britain. Mahatma Gandhi, the "Father of the Nation", once said the following:
"You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of good literature."
Quoted with thanks from Challenge Weekly, e-mail: chalpub@iconz.co.nz

Hong Kong: religious freedom - initially untouched

Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's chief government official, declared before church representatives that the religious freedom of churches and individuals will not be affected by China's takeover. Mr. Tung, a millionaire businessman chosen by the Chinese government to guide Hong Kong into the future, was given a standing ovation by the around 900 church representatives and others present at the event. Tung read Article 141 of Hong Kong's constitution, which, following the "One land, two systems" principle, guarantees religious freedom for the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". Christians, who are sceptical of Beijing's guarantees, believe that changes will occur gradually rather than suddenly. Around 8% of Hong Kong's 6.4 million inhabitants are Christians. Hong Kong has around 50 denominations, including 260,000 Protestants and a similar number of Catholics.
Source: Anglican Communion News Service, WFN. Info: a.whitefield@quest.org.uk

South Africa: apartheid victim forgives terrorists

In the Indian daily paper "The Hindu", M.S. Prabhakara reports of an 'unprecedented occurrence' before the Amnesty Commission in South Africa. In front of the "Committee for Truth and Reconciliation Commission", one of the victims took the initiative in his own hands. On 25 July 1993, the three young applicants for amnesty, members of the PASO (Pan African Student Organisation) and AZAPO (Azanian People's Liberation Army), the armed branch of the Pan African Congress (PAC), had attacked a service in the St. James' church in Kenilworth, Cape Town, with machine guns and grenades, killing 11 people and injuring over 70, of which many are still suffering from their injuries. Mr. Dawie Ackemann, who admitted that his wife's death had completely destroyed him, turned to the three men and asked them to look him in the eye and tell him whether they regretted their actions. Mr. Ackemann, according to the newspaper report, is a born-again Christian and a member of St. James' church. "In a highly emotional and tear-filled moment, Ackemann invited the three men to become Christians. He made clear the difference between his forgiveness for the pain they had inflicted and their standing before God." He said "Only God can forgive your sins."
Source: M.S. Prabhakara, in "The Hindu", Madras, 20 July 1997

Sri Lanka: healed of cancer

Pastor Jayalath of Waragoda, Kelaniya, reports of what God recently did in his church in Sri Lanka:
"On the second Sunday in March 1997, the relative of one of the church members, a fiery Buddhist, came to our service. He was a reporter and religious writer who was active in trying to spread Buddhism. He was very ill; his lungs were heavily congested and he had great difficulty breathing. He received prayer in Jesus' name and was healed. X-rays taken in Colombo's Nawaloka Hospital show that the healing is complete. The man is now a committed Christian. We also hold services on Saturday in which we offer prayer for healing. A man in his mid-30's came to one of these services after a severe accident in which he had broken an arm and a leg; he was still wearing the bandages, and his bones were held together with pins. Following prayer, his bandages were removed; his leg was healed, but he could not yet properly move his arm. He came to the Sunday service the next day, and was able to move his arm freely and no longer had to wear his sling.
"One day, we prayed for a Catholic woman in Colombo's Asiri Hospital suffering from cancer in her stomach and mouth. The cancer in her mouth was healed immediately, and her stomach cancer was healed the next time we prayed for her. She has now been released from hospital and is at home reading Christian literature."
Source: Pastor Jayalath, Waragoda, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Info via e-mail: keegel@personal.is.lk

USA: going to the 'wrong' concert

Hundreds of youths accidentally listened to the gospel following an announcement during a dramatically anti-Christian "Lollapalooza Rock-n-Roll Festival" in Philadelphia on 12 July 1997. The announcer told the crowd to visit "a free rock concert" that evening; the 'concert' was an evangelistic event led by 44-year-old pastor Greg Laurie of California, complete with contemporary rock music. Many of the crowd became Christians, according to the organiser.




Salvation instead of suicide

A number of teams of young Christians were in Philadelphia to invite people to the event with pastor Laurie. One man in a park was writing a goodbye letter to his family before committing suicide as he was addressed by two of the Christians. He decided to end his old life by starting a new life as a Christian instead of committing suicide.
Source: Religion Today

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