‘California, Stand Up for Jesus’ rally set for Lodi

The Lodi City Council in Northern California is considering a vote to ban use of the name ‘Jesus’ from public prayers offered before city council meetings as the result of an atheist group’s lawsuit threat.

PRESS RELEASE

Lodi Mayor Larry D. Hansen fears a lawsuit by atheist groups if he doesn’t silence Christian prayers, and has requested to hear your public opinion. The clerk and city council members have scheduled a public debate (and possibly a vote) on Aug. 5.

Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt of The Pray in Jesus Name Project is the organizer of a prayer event/rally on the day of the public hearing.

The prayer rally is scheduled for outside on the Carnegie Forum steps at 6pm, Wednesday, 5 August 2009, before debate at 7 pm. Klingenschmitt will lead the rally with many California pastors. (Pastors please call “Chaps” right now at 719-360-5132.)

Pastor Everett Robinson of The Will Of God Christian Center will lead coordination efforts on the ground. (Bus coordinators and volunteers please call Pastor Robinson at 707-333-1282.)

Carnegie Forum is located at 305 W. Pine Street. Zip code: 95240

Take action nation-wide! Sign the online petition, receive email updates and alerts (optional): http://tinyurl.com/JesusPetitionLodi

“California, it’s time to take a stand for Jesus.” — Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt (”Chaps”)

Contact: Chaplain Klingenschmitt, 719-360-5132, chaplaingate@yahoo.com; Pastor Everett Robinson, 707-333-1282, ambassadorev@yahoo.com

Photo: Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt at White House.

Press release available on ChristianNewsWire.

Cuba: Pastor receives 6-year prison sentence; home confiscated

Rights group says Cuban prosecutors tried to charge leader with ‘human trafficking’

CUBA (ANS) — A Cuban evangelical pastor has been sentenced to six years in prison despite reports that he was falsely charged due to his leadership role in the ‘Apostolic Reformation.’

Pastor Omar Gude Pérez’ home will also be confiscated as part of the sentence, according to a news release from the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

Pastor Gude Pérez was initially detained on May 2, 2008 and was in prison awaiting a trial date for over a year, CSW reported. State prosecutors initially attempted to charge Pastor Gude Pérez with ‘Human Trafficking.’

The CSW report continues: “Although these charges were dropped in March 2009 after a court in Camaguey ruled there was no evidence, Pastor Gude Pérez was still not released from prison.”

In mid-April new charges of “Falsification of Documents” and “IIlicit Economic Activities” were filed. The prosecution’s petition also accused the pastor of ‘counter-revolutionary conduct and attitudes.’

Pastor Omar Gude Pérez’s wife, Kenia, has informed CSW that false documents and testimonies were presented in court.

“CSW has also received reliable information indicating that more than 20 other church leaders were temporarily arrested and threatened in the last two months. Some were detained just before Pastor Gude Perez’s court hearing in May, indicating an attempt by the authorities to prevent a show of support for the pastor at his hearing,” reported the human rights organization.

“There has been an increase in reported violations of religious liberty since Raul Castro took power in early 2008, and the heavy sentence handed to Pastor Gude Pérez follows a pattern of mounting state hostility towards religious groups. For example, for the past nine months Reverend Roberto Rodriguez, a denominational leader, based in Placetas, has also been subjected to ongoing legal proceedings on trumped up charges. Last week he received a fourth citation commanding him to present himself to the local courts.”

CSW states the legal harassment of Reverend Rodriguez and his family began after the Interdenominational Fellowship of Evangelical Pastors and Ministers in Cuba (Spanish acronym; CIMPEC) withdrew from the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) in October while under Reverend Rodriguez’s leadership.

CSW further went on to explain that the ‘Apostolic Reformation’ group is comprised of independent self-governing non-denominational churches, and as it is outside of traditionally and officially recognized denominations, the fast-growing group is viewed with suspicion by the government.

Alexa Papadouris, CSW’s Advocacy Director said: “In light of the evidence given by CSW’s partners, we strongly condemn Pastor Omar Gude Pérez’s prison sentence and call on the Cuban Government to immediately investigate and review his case. We urge the Cuban authorities to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and remind them of the protections, in particular religious freedom, laid out in the that document.”

CSW specializes in promoting religious liberty and works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Theresa Malinowska, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0)78 2332 9663, email theresamalinowska(@)csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Photo: Pastor Omar Gude Pérez. (CSW)

Article originally published by ASSIST News Service. Reported by Michael Ireland.

China: house pastor sentenced to one year in ‘re-education’ camp

Rock Church Pastor Dou ordered to serve time for ‘illegal religious activities’

HENAN, CHINA (ANS) — A Chinese House Church pastor and his wife have been sentenced to one year of re-education through labor for “engaging in illegal religious activities,” according to ChinaAid.

Pastor Dou and Feng Lu are being represented by attorney Li Dunyong, who has traveled to Zhengzhou city to make an appeal, according to ChinaAid, which is a Christian human rights ministry.

In a media release ChinaAid stated:

“While Pastor Dou Shaowen is imprisoned at the labor camp, officials released Feng Lu on the evening of June 25. Authorities have permitted Feng Lu to serve her sentence at home, in order to care for their 12- year-old daughter. She is required to report to the Public Security Bureau regularly, and could be sent to labor camp again if she is found ‘engaging in illegal religious activities’ again.”

Pastor Dou Shaowen and his wife Feng Lu were arrested on June 14, when several dozen officials from Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Religion and Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of State broke into the church’s Sunday worship service, according to ChinaAid.

The media release continues:

“Officials forcibly photographed and videotaped the more than 100 Christians present, cut off the electricity and forced the Christians to leave. Finally, the authorities posted sealing tape from the Bureau of Religion, sealing off all the worship areas of Rock Church. Five other Christians, Li Zhemin, Wei Jianhua, Zhang Julin, Ma Jianbo and Li Cuiying were arrested with Pastor Dou and Feng Lu. Each of the five were sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention and were forced to pay a 800-900 yuan fine.”

Those concerned about this sentence are being asked to contact Zhengzhou city authorities to ask for the immediate release of Pastor Dou Shaowen and Feng Lu, and the five Christians sentenced to administrative detention.

Zhengzhou Mayor Tel +86-371-12345 Mayor’s E-mail: mayor(@)zhengzhou.gov.cn
Zhengzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau office to report phone +86-371-66228710
Zhengzhou City, People’s Procuratorate +86-371- 68985078
Zhengzhou Intermediate People’s Court reported Phone +86-371-68983950
Jin-shui County Government +86-371-3526200
Henan People’s Radio Station +86-371-65723998
Zhengzhou People’s Broadcasting Station +86-371- 68982487
Henan TV +86-371-65723657
Zhengzhou television +86-371-68982886

Please contact: Katherine(@)ChinaAid.org with questions or requests for further information.

Article originally published by ASSIST News Service. Reported by Michael Ireland.

PBS ban on new religious programs sparks debate

Censorship or just a matter of “brand removal?”

LA Church & State Examiner: PBS decides now is the time to ban new religious programming

After reviewing a “never enforced” policy, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has banned member stations from carrying new religious TV programs; the few existing ones can continue, it was announced this week…

FULL STORY

Lakers Celebration: Madsen’s Mad Dog Moment Remains On Top

It’s not often we can point at somebody’s faults and not feel guilty about doing so. Such is the case when talking about former Laker Mark Madsen’s victory parade moment when he not only gave validation to the claim that “white men can’t dance,” but gave a shout out to the Hispanic community in screaching style.

Yesterday, as the Lakers and Los Angeles celebrated the franchise’s 15th NBA Championship, EVERYONE was waiting for that “Mark Madsen moment.” As near as I can tell, it never came. The moment is preserved in historic nerd perspective and the loveable Madsen lives to write about it…as he did in today’s guest column in the LA Times.

Just as awkward as his parade moment…but good and funny!

Madsen writes…

I started getting nervous because that wasn’t what I’d planned for. But Shaq’s so funny. He was always coming up with stuff, sayings, like, “L.A. is the new capital of California, not Sacramento.” It was awesome.

As for my speech, I just wanted it to go quickly. Then all of a sudden, I hear Shaq off to the side saying: “Who let the dogs out?” Shaq is smart and funny and if he said it, I knew it would go over well.

And there was support from the Latino community and we wanted to acknowledge that. I saw our broadcasters and thought, “Hey, I know how to say a few things in Spanish. So why not?”

Mark Madsen’s Speech At 2001 Lakers Championship Parade

Be sure to catch the rest of the Times’ Mark Madsen’s Lakers parade memories are just a dance away.

Thank you, Mad Dog, for the memory. You have our hearts!