March 5 2001

ARTICLE TOOLS

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Latin American church leaders have withdrawn a document outlining a mission statement for the new millennium after critics called it racist and sexist. "Theology on the Road" was shelved during January's Mission Consultation of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) in Barranquilla, Colombia. "It was written by white Latin Americans, people with no awareness of indigenous people or people of African origins," Norman Bent, a Moravian Nicaraguan pastor, told Ecumenical News International. "They consider their white power structure to represent the evangelical movement in Latin America." CLAI's Theology Commission plans to rewrite the document.

Christchurch in Aden, southern Yemen, was rocked by a bomb blast on New Year's Day, although no one was hurt. The church attack was one of five explosions at various locations on January 1-2, including a news agency, a hotel, and two roads. A sixth bombing on January 7 targeted the opposition Socialist Party, according to Compass Direct.

Father Arnold Heredia, 60, and about 150 other human-rights protesters were arrested January 10 in Karachi, Pakistan. They were among 300 people protesting the largely Muslim country's blasphemy laws. Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that many were beaten, and 17, including Heredia, were charged with several crimes. Heredia was later released.

World Evangelical Fellowship's Religious Liberty Commission has appointed two former diplomats as advisers. They are Slavi Pachovski, formerly the Bulgarian ambassador to the United Nations, and Robert Seiple, the first U.S. ambassador at large for religious freedom and a former president of World Vision.