Last Sunday, pastor was killed and wife serious injured in shooting. Police have take four suspects into custody.

Timothy C. Morgan | February 22, 2008

The situation for Christians, their churches, and pastors has taken a turn for the worse as violence in Sri Lanka is on the rise. The cease-fire between the government and the main rebel group, the Tamil Tigers, is pretty much history

Compass Direct reports:

Late last Sunday (February 17) two men gunned down a Sri Lankan pastor, the Rev. Samson Neil Edirisinghe, 37, killing him instantly. They also shot his wife Shiromi, 31, leaving her in critical condition. The couple’s 2-year-old son received minor injuries and is still in shock after witnessing the shooting. Edirisinghe was buried today in Ampara, in eastern Sri Lanka, where he served as pastor of the House of the Lord Church. The church met in a local YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) hall where Edirisinghe taught English classes for the British Council. Shiromi was receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of Ampara Hospital at press time.


The Advocacy Desk of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka has released an important statement, condemning the killings and calling for the national police to do more. In their statement, the NCEASL said:

Organized attempts by any individual or group to breed religious tension and incite religious hatred - be it in Ampara or anywhere else, must be condemned by all right thinking people irrespective of religious affiliation and calls for urgent action by the Government to put a stop to this ugly trend.

It is disturbing to see the widening gulf between the ethnic groups in our country confounded by
the erosion of trust between religious communities. Recent media reports on the arrest of a Pastor for alleged involvement in LTTE activity has seen a veil of suspicion drawn over Christians. It is the sacred duty of the Government and the law enforcement authorities to conduct impartial investigations and deal with any guilty party under the law and release without
prejudice those who are found innocent.

We strongly condemn the murder of Pastor Neil Edirisinghe and the attack on his family. We call upon the IGP and the Police force in Ampara for immediate and impartial investigation whereby those responsible for this crime will be dealt with under the law.

We pray for the restoration of peace and understanding between communities and individuals in
our nation.

Christians in Sri Lanka in recent years have seen surges of violence, sometimes targeting them, and sometimes just as the result of the unresolved conflicts at the national level.

The highly regarded International Crisis Group on Feb. 22, 2008, released an important update on how Sri Lanka has returned to a climate of conflict.


Look here for a 2004 article in The Weekly Standard.


Posted by Tim Morgan at February 22, 2008 | Comments (0)

Charged with forcible sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, Daniel Thompson was known for editing videos to make them more family friendly.

| January 30, 2008

Note: CleanFlicks has disputed much of the initial media reports cited here. See our update.

The co-founder of CleanFlicks, a video editing service once used by many Christians, has been arrested in Utah for allegedly paying a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Daniel Thompson, who ran CleanFlicks till the courts shut it down in 2006, had more recently operated Flix Club, a family-friendly edited-movie video business in Orem, Utah. He was arrested last Thursday on two charges of forcible sexual abuse and two charges of forcible sexual activity with a 14-year-old. Thompson is out on bail.

Thompson’s business partner at Flix Club, Isaac Lifferth, was also arrested on similar charges.

Thompson reportedly told police that Flix Club, which carried videos in which objectionable content had been edited out, was only a front, and that he and Lifferth were also involved in making and distributing porn movies.

Flix Club was forced to close last year after a federal court ruled that movie-editing businesses violated U.S. copyright law when they "sanitized" films by removing nudity, sex, profanity, and other objectionable content.

According to police reports, Thompson and Lifferth allegedly paid two 14-year-old girls $20 each to perform oral sex, and Lifferth allegedly had intercourse with a 16-year-old girl multiple times, including in the offices at Flix Club.

"I would have never suspected there was other stuff going on," the father of the 16-year-old told the Daily Herald in Provo. "I guess I didn't know Daniel. He always seemed like a real decent guy."

Obviously not. USA Today blogged several news items about the story under the title, "Clean Flicks, dirty man?"

Ironically, and perhaps prophetically, Thompson’s MySpace page includes the tagline, "Somewhere in the valley between Good and Evil." On that same page, for his "status"—where most people write something like "single" or "married"—Thompson wrote "Swinger."

Posted by Mark Moring at January 30, 2008 | Comments (11)

Hutchens critiques' Neuhaus's critique of Leon Podles's book on abuse.

Ted Olsen | January 3, 2008

Leon Podles, senior editor at Touchstone, has a new book out: Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church.

Richard John Neuhaus, editor of First Things, which is not unlike Touchstone, didn't like it. In the recent issue, he called Podles's book rambling and shrill. "Even righteous anger does not justify the author's suspension of caution and charity in attributing motives," Neuhaus wrote.

Today, on Touchstone's blog, senior editor S.M. Hutchens struck back on Podles's behalf. He callsFirst Things "the finest journal of its type" and Neuhaus "genuinely likeable and for whom I have the highest regard," but then comes a poem that begins:

Ah, good Father Richard, on hearing screaming boys,
Is just as right as ever in keeping out the noise.
No rambling rants like Podles’ should ever make one think
The faith is made of suffering more than stately rows of ink.

The poem goes on. As do the comments. Perhaps it's better if, on this item, you comment there rather than here.

Posted by Ted Olsen at January 3, 2008 | Comments (0)

Violence that began on Christmas Eve now in its fifth day.

Susan Wunderink | December 28, 2007

Hindu nationalists began burning churches and Christian houses in the east Indian state of Orissa on Christmas Eve. The violence continues, although today it seems to have abated somewhat.

Dozens are injured, many buildings have been destroyed, and the death toll is at 4 (three Hindus killed by police as they burned down the police station, and one Christian killed in the riots).

Compass Direct is reporting higher numbers than those confirmed by the police:

Jacob Pradhan, a Christian leader in Kandhamal district, told Compass that at least four Christians have been killed and more than 50 churches and 200 houses razed or damaged.

Telephone outages and VHP roadblocks made confirming reports “extremely difficult.”

The Associated Press reported that,

On Thursday a mob of Hindus defied a curfew and burned down the house of Radhakant Nayak, a member of India's upper house of parliament and a Christian leader in the area, Nayak told the CNN-IBN news channel.

Also, 11 churches were ransacked and burned in Kandhamal district of Orissa state, the Press Trust of India quoted unnamed police officials as saying.

Meanwhile, in the village of Brahmangaon, a group of Christians burned down several Hindu homes in an apparent retaliation for the attack on churches. Angry Hindus then burned down the village police station, complaining of a lack of protection, a local police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

At least 25 people—both Christian and Hindu—have been arrested so far, and the federal government has announced that it will send in paramilitary troops.

The perpetrators claim that they were defending a Hindu leader who heads an anti-conversion campaign; Christians in Orissa say the attacks were to prevent a Christmas Eve performance that could have led to conversions; AP says it boils down to controversy over thousands of conversions to Christianity in the past few years, “Hindu groups have long charged Christian missionaries with trying to lure the poor and those who occupy the lowest rungs of Hinduism's complex caste-system away with promises of money and jobs.”

The Orissa government has ordered a judicial probe into the attacks, in response to claims that the violence was not spontaneous but sponsored by saffron activists.

Time warns against chalking it all up to religion:

As with most communal violence in India, this latest explosion of hatred is the result not only of religious differences but of a tangled intersection of political power, communal prejudice and the injustices of Hinduism's archaic caste system.

However, in a place where religion permeates everything, it’s not helpful to try to separate religion from political power, prejudice, or the caste system—especially as the hard-line Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gaining power. Orissa is currently governed by a BJP ally.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at December 28, 2007 | Comments (1)

This time, in Phoenix.

Ted Olsen | December 12, 2007

There's a lot of confusion about what happened this morning outside Cathedral Christian Center in Glendale, Arizona. Initial reports say a woman was shot in the head after "trading kids" with the suspect, who left the scene. The church houses a preschool.

"According to investigators, the woman's estranged husband may be the shooter," KPNX reports. "They believe he also took the woman's two children after the shooting. The 4-year-old child was later dropped off at John C. Lincoln Hospital. It's unclear if that child was injured. The 3-year-old has been left at a house in Surprise and is safe."

KTVK, KPHO, and KNXV also have reports.

Update: Daniel Parasca has reportedly committed suicide. The victim, Gabriela Parasca, was his wife, who had a restraining order against him. Their 4-year-old daughter was injured in the earlier shooting at Cathedral Christian Center.

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 12, 2007 | Comments (4)

Media attention turns to gunman's internet postings and homeschooling as churches pray for healing.

Ted Olsen |

The churches and ministry:

The gunman:

The gunman’s internet posts:

The security guard:

The victims:

Opinion:

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 12, 2007 | Comments (0)

Developments: Shooter apparently posted diatribe, coroner rules death a suicide, churches discuss armed guards, families will unite.

Ted Olsen | December 11, 2007

The churches:

The shooter:

The victims:

Other:

For earlier links, see this blog entry.

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 11, 2007 | Comments (0)

"It was me, the gunman, and God," security guard says.

Sarah Pulliam | December 10, 2007

When Matthew Murray came to New Life Church in Colorado Springs with a rifle, two handguns, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition, it was church member Jeanne Assam, who stopped his attack.

Assam, 42, volunteers as a security guard at the congregation, and shot and killed Murray after he fired several times in the church parking lot, killing two.

"It was me, the gunman and God," she said at a press conference.

"I give credit to God. I say that very humbly," the former Twin Cities patrol officer is quoted in the Denver Post. "God was with me, the whole time I was behind cover. Based on the firepower he had, compared to mine. I just prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide me my hands weren't even shaking."

New Life Senior Pastor Brady Boyd credited Assam with stopping the shooting that killed two teenage sisters. She is one of about 12 armed security officers at New Life Church, according to Boyd.

"He never got more than 50 feet inside our building," Boyd said at the press conference. "There could have been a great loss of life yesterday, and she probably saved over 100 lives."

Posted by Sarah Pulliam at December 10, 2007 | Comments (2)

Murray "was briefly a student" at training center but did not complete program.

Ted Olsen |

The uncle of Matthew Murray, the reported gunman in Sunday's shootings, spoke at a press conference today at the Youth With a Mission training center where Murray began his attacks.

"Our family cannot express the magnitude of our grief for the victims and families of this tragedy. On behalf of our family and our son, we ask for forgiveness," said Phil Abeyta, pastor at His Love Fellowship church in Denver, speaking for Murray's family. "We cannot understand why this has happened. We ask for prayer for the victims and their families during this time of grief. We are cooperating fully with the police agencies involved in the investigation of the events that led to this tragedy." (The comments were published by The Denver Post and KUSA.)

At the press conference, YWAM director Peter Warren explained the organization's connection to both the shooter and to the victims at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. The organization also released a similar statement on its website:

The victims at New Life Church, sisters Stephanie Works (18) and Rachel Works (16) were involved with a summer outreach organized by New Life Church and a ministry of YWAM which rents office space in the New Life campus. An older sister from the Works family participated in a YWAM Discipleship Training Program at a centre in Colorado Springs.

Murray was briefly a student at the YWAM Arvada training centre in 2002. He was enrolled in a Discipleship Training School (DTS) but did not complete the program. The DTS is a 12 week classroom course followed by a 12 week field assignment, usually to another culture. The goal of the program is to form Christian character and assist students in discovering their unique, God-given talents. Cross-cultural exposure and global awareness are special emphases throughout these courses, preparing the students to use their talents to obey the commands of Jesus. The program also involves local outreach with nearby churches and communities, and each student is involved in helping run the practical operations of the YWAM centre.

Not everyone completing a DTS necessarily joins YWAM. Many participate in a DTS to take time out to focus on their faith and consider whether God might be calling them to Christian ministry. For those who choose to go on into a career with YWAM, successful completion of the DTS qualifies them to apply for hundreds of staff opportunities or further training.

Murray did not complete the lecture phase of his Discipleship Training School, nor did he participate in the field assignment. The program directors felt that issues with his health made it inappropriate for him to do so. Murray left the Arvada training centre and no one at the facility recalls that he has made any other visits or had any communication with the centre since that time.

YWAM would like to express its heartfelt condolences to the families of the other victims. Our hearts also go out to the Murray family, to whom we extend a spirit of forgiveness.

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 10, 2007 | Comments (1)

Growth of megachurches has spawned an industry devoted to protecting and securing large congregations.

Kevin Eckstrom, Religion News Service |

With megachurches come mega crowds, mega money, and increasingly, mega security concerns.

The crowds -- anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000 worshippers each weekend -- can be an attractive target for a deranged shooter. Overflowing offering plates are tempting to thieves, and well-known preachers can become high-profile targets.

Sunday's shootings at New Life Church in Colorado Springs and a missionary training facility in Arvada, Colo. -- which left five people dead, including a gunman -- reflect the security nightmares facing some of the country's largest churches. Many of those churches now employ armed guards to protect human, financial and physical "assets."

The full article is available here.

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 10, 2007 | Comments (3)

Man killed four at training center and megachurch.

Sarah Pulliam |

Police identified the man who carried out two deadly rampages Sunday at a megachurch and a Youth With a Mission training center as Matthew J. Murray, a 24-year-old man who “hated Christians.”

Five people were killed during two separate shootings that took place 12 hours apart and 70 miles away from each other. (See previous post)

Murray had recently sent “hate mail” to YWAM after being kicked out of the program three years ago, a search warrant affidavit says, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

“It appears that the suspect had been kicked out of that program approximately three years prior, and during the past few weeks, had sent different forms of hate mail to the program, and/or its director,” Colorado Springs Detective Bradley Pratt wrote Sunday in a statement supporting of search warrant for Murray’s family home.

Murray, armed with hundreds of rounds of ammunition and four weapons killed two teenage sisters and wounded their father and two others.

He fired numerous rounds in the parking lot before entering the church, where he was killed by a security guard. The guard fired as many as six bullets into him, according to the Denver Post.

New Life Pastor Brady Boyd said the church's security guard who killed the Murray was a “hero.” He said she is normally his personal security guard, but on Sunday was on the lookout for danger following reports of a shooting at a Christian ministry near Denver earlier in the day that left two dead. He said she has a background in law enforcement but is not currently a law enforcement officer.

According to the Gazette in Colorado Springs, Fourth Judicial District Attorney John Newsome, said in a statement released today that shots fired by the guard appeared to “not only be appropriate, but also justified under Colorado law.” He said that his office is still reviewing the incident.

"Any New Testament church is under attack and duress. It's unique to us as westerners to think that when we come under attack there's something wrong with the church," which isn't true, Boyd said to the Rocky Mountain News.

Police are scheduled to hold a news conference at 5 p.m. (Central).

Posted by Sarah Pulliam at December 10, 2007 | Comments (0)

Sisters in New Life shooting were heavily involved with Youth With a Mission.

Ted Olsen |

As details continue to come in about Sunday's shootings at two Colorado megachurches, connections are being drawn between the victims of the two shootings and their alleged killer.

Colorado media are reporting that Matthew Murray, 24, has been identified as the gunman in the shooting at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Police are investigating connections between that shooting and a similar shooting earlier Sunday at the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) training facility in Arvada, on the campus of Faith Bible Chapel.

This afternoon, some new connections are emerging. The two sisters killed in the New Life Church parking lot had deep connections with the YWAM facility. The Gazette of Colorado Springs reports:

[The victims' uncle, Mark] Schaepe said family members suspect that the shooter could have targeted the girls because they were involved heavily with Youth With a Mission and had frequented the Arvada training center for the missionary group where two people were shot to death hours before the New Life attack.

The girls had gone on a mission trip to China with Youth With a Mission last year, Schaepe said.

Denver station KMGH reports that many people at the Colorado Springs church have similar connections: "There is a Youth With A Mission office on the New Life Church campus, and many members of New Life have completed the YWAM's school and discipleship programs. They have also worked together in local evangelical outreach programs."

Meanwhile, Denver station KUSA reports that Murray was homeschooled. The Denver Post, which is affiliated with KUSA, reports that sisters Stephanie and Rachael Works, had also been homeschooled.

New Life Church pastor Brady Boyd has told several news outlets that Murray was not affiliated with the congregation, and called the shooting "a senseless random attack."

“We don’t know the shooter. He has no connection to our church,” Boyd told The Gazette.

Cody Askeland, a neighbor of Murray, who lived with his parents, told KMGH the family is "really religious." The Denver Post reports, "An official at Colorado Christian University said the school's records show that Matthew Murray enrolled in one class last year but dropped out soon after."

CNN is running a report from an unnamed longtime member of New Life Church who said Murray "had a falling out with Youth With a Mission after working with the organization a couple of years ago and that he sent antagonistic and threatening correspondence afterward." Christianity Today reporters have not been able to confirm this report, but The Denver Post reports that YWAM "said that though Murray worked for YWAM at one time, reports that he was a member are incorrect."

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 10, 2007 | Comments (35)

Police think two separate shootings may be related.

Sarah Pulliam |

Five people were left dead after shooting sprees at two Colorado megachurches Sunday. Five others were wounded.

Two people were killed and two wounded at the YWAM training center on the grounds of Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, a Denver suburb. A man walked into the center around midnight and after about 30 minutes of talking with staff members, he asked to spend the night there. The receptionist at the center told him no, that no unauthorized person were not allowed. The man reportedly said, “Then this is what I’ve got for you,” pulled out a gun and began shooting.

About 70 miles away and 12 hours later, three people were killed after a man in similar dress opened fire at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Sisters Stephanie Works, 18, and Rachael Works, 16, died from gunshot wounds. Their 51-year-old father, David Works, was shot twice in his abdomen and groin area and is in fair condition. Also wounded were Judy Purcell, 40, and Larry Bourbannais, 59. They were treated and released.

Witnesses told the Gazette in Colorado Springs that a man in a black trench coat opened fire in the parking lot setting off a smoke grenade before blasting cars and church members. Police said that the gunman was shot and killed by a plainclothes security guard with a law enforcement background and who is a member of the church.

New Life's senior pastor, Brady Boyd, said that after the YWAM shooting the church called in more than the usual number of security volunteers and "because of the extra precautions we saved many lives yesterday."

"They came to church with their families to worship, and what happened today was a tragedy," Boyd said at a press conference. "As a pastor, my heart is broken today for people that lost their lives."

Another Colorado Springs megachurch, Woodmen Valley Chapel, is providing grief counseling for New Life members, pastor-at-large Tim MacDonald told Christianity Today.

"We’re in a sense of disbelief and surrealism that this would take place. We're still dealing with shock and after effects of what has taken place," he said. "We are so saddened by what’s taken place, but we’re helping in whatever way we can.”

MacDonald said the shooting creates concerns for Woodmen's level of security.

"Our security plan is being scrutinized at this very moment," he said. "We're looking at what we need to do to have security without drawing away from the reason that people have come to church and that is to worship Christ."

The two dead victims at the YWAM center were identified as Tiffany Johnson, 26, of Minnesota and Philip Crouse, 24, of Alaska. Youth With a Mission leases property on Faith Bible Chapel’s property.

George Morrison, the church's senior pastor, told Christianity Today that Crouse had put up Christmas lights at his house just two weeks ago. “It was tragic," Morrison said. "He was a young man that had a vision for his life and wanted to be involved in missions in Kazakhstan."

Morrison said church members were concerned and questioning, especially after hearing reports of the shooting at New Life. "These things happen in malls, in churches and in the world we live in, it’s sad that we live with this. It’s sobering that this could happen anytime, anywhere, to any person," he said. "We just have a sense that you have to move on.”

The choir at Faith Bible Chapel had planned to kick off Sunday’s service with "Joy to the World."

"We couldn't do it, Phil Waters, a member of the church choir, told The Denver Post. “There was no joy this morning."

The choir instead sang a piece about bringing offerings to God, he told the Post.

"We are really close to these kids," he said. “It was tough to be out there (singing) and not have tears running down your face."

More coverage includes:

On the victims:

On church shootings and security:

From our sister publications:

Posted by Sarah Pulliam at December 10, 2007 | Comments (28)

Authorities believe the shooting is related to YWAM training center shooting where two others were left dead.

Sarah Pulliam |

A church member and a gunman died after a man opened fire at New Life Church in Colorado Springs Sunday. Three people were wounded in the shooting that took place in the church parking lot after a morning service.

Police believe the shooting was related to another attack that happened just 12 hours earlier. Two people were killed and two wounded at a training center for Youth With a Mission in Arvada, a Denver suburb. A man walked in and asked to spend the night there. After a worker at the center said no and began to discuss alternative places he could stay, the man pulled out a gun and began shooting. (See previous post).

After the New Life shooting, witnesses told the Gazette in Colorado Springs that a man in a black trench coat opened fire in the parking lot. Police said that the gunman was shot and killed by a security guard, which authorities say probably saved many lives.

New Life Church has already gone through a major transition in the last year. Former senior pastor and former National Association of Evangelicals president Ted Haggard stepped down in November 2006 after admitting to a long-term relationship with a male prostitute.

“Why would somebody walk into a church and do something like that?” New Life member Kim Ho-Sing-Loy told the Gazette. “Especially with what just happened with Pastor Ted, this church just doesn’t need this any more.”

New Life's website says Sunday night service was canceled and the church will be closed Monday.

“It’s surreal,” Mario Garcia told the Gazette. “It’s a sad state of affairs in our country when we are not able to come to services and be safe. How do you reassure them that church is a safe place?”

Coverage includes:

Fatal church shootings may be linked (Rocky Mountain News)
Springs, Arvada attacks linked (Denver Post)
Gunman fires on parishioners (Denver Post)
4 die in Colo. church, mission attacks (Associated Press)

Posted by Sarah Pulliam at December 10, 2007 | Comments (0)

Gunman at large as of Sunday afternoon.

Ted Olsen | December 9, 2007
ywamshooting.jpg
Shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning, a man went to the Arvada, Colorado, training center for Youth With a Mission and asked to spend the night there. Police say that when Tiffany Johnson, a worker at the center from Minnesota, said no and began to discuss alternative places he could stay, the man walked inside, pulled out a gun, and began shooting.

Johnson, 26, died, as did Alaskan Philip Crouse, 24. South Dakota resident Dan Griebenow, also 24, is in critical condition and was shot in the neck. Charlie Blanch, a 22-year-old from Minnesota, was shot in the legs and is in stable condition.

About 45 YWAM students were in the facility, which is on the grounds of Faith Bible Chapel megachurch.

"The young man – I don't know who he is; I don't think [the victims] knew him – but he must be going through a lot personally in his own life to do something like this," Peter Warren, the Director of Youth with a Mission Denver, said in a press statement. "Our belief is that only God is the judge and our place is to forgive and that's a difficult thing to do, but really, I think it's the right thing to do."

The suspect is still at large.

Coverage includes:

Posted by Ted Olsen at December 9, 2007

Pastor fined for refusing to lead service with a woman.

Sarah Pulliam | November 30, 2007

A Finnish district court prosecutor today convicted a pastor with criminal discrimination for refusing to work with a female pastor. Two other church leaders were also fined for not preventing the violation.

The pastor was fined the equivalent of 20 days of his salary, according to a Finnish news report. Finland’s laws prohibit discrimination in the workplace or in public based on factors like sex, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Pastors within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the country’s state church, disagree on whether women should serve as pastors. However, this is the first time that a church disagreement was brought before law enforcement. Pastor Ari Norro and the two church members were tried November 16 and convicted today.

Johan Candelin, director of World Evangelical Alliance's Religious Liberty Commission and Finland resident, said it is unclear whether the pastor will attempt to bring the case to a higher court. Candelin said the fine is equivalent to the fine a burglar receives, and the three church members will have a criminal record.

As previously reported on Christianity Today's website, Norro’s infringement came during a Communion service last March. Norro is a member of the Lutheran Evangelical Association in Finland, a group that believes the Bible prohibits women from serving as pastors. He offered to leave when a woman pastor arrived 15 minutes before the service to help serve at the altar. The woman, Petra Pohjanraito, decided to leave instead.

“It’s a very sad day for the Finnish church when people are taken to court for following their conscience,” Candelin told CT today. "In the future, the court will surely follow this line that they now started.” The case could set a precedent for similar cases concerning discrimination against homosexuals.

Posted by Sarah Pulliam at November 30, 2007 | Comments (22)

Malatya murder trial defense finds footing by playing to anti-missionary sentiments. Also: the roots of anti-Christian violence in Turkey.

Susan Wunderink |

The stakes and the rhetoric over last spring’s murders of three missionaries in Turkey continue to get higher. While some are suggesting the victims have PKK connections, others are demanding the defendants be tried for genocide.

Five young plaintiffs are being tried for the killings of Tilman Ekkehart Geske, Necati Aydin, and Ugur Yuksel in Malatya, Turkey. Seven others are not in custody but have been charged with aiding in the murders.

The trial itself opened November 23 with quite a crowd in attendance and has already stalled. The Turkish Press reports that:

The prosecutor demanded life imprisonment for five suspects on charges of setting up an armed terrorist organization and killing people. The suspects and their lawyers said they are not ready to defend themselves. Then, the judge adjourned the court till January 14, 2008.

One of the major concerns about the defense is that, in an appeal to anti-missionary sentiments, it will portray Geske, Aydin, and Yuksel as apostates who had it coming to them. Orhan Kemal Cengiz, one of the attorneys for the complainants and a Turkish Daily News columnist, wrote:

There are 31 files in this case and just 15 of them comprise information about the murder and the perpetrators. What about the other 16 files?

The prosecutor retrieved all documents from the computers of the victims and put them in the case file as “evidence.” If a prosecutor sees missionary activities as criminal then it is not difficult to understand how some people can become crazy and kill these missionaries!

Furthermore, these files, which are public now, may lead to new murders because they include many details on other Protestants who reside in different parts of Turkey. The addresses, emails, telephones of many other Turkish Protestants are in the files, which have already been in the hands of the murderers. The prosecutor failed to make a thorough investigation and he has also put many other lives in danger.

I would like to give you some specific information, but if I went into all details of the weirdness of the files, this article would turn into a small booklet.

It probably won’t be difficult to convince the court that the victims were at least partly to blame, Cengiz says, “From the communications sent to the file we understand that Necati Aydin, one of the victims, had been under constant surveillance and in his police record he has recorded as a former criminal for the ‘crime’ of ‘missionary activity.’”

There has been much hand-wringing in the Turkish press over these murders and what they mean about tolerance and teen violence in their society. But the country—or at least its press—continues to choke on the distinctiveness of people of faith.

Forum 18 published an op-ed that probes the source of the anti-Christian violence. In it, Güzide Ceyhan concludes it’s a result of “disinformation about Christianity in statements by public figures and through the media, the rise of Turkish nationalism, and the implicit and explicit approval both of the marginalization of Christians from Turkish society and also of actions—including murders—against them.”

Keep a lookout for our January cover story, “Jesus in Turkey.”

Posted by Susan Wunderink at November 30, 2007 | Comments (5)

"I had to wing it," she says.

Ted Olsen | September 19, 2007

We've covered sermon stealing several times, as have our sister publications. But we haven't seen this before: The Valley Morning Star of Harlingen, Texas, reports, "Rev. Dori Zubizarreta had to improvise her sermon a few weeks ago after thieves took the written sermon from her office."

Zubizarreta told the paper, "I was going to use that sermon for the 8 o’clock morning Mass, but I had to wing it. By the 10:30 (a.m.) Mass, I had already worked it out.”

A cynic might say the same thing happens every week in many Protestant and Catholic churches -- only without the stealing part.

Posted by Ted Olsen at September 19, 2007 | Comments (0)

Reuters turns a prolife word on its head.

David Neff | August 13, 2007

The Reuters story referenced in my last post contained a wild misuse of a common word. Here's the citation:

While the prolific death chamber in the city of Huntsville, where 19 inmates have already been executed by lethal injection in 2007, makes Texas stand out, the state is also starting to follow national trends toward fewer death sentences.

"Prolific death chamber"? "Prolfiic" comes from a Latin word meaning "fruitful," which in turn is based on the Latin word for "offspring." The American Heritage Dictionary offers two definitions for the word:


1. Producing offspring or fruit in great abundance; fertile.
2. Producing abundant works or results: a prolific artist.

The Reuters writer has stood a pro-life word on its head, exchanging the idea of fruitfulness and fertility for sheer efficiency. Christian media critics have often criticized Reuters for uninformed handling of the religion factor in their reporting. But whatever they know or don't know about religion, Reuters editors should know their dictionaries.

Posted by David Neff at August 13, 2007 | Comments (3)

Reuters blames Bible-belt religion for Texas' record number of executions.

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On Sunday, the Washington Post published a Reuters story about the number of executions in the state of Texas--now pushing a remarkable 400 since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on capital punishment in 1976. Texas has carried out 398 executions and it has 5 more planned for August. The closest runner up to the Texas numbers is Virginia with 96 executions--only one quarter of the Lone Star State's record.

What was puzzling about the story was the way writer Ed Stoddard tried to link the numbers to religion. Here's how he led off the story:

Texas will almost certainly hit the grim total of 400 executions this month, far ahead of any other state, testament to the influence of the state's conservative evangelical Christians and its cultural mix of Old South and Wild West.

The Washington Post repeated the emphasis by headlining the story, "Religion, Culture Behind Texas Execution Tally."

Whoa there, Podner!

What does religion have to do with it? All Stoddard could come up with was this:

Like his predecessor, Governor Perry is a devout Christian, highlighting one key factor in Texas' enthusiasm for the death penalty that many outsiders find puzzling -- the support it gets from conservative evangelical churches.

This is in line with their emphasis on individuals taking responsibility for their own salvation, and they also find justification in scripture.

"A lot of evangelical Protestants not only believe that capital punishment is permissible but that it is demanded by God. And they see sanction for that in the Old Testament especially," said Matthew Wilson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

That's it. Unless you also count the fact the Governor Rick Perry is "a devout Christian." Yup, that explains a lot.

Let's take a look at the factors cited by Stoddard:

First, a belief in individuals taking responsibility for their own salvation. Well, of course we evangelical Protestants don't teach that individuals "take responsibility for their own salvation." We teach that the grace of God comes to individuals in their pervasively sinful state and enables them to respond to his love by faith. But, yes, we do emphasize that individuals can have a personal, saving relationship with Jesus (as opposed to salvation necessarily being mediated through clerics and church ritual).

But neither Stoddard's version of evangelical belief nor the correct one has much to do with capital punishment. If anything, belief in the individual dimension of salvation drives evangelicals to engage in more extensive and more intense prison ministry than other Christians.

Second, evangelicals find justification for capital punishment in Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament. Well, no and yes.

No, evangelicals who support capital punishment do not use the Old Testament as their primary source of justification. If you ask almost any evangelical in the pew if they think that Sabbath-breaking or homosexuality should be a capital crime, they would shudder in horror at the thought.

Yes, evangelicals do find support in Scripture--but as part of God's plan for the secular order. See Romans 13:1-7, where the Apostle Paul portrays "the sword" and taxes as legitimate functions of the state. But to consider this a legitimate function of the state is not to approve of the way any given state carries out its responsibility for retribution.

When studies show disproportionate application of the death penalty by race or economic status, Christians of any and every stripe should be challenging the system. And when DNA-testing and other death-row efforts repeatedly reveal the miscarriage of justice, Christians should be working to make sure justice is truly served.

Posted by David Neff at August 13, 2007 | Comments (14)

Jehovah's Witnesses settle cases as its missionaries ask about "scandals in the various churches."

Ted Olsen | May 24, 2007

One of the most frequent reader responses to David Neff's article on Knocking, the PBS documentary on Jehovah's Witnesses, is that it did not address the allegations against church officials of abuse and coverups.

It really wasn't relevant to a discussion of this particular documentary, but yes, we are aware of the cases. In fact, we covered them before the rest of the media.

And now there's a big development: silentlambs, a Jehovah's Witness-focused victims rights organization similar to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), discovered that the Jehovah's Witnesses recently settled 16 abuse lawsuits. The organization says other abuse suits are still pending, but doesn't know how many.

One odd personal anecdote:

A couple of weeks ago, I answered a knock at the door and found two eager young evangelists. I was watching my young son at the time, and was unable to invite them in, but I let them ask their lead-in question: "Do you think that the scandals in the various churches have affected their ability to minister effectively?" (I'm paraphrasing here; knowing a bit of JW theology, it's possible--even likely--that their question may have ended in a slightly different phrase than "minister effectively" and they might have had another word for "churches".)

"I'm not sure what you mean by the scandals," I said, thinking at the time that they were from evangelical and evangelistic church down the street. (They were dressed too casually to be Mormons.)

"You know, like pedophile priests," said the woman evangelist, the only one who talked during our brief conversation.

"Well, if you mean those particular priests, then yes, of course it's going to affect their ability to minister," I said. "If you mean the churches' witness or the witness of the larger body of Christ, I guess my view is that God always works amid man's massive sinfulness, and that when Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, he was talking about the hell of sin in the church as much as he was talking about anything. There are always consequences for sin, and I think we're seeing a lot of that right now, but the church is the Body of Christ and he's bigger than these scandals."

She smiled. "Sounds like you know your Bible," she said, and handed me her literature. "Here are just some items to help you as you read your Bible and look for answers..."

It was then that I saw the Watchtower Society name on the material. I handed it back. "No thanks," I said. They smiled and thanked me for my time, and were starting to turn around when I decided it wouldn't hurt to ask my question. I was curious about whether they had actually planned to use the Jehovah's Witness abuse scandal as an evangelistic tool. If so, that would have made quite an article.

"Um, you do know that one of the biggest abuse scandals right now is in the Jehovah's Witnesses, right?" I asked. It was immediately clear from the woman's expression -- a grimace, then the smile again -- that they had not intended to use their own scandal in their pitch.

"Oh," she said, "you mean that one case where a man followed a boy into the bathroom...?"

"No, actually, not just that. Massive numbers of accusations," I said.

"Well, the difference in our church is that we kick those people out as soon as we learn about the situation," she said.

"Actually, I work for a magazine that has done some reporting on this," I said, "and the big issue for me was that people making the accusations were saying they got kicked out because they didn't have 'two or three witnesses' to the abuse."

I can't remember exactly what she replied, but she said she was sure that I wasn't quite right about that. And by now she was eager to take me up on my earlier goodbye. She had already moved a step or two back.

"Well, anyway," I said, "I'm not interested in arguing about abuse cases. That's my day job and I'm watching my son right now, happily not talking about this kind of thing. But really. You might want to think about another lead-in question."

I'm curious: Did anyone else get a JW visit lately with this opening line? Does anyone know if these opening lines come from a central office, or are they the responsibility of the individual missionaries?

Posted by Ted Olsen at May 24, 2007 | Comments (95)

Do the doctrines of sin and obedience to God lead to child abuse?

Rob Moll | May 3, 2007

Martin Marty's Sightings column is typically worth reading. After the decades he has spent as a religion scholar, his columns will educate nearly every reader.

Unfortunately half of Sightings columns are written by guests, and these tend toward infuriating rather than instructive. Today's column (not yet online [Update 5/4: It's up now]) by Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore is about spanking. She leads with the story of parents at Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, who spanked their child, Josef Smith, to death and are now serving life sentences.

She says Remnant's "religious leader Gwen Shamblin encourages parents to spank their children, describing corporal punishment as a 'time-tested, ancient teaching of the Bible' necessary to shaping adherence to God's authority." Miller-McLemore fails to note that Remnant Fellowship is not a mainstream evangelical church, but tends toward aberrant Christian sect.

Miller-McLemore then criticizes critics of spanking, who call such disciplinary methods child abuse. She notes that sociological research "documents increased affection and paternal involvement as positively related to an emphasis on children's submission to parental authority and use of corporal punishment." And she says Christians should be wary of both the anti-spanking and pro-spanking groups. Miller-McLemore is right when she concludes, "For Christians, discipline means fostering conditions that induce a desire to love God and seek the good of others."

But Miller-McLemore is confused when she writes,

News about Josef Smith's death powerfully reminds us just how hazardous careless use of Christian proclamation can be, especially as it impacts those least able to protect themselves and most dependent on adult benevolence. Fervent promotion of doctrines about sin, obedience, and bending the will to God have had and can have devastating consequences.

Miller-McLemore does admit, "seeing children as sinful does not de facto lead to their harsh punishment." And she says Calvin and Augustine did not condone coporal punishment but found spiritual capacity in children.

Yet, she seems to see these examples as exceptions from the rule that "doctrines about sin, obedience, and bending the will to God" lead to abuse. In fact disregard for such doctrines has had far worse consequences. The idea that all people are sinful, children included, does not lead to abuse. If parents fail to apply the doctrines to themselves or find in them an excuse to abuse their children, it's no condemnation of the doctrine.

Miller-McLemore concludes, "For children in particular, what people believe about Jesus or God -- whether God demands obedience or offers love -- matters." She seems to be unable to consider that God both demands obedience and offers love. Parents too can demand obedience and enforce their demands with discipline while also tenderly loving their children.

Child abuse may be tied to bad or heretical doctrine, but it is not the result of classic Christian doctrines of sin and obedience to God. Ignoring those doctrines (especially when professing not to) is dangerous not just for children but for us all.

Posted by Rob Moll at May 3, 2007 | Comments (12)