CHRISTIANS ROUNDED UP

Chinese police have raided an underground Protestant church and detained 15 followers who could face up to three years in a labour camp-according to reports from a Hong Kong rights group.

The Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said about 30 police burst into the unregistered "home church" in Dongsheng city of Inner Mongolia and took away a crowd of 35 people to a detention centre.

The next day 20 of the followers were released after paying 200 yuan (183 Hong Kong dollar) fines, but the others, including church leaders Wang Yulan and Li Haihe, remained in police custody on charges of violating china's religious laws.

An official at the Dongsheng detention centre said: "Wang Yulan abd Li Haihe are being held in custody." He refused to say how many of the Christians remained in detention or whether they would be sentenced without trial to "re-education through labour" or criminally prosecuted.

The Information Centre said Wang's husband was currently serving three years of "re-education through labour" for "illegal religious activities" and expected Wang to be sentenced to a similar punishment. Wang's absence will leave no-one to look after their 12-year-old son.

ACCIDENT OR DESIGN?

Whether you look through a telescope or a microscope, God is an awesome designer. Take a look at these three things:

Temperature! The sun is 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit and we are 93 million miles away from it - just the right distance. If the earth's temperature were even 50 degrees hotter or colder, all life would cease. Why was earth not fixed twice as far away or twice as near? Accident or design?

Rotation! We rotate 365 times a year as we pass around the sun. Suppose we only Rotated 36 times instead? Well, our days and nights would be ten times as long; We'd be terribly hot on one side and unbearably cold on the other and life as we know it would disappear. Accident or design?

Air! Oxygen constitutes about 21 percent of our atmosphere; just the right amount. Why not 50 percent? Well, if it were 50 percent, the first time someone lit a match, we'd all be toast. Is it 21 percent by accident or design?

Where there is a design, there must be a designer! Would you like to know him? In Creation He shows you His hand, but at the cross He shows you His heart (John 3:16).

Through Jesus Christ His son, you can know the great designer personally and receive Eternal life. If you don't you'll spend eternity in hell. Any chance that you may be an exception? No! The only people in heaven will be those who are there by design - Not by accident. Think about it!

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvellous display of his craftsmanship." Psalm 19:1

The Word for Today

DID GOD REALLY SAY "THOU SHALT NOT KILL"

Holland has legalised euthanasia and Belgium, among other countries, has announced that it may do the same. Unless we as Christians take action now this country may well follow the same route.

In the last 33 years Britain has slid deeper and deeper into a moral quagmire - first abortion virtually on demand; followed by abortion up to birth in some cases (including handicap of the infant); the use of the human embryo as a guinea pig - and now cloned human embryos for experiments, with euthanasia by omission already being used in some hospitals.

Our religious leaders have spoken out strongly against such practices - the Evangelical Alliance, the Catholic Churches, the Orthodox Churches - as well as Muslim Leaders and the Chief Rabbi. Yet, the silent majority have done very little to counter this onslaught on the sanctity of life.

It is essential that every one of us recognise how imperative it is to let our MPs and out local candidates know our views on these issues and that we are determined to fight.

Information on our MPs voting records and on candidates (in some cases their voting intentions) can be obtained from Right to Life,
Box 26264, London W3 9WF. 
Telephone: 020 8992 7657. 
Fax: 020 8896 1859 

Website: www.righttolife.org.uk

Email: rtl@ukgateway.net

PREMIER RADIO IS WORTH SAVING ... WITH YOUR HELP!

Premier Christian Radio, which has been broadcasting from the heart of London for nearly six years, has recently learnt that it may have to re-apply for its licence prematurely. Whereas other radio stations who apply for the new digital licences may have their licences renewed automatically, current Government legislation effectively discriminates against Premier and other religious groups by not allowing them to own a digital radio licence.

It would seem that in future the trend will favour multi-faith broadcasting and this must put Premier's licence renewal at serious risk and may well undermine any other Christian group obtaining a licence again.

Premier are asking people to support the campaign by signing the petition form on the Premier Radio web site http://www.premier.org.uk/petitionform.html, writing to your local MP and specifically praying for the future of Christian radio.

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