Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
29 February 2008
Protestant leaders call for end to US economic embargo on Cuba
Indian Baptist group issues '10 commandments' for elections
By Anto Akkara
Bangalore, India, 29 February (ENI)--One of India's Baptist churches has issued 10 commandments for voters ahead of elections for the northeastern Meghalaya state legislature scheduled for 3 March. The commandments urge electors to vote for "able and dedicated" candidates of integrity and of good moral character, and caution church members against voting for self-seeking politicians who make empty promises. Church members are also told to keep away from free dinners hosted by the candidates, and also not to accept or seek money for voting for the contenders, some of whom sponsor church members' trips to church conventions. The commandments carry a dictum in a Christian spirit requesting voters not to make "any negative comments on the candidates you are not supporting and completely avoid any verbal duel or fights" with others. [258 words, ENI-08-0184]
By Chris Herlinger
New York, 29 February (ENI)--The US Internal Revenue Service is investigating whether a speech at the United Church of Christ's 2007 general synod by Barack Obama, who is seeking to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, amounts to denominational engagement in "political activities". "We are confident that the IRS [tax service] investigation will confirm that no laws were violated," the Rev. John H. Thomas, the denomination's general minister and president, said in a statement. "The United Church of Christ took great care to ensure that Senator Obama's appearance before the 50th anniversary general synod met appropriate legal and moral standards." [297 words, ENI-08-0183]
By Maurice Malanes
La Trinidad, Philippines, 29 February (ENI)--A Filipino-Canadian Mennonite missionary who left a life of comfort in Vancouver, Canada is helping to build peace in his native country, which he left more than 20 years ago, and one of his weapons is coffee. "My family and I were enjoying relative peace in Canada, but it's nice to be home again to enjoy the task of helping build shalom or salam [peace] in our country, especially in Mindanao," said the Rev. Daniel Pantoja, who heads the Peacebuilders' Community, a Mennonite team in the Philippines. The island is known as the scene of clashes between the armed forces of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a separatist rebel group. Pantoja's organization has a centre for peace and reconciliation, and a café called "Coffee for Peace", which helps generate local, sustainable income for the organization's peace and reconciliation field workers. "The café is important because every time representatives of both the Mo!
ro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine military have coffee in our centre, they don't have any skirmishes during the rest of the day," said Pantoja. [593 words, ENI-08-0182]
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