wfn.org | ALC Noticias - Columbia, Switzerland, Chile, Nicaragua

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ALC NEWS SERVICE
E-mail: director@alcnoticias.org

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CONTENT

COLOMBIA: Calls for urgent action to defend the life of philosopher Lilia 
Solano
SWITZERLAND: Lutheran leader criticized Bush for use of religious language 
for political ends
CHILE: Pentecostals and Methodists celebrate historic Act of Reconciliation
SWITZERLAND: Re-election of Noko turns report into action plan
NICARAGUA: Evangelical candidate for mayor of Managua presents government plan

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COLOMBIA
Calls for urgent action to defend the life of philosopher Lilia Solano

BOGOTA,  Sept 3 (alc) - Numerous threats levied against the life and 
personal integrity of Evangelical philosopher and academic Lilia Solano, 
former president of the Latin American Theological Fraternity (FTL), has led
diverse organizations to request urgent action to protect her.

As director of the Justice and Life Project, a non government human rights 
organization that protects and defend the rights of sectors affected by the 
armed conflict in Colombia, Solano staged a protest during a congressional
session last July to denounce plans to grant impunity to paramilitary 
members in negotiations with the government.

In recent months, professor Solano has been the victim of harassment and 
threats against her life and personal integrity, which have increased 
dramatically in recent days, according to the "Josi Alvear Restrepo" Lawyers
Collective.

Solano is also coordinator of the Camilo Torres Restrepo department in the 
Law, Political and Social Sciences Faculty at the National University of 
Colombia.

In mid-2003 she organized a cycle of conferences about the history of 
violence in Colombia, which brought together academics, historians and 
representatives from social organizations and non government Human Rights
groups, among others.

Before the inauguration of these conferences, the National University's Law 
Faculty received several telephone calls, saying that people's lives would 
be in danger during the conferences.

In the same conferences, in September 2003 a conference was organized 
called "Monologue and negotiation with paramilitaries," with the 
participation, among others, of sociologist Alfredo Molano and members of 
the Jose Alvear
Restrepo Lawyers Collective. Solano coordinated the event.

Following this conference a website maintained by one of the largest 
paramilitary groups in the country made specific references to the 
organizers, and in particular to Professor Solano, who they accused of 
being an "ideologue of the narco-guerrillas" and of "dirtying the minds of the
students."

When the paramilitary leaders and presumed drug traffickers Salvatore 
Mancuso, Ramsn Isaza and Roberto Duque Gaviria, alias 'Ernesto Baez' had an 
audience in Congress last July 28, Solano, together with Ivan Cepeda, 
entered the
legislature and protested the impunity that is sought for crimes against 
humanity committed by the AUC.

Minutes later they were evicted by the police while the families of the 
victims of the paramilitary forces and members of non government 
organizations came under attack outside of the Congress, in a joint action 
between the National Police and people brought from the provinces to 
support the visit of the paramilitaries.

These events were broadly reported by national and international 
communication media.

In recent weeks intimidating messages have increased on Solano's telephone 
and unknown men have been watching the Justice and Life Project offices.

The Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers association asked that the government 
recall its obligations regarding the security and protection of human 
rights defendants and take immediate, necessary and effective measures to 
ensure
that the members of the Justice and Life Association can carry out their 
work without any danger.

Moreover, they lobbied authorities to adopt the necessary and effective 
measures to guarantee the life and personal integrity of Solano and called 
for an exhaustive investigation to identify the authors of these threats and
that they be judged and severely sanctioned.

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SWITZERLAND
Lutheran leader criticized Bush for use of religious language for political 
ends

By Fernando Oshige

GENEVA, September 3 (ALC). A prominent Lutheran leader criticized US 
President George W. Bush for his frequent use of religious language for 
political purposes.

"He can talk about his faith and his personal relationship with Christ as 
he  sees fit: the problem arises when he uses religious terminology to 
justify political actions," said US Lutheran Bishop and president of the 
Lutheran
World Federation Mark Hanson, at a press conference.

Few US presidents, according to observers, have been as openly religious as 
Bush, and this has generated controversy, in particular among Conservative
Christians and progressives. While the first applaud the president's 
religious gestures and expressions, others accuse Bush of being influenced 
by fundamentalist Christian and the religious right.

The use of religious language on the part of the president became more 
notorious after the September 11 attacks and the following "preventive" 
attacks against Iraq and Afghanistan. For the Bush administration, these
countries, together with North Korea, form part of the "axis of evil" and 
some have catalogued terrorists as the personification of Satan.

"The concept of evil is a good example," said Hanson, as when we baptize 
our children in our Lutheran Churches in the United States, we ask the 
parents if they renounce the forces of evil. The majority do not speak of evil
again, perhaps until confirmation.

Suddenly we hear condemnations against "evil" from the White House, as if 
it is always something that comes from outside, and this term is confusing, 
said Hanson.

Hanson emphasized that US citizens want to be seen in the world as generous 
people, lovers of liberty, committed to democracy and peace building. 
Today, however, the world sees us as people anxious for power, with a will to
dominate the world and arrogant, he said.

For these reasons, Hanson emphasized the right of the Church to make is 
prophetic voice heard in the world, to talk about the negative impact of 
economic globalization and to contribute to building a world of justice and
peace with the international community.

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CHILE
Pentecostals and Methodists celebrate historic Act of Reconciliation

VALPARAISO, Sept 3 (ALC) - After 95 years of division in the Episcopal 
Methodist Church of Valparamso, which gave rise to the Methodist 
Pentecostal Church, the current leaders decided to reconcile in an act 
celebrated on
September 2.

The event took place in the Methodist Church of Chile, in the city of 
Valparamso. Participants included the Rev. Bernardo Cartes, bishop of the 
Methodist Pentecostal Church and the Rev. Pedro Grandon, bishop of the 
Methodist Church of Chile, as well as bishops, pastors and lay leaders from 
different denominations and coming from different regions in the country.

Participants, according the S&C Communications Report, held a procession to 
the Pentecostal Evangelical Church, where homage was paid to the Rev. 
Willis Hoover and later to the Methodist Pentecostal Church of Cerro 
Larrain, where
the final Thanksgiving Service was held.

Luis Perez, pastor of the Methodist Church emphasized that "95 years ago, a 
branch of the Methodist Church was painfully torn away and planted in 
fertile soil that gave fruit to a new and lush tree. The separation was
perhaps a product of a lack of doctrine, lack of knowledge and lack of 
love, but God looked upon both Churches with pleasure and made them bountiful."

Bishop Grandon summarized the events that took place in 1909, placing 
emphasis on the life of the Rev. Hoover as an instrument of God in leading 
the Pentecostal Revival in Chile. In his prayer he exclaimed "Lord, we are 
here to recognize our weaknesses before you, our mistakes and to once again 
be the united Church you desire."

For his part, Bishop Cartes said "brother Methodists, forgive us for the 
pain that we may have caused at a time when our limitations gave way to 
jealousy and strife. But, what is incomprehensible in an instant in the 
divine dialect is comprehensible. We have come back so that from now on we 
can be more brothers and more united. We have always loved you."

Later, both bishops held a fraternal embrace to the applause of participants.

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SWITZERLAND
Re-election of Noko turns report into action plan

GENEVA, set 2 (alc). The re-election of the Rev. Ishmael Noko as general 
secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in the first day of the 
council's session period opened the opportunity to make concrete many of the
plans he outlined in his annual report.

Noko, a 61-year-old Lutheran Pastor from Zimbabwe, Africa, was elected 
general LWF secretary in 1994 and can hold the position for the next 7 
years although he seemed to indicate he would retire before the next general
Assembly, planned for 2009 or 2010 in a place yet to be determined.

In his report, presented here, during the annual session of the 49-council 
members, the highest LWF body between two assemblies, Noko called on the 
federation to continue ecumenical efforts, to strengthen the participation
of women and young people in the organization and to strengthen communion 
and communication among the 61 million members of the entity present in 76 
countries.

Moreover, he also emphasized that the LWF should strengthen its mission in 
a world that is more globalized, but more fractured than ever, in which 
economic and religious divisions are greater and more dangerous, in which
exclusion and marginalization are increasing and in which global military 
spending will reach a trillion dollars this year while development will 
only garner between $50 and $60 billion, or 5 percent of military spending.

Noko also called on people to continue the ecumenical effort taken on by 
the LWF and mentioned dialogue with the Catholic Church, with Orthodox 
churches, with the Anglican Communion and with the World Reformed Alliance.

He emphasized that this includes a relationship with the World Council of 
Churches and emphasized the need for Inter-religious dialogue for peace and 
cooperation, in particular with member of the Muslim and Jewish community, 
but also with traditional religions from Africa and other parts of the planet.

Noko also referred to internal LWF issues. He noted that the issues of 
family, marriage and human sexuality are on the agenda of many Churches but 
should not be reason for division. A document about this has been presented
to the Executive Committee.

Regarding financial difficulties, the LWF proposed holding the Council 
meetings every 18 months and proposed that the following meeting take place 
in Jerusalem or Bethlehem, accepting reiterated invitations from the 
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan, not because the crisis in the Middle 
East is over, but because circumstances demand the presence and testimony 
of Lutherans in this region.

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NICARAGUA
Evangelical candidate for mayor of Managua presents government plan

MANAGUA, Sep 3 (alc). Roberto Sarria, Evangelical candidate for the mayor 
of the capital city of Nicaragua, said that he expects to receive 200,000 
votes from Evangelical Christians in this city.

If we win in Managua we will also win the rest of the municipalities in the 
country, with the power of prayer, because 80 percent of our candidates in 
municipal elections are pastors, he affirmed.

Sarria is a business administrator and pastor of the Assemblies of God 
Adoration Center Church. After a thanksgiving service for his candidacy, he 
presented his government plan. He was accompanied by his candidate for vice 
Mayor Eduardo Centeno, who has 19 years of pastoral experience.

Some 450 sympathizers sang songs of worship to God the service during which 
Pineda presented Sarria's plan, stating that the first thing the new mayor 
will do is restore spiritual and moral values so that the capital has a new 
face.

Pineda called for support for Sarria's candidates in a giant mobilization 
and to covert it into a Revolution for Christ, because it is the only thing 
that can change the hearts of men.

He alerted those present, among them many taxi drivers to defend their vote 
in the municipal elections because they are sure that in each of the 1,000 
Evangelical Churches in the capital Sarria will garner at least 200 votes.

Sarria offered to immediately resolve the water rationing and restore the 
environment, putting an end to existing dumps in order to have a cleaner 
and healthier capital.

He added that collaboration with Christian bodies abroad will impel 
community projects.

The program contemplates strengthening citizen security, with more police 
positions, whose work will be strengthened with the work of pastors and 
priests as spiritual guides, to rescue young people with gang problems.

He said that for young people he promises to create recreational areas in 
all the neighborhoods and to maintain children's parks. Young people with 
top marks in schools will be given scholarships to study in universities.

At the same time, an effort will be made to improve living conditions in 
poor neighborhoods, increasing basic health and education services, 
together with the private sector.

Centeno, pastor of the 350-member Christian Church, carries out 
humanitarian work, attending 55 elderly people and 950 children in the 
Municipality of Tipitapa, 25 kms north of Managua.
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