ALC NEWS SERVICE E-mail: director@alcnoticias.org
----------------- CONTENT
PANAMA: Consultation on Theology and Childhood Begins BRAZIL: Brazilian Lutheran Pastor is new WCC Moderator BRAZIL: WCC Assembly reaffirms the search for the visible unity of Churches COLOMBIA: Religion course creates conflict between Evangelicals and the government EL SALVADOR: Evangelicals lobby for new disarmament law
--------- PANAMA Consultation on Theology and Childhood Begins
By Carlos Mondragón
PANAMA, Feb 24 (ALC). The Consultation on Theology and Childhood began February 23 in Panama City, convened by the Latin American Theological Fraternity (FTL) and the Together for Children Movement with a call to look at the world through children's eyes.
During the inaugural speech, Ruth Padilla DeBrost, president of the FTL affirmed that children are among the weakest members of society and have been considered second class citizens for centuries.
In a context where 640 million children lack dignified housing, 400 million do not consume potable water, 270 million do not have access to health services and 140 million have never been to school, it is urgent that we learn to re-value them, added Padilla.
She questioned the efficiency of the social
measures that have been implemented to stop the problem children, such as tougher laws that lock up young people behind bars. Moreover, she also questioned the prejudices of some Churches that close their doors to young people who do not behave or dress according to their rules.
Padilla made a call to give space to children so they can express themselves and to struggle so that the rights of children are fulfilled and to lobby for a new and dignified life for all.
From February 23 - 26 the participants, members of diverse bodies and institutions that carry out work with children will address different problems linked to children from a theological perspective. Speakers include Harold Segura, Edesio Sánchez, Rebeca Montemayor, Ruth Alvarado, and Marlene Enns.
--------- BRAZIL Brazilian Lutheran Pastor is new WCC Moderator
By Edelberto Behs
PORTO ALEGRE, Feb 24 (ALC). The President of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession of Brazil (IECLB) Pastor Walter Altmann, age 62, is the new moderator of the World Council of Churches' Central Committee. He was elected February 23 during the first meeting of the Central Committee and his mandate will be for seven years, until the next General Assembly.
"I receive this mandate with much joy and gratitude, knowing the great responsibility represented by the most important position in the WCC Central Committee, in particular in a time of major transition on the ecumenical scene and the Council," Altmann told ALC.
Holding the Assembly in Brazil and the election of its president as moderator gave the IECLB great visibility in the ecumenical scene. "Symbolically it represents the arrival of the Church to adulthood in its ecumenical commitment," he said.
The IX General Assembly, held in Porto Alegre and attended by representatives from 348 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican Churches from 110 countries around the world concluded its sessions Thursday after 10 days of intense reflection, prayer and decision making about issues of interest to the Church and society, such as ecumenical dialogue, pace, world justice and inter-religious dialogue.
Born in Porto Alegre, Altmann received a doctorate in theology from the University of Hamburg, Germany in 1972 when he defended his thesis about the concept of tradition in Karl Rahner. He was professor at the Theology School (EST) from 1972 to 2002 and at the Post-Graduate Theology Institute in Sao Leopoldo. He was dean of the EST from 1981 to> 1987.
In the ecumenical world, Altmann was president of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) from 1995 to 2001. He formed part of the International Studies Commission of the Lutheran World Federation from 1977 to 1984 and the Catholic-Lutheran Commission from 1974-1982. He has been a member of the Ecumenical Association of Theologians of the Third World since 1982.
His main areas of interest are liberation
theology, the theology of Luther and ecumenical dialogue. He is married to Madalena and has four children and two grandchildren.
The moderator presides the Central Committee sessions, the head of the WCC, between Assemblies. He is in permanent contact with the Secretary General, accompanying the implementation of programs and projects as well as the administrative and spiritual life of the ecumenical body.
--------- BRAZIL WCC Assembly reaffirms the search for the visible unity of Churches
By Edelberto Behs
PORTO ALEGRE, Feb 23 (ALC). The IX World Council of Churches General Assembly concluded its activities after 10 days of work reaffirming a commitment to seek the visible unity of Churches and to work in favor of world justice and peace.
In a message to the Churches and society, the
Assembly said it had adopted four priorities for the next period: unity, spirituality and mission; ecumenical formation focusing on youth in particular; global justice; and bringing a credible voice and prophetic witness to the world
Future work in mission and evangelism should stimulate Churches to explore new forms of ecclesial life and innovative faith experiences and the contextualization of the Gospel, according to the document from the Program Guidelines Committee, approved this Thursday the Assembly. It also emphasized ecumenical formation.
The document reaffirms the urgent need for
Churches and the WCC to seek inter-religious dialogue and cooperation.
The WCC also prioritizes the defense of a
transforming justice; that responds to those who suffer the consequences of injustice, racism and discrimination; that denounces the "scandal of a world divided between rich and poor." It also proposes contributing to the transformation of unjust social and economic structures and to preserve creation.
A world in rapid transformation was the context for the assembly that brought together representatives from 248 Churches in 110 countries from the Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox families.
The WCC recognizes that it must continue to work in favor of the visible unity of Churches, promoting youth leadership in the life of the body.
The Program Guidelines Committee recommends that ecumenical event for peace be held at the end of the Decade to Overcome Violence in 2010 and that the WCC work on a more clear and firm public image in its testimony to the world, focusing its energies and attention on a smaller number of problems that need a patent, united response on the part of the Churches.
------------ COLOMBIA Religion course creates conflict between Evangelicals and the government
BOGOTA, Feb. 22 (ALC). A religious course once again created a conflict between Evangelicals and the government. "We are not going to allow them to violate our religious freedom," said Evangelical pastor and representative Luis Enrique Salas, who pointed to the case of some students in Bogota who were mistreated for refusing to listen to the religion class.
Salas, who is running for the Social Unity Party for the Bogota Chamber of Representatives, said that this course "violates freedom of religion and worship consecrated in the 1991 Constitution." He said that Evangelicals will not allow only the Catholic religious course to be taught "because there are many students in different schools who do not profess this religion."
Offering the religion course was established by a Ministry of Education Decree. Minister Cecilia Maria Velez offered to create working committees and study the contents to ensure that the rights of no confession or creed are violated.
However, Salas told the gospelnoticias.com agency that what the Ministry of Education must guarantee is that the rights of Colombians are upheld and that children are not mistreated for professing a religion other than the Catholic religion. He accuses the minister of "expediting a decree without consulting other religious confessions."
He also spoke out against a Finance Ministry disposition that applies a 6% tax to Church income that comes from its religious activities such as tithing, offering, contributions and donations.
According to Salas the move overlooks regulations that date from 1994 and which exonerate religious congregations from paying taxes on the money they receive for their activity.
"This is a contradictory disposition, because
people who give offerings to their Churches, also pay taxes and therefore there is double taxation, barred by law," said Salas, a member of a congressional commission on economic issues.
------------------ EL SALVADOR Evangelicals lobby for new disarmament law
SAN SALVADOR, Feb. 20 (ALC). The Evangelical
Alliance of El Salvador, which brings together 1,200 Churches held a meeting with the leading legislative candidates for San Salvador and asked them to prioritize anti-violence proposals made two years ago.
One of the initiatives is a bill that seeks to put a break on weapons coming into the country by hiking their import taxes. According to the pastors, it must be accompanied by an effective program to control contraband.
According to the Defense Ministry, as of June
2005 there were close to 200,000 legal weapons in the country and an estimated 250,000 illegal weapons.
The Rev. Mario Vega, of the ELIM Church told
candidates that disarming the civil population is a majority aspiration. "We dream of disarmament plans like the 'bread for weapons' plan and that in El Salvador delinquents or gang members no longer use weapons and nor do honorable people," he said.
Last year the government reformed the Weapons Law, limiting possession to two weapons per person and raising the legal age to hold a weapon from 18 to 21.
However, the average number of murders increased from 11 last June to 12 this January and 80 percent are committed with firearms.
Evangelicals made a similar proposal to
presidential candidates in 2004, but to no avail. "One year later and after 3,761 murders we hope you take us seriously," said Vega.
Congressman for the National Renewal Alliance
(ARENA) Rolando Alvarenga said he was in favor of reforming and analyzing weapons possession. "Looking at the long term results, we could think of total disarmament," he told La Prensa Grafica.
The representative for the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) Rodolfo Parker was in favor of gradual disarmament.
Salvador Sánchez Cerén, of the National Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Front said his organization was always in favor of disarmament, as did Ruben Zamora.
The Evangelical Alliance also called on
candidates to design a law to combat crime, with a law to protect witnesses. --------------------- Latin American and Caribbean News Agency (ALC) P.O. Box 14-225 Lima 14 Peru Tel. (511) 242 7312 - E-mail: director@alcnoticias.org http: //www.alcpress.org