The following is another installment of the Friday Church News Notes:

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOL CELEBRATING THE DEAD. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The fourth grade class at McNear Elementary School in Petaluma City, California, plans to conduct ceremonies to honor the dead from October 28 to November 1. The observance, called "El Dia de los Muertos" or Day of the Dead, stems from the pagan Aztecs and was "christianized" by Rome in Mexico and is still observed by Latin American Roman Catholics. The young public school students are supposed to bring pictures of dead relatives or animals to place on a "remembrance table" or "altar." A flier sent out by the school to parents stated that during this event "the spirits of dead loved ones are invited to visit the living as honored guests." Thus, this public school is openly promoting communion with the dead, which is strictly forbidden in the Scriptures. Hindus and Buddhists have similar observances. The public school system does not allow the worship of Jesus Christ, who alone is Lord and Saviour, or respect of the Bible as the Word of God, but it does esteem all sorts of vain pagan and immoral philosophies, such as evolution, Halloween, reincarnation, rock and roll, homosexuality, and New Age. The Bible says "evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Cor. 15:33).

CHILD PORN GROWING VIA INTERNET. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - A recent investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service has identified more than 75,000 people worldwide who were regularly accessing child porn sites. Many of the sites are operated by "porn barons" in Russia and Indonesia. 7,200 names have been sent to authorities in England for follow-up, and a preliminary examination of just 200 of those found that 90 are police officers and others are childcare workers and teachers.

HILLARY AWARDED FOR SUPPORTING SODOMITES. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - On October 19, Hillary Clinton was presented with the 2002 National Impact Award at a lavish $175 a plate dinner at a hotel in Hollywood, Florida. The annual award is bestowed by the Gay and Lesbian Foundation of South Florida upon prominent people who support "gay rights." In her acceptance speech Hillary said, "'One of the pieces of unfinished business in this country is that we eliminate all vestiges of discrimination and bias and be sure that the laws fully protect all of us." She is the sponsor of a bill in Congress that would prohibit discrimination against homosexuals in the workplace, a bill that thankfully has not gained enough backing to pass. Past recipients of this award include House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt.

DANGEROUS BILL PROPOSED IN CANADA. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Svend Robinson, a homosexual member of the House of Commons in Canada, is pushing bill C-415, which would include "sexual orientation" under Canada's genocide and hate crimes laws. If passed, it could lead to persecution of Christians for saying that homosexuality is wrong. Supporters of the bill claim that statements against homosexuality "for religious reasons" are exempted in the law, but the wording is vague. Further, Christians are already being punished for speaking against homosexuality. In Ontario, printer Scott Brockie was fined $5,000 for refusing to print a project for a homosexual advocacy group. In Saskatchewan, a man was fined $5,000 for buying a newspaper ad that simply quoted Bible verses condemning homosexuality. British Columbia teacher Chris Kempling is currently in trouble and might lose his job for making "derogatory and demeaning" statements against homosexuals, even though the statements were not made in class. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has censured Focus on the Family and "Dr. Laura" for making statements in opposition to homosexuality. Sodomites do not merely want the freedom to practice their moral perversion; they want to harass and punish those who disagree with them.

PASTOR AND CHURCH MEMBERS SENTENCED TO JAIL FOR SPANKING. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - On October 17, a pastor and four of his church members were sentenced to jail and fined for spanking their children. The 70-year-old pastor, Arthur Allen Jr., leads the House of Prayer, an independent black congregation in Atlanta. The case stems from the public whipping of two boys, ages 7 and 10, during a church service last year. Since the spanking left bruises, the state child protective agency, in typical heavy-handed fashion, took 49 children away from church members' homes. Many months later, six of the children are still in state custody. The pastor was sentenced to 90 days in prison, 10 years probation, and a hefty $8,000 fine. The mother of the boys who were spanked was sentenced to 20 days in prison, five years' probation, and a $250 fine, and the father of the boys was sentenced to double of that. They must also complete a humanistic parenting class in order to keep their children. The judge forbade the pastor to "advise or participate in any way in the discipline" of anyone else's children. Is that not contrary to the freedom of religion and freedom of speech liberties promised under the U.S. Constitution? We do not know all of the details of what this pastor preaches and practices, but is a pastor not obligated before God to advise people to follow Scriptures such as Proverbs 19:18, 25; 20:30; 22:15; 23:13-14; and 29:15? We think it was a mistake for the pastor to represent himself in court. American courts are not just today, and it is important to be represented by lawyers who know the system and can stand in the victim's behalf. Six more church members still face trial in this case.

THE VATICAN NIXES ABUSIVE PRIEST POLICY. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The Vatican has refused to approve the policy on abusive priests that was formulated by U.S. bishops in June. This comes after the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met with the pope on October 17. The June policy proposed that accused priests be immediately suspended and the investigation turned over to civil authorities and that priests found to be abusive be removed from their office. The Vatican has a problem with the "zero tolerance" policy, taking the position that priests that "repent" of committing immoral acts with children should be allowed to continue in their office. This reminds us that Catholic churches in America (or anywhere else) are ruled from Rome. It also reminds us that Rome has never been very concerned about moral purity. Its ugly history is documented in Dave Hunt's book "A Woman Rides the Beast."

ISLAMIC MOTHER'S JOY AT TERRORIST SON'S DEATH. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The Israeli Defense Force's web site contains photos and the testimony of a Palestinian mother rejoicing that her son died in a suicide attack against Jews. This was first published by Hamas, which is warring against Israel. The web site is http://www.idf.il/newsite/english/ima.stm. The woman is the mother of Mahmud Alabat, who died on June 15 in an attack on Jews. He was 23 years old. The mother said: "When I gave birth to Mahmud, I was so happy when I saw him, and when I said goodbye to him when he was on his way to the next world, I was happy. &Mac183; may Allah be praised for the fate that granted this suicide attacker his life and his death. &Mac183; when he left for his operation, his face was radiant as if he were meeting the girls right then and there. I wished him luck and that he enter heaven and marry the girls as soon as possible. I was very happy when I heard that he killed Jews in the attack." The part about "the girls" refers to the teaching that when a Muslim dies on an Islamic jihad he receives 72 virgins in heaven. The fact is that God does not hate the Jews and His curse is on those who do.

YOUNG MEN MURDERED FOR ALLEGEDLY KILLING COW IN INDIA. Friday Church News Notes, October 25, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Five young men were murdered in northern India on October 16 by a mob acting on a rumor that the men had killed a cow. The young men were seen skinning a dead cow, but it is not known whether they actually killed the cow. After the young men were taken into custody by the police, a mob of several thousand converged on the police post and murdered them in the presence of police and government officials. The young men were members of the untouchable and oppressed Dalit caste. Justifying the killings, Acharya Kishore, a senior leader in the radical Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), observed that "the life of a cow is more precious than that of a human being."