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• Black churches in move to curb gun crime | Initiative to deal with problem of violence includes scheme to bring witnesses forward and putting street pastors on night patrol (The Guardian, London)
  
  

Social justice:

• Religious groups show love by protecting God's creations | To say the movement is political in nature ignores that scripture orders us to do it, some religious leaders say (Contra Costa Times, Calif.)
  
  
• Area man begins international Orphan Sunday | Gary Schneider's Christian ministry began May 24, 1999, on one of his business trips as a marketing executive (Loudoun Times-Mirror, Leesburg, Va.)
  
  
• Also: Evangelical leaders seek to focus on orphans | Leaders of two evangelical Christian organizations are urging churches to observe the first Orphan Sunday on Oct. 5 (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• State pastors against legalizing slot machines | Leaders of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches sent letters to all 50 members of the state Senate yesterday (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
  
  

Missions and ministry:

• Russia priests head to N. Korea on mission from God | Next year, two trainee priests will open an Orthodox church in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang (Reuters)
  
  
• Pray for stockbrokers | The Industrial Christian Fellowship, a cross-church group founded in 1877, said those in the financial sector missed out to "caring" professions, such as teachers and nurses, when it came to prayers in church (Reuters)
  
  
• Faith healer stirs up a storm in Fiji with miracle show | So fierce is the row that when the Fiji Times questioned the credibility of German born Reverend Reinhard Bonnke, Information Minister Simione Kaitani issued a statement saying the paper was the "anti-Christ" which insulted Christianity and the 100,000 Fijians who had witnessed the miracles here (AFP)
  
  
• Woman's ministry belies life of luxury | Former debutante devoted to inner city (Houston Chronicle)
  
  
• Ky. homeless charged for shelter stays | The city's Salvation Army chapter is charging homeless families $5 a night if they stay at its downtown shelter for more than a week, an apparently unprecedented change that has angered some homeless advocates (Associated Press)
  
  

Music:

• Reliant K is more than just punk | Relient K joined dozens of other Christian bands, performing their wacky, eclectic brand of Christian music to sold-out audiences all over the country (Alameda Times-Star, Calif.)
  
  
• Praise be! Hip-hop art gets religious | Why not replace the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus with producer-rapper Dr. Dre clutching superstar Eminem? (The Japan Times)
  
  

Film:

• Luther's lightning, via Corvallis | An Oregon couple devote four years to a feature film about Martin Luther (The Oregonian)
  
  
• Move over, Mel: 'Luther' could stir controversy | Film depicts the Catholic Church as little more than a Continental kleptocracy, completely glosses over of Luther's record of anti-Semitic remarks, and redacts his obsession with things anal (The Washington Times)
  
  
• Appeareth St. John, quietly, cautiously | A movie about the life of Jesus has slipped in beneath the radar, opening in four cities on Friday ahead of Mel Gibson's Passion. (The New York Times)
  
  
• 'You can't whitewash the events of the Bible' | Mel Gibson's movie The Passion is faithful to scripture, and that's why critics are angry, says Bible scholar Darrell Bock (Beliefnet)
  
  
• Mel Gibson film on Jesus' last hours has friends, foes | Religious leaders from around the globe have been weighing in with strongly worded statements—both pro and con (The Toledo Blade)
  
  

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September (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47