The Catholic Church in the Central African Republic (CAR) has written a letter to the former rebel leader and new president, Michel Djotodia, raising concerns about his past and asking him to speak out against the suffering inflicted on civilians by his Séléka guerrillas.

     Several rebel groups joined forces in December under the banner of Séléka and within weeks had taken control of much of the country’s north, northeast and central regions, forcing President Francois Bozizé to flee the country on 24th March.

     In the letter, titled ‘No more things like that...Standing up against impunity’, the church implores Djotodia to break his silence against Séléka’s members for acts of violence including rape, looting, extortion and robbery, and to explain the existence of a letter that appears to show Djotodia’s desire to turn the Central African Republic into an Islamic republic.

     “Why shouldn’t you condemn (Séléka’s members)? Until when would you keep silent?” the Catholic Church writes, in

      ILLIA DJADI, of the World Watch Monitor, reports...  | more...|

CHILDREN OF TWO PARENT FAMILIES HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGE, SAYS GLOBAL STUDY 17th May, 2013 Children of two parent families have an educational advantage, according to the findings of a global study. Dr Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and co-author of the inaugural 2013 World Family Map Report, said the study showed that in "the vast majority of the developed world, children are more likely to thrive academically when they have two parents in the home". This includes Australia, where he said children from two parent homes "are more likely to excel in reading, and to avoid being held back in school, compared to children raised in single parent families". DAVID ADAMS reports... | more...|

THE STATISTIC:

Number of people killed in Africa by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army over the past 25 years:

More than 100,000

Source: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking on 20th May, 2013

| more... |

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SIGHT'S YEAR IN REVIEW

Sight's annual 'Year in Review' is back. See some of the stories which helped define our 2012. Of course, this is a selection of just some of our feature articles - chosen to reflect the range of issues we've covered...  | more...|

Iran’s treatment of its Christian minority has come under fresh scrutiny in recent months with some damning verdicts on the country’s human rights record.

     Reports from the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) cite evidence of “systematic persecution and prosecution” of Protestants and Christian converts, as part of a widespread violation of international laws.

     As national elections draw near (voters go to the polls on 14th June), Iran is under increasing international pressure to improve its human rights record or face continued sanctions - sanctions ICHRI says are impacting the welfare of the Iranian people.

     In its April report, A Growing Crisis: The Impact of Sanctions and Regime Policies on Iranians' Economic and Social Rights, ICHRI says that, rather than damaging the Iranian regime, sanctions resulting from Iran’s nuclear program have “brought about a severe deterioration in the ability of the Iranian people to pursue their economic and social rights”.

     STEVE DEW-JONES, of the World Watch Monitor, reports...  | more...|

FOR MORE:

Iran: Pastor arrested amid reports church

may be forced to close... | more...|

Australians love to rise to a challenge. World Vision has benefited from the generosity of Australians, especially Australian churches, for many years now. Churches are invaluable partners with us as we work together with God to help bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

     A major challenge facing the world at the moment is the fact that every year 6.9 million children die before their fifth birthday from preventable causes like pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria.

    LEIGH CAMERON, general manager of advocacy and church at World Vision Australia, writes about how in the lead-up to this year's World Health Assembly, Australians can help make a real difference in tackling the issue of child mortality...  | more...|

Suspected Islamic militants have killed a Christian leader in north-eastern Nigeria shortly after the president declared a state of emergency in the region to tackle "insurgents and terrorists" threatening Africa's most populous nation.

     The secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno State, Faye Pama Musa, a Pentecostal pastor, was shot dead in his Maiduguri home by two suspected members of the Islamic 'Boko Haram' group, officials confirmed on Wednesday, 15th May.

     "The Borno CAN secretary has been killed. We've got the report and the national president received it with heavy heart. It is very sad," said Kenny Asaka, a CAN spokesman.

     A police source reportedly said that the deceased official of the Christian umbrella group "attempted to run away but his assailants were closed on him" shooting him "at close range" late Tuesday.

    BosNewsLife reports on ongoing violence against Christians in Nigeria...  | more...|

FOR PREVIOUS:

ESSAY: BEYOND BOKO HARAM - THE LETHAL PERSECUTION OF NIGERIA'S CHRISTIANS

    In an article published by Morning Star News, ANN BUWALDA - executive director of Jubilee Campaign, and human rights attorney EMMANUEL OGEBE - Nigeria expert for the organisation, argue that the focus on terrorist group Boko Haram has overshadowed "a pattern of systemic religious violence in Nigeria"...  | more...|

CONCERNS OVER ESCALATING VIOLENCE AS AT LEAST 185 KILLED

  BosNewsLife reports on concerns over the escalating violence in Nigeria...  | more...|

I must confess, it feels a bit like groundhog week to me!

     Every year since this current Government was elected, we’ve heard assurances that they are committed to a generous and effective aid program, and firmly committed to a very achievable timetable of increasing life-saving and hope-giving foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of our Gross National Income (GNI).

     Yet every year we at Micah Challenge, along with our coalition partners, find ourselves campaigning for the Government to fulfil these commitments.

     And yesterday Senator Bob Carr, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has been in the press announcing that they once again plan to defer their commitment to reaching 0.5 per cent of GNI going to aid by another year. This takes the timetable out from the original 2015 target to 2017. We estimate this represents a cut somewhere in the order of $4 billion from projected funding, at the expense of the world’s poorest people. Mr Carr also confirmed they will once again divert almost $400 million from the aid budget next year to pay for the rising costs of onshore asylum seekers, making Australia the third largest recipient of our own overseas aid (after Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).

    With the Federal Budget to be handed down today, JOHN BECKETT, national coordinator of Micah Challenge Australia, reflects on the latest delays to Australia's foreign aid commitments...  | more...|

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OPEN BOOK SPECIAL - HUNCHES ABOUT JESUS: GETTING THE WORD OUT AND ABOUT

Opposition to the work of Jesus was spurred on by the jealousy of the religious leaders. And now, just as it was starting to get more difficult for people to come to Him, Jesus initiated a fresh approach. Those living in the towns throughout the Galilean region would have the opportunity to respond by welcoming His closest disciples. It was time for the 12 to get involved by spreading God's Word.

     The Kingdom of God has always required workers. Then it was the 12; later it would be 70; still later all of us have become involved. By sending out the 12 to cast out evil spirits, Jesus also continued the work begun by John the Baptist. As Jesus had taught, repentance prepared the soil so that the seed can bring forth a good harvest.

     So out they went. It was no fashion parade; no door-to-door selling. This was work the Rabbi had planned for His students. They were to spend time with people, live with them in their homes, get to know them and their problems, share their worries and fears. They would have to rely on the people they visited. Jesus sent His disciples out expecting that such people would be generous and hospitable - God's Kingdom is about God's generosity and hospitality.

     In his series on Hunches about Jesus, BRUCE C WEARNE examines the passage in Mark chapter six in which Jesus sends out His disciples...  | more... |

LIFE'S TOUGH QUESTIONS: DOES THE BIBLE CONDONE SLAVERY?

A common objection to the Bible is that it portrays a God who condones slavery. Considering there about 27 million slaves in the world today, it is a major issue that many Christians are involved in try to abolish. The abolitionist movement made famous by William Wilberforce was almost overwhelmingly Christian. So why would Christians fight so hard to abolish slavery if the Bible condones it?

     With any issue like this, when we want to look at what the Bible says, context is everything. To paraphrase real estate agents: context, context, context. It can’t be emphasised enough. We can’t just take an issue that we can do things about now and transport it back 2000 years into a completely different culture and context.

      The main thing that I see when I read the Bible, particularly the New Testament, is that it is written in a context of suffering. Jesus was a suffering Messiah, and the epistles were generally written to communities which were experiencing some sort of oppression and persecution.

       NILS VON KALM takes a look at what the Bible says about slavery... | more...|

SIGHT-SEEING: THE DEBATE THAT CONTINUES TO HIT OUR SHORES

The recent announcement by the Federal Government that it will be diverting even more of its overseas aid to deal with asylum seekers is more than a disappointing development. It will ironically mean asylum seekers will be coming here in bigger numbers and for longer.

     Let’s be straight - the asylum issue is more complex than the ‘tow the boats back’ or ‘humanely accept everybody’ sound bites would have us believe. Indeed a pessimistic outlook would say that Australia has little control over the issue at all. That push factors are much more important than pull factors when there are close to 10 million refugees in the world, and we take less than 15,000.

     The only ‘solution’ Australian governments can hope for is respite when the issue fades into the background for a while because boat numbers decrease or other issues steal the front page.

    The reality is we have a wonderful place to live, filled with peace and prosperity, despite what the politicians say.  While there is inequality, poverty, corruption and war across the globe, people - average everyday people like you and me - will take intolerable risks to find ‘life!’

     PAUL CLARK looks at the vexed issue of asylum seekers in Australia...  | more... |

LIFESTORY TRIBUTE: ON MEETING DALLAS WILLARD

The Christian church has lost one of its most articulate spokesman and thinkers. Dr Dallas Willard, 77, received his award in the early hours of today (Thursday, May 8th, 2013), after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

     His death came as a surprise to many as it was only on 6th May, 2013, that he revealed on his Twitter page that he was suffering from stage four cancer.

      Willard will be remembered for his many books (Spirit of the Disciplines, Renovation of the Heart, Divine Conspiracy, etc), but also for his kind soul and penetrating mind. As department chair of philosophy at University of Southern California, Willard encouraged the pursuit of truth with a clear intellect and open heart.

     A friend of mine, Christine Scheller, was able to interview Dallas for Christianity Today magazine in 2006. During a brief conversation with Christine after her interview, she told me that Dallas was an amazing human being, honest, spiritual, and very humble. Christine mentioned his deep love for his wife, Jane, and family. I was pleased to hear this; a man who lives what he teaches, I thought.

     In an article first published on ASSIST News Service, BRIAN NIXON recalls an encounter with Dallas Willard who died this week at the age of 77... | more... |

WOW! BELLA - AN INSPIRING MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG WOMEN

Bella is a fantastic Australian magazine written for young women, created to focus on issues untouched or over-emphasised by other magazines.

     Aiming to improve girls’ self-esteem, body image as well as promoting their general wellbeing, Bella works to replace the sort of “sexed-up” magazines that proliferate today.

     Regularly introducing us to inspiring young women as well as asking and answering the crucial questions, readers are taken back to their roots to consider who they are as people instead of as a dress size.

     In place of detailing the latest seven-day miracle detox, Bella presents today’s generation of young women with a healthy alternative to the photo-shopped supermodels readers are used to seeing daily.

     LAUREN MUSCAT is impressed with Bella - a magazine for young women... | more... |

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NEW! TRAA NEWS

Returning to Sight each week is the latest music news, brought to you by The Rock Across Australia...  | more... |

GRAVITY - LECRAE

American hip-hop/rap artist Lecrae is one of a handful of Christian musicians generating mainstream success. What’s unusual is that Lecrae is doing this with overt Christian lyrics. He’s not holding back just for popularity. On Walk With Me he raps: "Ah, I'm on a mission, they probably think I'm missing some screws, but it's these three nails that keep me driven. If God ain't with me I know that I'm gonna fail..."

     WES JAY on Lecrae's latest, Gravity...  | more... |

WATCH

ABRAMS' STAR TREK REMAKE (PART II) CONTINUES TO PLEASE

After director JJ Abrams revived Star Trek with the 2009 reboot, new life was given to the franchise that has been around in various films, TV series as well as numerous novels, comics and videogames.

     With so much rich material to draw from, Abrams could’ve taken the film anywhere. It was always going to be a difficult task, with the previous 10 films that ran from 1979 to 2002 fondly remembered (well, most of them), and fans of the series being both loyal and vocal. However, Abrams and his talented team managed to inject a renewed sense of zeal to the adventures of the starship Enterprise.

     Now, four years later, comes the sequel with the original cast. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the usual team have to match wits and fists with John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a former Starfleet officer now turned rogue with talk of vengeance on his mind, and impressive fighting skills at his command.

     KRIS BATHER takes a look at the latest Star Trek film, Star Trek Into Darkness...  | more...|

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ISAIAH'S MESSAGE FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH TODAY

Economic distress. Rapid population urbanisation. Declining religious freedom and ongoing religious persecution. In the introduction to her new book Turn Back the Battle, Elizabeth Kendal - an experienced religious freedom analyst and advocate of prayer for the persecuted church who formerly worked for the World Evangelical Alliance's Religious Liberty Commission - paints a bleak picture of today’s world. A picture which, in many ways, is similar to that faced by the Israelites in the days of the prophet Isaiah.

     But, drawing on the lessons of Isaiah, Kendal goes on to look at how today’s world can be changed and how, just as God intervened almost 3,000 years ago when Judah was under threat, He can do so again.

     In her detailed and insightful study of the Book of Isaiah, Kendal explains how the message of the Biblical prophet is as relevant today as it was on the day it was written. Key to this message is the question of who the church – and Christians as individuals - will trust: God or the world?

    DAVID ADAMS looks at Elizabeth Kendal's Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today...  | more... |

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FREE BIBLE PRONUNCIATION GUIDES

So you're reading some Scripture in church this coming Sunday but have no idea how to pronounce some of the names in the passage you're reading? Don't worry, help is at hand. Today we're taking a look at a couple of websites you can turn to for help. First up is Net Ministries' 'Biblical Words Pronunciation Guide'. Easy to navigate, just select the first letter of the word you want to pronounce and then pick the word from the list. You'll see a phonetic representation and will hear the pronunication through your speakers.

      DAVID ADAMS looks at some free resources to help you with pronouncing Biblical names... | more... |

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TRENDSPOTTER: 3D PRINTING TO CHANGE THE FACE OF MANUFACTURING

Described as a development which is potentially "bigger than the internet", the emerging field of 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) potentially promises the creation of everything from food to car components, all at the touch of a button. Unlike traditional manufacturing processes which strip away material to create an object, 3D printers - or 'fabricators' - use an additive process in which material is progressively added to the object being constructed, building it from the ground up, so to speak. The technology is already used in a range of industries for both building prototypes and manufacturing some components but experts say the uses so far are only scratching the surface of what could be built (one project currently on the drawing board is the building of an entire house using a 3D fabricator; another the printing of moon bases).

     DAVID ADAMS takes a quick look at the emerging technology of 3D printing... | more...|

ORIGINS: THE NATION'S CAPITAL TURNS 100

Australia's capital city, Canberra, this month celebrated 100 years since its official founding. But what are its origins?

     Canberra was born out of the need for the new Federation of Australia - created in 1901 when six separate British colonies on the continent of Australia united in the formation of a new nation - to have an official capital city.

     While eyes initially turned to the existing state capitals of Sydney and Melbourne, it was soon realised that neither would be acceptable to the inhabitants of the other. And so a compromise was reached - Melbourne would serve as the temporary capital until a new city was built, located between Melbourne and its northern neighbour Sydney.

    DAVID ADAMS gives a brief overview of the founding of Australia's capital city, Canberra...  | more...|

SIGHT HELPDESK: "HAVE YOU RESTARTED YOUR COMPUTER?"

"Have you restarted your computer?”
      The phrase can make the most patient of computer users cringe, but it is the one that is used the most. In fact, a British sitcom called The IT Crowd was created in which one of the lines frequently used was "Have you tried turning it off and back on again?"

     It added comedic value to the series, however, while working on a busy service desk, I heard it being used like clockwork; usually around one minute into the call. The caller had just explained their problem and with the regularity of a Swiss timepiece, the question would be asked: “Have you restarted your computer?”
      And the conversation would continue: “No, no I haven’t.”
  “Well if you could do that and call us back if the problem persists,” the call taker would say. For the inexperienced staff, you could hear the desperation in their voices that the caller would do exactly that. They’d hope the caller got someone else next time.

      Despite being the butt of many jokes, ALAN TAYLOR says advice relating to restarting the computer is often a good place to start when addressing problems... | more...|

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