NEW YORK (ABP) — Observers of religion in public life have been scratching their heads about inclusion of a Baptist scholar known for advocating the separation of church and state in a recent Newsweek magazine article titled "Faces of the Christian Right."

The photo slideshow named Melissa Rogers, director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, as one of 11 individuals who speak for a new Religious Right described as "more strategically, denominationally and ideologically diverse" than before.

Melissa Rogers

Her name appeared alongside well-known social conservatives including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Jim Daly of Focus on the Family as possible successors to leaders like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson now retiring from the political stage.

Newsweek chose Rogers, a former staff member at the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, for her recently finished term as chair of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The group made recommendations about how to provide taxpayer funding for social services by religious institutions without violating the First Amendment's restriction on government sponsorship of religion.

"It's not as sexy as praying with the president, but it's the sort of stuff that fundamentally shapes the relationship between the government and the church for years to come," Newsweek reported.

Pundits that follow religion and politics reacted swiftly.

"Legal scholar Melissa Rogers is most decidedly not a member of the Christian right," Sarah Posner, associate editor of Religion Dispatches, weighed in.

Posner described Rogers, who also is a senior fellow with the Washington think tank the Brookings Institution, as "one of the country's best authorities on church-state separation law and an advocate for enforcement of the Establishment Clause."

Posner continued: "Not only would Rogers herself be surprised to be on the list, I'd imagine, but so would the Christian right itself: one of its core aims is the reversal of Supreme Court jurisprudence on the separation of church and state."

Looking over the Newsweek listing, Steve Thorngate at Christian Century found little they all have in common "other than being Christians, broadly right to center-left theologically, who have some degree of political influence in one area or another."

Sarah Pulliam Bailey at the Get Religion blog recalled an article she wrote last year in Christianity Today questioning whether the term "Christian/religious right" is even helpful anymore.

Rogers said she talked to reporters at Newsweek and hoped the headline would be changed. After it appeared that was not going to happen, she registered her objection in a comment on Newsweek's website.

"I'm a Christian, but I'm not part of the 'Christian Right,'" she wrote "That's partially because the terms 'Christian Right' or 'Religious Right' suggest that a person holds a set of positions, a number of which I have actively opposed."

While no one familiar with her work "would describe me as a member of the Christian Right," Rogers said, "At the same time, I don't claim to be part of the 'Christian Left.'"

"Part of my concern with both of these titles is that they often describe situations in which political views define religious views," she commented.

Another name on the Newsweek list was Jim Wallis, a progressive evangelical whose advocacy against social ills like poverty and inequality earlier this year prompted Fox News personality Glenn Beck to advise his conservative listeners to leave churches that teach "social justice."

Aaron Weaver, a doctoral student in religion, politics and society who writes a weekly news review for Baptists Today labeled the Newsweek article "religion journalism at its worst."

–Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

TYLER—The fifth annual Christmas in the Village event drew more 1,500 visitors to Breckenridge Village of Tyler, a Baptist Child & Family Services assisted-living campus for adults with developmental disabilities.

A holiday gift shop in the Breckenridge Village chapel featured handcrafted items created by residents, including hand-dipped scented pine cones, candles, gift bags, knitted caps, Christmas cards and note cards.

This year, patrons cheered as the local fire and EMS department put on a show with their whirling fire truck lights and a helicopter circling above the campus that safely landed with its crew.

Guinness world record holder David Slick with “Slick Jugglers” from Fort Worth kept the crowd entertained with juggling, unicycling, skateboarding and stiltwalking.

Breckenridge Village’s resident musicians, the Rhythm Band Rockers, performed at the event, along with the Young Men’s Quartet from All Saints High School, Matt and Megan Magill, the Candy Crocker’s Girls, as well as Green Acres Baptist Church’s Elevate and Vertical Praise groups.

Pam Toulouse from Green Acres Baptist Church sang “O Holy Night” during the ceremonial lighting of the campus chapel, which shed light on a live Nativity scene.

The 2010 Christmas in the Village raised more than $35,000 that will go toward the scholarship fund established to help residents continue to make Breckenridge Village their home.

DALLAS—A regional accrediting agency has issued an official warning to Criswell College, citing issues regarding “institutional effectiveness” in planning and assessment.

The Bible college—established about 40 years ago by First Baptist Church of Dallas and named for its longtime pastor W.A. Criswell—retains its accreditation but will be monitored by the accrediting agency for the next year.

A warning is the least-severe public citation the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools issues. The maximum time during monitoring any school can be on warning is two years. The warning grew out of the accrediting agency’s regular review of the school, scheduled every 10 years.

“The cited standards expect an accredited institution to provide evidence that it (1) has an ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide planning and evaluation process supporting the accomplishment of its mission, (2) identifies and evaluates expected outcomes and uses findings to improve educational programs and administrative and educational support services, (3) has the capability and processes for completing a quality enhancement plan, and (4) identifies college-level general education competencies,” according to a statement issued by the SACS Commission on Colleges.

Criswell College President Jerry Johnson told the Dallas Morning News the school will deal with the agency’s concerns. Johnson resigned as the college’s president two years ago after a public disagreement with church leaders about the school’s future. This summer, the college officially separated from First Baptist Church of Dallas and established an independent board. The new board voted unanimously last month to rehire Johnson as president.

Johnson told the Dallas Morning News he was pleased the accrediting agency cited no issues related to the governance change, and he promised the school would demonstrate progress in planning and assessment.

“The school had not been focused on that during this year of transition,” he said. “We will be focused on that in a greater way.”

Next year, Criswell College will submit a report to SACS in September and be visited by the agency in October. The school likely will learn in early December if the warning has been lifted.

Three years ago, the accrediting agency placed Criswell on probation for not meeting standards in financial stability and financial control, but it was cleared a year later.

Johnson reported Criswell College had 365 students enrolled in its fall semester and is financially sound.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — The vast majority of Americans celebrate Christmas and most consider it a religious holiday, but for many Jesus isn't the only — or even the main — reason for the season, according to a new report by LifeWay Research.

"Americans give Jesus a head nod at Christmas but spend most of the season pleasing their eyes, ears and taste buds with decorations, music and meals," said Scott McConnell, director of the research division of the Southern Baptist Convention publisher LifeWay Christian Resources. "Many celebrate Christmas the way most have celebrated Halloween — the fun traditions without sharing the religious significance."

LifeWay Research polled more than 2,100 people representative of the adult population of the United States between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1. Despite the annual debate over whether merchants should avoid using "Merry Christmas" as a holiday greeting out of respect for non-Christians, LifeWay found that only 9 percent are at risk of being offended, because nine in 10 Americans (91 percent) say they celebrate Christmas.

The holiday is even popular for non-Christians. More than half of atheists (55 percent) and nearly two thirds (62 percent) of people claiming other religions said they personally observe the holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Three fourths (74 percent) of Americans said they either strongly agree or agree somewhat that Christmas is primarily a day for religious celebration and observance. Seventy percent said they believe that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus and 79 percent said they believe "Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season."

For most Americans, however, worship takes a backseat to secular observances like gathering with family and exchanging gifts. Four out of five (81 percent) chose family traditions as the most important part of their Christmas holiday.

Two thirds (67 percent) said many of the things they enjoy during the Christmas season have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus Christ.

Four out of five Americans put up a Christmas tree, 79 percent listen to Christmas music and 77 percent decorate their homes.

Christians (94 percent) are more likely to give gifts than non-Christians. Researchers said that may explain why Christians are most likely to encourage belief in Santa Claus.

Overall, a little more than one-third of households (38 percent) encourage belief in Santa, compared to 42 percent of Christian households. Just 27 percent of agnostics or those without a religious preference, 22 percent of those claiming other religions and 18 percent of atheists encourage belief in Santa Claus.

At 58 percent, encouraging belief in Jesus as Savior is actually more common than encouraging belief in Santa, but  only 28 percent said they read or tell the Christmas story from the Bible as part of their holiday celebration.

Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, said the research demonstrates both the increasing secularization of the Christmas experience and an opportunity for Christians.

"Churches often look forward to some of their largest attendance of the year at Christmas week services, and 47 percent of Americans say their household typically attends such church services," Stetzer said. "It may not be a huge percentage, but the survey suggests that Christmas does provide an opportunity for churches to reach typically unchurched individuals."

Stetzer urged Christians to step into the "gap between Christmas participation and biblical information" to proclaim the story of Jesus Christ.

"Christians can often get distracted during Christmas and completely overlook the opportunity to represent Christ to their neighbors," Stetzer said. "Believers can and should put Christ first in our Christmas celebrations and then represent Him to a world in need of the biblical understanding of 'peace on earth.'"

Previous research by LifeWay in 2008 found that people are more open to considering matters of faith during the Christmas season than at other times of the year.

DALLAS— The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board unanimously approved a 15-person committee to find the convention’s next executive director.

Voting electronically, board members Dec. 17 approved the 15 people nominated by the chair and vice chair of the board and the elected convention officers.

Members of the search committee members are:

• Ron Lyles, pastor of South Main Baptist Church in Pasadena and BGCT Executive Board member. He will serve as chair of the committee.

• Jerry Dailey, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in San Antonio and BGCT Executive Board member

• Charlotte Young, member of First Baptist Church in Dimmitt and BGCT Executive Board member

• Ernestine Haas, member of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas and BGCT Executive Board member

• Fred Roach, member of The Heights Baptist Church in Richardson and BGCT Executive Board member

• Jay Abernathy, pastor of First Baptist Church in Palestine and BGCT Executive Board member

• John Wheat, pastor of First Baptist Church in Kenedy and BGCT Executive Board member

• David Lowrie, pastor of First Baptist Church in El Paso and immediate past president of the BGCT

• Jesse Rincones, pastor of Alliance Baptist Church in Lubbock

• Charles Price, director of missions for San Antonio Baptist Association and member of First Baptist Church in San Antonio

• Gloria Mills, Texas WMU president and member of First Baptist Church in Henderson

• Frank Sanchez, member of the Cowboy Church of Ellis County in Waxahachie

• Frances Barrera, member of Crossroad Baptist Church in Plainview

• Jason Lee, pastor of Tallowood Chinese Baptist Church in Houston

• Michael Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield

Four people have been put forward as non-voting advisors to the committee:

• Jerry Bradley, president of Children at Heart Ministries in Round Rock

• Paul Armes, president of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview

• Bill Arnold , president of Texas Baptists Mission Foundation

• Joyce Ashcraft , regional ministry director for Texas Baptists’ Collegiate Ministry

The search committee members are grateful to be chosen to serve Texas Baptists in this role and will seek God’s guidance as they seek out the convention’s next executive director, Lyles said.

“I believe that I speak for each member of the committee in declaring that we are humbled and honored to be asked to serve in this capacity. At the same time, we realize that membership in this group is not an honorary position but one that will require an investment of spiritual discernment, meaningful evaluation, harmonious cooperation, relational trust, personal energy, and devoted time,” he said.

“My commitment to Texas Baptists is that I will seek to guide the deliberative process of this search committee in a way that will keep us singularly focused on the goal of finding the one whom God desires to be our next Executive Director. I invite all Texas Baptists to join us in this significant task by praying that we will seek the wisdom of God’s Spirit with integrity and sensitivity.”

In a letter to the executive board members that presented the nominations, BGCT Executive Board Chair Debbie Ferrier said the elected officers worked together to formulate the nominations, noting they sought Texas Baptists “who live their lives every day according to what the Scriptures teach” and “who affirm Hope 1:8 and who are living their lives every day reaching the world for Christ.”

Hope 1:8 is a convention campaign based on Acts 1:8 that seeks to encourage each Texas Baptist and each Texas Baptist church to share the hope of Christ locally, across the state and around the world.

“My request is that Texas Baptists will be mindful of the search committee and pray for them daily,” Ferrier said. “Pray for the staff and employees of the BGCT. Pray for the officers of the convention.  Pray for the executive directors. Pray for our institutions and their leaders. Pray for the churches and pray for those who are still seeking the hope that only comes from Jesus Christ.”

On Dec. 13, the board electronically voted to empower Steve Vernon, associate executive director, “to assume all responsibilities and authority related to the role of executive director in the absence of an executive director.”

Vernon will take on that role following the departure of Executive Director Randel Everett, who will become pastor of First Baptist Church in Midland on Jan. 16. The board overwhelmingly approved the motion with only one member voting against it.

SAN ANTONIO—Hardin-Simmons University’s women’s soccer team won the NCAA Division III National Championship with a 2-1 win over Messiah at the Blossom Athletic Complex in San Antonio.

“This is big for our whole school and our conference,” said Marcus Wood, HSU head coach. “Our girls came out and I thought took it to them early in the game. We got the two goals, and then even after that, I thought we held our composure and were able to do a lot of good things in the game. Messiah is a great team. We definitely earned the win tonight.”

The Hardin-Simmons University team receives the trophy as NCAA Division III National Champions.

HSU's Erin Low was named the offensive MVP of the tournament, and her teammate Rebecca Roth was named the defensive MVP.

“Erin Low played the best game of her life,” Wood said. “I have coached Erin since she was 11 years old as a club player. I have never seen her play better than she did this weekend. She was a senior, and I started a freshman over her for most of the season. Erin didn’t like it, and she told me that, but I told her to stay with us that we would need her. The freshman got hurt, and Erin played great throughout the playoffs. She took advantage of her time.”

Roth finished the night with six saves, including four in the second half.  

“As a goalkeeper, you live to have the ball hit at you,” said Roth. “I am so proud of my teammates, and we are so excited to be national champions. Our whole team just beat a very good soccer team. We made the plays we had to over and over tonight.”

Messiah came into the tournament as the two-time defending NCAA champion. The team had not lost since the 2007 final against Wheaton. They finished the year with a record of 24-1.

Hardin-Simmons finished the season with a 24-0-1 record. The one tie was in the semifinals, and HSU advanced on penalty kicks. The NCAA title was the first for Hardin-Simmons as a member of Division III. The university joined Division III in the 1996-97 school year.

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — A delegation of 12 American Baptist leaders recently returned from a 13-day study tour in the Middle East. Goals of the trip included helping American Baptists become more familiar with the life of the church in the Middle East, learning how Christians and Muslims in the Middle East are building bridges in the face of the rise of radical Islam and better understanding the forces at play that make the Holy Land a powder keg.

Roy Medley

Roy Medley, general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA described the Nov. 28-Dec. 13 trip as "an excellent learning experience."

Highlights of the trip included a day-long visit with Prince Ghazi, a member of the royal family of Jordan, at a recently opened center on the Jordan River marking the spot where Jesus is believed to have been baptized.

Medley delivered a major address Dec. 2 to a predominantly Sunni Muslim crowd about Baptists' role in defending religious liberty in the United States.

The tour began with intensive study at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut facilitated by author Colin Chapman, an expert on Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle East. Prior to making the trip the Americans read books including Chapman's Cross and Crescent and Blood Brothers by Elias Chador.

In addition to dialogue with Muslims, the group had opportunities to interact with Arab Christians in the Middle East. "It is clear that our Arab sisters and brothers need our continued prayers as they faithfully strive to serve Christ under extreme and challenging conditions that tear apart their daily lives," the group stated in a press release.

One message driven home more than once was that when derogatory or inflammatory statements are made about Islam in the West, the churches in the East suffer as radicals use those statements to inflame others.

Medley said delegates also came away keenly aware of negative effects of Christian Zionism — a view that Israel has absolute right to the land because the Bible says so — and the complexities of U.S. policies in the region.

In a blog written on the road Dec. 5, Medley said the path to peace and reconciliation in the Mideast is not an easy one.

"The attitudes towards Israel vary from 'we can never accept its existence' to 'we can live with Israel as a state if there is justice for the Palestinians,'" he wrote. "The appeal for justice for Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim, demands our attention."

"Just as Christians do not accept uncritically every action of our government as in accord with our faith, nor can we accept every action of Israel as worthy of support," Medley said. "As U.S. Christians we are rightly challenged to develop a more balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the justice issues present in those communities."

The group said it found a "genuine desire" among many Islamic leaders for improved relations between Muslims and Christians. Arab Baptist Theological Seminary received high marks for its efforts to promote dialogue and reconciliation between the two faith communities.

While dialogue among religious leaders and scholars is important, participants agreed the real need is to get similar conversations going on in villages and communities to bring people together locally to better understand one another and work together for the good of all.

"I came on the trip with an open mind, wanting to learn as much as I could," said participant June Peters, "but there is much more to learn and much more work to be done in this part of the world."

WASHINGTON (RNS)—While more than nine out of 10 Americans say they plan to celebrate Christmas this year, they are divided on whether businesses should use messages like "Season's Greetings" rather than "Merry Christmas," according to a new poll.   

The latest PRRI/RNS Religion News Poll , released Dec. 16, found Americans are split, 44 percent in favor and 49 opposed, on whether retailers should use generic holiday greetings out of respect or people of different faiths.   

The so-called "War on Christmas" has been a rallying cry for conservatives in recent years as they resist attempts to remove nativity scenes from town squares, Christmas carols from public schools and the words "Merry Christmas" from sales flyers. 

The poll found a significant number of people engaging in secularized celebrations of Christmas, with Americans more likely to watch Christmas movies like It's A Wonderful Life (83 percent) than attend religious services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (66 percent). 

The holiday season is also slightly interreligious: One in 10 Americans say members of their families also celebrate another December holiday, such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. 

Researchers said the range of ways that Americans celebrate Christmas could explain why the holy day is taking on a less religious feel.

Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, which conducted the poll in partnership with Religion News Service, said Christmas has always evolved, from its Dec. 25 date claimed from a Roman pagan festival, to the decorated tree from German tradition.

The fact that significant numbers of Americans read both the biblical story of Jesus' birth and "`Twas the Night before Christmas" is a continuation of that tradition, he said.

The PRRI/RNS poll also found:

• College graduates, Democrats and people with no formal religious ffiliation are more likely to have family celebrating more than one December holiday.

• Slightly more Americans (43 percent) read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" than read a Christmas story from the Bible (40 percent).

• Half of Republicans, three in four white evangelicals, and two in three black Protestants say they read the Christmas story from the Bible. Fewer portions of Democrats (34 percent), white mainline Protestants (37 percent) and Catholics (26 percent) do likewise.

• Most white evangelicals (79 percent) and Catholics (82 percent) attend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day services, compared to 63 percent of white mainline Protestants.

• White evangelicals (69 percent) and Republicans (64 percent) are most likely to say stores should use "Merry Christmas," while a majority of Democrats (58 percent) and Catholics (55 percent) prefer generic holiday greetings instead.

• People in the Midwest (56 percent), South (54 percent) or rural areas (53 percent) are more likely to object to generic holiday greetings than those living in the Northeast (33 percent) or urban areas (47 percent).

While some Christians bemoan the commercialization of Christmas, interfaith organizations and Christmas advocates see reason to cheer its wider appeal.

Robert Putnam, a Harvard scholar and co-author of American Grace: How Religion Unites and Divides Us, said he found it surprising that nearly half of Americans choose "Happy Holidays" as their preferred consumer greeting.

"That represents a major change over the last 50 years toward greater interfaith sensitivity," he said.

Although there's no long-term data on the trend — "because no one would even have thought to ask that on a survey," he said — Putnam
suspects it closely mirrors American's growing acceptance of intermarriage.
  
Phil Okrend, president of MixedBlessing, a company that makes interfaith and multicultural holiday cards, said it makes sense to consider regional demographics regarding December behavior.

"If you live somewhere with a majority of Christians, then you can say `Merry Christmas,' and if you're in a more diverse area, you can say
`Happy Holidays,'" he said. "It's not diminishing anything, because we're more alike than not."

The PRRI/RNS Religion News Poll was based on telephone interviews conducted Dec. 9 to 12, with 1,015 U.S. adults. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

PLAINVIEW—Students and staff at Wayland Baptist University’s student leadership and activities office turned their attention far from the Plainview campus, hoping to spread Christmas cheer to troops overseas.

They scurried to pack boxes for a military platoon stationed in Afghanistan, facing harsh circumstances and the holidays away from home. The 33-member platoon includes the son of Denton Lankford, associate professor of justice and public administration at Wayland.

Wayland Baptist University student activities coordinator Ericka Miller (left) works on packing boxes of items for a military platoon in Afghanistan, with help from office secretary Brenda Huckabee (center) and Wayland sophomore Carissa Nichols, a student worker in the office. Twelve boxes will be shipped to the platoon of 33 for Christmas. (WAYLAND PHOTO)

When he mentioned his son’s situation to Tommie Quebe in the Wayland president’s office, she in turn called Ericka Miller, coordinator of student activities, to askabout a service project.Students and staff at Wayland Baptist University’s student leadership and activities office turned their attention far from the Plainview campus, hoping to spread Christmas cheer to troops overseas.

“When Tommie called us, we started thinking about what we could do for these guys and how we could get students, as well as faculty and staff involved,” Miller said.

Lankford provided Miller more information about what the troops needed—basic toiletries, coffee, tea, heavy socks and T-shirts, Bibles, hard candy and snacks, sports magazines, and envelopes and stamps. She and her students then assembled notes and e-mails to spread the word about Operation Care Package.

“We went to the store and bought a box full of different things that could be a care package for one person to use as a sample. Then we decided to set up a place for students to take photos and make Christmas cards to send with the boxes,” Miller said. The students were invited to bring items to include in care packages, donate money or just make a photo card.

For the two days before Thanksgiving and two days after the break, students filed through the McClung Center parlor and posed in Santa hats, reindeer ears and other holiday accessories for photos. Then they signed cards, many writing a brief note of thanks and encouragement to the troops, creating 60 cards.

“At first, they were a little unsure about writing cards to total strangers, but then they got into it more,” she said. “I think it’s going to mean more than the students think it will, just seeing faces and reading their notes.”

Although she doesn’t know any of the troops personally, Miller said, it was an easy decision to jump into the project with both feet and get students involved.

“They were telling me about these guys being on a mountain in zero-degree weather, where it’s rat-infested and they don’t get a shower but about once a month. I was thinking about myself being cold-natured, hating rats and loving my showers and thought we had to do something to help,” Miller said.

“The sacrifice they make is so great, and the troops are often out of sight, out of mind. I can just imagine being over there and being so grateful for any one of these things.”

While the original goal was to create 33 individual boxes for each member of the platoon, as items began arriving from employees and students, the office opted to just fill larger boxes with the items and send them on their way, Miller explained.

The money donated was used to purchase enough of each personal item for the troops to have their own. In the end, about 12 boxes will be shipped to Afghanistan.

Student worker Carissa Nichols, a sophomore from Taos, N.M., said working on the project was special to her.

“I think it’s a cool opportunity for us. You don’t always get to do things that you know will help people, and we know they are dedicated and serving for us. This is a chance to give a little back to them,” Nichols said.

Lankford was impressed by how the simple conversation about his son’s situation turned into a major care package effort.

“I was amazed when I walked in and saw all they had collected. It’s astounding, and I just praise the Lord for this,” he said. “I want to personally thank all the students, faculty and staff who contributed to this effort. It’ll make their Christmases a lot brighter and happier under the circumstances. I know it’ll brighten their day 6,500 miles away.”

Lankford also encouraged continued prayer for the platoon, noting that they face ambush and extreme circumstances daily, with about a year left on their assignment in Afghanistan.

LONDON (ABP) — Residents of Gaza see no hope for a brighter future — and that's one of the most distressing aspects of the situation in the Middle East, according to an international Christian aid-and-development group’s advocacy officer for the region.

Hanan Elmasu of the United Kingdom-based organization Christian Aid worked on a new briefing detailing the impact of Israel's measures to ease the blockade of Gaza after six months.

Elmasu, a regular visitor to Gaza, told the British Baptist newspaper The Baptist Times, “Life for Gaza civilians is very traumatic. There is very little economic activity, high unemployment and much of the population are dependent on handouts.”

She continued: “I’ve been going to Gaza for several years and have seen how life has changed. What’s distressing is the destruction of the people there. There used to be a glimmer of hope but now there is an inability of people to plan for the future. Parents can’t provide for their children, children aren’t going to school because of a lack of construction materials and you put all that together and it's a hopeless position.”

Christian Aid was part of an international coalition of 22 development, human-rights and peace-building organizations that compiled a report looking at the effects of Israel's measures to ease the blockade of Gaza. The Israeli government announced in June that it would soften the blockade to improve conditions in the tiny, densely populated strip of land that hugs the Mediterranean between Israel and Egypt.

The report, Dashed Hopes: Continuation of the Gaza Blockade, says that little has changed for Gaza's 1.5 million residents, because “not only has Israel neglected to address major elements of the blockade in its easing measures, such as lifting the ban on exports from Gaza, but it has failed so far to live up to key commitments it did make.”

For instance, Israel promised to expand and accelerate imports of construction materials for U.N. and other international projects such as schools, health centers, houses and sewage plants. Many of those facilities were damaged or destroyed during the military attacks Israel launched on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009. 

But in reality progress has been “slow and limited” since Israel’s pledge, says the report.

An average of only 715 truckloads of construction materials have entered the Gaza Strip per month since the easing announcement. The United Nations has estimated that Gaza needs 670,000 truckloads of construction materials for housing alone.

Exports from Gaza remain banned, which continues to “cripple” the local economy, while the movement of people has also seen little change, adds the report.

The coalition is calling for renewed international action to ensure “an immediate, unconditional and complete lifting of the blockade.”

Israeli officials have criticized the report, saying the groups — many of them international Christian organizations — that compiled it are politically disposed in favor of the Palestinians and against Israel.

"The claims of the organizations, as they appear in the report, are biased and distorted and therefore mislead the public," Maj. Guy Inbar, spokesman for Israel's Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, told CNN shortly after the report was released Nov. 30.

"The number of truckloads entering the Gaza Strip every day via the Kerem Shalom Crossing has increased by 92 percent," Inbar said. "Despite the fact that Israel has increased the capacity so that 250 trucks could enter Gaza every day, the Palestinians themselves have not reached this capacity. From the beginning of August 2010, the average number of truckloads entering Gaza each day stands at 176."

But the report notes that, although Israel has allowed more goods into Gaza since June, it's not enough to repair the damage done by the 2008 and 2009 raids.

–Paul Hobson is news editor of The Baptist Times , the weekly newspaper of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. ABP Managing Editor Robert Marus contributed to this story.

Read more:

Report on efforts to ease Gaza blockade

Related ABP stories:

Interfaith leaders urge Obama to act quickly on Middle East peace (1/22/2009)

Baptist groups send aid to Gaza victims (1/8/2009)

Gaza Baptist Church caught in crossfire (1/6/2009)

(ABP) — Serene manger scenes and Magi represent the extent of most American Christians’ understanding of Bethlehem. But EGM Films’ powerful new documentary, Little Town of Bethlehem, tells the story of a Bethlehem that doesn’t lie so still. The movie provides a glimpse into the lives of three remarkable individuals who have committed to non-violence as a way of bringing peace to a troubled land.

A Nativity scene painted as a mural on the wall that divides Israeli and Palestinian parts of the Bethlehem area. (EGM Films)

These three men — a Palestinian Christian, a Palestinian Muslim, and an Israeli Jew — tell their stories. Instead of using policy or history experts from a particular ideological bent or an all-knowing narrator to guide the audience through the movie, the filmmakers wisely allow all of the narrative and exposition to come from the lives of these three men.

Sami Awad is a Palestinian Christian who directs Bethlehem’s Holy Land Trust. His Christian faith, along with his respect for Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., informs his convictions on non-violence. Throughout the movie, Sami provides powerful interpretations of the Christian message that have been deepened by living where there are daily challenges to that faith.

Ahmad Al’Azzeh is a Palestinian Muslim who has lived his entire life in the impoverished Azzah refugee camp. His commitment to non-violence puts him at odds with many in his own community who blame their desperate situation on failed peace movements in the past. Ahmad faces a personal cost as well. His convictions could have could have dire consequences for his infirm young son. But in spite of the danger to himself and his family, Ahmad continues to teach in the non-violence program at Holy Land Trust.

Men near the wall that divides Israeli from Palestinina parts of Bethlehem. (EGM Films)

Yonatan Shapira was an Israeli Defense Forces helicopter pilot. After the Second Intifada in 2000, he joined with other pilots who refused to fly sorties that put Palestinian civilians at risk. The courage of his convictions set him at odds with his government and his own family. Yonatan’s father was a well-respected squadron commander in the Israeli Air Force. The obvious pride Yonatan feels for his heroic father stands in conflict with the shame he feels for acts his fellow countrymen have committed.

Each of the men struggles in his own community. Sami reflects on friendships that go back to elementary school. Those same friends have participated in violent acts to have their voices heard. Ahmad reflects on how, typically, “non-violence” in his community is a synonym for “cowardice” and “weakness.” Yet, as a native member of the Azzah community, he speaks with a voice that his neighbors cannot simply dismiss. Yonatan reflects on the irony that it was the principles of the Israeli Defense Force of “defense” and “human dignity” that led him to convictions that put him at odds with those in command of the IDF.

Each man’s story is woven together with stirring sounds and visuals. Images of European Jewish ghettos appear next to Bethlehem’s security fence. The barbed-wire fences of Auschwitz are juxtaposed with barbed-wire security checkpoints in the Bethlehem area. In the movie’s soundtrack, Israeli and Palestinian instruments effectively blend with Memphis blues, underscoring the parallels between the American Civil Rights Movement and struggle for peace in the Middle East (along with scenes from the movement paralleled — stunningly — with modern Middle Eastern scenes). Many of these images flash quickly, presented without interpretation.

Palestinian Christian Sami Awad, dressed as Santa Claus at a Bethlehem protest. (EGM Films)

No single movie can fully capture the tragedy of a conflict as diverse and historic as the Israeli-Palestinian situation. This movie helps to combat the ignorance that exists in much of American Christian culture about this issue. It provides faces for those who suffer and names for those who struggle.

The filmmakers ask: “Can the cycle of violence be broken?” If more individuals have the courage and hearts of these three wise men, then the world can have hope.

Little Town of Bethlehem, directed by Jim Hanon and produced by Ethnographic Media, 2010. 75 minutes. Rated PG-13. Information about scheduled screenings in North America and elsewhere and information on purchasing the film can be found on the film’s website.

–Robert Wallace is a professor of biblical studies at Judson University in Elgin. Ill.

TYLER (ABP) — Two men accused in a string of East Texas arsons fires early in 2010 pleaded guilty Dec. 15 to burning five churches in a Smith County court.

McAllister

According to the Tyler Telegraph, Jason Bourque, 20, pleaded guilty to five counts of arson. Daniel McAllister, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of arson and two counts of attempted arson. Prosecutors said they will seek life in prison for the duo when they are sentenced Jan. 10.

The charges stemmed from fires that destroyed Dover Baptist Church, Tyland Baptist Church, First Church of Christ, Scientist, Prairie Creek Fellowship Church and Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church, all in Smith County.

In all the men are suspected of setting 10 churches on fire in three counties between Jan. 1 and Feb. 8. They were arrested Feb. 21 after more than a week of surveillance after calls to a tip line. The investigation included state, local and federal law enforcement.

A Smith County grand jury indicted both men for the crimes in May. Since their arrest they have been held in the Smith County jail on bonds of $10 million apiece.

On Dec. 9 they waived their right to a jury trial. They entered guilty pleas Dec. 15 to all of the charges against them, with of the charges reduced or dropped.

As teenagers Bourque and McAllister attended youth group together at First Baptist Church in Ben Wheeler, Texas. McAllister dropped out of church and started hanging out with the wrong crowd after his mother died from a heart attack and a stroke in October 2007. Bourque's attendance dropped off after family moved to another town about 20 miles away.

Previous ABP stories:

Grand jury hears evidence in Texas church-arson cases (5/14)

Two former Baptist youth-group members suspected in church arsons (2/22)