The following is another installment of the Friday Church News Notes designed especially for use in churches. It is published by Way of Life Literature's Fundamental Baptist Information Service. For instructions on how to unsubscribe to this list or to change mailing addresses, please consult the information paragraph at the end.

THE PAGAN PRACTICE OF TATTOOING. Friday Church News Notes, October 17, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Tattooing is all the craze. It is the new rock and roll fashion statement. What is the history of tattooing? It is a pagan practice and has long been associated with idolatry and debauchery. Even today it remains closely associated with paganism. An article by Clay Thompson in the Pacific News Service for July 27, 1996, was titled "Pagan Fashion's New Frontier - Facial Tattoos." Note that the author, who in this article makes no claim to be a Christian, associates tattoos with paganism. He connects it with a "new reverence for pagan beliefs." A prominent book on tattooing is titled "Pagan Fleshworks." It is by Maureen Mercury and contains photos by Steve Haworth, identified as "the foremost body modification artist in the United States." "Body modification" describes the practice of burning, inking, cutting, piercing, and otherwise desecrating one's God-given body. A July survey of more than 2,000 people in the United States, reported in the AFP for Oct. 11, found that among women who get tattoos, 34% "feel sexier," and 29% overall "feel more rebellious." It is not surprising that the Christian rock crowd, being only the slightest step behind the world in all points, is adopting tattooing from their pagan secular brethren. "Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead" (Lev. 19:28). "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22).

WORLDLY CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP MUSICIAN. Friday Church News Notes, October 17, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Darlene Zschech is one of the biggest names in contemporary worship music. She is "worship pastor" at Hills Christian Life Centre, Sydney, Australia, and has published many popular worship albums under the Hillsong Music label. She is also associated with Integrity Music and the Hosanna label. Her newest album is secular, in attempt to garner "crossover" success. In an interview with CCM.com in October 2003 ("20 Things You Probably Don't Know about Darlene Zschech" by Christa Farris), Zschech said that she is "a bit of a hippie at heart" and described herself as "hopelessly devoted" to rock star Olivia Newton-John. She said that her favorite movie is "anything with Julia Roberts in it." (Roberts became a super star by playing the role of a prostitute in "Pretty Woman.") She said the three people she would most like to meet are Billy Graham, Bono of the rock band U2, and Mother Teresa. She said that her teenage daughter's favorite music includes the rock band Coldplay. The band's song "We Never Change" has the lyrics "Oh I don't have a soul to save, Yes, and I sin every single day..."

THE U.N. WANTS CANADA TO MAKE SPANKING ILLEGAL. Friday Church News Notes, October 17, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from WorldNetDaily, Oct. 9: "As a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Canada is obligated to make periodic appearances before the U.N.'s Committee on Rights of the Child, which said the country should 'adopt legislation to remove the existing authorization of the use of "reasonable force" in disciplining children,' the National Post reported. ... The United States and Somalia are the only countries that have not signed the convention, which routinely tells members appearing before its committee to pass laws banning spanking. ... A poll published yesterday showed Canadians evenly split on the question of whether parents should be allowed to spank their children, the Canadian paper said. Overall, according to the survey, Canadians are against the use of corporal punishment by teachers. The Supreme Court of Canada also is considering a petition to repeal a federal law that lets parents, teachers or guardians apply 'reasonable force' to discipline a minor. The Canadian government seemed to play both sides of the issue. 'While the government does not support spanking of children, it is also against the criminalization of parents for lightly disciplining their kids,' said Chris Girouard, spokesman for the Department of Justice, according to the Post."

MUSLIMS CONTINUE ATTACKS AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA. Friday Church News Notes, October 17, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from Compass Direct: "Over 100 well-armed Muslim militants swarmed into three Christian villages in northern Nigeria where seven people were reportedly killed, 30 homes burned and 140 families displaced in the 8 p.m. invasion. The attack on Pamadu, Kwale and Janye in Gombe state marks the second violent clash in the area. "This is the most cruel attack on a community I have ever seen in my life," said Dr. Ishaku Iliya, chairman of the local government council. Gombe is one of 12 states in northern Nigeria that has implemented Islamic law. Since the introduction of the sharia legal code, Muslim militants have often attacked Christian areas where believers resist the enforcement of Islamic law."

POPE CALLS PRIESTLY CELIBACY AN "ESTEEMED GIFT." Friday Church News Notes, October 17, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - On October 9, the aged and infirm Pope John Paul II defended priestly celibacy, calling it "an integral part of a priest's life" (Religious News Service, Oct. 10). He said that Catholic priests must embrace "wholeheartedly the esteemed gift of celibacy and all that this involves." The demand that priests remain unmarried has contributed its share to the age-old corrupt reputation of the Catholic priesthood. It is a false teaching that is specifically condemned in the Bible and identified as demonic. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth" (1 Tim. 4:1-3). We believe that it is possible that Rome's law of priestly celibacy will be modified in coming days under a different pope.

LAOS WARS AGAINST CHRISTIANS. Friday Church News Notes, October 17, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from Religion Today, Oct. 10: "A report this week from the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission reveals how the Lao government is waging a relentless war against Christianity. The Hmong ... are major--though not exclusive--targets. Large numbers of them have turned to Christ, and are considered spies of the West, enemies of the state, and fit for extermination. Lao believers are beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and forced from their lands for refusing to renounce their faith. ... Villagers are encouraged to report any Christians to authorities, to be arrested or eliminated. Early in September the WEA interviewed a Lao observer, who said that many Hmong groups were hiding in the jungle. 'The army is attacking in three ways: with ground troops, bombs from aircrafts, and chemical weapons,' the observer said. 'The government uses helicopters and they spray out something that looks like "yellow rain." It creates headaches, diarrhea, blindness, and the teeth fall out of the mouth. Within three weeks people die. Others die from disease and starvation, and some have been captured and killed.'"

HANDSOME BOY WANTS BEAUTIFUL HOMELY GIRL. Friday Church News Notes, October 17, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Many of the newspapers in India contain marriage want ads. The Sunday Times from Delhi for Oct. 5 ran eight full pages of matrimonials. They often go something like this: "Fair handsome 5'8" Punjabi boy from wealthy, well-placed family seeking beautiful, educated, homely girl. Religion and caste no bar." (In this context, the term "homely" means a home keeper!) This reminds us of how important it is for Christian young people to prepare themselves for marriage in the will of God and to seek spiritual qualifications above physical. Mere beauty is vain and fleeting but wisdom and spiritual faithfulness are solid, eternal, and provide the foundation for a good and fruitful marriage. If the young person is not walking with Christ and dedicated to His will when he chooses a mate, he cannot expect to marry in the will of God and often lives to regret the matrimony.