What Are DigiTracts?
DigiTracts are presentations of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Each presentation includes music, animation and biblically sound content. You can view the DigiTracts online, download them to your computer or embed them in your own webpages to share with visitors.

WaPo - Cyber-Savvy Pastors Blog When the Spirit Moves Them
The Washington Post reports on how some churches and pastors are using the latest internet technology to share the gospel (Matthew 24:14):

Reaching out to younger generations has long been one of the major challenges for ministers, but hundreds think they have found an answer in blogging. A growing number are taking the Gospel to the Web hoping to get people thinking daily about faith. Many pastors say blogging has become an increasingly integral part of their ministry as they attempt to reverse the decline in church attendance by people in their twenties and thirties.

I think this is a great idea and I think all churches should have official blogs and all Christian writers should be encouraged to start blogs and share their faith on the internet.

Godcasting
USA Today reports ('Godcasting:' Love that new-time religion) on churches using the latest technology, including HD broadcasting and podcasting, to share the gospel. With the internet, the world is your pulpit.

InformationWeek - Five Ways To Keep Your Google Searches Private
IWeek reports, "Word that the government has been seeking search data from Google has struck fear into the hearts of Internet Explorer and Firefox users. Here are five simple steps to keep outsiders from uncovering private information about your Web browsing habits."

Google's Dangerous Kowtow to China
Google won liberty points last week for fighting a federal subpeana to turn over massive amounts of search data to the U.S. government. They earn demerits this week for agreeing to censor their search engine to satisfy Beijing's desire for social and political control (BBC - Google move 'black day' for China). What happened to Google's "do no evil" motto?

Bloggers Fight Repression
Some time ago I linked to a news report about a guide published to help bloggers avoid the tactics used by repressive governments to control the Internet. The guide contains information that would be useful to human rights activists and missionaries operating in China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and other countries that limit free expression. There is a chance that the news report may be outdated and the link may have expired, but the guide itself can be found here in PDF.

Using Mobile Devices
The Web Evangelism Newsletter had a report about using mobile devices to share the gospel:

Although mobile devices have been with us for some years, till now there have not been too many avenues to use the medium for evangelism. With the
new 3G devices, things may change. At last it is practical to download, and pass to friends, video and cartoon clips. There is great potential for short specially-made downloads of this type, and Christians are discussing the best way to utilize this medium. They recommend ATS Tracts as one of several groups developing material in this area. Finally, check out the Gospelcom guide to mobile tech.

Now that the enemy is preparing to send porn to mobile devices, I think it's only fair to counter with the Gospel.

Guardian Unlimited - State Dept. Cites Saudi Arabia on Rights
The Guardian Unlimited reports on the release of the annual U.S. State Department report on religious freedom:

The State Department cited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for denying religious freedom to non-Muslims and found fault to a lesser degree with other allies including Israel, Belgium, France, Germany and Pakistan...Burma was accused of severe violations of religious freedom. China was faulted for showing insufficient respect for freedom of religion, Cuba for controlling and monitoring religious activities, and North Korea for not permitting religious freedom at all. Listed as hostile toward minority or nonapproved religions were Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, as well as Saudi Arabia. The State Department said that in Iran, Sunni Muslims, Bahais, Jews and Christians reported imprisonment, harassment, intimidation and discrimination based on religious belief. Burma was accused of severe violations of religious freedom. China was faulted for showing insufficient respect for freedom of religion, Cuba for controlling and monitoring religious activities, and North Korea for not permitting religious freedom at all. Listed as hostile toward minority or nonapproved religions were Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, as well as Saudi Arabia. The State Department said that in Iran, Sunni Muslims, Bahais, Jews and Christians reported imprisonment, harassment, intimidation and discrimination based on religious belief.

Let's agree to pray for the persecuted church in these countries, that they will persevere and continue to shine the light of hope amid dark oppression.

IFC - The Aftermath of GodBlogCon
Internet For Christians (IFC) Andy Rau gives a post-conference report for all of us who missed it:

October 28, 2005 -- GodBlogCon is over, but even if you didn't attend, you can benefit from the conference, as the media reports on it and as attendees blog about their experiences. An article at Wired provides a good basic overview of the conference's goals and highlights. If you want more specific details on the conference, the GodBlogCon blog is the place to check--it's got links to the many bloggers who attended and blogged their impressions, experiences, and opinions. In particular, this post provides a comprehensive look at reactions from all over the internet. Thanks to the conference and its blogging attendees for sharing their conference experiences online for everyone who couldn't make it this year!

Wow, I wish I could have gone. I didn't even hear about it until after it was underway...maybe next year.

Miami Herald - 'Left Behind' screened in 3,200 churches
The latest installment in the film version of the blockbuster Left Behind books (and blog inspiration) is being screened in churches and will soon be available to consumers.

Yahoo News - 'God Bloggers' Head to National Conference
Christians are finding news ways to share the Good News: blogging. Yes, using blogs (just like this one) Christians have found yet another tool to present the message of salvation. This AP news report talks about the first national conference for "God bloggers" being held now at Biola University. More information on the conference can be found on the official "GodBlogCon 2005" website.

My Way News - China Wants Only 'Healthy' News on Web

"China said Sunday it is imposing new regulations to control content on its news Web sites and will allow the posting of only 'healthy and civilized' news...Online dissidents who post items critical of the government, or those expressing opinions in chatrooms, are regularly arrested and charged under vaguely worded state security laws."

Evading the Censors
Suppose you are a missionary or human rights worker operating in a repressive country, how would you go about evading Internet censorship? The Reporters Without Borders group has the answer (Yahoo News - Guide Aims to Help Bloggers Beat Censors):

A Paris-based media watchdog has released a free guide with tips for bloggers and dissidents to sneak past Internet censors in countries from China to Iran. Reporters Without Borders' "Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents" is partly financed by the French Foreign Ministry and includes technical advice on how to remain anonymous online. It was launched at the Apple Expo computer show in Paris on Thursday and can be downloaded in Chinese, Arabic, Persian, English and French.

Let's hope this guide offers timely assistance to those shining the light of freedom (both spiritual and political) in the world's darkest places.

Arab Outreach
The Internet For Christians website recommends the Joshua Project as a resource for missionary outreach.

Christians Respond to Katrina
The Christian web portal Internet For Christians offers to following information on how Christians all over the world are responding to the hurricane disaster:

How have Christians around the world reacted to the suffering and devastation unleashed by Hurricane Katrina? With prayer and financial giving, according to a CrossWalk report that describes major disaster relief efforts by religion organizations like the Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Convention, and Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. A Yahoo News story describes massive, worldwide prayer directed towards New Orleans, refugees and rescuers. Many relief organizations are reporting generous donations from Christians and others. For more information about the developing situation and the Christian response to it, the Christianity Today weblog has more updates.

Religion News Blog
The Religion News Blog (RNB) provides religion researchers, media personnel, authors, legal professionals, academics and other interested parties with expert-selected news items about religious movements, cults, sects, world religions and related issues (including ethics and human rights concerns).

Bible Commentary Online
Internet For Christians offers yet another invaluable resource for those using the Internet to share the Good News: Classic Bible Commentaries, sponsored by E-Word Today makes it easy to access any commentary author, chapter and book, with cross-links to all authors, chapters and books--only one click away. The Web site also links closely with Bible Gateway so Web surfers can read a Bible passage and read several commentaries about the passage.

Thought Factory Preaches with Reason
Here is another outstanding resource recommended by Internet For Christians. According to their review, the Thought Factory introduces people to Jesus through interviews, people profiles, and topical articles. IFC calls it a, "good example of Christianity, culture and the Internet intersecting to reach out to Web users."

Christians Respond to London Terror Attacks
Christians all over the world are joined in prayer for the victims of the terrorist attacks in London, for their families and loved ones, and for the search for those responsible. Prayer points for the situation are covered in this UK-based Christian news site.

Billy Graham's Last Crusade
The greatest living Christian evangelist will take his bow tonight on the stage in New York. This AP report (MyWay News - Graham to Give Last Crusade Sermon Tonight) demonstrates the reach of his amazing ministry:

Graham has preached to more than 210 million people in 185 countries. He has been sought out by U.S. presidents and leaders worldwide and, more than any other religious figure, has come to represent the American evangelical movement.

One of the things I admire about Billy Graham is the way he has always preached the simplicity of the gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus. Times have changed over the many years of his ministry and the church has changed in many ways, but his message has remained true to the gospel. For more information on the crusade and on Billy Graham, visit the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I think his approach is a model for the church in the end times, stay true to the gospel message, don't get distracted by new trends and ideologies, by materialism and culture wars, keep focused on the central message of salvation. The time is short.

Podcasting The Gospel
A podcast is a radio-style show that anyone with a microphone can make on a computer and post to a web site server and they are big now and getting bigger all the time (ipodnn - Report: podcast popularity to skyrocket). Free receiving software allows people to pick podcasts from online directories, download them to any MP3 player such as an Apple iPod -- hence the term "podcast" -- and listen to them at their leisure. So, is anyone out there podcasting the Gospel? Know any good Bible prophecy podcasts? Please use the comments link to recommend your favorite podcasts.

Online Bible Commentaries
Peggie Bohanon of Internet for Christians recommends this set of Bible commentaries: Wycliffe Associates (UK) present the EasyEnglish Bible, a "major new resource of evangelical, theologically-checked, Bible commentaries and Bible texts." These free resources, written in a simple English form developed by Wycliffe Associates (UK), include Bible commentaries, Bible translations, Bible studies and more. These commentaries, noted to be "theologically advanced," are especially valuable for those who do not speak English as a second language and are available for free download or to read online.

Microsoft Helps China Censor the Net
This blog is not about China, but since there is a large underground church in China and China is known as a repressive government, we do mention China quite a bit here. This story about China seeking to control the Internet has been unfolding for some time. China sees the Internet as a tool of commerce, something that can help the country's great leap forward as a totalitarian capitalist society. I'm not sure such a variant has ever existed, but China seems determined to prove that it can. The problem with the Internet is that it also allows people to share information and ideas, and that can be dangerous to a one-party dictatorship. Last week was the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre in which the People's Liberation Army liberated student pro-democracy demonstrators from the shackles of this mortal coil and demonstrated the official party policy on the merits of democracy. Long before that a famous dead communist said that a capitalist will sell you the rope you can use to hang him. We seem to be witnessing the same phenomenon here as Western corporations rush to provide China everything they need to modernize their country (and military) while keeping firm control over their citizen subjects. Major Western corporations like Microsoft are selling technology to China that allows them to monitor and suppress the use of such dangerous keywords as "democracy" and "freedom" on the Internet, including on blogs like this one (InternetNews.com - MSN China Agrees to Ban 'Freedom'). I call upon Christian investors to let Microsoft know they do not wish their money used in support of tyranny and the repression of religious and political minorities.

China Cracks Down, Again
And speaking of China (as we were a few posts back), a new initiative has been announced to control the Internet in that country. According to this report (China to close unregistered domestic Web sites) from NEWS.COM, "China soon will close unregistered domestic Web sites and blogs as the government tightens its grip on the Internet..." This report also notes studies by other media watchdogs who called China, "the world's leading censor of the Internet and said its government employed thousands of officials and private citizens to monitor and control online content." China is demonstrating that an oppressive government can crack down on Internet fueled dissent even in the 21st Century. This does not bode well for the house church movement in China. In many cases, the technology and software that allows China to monitor and control the Internet is being provided by Western companies. I think it is important for Christian investors and voters to let their voice be heard, Western companies should not be profiting from the persecution of political and religious minorities. The techniques of control and intimidation used in China will be exported to other countries, to the Middle East and Africa. The time to act is now, build alliances with underground churches so that lines of communication can remain open, and if your skills run toward the technical side, help them find ways around these new restrictions.

Believers Persecuted
Saudi Arabia is denying that they persecute Christians (AP - Saudis Deny Persecuting Christians). Let's immediately send in a crack squad of missionaries to test their religious tolerance.

Quote of the Day
"Any power must be an enemy of mankind which enslaves the individual by terror and force, whether it arises under the Fascist or the Communist flag. All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded to the individual." --Albert Einstein

Oppression Will Be Blogged
This news report (Censored Singaporeans take to the Internet for free speech - Yahoo! News) suggests that it is still possible to use the Internet to fight an oppressive government. It would appear that Singapore is not quite as adept as China in managing online dissent, but give them time, I'm sure they will catch up. This is the time to use the Internet for witnessing and missionary work in oppressive countries, before governments like Singapore and China master the art of censoring the net.

The Bible Blog
Andy Rau of Internet For Christians recommends this resource, it's a blog about the Bible by the people who translate the Bible. Andy's recommendation: The translators of the English Standard Version Bible have started a blog at which to talk about the ESV, answering questions about the translation and offering related news and information. It's not the first time we've seen an informational website about a Bible translation--not too long ago, an extensive website was set up by the International Bible Society to answer questions and release news about the TNIV Bible -- but this may be the first time a blog has been used for such a purpose. Even if you're not interested in the ESV Bible itself, this is an interesting example of a ministry using a blog to spread information about its services. (Hat tip: Blogs4God.)

Blogging For Human Rights
The idea that the Internet can shine a spotlight on oppression and promote freedom is being revived by bloggers. Human Rights Watch is making an appeal to bloggers to get involved. As their press release puts it:

If you are a blogger, you can use your bully pulpit to stand with the victims and activists to prevent discrimination, uphold political freedom, protect people from inhumane treatment in wartime, and campaign to bring offenders to justice. You can expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. You can challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law.

I'm all for that, especially if Christian bloggers can use their voice to combat religious persecution.

Secure E-Mail Provider Hacked
The Hushmail secure e-mail service that I've previously recommended here was hacked. As this report (Yahoo News - Hushmail DNS Attack Blamed on Network Solutions ) makes clear, the company was not at fault, it was the domain registrar that allowed impostors to gain access to their DNS settings. Still, it's clear that someone doesn't like the idea of consumers having access to secure electronic communication. Secure e-mail is of great use to missionaries working in repressive countries and every TF cell should have some means of secure communication, if only to let VOM and Amnesty know what is really going on.

Persecuted Church
If you are looking for news and information on persecution, check out a new site called Christian Monitor. They collect news reports from all over the world and make them easily available to their readers.

New Webs for Old Words
Peggie Bohanon of Internet for Christians recommends Words Online, a web project providing a thematic presentation of the words of Jesus. The purpose of the project, according to publisher Lee Cantelon, "is to extend, especially to those alienated or distanced to the Christian message by culture, personal or political barriers, the opportunity to approach the words of Jesus, and to discover, firsthand, His call." The site offers more than two dozen translations of the words of Jesus, and a growing number of audio narrations. Download "The Words" for personal reading, study or distribution. A reading room is provided, as well as a gallery of Christian images, MP3 downloadable files and editions for the Palm Pilot.

Terrorism on the Web
According to this CNN report, "Islamic militants who want the world to witness their attacks and beheadings in Iraq have engineered new ways to ensure their videos appear on the Internet, defying efforts to banish them from cyberspace." I think we should turn the tables on them and produce more Christian web pages. How about web sites devoted to sharing information on how to set up underground house churches in Saudi Arabia?

Iran Cracks Down
Hoder notes that Iran is cracking down on use of certain Internet destinations and he recommends a strategy for fighting Net censorship in Iran.

Women of the Way
Peggie Bohanon of Internet For Christians notes this resource for persecuted Christian women living in repressive countries.

Turning The Tables
This report from the New York Times (On the Open Internet, a Web of Dark Alleys) reveals how terrorists are using the internet to communicate in secret. I think it would be a nice idea to turn the tables and for missionaries operating in repressive countries like Saudi Arabia and China to use these same techniques to communicate. I especially like the creative use of webmail accounts to share information without actually ever sending an e-mail.

Religion Today - Groups Mobilize Disaster Aid
The above link to Religion Today cites a Charisma News Service report on how Christian groups are responding to the SE Asian disaster. The scope of this disaster is truly hard to comprehend, but we can be certain of the spiritual response that is required of us: pray for those in need, provide for those in need, and witness (Matthew 24:14) to those in need.

China Online
All Internet traffic in China goes through five hubs, making it relatively easy for sites to be blocked. If you are interested in which sites are blocked and why, read this report.

Is Your Web Ministry Effective?
Andy Rau of Internet For Christians recommends Effective Web Ministry Notes, a new blog dedicated to the topic of web ministry is online, and it looks like an excellent resource for anyone trying to build a better evangelistic or ministry Web site. Topics covered so far include the importance of links (both to and from your site), the challenge of designing for a target audience, and the always-scary subjects of marketing and branding.

Our Daily Cross
Christian Web Site.Com recommends this site for Christian Ecards, weather, chat, bible studies, online sermons, power point, email, web hosting, everything a Christian on the web needs!

IFC - Comic Book Evangelism
Internet For Christians (IFC) shares this creative method for sharing the gospel with a younger audience: Can people learn about Christ through a comic book? Absolutely--ask Tony Whittaker of Web Evangelism Bulletin, who promotes unusual and creative ways by which people can come to know the Lord. He Lived Among Us is an evangelistic comic book telling the story of Jesus in comic-strip format. Designed for non-Western audiences, the comic book is available in a wide range of languages. Not only are you invited to view and/or link to the Web site, you may also download the entire set of graphics in your chosen language and display them on your own Web site.

CNN - Google Bows to Chinese Censorship
An interesting news report from CNN. We have talked in the past about whether the Left Behind series presents a credible example of how believers could use the Internet to share the gospel during the Tribulation, or even today in a totalitarian country. In LB we see how Buck and the Trib Force use the Internet to post their web magazine The Truth and Tsion Ben-Judah's website, exposing Carpathia and teaching people about salvation and the meaning of prophetic events. But, could they do this without being shut down by the GC? From casual tracking of this topic, I would have to say it would be a very difficult thing to do. This CNN report demonstrates that even today, a repressive country like China has the ability to filter the Internet and control what portions of the web citizens can access. The sad thing is, American companies are actually providing this technology to China, technology that will be used to crack down on democracy activist and the underground church. Should Christians support companies that aid and enable persecution? Should Americans support companies that repress democracy and human rights?

International Prayer Day For Jerusalem
Charisma News Service reports on the latest developments in organizing the upcoming International Prayer Day for Jerusalem, which will take place on October 3rd.

Religion Today: World's Largest Book-Ship Ministry Expands

Religion Today: Christian History Series Releases Two More Books

Religion Today: Massive Evangelistic Effort Targets Olympics

The Roman Road System - God's Highway
The Web Evangelism Newsletter offers the following: Calvin Conkey of Create International points out the parallel between the Internet (designed originally with a military purpose, which quickly expanded to trade and other communication) and the Roman Road System, built for entirely the same purpose 2000 years earlier. It was the presence of Roman roads throughout most of the known world, that facilitated the rapid spread of the Gospel. Likewise the Internet has the same potential as a network to carry the Gospel.

Bible Network News
This is a great resource for news from around the world about how Christians are translating, publishing and distributing the Bible.

A Chronicle of the Christian Faith
Blog-style collection of recent news articles from around the country and the world.

Stand to Reason
This is an organization aimed at building Christian thinkers for the public defense of the faith. The site includes articles, newsletter, online courses, and recommended books.

China Extends Text Message Surveillance
According to this AP report, "Chinese authorities plan to employ new technology to improve surveillance of mobile phone messages amid efforts to intensify the policing of private communications, reports said Friday." China has once again demonstrated the power of a totalitarian government to control the Internet. I wonder if this technology will be used against the unregistered house church movement in China?

Small Bible groups increase in popularity
News Leader.Com reports on the rise in small worship groups and house churches: "Although they are steadily growing in popularity, home groups are nothing new. In fact, they date all the way back to the New Testament. Dan Lentz, director of smallgroups.com, said a great model for small groups can be found in the second chapter of Acts of the Apostles. He created an acronym, F.L.O.W., which stands for fellowship, learning, outreach and worship."

Using the Internet Against the Enemy
According to this AP report, "Al-Qaida-linked terror groups and their sympathizers have in recent months made a big splash on the Internet, making it their communications channel of choice. They're benefiting from free discussion boards, e-mail accounts and other online forums for propaganda, recruitment, fund-raising and even planning." One of the reasons I created the Trib Force Toolkit was to encourage Christians to use the Internet and all the resources we have available to share the Gospel, the Good News of salvation and eternal life through Jesus. Let's turn the table on the enemy of humanity, the one that seeks to cause us to kill each other, and shine sime light in the darkness.

Christians Called To Emphasize World Evangelism This Sunday
Religion Today reports, "Southern Baptists are encouraging tens of thousands of churches to join in prayer and fasting this Sunday in observance of an annual event that emphasizes evangelism of those peoples around the world that have not yet been reached for Christ.

Prayer Gear
PrayerGear is a site with a wide range of topics and recommended links by John S. Hilkevich - he describes his ministry as "Education, Research and Advocacy in the Christian Faith".

Ministry and Blogging
Internet for Christians newsletter reports, "Blogs have become an established online medium for expressing personal ideas and opinions, combining features of the old-school "personal information website" and an online forum. We've all seen blogs used to talk about current events, rant about politics and religion, and generally interact with the online public - but can you use a blog to do actual ministry? That's the question Michelle Johnston is asking at Dialog: Breaking the Bubble, a relatively new blog devoted to the topic of weblog ministry.

Bible Resource Center: Kid's Resources
ChristianWebsite.Com recommends tools and games to help children read and learn about the Bible.

Services at the First Church of Cyberspace
The New York Times' Barnaby J. Feder reports, "People separated by vast distances routinely play in imaginary 3-D worlds and sometimes work in them. A new experiment aims to explore whether they can also regularly worship in them."

Toppling Tyrants with IT Power - Today Online
Francis Chin, the techonology editor for Today Online, has some thoughts on how information technology has been used to trigger revolutions and topple tyrants.

Vietnam Adopts New Policies for Net Users
AP reports, "Web surfers in Vietnam must abide by a number of new policies and restrictions, which come following a crackdown on cyber dissidents who used the Internet to speak out against the communist government, state-controlled media reported...Personal identification information must now be presented before logging on and will be stored for 30 days on computer servers, and all Internet activity will be tracked, according to the An Ninh The Gioi (World's Security) newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Ministry of Public Security."

Spiritual Journals - Christian Website
Site seeks to challenge other persons to develop journals related to their own lives.

Google's Blog Feature Made Easier
AP reports, "Internet search engine leader Google Inc. on Monday introduced a simpler way to publish the online personal journals known as "blogs," continuing a flurry of improvements that has coincided with stiffer competition from its former ally, Yahoo! Inc. The revisions to Google's Blogger.com are designed to make it easier for computer neophytes to create and update their own personal journals for free."

Christian Jobs - Christian Website.Com
Allows Christian employers to list their open employment opportunities. Christian jobseekers may also submit their resumes for listing in a database. Also has articles related to online job searching.

'Left Behind' finale is The End, literally - Washington Times
The Second Coming, with a cast of billions of angels, millions of soldiers fighting the battle of Armageddon and one son of God on a white stallion in the heavens arrives in the nation's bookstores today. "Glorious Appearing: The End of Days" is the final installment in a 12-part "Left Behind" series on the end of the world by evangelical Christian authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The "Left Behind" product line, which includes children's and audio versions, will reach 62 million units in print with this latest volume. The authors' success reveals an American culture fascinated with the end times, religious prophecy, Bible codes, heaven and the age-old battle between good and evil.

Eastern Temple Mount Wall In Danger of Collapse
The Jerusalem Post reports, "The eastern wall of Jerusalem's Temple Mount is in danger of immediate collapse because of damaged caused by a freak winter earthquake that rattled the region."

Interview With God Gets 20 Million Visits - IFC
"Interview with God", created by a Methodist Sunday School teacher, has attracted millions of visitors. Reata Strickland's imaginary conversation with God is an animated combination of landscape photography and inspiring texts. Each interview has a single theme such as love, self-esteem or relationships, and includes hope for future generations... Two and a half years later, the number of visitors had reached 20 million, presently increasing at 15,000 each day. Volunteers have translated the texts into 13 languages.

Church Websites for Outreach - Christian Hosting
A very clear paper explains how churches can be seeker-sensitive, both online and beyond. If you are planning a church website, or wish to reposition your site for outreach, print this PDF for group discussion.

Church of England Creates Virtual Parish - AP
The Church of England on Friday announced the creation of its first 'virtual parish' and invited applicants for the position of 'Web pastor.' The purpose of the Internet church, or 'i-church,' according to the Web site, 'is to provide a Christian community for those who wish to explore Christian discipleship but who are not able, or do not wish, to join a local congregation.'"

Arafat resolved to reach Temple Mount - alive or dead
Jerusalem Newsire reports, "Blood-soaked PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat is reportedly determined to get control over God's holy hill, the Temple Mount, even if it has to be after and through his death. But the self-styled champion of the quest to secure incontestable Islamic control over Israel's holiest site faces growing opposition to his hopes of being buried on the Temple Mount from among his fellow faithful."

Report: Chinese Police Detain Church Head - AP
Police beat a leader of an underground Christian church and his wife during a campaign to stifle dissent during the annual meeting of China's legislature, a human rights group alleged Saturday.

Israeli Police Storm Jerusalem Shrine
AP reports, "Israeli police stormed the compound of one of Jerusalem's holiest sites on Friday after hundreds of Palestinian worshippers threw stones at security forces, police said...The compound - known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif - is one of the most sensitive spots in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The shrine, site of the biblical Jewish temples, holds the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosques."

Companies Work on E-Mail Identity System - AP
"With a simple adjustment in your e-mail software, you can pretend to be anyone...To close that loophole, Microsoft and Yahoo! Inc. are each developing systems aimed at authenticating senders of e-mail. America Online Inc. is testing a third...Issues to be worked out for all three systems include how to properly send e-mail from cybercafes, hotels and public Wi-Fi hotspots and how to preserve privacy when using anonymous re-mailers, which are used by whistleblowers and others to intentionally mask the origin of messages..."Some of the things people are used to doing, they won't be able to do it in quite the same way."

China Indicts 2 Unofficial Church Leaders
AP/Yahoo News reports, "China has indicted two leaders of the unofficial Protestant church for allegedly obtaining state secrets amid a deepening crackdown on worship outside government controls, an overseas monitoring group said Wednesday."

Company mulls bringing 'Passion' to Israel - Jerusalem Newsire
Today, 2000 years later, nearly two billion people on earth classify themselves as Christians - followers of Jesus Christ.

Programmer Sets Up Mask for File-Sharers - AP
Wyatt Wasicek was so outraged by the recording industry's legal assault on users of free music-downloading sites that he decided to ride to the rescue. He created a program called AnonX that masks the Internet address of people who use file-sharing programs such as Kazaa.

Devotional Resources at Gospelcom.Net
Find over 35 Gospelcom.net devotionals for kids, teens and adults, provided by its various alliance ministries (Back to the Bible, Children's Bible Hour, International Bible Society, God's Love in Action, InterVarsity Press, Luis Palau Evangelistic Association, RBC Ministries, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Youth for Christ and many more). Enjoy "A Word with You," "Christian Quotation of the Day," "Daily Bible Booster," "Daily Wisdom," "Devos and Gutsy Acts," "Editorial Caribe Devocional," "Keys for Kids," "Morning and Evening," "Our Daily Bread," and many other devotionals that will strengthen your Christian walk.

In China: Censorship, Control over Net Users - Amnesty
China is exerting ever-greater control over Internet usage, including arrests and prosecutions of those providing information about the country's SARS epidemic, stated Amnesty International in a report released today. The report also refers to U.S.-based tech companies that are selling Chinese authorities the means to impose Internet censorship.

Swiss woman seeks pardon for aiding Jews during World War Two - WLOX, MS
Most people would now consider Aimee Stitelmann a hero for helping Jews escape to Switzerland during World War Two. :: Wow, what an inspiring story.

Cuba Tightens Its Control Over Internet - AP
Cuba tightened its controls over the Internet on Friday, prohibiting access over the low-cost government phone service most ordinary citizens have at home.

This Car Can Talk. What It Says May Cause Concern - NYT (sub)
OnStar is one of a growing number of automated eyes and ears that enhance driving safety and convenience but that also increase the potential for surveillance.

Consolidating the Christian Blogosphere - IFC
If you like to keep up with what the Christian blogging community is saying, browsing the Christian blogosphere just got a bit easier: The Blogdom of God is a meta-blog that aggregates new posts and content from Christian blogs all over the Web.

The Twelve Voices of Chistmas
Back to the Bible (BTTB) invites you to hear Dr. Kroll's The Twelve Voices of Christmas on its Web site. "The Twelve Voices" is an audio reenactment of the stories of twelve people who were witnesses to the coming of the Messiah. Hear the powerful retelling of the impact that Christ's birth had on these well-known individuals and hear the voices of disclosure, disbelief, blessing, preparation and more. Enjoy this popular Christmas feature as you reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.

Tiny transmitters give retailers, privacy advocates goosebumps
USA Today reports, "Say hello to RFID: radio-frequency identification. If you don't know about it already, you're going to. Because, depending on who you ask, RFID technology is either a giant can of WD-40 on the wheels of commerce and inventory, or a spawn of the evil military-industrial complex that (still) plans to enslave us all."

Send Free Bibles To Persecuted Christians
Right now, 200 million Christians are living under restriction and persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ. Most do not even have their own copy of the Bible. Now there is a unique new way that you can provide your suffering brothers and sisters with a portion of God's Word at no cost to you. By visiting The Bible Site on the Internet you can click a button that will send a scripture portion to a persecuted Christian, funded completely by sponsors of the site.

Reading the Ancient Bible Online - IFC
Is it possible to read the Bible in its original languages online? What do you need to read the Bible in its original languages? Where online can the original texts be found? IFC has gathered links and resources to help you start exploring online Bible texts in Greek and Hebrew.

125 Christian Meeting Halls in China Shut - AP
Authorities in an east China province have sealed off 125 Christian gathering places since July, cutting off 3,000 believers from their places of worship, a human rights organization said Thursday.

Ukraine moves to tighten control of Internet - AFP
The Ukrainian parliament passed the first reading of a bill banning publication -- including on the Internet -- of anything that promotes terrorism, the overthrow of the state or damages an individual's reputation.

Encryption revolution: the tantalizing promise of 'unbreakable' codes - AP
Code-makers could be on the verge of winning their ancient arms race with code-breakers. After 20 years of research, an encryption process is emerging that is considered unbreakable because it employs the mind-blowing laws of quantum physics. This month, a small startup called MagiQ Technologies Inc. began selling what appears to be the first commercially available system that uses individual photons to transfer the numeric keys that are widely used to encode and read secret documents. Photons, discrete particles of energy, are so sensitive that if anyone tries to spy on their travel from one point to another, their behavior will change, tipping off the sender and recipient and invalidating the stolen code.

Lifeway & 'Left Behind' boost evangelism with end-times aids - BP News
LifeWay Christian Resources is partnering with the creators of the popular "Left Behind" series to help individuals and churches use the apocalyptic thrillers as tools to share the Gospel. The evangelistic strategy, called "Share Eternity with Someone Today," is available to download for free at LifeWay.com.

Religion Journal Focuses on International Missions
ReligionJournal, a Christian Internet news service, focuses on international missions news as it reports the latest in evangelism and world missions. Read the "Evangelism & Missions Report" about missionaries in Africa, anticipating a renewed Gospel interest following President Bush's visit there. Learn how evangelicals are "on the move" in Romania and about prayer-walking in Chicago. Enjoy a Christian Aid report from India, Bible League news around the world, news on the International Charismatic Catholic Renewal Services and a highlighted story on Top Chretien's major French Christian presence on the Internet. Subscribe to receive Religion Journal's weekly headlines news and keep updated on what God is doing in His world today!

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Day
There are many Christians being persecuted all over the world in places like Egypt, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Latin America, Cuba and France. Join with millions of Christians all over the world on November 9th, 2003 in celebrating the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Startup Says Quantum Crypto Is Real - Light Reading
Light Reading yesterday announced it's shipping what appears to be the first security system based on quantum cryptography. Quantum cryptography goes a step further than electronic cryptography through its employment of a stream of photons, the quantum properties of which determine the key. The fun part is that if an intruder observes or intercepts the transmission, those properties get changed -- an unavoidable principle of quantum mechanics -- meaning the sender and receiver can tell if anyone is eavesdropping. Perhaps more important, the key can't be copied or faked.

American Tract Society - BOTCW
American Tract publishes attention arresting evangelistic literature and interactive Christian cd-roms, as well as growth, discipleship and witnessing resources for the local church.

Priests to train on Temple Model - Isreal Today
For several months, Jewish experts have been working on a replica of the Third Temple in the blazing heat near the Dead Sea. The Jewish community of Mitzpe Yericho, between Jerusalem and Jericho, is home to the model, which is built on a 1:1 scale. Covering an area of 25,000 square meters (269,000 square feet), it will function as a training site to prepare priests (kohanim) for service in the Third Temple in Jerusalem.

Group lobbies for domain buyers' privacy - ZDNet
Individuals and small-business owners should be able to buy domain names without being required to divulge their mailing address, phone number and e-mail address, an international coalition plans to say in a letter Tuesday evening. Currently, the Internet Coalition for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) broadly requires that such details be made publicly available through the "Whois" directories. That policy enables spammers, direct marketers and identity thieves to loot the directory for personal information about domain name owners, the coalition's draft letter to ICANN charges.

Take A Whirlwind Tour of the Bible
Does the prospect of ever becoming familiar with the history and characters of the Bible seem daunting? Whirlwind Bible Tours(WBT) understands--and they've taken it upon themselves to give Internet visitors a fast-paced, humorous tour of the major people and events of the Bible. You will receive "a whimsically humorous and brief overview of the Bible" with these intriguing learning categories: "Earth: The Early Years"; "My World's Fallen and I Can't Get Up"; "Moses: the Great Escape"; "War and Peace (Repeat)"; "Decline and Fall of the Israeli Empire" and "Jesus People: The Early Years." If you're the sort of person who doesn't know his Jeremiah from his Jehoshaphat, WBT's light-hearted overview of Bible basics may be right up your alley! Parents will want to check out Discovering the Bible [Microsoft Word document], a coordinating Bible quiz developed for a 7th grade class by Geoff Roberts-Thomson of "Community and Religious Education" in Melbourne, Australia.

Defeating Fascism, Again - National Review Online
"Fascism, the subject of my first 15 years' professional study, is used so often as a term of general opprobrium that it has been gutted of all serious content in popular usage. More's the pity, since fascism is back, big-time, and it would be worthwhile to try to understand it in order to drive it back under the slimy rocks where it was hidden for much of the last half-century."

Audio Treasure - BOTCW
Free download site for the Bible narrated in mp3 audio format. World English Bible and King James Version.

The Needs of Europe - Gospelcom
'Modern' 'advanced' Europe is often overlooked as a mission field. Yet as a continent, it is largely secular, post-modern, post-Christian. At least 14 countries in Europe contain less than 1% evangelicals, with many under 0.5%. These are figures we normally associate with Islamic 10-40 countries.They are achingly bad. Numbers of Christian young people within these countries are even worse. Of course we are not suggesting that the Internet is an instant solution. But the high level of Internet usage and penetration, especially by the young, suggests that we should be specifically looking at ways to use the Internet in the languages of Europe for cutting edge evangelism, including specific outreach to young people.

China Christian Church Activist Detained
AP reports, "An activist for China's unofficial Christian church has been detained after investigating the destruction of churches by authorities in eastern China, human rights groups say."