January (Web-only) 2001

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Russian Orthodox Church opens its arms and hands to the deaf
"Ministry for the deaf is well established in Western Christian denominations," explains The Moscow Times. "But in Russian Orthodoxy, a small group of devoted activists at the Church of Our Lady of Tikhvin are blazing a new trail. They have developed, almost from scratch, an Orthodox liturgical sign language. And according to [Priest Pyotr] Kolomeitsev, they measure their success against the depth of involvement of their churchgoers, rather than the sheer number of them." The paper also notes that while Orthodox liturgy "appeals strongly to senses other than hearing" with its icons, incense, and other practices, some changes to the liturgy have become necessary. For example, Kolomeitsev faces his congregation rather than the altar.

Jesus film showing canceled in Chekhov
Elsewhere in Russia, evangelicals hoping to show the Jesus film on Christmas (the January 6 one, not the December 25 one) in Chekov were denied by the government after initial approval. Days before the showing, a leading government official in the area said the license to show the film was being revoked because "the movie film about Jesus Christ is propaganda of a foreign, non-Orthodox faith." The churches are appealing the decision and hope to show the evangelistic film in February.

Nigerian Christian caned for alcohol won't press charges Livinus Obi, a Christian who was caned 80 times by two Muslim youths after they saw him with a half-empty bottle of gin (a violation of the state's Shariah law), won't press charges against them. "I have been living peacefully with the parents of the accused as such," Obi explains. "It will be unwise for me to drag their sons to court." Still, the incident is problematic ...