** Another Christian Receives Death Sentence for Blasphemy **

Barnabas Fund News Service (BFS) reports that a Pakistani court passed a
death sentence for blasphemy and also fined Pakistani Christian Kingri
Masih. Kingri's lawyers intend to appeal against the sentence.
The case is complicated by the fact that Kingri Masih (also known as
Augustine Ashiq Masih), born into a Christian family, converted to Islam
before reconverting to Christianity. A confrontation about his
re-conversion with a Muslim leader in the area where he lived led to an
accusation that he had denied Islam and made derogatory remarks about
the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. As a result on March 17, 2000, Kingri was
charged under the notorious blasphemy law, section 295-C of Pakistans
penal code.

According to CLAAS (a Pakistani Christian legal group) this case
demonstrates the inequality and injustice that exists concerning
changing religion in Pakistan. A Christian can freely convert to Islam,
but a Muslim who embraces Christianity is considered as an apostate.
Islamic law (Shariah) states that an apostate
should be executed, but there is no law against apostasy from Islam in
Pakistani legislation. An accusation under Pakistans blasphemy laws,
however, can be seen by some Muslims as a means of achieving the killing
of an apostate.

Religion Today News Summaries are a compilation of articles from various
media sources. We do not necessarily endorse nor personally adhere to
the views represented within them. We simply want our audience to have
an understanding of and be alert to what others are saying about matters
of religion and faith. RT

** Pledge Case to be Reheard **

WorldNetDaily is reporting that the judge who decided "under God" in the
Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional will not have the final say. A
Justice Department official told WorldNetDaily the U.S. solicitor
general plans to authorize a rehearing before the full court. Justice
spokesman Charles Miller said he could not confirm the information but
added, "Attorney General John Ashcroft stated the Justice Department
would request a rehearing ... so I'm assuming the solicitor general will
approve of it." The government has until early August to file the
request.

WorldNetDaily also learned the recent revelation that the daughter of
the plaintiff is a churchgoing Christian who voluntarily says 'under
God' in the pledge may potentially help the government's case. "The
little girl, as I understand, was never offended by 'under God' because
she does believe in God," Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel in Costa
Mesa, Calif told WorldNetDaily. "I understand when the decision came
down, the little girl came home and said to her mother, 'Well momma, I
guess we can't say under God anymore,' and then she decided she could
say it under her breath and no one would know the difference,'" said
Smith.

According to the Justice official, Newdow had to show in his case that
he's been injured. He did so by asserting his daughter has been injured
and he has an interest in directing her education as a parent. The
Justice official reportedly told WND that the case would be considered
fraudulent only if Newdow said something knowingly false.

Smith and other pastors throughout California are determined to keep the
girl's reported love for God front and center by mounting a publicity
campaign to win the case in the court of public opinion. "The daughter
has said she disagrees totally with what the father is doing," Pastor
Wiley Drake of First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park told
WorldNetDaily.