Adventist Humanitarian Agency Responds to Flooding in Poland
Warsaw, Poland . . . [ANN] The Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) is assisting survivors of the flooding in the province of Malopolska in southern Poland. Unprecedented amounts of rain in July and August caused Poland’s worst flooding in years, forcing the evacuation of more than 15,000 people, and flooding hundreds of thousands of hectares of land. Damage is estimated to surpass US$800 million.
ADRA Germany negotiated a grant from the German Foreign Ministry for flood relief in Malopolska. Hygiene kits, water filters, emergency kits, and blankets are being provided to 1,000 families.
“With German funds, ADRA Poland is able to help people who have lost everything: their homes, crops, and belongings,” says Frank Teeuwen, bureau chief for Disaster Preparedness and Response at ADRA International. [Norma Sahlin/ANN]
One-Third U.S. Christians Have No Denominational Ties
Horsham, Pennsylvania, USA . . . [ANN] One-third of Americans identifying themselves as “Christian” in a recent poll say they are unaffiliated with any church. The result builds on existing evidence that Americans are increasingly unwilling to be identified with a particular denomination, say researchers with Beliefnet, one of the organizations that sponsored the survey.
The ABC-Beliefnet June poll also showed the broad range of Protestant Christian denominations that exist in the United States. Respondents who claimed denominational affiliation named a total of 50 different Christian groups. Fifteen percent said they were Baptists; 6 percent Methodists; 5 percent Lutherans; 2 percent Pentecostals; 2 percent Presbyterians; and 1 percent each for Seventh-day Adventists, Episcopalians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons. [ANN Staff]
McDonald’s Faces Suit Over Non-Vegetarian French Fries
Seattle, Washington, USA … [ANN] A Hindu lawyer has filed a lawsuit against fast-food giant McDonald’s USA on behalf of a group of vegetarians, claiming consumers were not told the company’s french fries contained beef.
McDonald’s has admitted the “natural flavor” listed among its french fries ingredients contains beef extract. In an August 13 press release, the company announced that in response to customer requests it will now start providing more information about ingredients used in the natural flavoring of its products. In an earlier statement, McDonald’s said the company had never claimed its french fries were vegetarian.
Harish Bharti, the lawyer spearheading the legal action, disagrees, reports Religion News Service. He says the company has, in the past, touted its fries as one of “several items that vegetarians can enjoy.” [ANN Staff]
