Displaying items by tag: Religion

Christian and other minority faith group persecution in Manipur worsens. By 26th May 70+ Christians were killed, 10,000 forced from homes, 300+ churches burned or demolished, and 1,000 Christian homes destroyed as Hindus sought Christians to kill or convert to Hinduism. The Supreme Court ordered the military to maintain peace in the region, but the Hindu nationalist government has done nothing to stop the violence. Open Doors said, ‘If the situation continues civil war is inevitable, with more lives lost, properties destroyed and further open persecution of religious minorities.’ Those who have fled don't have food or shelter and face threats of physical violence. Justin Welby is distressed to hear about these attacks on indigenous tribal Christians, saying, ‘Kailean Khongsai is training for Church ordination and is from Manipur. I join him in praying that regional authorities would protect all minority groups, including Christians and their places of worship, and that justice and peace would prevail.’ See

Libya’s religion is Islam with Sharia law, but the constitution guarantees non-Muslims freedom to practise their religion. Yet, six Libyan Christians, arrested separately, are facing a potential death sentence as apostates for converting from Islam. They are also accused of proselytising others and are charged under Article 207 of the penal code, stipulating the death penalty for promoting views that ‘alter fundamental constitutional principles or structures of the social order’ or overthrow the state. Possessing books, leaflets, drawings, slogans, or anything supporting such a cause is punishable by life imprisonment. Libya’s Internal Security Agency said it issued the arrests to ‘stop an organised gang action aiming to solicit and make people leave Islam’. One of the six Christians is a 22-year-old woman who released a video explaining her conversion to Christianity at the age of 15.

Hatun Tash, a Christian street evangelist who regularly preaches at Hyde Park's Speakers’ Corner, has raised concerns about freedom of speech in the UK after Edward Little, 21, pleaded guilty on 19 May to attempting to kill her. In September, police arrested him when they found him in possession of thousands of pounds in cash, intending to purchase a gun to murder Tash and her camera crew. He was apprehended before he could carry out his plan. In response to his admission of guilt, Tash said, ‘l am glad that the police were able to act and stop Mr Little before he harmed me and people around me. This should concern everyone in the UK. It shows that the teaching of Islam is not compatible with British values if it inspires men to attempt to murder Christian evangelists.’

Under a new Utah law that gives parents the right to challenge or report materials considered indecent, one parent wants the Bible removed from Davis School District, for its ‘pornographic’ content. If a book includes descriptions of sexual acts it must be immediately removed from school shelves. The parent sent an eight-page document to the school board stating, ‘Get this PORN out of our schools’, and quoted offensive Bible passages describing rape, incest, sex, and nudity. The district has removed 33 books from schools due to previous requests. Parents can also ask their child’s school to restrict a student from checking out certain titles. This parent wants the Bible completely removed because the Holy Book has ‘no serious value for minors’. The First Liberty Institute referred the review committee to surveys. One statistic established that 98% of English teachers said students who do not know the Bible are at a disadvantage when studying literature.

Marriages between men and women were ‘the only possible basis for a safe and successful society’, said Christian MP Danny Kruger at the National Conservatism Conference in Westminster. In his speech, he emphasised the Christian notion of marriage as ‘a public act that wider society should recognise and reward’. But Mr Sunak's spokesman said although some ministers chose to speak at the event, that did not mean the Government endorsed its agenda. The remarks causing concern to Downing Street saw Mr Kruger making a bold defence of a traditional theological understanding of matrimony: ‘The normative family - held together by marriage, by mother and father sticking together for the sake of the children and the sake of their own parents and for the sake of themselves - this is the only possible basis for a safe and successful society.’

There has been an epidemic of violence toward Christians in Uttar Pradesh. In one attack, radical Hindu nationalists destroyed the church, burned everything especially the Bibles and injured the congregation. They demanded the Christians leave the area, warning the police would not protect them. Sure enough, the police stood back at first, then arrested them, but released them to go to another village and attack Christians. Traumatised and hungry, the Christians returned to repair the damaged village. ICC heard about the attacks and came to aid the small Christian community of 30 with food packages, rent for their stay, medical attention where needed and building materials to repair the church. ‘When we saw things that were brought to us like groceries and the items for the church repair, I felt scriptures being fulfilled in our lives. When one part of the body suffers, the other part shares and helps’, said one member of the congregation.

Rev Franklin Graham told Liberty University graduates that America is dominated by a ‘culture of confusion and lies, coming from Hell’. He was the keynote speaker for their graduation ceremony. He said, ‘ I pray this class will stand for truth, as America changes so fast. I think the heart of God is grieved as He looks at our world today. I love our country, but it's in a downward spiral morally, spiritually, economically, and politically. The nation is in a freefall because we turned our back on God and His truth.’ He urged the graduates to be a beacon of light, standing on the Word of God while living in a culture of confusion and lies. Graham declared, ‘The Bible doesn’t contain truth, it is the truth, and every word of God is true. Truth is not what you say it is, but what God says it is.’

Texas has passed a bill that would allow public schools to hire chaplains in addition to school counsellors. A version of the bill sailed through the state Senate last month, and the House passed an amended version on 9 May in a vote to give school districts all the help they can muster to combat mental health problems and other crises. The Democrats' amendments to require parental consent was rejected, as was barring schools from using public funds for religious services. The School Chaplain Association believes the bill will increase school safety without intruding on students' religious beliefs. Schools will provide a representative of every denomination. To be eligible for the programme, chaplains must be endorsed by an organisation recognised by the US authorities.

A surprising surge of faith continues to spread among America's young people. It led to what some are calling the largest campus outreach event ever when 60,000+ students filled the University of Oklahoma's football stadium for worship and evangelism. The ‘Fill the Stadium’ event began when a graduating senior prayed a simple prayer: ‘God, what's next?’ The event sold out within days of its announcement. CBN News travelled to Oklahoma City to hear the sound of spiritual awakening rising in ‘The Cinderella City’. Students rallied for a time of worship with Kari Jobe and Chandler Moore, coupled with a concert from hip hop star Chance the Rapper. It won’t end here; this is the beginning. Many people are turning to Jesus and getting connected into small groups, campus ministries and churches. They will become disciples who multiply.

Christians across Britain have been given a call to action over plans by the channel island of Jersey to legalise assisted dying. Approved in principle by Jersey politicians in 2021, the move would involve allowing some terminally ill adults to die with medical supervision. ‘For Christians listening across the British Isles, this is something that should concern us and to be engaged with’, commented James Somerville-Meikle, a spokesperson for the Catholic Union. Although the island of Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom, it would be the first place in the British Isles to legalise assisted suicide. A public consultation has revealed that people do not want to see medical professionals or care homes forced to facilitate killing patients.