‘Fairness for All’ Seen as Equality Act Alternative: Civil Liberties for LGBTQ, Protections for People of Faith
Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are getting ready to decide on a landmark piece of LGBTQ legislation that would crush religious liberty.
Faith
India: Hindu nationalists attack separate church gatherings on same day; pastor arrested
Two Christian congregations in central India were attacked on the same day by around 100 radical Hindu nationalists who stormed each of their worship gatherings on February 7, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. While there are no reports of the attackers being arrested, the pastor of one of the churches attacked was arrested and detained before being released on bail.
Leading Rights Activist Faith McDonell Advocacy Director At GKI Global Amid Massive Persecution (Worthy News Focus)
Leading Christian rights activist, broadcaster, and author Faith McDonnell, has become director of advocacy at the U.S.-based Katartismos Global (KGI Global) charity. The group says it “exists to equip the Church for mission and ministry” by supporting persecuted Christians and other believers in need.
Russian Appeals Court Jails Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny
Russia’s prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny lost an appeal against his jailing Saturday but said he believes God will help him face challenges. Hours later, he was also convicted in a defamation case.
IAEA found uranium traces at two sites Iran barred it from, sources say
The U.N. nuclear watchdog found uranium particles at two Iranian sites it inspected after months of stonewalling, diplomats say, and it is preparing to rebuke Tehran for failing to explain, possibly complicating U.S. efforts to revive nuclear diplomacy.
Jailed Iranian Christian Firouzi To Be Released’
Iranian Christian Ebrahim Firouzi who spent years in prison after abandoning Islam and was recently jailed, could be released this weekend, Christians told Worthy News.
Eritrea Releases Scores of Christians but 150 Still Jailed
At least 150 Christians remained jailed in Eritrea on Thursday after scores of more believers were unexpectedly released since late January, Worthy News learned.
Kenya Detains 10 After Church Attacks
Kenyan authorities have detained 10 people after five churches were set on fire in Kenya’s southwestern region, rights activists confirmed Thursday.
Europe’s Top Court Asked To Condemn Turkey’s Deportation Of Pastor
Europe’s top rights court has been asked to support a Canadian-American pastor who was reportedly deported from Turkey after 19 years for evangelism.
Equality Act puts Christian hiring policies in ‘jeopardy’ without religious exemptions, ADF warns
The wide-reaching Equality Act championed by Democrats would put the hiring practices of faith-based organizations in “jeopardy” and will create additional religious freedom concerns for Christian schools, churches and ministries, a prominent legal nonprofit argues.
India: Seven Christian families displaced for refusing to recant faith
Seven Christian families in India’s Odisha state have now been driven from their village after they built a small house in which to gather for worship last October, International Christian Concern reports.
Somaliland Detains Christians Over Evangelism
A court in Somaliland on Wednesday extended the detention of four Christians for evangelism in the self-declared republic, which is mainly Muslim, trial observers told Worthy News.
Federal court permanently blocks NY restrictions on houses of worship
A US federal court has permanently blocked New York’s highly contested COVID-19 restrictions on indoor worship, the Christian Post reports. Tuesday’s ruling by District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto follows a temporary block on the restrictions that were issued by the US Supreme Court in November.
Eritrea: Government frees 70 Christians imprisoned for years without trial
The government of Eritrea has released 70 Christians who had been in prison for between two to twelve years without trial, International Christian Concern reports. However, rights advocates do not believe this action by the military dictatorship signals a change in its abusive stance toward Evangelical Christians.
COVID-19: South Africa halts rollout of Oxford/AstraZeneca jab due to ‘limited protection’ as Britons face needing a third jab
South Africa is suspending its rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine after findings suggested it offers limited protection against mild disease caused by the COVID-19 variant discovered there.
Kenya: Arsonists burn five church buildings
Unidentified arsonists in western Kenya burned five church buildings and threw feces at their smoldering ruins last month, Morning Star News reports. All of the crimes were carried out from January 20 to January 24 in Otamba village, in the Nyaraibari Chache area of Kisii County.
Argentina judge suspends new law legalizing abortion: unborn child has right to life
A judge in Argentina has suspended the country’s new law legalizing abortion, saying the unborn child has the right to life, Lifesite News reports. Suspension of the law’s application was ordered Thursday by Judge Marta Aucar in the Chaco Province.
Trump legal team argues impeachment article is in ‘violation’ of Constitution, calls on Senate to acquit
Former President Donald Trump’s legal team on Tuesday filed its response to the House article of impeachment ahead of next week’s trial, denying wrongdoing and calling for the Senate to acquit Trump of the charge.
Uganda: Christian family violently attacked by Muslims for second time in a month
A Christian family recovering from an assault by Muslims in Uganda last month was attacked again last week, Morning Star News reports. On January 24, Muslim villagers again attacked the family of Pastor Moses Nabwana, this time breaking into his Nankodo Sub-County home and injuring his wife and two of his children. The pastor and his wife Lovisa Naura were still recovering from being hospitalized after beatings by local Islamists on December 27.
Eritrea Releases 10 Christian Prisoners
Eritrea has released a further 10 Christians from one of its notorious prison facilities bringing the total to nearly 80 freed believers since September, Worthy News learned.