Dutch Churchgoers Attack Journalists
Dutch legislators on Sunday condemned Christian worshipers who attacked journalists reporting on churches’ reopening in two towns despite coronavirus restrictions.
religion
Indonesia Suicide Church Bombing Injures 14 Worshipers
Indonesian President Joko Widodo pledged to break up a terror network Sunday after two suspected suicide bombers attacked a Catholic Church in the city of Makassar, injuring 14 worshipers.
Satanists sue Arkansas to have satanic statue placed next to Ten Commandments at state Capitol
A group of Satanists have filed suit against Arkansas, requesting that a statue of a satanic deity be installed next to the Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds, Christian Headlines reports. A federal judge has allowed the Satanic Temple group to join a case brought against the state by ACLU and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, who want the Ten Commandments monument removed but not replaced with something else.
California anti-hate bill may block Christians and pro-lifers from joining police force
A California bill intended to ensure police candidates have no connection to hate groups may ultimately prevent conservative Christians and pro-life advocates from joining the force, Christian Headlines reports. Titled the “California Law Enforcement Accountability Reform Act,” bill AB 655 will be heard by the state’s Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 6.
Federal Court: University administrators personally liable for damages for discrimination against Christian student group
The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that individual University of Iowa administrators are personally liable for monetary damages for breaching the First Amendment rights of the Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC) student organization and removing it from the college campus.
Saudi Arabia Prosecutes Christian Convert
A former Muslim who converted to Christianity in Saudi Arabia faces two court cases and threats of violence against him and his family, trial observers say.
Viability of Jewish life in Europe is threatened
The Chief Rabbi of Moscow warned this week that Jewish life in Europe is once again under serious threat due, among other things, to the intolerance of ritual slaughter and male circumcision practices that are central to Jewish religious expression. Writing in the Times of Israel, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt attested: “There is almost no value in remembering the past if a country and its politicians don’t allow its Jewish population to live their life in the present.”
Pope Prays For Iraq’s Persecuted Christians
Pope Francis has visited Iraq to reassure the nation’s dwindling Christian community of his prayers after years of Islamic attacks and persecution.
Indonesia appoints evangelical Christian as national police chief
Indonesia has appointed an evangelical Christian as its new national police chief, thwarting opposition from Islamic groups in the predominantly Muslim country, the Christian Post reports. Commissioner General Listyo Sigit Prabowo was sworn in on January 27. and is the first Christian to hold this post in 50 years.
Oklahoma House passes bill to prevent forced closure of churches
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed a bill that would block state and local government officials from forcing houses of worship to close, even under circumstances like a pandemic, the Christian Post reports. House Bill 2648, the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act, passed by 80-18 votes in the House and now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
Middle East In Biblical City of Ur, Pope Urges Inter-Religious Tolerance, Fraternity
Pope Francis has addressed an interfaith gathering of Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups in Ur, said to be the birthplace of Abraham, the common patriarch for Jews, Christians and Muslims. He drove home the need for respect and unity, and he used the opportunity to condemn violent religious extremism.
House passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
The US House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act Wednesday, in an effort to increase police accountability and end practices that facilitate the use of excessive force against unarmed citizens, USA Today reports. Drafted by Democrats, the bill was first introduced in the last Congress after the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.
India: Christian leaders criticize repressive anti-conversion law
Christian leaders in India’s Uttar Pradesh state have publicly criticized a new bill that oppressively restricts and regulates conversion from one faith to another, International Christian Concern reports. Passed on February 24 by the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the new bill violates Article 25 of India’s constitution, which provides that citizens have the right to profess, practice, and propagate the religion of their choice.
In bombshell ruling, court instructs state to recognize non-Orthodox conversions
The High Court of Justice handed down a landmark decision on Monday after 15 years of deliberations on the hot-button issue of non-Orthodox conversion, ruling that the state could no longer abide by only one stream when it comes to the immigration of Jews under the Law of Return.
Over 500 US evangelical pastors condemn ‘Radical Christian Nationalism’ in open letter
More than 500 US evangelical pastors and leaders have condemned ‘Radical Christian Nationalism’ in an open letter responding to the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, Religious News reports. Entitled “Evangelical Leaders Statement Condemning Christian Nationalism’s role in the January 6th Insurrection,” the letter explains the signatories come from diverse backgrounds and political persuasions, but stand together against ‘the perversion of the Christian faith” displayed at the insurrection, and against “the theology and the conditions” that led to the attack itself.
Indonesia: Pentecostal congregation allowed to build a church as local official calls for religious tolerance
A Pentecostal church in Yogyakarta, Indonesia has again been granted permission to build a worship center after a previous construction permit (IMB) was revoked by local authorities in 2019, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Renewing permission to build a church, the local regent also called for tolerance of other religions in the community.
Survey: Majority of Biden voters do not believe God is all-powerful Creator
A survey published last week reveals that 63% of Biden voters do not believe “God is the “all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect and just creator,” although a majority identify as Christian, the Christian Post reports. The finding was made in the 2020 Post-Election Survey conducted by The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.
Sudan Authorities Threaten To Kill Christian Leader After Church Attack
Sudanese authorities detained, mistreated, and threatened to kill a Christian leader who wants to rebuild a church destroyed in an arson attack, Worthy News learned late Monday.
Canada Pastor remains in police custody after refusing to stop holding COVID-19 defiant services
A Canadian pastor is in police custody in Edmonton, Canada, after he refused to stop holding church services in defiance of local COVID-19 regulations, Christianity Today reports. Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church handed himself in to police on Tuesday last week, and twice refused bail conditions that he stop holding services that defy regulations.
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.