As persecution of Christians continues to rise globally, churches across India joined an international prayer initiative during the first two Sundays of November, with strong participation reported from cities and towns nationwide.
The rise of Artificial General Intelligence is now unstoppable. It is not an overstatement to say that it is transforming life on earth as humans know it. No sphere of human interaction is immune, least of all the religious sector. Now, more than ever, we need to be spiritually discerning about AI/AGI use in our faith walk. Let us take care not put our trust in something that has neither heart nor soul.
India’s famed Emperor Ashoka was an ancient convert from Hinduism to Buddhism. He demonstrated that a person is NOT forced by others to convert from one religion to another. Today, “religious conversions are forced,” is the flawed premise of all anti-conversion laws of India. Who could have forced mighty Emperor Ashoka to change his religion? The Emperor’s famous religious conversion was his choice.
In a perfect world, where legal systems hold political power to account and protect minorities against human rights abuses we might expect an end to persecution. But we do not live in a perfect world. People with power continue to act with impunity against those who think and live differently to them. Christians have a way to cope with this reality and a real and living hope for a future free of persecution.
Air India flight AI-171 from from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick dominated the headlines mid-June. Like many large scale tragedies it captures our attention briefly, but for those closer to the story the impact can be longer lasting. This reflection observes that tragic news can become a wake up call to "seek first the kingdom" with renewed vigor without delay.
In a landmark development for religious cooperation, Mizoram has witnessed the establishment of the Council of Churches in Mizoram (CCM), a pioneering initiative bringing together major Christian denominations in the state after 130 years of religious diversity.
A Christian falsely charged with blasphemy in three cases was released on bail this week after prosecutors failed to produce evidence against him, his attorney said.
Passing on the faith is not only a matter that each Christian family must address but also a challenge facing the church today. The Chinese church has young believers but lacks disciples who are fervent for the Lord. If church leaders want to build a healthy church, they must invest effort in discipleship training.
The first-ever Global Day of Prayer for Media is being hailed as "a remarkable success" and "a powerful 24-hour live prayer experience" after thousands of Christians around the world engaged in the event on Sunday. More than 2,000 people joined in the live-streamed prayer marathon, logging on from over 25 countries – with the Philippines registering the highest viewership.
A Christian jailed since June on blasphemy and terrorism charges in Pakistan was released on bail on Oct. 23 after a high court noted glaring loopholes in the police case against him, his attorney said.
Authorities in Pakistan have failed to curb a range of human rights violations, including a sharp increase in blasphemy-related violence, the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) noted last week.
It should make us stand up and take notice when those most eager to see a Palestinian state recognized in their own back yard are anti Hamas, whereas in Europe and the UK Hamas seems to be part of the package. When it comes to understanding both sides of a conflict, even one as lopsided as this, unrealistic ideologies will not create stability. The Arab states know this. They deserve our respect.
