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        <title>Christian Daily International | Family & Children</title>
        <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/family-children</link>
        <description><![CDATA[Explore Christian news and insights on family and children, including parenting, discipleship, education, and marriage. Learn how faith shapes family life and supports the spiritual growth of the next generation.]]></description>
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        <copyright>Christian Daily International © 2026</copyright>
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                <title><![CDATA[Germany reports record postwar birth deficit in 2025 as population decline deepens]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/germany-reports-record-postwar-birth-deficit-in-2025-as-population-decline-deepens</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/germany-reports-record-postwar-birth-deficit-in-2025-as-population-decline-deepens</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[newborn]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo by Solen Feyissa / Unsplash ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:23:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Germany’s population recorded its largest natural decline in the postwar era in 2025, driven by a historic gap between births and deaths, according to the Federal Statistical Office.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Germany’s population recorded its largest natural decline in the postwar era in 2025, driven by a historic gap between births and deaths, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Births fell again, while abortions saw a slight decrease, according to reporting by Jesus.de.
The country registered about 654,300 births last year, down 3.4% from 2024. Destatis said this marks the fourth straight annual decline and the lowest number since 1946, the first full year after World War II.
Deaths, meanwhile, reached about 1.01 million. With fatalities outpacing births by roughly 352,000, Germany experienced its largest birth deficit since records began in the postwar period. Officials pointed to demographic shifts, including smaller cohorts born in the 1990s now entering their childbearing years and a continued decline in fertility rates since 2022. Germany last saw a natural population increase in 1971.
The trend varied by region. Eastern Germany saw a sharper drop in births, down 4.5%, compared with a 3.2% decline in the west. Hamburg was the only state to post growth, edging up 0.5%. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania recorded the steepest fall at 8.4%.
Family groups warn of long-term consequences
The German Family Association described the figures as a “dramatic wake-up call,” arguing that structural policy issues are contributing to the decline.
“That the number of births has fallen to its lowest level since 1946 is not a historical coincidence, but the result of decades of structural disadvantages for families,” said Sebastian Heimann, the group’s federal managing director, according to the Evangelical Press Service (epd).
Heimann said the country’s social systems place an unfair burden on parents. He cited the pension system in particular, saying it disadvantages those who raise children, especially mothers. He added that failing to adjust family benefits or address the needs of larger households makes the decline predictable rather than surprising.
The Catholic Family Federation also called for policy changes, telling epd that many people would like to have more children than they ultimately do. It said the decline reflects not only shifting preferences but also financial pressure, limited support structures and uncertainty about the future.
Immigration offsets demographic decline
Preliminary data from several European Union countries show similar trends, with France, Austria, Italy and Sweden all reporting lower birth rates in 2025. Spain, the Netherlands and Finland, however, showed signs of stabilization.
A Federal Statistical Office analysis found that Germany’s population would have declined significantly by 2024 without increased immigration since 2015. Experts expect the gap between births and deaths to remain large for decades and possibly widen further. Without higher fertility rates and continued net immigration, they warn, Germany’s population is likely to shrink substantially.
Abortions edge lower but remain elevated
The number of abortions in Germany decreased slightly in 2025, with about 106,000 reported cases, a 0.7% drop from the previous year, according to Destatis. Despite the decline, the total remains above levels seen between 2014 and 2020.
Roughly 96% of procedures were carried out under Germany’s statutory counseling framework, while medical or criminal indications accounted for a small share. About four in five abortions occurred within the first eight weeks of pregnancy.
Age patterns also shifted. Compared with 2015, abortion numbers declined among women aged 15–17 and 20–24, while increasing significantly among those aged 30–44.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Reviewing the shocking exposé into pornography dictators and profiteers]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/reviewing-the-shocking-expose-into-pornography-dictators-and-profiteers</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/reviewing-the-shocking-expose-into-pornography-dictators-and-profiteers</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Paul Schirrmacher]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Porn Portal Blur]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Jack Taylor/Getty Images ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Aylo is a company that owns thousands of websites and many free and premium pornography sites. Formerly known as MindGeek, the company was renamed Aylo in 2023 when, after an investigation by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, it was purchased by Ethical Capital Partners, an ironically named Canadian private-equity firm. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pornocracy Book]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Polity Books ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Pornocracy Book Cover ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A 2025 book investigating the power behind the commercialization of pornography argue that "people don’t use pornography: it uses us. And you don’t have to watch it to be one of its victims." This review affirms the authors' critique of pornography and those who control it as a dangerously powerful, globalized industry that is (re)shaping desire, relationships, and social norms. Followers of Jesus need to guard ourselves against this attack on our relationships and our souls.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
This commentary is written after I took time to do some thorough research into the claims of what I now believe to be the best book on the market exposing the dictatorship of pornography and those who profit from it. 

The best book on the market exposing the dictatorship of pornography and those who profit.

I write as the author of a similar book on internet pornography (published in both German and Russian language in 2010), further research published as articles from 1985 through to 2026, and as someone who has fought human trafficking, forced prostitution, sexual abuse, and pornography on social media aimed at youngsters for four decades.

Pornocracy by Jo Bartosch and Robert Jessel (Polity: Cambridge, 2025) is a comprehensive critique of how the pornography industrial complex has come to be a dominant force in Western culture, politics, and private life; and, increasingly, affecting other cultures similarly.
The authors argue that we live in a “pornocracy”: a society in which political power, culture, relationships, and personal identity are shaped and increasingly controlled by the logic and visual language of pornography.
Pornography is not presented here as an insignificant private matter, but as a multi-billion-dollar system that exploits women, distorts sexual norms, and radically alters notions of intimacy, consent, and gender roles.  
Drawing on social research, case studies, and political debates, authors Bartosch and Jessel demonstrate that pornography literally reshapes the brain. It increases sensitivity to sexual stimuli while simultaneously dampening the response to real-life partners, thereby weakening relationships and marriages.
The authors argue that heavy porn consumption correlates with more sexist attitudes among adolescents, an increase in sexual violence, and a normalization of aggression, choking, and humiliation in sexual relationships—even among people who do not consume pornography themselves but adopt its cultural patterns.

The industry is protected by ideological narratives that portray pornography as “liberation”.

The book also describes how the industry is protected by ideological narratives that portray pornography as “liberation” and male consumption as “natural,” and how weak regulation, as well as AI-based sextech products and algorithms, draw users into increasingly extreme content.  
In its final chapters, Pornocracy turns to solutions and calls for a cultural and political reorientation centered on human dignity, relational sexuality, and women’s vulnerability. The authors advocate for stricter legal limits on pornography, more honest sex education and health campaigns, and a more vigorous engagement by churches, feminists, and policymakers with the interplay between pornography, patriarchy, digital capitalism, and postmodern concepts of sexuality.

A provocative and urgent plea to highlight how profoundly pornography has transformed human interaction.

While some critics label the book as exaggerated and at times panic-driven, supporters see it as a provocative and urgent plea to highlight how profoundly pornography has transformed human interaction in the digital world.
The main arguments of Pornocracy can be summarized in four key points:

Pornography as “Pornocracy” Bartosch and Jessel argue that pornography is no longer merely a “private matter,” but rather a powerful, globalized industry that shapes desire, relationships, and social norms—a “pornocracy” in which sexuality is controlled by commercialized images and algorithms. They emphasize that one does not even have to actively watch pornography to suffer its effects, because it has already permeated culture, gender relations, and the concept of love and intimacy.
What is now considered to be “Generation Porn” has consumed extreme scenes before their first real kiss.

Exploitation, violence, and health hazardsThe book focuses its critique on the systematic exploitation of women, including an increase in violence, choking, humiliation, and simulated scenes of abuse. Added to this is the argument that pornography reprograms users’ brains and sex lives, leading to relationship and marital problems, porn addiction, and rising sexual violence, because what is now considered to be “Generation Porn” has consumed extreme scenes before their first real kiss.
Political and cultural actors as accomplicesThe authors demonstrate how the porn lobby influences politics, the media, and parts of the education system, for example through targeted lobbying, shielding advertisers from regulation, and promoting supposedly “sex-positive” education, which they argue trivializes the commercialization of sexuality to something more benign. The book particularly criticizes certain currents of feminism and gender theory, which they label as “zombie feminism” and a “sex-positive” agenda that covers up the pornification of sexuality while actually serving to repress the sexual experience of many women.
Pornography as an existential threat to human relationshipsFinally, Bartosch and Jessel argue that pornography should be understood as a social and psychological crisis that undermines genuine human relationships, intimacy, and empathy. Men are reduced to isolated “masturbation dolls” on an algorithmic conveyor belt, while women are reduced to objects. They call for clear boundaries, stronger regulation, education about the risks, and a renewal of a sexuality based on relationship, dignity, and mutual respect—although, they themselves only partially elaborate on an alternative, positively formulated ethic.

This new book is distinct from previous books about or against the “pornography dictatorship,” (including my own book Internet Pornography) in two main ways:
First, unlike purely economic or media-critical analyses, the authors are not primarily concerned with corporate power or media convergence, but with pornography as a moral and cultural order that reshapes desire, consent, and human dignity.

They argue not from an explicitly religious perspective, but from a secular, humanistic ethic.

They describe pornography as a “pornocracy”—a system in which social norms, politics, and relationships are shaped and controlled by the logic of pornography—and in doing so, they argue not from an explicitly religious perspective, but from a secular, humanistic ethic that strongly condemns violence, exploitation, and the sexualization of children.
Second, Pornocracy stands out for its strong emphasis on shocking examples, algorithmically amplified extremism, and the blurring of boundaries—such as those between legal pornography, simulated violence, and child pornography.
Many other critiques, particularly feminist or labor-law-oriented studies, make a greater effort to clearly distinguish consensual, adult sex work from abuse and trafficking, while Bartosch and Jessel deliberately construct a blurred, threatening visual landscape.
At the same time, the book’s thematic scope is very broad: it links pornography with AI, sex tech, free streaming platforms, and a critique of “zombie feminism” that allegedly defends commercialized sexuality.

It is not healthy for everyone to be exposed to the examples in this book.

While it is not healthy for everyone to be exposed to the examples in this book, it is well worth all followers of Jesus to take these warnings seriously and being aware of the industrial complex profiteering and power behind the pushing of pornographic material online. This is a power akin to that spoken of by Paul in Ephesians 6:12.
It is not flesh and blood we are wrestling against but corrupt moral principles that only serve to ruin healthy intimate relationships. We need the metaphorical armor of God to keep us and our children safe in this war against our relationships and our souls. We all must be better equipped "so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13 NIV).
Archbishop and Professor Thomas Paul Schirrmacher is the President of both the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights in Frankfurt and the International Institute for Religious Freedom in Costa Rica and Bonn. He was Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance from 2021 to 2024. Prior to this, he served the WEA for 25 years in various roles, including Associate Secretary General for Theological Concerns and Intrafaith and Interfaith Relations. He travels to over 50 countries a year, meeting heads of state and government, religious leaders, and heads of churches of all confessions on behalf of the persecuted church, as well as fighting human trafficking and corruption.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Children taken from Christian orphanage still in gov’t custody after failed handover]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/children-taken-from-christian-orphanage-still-in-govt-custody-after-failed-handover</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/children-taken-from-christian-orphanage-still-in-govt-custody-after-failed-handover</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[School in Nigeria]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Open Doors partners ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ School in Nigeria in this undated photo. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Seven children seized from a Christian orphanage network in northern Nigeria more than six years ago remain in the custody of Kano State authorities after a meeting convened to finalize their return ended without a handover.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Seven children seized from a Christian orphanage network in northern Nigeria more than six years ago remain in the custody of Kano State authorities after a meeting convened to finalize their return ended without a handover.
The children were removed from the Du Merci Centres for vulnerable children in Kano and Kaduna states on Dec. 25 and 31, 2019, by police officers and agents of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, according to the United Kingdom-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). At the time, Professor Solomon Tarfa, who co-founded the Du Merci Centres with his wife, Mercy, was arrested on spurious charges.
A total of 27 children were seized in the raids and placed in the Nassarawa government orphanage, where advocates say they experienced mistreatment, neglect and sustained pressure to convert to Islam. Those who reached the age of majority were eventually released, leaving 16 minors in the government facility.
Eight of the older remaining children were released on Aug. 13, 2025, after one began experiencing mental health challenges. The eight youngest were required to stay at the orphanage pending a review by the Kano State attorney general of a 2025 consent judgment. The judgment, delivered by a Kano State High Court, ordered the formal return of all children to the Tarfas’ care on or before March 19, 2025.
One of the children, 13-year-old David Solomon Tarfa, died in January after the orphanage’s authorities did not provide urgently needed medical attention.
The Tarfas were informed earlier this month that the attorney general of Kano State had requested their presence at a meeting last Wednesday for the handover of the seven surviving children. Prof. Tarfa was unable to attend due to ill health. Mrs. Tarfa attended with the family lawyer, the couple’s eldest son and an older daughter who had been released from the government orphanage in 2025.
A document stating that the children had been returned to the Tarfas was finalized during the meeting, bearing the signatures of the attorney general, the commissioner for women’s affairs and social development, the solicitor general, the permanent secretary of the Ministry for Women’s Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Tarfa, her lawyer and the Tarfas’ son.
However, the commissioner left the proceedings before they concluded, taking all of the children with her.
Unfortunately, the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs had reportedly spent the previous night with the children, persuading them not to return to Du Merci.
Also attending the meeting was American pastor and religious freedom advocate Bill Devlin and human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe, who both traveled from the United States to oversee the handoff. 
In an email to The Christian Post, Devlin alleged that the commissioner had reportedly spent the previous night with the children, persuading them not to return to Du Merci.
"During the meeting, for which she procured several members of the press, both the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and the Attorney General of Kano State confirmed their signatures on an updated consent agreement," Devlin said.
"However, when cameras were turned on, the Commissioner asked the children if they wanted to go. The children began to cry and said, 'No, we do not want to go.' The meeting then abruptly ended, and the Commissioner’s team spirited the children back to the Nasarawa Children’s Home, defying the signed decree.  Interestingly enough, none of the children had their belongings with them."
Ogebe and Devlin requested an appeal with the attorney general's staff, demanding to know "how a state government could disregard a signed consent decree issued by a court."
"The Attorney General promised to intervene in the situation," Devlin wrote. 
During their six years at the government facility, the children faced consistent pressure to convert, CSW states. The youngest eight were described as the most vulnerable to that pressure.
Children who had converted were told before last week’s meeting that they would be killed if they returned to the Du Merci Centre, either for having converted to Islam or if they reverted to Christianity.
A coroner’s inquest into David’s death began on April 8. The inquest has reportedly concluded, though its findings have not been made public. The letter produced at last week’s meeting stated that David’s body would not be released because of the ongoing inquest.
The Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the state’s attorney general had previously filed a suit at the juvenile court seeking an order directing the orphanage to release the body for burial in accordance with Islamic rites, but later withdrew it.
Legal proceedings to return the remaining children have been repeatedly deferred. In one instance, the Tarfas’ lawyer was informed on April 2 that the case had been adjourned indefinitely because the presiding judge was observing Hajj in Mecca. That was the fifth deferral in five months.
Among the points of contention at the meeting this month was the authorities’ refusal to hand over the four eldest children on the grounds that three were nearly 18.
CSW Chief Executive Officer Scot Bower said Kano State authorities had “disregarded the High Court ruling for far too long” and called for the urgent and unconditional return of the seven children, the handover of David Tarfa’s body in accordance with his family’s wishes, an end to what he described as harassment and legal persecution of the family, and compensation commensurate with the trauma inflicted on the Tarfas and their children.
Originally published by The Christian Post]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Finnish study adds to growing scrutiny of ‘gender affirming care’ treatments, echoing Cass Review concerns]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/finnish-study-adds-to-growing-scrutiny-of-gender-affirming-care-treatments-echoing-cass-review-concerns</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/finnish-study-adds-to-growing-scrutiny-of-gender-affirming-care-treatments-echoing-cass-review-concerns</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A large-scale Finnish study tracking adolescents referred for gender identity services found persistently high rates of mental health challenges, underscoring the need for comprehensive psychological care alongside any clinical interventions.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Unsplash / Priscilla Du Preez ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A large-scale Finnish study tracking adolescents referred for gender identity services found persistently high rates of mental health challenges, underscoring the need for comprehensive psychological care alongside any clinical interventions. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A major new study from Finland has found that adolescents referred for gender identity treatment continue to experience significantly elevated mental health challenges over time, adding to a growing body of research and clinical concern about current approaches to treating gender dysphoria in minors.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A major new study from Finland has found that adolescents referred for gender identity treatment continue to experience significantly elevated mental health challenges over time, adding to a growing body of research and clinical concern about current approaches to treating gender dysphoria in minors.
The study, published in Acta Paediatrica, analyzed national registry data spanning 1996 to 2019 and tracked approximately 2,100 young people referred to specialized gender identity services. Researchers found that nearly half—about 46%—had already received psychiatric care before referral, rising to nearly 62% within two years afterward.
Compared to their peers, adolescents in the study showed markedly higher levels of psychiatric need both before and after referral. After adjusting for prior treatment, girls were about three times more likely to require additional psychiatric care, while boys were about five times more likely.
The findings reinforce concerns raised in earlier reporting by Christian Daily International on international reviews and medical debates surrounding youth gender treatment, including the landmark Cass Review in the United Kingdom.
That review, commissioned by the National Health Service, concluded that the evidence base supporting medical interventions such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors remains limited and uncertain. It also raised concerns about clinical pathways that move too quickly toward medicalization without sufficiently addressing underlying psychological factors.
The Finnish study similarly found that adolescents referred for gender identity services had “significantly higher psychiatric morbidity” prior to treatment—suggesting that gender-related distress often coexists with other mental health conditions. Researchers emphasized the need for thorough psychological assessment and ongoing mental health care, noting that “psychiatric needs must be adequately met.”
Christian Daily International previously reported that pediatricians and medical experts in several countries have warned against what they describe as a “rushed” approach to medical transition for minors. Some clinicians have called for stricter safeguards or a pause on certain interventions, particularly irreversible procedures, citing concerns about long-term outcomes and the quality of supporting evidence.
The Finnish data provides rare long-term insight due to the country’s comprehensive national health system, which allows researchers to track outcomes over decades. It found that psychiatric care needs increased during follow-up even among those who underwent medical interventions, with rates rising sharply in both male-to-female and female-to-male treatment groups.
These findings align with broader international discussions about the natural course of gender dysphoria in youth. Some longitudinal studies have suggested that a significant proportion of children experiencing gender-related distress do not continue to identify as transgender into adulthood, particularly when symptoms emerge before adolescence.
At the same time, recent developments in the United Kingdom—including a closely watched clinical trial involving puberty blockers—have drawn criticism from both evangelical groups and some LGBT advocates who highlighted the long-term harm of medical interventions.
While the Finnish researchers did not advocate for specific policy changes, their study adds weight to calls for a more cautious and holistic approach. By highlighting persistent mental health challenges and the complexity of underlying conditions, the findings contribute to a growing reassessment of the assumption that so-called “gender-affirming care” leads to improved psychological outcomes.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Bill seeks to rewrite colonial-era Christian marriage law in Pakistan’s Punjab province]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/bill-seeks-to-rewrite-colonial-era-christian-marriage-law-in-pakistans-punjab-province</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/bill-seeks-to-rewrite-colonial-era-christian-marriage-law-in-pakistans-punjab-province</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[A. S. John]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[File photo of the Punjab Assembly building in Lahore, where lawmakers are expected to table proposed legislation aimed at protecting minority communal properties.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ File photo of the Punjab Assembly building in Lahore. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A Christian lawmaker in Pakistan’s Punjab province has introduced a bill to raise the minimum legal age of marriage for Christian girls and boys to 18, in a move aimed at overhauling the 153-year-old colonial-era Christian Marriage Act of 1872.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A Christian lawmaker in Pakistan’s Punjab province has introduced a bill to raise the minimum legal age of marriage for Christian girls and boys to 18, in a move aimed at overhauling the 153-year-old colonial-era Christian Marriage Act of 1872.
At the federal level, Pakistan’s National Assembly passed the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2024, on July 10 last year, raising the legal marriage age to 18. However, the law applies only to the Islamabad Capital Territory, as legislative authority over minority affairs was devolved to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, requiring provincial legislatures to enact their own reforms.
The proposed “Christian Marriage Act Bill, 2026” was tabled in the Punjab Assembly by Falbous Christopher, a provincial legislator and chairman of the Standing Committee on Minority Affairs, as a private member’s bill.
If enacted, the legislation would set the minimum marriage age at 18 for both men and women, replacing the existing thresholds of 16 for boys and 13 for girls under the current law. It also requires both parties to be Christian for a marriage to be solemnized under the act, revising the existing provision that allows unions where only one party professes the Christian faith.
The bill proposes a range of administrative reforms, including the formal registration of Christian marriages within official state systems. For the first time, union councils and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) would be legally mandated to register such marriages, a step expected to improve access to legal protections, inheritance rights and identity documentation for Christian couples.
It also removes outdated restrictions—such as the prohibition on conducting wedding ceremonies after 6 p.m.—and expands the pool of authorized officiants. Under the proposed changes, any pastor affiliated with a government-registered church and holding a recognized theological qualification would be permitted to solemnize marriages, broadening authority beyond the historically recognized Catholic and Anglican denominations.
The draft further clarifies the legal definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, replacing the more ambiguous “two persons” phrasing in the original statute.
The initiative comes amid wider efforts to reform Christian personal laws in Pakistan.
On April 7, the Punjab government constituted a 37-member technical committee under its Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department to review gaps in family and inheritance laws affecting Christians, with particular emphasis on safeguarding women and minors.
Parallel discussions are underway in Sindh province, where a three-member committee has been formed to examine potential amendments to the Christian Marriage Act of 1872 and the Divorce Act of 1869. During a recent meeting chaired by provincial adviser Giyanchand Essarani, participants highlighted discrepancies between outdated personal laws and current statutory standards, including the low minimum age of marriage.
Christian leaders and lawmakers in Punjab have welcomed the bill, describing it as a long-overdue step toward aligning personal laws with contemporary human rights standards.
Ejaz Alam Augustine, a former provincial minister and current member of the Punjab Assembly, said the existing legal framework had failed to keep pace with present-day realities.
“These colonial-era laws were not designed to address the needs and vulnerabilities of today’s Christian community,” Augustine said. “In practice, they have created gaps that leave families, particularly women and young girls, exposed to legal uncertainty and, in some cases, exploitation. Reform is essential to ensure equal protection, dignity and access to justice.”
He said momentum for reform had intensified following recent court rulings involving underage Christian girls.
“Civil society has long called for change, but recent judgments have brought a new sense of urgency,” he said. “Provisions allowing marriages where only one party is Christian have been invoked in court in ways that complicate efforts by families to challenge the marriages of minor girls.”
Advocates have also raised concerns about the Christian divorce framework, noting that it places disproportionate burdens on women, offers limited safeguards against domestic abuse and suffers from weak enforcement of maintenance and alimony provisions.
Legal ambiguity persists in areas such as child custody, where courts often rely on general guardianship laws due to the absence of a comprehensive, codified family law for Christians.
In a significant ruling on March 7, the Lahore High Court held that “desertion” can constitute valid grounds for the dissolution of a Christian marriage if a couple has lived separately for at least two years, setting aside earlier lower court decisions that had dismissed such claims, as previously reported by Christian Daily International.
The Christian Divorce Act of 1869 provides limited grounds for men seeking divorce and requires husbands to prove adultery by their wives to obtain dissolution. It also mandates that the alleged adulterer be named as a co-respondent—procedural requirements that have historically made it difficult to pursue divorce and have led to cases being dismissed on technical grounds.
Human rights advocates and Christian leaders have long criticized these provisions as outdated and discriminatory, arguing that they effectively force couples to level damaging allegations of adultery in order to end broken marriages.
Katherine Sapna, executive director of the Christians’ True Spirit legal aid organization, said the reform process could open space for broader intra-community dialogue.
“This presents an important opportunity for Christian denominations to engage on sensitive but pressing issues,” Sapna said. “Marriage, divorce and remarriage remain among the most common sources of dispute within families, and a clearer, more coherent legal framework could help address longstanding pastoral and social challenges.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Pastor's film ‘Learning You’ shines light on autism, offers hope to families feeling 'invisible’]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pastor-s-film-learning-you-shines-light-on-autism-offers-hope-to-families-feeling-invisible</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pastor-s-film-learning-you-shines-light-on-autism-offers-hope-to-families-feeling-invisible</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Learning You]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ YouTube/Screengrab/Learning You ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Learning You ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:21:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Sansom is one of the creative forces behind “Learning You,” a heartfelt road-trip drama inspired by true events that follows a struggling father who impulsively takes his autistic son on a Christmas journey across the American heartland after facing pressure to surrender parental rights.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For Tyler Sansom, ministry has never fit neatly into one box.
He’s a pastor, a filmmaker, and a digital missionary who built an online church years before COVID-19 made livestream services commonplace. He’s also deeply involved in outreach, from rescuing victims of slavery in Pakistan to ministering to those affected by disability.
And now, the 33-year-old husband and father is helping tell a story he believes Hollywood has largely ignored.
Sansom is one of the creative forces behind “Learning You,” a heartfelt road-trip drama inspired by true events that follows a struggling father who impulsively takes his autistic son on a Christmas journey across the American heartland after facing pressure to surrender parental rights.
The film centers on Ty Smith, a once-successful architect whose life has unraveled after divorce, career setbacks and the institutionalization of his son, Elijah. What begins as desperation slowly becomes rediscovery of connection and hope.
During a sit-down interview with The Christian Post in Nashville, Tennessee, Sansom said the decision to start the story in a place of deep brokenness was intentional.
“Authenticity mattered,” he said. “When we interviewed families during research, the common theme was they were tired of Hollywood wrapping everything up with a nice bow, the autistic kid becomes a concert pianist or a mathematical genius. For most families, that’s not reality.”
Instead, the film, starring John Wells, Stacy Haiduk, Caleb Milby, Daniel Roebuck and Read Choi, depicts the daily challenges of profound autism: sensory overload, emotional meltdowns, isolation and exhaustion.
“One in every 36 kids is somewhere on the spectrum. One in every 200 is profoundly autistic, and the divorce rates are absurdly high,” Sansom said. “We wanted to shine a light on that. There are a whole lot of moms and dads in America right now who feel invisible.”
Sansom grew up in southern Indiana, across the river from Louisville, Kentucky, and dreamed of making movies as a child. He studied filmmaking but pivoted into full-time ministry after college.
Early in his pastoral career, Sansom embraced digital outreach, long before it became standard.
“I was a full-time online pastor about six years before COVID,” he said. “We built a network of publishers and branded content, and it’s been a wild ride.”
Eventually, his church decided to try making a movie together.
“Our first one was terrible,” Sansom said with a laugh. “But the last few have been nationwide.”
He spoke to CP while attending the annual gathering of the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, where he was nominated for “Best Director/Producer and Best Director” at the Crown Awards.
Sansom said the project also transformed his own congregation. While his church already hosted a thriving adult special-needs ministry, it lacked resources for younger children, but the film sparked change.
“We’ve had 50 to 60 adults meeting every week for worship who have special needs,” he said. “But nothing for kids. Now we have a sensory room, trained workers, and we’ve had direct communication with families. The awareness changed everything.”
According to the pastor, the response from parents has been overwhelming. The filmmakers created a “Stories” section on their website where viewers can share reactions, and messages began pouring in.
“Finally, somebody understands,” Sansom said, summarizing common feedback. “People tell us, ‘Now I can show this to my friends and family so they understand why I can’t just go to dinner or the grocery store.’ The autism community has really rallied around this in a way I hoped for but never expected.”
“I would challenge church leaders to sit down with these families and learn their story,” he said. “Every single family we talked to had a completely different experience. You can’t build meaningful support until you take time to learn who they are.”
The film’s title, “Learning You,” reflects that philosophy.
“Relationships die when we stop learning from one another,” Sansom said. “I’m still learning from my wife every day. Churches and families drift apart because they stop learning from each other.”
Though Sansom is not raising a child with special needs, he said adoption taught him the power of reframing hardship. In 2020, he and his wife adopted a teenage girl, Leigh Ann, just nine years his junior, and are now grandparents. 
“I don’t have a child with special needs, but I understand non-traditional families,” he said. 
His family developed a phrase, “apple pie," as shorthand for calling a meeting when someone began writing negative narratives in their own head.
“It’s easy to create stories like, ‘Why did God give me this?’ when there’s sensory overload or emotional outbursts,” he said. “But if you can reframe that, it changes everything.”
Ultimately, Sansom says the movie is about visibility and hope, and, of course, the power of fatherhood.
“When I read the script, I realized this isn’t just about a dad and his son,” he said. “It’s a picture of how our Father in Heaven treats us. We all act out. We all fall short. And yet God keeps showing up like this broken dad who still does everything he can to love his child.”
Beyond filmmaking, Sansom now leads a regional initiative called ACT, focused on supporting caregivers through training events, practical resources and community connections, from navigating Medicaid to understanding school systems.
All of the film’s proceeds, he said, will go to that initiative to help launch similar programs nationwide.
“We’ve even hosted comedy nights just for parents and caregivers,” Sansom said, recalling an event that drew more than 1,200 people. “These families need rest. They need laughter. They need community.”
“Healing doesn’t always come in big miracles,” he said. “Sometimes it’s small moments. But those moments matter.”
Originally published by The Christian Post]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Faith Without Frontiers podcast features Angolan survivor’s story of abuse, healing and advocacy]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/faith-without-frontiers-podcast-features-angolan-survivors-story-of-abuse-healing-and-advocacy</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/faith-without-frontiers-podcast-features-angolan-survivors-story-of-abuse-healing-and-advocacy</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[FWF Episode 2]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:49:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Christian Daily International’s new podcast, Faith Without Frontiers, turns in its second installment to the story of Palmira de Sá of Angola, who speaks candidly about surviving childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence and racism — and about the Christian faith that shaped her long journey toward healing.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Christian Daily International’s new podcast, Faith Without Frontiers, turns in its second installment to the story of Palmira de Sá of Angola, who speaks candidly about surviving childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence and racism — and about the Christian faith that shaped her long journey toward healing.
Released April 7, the conversation with host Gordon Showell-Rogers introduces de Sá not simply as a survivor, but as someone now walking alongside others through her work with the Prince and Princess Association in Angola. “Each time that a victim just tells their story, I cry with them,” she says. “It just breaks my heart to see a soul that Jesus died for so broken.”
Her account moves between painful personal memories and the wider realities she says many women and children face in Angola. Looking back on her younger years, de Sá recalls reaching a point where she believed “I was brought to this life just to suffer and to be used as trash.” But she also describes how that outlook began to change through prayer, Scripture and what she understood as God’s steady presence in her life.
One of the most striking threads is her description of forgiveness not as a quick or sentimental idea, but as a costly process. Speaking about the man who abused her, she says the turning point came when she was finally able to pray, “I ask you to forgive him, I ask you to bless him.” That, she says, lifted “a heavy burden” from her heart.
The discussion also widens to the failures of police, courts and churches to protect victims. De Sá says survivors are often silenced by shame, fear and bad theology, while abusive behavior is too often treated as a private matter rather than confronted openly. “If you do not report, you are being part of it,” she says, arguing that church leaders must learn to distinguish between problems to be counseled and crimes that must be reported.
Despite the suffering of victims, De Sá repeatedly returns to the conviction that healing is possible in Christ. “Jesus is the healer,” she says. “He’s not just the healer of the body. He’s the healer of the soul.”
Listen to today’s conversation as it opens a window into the courage, sorrow and hope behind De Sá’s ministry.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Supreme Court rules Colorado's conversion therapy ban violates First Amendment]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/supreme-court-rules-colorado-s-conversion-therapy-ban-violates-first-amendment</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/supreme-court-rules-colorado-s-conversion-therapy-ban-violates-first-amendment</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Same-sex marriage supporter Vin Testa]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Same-sex marriage supporter Vin Testa, of Washington, DC, waves a LGBTQIA pride flag in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building as he makes pictures with his friend Donte Gonzalez to celebrate the anniversary of the United States v. Windsor and the Obergefell v. Hodges decisions on June 26, 2023 in Washington, DC. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a Colorado law that bans licensed professionals from engaging in therapy with minors seeking to change their sexual orientation or help children with gender dysphoria accept their sex. ]]></description>
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In an 8-1 decision released Tuesday in the case of Kaley Chiles v. Patty Salazar, executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, et al., the high court concluded that Colorado’s ban unlawfully regulated the speech of Christian therapist Kaley Chiles.
Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the opinion of the court, writing that “we conclude that the courts below failed to apply sufficiently rigorous First Amendment scrutiny in this case.”
“While the First Amendment protects many and varied forms of expression, the spoken word is perhaps the quintessential form of protected speech. And that is exactly the kind of expression in which Ms. Chiles seeks to engage,” said Gorsuch.
“Colorado’s law does not just regulate the content of Ms. Chiles’s speech. It goes a step further, prescribing what views she may and may not express.”
Gorsuch noted that “the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country” and that “any law that suppresses speech based on viewpoint represents an ‘egregious’ assault on both of those commitments.”
The opinion reverses the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision and sends the case back for further legal proceedings, with the majority opinion.
Justice Elena Kagan authored a concurring opinion, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing that if Colorado had enacted "a viewpoint-neutral law, it would raise a different and more difficult question.”
“Once again, because the State has suppressed one side of a debate, while aiding the other, the constitutional issue is straightforward,” she continued. “We need not here decide how to assess viewpoint-neutral laws regulating health providers’ expression because, as the Court holds, Colorado’s is not one.”
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone dissent, arguing that, as a licensed medical professional, Chiles does not enjoy the broad First Amendment protections others do.
“Chiles is not speaking in the ether; she is providing therapy to minors as a licensed healthcare professional,” wrote Jackson. “Under our precedents, bedrock First Amendment principles have far less salience when the speakers are medical professionals and their treatment-related speech is being restricted incidentally to the State’s regulation of the provision of medical care.”
Jackson believes that Colorado had the right to ban the therapy for minors due to multiple mainstream medical organizations denouncing the practice.
“The conclusion that a State can regulate the provision of medical care even if, in so doing, it incidentally restricts the speech of some providers, fully comports with the First Amendment’s animating principles,” she added.
“My colleagues’ contrary conclusions are puzzling, for a standards-based healthcare scheme cannot function unless its regulators are permitted to choose sides.”
In 2019, Colorado passed the Minor Conversion Therapy Law, which prohibited "gay conversion therapy" for minors, after multiple similar bills had failed in previous legislative sessions. 
Daniel Ramos, executive director of the LGBT advocacy group One Colorado, released a statement at the time saying that it was a "significant step in protecting our LGBTQ youth."
"No young person should ever be shamed by a mental health professional into thinking that who they are is wrong," stated Ramos. "Mental health care should be ethical and affirming for all people — including LGBTQ young people."
Chiles challenged the law in September 2022, claiming that the measure violated the Free Speech Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 against Chiles in September 2024, upholding an earlier district ruling in favor of the state ban.
Circuit Judge Veronica Rossman, a Biden appointee, wrote for the panel majority that "Chiles had not met her burden of showing a likelihood of success on the merits of her First Amendment free speech and free exercise claims."
"By regulating which treatments Ms. Chiles may perform in her role as a licensed professional counselor, Colorado is not restricting Ms. Chiles' freedom of expression," she added. "In other words, Ms. Chiles' First Amendment right to freedom of speech is implicated under the MCTL, but it is not abridged."
Circuit Judge Harris Hartz, a George W. Bush appointee, dissented, arguing that the majority failed to explain why "talk therapy is to be afforded lesser First Amendment protection than speech in general."
"Is the majority stating that professional speech should be treated differently under the First Amendment from identical speech by a nonprofessional? That would fly in the face of what the Supreme Court has recently told us," Hartz wrote.
Last October, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case, with James Campbell of the Alliance Defending Freedom arguing the case on behalf of Chiles. He stated that Colorado’s ban wrongfully censors “widely held views on debated moral, religious and scientific questions.”
“Aside from this law and recent ones like it, Colorado hasn’t identified any similar viewpoint-based bans on counseling,” Campbell said in his opening comments. “These laws are historic outliers.”
Sotomayor questioned the purpose of the legal challenge, saying that there had been “six years of no enforcement” of the law, as no one had been prosecuted under the ban.
Campbell countered that the ban had a “credible threat of enforcement,” noting that recently “there have been anonymous complaints filed against” Chiles and that “those complaints are now being investigated by the state of Colorado for allegations that she’s violating” the ban.
Originally published by The Christian Post]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Jordanian animation video brings practical help to families facing war anxiety]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordanian-animation-video-brings-practical-help-to-families-facing-war-anxiety</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordanian-animation-video-brings-practical-help-to-families-facing-war-anxiety</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A scene from an animated video by Jordan’s Digitales Media shows a family using breathing exercises to manage stress during a missile alert.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of Digitales Media ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A scene from an animated video by Jordan’s Digitales Media shows a family using breathing exercises to manage stress during a missile alert. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:09:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[As sirens warning of possible missile strikes echo across parts of the Middle East, a Jordanian animation company has released a short video aimed at helping families cope with the emotional strain of the ongoing conflict involving Iran.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
As sirens warning of possible missile strikes echo across parts of the Middle East, a Jordanian animation company has released a short video aimed at helping families cope with the emotional strain of the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Digitales Media, based in Amman, developed the five-minute animated episode to offer practical ways—especially for children—to deal with tension and anxiety linked to war conditions. The initiative comes as the conflict’s impact extends beyond physical destruction and travel disruptions, affecting daily life and mental well-being across the region.
The episode opens with the now-familiar sound of the siren blasting through an apartment neighborhood in Amman while the streets are deserted. The production is part of a long-running YouTube series, Our Family Life, that has captured the imagination of families around the region.
Cynthia Madanat-Sharaiha, creative director and co-owner of Digitales Media, explains that her team was looking for ways to help families during the war. “We wanted to find a practical way for people in general, and children in particular, to deal with tensions emanating from the war,” she told Christian Daily International.
Shadi Sharaiha, the program’s executive producer, told CDI that this particular episode of “Our Family Life” was a deliberate attempt to translate evidence-based coping techniques into something families can actually use at home—in moments of tension and after the sirens fade.
“The entire Middle East region has been overwhelmed with flying missiles and 24-hour war news that has engulfed everyone. Our creative team worked around the clock to find practical solutions that can help families deal with trauma, not only during war but at any other time,” he said.
In the YouTube video, after hearing the siren, Abu Sanad’s family meets and reflects on their concerns. The mother presents breathing exercises and encourages her family to follow them. The company says they were careful to present evidence-based treatments in a visually attractive manner, with additional downloadable exercises provided at the end.
Issam Smeir, a Chicago-based trauma counselor and advisor to the content of the Digitales products, told CDI that the “Our Family Life” series is not merely entertaining but a creative show that helps parents teach their children how to engage with life’s challenges.
He said that “the dealing-with-stress episode” aims to help families regulate their nervous systems when war anxiety spills into daily life. “The wisdom comes from the mother, whose on-screen breathing exercises are not gimmicks but a gateway to resilience that can be learned without prior therapy and without leaving the living room,” he explained.
Smeir said that stress is a natural response to an unnatural situation. According to the mental health specialist, the breathing exercise helps “reset the nervous system back to normal.”
Digitales Media adopted a real-time approach, pairing a short film with downloadable exercises and a digital toolkit offering science-based methods to manage stress and trauma. The approach combines accessibility with methods commonly used in clinical trauma care, including breathing exercises and routines designed to create a sense of safety.
Yet in many Arab countries, where access to mental health services can be uneven, stigmatized, or disrupted by displacement—these tools risk remaining abstract unless they are rendered tangible and culturally resonant.
Digitales, the producer of the award-winning feature film “Saleem,” is a leading media organization that creates content addressing emotional issues. It tells the story of a curious and adventurous nine-year-old who moves to a new town with his family after losing his father.
The company’s co-directors, Shadi and Cynthia Sharaiha, received the King Abdullah II Award of Excellence for the film and the production team was also visited by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and Princess Rajwa during production.
Digitales also produces a creative digital mental health and psychosocial support tool, “Amal for Children,” that combines animation and storytelling with evidence-based therapy modalities to help reduce the intensity and frequency of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms in children navigating trauma. Their video content has been used by refugee groups in Egypt and has been translated for use in other regions of the world.Church leaders have said the production enables them to better support children in difficult situations as they cope with stress and trauma.
When content is crafted in local dialects and framed within familiar family dynamics, it becomes less intimidating and more credible, producers say. The Jordanian film’s setting in Amman, its emphasis on family participation and its clear, actionable guidance exemplify how healing tools can be culturally anchored and practically useful.
With the conflict reaching countries unaccustomed to such threats, the sound of sirens and the need to seek shelter have contributed to rising stress levels among families.
The video presents a practical sequence from awareness to action, equipping families with tools they can use in daily life, whether at home, in school or during emergencies.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Day of the Unborn Child: Argentine churches highlight support for pregnant women]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/day-of-the-unborn-child-argentine-churches-highlight-support-for-pregnant-women</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/day-of-the-unborn-child-argentine-churches-highlight-support-for-pregnant-women</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[ACIERA took part in events at the National Congress]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: ACIERA ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ ACIERA took part in events at the National Congress, as well as in Buenos Aires Province and the city of Buenos Aires, where support for women facing vulnerable pregnancies was emphasized and the call to defend life from conception was reiterated. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Dr. Jael Ojuel and Pastor Gabriel Ballerini]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Dr. Jael Ojuel and Pastor Gabriel Ballerini at the March for Life, calling for the repeal of the country’s current abortion law. Several provinces across the country also participated. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[As part of the Day of the Unborn Child, observed each year on March 25, the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of the Argentine Republic (ACIERA) took part in several public events to reaffirm its commitment to defending life and supporting women facing vulnerable pregnancies.]]></description>
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As part of the Day of the Unborn Child, observed each year on March 25, the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of the Argentine Republic (ACIERA) took part in several public events to reaffirm its commitment to defending life and supporting women facing vulnerable pregnancies.
One of the main events took place at the National Chamber of Deputies during a meeting organized by legislator Santiago de Pauli and hosted by Evelyn Rodríguez, president of the National Network for Supporting Women with Vulnerable Pregnancies. The event served as a space for dialogue and reflection on defending life from conception.
ACIERA president Christian Hooft addressed attendees, calling for prayer “for the tragedy of the 79,186 abortions carried out in the country in 2024,” according to official figures, framing it as a moment of reflection and renewed commitment to defending life. In that context, Gabriel Ballerini, who holds a master’s degree in biomedical ethics and is an active pro-life advocate, emphasized that “putting life back at the center of the debate is not just a slogan, but an ethical and political responsibility that challenges all of society.”
At the close of the event, national deputies signed a pledge to repeal the country’s abortion law and work toward defending life by promoting various initiatives in that direction. According to Infobae, the document was signed by Santiago Santurio, Rubén Torres, Gladys Humenuk, Mónica Becerra, Santiago de Pauli, Andrea Fernanda Vera, Bárbara Andreussi, Miguel Rodríguez, Carlos Zapata, María Luisa González Estevarena, Jairo Guzmán, and Gabriela Muñoz.
The meeting at the Chamber of Deputies also included the participation of pro-life leaders such as Fátima Silva, Patricia Soprano, Lorena Aguilar (La Merced Vida), Ayelén Alancay and Raúl Magnasco (+Vida), and Vicente Teruggi (Participar en Libertad), among others.
Leaders from other civil society organizations were also present, including Casa de la Mujer, Proyecto Vidas, Fundación Argentina, Coalición de Mujeres Argentinas, Mujeres de Fe Argentina, AMEV, and Abrazo de Vida. These groups work to provide care and assistance to women facing vulnerable pregnancies.
In Buenos Aires Province, the event “Commitment to Defending Life” was held, organized by the same network led by Evelyn Rodríguez. Representing ACIERA, Pastor Graciela Giménez participated and highlighted the collaborative work among organizations to support women in vulnerable situations.

The activities concluded at Lezama Palace in Buenos Aires with a gathering of the Program for Supporting Vulnerable Pregnancies (PAEV), marking the close of the Week of the Unborn Child. Participants included grassroots leaders, and ACIERA was represented by Dr. Jael Ojuel, who joined in a moment of testimony, recognition, and commitment to every mother and unborn child. “When support is real and timely, it can change the course of a story,” said the obstetrician. “When life is valued, there is always a way to defend it,” she added.
Pro-life voices also reinforced their stance. Gabriel Ballerini stated that “Argentina will be great again when it repeals the abortion law and respects human life from conception to natural death,” while sharing photos from the March for Life held in Buenos Aires.
The 11th March for Life 2026 took place in the city on Saturday, March 28, starting at Plaza Italia and proceeding to the Faculty of Law under the slogan #PorLaVidaSiempre. The demonstration promoted life from conception and called for the repeal of the abortion law.
This year’s event had a strong political component following the pledge signed earlier in the week at the Chamber of Deputies. Lawmakers and civil society organizations reaffirmed their intention in public demonstrations to repeal the abortion law, according to Noticias Argentinas. Organizers said “the ultimate goal is for the pledge signed by the deputies to translate into concrete legislative proposals.”
The event included pro-life leaders such as Ballerini and Raúl Magnasco. During the main gathering, speakers emphasized the “ethical responsibility” to defend life from conception and the need to strengthen support networks for vulnerable women.
During the demonstration, representatives from religious and civil institutions warned about declining birth rates in the country. Hooft described the current situation as a “tragedy” and called for meaningful policies to support pregnant women.
Similar marches were held in other cities across the country, including San Luis and Santiago del Estero, on the same day.
Developments across the country
The province of San Luis joined the March for Life with a demonstration in the city center, where families and Catholic and evangelical organizations participated as part of the Day of the Unborn Child. The main message was a call to repeal the current abortion law, expressed through signs, chants, and personal testimonies.
During the event, messages in favor of “life from conception” were repeated, along with criticism of current legislation. Symbolic activities such as live ultrasound demonstrations were also held, according to El Chorrillero.
These events come amid growing public debate over current legislation and the role of civil and religious organizations in providing social support. ACIERA emphasized that these efforts are part of a long-term mission to promote a culture of life and strengthen support networks. In that regard, the organization has been promoting initiatives aimed at highlighting the need for comprehensive support for pregnant women, especially those in vulnerable situations, according to Valores Religiosos.
Current abortion data
According to Milagros Calvi of Frente Joven—an organization that works to reduce maternal and infant mortality by supporting women with high-risk pregnancies and their unborn children in low-income communities—“at least 215 people are missing every day in Argentina. This is not a metaphor; it is the average number of abortions recorded in the public health system between 2021 and 2024, following the passage of Law No. 27,610. During that period, approximately 314,000 abortions were recorded, representing about 22% of pregnancies—one in five.”
“These figures, which reflect only part of the reality—the public system—should prompt serious reflection. Every March 25, for several years now, different civil society organizations have brought this issue back into focus—not as a symbolic gesture, but as a reminder of an ongoing challenge: defending the lives of the most vulnerable and providing real support to their families,” she wrote in an article published on the MDZ news site in Mendoza.
Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Asian evangelical leaders discuss pastoral response to homosexuality through lens of shame culture, discipleship]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/asian-evangelical-leaders-discuss-pastoral-response-to-homosexuality-through-lens-of-shame-culture-discipleship</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/asian-evangelical-leaders-discuss-pastoral-response-to-homosexuality-through-lens-of-shame-culture-discipleship</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Evangelical leaders referenced Genesis 2 in affirming a traditional biblical understanding of marriage while addressing pastoral challenges related to sexuality in Asian churches.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ CDI ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Evangelical leaders referenced Genesis 2 in affirming a traditional biblical understanding of marriage while addressing pastoral challenges related to sexuality in Asian churches. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 07:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Leaders from across Asia recently convened for a webinar organized by the Asia Evangelical Alliance to address one of the most sensitive issues facing churches in the region: how to respond biblically and pastorally to homosexuality.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Leaders from across Asia recently convened for a webinar organized by the Asia Evangelical Alliance to address one of the most sensitive issues facing churches in the region: how to respond biblically and pastorally to homosexuality.
Participants included theologians, youth leaders and pastors from multiple countries across Asia. Because of the sensitive nature of the topic and the political and cultural contexts in which some participants serve, names of speakers are withheld in this report.
The discussion focused primarily on homosexuality rather than the broader range of LGBTQ issues and explored biblical interpretation, pastoral care and discipleship in churches across the Global South.
One theologian opened the discussion by acknowledging that the issue is increasingly unavoidable for churches.
“We are Asian theologians wrestling with questions that are not abstract for us,” he said. “These are pastoral realities within our own communities.”
A live poll during the webinar confirmed the issue’s growing relevance. A majority of participants indicated they had already ministered to young people who identified as LGBTQ, while many others said youth in their churches had asked questions about sexuality in the past year.
Even in societies often perceived as conservative, church leaders said young people are increasingly encountering the topic through school, social media and global cultural influences.
“Young people are asking these questions,” one youth leader said. “If the church does not address them, they will look elsewhere for answers.”
Shared commitment to Scripture amid internal differences
One of the most notable aspects of the discussion was the presenters’ explicit acknowledgment that evangelicals themselves do not speak with one voice on homosexuality.
At the same time, speakers stressed that disagreements within evangelicalism should not be framed as disputes over biblical authority.
“This is not a matter of some taking the authority of the Bible more seriously than others,” one theologian said. “Among us, there is a shared commitment to the authority of Scripture that is unquestioned.”
He said differences arise from interpretation and theological synthesis rather than from rejection of the Bible.
“Faithful Christians who confess the authority of Scripture have arrived at different conclusions after careful study,” he said.
Speakers cautioned against reducing the debate to ideological labels.
“The categories of ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ often obscure more than they clarify,” one presenter said. “They reduce complex theological discernment into slogans.”
Despite those differences, presenters emphasized the need to maintain unity within the church.
“Unity does not require uniformity,” one said. “But it does require humility and patience.”
Biblical framework and traditional evangelical interpretation
Presenters outlined what they described as a traditional evangelical understanding of biblical teaching on homosexuality, which emphasizes that sexual activity between male and female is part of God’s design in creation (Gen. 1:27-28; Gen. 2:24).
A key starting point was distinguishing between homosexual orientation and same-sex sexual activity.
Homosexual orientation was defined as emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same sex, while same-sex sexual activity refers to sexual relations between individuals of the same sex.
“The Bible does not explicitly discuss homosexual orientation,” one presenter said. “It addresses sexual activity.”
The speaker noted that the concept of sexual orientation as a psychological identity category is relatively modern.
Biblical texts often cited in evangelical discussions include Genesis 19, Leviticus 18 and 20, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1.
“In these passages, the Bible consistently presents a negative view of same-sex sexual activity,” the presenter said.
At the same time, the discussion acknowledged that some Christian scholars interpret these passages differently.
“These interpretations argue that certain biblical prohibitions may be culturally bound or address specific forms of exploitation rather than consensual relationships,” one theologian explained.
Others propose what is sometimes called a “redemptive trajectory” approach, suggesting that biblical ethics develop over time.
The presenters did not explore those interpretations in detail but emphasized that such debates exist within contemporary Christian scholarship.
“Serious Christians have studied these texts and reached different conclusions,” one speaker said.
Nevertheless, the presenters said that within traditional evangelical interpretation, heterosexual marriage remains the normative pattern presented in Scripture.
“Throughout the Bible, marriage is consistently described as the union of a man and a woman,” one presenter said.
This sacred union between man and woman is God’s original design for human sexuality, the presenter said, as expressed in the WEA Seoul Declaration.
Orientation, sin and the fallen world
Speakers addressed the theological question of how homosexual orientation should be understood within a Christian framework.
Because the Bible addresses sexual behavior rather than orientation as a psychological category, presenters described orientation as part of the broader brokenness of the fallen world rather than as deliberate rebellion.
“Homosexual orientation is not something people freely choose,” one theologian said. “Many people testify that they did not choose these attractions.”
He said Christians should therefore avoid describing people who experience same-sex attraction as active sinners simply because of their orientation.
“They are not necessarily active sinners in that aspect,” he said. “They find themselves in a difficult position within a fallen world.”
At the same time, speakers said that evangelical theology traditionally does not treat homosexual orientation as morally neutral or part of God’s original design.
“If same-sex sexual activity is understood as contrary to God’s design, then orientation toward that activity reflects the brokenness of creation,” one presenter said.
He added that this framework should not lead Christians to single out homosexuality as uniquely sinful.
“The entire world is fallen,” he said. “We should not magnify homosexuality while ignoring other sins such as pride, injustice or greed.”
Historical reflection and the church’s record
The discussion also included reflection on how Christian communities have historically treated people who identify as homosexual.
One presenter noted that same-sex relationships have been documented in many civilizations throughout history, including in Asia.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Christian institutions have sometimes contributed to discrimination or criminalization.
“Condemnation and criminalization have brought harm,” he said. “The church has sometimes been part of that.”
He said acknowledging that history does not require abandoning biblical convictions.
“It does not mean we must say that same-sex sexual activity is good,” he said. “But it does mean we must stop repeating patterns of harm.”
Speakers emphasized that theological disagreement should never justify dehumanizing treatment.
In the present times, one speaker mentioned, discrimination is also taking place against those who hold to the traditional evangelical view.
“Whatever convictions we hold, people deserve dignity,” one presenter said.
Science, trauma and the limits of explanation
The webinar also addressed scientific and psychological research on sexual orientation.
Speakers said current research does not provide a definitive explanation for why some people experience same-sex attraction.
“Biological and psychological studies can suggest correlations,” one presenter said. “But there is no definitive proof of a single cause.”
Because of that uncertainty, speakers urged caution in making sweeping claims.
“We should be careful about saying we know exactly why this happens,” the theologian said.
Another speaker noted that attempts to forcibly change sexual orientation have often caused harm.
“There have been efforts to change orientation through therapy or spiritual pressure,” he said. “But these approaches have often damaged people rather than helped them.”
Personal testimony and identity in Christ
During the webinar, one Christian leader shared his own story of experiencing same-sex attraction after childhood sexual abuse.
He said the experience shaped his understanding of sexuality and identity.
“It was not something I chose,” he said. “It developed in the context of trauma.”
He described years of shame and confusion, including periods when he considered suicide.
“Many discussions remain theoretical,” he said. “But for someone walking through this, it is deeply personal.”
He said that after becoming a Christian, his struggles did not disappear immediately.
“I thought when I gave my life to Jesus everything would change overnight,” he said. “But it did not.”
Instead, he described gradual healing through prayer, mentorship and community.
“Transformation was not about willpower,” he said. “It involved dealing with trauma and rediscovering identity.”
He said the most important shift came when he began to understand his identity in Christ.
“The miracle was not simply that my circumstances changed,” he said. “The miracle was that my identity was restored.”
Discipleship and pastoral challenges
Participants discussed how churches should disciple believers who experience same-sex attraction.
Speakers emphasized that pastoral care requires patience and long-term relationships rather than quick solutions.
“Discipleship is a journey,” one leader said. “People rarely change instantly.”
Several practical questions were raised, including how churches should respond when people in same-sex relationships seek leadership roles or when young believers struggle with gender identity.
One presenter said churches must balance doctrinal teaching with pastoral care.
“We must hold theological conviction,” he said. “But we must also walk with people in the process.”
Another leader said churches should avoid reactive responses.
“We tend to react when crisis comes,” he said. “Instead we need to prepare our communities ahead of time.”
Shame culture and the Asian context
Several speakers highlighted the importance of cultural context, particularly the influence of honor and shame dynamics in many Asian societies.
“In our cultures, shame is powerful,” one leader said.
He said fear of shame often prevents people from speaking openly about sexual struggles.
“If the church responds with humiliation, people will hide,” he said.
Because of this dynamic, presenters urged churches to cultivate environments where questions can be asked without fear.
“Listening is critical,” one theologian said. “People must feel safe to speak.”
At the same time, speakers stressed that creating a welcoming environment does not mean abandoning biblical convictions.
“We welcome people,” one presenter said. “But we do not affirm every behavior.”
Global implications
The webinar reflects broader conversations taking place across the global evangelical movement.
For many years, debates over homosexuality were seen primarily as issues affecting Western churches. Increasingly, however, churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America are confronting the same questions.
“Globalization means these conversations are no longer confined to one region,” one presenter said.
Participants said churches in the Global South must address these issues within their own cultural frameworks rather than simply importing Western debates.
“We must think from within our own contexts,” one speaker said. “But we also remain part of the global body of Christ.”
A continuing conversation
Speakers said the discussion represents only the beginning of a longer process of theological reflection and pastoral preparation.
“Our task is not simply to win arguments,” one presenter said. “Our task is to make disciples.”
That challenge, participants said, requires both biblical clarity and Christlike compassion.
“If we speak truth without grace, we misrepresent Christ,” one speaker said. “If we speak grace without truth, we misrepresent Christ.”
For churches across Asia and the wider Global South, leaders said the challenge now is learning how to hold those commitments together as they respond to one of the most complex pastoral questions facing the global Church today.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Kenya plans $15 million fund to help children leave orphanages for family care]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/kenya-plans-15-million-fund-to-help-children-leave-orphanages-for-family-care</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/kenya-plans-15-million-fund-to-help-children-leave-orphanages-for-family-care</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[children Uganda Africa World Without Orphans]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of World Without Orphans ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Children attending the Child Ambassadors Camp organized by The Alliance for Uganda Without Orphans (AUWA) and its partners in early 2023. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Kenya’s National Treasury is planning a Sh2 billion ($15 million) Child Welfare Fund aimed at helping thousands of minors transition from institutional care into family-based environments, according to reports by Kenyan media.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Kenya’s National Treasury is planning a Sh2 billion ($15 million) Child Welfare Fund aimed at helping thousands of minors transition from institutional care into family-based environments, according to reports by Kenyan media.
The fund, expected to be included in the 2026–27 national budget, would support children currently living in residential care institutions such as orphanages and children’s homes. Officials say the goal is to help reunite them with relatives, place them in foster families, or support independent living arrangements for older youth leaving care.
The proposal forms part of Kenya’s broader effort to reform its child welfare system and gradually reduce reliance on institutional care.
Government data shows that more than 44,000 children currently live in registered children’s homes across the country.
While such institutions have historically been viewed as safe havens for orphaned children, research over the past two decades has increasingly shown that institutional settings can hinder emotional and social development.
Child welfare experts say many children living in orphanages are not actually orphans. UNICEF reports that most children in residential care still have at least one living parent and are often placed in institutions because families are struggling with poverty, disability or other challenges.
The Kenyan government’s new strategy seeks to address those underlying problems.
Under the proposed Child Welfare Fund, money would be directed toward family-strengthening programs, counselling services, tracing relatives and reintegrating children into communities. 
The initiative would also support foster care systems and programs designed to help teenagers transition into adulthood. Officials say the goal is to ensure children grow up in stable family environments whenever possible.
Kenya’s plan reflects a broader international movement that is drifting away from orphanages to family-based care.
Organizations such as UNICEF and global child welfare networks have for years advocated for “deinstitutionalization,” arguing that children generally thrive best in family settings.
Studies have linked long-term institutional care to developmental delays, attachment disorders and mental health challenges later in life. Research including the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, the first randomized trial comparing foster care and institutional care, found significantly higher rates of developmental and attachment problems among children raised in institutions.
As a result, many countries are gradually replacing orphanages with foster care systems, kinship care arrangements or community-based support programs.
The government’s National Care Reform Strategy outlines plans to transition children out of residential institutions by 2032 while strengthening systems that support families.
The shift is likely to affect churches and Christian charities that have historically played a major role in supporting orphanages across Africa.
In recent years, however, a growing number of faith-based organizations have begun rethinking the traditional orphanage model. Research by the Faith to Action Initiative has urged churches and ministries to shift their efforts from supporting children in orphanages toward strengthening families and family-based care.
Groups involved in child welfare advocacy have increasingly encouraged churches to focus on keeping families together whenever possible, rather than relying primarily on institutional care.
Faith-based networks such as the Faith to Action Initiative and the Better Care Network have promoted approaches that emphasize family preservation, foster care and community support.
These organizations argue that churches are uniquely positioned to help struggling families by offering mentorship, financial assistance and community support systems that prevent children from entering institutions in the first place.
In Kenya, many churches already run community programs that provide food support, school fees assistance and counselling to families in crisis. Children’s homes have long filled gaps in Kenya’s social support systems, particularly in areas where poverty levels remain high.
Moving thousands of children into family environments will require strong oversight, well-trained social workers and adequate funding for foster care and family support services.
The government’s proposed fund is intended to help address some of those needs.
As Kenya moves forward with its proposed Child Welfare Fund, the challenge will be ensuring that the transition away from institutional care results in safer, more stable homes for the country’s most vulnerable children.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[US Christians rethink orphanage support, but giving patterns lag behind, Barna study finds]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-christians-rethink-orphanage-support-but-giving-patterns-lag-behind-barna-study-finds</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-christians-rethink-orphanage-support-but-giving-patterns-lag-behind-barna-study-finds</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rebecca Goropevsek]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[family with child]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo by Priscilla Du Preez / Unsplash ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A growing number of U.S. Christians are rethinking their views on orphanages and the care of vulnerable children, but their financial support has yet to reflect those shifting beliefs, according to a new study by the Barna Group in partnership with Faith to Action.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A growing number of U.S. Christians are rethinking their views on orphanages and the care of vulnerable children, but their financial support has yet to reflect those shifting beliefs, according to a new study by the Barna Group in partnership with Faith to Action.
The 2025 study, a follow-up to similar research conducted five years earlier, highlights what leaders describe as a “critical inflection point” in how Christians understand orphan care — and the gap that remains between awareness and action.
Among the most notable findings, 72% of U.S. Christians now recognize poverty as a primary driver of children being placed in orphanages, up significantly from 46% in 2020. At the same time, positive perceptions of orphanages declined by roughly 9 to 10 percentage points, while 90% of respondents affirmed that children thrive best in family environments.
Despite these shifts, financial support for residential care has continued to grow. The study estimates that U.S. Christians now give approximately $4.5 billion annually to orphanages and children’s homes — an increase of $2 billion since the previous survey.
“Beliefs are shifting, but behavior has not yet followed,” Faith to Action said in a statement accompanying the report.
‘Behavior is not following their learning’
Elli Oswald, executive director of the Faith to Action Initiative, said the findings were both encouraging and concerning.
“We are encouraged to see the increase in knowledge regarding important misconceptions that have driven support for orphanages historically,” Oswald told Christian Daily International. “But behavior is not following their learning.”
She noted that while fewer respondents now view orphanages as positive environments, more Christians report financially supporting residential care, with a 9% increase since 2020. Participation in mission trips to orphanages has also remained steady.
“We have assumed that when people know better they will do better,” Oswald said. “But that isn’t playing out yet in the transformation of U.S. Christian donors.”
The study highlights a tension in public perception, with many people continuing to view orphanages as indispensable. About 82% of respondents said they believe orphanages are essential for vulnerable children — even if they are not seen as the ideal solution.
Oswald said many donors are unaware that alternatives exist.
“Donors are likely not aware that there is another solution that works for these children,” she said, pointing to a growing global movement toward family-based care, including reunification with biological families, foster care and adoption.
Faith to Action and other advocates argue that children generally experience better long-term outcomes when raised in families rather than institutions, particularly when poverty — not the absence of parents — is the root cause of separation.
The study also found that emotional motivations play a significant role in giving patterns. The most commonly cited reason for supporting orphanages was that it “makes them feel good,” suggesting that decisions are often driven more by emotion than by evolving knowledge.
“There is growing evidence that people make decisions based on how we feel, not necessarily what we think,” Oswald said.
To close the gap between belief and action, Oswald emphasized the need for ministries and organizations to communicate more effectively about family-based solutions.
“Donors aren’t aware that this is a solvable problem,” she said. “Those working in family-based care can measure and share the results of that work, both qualitatively and quantitatively.”
She added that messaging should avoid shaming donors, instead inviting them to take “another step” that aligns with their existing values.
“There is no need for judgment or condemnation of the generosity of Christians in America,” Oswald said. “But we can invite them to redirect funding to solutions that are more effective for children.”
Churches play key role in shift to family-based care
Churches play a central role in shaping both awareness and action, the study found. The most common way respondents learned about orphanages — and became involved in supporting them — was through their local church.
“Just as churches are leading support for orphanages, they are key in making this transition to family-based care,” Oswald said.
Some congregations have already begun making that shift. LifeMission Church in the Kansas City area, for example, transitioned from supporting orphanages to investing in family-based care after recognizing the limitations of institutional models. Larger churches such as Saddleback Church and Life.Church have also begun redirecting resources toward family-centered approaches.
Oswald said both churches and individual Christians can take practical steps, including supporting programs that strengthen families, asking questions about mission partnerships and focusing mission trips on community-based care.
“Small but significant steps can help change the way we care for orphaned and vulnerable children around the world,” she said.
Faith to Action said the latest Barna findings present a unique opportunity to align growing awareness with meaningful change.
“For those committed to strengthening families,” the organization said, “this is a moment to bridge the gap between what we believe and how we act.”
True religion is…
Christian Daily International previously reported on this issue from the World Without Orphans Forum held in 2024 in Thailand, where speakers highlighted the need to move beyond institutional care and shared practical examples of ministries transitioning toward family-based solutions.
Phil Aspegren, the founder of Casa Viva, a ministry specializing in promoting family-like solutions for children in different countries around the world spoke about the Bible verse in James 1:27 that is frequently quoted in orphan context.
He rhetorically asked: “Is it true or false? True religion is building orphanages.”
“Absolutely not,” he said. “That’s not what true religion is.” Instead, the focus should be on caring for the fatherless child and looking out for his or her best interest. Therefore, Casa Viva’s focus is on changing the thinking of those who lead orphanages to go beyond institutional care.
“We’re helping orphanages realize, ‘We are not an orphanage. That’s not why we exist. Instead, we are an organization that acts in the best interest of children, youth, and families,’” Aspegren explained.
“They can become an agency or a ministry that is more than just the orphanage. We’ve confused what is our goal with our method. Our method is an orphanage, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to care for children well,” he said, adding that “children’s homes are learning that they can do more than just care for children and families. They can be the solution that is reintegrating children back to biological families.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Opposition lawmaker, evangelical pastors call for return to family values in Mexico]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/opposition-lawmaker-evangelical-pastors-call-for-return-to-family-values-in-mexico</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/opposition-lawmaker-evangelical-pastors-call-for-return-to-family-values-in-mexico</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ommar Ayala]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Family Day in Mexico]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Ommar Ayala ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ “Family Day in Mexico” forum held in one of the main halls of the Chamber of Deputies. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Deputy Asael Hernández Cerón]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Ommar Ayala ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The host of the event was federal Deputy Asael Hernández Cerón of the National Action Party (PAN). ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pastor Samuel Noguera]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Ommar Ayala ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Pastor Samuel Noguera emphasized the need to strengthen the family structure as the foundation of society. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Promoting family values through respect for life, ethical responsibility, and social cohesion were among the topics addressed in one of the main halls of the Chamber of Deputies during the “Family Day in Mexico” forum.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Promoting family values through respect for life, ethical responsibility, and social cohesion were among the topics addressed in one of the main halls of the Chamber of Deputies during the “Family Day in Mexico” forum.
The event included evangelical pastors, representatives from various civil organizations, as well as academics and special guests, who discussed a range of issues to highlight the challenges currently facing Mexican society.
The host of the event was federal Deputy Asael Hernández Cerón of the National Action Party (PAN), who, along with Pastor Carlos Cebreros and other special guests, shared their views.
“We face the looming threat of losing our freedoms in Mexico. I have expressed on multiple occasions my concern about the negative impact this could have on society based on what we are experiencing across the country,” Hernández said.
In his presentation, the congressman expressed disagreement with abortion, adoption of children by same-sex couples, and same-sex marriage. He said his position is based on a vision of the family centered on the marital union of a man and a woman.
“I recognize that there are people with different opinions and that it is important to respect their rights and freedoms, as long as they do not affect the well-being of others,” the deputy added.

Referring to “trans children” and surgeries promoted at that stage to change sex, Hernández emphasized that children are too immature to make such significant decisions about their gender identity and their bodies.
Mexican laws have changed in recent years. In 2022, the Supreme Court of Justice declared unconstitutional the requirement that minors be 18 years old to request a new birth certificate reflecting a gender different from the one at birth.
The congressman stated that such decisions should be made when individuals are adults and fully able to understand the consequences of altering their bodies.
He highlighted the importance of providing support and guidance to minors experiencing gender confusion, which experts describe as a developmental crisis in adolescents, characterized by insecurity, instability, and difficulty defining their identity and place in society.
The PAN federal deputy expressed opposition to abortion, asserting that human life begins at conception and that every human being has the fundamental right to live.
As of March 2026, voluntary abortion has been decriminalized in most of Mexico (24 of 32 states), generally allowed up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Regarding adoption by same-sex couples and same-sex marriage, the opposition congressman’s stance is rooted in a traditional family vision, consisting of a man and a woman, a father and a mother. “This is the family structure most suitable for the healthy development and well-being of children.”
In Mexico, although adoption by same-sex couples is legally recognized nationwide, backed by the Supreme Court, its implementation can vary and still faces opposition.
Same-sex marriage has been legal and recognized in all 32 Mexican states since October 2022.
Despite its legality nationwide, statistics show a recent decline in the number of such marriages registered in recent years, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.
Hernández Cerón also addressed ideological influence in education, arguing that “schools should not be used as spaces to impose specific beliefs. Education should be a space for learning, critical thinking, and the comprehensive development of students—not for manipulation.”
The educational program “La Nueva Escuela Mexicana,” implemented by the ruling party MORENA, has generated controversy and criticism over alleged left-wing ideological indoctrination and deficiencies identified in its textbooks.

The inclusion of “community knowledge” topics, including recommendations from shamans, has been criticized by many teachers as replacing scientific education. Critics also point to the promotion of a specific political ideology, including concepts such as “class struggle” and narratives about “oppression” associated with leftist socialism.
“My position is clear and firm: I reject these practices. It is necessary to take strong measures to protect children from violence and exploitation at all times,” Hernández said.
Pastor Samuel Noguera said it is essential to strengthen the family as a social foundation. He emphasized that when the family unit weakens, society as a whole experiences crisis and loses stability in every aspect.
“Values are born in the home. When the family fails, the impact damages all of society. Often, fathers and mothers, for various reasons, neglect leadership and guidance at home to teach, provide, and instruct. Many problems stem from this,” the pastor said.
Pastor Carlos Cebreros highlighted principles for restoring the family and the importance of defending life.
“Christians need well-prepared men and women to influence Mexican society and represent us in different spheres,” Cebreros said.
One of the key points he emphasized was engagement in politics, education, government, media, and business. “Christians must always be agents of change for the good of our nation.”
Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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