A court in Pakistan this month granted bail to a Christian falsely charged with blasphemy, but he and his family have separated and gone into hiding amid threats to their lives, sources said.
As the USA continues beyond its 250th anniversary, it is important to be reminded that the idea of freedom of religion and belief, one of its most significant values, did not develop from Enlightenment philosophy but with the theological conviction of an English Baptist who ultimately died for that conviction.
As the United Nations Refugee Convention marks its 75th anniversary on July 28, Christians are faced with an important question: when institutions become ineffective, unresponsive, or disconnected from the concerns of faith communities, should we disengage or continue to engage?
In the British Crown's "The Sovereign Grant" annual report, King Charles is revealed as "Supreme Governor of the Church of England... protecting the space for Faith (sic) within the multi-faith nation". This reveals a subtle shift in the British monarch's mandate. Not just protecting but potentially validating all faiths, which is biblically untenable.
The anti-Christian realities in India provide ample evidence that a culture can quickly turn against freedom of religion. Sadly, in India, some Christian leaders claim that if there is one place you can go to remain unaware of what is happening, it is in established churches on a Sunday morning! Thankfully the Holy Spirit is not so constrained and Christians continue to multiply in the midst of heightening persecution.
A pastor kidnapped on Saturday (Nov. 11) in Nigeria’s central state of Kogi was killed on Tuesday (Nov. 14) after church members paid a ransom for his release, sources said.
A woman in eastern Uganda has been hospitalized with serious burns after her Muslim husband discovered she had converted to Christianity and set her on fire, area sources said.
At least two Christian buildings were bombed last week amid fighting between rival military factions in Sudan.
Christians will congregate worldwide in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Christ who face persecution and even death for their faith this Sunday and next Sunday in observance of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
Christians "need to be wary" as the government weighs up changing legislation on terrorism and extremism. The warning from The Christian Institute follows reports in The Telegraph that Whitehall is working on a new official definition of extremism amid a rise in anti-Jewish hate, and separate reports that Home Office officials are considering expanding the legal defintion of terrorism.
The Supreme Court in Nepal denied the application of a Nepali pastor and upheld the High Court judgement of a one-year jail term and fine, even after there were no witnesses to establish the allegation of proselytization, said the pastor himself.
Auschwitz stands as a permanent memorial to horrors against humanity. However, memory can be manipulated and newly published research from a leading Jewish scholar has confirmed that there is much cause for concern. While antisemitism should absolutely be met with moral outrage, it should not eclipse compassion for other suffering groups, especially not for our fellow followers of Jesus within those groups. We need to be led by a biblical understanding of remembrance.
