Christian

Iran Detains Christian Blogger

A Christian online writer who already received lashes for expressing her faith in Christ and criticizing Iran’s human rights abuses has been detained again, supporters said Thursday.

Cuban Pastor arrested for leading “illegal” church released after 10 days

Pastor Karel Parra Rosabal, who was arrested and detained for 10 days in Cuba on the grounds that he leads an “illegal” church, has been released and told that all charges against him have been dropped, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Pastor Parra Rosabal leads the unregistered Fuego y Dinámica Apostolic Church in Jobabo, Las Tunas: the Cuban government refuses to recognize and register Apostolic churches.

Turkey continues to desecrate historical churches

Turkey is continuing its neglect of historical churches, in what is reportedly an ongoing effort by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lead the country further into Islamic culture, International Christian Concern reports.

Report lists countries were Christians are most persecuted

The Open Doors persecution watchdog has published its 2021 list of countries where it is most dangerous for Christians to practice their faith, Christianity Today reports. Published this month, the list is based on grassroots reports from Open Door workers between November 1, 2019, and October 31, 2020.

Ethiopia: “Urgent” humanitarian crisis now unfolding

Ethiopia is in the midst of a full-blown humanitarian crisis as refugees flee to the border with Sudan and up to two million people face starvation while the government wars against a separatist group in the country’s Tigray region, CBN News reports. Among daily reports of mass killings on both sides is the reported massacre of over 700 Orthodox Christians outside their church in Tigray’s city of Aksum earlier this month.

Nigeria: Abductors release Christian university professor while country leads world for deadly persecution

The deputy vice-chancellor of the Christian Anchor University in Lagos state, Nigeria has reportedly been released after being kidnapped by suspected Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Jan. 18, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. John Fatokun is understood to have been released on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Nevertheless, Nigeria ranks number one on the 2021 World Watch List for countries in which Christians are killed for their faith.

International advocacy group calls for immediate release of Cuban pastor detained on “trumped-up charges”

The international Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) human rights organization has called for the immediate release of a pastor who is in custody in Cuba on what the group says are “trumped-up charges.” Cuban pastor Karel Parra Rosabal was arrested in Las Tunas on January 12 apparently because of his involvement with the Apostolic Movement, a network of independent churches that the Cuban government refuses to register, rendering them effectively illegal.

Bombing at California church accused of hateful messaging against LGBT community

The FBI is investigating a bomb blast that broke windows at a California Baptist church that has been subject to protests for what has been described as extremist, hateful messaging against the LGBT community, Religion News reports. El Monte police said the city’s First Works Baptist church building was attacked at 1 am Saturday when an “improvised explosive device” was thrown at it. No one was in the building at the time and no injuries have been reported.

Christian advocacy group: Biden’s executive order targets people of faith

A Christian advocacy group has said one of President Joe Biden’s first executive orders is an “assault on biological reality” that negatively targets people of faith and faith-based organizations that provide social services, Christian Today reports. The Family Research Council (FRC) said the president’s Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation may result in Christians having to violate their consciences and even lose government contracts for failure to comply.

Biden vows to ‘codify’ Roe v. Wade on 48th anniversary of abortion ruling

While more than 62 million lives have been lost to abortion since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Biden administration announced on the judgment’s 48th anniversary Friday that it will back abortion with a codified federal law in the event the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the ruling.

India: Christians persecuted even during lockdown in 2020

The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) has reported that, even in the midst of coronavirus lockdowns affecting the whole country for months, there were over 300 incidents of religious persecution against Christians in India last year, International Christian Concern said. In its report, EFI noted that Christian persecution has more than doubled since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and his right-wing nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014.

India: Hindu nationalist leader threatens violence unless local authorities shut all churches in tribal areas

A Hindu nationalist leader in India’s Madhya Pradesh state has demanded that local authorities shut down all churches in the state’s tribal areas, falsely claiming that Christians are carrying out mass conversions on “gullible indigenous peoples,” International Christian Concern reports. Head of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Azad Prem Singh threatened violent action if his January 11 demand is not met within 30 days.

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