Christian Converts Sentenced In Iran
Seven people who turned from Islam to Christianity have received prison terms, fines, or work restrictions in Iran for “propaganda against the state,” trial observers confirmed Wednesday.
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Supreme Court strikes down state ban on public aid to religious schools
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that religious schools can qualify for a state tax credit program even when the state constitution explicitly bans public aid to religious entities.
Doubts Over Hungary‘s Support For Persecuted Christians
Hungary’s right-wing government has come under pressure amid reports that it spends more on anti-migration propaganda than on support for persecuted Christians.
Netanyahu: Applying Israeli law in Judea and Samaria will advance peace
In a recorded address to the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Virtual Summit 2020 on Sunday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted the application of Israeli law to areas of Judea and Samaria—part of the “Peace to Prosperity” plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump in January.
Netanyahu to evangelicals: We have no greater friends
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Christian supporters of Israel in the US on Sunday in a video message during an annual conference of Christians United for Israel, an evangelical organization with millions of members in the United States.
Head of Israeli Satellite Council suspends license of Israeli Messianic TV channel
The head of Israel’s Communication and Satellite Council has accused Israeli Messianic channel Shelanu TV of violating its broadcasting agreement and has suspended its license, CBN News reported Sunday. Council Chairman Asher Biton claimed Shelanu falsely stated an intention to appeal only to Christians when it actually intended to broadcast Christian content to Jewish viewers in Israel. Vigorously denying any attempt to deceive, Shelanu has published its original agreement to prove there was no contractual violation.
Messianic congregation wins decisive legal victory against anti-missionary organization
After suffering many years of sustained harassment by anti-missionary group Yad l’Achim, the Beit Hallel Messianic congregation in Ashdod has just won a lawsuit against the organization, Kehila News Israel (KNI) reports. In a resounding victory for believers in Israel, a local court issued a restraining order against Yad l’Achim activists that prevents them, among other things, from coming within 100 meters of Beit Hallel property and congregants’ private homes.
US Evangelical Lutherans publish handbook on gender identity to welcome the LGBTQIA+ community to church life
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has published a handbook on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to “affirm God’s love for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities,” the Christian Post reports. The publication is part of an ELCA effort to welcome and include members of the LGBTQIA+ community to all aspects of church life.
New York Leadership Ordered To End’ Church Discrimination’
More devoted Christians could legally worship in the U.S. State of New York on Sunday after a federal judge told Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to stop discriminating churches while allowing “black lives matter” protests against police abuse.
Trump signs executive order to strengthen foster care, bolster faith-based partnerships
President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to strengthen the nation’s foster care system which calls on states and cities to work with faith-based and other charities at a time when organizations that uphold traditional views of marriage are facing increasing hostility from Democratic lawmakers and left-leaning groups.
Archaeologists find remains of Christian settlement in Galilee
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has published a report on its finding an ancient Christian settlement in northern Israel in 2007, CBN News reported. Located in the Galilee area, the rural settlement was likely destroyed during the Persian conquest in 613 AD, the IAA report says.
Yazidis and Christians face existential threat in northeast Syria following Turkish intervention and US pull back of troops
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) heard last week that President Donald Trump’s partial withdrawal of American troops from northeast Syria in 2019 created a vacuum in which Turkey and Turkish-backed militia have been able to threaten local vulnerable civilian populations including Christians and Yazidis. Condemning Turkey’s latest airstrikes and ground operations in the region, the USCIRF called for the US government to “utilize all diplomatic and economic leverage to protect vulnerable religious minorities in northern Iraq — as well as neighboring northeastern Syria — from Turkey’s indiscriminate military operations,” the Christian Post reported.
Governor of Tennessee set to sign heartbeat abortion bill
The governor of Tennessee has said he will sign a new bill that prohibits abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, Christian Headlines reported Monday. Sponsored by Gov. Bill Lee earlier this year, the bill also bans abortion on the grounds of sex, race, or a diagnosis of Down’s syndrome.
Under Trump’s peace plan major Israeli archaeological sites would be located in future Palestinian state
According to a survey conducted for the Shiloh Policy Forum, US President Trump’s Mideast peace plan would place hundreds of Jewish archaeological sites inside a future Palestinian state, CBN News reports. Among the sites concerned are Shiloh and an ancient synagogue discovered in Shomron, the Biblical capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel.
Iran Christian Convert: ‘15 Christians Detained for Faith’
An Iranian Christian rights activist who was jailed for protesting against Iran’s Islamic government says more than a dozen Christians remain behind bars in the country’s overcrowded prisons.
Christians in Atlanta March Against Racism and Pray for Police
Praying and marching against racism Friday, thousands of Christians took part in the “March on Atlanta” event organized by OneRace Movement, a Christian coalition aiming to “displace the spirit of racism and release racial reconciliation,” The Christian Post reported. Participants also prayed in support of the Atlanta Police Department which is reeling from nationwide rage against law enforcement following the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta itself.
Angry North Korea To Dump Millions of Leaflets over South Korea
North Korea threatened Monday to dump a whopping 12 million propaganda leaflets on South Korea as “retaliatory punishment” for materials and Bibles it received from activists.
‘The Revival is Spreading’: Souls Find Salvation on the Streets of Minneapolis
The streets of Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed are being used by God to save those searching for hope and healing.
The Gospel is Being Shared as Christians Minister to Their Neighbors in Former Soviet Union Countries
The Gospel is being spread in difficult-to-reach former Soviet Union countries, Mission Network News reported Wednesday. Local Christians have been reaching out to share the Gospel and offer practical help to neighbors struggling with poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iranian Christians Risk Their Lives to Help Neighbors in COVID-19 Crisis
Religious freedom group Open Doors USA has been told that Christians in Iran are risking their lives to help fellow citizens with food and hygiene parcels during the coronavirus outbreak, Fox News reported Thursday. Known internationally for its radical Islamic terrorism, Iran is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East.