Advocates for Persecuted Christians Cite Need for Western Intervention as Nigerian Crisis Continues to Escalate
Boko Haram terrorists have finally taken over the town of Michika in Nigeria’s Adamawa state, after repeated incursions in 2014 and 2016.
Faith
Michigan bars Christian adoption agencies from refusing LGBT couples after legal settlement
Adoption and foster care agencies in Michigan who contract with the state can no longer refuse to place children with qualified same-sex parents over religious reasons thanks to a legal settlement Friday that some fear will put faith-based agencies out of business.
Moms Are Influencing Children for Christ. Dads? Not So Much, Survey Finds
Christians are far more likely to say their mothers had a bigger influence on their faith than did their fathers, according to a new Barna study that examines the roles that moms and dads play in the development of children.
Britain Uses Violent Bible Verses to Deny Iranian Convert Asylum
The British government has been using the Bible against Christians seeking asylum after converting from Islam — most recently, citing verses from Leviticus, Exodus, and Revelation as evidence that the faith was not more peaceful, as one Iranian convert claimed in his application.
VP Pence gets ovation at Hispanic evangelical summit; new ‘Life Manifesto’ unveiled
Vice President Mike Pence gave a closed-door address and received a standing ovation last Thursday before a gathering of the largest Hispanic evangelical coalition in the United States.
Nigerian Christians Saved From Captors by Jesus, Angels, and Snakes
72 Nigerian Christians, who had converted from Muslim backgrounds, were recently saved in a series of miraculous circumstances involving angels, snakes, and one apparition by Jesus after being kidnapped by Boko Haram.
China Tells Christianity To Be More Chinese
The headlines out of China last week sounded ominous. In strident language not heard in a long time, the head of China’s Protestant church gave a speech supporting the government’s policy of reducing Western influence on religion and making it ‘more Chinese,’ a process dubbed sinicization in English.
Azusa Pacific Drops Ban on Same-Sex Student Relationships, Again
Azusa Pacific University (APU) has gone back and forth this school year on whether to allow students to date members of the same sex.
With 420-0 vote, House calls for release of Mueller report
The House voted unanimously Thursday on a resolution that urges special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report to be made public.
Only 25 Percent of Christians Live in ‘Spiritually Vibrant’ Homes, Barna Study Finds
Twenty-five percent of professing, practicing Christians live in households that regularly pray and practice Bible reading together and conduct outreach together to others, while 28 percent live in households that do none of the items on that list, according to new research by Barna.
Faith Organization Says House Resolution Condemning Hatred Must Include Anti-Christian Bigotry and Persecution of Christians
The Washington, D.C. based, Christian Defense Coalition, calls for Speaker Pelosi to include Christianity in a potential House Resolution condemning all forms of hatred including anti-Semitism, racism and Islamophobia.
Iranian Commander Outlines Plan ‘to Defeat World Powers’
A top Iranian military figure in the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, recently outlined the rogue nation’s long-term plans to ‘defeat world powers,’ saying that Tehran has been ‘chosen to wage jihad’ across the globe.
Muslim who sought to kill Christian cousin embraces faith after Jesus appears in dream
An Egyptian Muslim who planned to kill his cousin for converting to Christianity has shared how he embraced the religion he once hated after Jesus delivered a powerful message to him in a dream.
North Korean Christian Imprisoned for Her Faith Tells of Torture, Beatings in Prison
A North Korean Christian, identified only as ‘Prisoner 42’ for security reasons, told Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors the torture and beatings she endured for her faith and how God stayed with her through the brutality.
University can’t ban Christian group for requiring that its leaders be Christian, court rules
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the University of Iowa can’t selectively enforce its non-discrimination policy on a Christian student group that requires that its leaders abide by a Christian statement of faith.
Trump to faith leaders at National Prayer Breakfast: ‘I will never let you down’
President Donald Trump started off his speech at Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast assuring faith leaders, ‘I will never let you down … Never.’
Life under ISIS led these Muslims to Christianity
Four years have passed since the Islamic State group’s fighters were run out of Kobani, a strategic city on the Syrian-Turkish border, but the militants’ violent and extreme interpretation of Islam has left some questioning their faith.
‘Many Christians Are Being Killed’: World’s Worst Persecutors Revealed, 60,000 Christians in Concentration Camps
North Korea again tops the list of the 50 most dangerous countries to follow Jesus Christ. The 2019 World Watch List released Wednesday by Open Doors USA highlights where action is desperately needed to protect Christians.
Christian persecution expected to increase in 2019; believers facing ‘modern-day jihad’
The persecution of Christians around the world is expected to increase in 2019, with a watchdog group sharing particular concern for believers in Nigeria, China, and India.
Ugandan Christians live in fear of minority Muslims on quest for conversions
Christians in eastern Uganda are among those in their faith who face the most serious dangers in the world, according to World Watch Monitor, a group that tracks persecutions of Christians. The charity counted at least two incidents of Muslims killing Christians as well as vandalism of at least two churches.