The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday (April 12) intercepted a church leader in Sudan as he was traveling out of Omdurman and temporarily jailed him, area sources said.
India’s famed Emperor Ashoka was an ancient convert from Hinduism to Buddhism. He demonstrated that a person is NOT forced by others to convert from one religion to another. Today, “religious conversions are forced,” is the flawed premise of all anti-conversion laws of India. Who could have forced mighty Emperor Ashoka to change his religion? The Emperor’s famous religious conversion was his choice.
The situation for Iranian people is more dangerous now than before the recent war with Israel and the United States of America. Even more so for Christians who represent a growing minority religion in the staunchly Shia theocracy. Under threat, the ruling regime has increased its morality terror with brutal force.
In a perfect world, where legal systems hold political power to account and protect minorities against human rights abuses we might expect an end to persecution. But we do not live in a perfect world. People with power continue to act with impunity against those who think and live differently to them. Christians have a way to cope with this reality and a real and living hope for a future free of persecution.
New political winds are blowing with increasing force as the push-back against globalization grows with increasing nationalisms. The demand to pledge allegiance to something other than God in Christ will put renewed pressure on the Church and we need to be prepared to hold true to our faith. Here is a stern warning that Christians must take to heart.
Authorities in China issued threats of a long prison sentence and loss of property to Christians charged with “illegal business operations” for printing devotional materials intended only for their church, their attorney said.
Over 100 religious freedom advocates and groups from various religious backgrounds have called on Congress to affirm religious freedom as a fundamental right by passing a resolution to recognize the global threats to religious liberty.
Muslim farm owners in Pakistan on March 23 beat a Christian laborer with iron rods and shot him in the leg for requesting his wages.
Discrimination and violence against Christian minorities in Kosovo continues to be widespread despite official laws in the country protecting freedom of religion.
Muslim relatives of the alleged killer of a 20-year-old Christian in Pakistan are threatening the victim’s family with death if they do not drop charges, sources said.
A Christian couple in India has been sentenced to prison after Hindu extremists instigated a false case of forcible conversion against them, sources said.
A traditional canoe carrying young Pacific activists sailed into Honiara this week, bringing a call for climate justice, peace and ocean protection as leaders gathered for the Pacific Islands Forum. The voyage was timed to coincide with the opening of the regional summit on Monday, Sept. 8. A young Anglican woman from Polynesia, 20-year-old Kakala Tevi of Tongan and Fijian heritage, has joined other young people on the sailing mission to underline contemporary issues of importance to her generat
