TORONTO – A Canadian judge has ruled that an international Christian ministry must stop distributing Bibles in an Ontario public school district. Since 1936, Gideons International has been passing out free copies of the Bible to students in Canadian public schools. As stated on their website, the Gideons distribute Scriptures because they “believe that the […]
PRABUMULIH, Indonesia – An education official in Indonesia sparked a firestorm of criticism after he suggested that teenage girls should undergo virginity tests before entering high school. Muhammad Rasyid is the education chief in Prabumulih, Indonesia—a city of 130,000 in South Sumatra. Indonesia is a southeast Asian country with a population of 240 million. Over […]
TAMPA – An organization committed to supporting oppressed Christians around the world is planning a 5K race in Tampa this fall to raise awareness of the persecuted church. “Joshuacord” is a non-profit, nondenominational Florida-based ministry whose mission is to “help and rescue those who can’t help themselves.” The organization works with a number of partners throughout […]
MONTREAL – An international entertainment company is touring the world, performing a show that they describe as “a fascinating journey into the evolution of mankind.” Cirque du Soleil (French for “Circus of the Sun”) is a popular Quebec-based entertainment group that generates a yearly revenue of approximately $1 billion, with 5,000 employees worldwide. Since 2010, […]
SUDAN – Following increased persecution in northern Africa, a major Christian organization has announced plans to evacuate over 3,000 Christians from Sudan in coming months. Since South Sudan seceded from its northern counterpart two years ago, Christians in Sudan have suffered under heavy persecution from the predominantly Islamic culture, where Sharia law is enforced. Demographic […]
EGYPT – As violent unrest continues to throw Egypt into chaos, Christians are increasingly finding themselves to be the targets of persecution and abuse. Presently, the greatest threat to Egyptian Christians comes from supporters of Mohamed Morsi—the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated president who was ousted last month. According to recent statistics, only 13% of Egypt’s 85 million […]
EDINBURGH – A high court in Scotland has charged a man with the equivalent of over $60,000 for criticizing a homosexual woman on Twitter. Earlier this month, the Court of Session in Edinburgh—known as the supreme civil court of Scotland—ruled that 54-year-old David Shuttleton should give Jaye Richards-Hill $62,000 as restitution for Tweets he posted […]
CAMEROON – The government of Cameroon is severely cracking down this month on Pentecostal churches, vowing to shut down nearly 100 congregations. Paul Biya, the president of the western African nation, says the closures are an attempt to prevent Pentecostal pastors from conducting “criminal practices” that allegedly threaten Cameroon’s national security. Thus far, at least […]
NEWPORT, Tenn. – A judge in eastern Tennessee has ruled that two parents cannot legally name their son “Messiah.” Last Thursday, Child Support Magistrate LuAnn Ballew of Tennessee’s 4th Judicial District heard arguments between Jawaan McCullough and Jaleesa Martin of Cocke County regarding a dispute over their baby’s name. The baby, who was born on […]
GUANGZHOU, China – One of the most influential leaders of China’s Christian home church movement has died at the age of 88. Samuel Lamb (known by some as Samuel Lam) was born in 1924 to Christian parents in mainland China. As reported by World Watch Monitor, Lamb preached his first sermon when he was only […]