Cuban Christians’ Cry For Religious Freedom Comes As Pastor Lingers In Jail

The Alliance of Christians in Cuba (ACC) denounced the country’s human rights and religious freedom violations at its 2024 meeting, the third time it has done so since its 2022 founding and the latest in a string of such statements internationally. The ACC, a multi-denominational group of about 60 Christian leaders, called for the immediate release of religious prisoners and prisoners of conscience, the protected legal right for new churches to organize and function, and other rights included in Article 18 of the International Bill of Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Apology From US Catholic Bishops Falls Short For Traumatized Indigenous Families

(OPINION) On June 14, U.S. Catholic bishops apologized for the mistreatment and trauma caused through the church’s role in American Indian boarding schools. While the apology is all well and good, it is very little and very late for thousands of Indigenous families in America.

The Siege Of Mariupol: Death, Starvation And Destruction

(ANALYSIS) On June 13, 2024, Global Rights Compliance, an international nongovernmental organization, published evidence of Russian and pro-Russian forces using starvation as a method of warfare against Ukrainian civilians during their 85-day siege of Mariupol between February and May 2022.

South African Scholar Receives Templeton Prize For Her Work On Forgiveness

The John Templeton Foundation announced on Tuesday that Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela was named this year’s recipient of the Templeton Prize in recognition for her work around trauma and forgiveness in post-apartheid South Africa. Gobodo-Madikizela, 69, an author and professor, has created a model for social healing in the aftermath of conflict — one that she calls “the reparative quest.”

Despite Political Upheaval, Indian Church Hosts 700 Bible School Students

Pulling off Vacation Bible School for 700 children is a daunting challenge for most churches. Pulling off VBS for 700 children during community upheaval is not just challenging, it is practically impossible. But Anna Yumnam* and her team from TMG Bible Church* in Manipur, a state in northeast India, managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible in June 2023. This was Yumnam’s first year as the church’s children’s ministry director. She expected hurdles of course, but perhaps not trials of this intensity.

The Moral And Ethical Challenges Posed By Artificial Intelligence

The speakers that took to the stage at MIT this past week addressed a series of issues surrounding AI, including how it impacts a number of areas such as communications, entertainment, healthcare, politics, climate change and the military. In fact, speakers talked about the numerous potential pitfalls in a world where AI is becoming more ubiquitous.

Garbage City’s Christian Residents Call For Increased Government Representation

Garbage City existed before its Coptic Christian residents, and they are the only ones willing enough to remain among the trash and help Cairo by sorting through it. The main issue, these days, is the lack of political representation and influence caused by a growing Muslim-Christian divide.

Hindu Refugees Find New Hope In India’s Controversial Citizenship Law

Pakistani Hindu refugees have once again garnered attention following the notification of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. The law aims to grant Indian citizenship to immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who belong to the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist or Christian faiths and had entered India before 2014 due to religious persecution.

Gaza’s Christian Presence Dwindles Following 7 Months Of Israel-Hamas War

An estimated 25 percent to half of the 900 to 1,000 Christians who lived in Gaza before the war have fled, and that an additional 25 percent are applying to leave. Israel’s occupation of the Rafah border crossing threatens safe passage to Egypt. Thousands of displaced Palestinians are fleeing Rafah for Deir el-Balah about 12 miles north and were straining a scant supply of fresh water.

US Watchdog Group Recommends Adding 15 Nations To List Of Religious Freedom Violators

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2024 report urged the U.S. State Department to add 15 nations to the current list of egregious religious freedom violators, and recommended key policy guidance for the Biden administration. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam should be added to the 12 Countries of Particular Concern.

Arizona Repeals 1864 Abortion Law, While Florida Enacts 6-Week Ban

The Arizona Legislature repealed on May 1 an 1864 abortion ban that would have protected life from conception, but the law could still take effect temporarily during a 90-day waiting period for the repeal to become law. In Florida, meanwhile, a six-week abortion ban became law.

Despite Opposition From Bishops, EU Deems Abortion A ‘Fundamental Right’

Despite opposition from Catholic bishops across the continent, the European Union voted on Thursday to enshrine access to abortion as a “fundamental right” in its charter. The proposal — approved 336 votes for to 163 against — was passed in Brussels with support coming primarily from left-wing and centrist members.

Special Report: India Using AI To Target Religious And Ethnic Minorities

India’s increased use of Facial Recognition Technology has led to the arrest of those the government deemed “troublemakers” for their involvement in recent protests. It was not the first time video technology had been used to identify people taking part in such activity against the government. As a result, there’s the potential on the part of police to increasingly target religious minorities.

New Vatican Document On Human Dignity Condemns Gender Theory

Four months after supporting blessings for same-sex couples, the Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as violations of human dignity — making them equal to abortion and euthanasia as practices that reject God’s plan. The Holy See’s office that handles doctrine issued “Infinite Dignity,” a 20-page document that had been in the works for five years.

‘Our Basic Right’: Hijab Battle Across India Leads To Tensions

The issue of young women wearing hijabs in schools has become a controversial and heated topic in the Indian state of Rajasthan following a similar battle in the southern state of Karnataka. Hijab bans in Hindu-majority India are nothing new. However, such edicts have intensified recently under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, who adhere to Hindu nationalism and have focused on limiting the rights of religious minorities.

Remembering The 2004 Pogrom Against Orthodox Serbs In Kosovo

(OPINION) At first glance, the attacks that took place in 2004 may appear to be a spontaneous reaction of locals to the unfortunate drowning of Albanian boys and the alleged involvement of Serbian individuals in the incident. However, the ruins of Serbian homes, churches and monasteries tell a different story.

Arizona Church Sues After City Halts Ministry That Fed Needy Families

Pastor Manuel Castro was in tears. Sobbing, he recalled his frustration and heartbreak at having to halt Iglesia Bautista Gethsemani’s food distribution ministry after the city threatened his arrest. For 25 years, Castro said he has ministered to the spiritual and humanitarian needs of the agricultural town, near the Mexican border, including many seasonal workers with an unemployment rate of 28.1 percent.

At Eastertime, Gaza’s Christians ‘No Longer Have The Energy To Suffer’

As Christians approach Easter, Baptists sheltered in the remnants of Gaza Baptist Church are so worn out they “no longer have the energy to suffer,” a leader there told the Christian Mission to Gaza. At the same time, Israel Defense Forces have decreased their attacks on Gaza in recent days.

Global Missionary Partners Advance Gospel In Colombia

Laura Martinez’s letter to her supporters in Mexico is reminiscent of New Testament letters. Recently, she wrote about adapting quickly to the culture, climate, geography and gastronomy of Colombia. She enumerated the differences in seasons and interpretations of certain Spanish words, and she was pleasantly surprised the quality of water in Colombia is higher than where she’s from in Mexico.

Haiti On The Brink: Did Evangelicals Break The Caribbean Nation?

(ANALYSIS) The news coming from Haiti is not good. It’s not been good for years, for decades, but today it’s even worse. Gangs now control much of the country. It is essentially a failed state, with the lowest per capita income of any country in the Western Hemisphere and among the lowest on the planet. These are hard realities, but evangelicals need to face a hard reality of our own when it comes to Haiti.

Address

Contact

Information