Christian Aid Group: "from Christians through Christians to Christians"

Hundreds of Middle East Christians Rescued and Resettled in Australia, Thanks to Christian Aid Group

Iraqi Christian children being greeted by their new friends

 Even though many countries have opened their doors to Muslim migrants coming from the Middle East, the path is actually not as simple for Christians looking for new homes after fleeing from intense persecution from their own countries. Nevertheless, an aid organization that offers help precisely to Christians is wanting to change the impression.

The Barnabas Fund, an international and interdenominational group that seeks to meet the practical and spiritual needs of believers by channelling aid "from Christians through Christians to Christians" offers a program which enables Christians coming from the Middle East to resettle in Australia.
Ghassan along with his family are some of those that the agency, through its Operation Safe Havens, has helped to relocate to Australia.

Ghassan said they ran to Lebanon in March 2014 to escape the war in Syria. Through the help of a relative, they were able to find somewhere to rent. However, they might no longer afford the costly living in Lebanon, hence they made a decision to give Australia a shot and applied for a humanitarian visa.

Their visas were approved. Ghassan along with his family members flew to Australia, and Barnabas Fund shouldered their airline tickets.

"We love our new country and wish that someday we are able to thank those who were the first to support us and taught us the important lesson in the human life that is to give love and do the good to others as per Christ's teachings," Ghassan said. "We pray to the Lord that he protects Barnabas Fund and its supporters."

Syrian Christians arrive in Australia, sponsored by Barnabas Fund

By May 2016, Operation Safe Havens has rescued as many as 1,071 Christian refugees globally, and 823 of these are now living in Australia.

On the other hand, these figures are smaller compared to how many Muslims refugees which have been taken into Australia. With Christians in the Middle East being the particular target of extreme persecution and genocide, there may be still a considerable way to go.

While in the U.K., the number of Christian refugees taken was below 1 percent, especially from July to September 2016. As reported by the Barnabas Fund, only 13 of the 1,583 refugees from Syria were Christians. This implies only 0.8 percent of the Syrian refugees who entered the U.K. for that particular period of time were Christians.

"It is actually well established that Christians, Yazidis, and Shi'a Muslims are encountering genocide in Syria - however, these will be the very groups that are widely underrepresented in the united kingdom and US refugees admissions - even if they were not being targeted for genocide," the Barnabas Fund said.

A recent study reported that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world. In 2016 alone, 90,000 believers were killed because of their faith, with a third of them dying at the hands of Islamic militants.

The study, released by the Center for Studies on New Religions, also said that at least 600,000 believers worldwide were suppressed from practising their faith.



SOURCE

UK Christian Student Expelled Over Facebook Comments

UK Student Expelled Over Facebook Comments Outlining Biblical Stance on Homosexuality Loses Appeal

LONDON - A student at a well-known university in the UK who was expelled over comments which he made on Facebook explaining the biblical position on homosexuality has lost his appeal right before the Royal Courts of Justice.

Although Judge Rowena Collins-Rice found out that the “right to express the information of deeply held religious viewpoints is worthy of respect in a democratic and plural society,” she said that the issue came down to “how [the student’s comments] could possibly be accessed and read by people that would perceive them as judgmental, not compatible with service ethos, or an indication of discriminatory intent.”

“That was a problem in its own right,” she wrote. “But whatever the actual intention was, it was the perception of the posting that would cause the damage. It was reasonable to be concerned about that perception.”

As previously reported, in September 2015, Felix Ngole, 39, checked his Facebook account and saw a news story in his feed regarding Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who had gone to prison for declining to personally sign same-sex “marriage” certificates.

As a number of commenters were speaking against Davis, Ngole decided to chime in and note that “the Bible and God identify homosexuality as a sin.” When he was asked where the Scriptures state that homosexuality is sinful, he provided the citations, including the biblical law of Leviticus.

However, nearly two months later, Ngole’s remarks were brought to the attention of administrators at the University of Sheffield, which touts itself as a “world top-100 university and number one in the U.K. for student satisfaction in the 2014-15 Times Higher Student Experience Survey.”

Ngole, who was a second-year Master’s student studying to be a social worker, then became the subject of a “Fitness to Practice” hearing, as he was advised that he “may have caused offense to some individuals” and had “transgressed boundaries which are not deemed appropriate for someone entering the social work profession.”

Following additional meetings, the Sheffield committee concluded that Ngole’s beliefs would negatively affect his “ability to carry out a role as a social worker,” and was consequently advised that he was “excluded from the further study on a program leading to a professional qualification.” The school recently informed Ngole that he is “no longer recognized as a university student.”

“Your student record will be terminated shortly and your library membership and university computer account withdrawn. You may wish to contact your funding body for advice on your financial position,” it wrote.

Ngole appealed the decision, but last April, he received a letter from the appeals office at the University of Sheffield stating that his post was “inappropriate” in light of the professional conduct standards outlined in the Health and Care Professions Councils (HCPC).

It was additionally asserted that Ngole had not “offered any insight or reflection” on the “potential impact” that his comments might have had on his Facebook friends, or how it would reflect on the social work profession.

With the assistance of the Christian Legal Centre, Ngole took the matter to the Royal Courts of Justice. However, while finding the university’s punishment of Ngole to be “indeed severe,” Judge Collins-Rice agreed on Friday that his words could negatively affect his social work.

“Public religious speech has to be looked at in a regulated context from the perspective of a public readership,” she wrote. “Social workers have considerable power over the lives of vulnerable service users and trust is a precious professional commodity.”

The Christian Legal Centre has expressed concern over the ruling, opining that while homosexuals are coming out the closet, Christians are being shoved into it.

“Rulings like this show that society is becoming increasingly intolerant of Christian moral values. Christians are being told to shut up and keep quiet about their moral views or face a bar from employment. Unless the views you express are politically correct, you may be barred from office,” Chief Executive Andrea Williams said in a statement. “This is very far from how a free and fair society should operate.”

Ngole plans to appeal.

“My passion is to love everyone regardless of their race, sexuality or gender. I want to love everyone just as Christ loves them, but also to proclaim His truth. This is what I was doing during the Facebook discussion that I took part in,” he said in an article published by Premier Christianity. “I was convinced I had done the right thing by answering a question from someone who wanted to know if homosexuality was a sin and what the Bible said about it.”

“It is because of love and not hate that we share the word of God,” Ngole continued. “I don’t think I have lost the case at all because right now this very important issue is being discussed throughout the world for His glory. The word of God was also read in court, and as a result, it has been recorded for future reference. The body of Christ continues to unite in prayer in one accord because of today’s verdict. Clearly traditional Christian beliefs are being censored by our government.”



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Pastor Frank Pomeroy: 'I Don't Understand, but I Know My God Does'

The Pastor Whose 14-Y-O Daughter Died in Texas Church Shooting: 'I Don't Understand, but I Know My God Does'

Annabele Pomeroy, the 14-year-old daughter of First Baptist pastor Frank Pomeroy

The pastor of Sutherland Springs' First Baptist Church in Texas and his wife have spoken publicly following the mass shooting that left 26 people dead, including their 14-year-old daughter, saying only God has the answers for such a tragedy.

"We've had a long night with our children and grandbabies we have left," Pastor Frank Pomeroy, who has been absent on Sunday at the time the shooting took place, told reporters on Monday.

"I don't understand, but I know my God does," he later said when answering questions, urging folks to rely on Jesus Christ.

The father said that his daughter, Annabelle, was "one beautiful girl," and a "special child."

Texas church massacre victim Annabelle Pomeroy pictured with her father, Pastor of the church, Frank

Pomeroy's wife, Sherri, said the family lost a lot more than Annabelle on Sunday.

"And one thing that gives me a sliver of encouragement is that Belle was surrounded yesterday by her family that she loved fiercely," she said.

The mother explained that the church was not comprised of "members or parishioners," but was a "very close family."

"We ate with each other, we laughed alongside one another, we cried together, and we worshipped together. Now nearly all of our church family is gone, our building may perhaps be beyond repair as well as few of us that are left behind lost tragically yesterday," she said.

"As senseless this kind of great loss was, our sweet Belle wouldn't have had the ability to cope with losing a whole lot family."

Respective authorities continue to piece together the details surrounding the shooting which was executed by 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley.


Authorities have at this point said that they don't really know the incident was racially inspired or it has been over religious belief and noted that Kelley relatively had a conflict with his mother-in-law.

Pastor Frank Pomeroy, with his wife Sherri, listens at a news conference
outside the site of the shooting at his church in Sutherland Springs, Texas

Sunday's victims included people aged from 18 months old to 77 years old and a woman who was pregnant, with relatives and friends showing countless tributes to their family and friends online.

Scott Pomeroy, Annabelle's uncle, paid respect to her in a Facebook post following her death.

"Heaven truly received a real gorgeous angel today along with many others. I lost many family and friends today but that simply means Jesus needed them more. I know all that have taken their last breath of dirty air and took their first breath of heavenly air with new bodies with no pain and suffering," he wrote.

A Teddy bear lies under police tape at a makeshift memorial for those
killed in the shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland, Texas

"My focus is now towards the many families which all have loved ones in all the different hospitals and to those grieving the loved ones that have been lost. God knows and is in control of all things and if something as evil as this should only revive us for a revival to be sure all we know and love should know and have a relationship with Jesus even more," Scott Pomeroy continued.

"After this outrageous week of numerous persons passing away it really should tell us life is only for a moment and we're dying every day and where you spend eternity is the most important thing. Not money, not jobs, not education, not possessions just the ones you love and your relationship with Jesus."

Multiple People Dead Following Shooting at Texas Church

Shooting at Texas Southern Baptist Church Kills 26 Worshipers

SOUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas: During its 11 a.m. worship service, a Southern Baptist church in rural Texas suffered not only America’s latest mass shooting but the deadliest at a US church in more than 50 years.

At least 26 worshipers died at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. YouTube videos of the church’s weekly service indicate that recent Sundays have drawn between 50 to 75 attendees.

The Texas tragedy is only the 14th mass shooting at an American house of worship since 1963, according to statistics compiled by church security expert Carl Chinn. “It seems apparent that the death toll will mark this as the worst [church shooting] in US history,” he told CT.

A pastor of a neighboring church told a group of TV reporters that he knows most of the church’s members, and he is confident that the victims are “in the loving arms of Jesus” right now.

“Another church shooting. Lord have mercy,” tweeted Russell Moore of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

“Violence and evil once again have made an impact at one of our churches,” stated Frank Page, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. “Innocent men, women, boys, and girls went to church to worship, pray, and study God’s word, and were met with unspeakable violence.

“Our prayers are for the people of Sutherland Springs and the people of the church,” he continued. “One does not get numb to this kind of egregious violence. God help us all.”

President Donald Trump tweeted, “May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan.”

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have dispatched chaplains and rapid response teams to Sutherland Springs to assist the congregation in its grief and recovery.

SBTC executive director Jim Richards stated:

We’re calling our churches to prayer for our brothers and sisters in Sutherland Springs. We don’t know the details yet but early reports indicate that several people have lost their lives in this tragedy. We will have chaplains available to [Sutherland Springs] and will find ways to support this dear church. We pray God’s mercy and comfort on those who are grieved and those who are wounded.

TV news anchors discussed the fact that the church, located about 40 minutes southeast of San Antonio, posts its services to YouTube, and thus there may be a recording of the shooting that investigators will be able to study.

Last Sunday, a green Harley Davidson was parked in front of the stage as a prop for pastor Frank Pomeroy’s sermon on Proverbs 3, entitled “You Don’t Need Training Wheels. You Need Christ.”

Pomeroy and his wife, who both happened to be traveling out-of-state today, told TV news outlets that their 14-year-old daughter Annabelle was one of the victims.

Facebook users have been posting prayers to the small church’s page. One wrote:

To the martyrs of Southerland Springs:
Remember God is our comfort, God is our patience. God is our refuge.
We fear nothing that man can do to the body, and then have no more they can do, for we are dead, and our lives are hidden with Christ in God.

Violent incidents in churches are on the rise, including high-profile shootings in sanctuaries. In September, a shooter killed one person and injured seven others after Sunday worship at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ outside Nashville.

Chinn reported that 2015 marked a record year for violence on religious property or involving senior pastors, with 248 incidents and 76 deaths. The most prominent that year, of course, was the attack on Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. (CT followed up with the families of the nine victims on the first anniversary of the shooting in 2016.)

“I would say we are at one of those critical times in church history that truly calls for prayer,” Chinn told Church Law and Tax. “I believe our churches are under attack in a way rarely seen in world history and never before seen in American history.”

“This news makes me realize how much I wish those of us teaching churches to get ready were wrong,” Chinn told CT today. “When I first heard [the news] today, I wanted nothing more than to later hear it was a false report. But it is true, and there are more coming.”



SOURCE



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Imprisoned pastor sues Chinese government

Chinese Government Sue By Imprisoned Pastor 

Pastors Su Tianfu (left) and Yang Hua

Guiyang, Guizhou, China- An imprisoned house church pastor filed a lawsuit against local government departments in China’s southern Guizhou province on Oct. 10, claiming his religious freedom had been violated and that a fine was wrongly imposed on him, ChinaAid learned recently.

Li Guozhi, who is known by his alias, Yang Hua, pastored Huoshi Church, the largest house church in Guiyang, Guizhou, until he was taken into police custody for defending a church hard drive and sentenced to two-and-a-half years for “divulging state secrets.” Additionally, the government fined him and another of the church’s pastors, Su Tianfu, 7 million yuan ($1,020,200 USD), an amount the officials claimed the church had received as “illegal income.” However, Su and Yang claim that church members donated their money voluntarily to the church and argued that it was the church’s income, not their own, so there is no grounds for administrative action.

The pastors applied for a court hearing to contest the case, but their request was denied.

On Oct. 10, Yang sued the Nanming District Religious Affairs Bureau and the Guiyang Municipal Ethnic and Religious Committee for their abuse of religious freedom in this case. Quoting the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, he argued that neither he, Su, nor Huoshi Church had violated any laws concerning religious freedom.

Meanwhile, Su had submitted his own lawsuit against t the Nanming District Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau and the Guiyang Municipal Religious Affairs Bureau. According to him, " ... my lawyers received a number of calls from the judge of the Baiyun District Court saying that our complaint had problems and must be modified," Su said. "Otherwise, it couldn't be put on file. So yesterday [Oct. 23], Lawyer Yan Xin and I went to the Baiyun District Court."

After they amended the content, the judge agreed to file the case. Su said, "In our indictment, there is an article that talks about faith. [The judge] said that the court could not engage the issue of faith. A filed case must not have any commentary, and he requested that we alter it."


For more of the new and translation of Yang's lawsuit...

India Authorities and law enforcement officials Halt Worship in Churches

Officials, Police in India Halt Worship in Churches

NEW DELHI, INDIA - Authorities and law enforcement officials in Tamil Nadu state, India, have directed 10 churches to put an end worship services, sources said.
Hindu extremists forced state officials and police to issue instructions for the churches in Coimbatore District to halt worship only if they acquire permission through the collector’s office, additionally, the extremists plan to target 20 others likewise, church leaders said.

“It is actually a well-planned conspiracy against the Christian community because the Hindu extremists understand that it is tough to deal with the collector’s office for such permissions,” pastor Johnson Sathyanathan, president for the Synod of Pentecostal Churches of Coimbatore, told Morning Star News. “The time to get such approvals can stretch from a year and a half up to many more years.”

The district revenue officer (Tehsildar) told church leaders that orders against six churches were issued on the complaint of members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist, the paramilitary organization widely regarded as the parent organization of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Orders were issued in one case based on a complaint by the Hanuman Sena, a fairly new Hindu extremist group.

A Christian delegation met the minister of Internal Affairs of Tamil Nadu early last week and expressed concern and fear about the recent notices. The state minister on Oct. 24 called on the deputy superintendent of police and the local Member of the Legislative Assembly of Sulur to look into the matter and take steps to ensure that the worship services can resume, Pastor Sathyanathan said.

“Altogether there are 10 churches that have been directly affected in the last two months,” he said. “They are generally residents of this area, and people have not had problems with all these churches before. These pastors have been doing ministry for many years now.”

Besides the six churches, another congregation, an Assemblies of God Church in Thennampalayam, was first targeted during its Vacation Bible School this summer, when the members of RSS attacked its van transporting children, assaulting three young people. The revenue officer has closed down the church based on a complaint by the RSS, saying the pastor must secure permission from the collector to continue worshipping.

The pastor has been leading the church at its present location for more than five years.

Other Churches Shut-Downs

In Myleripalayam, pastor of an independent fellowship, Solomon Raja, was called in by police inspector after a complaint by members of the Hanuman Sena and compelled him to sign documents declaring that he would “obtain proper permission” to carry on worship services.
“This happened with Solomon on Sept. 1, because of that, no church worship service has been set up or taken place his church,” Pastor Sathyanathan told Morning Star News.

In Mathampalayam, where pastor Vinod Kumar had built a minor hall for church services, about 25 RSS members on Oct. 15 interrupted a church service and contacted police.
“The inspector intentionally left the church, and Kumar was directed to halt carrying out worship in the future,” Pastor Sathyanathan said.

Nevertheless, no case has actually been registered against Kumar, he has been threatened with dire warnings to stop worship services or bear the punishment, he said.
In Kalampalayam, police officers along with 20 RSS members approached a church leader known only as Pastor Charles and instructed him to shut down services until he procured permission from the collector, Pastor Sathyanathan said.

In Sulur, pastor Selva Singh of Sultanpet has submitted a court case with police opposed to the notice the revenue officer given to him. A court grants him one month’s permission to keep on the normal church service, however with a condition that there shouldn't be any use of amplifiers during service. The permission will probably be voided in case there are complaints.
The court instructed Pastor Singh to obtain permission from local officials within one month.
Pastor Singh has actually been leading the neighbourhood church for over 10 years.

Request to Re-Open Churches

Nearly 500 protesting Christians contacted the district sub-collector and the superintendent of police on Oct. 11 and submitted a memorandum asking for protection and appealing for all the churches to be re-opened.
Pastor Sathyanathan, who took part in the protest, told Morning Star News that the city superintendent of police flatly rejected any assistance or measures.

“They told me that they could do nothing concerning this, and why must we create pointless problems, that instead, we will need to go ahead and get legal permission for all our churches,” he said. “We had planned a day of silent protest on Oct. 21, but we have been denied permission to hold it out, as they claimed that it was a law-and-order situation.”
Making clear reports that 30 churches ended up being targeted, Pastor Sathyanathan said Hindu extremists had yet to act against 20 of them.

“The Hindu extremists have openly threatened Christians that they are going to do the same in 20 more churches in the area that they have done to these 10,” he said.

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in May 2014, the hostile tone of his National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), against non-Hindus has emboldened Hindu extremists in various regions of the country to attack Christians, religious rights advocates say.

India ranked 15th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2017 World Watch Listing of the countries in which Christians go through the most persecution.



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Jews Speak Up For Christians

 A relatively new sensation has appeared on the Middle East scene by means of Jews standing up for persecuted Christians.

It’s an honest wonder, considering the outrageous history of Jewish persecution at the hands of the ‘church’ throughout the centuries. But it is also inevitably a warm reaction to the growing worldwide support for Israel among Christian people, particularly in Africa.

Thereby, keen to build upon this expanding friendship, the Israeli government has recently hosted an unprecedented media summit in Jerusalem for Christian journalists from around the globe.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the opportunity to speak up for embattled Christians in Iran and neighboring Syria. “Christians today are generally lashed for sipping wine during prayer services,” he said, “brutally tortured for doing nothing rather than practicing their faith. Some world leaders are likely to ignore this oppression and appear to appease Iran, but I am not one of them.”

Yes, even majority of the Western church is silent over the issue, apparently indifferent to their suffering.

Canon Andrew White, referred to as ‘Vicar of Baghdad’ and also speaking in Jerusalem, asked why, adding: “Here we see Jews standing with us, but where is the Church?”

White saw most of his large congregation murdered during the crisis that followed the invasion of Iraq, and countless Christians have been compelled to flee in the face of the Islamic State advance.

Will this weak reaction to the plight of persecuted Christians reflect the flabbiness of our faith? Do we simply fail to comprehend what it must be like because we are so comfortable and therefore not able to recognize what suffering for Christ means? Generally, we are not even prepared to defend what we believe - for the gospel and also the truth of the Bible - if perhaps we should be charged with ‘hate speech’ or ‘homophobia’.

Although some indeed have spoken out and paid dearly for it, the rest of us are generally fearful into silence as we retreat into our holy huddles. However, if we can’t stand reduced heat now, in what way will we fare once the temperatures are turned up and we are called to experience the sort of persecution Jesus predicted for his followers?

“Be alert,” he warned. “You will probably be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues…You will probably be hated by everyone because of me, however, the anyone that stands strong to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10. 17, 22) Many Christians remained quiet while Jews were taken away to the gas chambers and, although now a little bit more secure in their very own state, they are still in very serious danger, and therefore we mustn’t neglect them this time around. Nevertheless, they are ready to help us! 

It’s moment to forsake cowardice and accept the kind of bravery which Christians in some regions of the world are having to exhibit in bucketloads. Consider the believers in Iran, for instance, where Mr. Netanyahu drew the media’s attention. Regardless of the danger of following Jesus there, 20 Iranian Christians recently nailed their colors to the mast in a mass baptism. “I’ve been anticipating this moment for nearly nine years,” said one convert. “This was my wish before I die,” said another. Christianity is expanding thereby extreme measures amid reports of Muslims encountering Jesus through dreams and visions. “We have actually been praying for a long time that Iranian people believe in Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) and get baptized. Now this dream is coming true,” said a convert whose brother was murdered for his faith in 1994.

Yet another tremendously high-risk country to be a Christian is in North Korea, where believers are practically gathering in holes in the ground, much like the faith heroes of old had done according to Hebrews 11.38.

A missionary friend of mine occasionally travels to some part of Africa that is certainly equally dangerous, infested since it is by the Al Shabaab terror organization. Due to this fact, some Christians are forced to sleep in the forest! But my friend was resolute to bring comfort directly to them with his inspiring teaching skills, so he made his way there despite Foreign Office warnings avoiding the region, and the fact he was not able to even be protected by travel insurance for that part of his journey. In addition to that, he nearly died from being infected he picked up on his last trip to the area!

That takes bravery, but he said it was worth it just to see the sheer joy on the faces of his brothers so happy and encouraged by his visit.

I conclude with the heartwarming story of Israeli tennis player Dudi Sela who, due to the courage of his religious convictions, declined the possibility of reaching the semi-finals of an ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour event. Just eight minutes into the deciding set, he realized it was almost sunset, which marked the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (the holiest day of the year for Jews). So the 32-year-old informed the umpire of his decision to retire and left the court.

The match was originally scheduled for Yom Kippur itself (i.e. the next day) but was changed to commence ahead of the fast following demand from Israeli tennis officials. Unfortunately for Dudi (ranked 77 in the world), his quarter-final clash went to three sets and couldn’t be finished in time.

The Day of Atonement, when Jews seek forgiveness for sins committed throughout the last year, is finally fulfilled by the coming of Yeshua, their Messiah, who atoned for our sins through his death on the cross as the perfect Lamb of God. (Isaiah 53.6; 1 John 2.2)

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Christians Hospitalized After Hindu Mob Attacks

Christians Hospitalized After Hindu Mob Attacks Indian Church During Sunday Worship

Two or more Christians happen to be hospitalized and therefore are in critical condition following a Hindu mob attacked and desecrated a church worship service in India Sunday, the number one Christian persecution watchdog group has reported.

Worldwide Christian Concern, an America based NGO dedicated to promoting for persecuted Christians, has reported that the mob of approximately 300 Hindu radicals interrupted Sunday service in the Bastar for Christ Movement Church found in the Jasapara village within the Dantewada District of India's Chhattisgarh Condition.

Witnesses told ICC the mob beat the boys, ladies and kids of the congregation and pulled them from the building. The extremists allegedly required the worshipers renounce their belief in Christ. However when the Christians declined to do this these were beaten with sticks.

The mob set fire towards the church's furniture as well as stripped a few of the Christian women.

As many as nine worshipers were seriously hurt.

Based on ICC, Raju Sodi and Sangeetha Kartami hurt their heads and hands and were rushed to some local hospital. These were later delivered to a government-run hospital in Dantewada once they were considered to stay in critical condition.

Local police didn't initially cooperate and declined to file for a study concerning the altercation after being accustomed to the incident through the Christian community. Additionally, local Christians told ICC that Hindu radicals had filed a police report from the Christian community prior to the attack happened.

Based on the organization, it required over 24 hrs of protests held through the Christian community prior to the police department recognized the situation, and it is unlikely that participants within the radical mob are going to be arrested and attempted in the court.

"The attack on Jaripara's Christians is inhuman and highly condemnable," an anonymous local pastor told ICC. "These attacks are appearing around the backdrop from the condition elections which are nearing. The [Bharatiya Janata Party], who's in power within the condition, causes it to be even more simple for the Hindu radicals to keep the hate campaign against religious minorities for that political gains."

As Open Doorways USA ranks India as the 15th-worst nation on the planet with regards to Christian persecution, the organization finds that occurrences of Christian persecution in India have skyrocketed within this past year.

Based on Open Doorways USA reports, there have been over 410 occurrences of Christians being harassed, threatened or attacked for his or her belief within the first six several weeks of 2017. In comparison, there have been as many as 441 occurrences as reported by Open Doorways USA set for the whole of 2016.

"Once the Christians are beaten through the extremists, they receive injuries totally on their heads or their vital parts of the body. The assaulters don't care when the person dies of the attack," a nearby partner told Open Doorways USA in August. "They already know they're not going to be punished by the government (and therefore the judiciary) will require their side. In the majority of the cases, the assaulters go unpunished."

Open Doorways notes that the rise in persecution in India "had not been so outstanding" and may come as Pm Narendra Modi and also the BJP has been in power at the federal level. The BJP is basically considered the political arm of the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

"The government pm belongs to the BJP and that he categorically denies Christians or any other minorities are now being persecuted," Open Doorways USA reports. "Throughout a tv program, he stated he's no understanding from the burning of places of worship or other kinds of persecution."

ICC's Regional Manager William Stark stated inside a statement that attacks on Christians Indians as well as their places of worship have become "a nearly daily occurrence." He stressed that Christians in India "seem like second-class citizens."

"Hindu radicals across the nation appear to possess received a large berth by local government bodies to pursue their hate campaigns against Christians along with other minorities. This lack of ability or unwillingness to safeguard and enforce the legal rights of Christians must end," Stark asserted. "While Article 25 of India's metabolic rate guarantees full religious freedom for those citizens, the possible lack of India's enforcement of the freedom leaves Article 25 as just words in writing. India's leaders should do more to confront the problem of accelerating religious violence."

IS members get death sentence in Egypt for beheading of Christians

Seven sentenced to death in Egypt for beheading of Christians

EGYPT: Seven members of the Islamic State cell in north western Egypt have been sentenced to death, by an Egyptian court, for the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya in February 2015.

An AFP report said three of the terrorists were sentenced to death in absentia. The death sentence will be reviewed by the country’s mufti, the official interpreter of Islamic law. There are still thirteen others on trial who will receive their ruling on 25th November.

Prosecutors said a number of the terrorists took part in the beheadings and all seven suspects planned the attacks after being trained at jihadist military camps in Libya and Syria. The Islamic State released the video it called “A Message Signed with Blood to the Nation of the Cross,” In 2015 which caused an international uproar prompting the Egyptian government to strike its base in Libya.

IS in the Sinai Peninsular have terrorized Egypt since 2013 after the removal of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Relatives of the men, and the minority Coptic community in Egypt, have been honouring the memories of their loved ones every February and many have been emboldened by the refusal of the 21 men beheaded to deny Christ.

One widow said at the time that her husband, “Kept the faith, and was martyred in the name of Christ. His faith was very strong. I’m proud of him. He has lifted our heads up and honored us and all the Christians,” she added.

Children of the martyred Christians also said they are “proud” of the courage their fathers in refusing to renounce their faith in Christ”.

Egyptian Coptic Christian have continuously been targeted by Islamic State and Muslims in communities in Egypt. Over 100 Copts have been killed by the IS terror group in bombings in churches in Egypt sice December 2016 and copts have been targeted and killed in communities by Muslims with radical ideologies.

Many Coptic Christians who have crossed over the border to Libya for work have faced severe persecution and death. “We know it is more likely we will die than live in Libya but we don’t have a choice.”

A Coptic Christian said. “More and more people are going to Libya because of the economic crisis here. You can’t get work, you can’t make money in Egypt. We are aware of the dangers, particularly as Christians,” he said.



Cred: Global Christian News

Nepali Parliament makes Evangelism illegal

Evangelism to make illegal under new Nepal law

NEPAL: Religious conversion and also the ‘hurting of spiritual sentiment’, has been suspended through the Nepali Parliament recently (8 August). The Christian community fears the new law will escalate Christian persecution in the united states. Religious freedom agencies have expressed concern the new law effectively bans evangelism. Christian Unity World stated that the clause which criminalises the ‘hurting of spiritual sentiment’ is comparable to Pakistan’s blasphemy law to which it's a legal to ‘insult’ another’s belief.

“These laws and regulations are poorly defined and broadly misused to stay personal scores, to focus on religious minorities in order to further extremist agendas. “Decades of misuse from the blasphemy laws and regulations have resulted in times where even voicing disagreement using these laws and regulations can result in violence,” based on CSW. There's also concerns this law might be used from the Christian minority because it was utilized within the

Charikot situation in June 2016 where eight Christians who have been billed with disbursing Christian literature to children at two schools using the intention to transform them once they shared comic around the story of Jesus were arrested. It was the very first situation concerning freedom of faith within the good reputation for Nepal because the new metabolic rate was implemented in September 2015.

Anybody charged underneath the new law, including foreign visitors, could address five years imprisonment for trying to convert an individual or “undermine the faith, belief or thought that any caste, ethnic group or community continues to be observing since sanatan [eternal] occasions.” Anybody who “hurts religious sentiment” also faces as much as 2 yrs imprisonment and a pair of,000 rupee fine reported the Catholic Herald. Human legal rights defenders in Nepal are with the balance to become amended prior to it being placed prior to the President of Nepal for his approval. Lokmani Dhakal MP from the Janjagaran party of Nepal requested removing the sections criminalising religious conversion and told Parliament on 10 August:

“It appears very obvious in my experience this country while preparing the civil code has forgotten it's a signatory to worldwide agreements that safeguard the liberty of faith and human rights… you shouldn't allow it to be feasible for the planet to say on Nepal that we're the type of nation that around the one hands signs worldwide agreements however when making internal laws and regulations as well as in applying them, does another thing.Inches The metabolic rate establishes Nepal like a secular country with 81.3% population as Hindu, 9.% Buddhist, 4.4% Muslim, 3.% Kiratist (indigenous ethnic religion), 1.4% Christian, .2% Sikhs, .1% Jains and .6% follow other religions or no religion based on the 2011 census.