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Italians reacted with outrage on Tuesday after a European court ruled that displaying crucifixes in the country's schools violated the principle of secular education. Italy's education minister condemned the judgment by the European Court of Human Rights, saying that the Christian cross was a symbol of the country's Roman Catholic religion and cultural identity. Mariastella Gelmini, a member of the conservative government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, argued that "no one, and certainly not an ideological European court, will succeed in erasing our identity," Other ministers said they were appalled by the ruling, calling it "absurd," "shameful" and "offensive." Generations...

Egypt (AINA) -- On October 24, 2009 Egyptian State Security arrested a Christian Copt in the village of Deir Samalout, Samalout, Minia province, for praying "without a license." He was held in prison for two days before being released on "compassionate grounds." Maurice Salama Sharkawy, 37 years old, had invited Pastor Elia Shafik, to conduct the sacrament of the 'Anointing of the Sick' for his sick father, who had suffered a stroke. State Security broke into his house while the prayers were ongoing, handcuffed Maurice, put him into a police car and took him to a police station for interrogation....

Christians gathering in snow after forced out On Sunday, Novermber 1, Beijing Christians gathered in heavy snow after they were banned from an indoor place.

Egypt (AINA) -- Egyptian security forces have intensified their presence in the Upper Egyptian town of Dairout, in anticipation of a recurrence of Muslim violence against Christians. Copts expressed their fear over leaflets entitled "These have to Die!" which are being distributed to all Muslims in Dairout and neighborhoods, enticing them to "burn, vandalize and clean the country of these evil immoral infidels." Reports from Dairout, 313 km south of Cairo, confirm that Christian Copts are afraid to leave their homes and have stayed indoors since violence against them erupted on October 24, 2009. This collective punishment of Copts was...

In spite of the cover up, this is perhaps the first time in the history of Islam that Muslims finally have access to the truth about their own religion, thanks to the Internet and satellite dishes (invented by infidels). There are daily news reports of heart-broken Muslims who say they cannot believe what is written in Muslim scriptures and say that Muslims have been living under the greatest lie in human history. Others simply deny and say that it can't be so. While Saudi Arabia is spending billions to Islamize the West, many Muslim prisoners of Islamic submission are dying...

As a Christian I don’t “hate,” many things, but each year I can’t wait until Halloween is over. This day typically causes discord in our household as cultural pressure to participate finds it s way into our home. My stepchildren’s father sees nothing wrong with the day, while my wife and I have great difficulty with its basic foundation. Halloween is hard to avoid as its influences are everywhere. The other day I was teaching at an area community college and was disturbed most of my teaching time by staff dressed in horrific costumes. I really do hate Halloween. The...

According to the actions of Franklin County Juvenile Magistrate Mary Goodrich, and the Franklin County Children's Services, there isn't. At least not in their treatment of Rifqa Bary.After Rifqa Bary was returned to Ohio per a Florida Judge's order, Mary Goodrich acted on a request from the Franklin County Children's Services to restrict and supervise Rifqa's use of her cell phone and internet.This amounts to trampling on her Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and Expression. Constitutional rights that even "illegal aliens" are acknowledged to have.Their reasons for doing so are based on a false narrative that Jim Zorn, a spokesman for the Franklin...

SNIPPET: ""Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab and to punish those who would deny it." -- Barack Obama, Cairo, June 4, 2009 But what about the rights of women like this one -- the right not to wear the hijab? Who is standing up for them? "BREAKING NEWS: Somalia Militants Kill...

The "hate crimes" bill approved recently by Congress could be a problem for broadcasters -- most importantly, Christian broadcasters -- now that it has been signed into law. President Barack Obama has signed into law a measure that adds to the list of federal hate crimes attacks on people based on their sexual orientation. Congress approved the legislation last week as part of the $680-billion FY 2010 Defense Authorization bill. Appended to the hate crimes amendment was a statement ensuring that a religious leader or any other person cannot be prosecuted on the bases if his or her speech, beliefs,...

Larry David would think heaven itself had fallen on him if he had used a picture of the prophet Muhammad instead of Jesus to urinate on.. Larry David is either a coward or afraid his head would be separated from his neck if he had done so.

ChristiaNet.com, the world's largest Christian portal with nine million monthly page loads, recently asked, "Is President Obama helping the economy?" "A majority of Christians seem to doubt the President's economic policies," said Bill Cooper, president of ChristiaNet. With nearly 1,500 Christians participating, 69% said that they do not believe that President Obama is helping the economy. Most in this group felt the President is actually destroying the economy by spending too much money, raising taxes and increasing the size of government. "He is killing the economy. You cannot spend your way out of debt!" said one respondent. "Raising taxes and...

‘Moderate’ Islamist group had long suspected woman in Puntland was Christian. Three masked members of a militant Islamist group in Somalia last week shot and killed a Somali Christian who declined to wear a veil as prescribed by Muslim custom... Members of the comparatively “moderate” Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali... in her home . Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a...

A hate crimes bill sent to President Obama for his signature raises a red flag for Christians. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed a hate crimes bill that Christian leaders have warned for years could greatly infringe on the rights of those who speak to loudly about their religious views. Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel agrees with most observers that President Obama will sign the measure -- adding that the president desires to "throw a bone to homosexual activists because they have been breathing down his neck...and this is a way to hold them off."

MSNBC host Chris Matthews may now have the honor of having said the dumbest thing in the history of television. This past Thursday Matthews unfortunately allowed an imbecilic thought to pass from his brain to his mouth on his nationally televised cable news show. Here's the moment of insanity on video: Matthews: "The group in this country that most resembles the Taliban, ironically, is the Religious Right." It is a pet peeve of mine when a cable news host drops a bomb (no Taliban pun intended) of a statement right at the end of a segment and moves on to...

A Florida judge ordered today that Fathima Rifqa Bary be returned to Ohio. The 17-year-old religious runaway will be transferred into the care of Franklin County Children Services. To ensure her safety, the details of her transfer will not be released, the Florida Department of Children and Families said in an e-mailed statement. Judge Daniel P. Dawson of the 9 t h Judicial Circuit Court of Florida agreed last week that Bary's case should be heard in Ohio, but he said he first wanted to receive documents detailing her immigration status. The girl is a native of Sri Lanka.

SNIPPET: "A hate crimes bill sent to President Obama for his signature raises a red flag for Christians." SNIPPET: "Barber explains that Liberty Counsel intends to challenge the constitutionality of the hate crimes legislation."

High school student Chad Farnan, 17, speaks at a campaign fundraiser for Shawn Black, a GOP candidate for the 70th Assembly District, earlier this month. The legal group that represents Farnan, Advocates for Faith & Freedom, has been ordered to pay $19,688 in legal fees. SANTA ANA – In a legal twist that challenges the notion of what a prevailing party is, a federal court clerk on Friday awarded $19,688 in court-related fees to the attorneys who represented high school teacher James Corbett, sued two years ago for making anti-Christian comments in class. Milli Borgarding, the deputy in charge of...

A "hate crimes" plan that opponents have warned will be used to crack down on Christian speech, even the reading of the Bible, is poised to be signed by President Obama, a longtime proponent of the plan to give homosexuals and those with other alternative lifestyles special protections not provided other classes of citizens. The Senate approved the "hate crimes" plan 68-29 today after Democrats strategically attached it to a "must-pass" $680 billion defense appropriations plan. Most Republicans, although normally strong supporters of the U.S. military, opposed the plan. "The inclusion of the controversial language of the hate crimes legislation,...

I believe that Christianity is the single best influence on mankind. It is responsible for Western civilization's flourishing, it is responsible for the heights of freedom and liberty that untold billions of humans have enjoyed and will enjoy in the future. Certainly the bedrock of that success is the Christian Bible. So, don't go calling me a religion hater or a Christian basher. There. That is said. Now, the story is that a "pastor" in North Carolina is having a book burning event for his fool followers and one of the books he is burning is any copy of the...

Ever since Obama's Islamic loving speech in Cairo, it appears that the attacks on Egyptian Christians are on the rise. Has Obama emboldened the enemy? Of course he has. Hat tip to the The Religion of Peace. CHRISTIAN KILLED IN SOUTH EGYPT OVER SON'S AFFAIR Monday, October 19, 2009

Several parents - named as victims in the indictment against three Baptist Union leaders now on trial in Tashkent - have told the court that statements that their children were taught the Baptist faith against their wishes were fabricated or dictated by Investigator Anatoli Tadjibayev, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The head of Uzbekistan’s Baptist Union Pavel Peichev and two colleagues went on trial on 24 September accused of teaching religion illegally to children at church-run summer camps and evading tax on profits from the camp. They deny all the charges - which carry punishment of up to three...

Washington -- SNIPPET: "Rev. Zaheer Khan, pastor of Maghoo Memorial Church, Rev. Aamir Azeem, pastor of United Christians Church and Rev. Zafar Akhter, pastor of United Presbyterian Church each received a copy of threatening letter. The Islamists sent the letters to the following Christian institutions: St Peter's Middle School, Sargodha Institute of Technology, Sargodha Catholic High School, St John's Primary School and Fatima Hospital. Besides the Christian institutions, the letter was also sent to the main Immam-Bar-Gha (Shiite Muslim's gathering hall). Shiites are a minority Muslim group in Pakistan where the majority of the population is Sunni Muslim. ICC's Jonathan...

DHAREMA, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- A Christian schoolgirl in Pakistan's Punjab province was recovering Sunday, October 11, after she was allegedly "ruthlessly beaten" with a bamboo stick by a Muslim headteacher for saying she is "a Pakistani" citizen. The bedridden Nadia Iftikhar, 11, told BosNewsLife she was seriously injured when the teacher of the local evening coaching school 'Bright Future Academy' in the town of Dharema got angry because she challenged her views on Islam. “Our teacher was teaching us about the culture of Pakistan and Pakistani people and quoted a sentence from the text book saying 'We are Pakistani and all...

Note: Photos included. Note: The following text is a quote: Friday, October 16, 2009 Nationalists target Calvary Chapel Kaharlyk in Ukraine with firebomb attack By Peter Wooding Special to ASSIST News Service KAHARLYK, UKRAINE (ANS) -- The pastor of Calvary Chapel Kaharlyk, just south of Kiev in Ukraine, is thanking God for His protection, after their church building, where his family lives, was hit by a firebomb attack by suspected nationalists. In the early hours of Wednesday October 14th the attackers sprayed painted on the church wall: “Out with Sects” “ОУ�” an abbreviated name for a Ukrainian Nationalist movement. Pastor...

As I read online, I notice that there are plenty of people who believe that Egypt is some kind of "moderate" Islamic country where non-Muslims are treated fairly. The reality is that Muslims of Egypt, preach hatred towards Jews, and have been persecuting the Coptic Christians there for centuries. Yet the US government has poured billions of dollars into Egypt. Unfortunately we ask for little in return.

Jerusalem – Ma’an – Christians of several denominations gathered in Jerusalem Friday for a silent vigil in solidarity with besieged Islamic holy sites at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City. “We are here to support Al-Aqsa and those who are confined inside it, we are here in support of Muslims whose dignity is humiliated and religious feelings are harmed by attacks on their holiest sites,” Archbishop Atallah Hana told those gathered. This sit-in was a response to the call of Muslim scholars and clergymen to consider Friday a day of solidarity with Jerusalemites, and Muslim holy...

"Predictions that the end of the world is at hand have come' and gone for centuries, and they've always had one thing in common. They've always been wrong." Terror attacks fueling end-time theologies 10/6/2001 The Associated Press 1654 Archbishop Ussher of Armagh fixes the date of Creation as 4004 BC (26th October at 9 AM), and the End as 1997 AD (6000 AM of the Great Week) when the Millennium begins. This false teacher also claimed to know when the earth was created (4004 BC) and is still quoted by fundamentalists today. 1733 Sir Isaac Newton thinks the Coming...

A Florida judge has ruled a teenager from Ohio must return after running away to Florida in fear that her parents would harm her for converting from Islam to Christianity.

3:09 pm - Judge Dawson plans to enforce his order for the passport and related papers, even if the case is moved to Ohio. 3:10 pm - "We still don't have a complete copy of (Rifqa's) passport," said Bartholomew. "I am very alarmed that it hasn' been provided," she added. She said she has learned there are more documents being withheld. 3:18 pm - Attorneys are talking about arrangements for a psychological evaluation and counseling. She is to see a local psychologist on Friday morning. 3:21 pm - Elahi said he suspects "a ploy" by Rifqa's legal representatives to delay...

A 17-year old girl who fled from her home, fearing her Muslim parents would kill her for converting to Christianity, must go back to Ohio, a Florida judge ruled Tuesday. Judge Daniel Dawson ruled Ohio has jurisdiction over the case involving the teen, Rifqa Bary. Before the girl gets sent back, the judge says he needs immigration papers proving her status in the U.S. and proof from the state of Florida that she can continue her virtual schooling and receive credit in Ohio. She is expected to be placed in foster care when she returns and will also be provided...

... Golden State has more of these megachurches -- defined as those with at least 2,000 congregants -- than any other state. California is home to 193, slightly more than Texas with 191, ... survey by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research ... some who study the phenomenon call the Southern California Bible Belt... The megachurches are expanding by adapting to changing times and tastes, scholars say. Many have jettisoned formal rituals such as organs and hymns in favor of Christian rock music and overhead projection screens that display lyrics and prayers. They deliver upbeat biblical messages about applying faith...

...as Christians, we have been forced into a tolerance that has handicapped us in such a devastating way that unless we make some serious changes, we may never see the freedom that Christianity once knew in America. What exactly do I mean? We have been urged to be tolerant of other religious faiths such as Muslim, Atheist, Buddhism, and other newer evolving religions, as well as cults. We have been forced, or allowed ourselves to be forced into, being tolerant of behaviors that blatantly defy the Law of God, which is what Christianity is based on. Some may argue that...

California Christians Worship In A Big Way The state has more megachurches than anywhere else in the country, with the majority in the suburbs between Los Angeles and San Diego. Their upbeat approach is luring thousands each weekend. A worshiper gets caught up in the music at Shepherd of the Hills in Porter Ranch, which attracts 8,000 people to its six weekend services. California has 193 megachurches, defined as those with at least 2,000 congregants. By Duke Helfand October 11, 2009 Once again, the Sunday faithful have packed the cavernous sanctuary at Shepherd of the Hills Church in the San...

Al Shabaab extremists shoot 69-year-old after finding Bibles on him at checkpoint. NAIROBI, Kenya, September 18 (CDN) - The faith journey of a long-time underground Christian in Somalia ended in tragedy this week when Islamic militants controlling a security checkpoint killed him after finding Bibles in his possession. Militants from the Muslim extremist al Shabaab killed 69-year-old Omar Khalafe on Tuesday (Sept. 15) at a checkpoint they controlled 10 kilometers from Merca, a Christian source told Compass. A port city on the Indian Ocean 70 kilometers (45 miles) from Mogadishu, Merca is the main city of the Lower Shabele region....

Atheists recruited to be part of a lawsuit that is trying to rid government ceremonies such as the inauguration of a president of any invocation or other prayer have claimed they are made physically ill by prayer. "As I watched the inauguration, my stomach did a somersault with disgust for how much our country was violating the constitution (sic), the most important document in our country," wrote a 15-year-old in testimony being given to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit was filed before President Obama's inauguration and subsequently was dismissed at the district court...

The Christian Action Network producers of the HomeGrown Jihad documentary, have stepped it up a notch and are suing the state of Maine. Suing because Maine is trying to limit CAN's freedom of speech in an effort to protect Islam. Go CAN! State of Maine Sued for Censoring Fundraising Letter Officials Claim is 'Anti-Muslim' Contact: Liberty Counsel Public Relations Department, 800-671-1776

Alexandria, Egypt (AINA) -- At dawn on Saturday, October 3, 2009, Egyptian State Security forces arrested a group of Christian Copts in different parts of the city in Alexandria, after severely assaulting them in front of their neighbors. Their wives were also arrested, but because of intense objection protests by neighbors at the way they were handled and of the screams of their terrified children, they were released. The men who were arrested are relatives of Rafaat Girges Habib, a man who helped a Coptic father free his kidnapped daughter from her Muslim husband's home. The arrests continued until Habib...

An Oakland Raiders cornerback claims he was penalized on Sunday for making a religious display while celebrating an interception. After picking off a Matt Schaub pass in the end zone, Oakland Raiders cornerback Chris Johnson celebrated by dropping to his knees and raising his arms in triumph. He was instantly flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration. Johnson later complained that he was whistled for thanking God:

Last week the American Enterprise Institute hosted Jay W. Richards, visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and author of the new book Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism is the Solution and Not the Problem. The conversation focused on why capitalism and Christianity are compatible. Highlighting three of the eight myths surrounding capitalism he makes in his book, Richards explained the “Piety Myth”, which he defines as well-intended people ignoring unintended consequences when searching for a quick fix solution to an economic or social problem. An example of this is the United States enforcing western-style laws outlawing child labor on...

Among America’s four largest faith groups, Jews are most likely to approve of the job that Barack Obama is doing as president, according to the results of a new Gallup poll analysis. For the month of September, 64 percent of U.S. Jews tracked by Gallup Daily expressed their approval of Obama – 10 points higher than the next highest group, Catholics. Only 47 percent of Protestant Christians, meanwhile, said they approved of the job that Obama is doing and 32 percent of Mormons said the same. Among atheists, agnostics, and those without a religion, 65 percent gave their approval. “President...

V. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, wrote in this newspaper on Friday that the "Christian" response to the health care debate is to support government redistribution of wealth from those who have insurance to those who do not. John McCormack, the Roman Catholic bishop of New Hampshire, wrote in a separate op-ed column that health care is a "right" and universal coverage a moral imperative. Both men are entirely wrong.

Thousands who travelled to see Mr Hinn perform at a London rally have been were left disappointed after officials at Stansted airport would not let him in the country. Border Agency officials turned back Mr Hinn, who landed by private jet, because he had failed to bring a valid sponsorship certificate from his church, required under rules introduced last November. The Pentecostal preacher, who was due to perform at a three day rally in a Docklands exhibition centre this weekend, flew on to Paris, and attempted – and failed – to regain entry to Britain via Luton. Thousands of evangelical...

<p>Thousands who travelled to see Mr Hinn perform at a London rally have been were left disappointed after officials at Stansted airport would not let him in the country.</p> <p>Border Agency officials turned back Mr Hinn, who landed by private jet, because he had failed to bring a valid sponsorship certificate from his church, required under rules introduced last November.</p>

Sarah Palin's most consequential choice since leaving the Alaska governor's mansion may be her co-author - a staunch conservative, devoted evangelical Christian, and intensely partisan Republican from far, far outside the Beltway. Lynn Vincent spent the summer working with Palin on a closely-guarded 400 page memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life." The book is due out from HarperCollins November 17 - but it shot to the top of the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists Wednesday as word of its publication spread. Vincent's past projects include co-writing the memoir of General William Boykin, who blasted the media and President...

09/30/2009 10:46 BANGLADESH SNIPPET: "Christian convert from Islam and family threatened with death After Friday prayers a group of zealots attacked the house of William Gomes, a young Muslim who converted to Christianity and human rights activist. The police takes no steps to ensure his protection." SNIPPET: "Dhaka (AsiaNews) - William Gomes, a Catholic convert from Islam, is in mortal danger. For the past several days he has been the target of Muslim extremists who want to kill him because of his new faith."

The number of people who claim no religious affiliation, meanwhile, has doubled since 1990 to fifteen percent, its highest point in history. Christianity is plummeting in America, while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing. A shocking new study of Americans’ religious beliefs shows the beginnings of a major realignment in Americans’ relationship with God. The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reveals that Protestants now represent half of all Americans, down almost 20 percent in the last twenty years. In the coming months, America will become a minority Protestant nation for the first time since the pilgrims. The number of people...

Marauding bands of guerrillas have "crucified" seven Christians during a series of raids on villages in Sudan, with one man tied to a tree and mutilated while six other victims were nailed to pieces of wood and killed. Villagers who found their bodies near the town of Nzara said it was like a "grotesque crucifixion scene", the Catholic Herald reports. Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio is appealing for international help to stop the cycle of violence and attacks by members of the Lord's Resistance Army, saying the government at home appeared powerless against it. In one instance guerrillas stormed...

Friday afternoon was supposed to be a big day for America’s Muslims. For months they planned to rally in Washington before their “big” day. They would meet on the lawn in front of the Capitol building. Naturally the media took dictation from the organizers and dutifully reported “It was estimated that the nation’s capital hosted some 50,000 Muslims for a traditional Friday prayer ritual.” “Our time has come.” Organizers billed it as a gathering of moderate Muslims coming together for a “Day of Islamic Unity” to “inspire a new generation of Muslims.” The said “our time has come.” So how...

"150 Iraqi Christians have sought refuge in the Cathedral of St. Enechubeng to ask the immigration authorities to reconsider the decisions to refuse their asylum applications in Sweden, reports Christians of Iraq. They recently organized themselves and began to campaign for review of decisions by the immigration authorities against them. More than 150 of them who are threatened with deportation from Sweden gathered at the Cathedral of Linköping, to ask the Church of Sweden to help deliver their message to the politicians and stave off their being deported."

.....But what began to radicalize American anti-slavery activists? First, it was Evangelical Christianity. Some of the radicalism they took from their faith. They took from the so-called Second Great Awakening. They took from this idea that somehow, it was their duty, it was their place in the world--many of them were the sons and daughters of ministers--to save souls. And if you'd been inspired by Charles Grandison Finney out in Oberlin, Ohio, or--as Theodore Weld had--or a number of other ministers across the North, that it was your duty to go save souls, it was only one step further--and Finney...