07A-01 Christian Select

China frees David Lin, American pastor who U.S. government says was wrongfully detained for 18 years– www.cbsnews.com
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China’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday typically sees families reunite and give thanks, much like Thanksgiving in America. This year, Chinese-American pastor David Lin will have much to be thankful for when the holiday is marked on Tuesday. In a surprise move, Beijing freed the 68-year-old Sunday after he spent nearly 20 years in prison in a case the U.S. government and his family have always dismissed as baseless.

Lin entered China in 2006 and attempted to establish a Christian training center in Beijing. China‘s Communist Party disapproves of such activities and routinely roots out underground Christian churches, seeing them as a threat to its power. Only officially-sanctioned, closely monitored churches are permitted under the Communist Party’s rule.

Lin was detained the same year he arrived, then in 2009 he was handed a life sentence after being convicted of fraud. The charge is often applied to home church leaders who try to raise money for expansion, according to the Dui Hua Foundation human rights group.

The U.S. State Department, which always maintained that Lin was wrongfully detained by China, confirmed his release on Sunday. The Chinese government did not make any public comment on Lin’s release during the long holiday weekend.

Analysis: As China-Vatican deal nears renewal, warming ties could shake Holy See’s decades-old alliance with Taiwan – Channel News Asia
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Dr Reyes noted that the developments reflect the “significant progression” between both parties, even as both do not share formal relations.

Beijing severed diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1951, after China’s Communist Party (CCP) took power and expelled foreign priests. The Vatican instead maintains official links with Taiwan – one of only a dozen states to do so.

Mr Yeo highlighted that Cardinal Chow, during his visit to the Vatican in May, extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit Hong Kong. He views the gesture as significant, aimed at reinforcing the city’s role as a bridge between China and the global Catholic community.

Pope Paul VI is the only pontiff to have visited Hong Kong – he made a three-hour stopover in 1970 when it was a British colony, holding mass at Happy Valley racecourse.

“It was an informal invitation, but many eyebrows were raised because the Hong Kong cardinal would not have issued this invitation on his own, without clearance to China,” said Mr Yeo in an interview with CNA late last month.

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, told an “inter-faith” gathering that “every religion is a way to arrive at God.” The statement came in the Singapore Catholic Junior College.

He further clarified “There are different languages to arrive at God but God is God for all. But my God is more important than your god, is that true? There is only 1 God & each of has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.”

BREAKING: Pope Francis: ‘Every religion is a way to arrive at God’– www.lifesitenews.com
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Addressing an inter-religious meeting of young people in Singapore just before departing for his return flight to Rome, Pope Francis turned to one of the central themes of his pontificate – inter-religious dialogue.

“One of the things that struck me about all of you here is your ability to engage in inter-religious dialogue, and this is very important,” he told the crowd, assembled in Singapore’s Catholic Junior College.

Notwithstanding any comments to the contrary, the Catholic Church has consistently and clearly taught that it is the only true Church, the Body of Christ (Eph 1:22), and it exercises the charge given by Christ to spread the Gospel to all nations and to bring souls into the Church (Mark 16).

‘Every religion’ reaches God

Leaving aside his prepared speech and speaking without a script {transcript subsequently published here}, Francis instead spoke chiefly on dialogue between religions, having just taken questions from a Catholic, a Sikh, and a Hindu.

The meeting’s widely varied mix of creeds represents Singapore’s status as one of the most diverse religious nations in the world. Focusing on this, Francis urged that no religion be given priority but that individuals instead focus on parity between beliefs:

If we start to fight amongst ourselves and say “my religion is more important than yours, my religion is true, yours is not,” where will that lead us? Where?

It’s okay to discuss [between religions].

Continuing, the Pope declared that each religion is a means to attain God, stating:

Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true?

There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.

The Pope’s words were warmly welcomed by those present in the hall, which included leaders and representatives of Singapore’s many religious bodies and the large papal retinue.

Courage to pursue religious harmony

Francis also dedicated time warning of the dangers of “bullying” and urging young people to have “courage” to move forward in inter-religious dialogue.

In order to have inter-religious dialogue between youth it takes courage, because youth is really the time when there is courage in our lives. But you can also have this courage and use it for things that really don’t help you, or you can use that courage to move forward and engage in dialogue.

Engaging in a discussion with the selected young people on the stage about the evils of bullying, Francis urged that to “move past” differences “helps with inter-religious dialogue.”

“You can build and move forward with inter-religious dialogue when you respect each other, and this is very important.”

READ: Bishop Schneider: There is no divine positive will or natural right to the diversity of religions

He encouraged them to build a “safe space” where they could discuss their differences without fear of bullying. “Because dialogue is something that creates a path, a way,” Francis said.

He closed the meeting by calling on all present to “pray for each other” in silence. The Pope did not give a formal blessing – echoing his actions in Indonesia – but instead vocally called for God’s blessings on those present:

Let’s pray for each other … May God bless all of us. And as time passes and you become older, especially as you become grandparents, pass this on to the children and grandchildren.

God bless you and pray for me, but pray in favor, not against [me].

Following the conclusion of Francis’ comments, the young people assembled made an inter-religious pledge, committing to promote religious dialogue and harmony:

We the future generation pledge to be a beacon of unity and hope by promoting cooperation and friendships that nurture the harmonious co-existence between people of diverse beliefs.

READ: Pope Francis skips Sign of the Cross to impart blessing ‘valid for all religions’

Speaking to a similar inter-religious gathering of youth in Indonesia only last week, Francis said “Here, you are from diverse religions, but we have only one God, He is only one.”

Catholicism and salvation

Pope Francis has made numerous inter-religious statements and collaborated in formal documents on the matter – notably the controversial 2019 Abu Dhabi document and the Istiqlal Declaration, signed just days ago in Indonesia. The Abu Dhabi text has been described as seeking to “overturn the doctrine of the Gospel” due to its promotion of equality of religions in a form of “fraternity.”

However, the much-loved and widely respected approved catechism, the Baltimore Catechism, reminds readers simply that “The one true Church established by Christ is the Catholic Church.” {Q. 152}

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Schneider says Vatican is betraying ‘Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind’

Catholic doctrine teaches that this fact is knowable since the Catholic Church alone has the four marks of being the true Church: one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic.

As a result, the Church teaches that all souls must “belong” to the Church to be saved: “All are obliged to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved.” {Baltimore Catechism Q 166.}

This teaching of “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” (no salvation outside the Church), has been increasingly rejected by modernizing activists in recent years, yet remains valid and unchanging in the Church’s teaching.

Pope Leo XIII pronounced it clearly in his 1824 encyclical letter Ubi Primum:

It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and the Rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery.

By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church.

The Vatican’s 1949 decree from the Holy Office instructed bishops charged with promoting true ecumenism to draw souls to the Church, and that they must always teach the fullness of the Church’s priority:

By no means is it permitted to pass over in silence or to veil in ambiguous terms the Catholic truth regarding the nature and way of justification, the constitution of the Church, the primacy of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, and the only true union by the return of the dissidents to the one true Church of Christ.

The Catholic Church notes that it is possible for those remaining outside the Church “through no grave fault of their own” and who are somehow unaware that the Church is the true Church, to still be saved “by making use of the graces which God gives them.” However, salvation in these cases of “invincible ignorance” is not found through other churches, but is through the Catholic Church as the channel of grace, as taught by St. Thomas Aquinas.

The DNC-controlled Health and Human Services (HHS) Department has released a newsletter on suicide prevention targeting “LGBTQIA2S+ Youth” that claims “Lack of access to gender affirming care may have negative effects on LGBTQIA2S+ youth, including exacerbating gender dysphoria, creating feelings of social isolation and depression, and contributing to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.”

In rooted, plain terms, our government is pushing for the sterilization, mutilation, and chemical poisoning of our children as a “cure” to suicide. The “cure” for a child to avoid killing themselves is to hack their private parts to smithereens, with girls getting their breasts cut off as well, then become dependent on high doses of dangerous hormone drugs that cost thousands of dollars a month.

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Excerpt from www.dailysignal.com

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is using “Suicide Prevention Awareness Month” this September to push the lie that transgender medical interventions stop children from committing suicide.

The Daily Signal obtained a newsletter the HHS sent on Friday sharing resources on suicide prevention for “LGBTQIA2S+ Youth.” The resources promote the idea that LGBTQ+ children are likely to commit suicide if they don’t receive irreversible gender transition procedures, like surgeries and hormone replacement regimens.

“Lack of access to gender affirming care may have negative effects on LGBTQIA2S+ youth, including exacerbating gender dysphoria, creating feelings of social isolation and depression, and contributing to suicidal thoughts and behaviors,” one of the linked resources reads. “Access to culturally responsive, sensitive, and affirming services for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, particularly healthcare services, has the power to improve health outcomes for this population.”

But an April study revealed that transgender surgeries actually increase the risk of suicide. The study concluded: “Individuals who underwent gender-affirming surgery had a 12.12-fold higher suicide attempt risk than those who did not.”

The significant majority of children with gender dysphoria children grow out of it by the time they reach adulthood, a 15-year study from the Netherlands of 2,700 children reveals.

“Despite growing evidence that so-called gender-affirming care is harmful, HHS continues to spread the dangerous lie that children will kill themselves if their self-proclaimed identity is not ‘affirmed,’” Rachel Morrison, who directs the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s HHS Accountability Project, told The Daily Signal.

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Excerpt from Reuters Canada

Venezuela says US Navy SEAL among foreigners arrested over alleged CIA ‘operation’ to assassinate Maduro – CNN
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Venezuela says it has arrested six foreigners, including a US Navy SEAL, for an alleged plot to “destabilize” the country that has been in crisis since disputed elections earlier this year.

Interior minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that the alleged plot was led by the CIA, and aimed at assassinating the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro. The US State Department rejected the claim as “categorically false.”

The accusation comes as Venezuela’s opposition, multiple Latin American leaders and the United States refuse to recognize Maduro’s disputed election win, which has been followed by deadly protests during which thousands were arrested.

In a news conference on Saturday, Cabello identified the purported Navy SEAL as William Joseph Castañeda Gómez, and claimed he was the leader of the operation. The minister also named two other detained Americans: David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.

The minister said that in addition to the Americans, two Spanish citizens – José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme – and one Czech citizen, Jan Darmovzal, were arrested. Venezuelan authorities have also seized 400 US rifles linked to the alleged plot, he said.

“The CIA is at the forefront of this operation,” Cabello said in the news conference, claiming that Spain’s National Intelligence Center was also involved. “That does not surprise us at all,” he said.

He alleged that the operation had “very clear objectives of assassinating President Nicolás Maduro” and other high-ranking Venezuelan politicians including himself and the vice president.

The State Department denied the claims. A spokesperson confirmed on Saturday a member of the US military had been arrested in Venezuela, and that the department was “aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained” in the country.

“Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false,” the spokesperson added. “The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”

The department is seeking additional information, the spokesperson said.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.

“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Venezuela is still grappling with the fallout from its presidential election in July, which saw Maduro claim a third term despite global skepticism about the result and outcry from the country’s opposition movement.

The coalition backing opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez insists the vote was stolen, publishing online vote tally sheets which experts say indicate Maduro actually lost the presidency by a significant margin.

The US has acknowledged Gonzalez as the candidate who received the most votes in that election, but has not formally recognized him as president-elect of Venezuela.

Last week, Gonzalez flew to Spain, fleeing Venezuela after an arrest warrant  was issued accusing him of terrorism, conspiracy and other crimes.

On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials aligned with Maduro for allegedly obstructing the election.

The US also announced that a Venezuelan plane used by Maduro for international travel was seized in the Dominican Republic; a second plane linked to Maduro is under 24-hour surveillance by authorities in the Dominican Republic, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN.

Meanwhile inside the country, Maduro’s government has cracked down on dissent – the harshest crackdown in years, according to Human Rights Watch. Protests have been fiercely repressed, some 2,400 people have been arrested, and many others are now fleeing the country.

Venezuela opposition leader Machado wants US to do ‘much more’ on election dispute

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday she wants the United States to do “much more” to press President Nicolas Maduro amid an ongoing dispute over July’s presidential election.
Democracies around the world have criticized the Venezuelan government’s handling of the July 28 vote, which election officials and its top court say was won by Maduro, who has been in power since 2013. Authorities have not released full tallies, blaming a cyber attack.

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Excerpt fromAsharq Al-awsat

Venezuela Issues Arrest Warrant for Opposition Leader Gonzalez, AG Says

Venezuela’s attorney general’s office said on Monday a court has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of incitement and other crimes amid a dispute over whether he or President Nicolas Maduro won a July election.

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Excerpt from Digital Journal

Venezuela opposition wants candidate recognized as president-elect

Venezuela’s opposition chief Maria Corina Machado on Thursday called on the world to recognize candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president-elect after a disputed election in the oil-rich nation.

President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the July 28 vote but many in the international community have refused to recognize that result.

However, they have also stopped short of accepting Gonzalez Urrutia as the president-elect, instead calling for Caracas to publish detailed polling results.

“The world knows Edmundo Gonzalez is the president-elect and Maduro was defeated by a landslide,” Machado said during a virtual appearance.

Canada still hasn’t recognized the likely winner of Venezuela’s election — Venezuelans want to know why – cbc.ca

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Some Venezuelan-Canadians say the Trudeau government has failed to stand up for democracy in its response to the July 28 Venezuelan presidential election — an election tainted by widespread evidence of fraud and a government campaign of arrests, disappearances and torture of poll workers.

Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia ruled out seeking asylum abroad yesterday after a judge loyal to the Nicolas Maduro regime issued a warrant for his arrest on Monday.

Global Affairs Canada condemned the arrest warrant in a media statement. Gonzalez was still in hiding when this article was published.

According to digitized returns, Gonzalez’s unified opposition won the great majority of votes in the election. But his victory has been rejected by the Maduro regime, which claims to have received 51 per cent of the vote. It is backed by Venezuela’s courts and its National Election Commission, both packed with hand-picked Maduro loyalists.

While Gonzalez and his partner, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, have refused international protection, they have asked for international recognition.

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Excerpt from Al Jazeera English

International leaders condemn arrest order for Venezuelan opposition leader

Foreign leaders, including in the United States and Brazil, have reacted with alarm and warnings after Venezuela issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia this week.

On Tuesday, Canada joined in the outcry, as the government of President Nicolas Maduro continues to crack down on opposition members after a contested presidential election…

Maduro’s government declared him the winner of the July 28 presidential election, with nearly 52 percent of the vote. But unlike in past elections, it did not release vote tallies to back up that claim.

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Excerpt from Financial Times

US seizes aircraft used by Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro 

Washington has seized a private aircraft used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, citing alleged violations of US export controls and sanctions laws. The Department of Justice on Monday said the Dassault Falcon 900EX plane had been seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to southern Florida.

“This morning, the justice department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13mn through a shell company and smuggled out of the US for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” said US attorney-general Merrick Garland.

The DoJ’s move comes as Maduro, a revolutionary socialist in power since 2013, has been cracking down on the opposition following allegations his government rigged the count to steal victory in July’s presidential election in the Latin American country.

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Excerpt from Canadian Free Press

Venezuela’s opposition faces setback after countries suggest repeat of presidential election

Venezuela’s opposition was dealt a blow Thursday when countries that had been pressuring President Nicolás Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory in last month’s presidential election began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead.

The proposal from the leftist governments of Brazil and Colombia, both Maduro allies, came less than three weeks after the results of the highly anticipated election came into question when the main opposition coalition revealed it has proof that its candidate defeated the president by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

The opposition categorically rejected any plan to redo the election.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, during a virtual news conference with Argentine media, said that repeating the July 28 presidential election would be “an insult” to the people, and she asked if a second election were held and Maduro still didn’t accept the results, “do we go for a third one?”

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Excerpt from Reuters

Venezuela AG received affidavit from opposition leader, lawyer says

The lawyer for Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez said on Wednesday the attorney general’s office received his affidavit explaining why Gonzalez ignored three summons, amid an ongoing election dispute.
The summons came before an arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez, the opposition’s erstwhile presidential candidate, on Monday on accusations of usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents and conspiracy, among other charges.

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Excerpt from Catholic News Agency

Venezuelan dictator decrees Oct. 1 to be start of Christmas season: Church responds

“This year, in homage and gratitude to you, I am going to decree that the Christmas season [begins] on Oct. 1,” declared Nicolás Maduro, leader of the ruling socialist regime in Venezuela, Sept. 2 on national television.

“For everyone, Christmas has arrived with peace, happiness, and security,” Maduro added. According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, this is not the first time the socialist regime has done this, as in 2019, 2020, and 2021 it also decreed the “advance” of the Christmas season.

Maduro’s announcement came just hours after the Venezuelan justice system issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González Urrutia, who won the July 28 presidential elections by a wide margin, according to vote tallies published by the opposition. However, the National Electoral Council, controlled by the governing socialist party, declared Maduro the winner.

 

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Excerpt from Big News Network

Major power outage hits Venezuela; Maduro government blames ‘sabotage’

 A major power outage plunged much of Venezuela into darkness on Friday, affecting the capital, Caracas, and several other states. The blackout, which began around 4:50 a.m., was blamed on “electrical sabotage” by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

In a statement shared via Telegram, Communications Minister Freddy Nanez attributed the outage to what he described as a “desperate” effort by Maduro’s opponents to remove him from power. Nanez claimed that all 24 states in Venezuela were at least partially affected by the power disruption. “The entire national government has been activated to overcome this new aggression,” he declared.

By evening, power had been restored to many parts of Caracas after a day marked by intermittent outages. President Maduro, appearing on state television, expressed gratitude to Venezuelans for their patience during a chaotic day that saw businesses close, hospitals switch to backup generators, and Caracas’ subway system shut down, leaving thousands stranded.

 

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Excerpt from CNN

US service member detained in Venezuela, officials say

A US service member has been detained in Venezuela, according to four US officials familiar with the matter.

The service member, a US Navy sailor, is a US citizen and was detained on August 30 in Caracas, according to the officials. One of the officials said he is being held by the Venezuelan intelligence agency SEBIN.

A defense official told CNN, “we are aware of reports that a US Navy Sailor was detained on or about August 30, 2024, by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities while on personal travel to Venezuela. The US Navy is looking into this and working closely with the State Department. We refer you to the State Department for additional questions.”

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Excerpt fromThe Hub at Johns Hopkins

Venezuela election fallout will worsen refugee crisis, Hopkins expert says  

Venezuela has been ruled by dictators for nearly a quarter century, first under Hugo Chavez, and now under his protege, Nicolas Maduro. Their regimes have suppressed free speech, throttled the economy, committed untold human rights violations, and, in typical dictator fashion, ignored election results to remain in power. Maduro recently ran for reelection against Edmundo González, a stand-in for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was arbitrarily banned from running by the government. Exit polls indicate that the incredibly popular Gonzalez beat Maduro by 30 points, yet on July 28, Maduro declared himself the winner. In more than a month since, his government has provided no proof of victory but has cracked down on dissent, arresting around 2,000 protestors.

The SNF Agora‘s Dissident in Residence, David Smolansky, has firsthand experience with Maduro’s oppressive governance. Before seeking refuge in the United States, the native Venezuelan was elected mayor of El Hatillo, one of the five municipalities in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in 2013. During his mayoral tenure, he reduced kidnappings in his district by 84%, gained recognition for establishing one of the most transparent local governments in Venezuela, and used his platform to condemn the Maduro administration.

Venezuela’s opposition leader calls for global movement to ‘rescue’ country  – The Guardian

Protest against the election results announced by President Nicolas Maduro’s government, in Caracas  – Colorado Springs Gazette

Argentina joins condemnation of arrest warrant for Venezuela opposition candidate  – Buenos Aires Times

Venezuela: UN rights office describes pervasive ‘climate of fear’  – UN News

The Take: Venezuela unrest – Can Nicolas Maduro hold on to power?  – Al Jazeera English

Major power outage hits Venezuela; Maduro government blames ‘sabotage’  = Big News Network

Blinken’s Inept Policies Make a Bad Situation in Venezuela Worse  – The American Conservative

Venezuela revokes Brazil’s custody of diplomatic mission housing six Maduro opponents  – SFGATE

 

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Excerpt from news.google.com

Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo is behind bars for something many do every day: he posted on Facebook.

Abdo, a Yemini asylum seeker, has been in prison for two-and-a-half years because — after converting from Islam to Christianity — he began discussing theological matters in a private Facebook group with other recent converts to Christianity.

The Alliance Defending Freedom International, the religious liberty advocacy group representing Abdo, recently announced the persecuted believer has declared a hunger strike in a recent letter sent to his wife and family.

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Excerpt from NY Post

A Kentucky high school allegedly held a graduate’s diploma when the student went off script during his graduation speech to preach his belief in Jesus.

Micah Price received the green light to praise Jesus Christ in his commencement speech at Campbell County High School in Alexandria, KY on May 24, but followed his address with “urging other Christians to stand up.”

The long-gone “woke” Church of England further signaled to God and the world their rebellion from God by announcing plans to strike the word “church” from their vocabulary, as “church” is not reflective of “modern audiences” or “the new normal.” One Vicar, Dr. Giles Fraser, is suggesting the word “church” be replaced with “new things.”

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Excerpt from pjmedia.com

The Church of England has apparently joined the pronoun movement. Of course, none of this should come as a surprise to anyone, but it is still a shame. According to a report in the Telegraph, the Church has decided to stop using the word “church” in order to be more modern. I don’t know what word they will use. Lodge? Club? Association? The Loyal Order of Water Buffalos?

By all indications, the church is keeping its official moniker as “The Church of England.” That is understandable; that is a lot of letterhead to throw out and logos to redesign. From a cost-benefit standpoint, it makes sense. But going forward, churches will be referred to as “communities.”

According to a study by the Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research, an examination of six of eleven dioceses in the Anglican Communion, churches are increasingly dropping the word when exploring the idea of creating new congregations. They are also known as churches, by the way.

When discussing new “church plants,” which is a fairly common practice in the U.S., none of the 900 of the new churches started by the Church of England used the word “church plant.”

The report’s author, Rev Dr. Will Foulger, vicar of St Nicholas in Durham, found that six of the 11 dioceses used the language of “worship” in their main descriptor of new church projects, two used “congregation,” and seven used “community.”

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Excerpt from www.washingtonexaminer.com

More Christian migrants have resettled in the United States and Canada than any other religious group over the past three decades, according to a new analysis by an American think tank.

A Pew Research Center study released on Monday found that 7 in 10 international migrants living in the U.S. or Canada identify as Christian, a category that includes Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Restorationism, and the Church of the East.

The Christian immigrant population grew from 72.7 million in 1990 to 130.9 million in 2020.

The 59 million total immigrants who have resettled in the two North American countries make up 16% of their combined populations. Pew did not include Mexico in the North American figures.