OrthodoxNet.com Blog

OrthodoxEurope.org | Bishop Hilarion | May. 5, 2008

Europe is witnessing a significant re-shaping of its religious map. In some countries, where not long ago an atheist ideology was officially imposed on the entire population, and where churches were heavily persecuted, we are now witnessing an unprecedented religious revival. In other countries, however, we see a clear decline in religious practice. Secularism is gaining momentum in nations which not long ago identified themselves as Christian, while the growth of Islam is also quite noticeable. Continue Reading »

FrontPageMag | Mark D. Tooley | Apr. 3, 2008

Was it really an April Fools trick or did the World Council of Churches (WCC) actually admit that Christians in Islamist Sudan endure some unpleasantness? According to an April 1 report from the WCC news service, a WCC delegation recently visited Khartoum and was “shocked” to learn that a Christian cemetery in the nation’s capital is also being used as a used car lot. Continue Reading »

WorldNetDaily | Jan. 9, 2008

A Christian British Airways employee who sued the company after it required her to cover up a cross necklace while on the job has lost her discrimination suit, but she vows to return to work tomorrow wearing the cross. Continue Reading »

FrontPage Mag | Joseph Klein | Jan. 11, 2008

The Islamic propaganda machine has turned Western democratic values inside out to the Islamists’ advantage. Cloaking themselves in the rhetoric of multiculturalism and tolerance, Islamists succeeded in getting the United Nations General Assembly to pass a resolution late last year condemning the defamation of religions – but the only religion mentioned in the resolution was Islam. Continue Reading »

Financial Mirror | Jan. 10, 2008

The Cyprus Church intends to take Turkey to the European Court of Human Rights for preventing the restoration of looted Orthodox churches in the northern Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus and for its continuing refusal to allow access to the Christian Orthodox pilgrims for worship. Continue Reading »

OCMA | Jan. 3, 2008

Orthodox Christians Face Violence Following Contested Presidential Elections in Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya – The New Year began with tragedy for many people in Kenya as widespread violence erupted on December 27th in the wake of contested presidential elections between incumbent President, Mwai Kibaki, and challenger Raila Odinga. Continue Reading »

CNSNews | Julie Stahl | Dec. 11, 2007

Jerusalem - The tiny Christian community in the Gaza Strip has been shaken for the second time in two months by the attempted murder of a Christian by Islamic fundamentalists who want to rid the area of Christian presence.

Four masked gunmen tried to kidnap Nabil Fuad Ayyad over the weekend. Nabil, who works as a guard at a local church, is the cousin of Rami Ayyad, who was kidnapped and murdered two months ago by the same group, the Jerusalem Post reported. Continue Reading »

Human Events | Robert H. Knight | Nov. 16, 2007

In contrast, a few hundred yards away in the circa 1699 Christopher Wren Building on the campus of William & Mary, a small brass cross that had graced the chapel’s altar, was now encased in … plastic. What had been a symbol of the ongoing importance of faith to America’s continued story was now officially a museum piece.

While the vets proudly marched nearby, the second oldest university in the nation (after Harvard) was officially dissing the faith that launched the American Revolution as — you guessed it — not inclusive enough.

Continue Reading »

Ed. (Banescu) The cancer of communism is alive and well in Orthodox Russia.

Reuters | July 25, 2007

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s youths admire Soviet dictator Josef Stalin — who presided over the deaths of millions of people — and want to kick immigrants out of Russia, according to a poll released on Wednesday.

The poll, carried out by the Yuri Levada Centre, was presented by two U.S. academics who called it “The Putin Generation: the political views of Russia’s youth”.

When asked if Stalin was a wise leader, half of the 1,802 respondents, aged from 16 to 19, agreed he was.

Continue Reading »

Voice of the Martyrs |

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Son Jong Hoon, who is visiting the United States from his home in South Korea, today pleaded with the world to pressure North Korea to release his elder brother awaiting public execution for the crime of simply being a Christian. For more than a year, Son Jong Nam, former North Korean Army officer turned underground evangelist, has been beaten, tortured and held in a bleak, North Korean death row basement jail in this capital city.
He has been sentenced to public execution as an example to the North Korean people.

Continue Reading »

Forum 18 | Otmar Oehring | July 10, 2007

The Turkish government has long failed to tackle deep-rooted discrimination against religious minorities – by refusing to guarantee their position in law or to crack down on intolerance from officials, the media and in school curricula. This has left religious minorities dangerously exposed, argues Otmar Oehring of the German Catholic charity Missio http://www.missio.de/dcms/sites/missio2/missio-ueber-sich/leitthemen/menschenrechte/index.html. For, as Dr Oehring observes in this personal commentary for Forum 18 http://www.forum18.org, hostility to religious minorities is stoked by widespread xenophobia. Following the brutal murder of three Protestants in Malatya in April, attacks on and threats against religious minorities have only increased. Official “protection” for religious minority leaders and places of worship seems designed as much to control as to protect them.

Continue Reading »

CNSNews.com | Kevin Mooney | June 21, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - Despite his publicly professed atheism, Mikhail Gorbachev displayed signs of religious belief, and President Ronald Reagan often wondered whether the Soviet Union’s last leader was a “closet Christian,” a political scientist said Wednesday.

“I think he believes,” the 40th president had said to at least one close aide, Paul Kengor of Grove City College told Cybercast News Service in an interview.

Continue Reading »

The Institute on Religion and Democracy | July 18, 2007

I want to thank all of you who responded so quickly and signed our Petition to Save Sameh Khouzam!

Your voices have been heard!

In large part thanks to your timely signatures and the efforts of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, Sameh Khouzam has been granted an indefinite stay of deportation! He can now stay in the United States and no longer has to fear the torture and even possible death that certainly would have awaited him upon arrival in his native Egypt.

Continue Reading »

Washington Times Michael Hirst April 3, 2007

BEIRUT — Christians are fleeing from Lebanon to escape the rise of radical Islam and growing fears that the trend will result in a Sunni-Shi’ite civil war, with minority Christians trapped in the middle.
In a poll to be published next month, nearly half of all Maronites, the largest Christian denomination in the country, said they were considering emigrating.
Of these, more than 100,000 have submitted visa applications to foreign embassies, according to the poll. Their exodus could rob the country of an influential minority, which has acted as an important counterbalance to the forces of Islamic extremism.
About 60,000 Christians have left since the summer’s war between Israel and Hezbollah. Many who remain fear that a violent showdown between rival Sunni and Shi’ite factions is looming.
“If we love our children, we have to tell them to get out,” said Maria, a Christian mother from the northern city of Tripoli who refused to give her surname for fear of reprisal. “When my daughter finished her high school, I sent her to Europe, and I will follow her if I can.”

Read the rest of this entry>>

ChristianNews Wire March 29, 2007

WASHINGTON, Mar. 29 /Christian Newswire/ — The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) has just learned that an Ethiopian evangelist named Tedase was beaten to death by militant Muslims on Monday, March 26th, as he and two young women were on a street evangelism assignment in Jimma, Ethiopia. This marks the second time in six months that Christians residing in Southeast Ethiopia have been attacked and killed by extremist (Wahabbi) Muslims.

Continue Reading »

Associated Press November 23, 2006

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Two men who converted to Christianity went on trial Thursday for allegedly insulting “Turkishness” and inciting religious hatred against Islam, the Anatolia news agency reported.

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Wall Street Opinion Journal August 2, 2006

All about Raúl, ruthless and reformer?

To outlive one’s enemies is said to be a kind of revenge. This would explain the big, noisy party on Calle Ocho in Miami Monday night when Cuba announced that Fidel Castro was undergoing emergency intestinal surgery for hemorrhaging and had passed power to his 75-year-old brother Raúl.

Continue Reading »

Passion of the Present April 28, 2006

Probably the largest anti-genocide rally in history is taking place April 30 in Washington, DC writes Dr Jim Moore in one of several great picture posts at Passion of the Present:

…more

BBC

Fifty-two people have been detained in Egypt over their alleged involvement in three days of religious violence in the city of Alexandria.

The authorities say the detainees will be held for 15 days for questioning.

Continue Reading »

Christianity Today April 20, 2006

Peter Akinola affirms warning to government and Muslims, fires back on the Western press.

Peter Akinola, Anglican archbishop and president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) issued some controversial warnings during February’s deadly violence between Christians and Muslims. A couple weeks after the clashes he explained his concerns for the church and his nation to CT associate editor Collin Hansen.

Continue Reading »