Samuel Smith and World Watch Monitor

Latest

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  Jun 1, 2020

  Wisconsin churches threatened with $1K fines if they violate 50-person service limit

  Churches in Dane County, Wisconsin, were allegedly threatened last week with $1,000 fines if they hold in-person services that are attended by over 50 people or exceed 25% of their buildings’ capacity. In response, dozens of Catholics demonstrated outside the state capitol last Friday. 

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  May 31, 2020

  How a missionary imprisoned in Sudan brought prisoners to Christ

  Czech missionary Petr Jasek admits there was a time he doubted if he would survive his over year-long imprisonment under Sudan’s Islamic regime from December 2015 to February 2017. 

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  May 30, 2020

  Church settles lawsuit with nonreligious family over ‘forced’ baptism

  An Ohio church has settled a lawsuit brought against it by a non-religious family that alleged their son suffered trauma after he was baptized in a full water baptism when he was 11 years old. 

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  May 29, 2020

  Islamic rebels kill at least 57 in attacks on civilians in DRC

  At least 57 people were killed this week in attacks carried out by an Islamic rebel group in the northeast Democratic Republic of Congo as escalating violence near the Ugandan border has displaced hundreds of thousands of people so far this year. 

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  May 29, 2020

  Brazil: Judge blocks missionary's appointment to head indigenous tribes agency

  A judge in Brazil has blocked the appointment of a former Christian missionary and pastor to head country’s federal indigenous affairs agency after concern was raised by advocacy groups that oppose evangelical outreaches to tribes in the Amazon.

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  May 29, 2020

  Ill. eases worship service restrictions after churches turn to Supreme Court

  Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has eased restrictions on in-person worship services in new coronavirus stay-at-home guidelines after churches appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for relief.

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  May 29, 2020

  Trump signs executive order to punish social media censorship

  President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Thursday urging federal agencies to hold social media companies accountable for censoring political viewpoints despite reported opposition within the White House. 

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  May 28, 2020

  Iranian teen beheaded by father in 'honor killing' sparks international outrage

  The beheading of a 14-year-old girl in Iran by her father after she ran away with an older man who allegedly groomed her has sparked international outrage.

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  May 28, 2020

  20 Christians killed, others injured or missing in Fulani attacks that displaced 20,000

  Armed Fulani herdsmen attacks on farming villages in the Kaduna state of Nigeria have continued as reports suggest that at least 20 people were killed in a series of attacks last week. 

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  May 27, 2020

  Costa Rica becomes first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage

  Costa Rica became the first Central American country to officially legalize same-sex marriage on Tuesday as a 2018 court decision striking down the country’s ban on gay marriage has gone into effect.