Samuel Smith and World Watch Monitor

Latest

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  Sep 17, 2019

  Iran imprisons bookshop owner for selling Bible as crackdown on Christianity continues

  Iran has reportedly imprisoned a business owner for the crime of selling the Bible in his bookshop.

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  Sep 17, 2019

  Catholic Indian leaders jailed on charges of forced conversion; Cardinal demands release

  Christian leaders in India are demanding the release of two Catholics arrested earlier this month on accusations they forcibly converted locals to Christianity and illegally occupied the land. 

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  Sep 17, 2019

  International missions leaders designate 2020 as 'Global Year of the Bible'

  Missionary leaders from over 34 countries convened at the Museum of the Bible on Monday morning to launch A.D. 2020 Global Year of the Bible, a first-of-its-kind evangelical initiative endorsed by Roman Catholic Pope Francis. 

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  Sep 15, 2019

  Faith groups speak out on Supreme Court allowing temporary enforcement of Trump asylum rule

  Some Christian leaders and humanitarian groups are condemning the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week to temporarily allow enforcement of a new rule that would prevent many immigrants traveling through Central America from seeking asylum at the U.S. southern border. 

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  Sep 14, 2019

  School district defends football practice baptisms after atheist group complains

  Robertson County School District in Middle Tennessee is not backing down after receiving a legal complaint from a secular organization in response to one of its schools allowing a pastor to perform student baptisms after a football practice.

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  Sep 14, 2019

  New York City to repeal ban on gay 'conversion therapy' amid legal battle

  The New York city council is planning to repeal a two-year-old ban on “gay conversion therapy” in order to avoid a costly uphill legal fight.

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  Sep 13, 2019

  Chinese pastors ordered to base sermons on book comparing Bible to Confucianism

  Chinese government officials are demanding that clergy affiliated with the state-sanctioned protestant church base their sermons on a new book that blends biblical teachings with the teachings of Confucius.

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  Sep 13, 2019

  College 'hate speech' policies 'parallel' blasphemy laws in Pakistan, Muslim lawyer says

  A Muslim lawyer is warning that “hate speech” policies instituted at a number of college campuses in the U.S. are having similar psychological effects on students that anti-blasphemy laws in Pakistan have on citizens who are sometimes incited to mob violence. 

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  Sep 12, 2019

  Jacksonville megachurch in 'cardiac arrest,' to sell off most of its massive downtown property

  More than a year after pastor Mac Brunson resigned from First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, the megachurch’s current senior pastor explained that the congregation is in “cardiac arrest” and in need of a drastic downsizing. 

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  Sep 12, 2019

  US evangelical leaders held meeting with Saudi crown prince on eve of 9/11

  On the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a delegation of American evangelical leaders met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the state of religious freedom and the battle against extremism in the kingdom.