Officials in China intensify ‘Sinicization’ of religion
Religious leaders in China were instructed to put President Xi Jinping and his doctrines at the center of their teaching and preaching at a recent high-level seminar of top faith representatives and bureaucrats. @ChristianDailyInternational
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Pakistan passes law barring marriage of under-18 Christians, raising hopes for protection from forced marriages, conversions
The National Assembly of Pakistan has passed a law raising the legal marriage age to 18 for boys and girls belonging to the Christian community, bringing Christian marriage laws in conformity with Pakistan’s child protection and human rights standards. The bill titled ‘Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2024’ -- presented by a Christian member of the National Assembly, Naveed Amir Jeeva, updates the Christian Marriage Act of 1872, which previously set the marriage age at 16 for boys and 13 for girls. @ChristianDailyInternational
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Liberian president's salary cut exerts pressure on Kenya, Nigeria leaders
Liberia's President has announced that he will reduce his annual salary from US$13,400 to $8,000 – a 40% cut – to demonstrate solidarity with Liberians burdened by the rising cost of living. Mr. Boakai’s office said the president had taken the step to demonstrate his commitment to running a responsible and transparent government, a call that has been reverberating across Liberia and other countries in Africa. @ChristianDailyInternational
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As Eastern Africa faces "first" cyclone, Christian leaders hope to shift attitudes towards gospel-centered farming
As Cyclone Hidaya looms over Eastern Africa, Kenya and Tanzania brace for yet another natural disaster. Still reeling from the aftermath of devastating floods that have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands, torrential rains forecasted to hit the coastal city of Mombasa and the Eastern coast of Tanzania are causing major concerns. @ChristianDailyInternational
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Prison sentenced upheld for pastor in Algeria for baseless "illegal worship" charges
A court in Algeria last week upheld a one-year prison sentence for a top church leader baselessly convicted of “illegal worshipping,” according to a legal advocacy group. @ChristianDailyInternational
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Couple’s ordeal highlights injustices faced by Christians in northern Nigeria

In 2013 the Christian couple took in a runaway, 12-year-old Muslim girl – at the request of police – allowed her to live with them for seven years and funded her education. After she returned home, an Islamic organization incited her family to report the couple to authorities with accusations of kidnapping and “proselytizing,” according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which supported the pastors’ defense.

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@ChristianDailyInternational

Korean mission congress asks: "Is what we convey a gospel polluted by culture or a Biblical gospel?"

“one theologian analyzed the American Christian faith and said it is based on covenant theology. The theology that God makes a covenant with humans, and human life and blessing are determined by the mutual compliance of obligations.”

“The theology merged with the pragmatic culture of the United States, singing the hymn that if one accepts the word of God contractually like the word of Deuteronomy and obeys, one will receive blessings, and if one disobeys, one will receive curses.” he said.

He pointed out, however, that "there is a flaw in that it lacks the unilateral grace of God, in that the issue of life and blessing of believers depends on themselves. [...] In other words, it does not stand on the foundation of the theology of God's grace, which God has unilaterally decided to give to believers regardless of their conditions.”

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@ChristianDailyInternational

Girl kidnapped, forcibly converted/married in Pakistan, father says

A Christian father in Pakistan who took his 15-year-old daughter out of school to protect her from harassment by a Muslim is now trying to free her from kidnapping and forcible marriage/conversion by the same man, he said.

“It’s been nearly two months now that I’m desperately searching for my minor daughter, Muskan,” Salman Masih of remote Tando Ghulam Ali town in Badin District, Sindh Province, told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “She went missing from home on March 11, but despite my frantic appeals to the police for recovering her, my child is still in the custody of her Muslim abductor, Arsalan Ali.”

Masih, a Catholic, filed a report with police within an hour of Muskan’s abduction and pleaded with them for immediate action, but they ignored him, he said.

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@ChristianDailyInternational

Tunisian Muslims charged with beating Christian in Italy

The unidentified, 28-year-old victim reportedly told officials that, on an evening walk with a friend in the Ponte San Giovanni District of Perugia, the Muslims accused him of “frequenting the church of Christians” and then threatened, beat and kicked him. The Christian broke free and escaped after the assailants tore a necklace from him.

The General Investigations and Special Operations Division confirmed the religious motive behind the attack, which noted that he had converted to Christianity in the past few months and attended a local Catholic church. His participation in Christian celebrations angered some Muslim Tunisians in the country, according to the division.

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@ChristianDailyInternational

Finnish MP faces third trial for Christian views on marriage

Räsänen said she had a “peaceful mind” about the outcome and is “ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court, and if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.”

“In my case, the investigation has lasted almost five years, has involved untrue accusations, several long police interrogations totaling more than 13 hours, preparations for court hearings, the District Court hearing, and a hearing in the Court of Appeal,” she said.

The MP stressed that the court case affected everyone’s right to express opinions.

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@ChristianDailyInternational