YANGON, Burma, June 19, 2019 (Morning Star News) – Local authorities in western Burma (Myanmar) last month forced three Christians to convert to Buddhism, area sources said.

In Ann Township in southern Rakhine state, five local officials led by U Tin Shwe Maung took two ethnic Chin Christians from their homes in Padi Kyin village to a monastery on May 24 and threatened to expel them from the village if they did not convert to Buddhism, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).

Forcing pastor U Aung Thin and a member of his 30-member house church who requested anonymity to sign documents stating their conversion to Buddhism before the Buddhist monk in charge of the monastery, the officials also threatened that the two Christians would be fined 100,000 kyats (US$80) if they engaged in Christian activities, villagers told CHRO.

Previously local officials have demanded money from other Christians, according to area Christians.

In a separate case the next day (May 25), a Buddhist monk took Padi Kyin village Christian U San Tin Aung to a village administration office and compelled him to sign documents stating conversion to Buddhism or else he would be expelled from the village, according to CHRO.  

“We released a statement publicly to let the Burmese government know that ethnic Chin people in Padi Kyin village were forced to convert to Buddhism,”…

Nearly a half a dozen woman Bible teachers have called Christian author Beth Moore’s views on homosexuality into question this week.

In an open letter signed by Susan Heck, Debbie Lynne Kespert, Michelle Lesley, Martha Peace and Elizabeth Prata, the women ask Moore why she has not spoken out on the issue of homosexuality, despite being a loud voice against misogyny and racism.

The women noted how Moore speedily condemned the Covington Catholic School boys earlier this year whom the media falsely portrayed as racists and bigots, but how in regard to homosexuality, she has avoided making comments altogether. “It is this Johnny-on-the-spot readiness to engage issues related to misogyny and racism that makes your virtual silence on the issue of homosexuality so puzzling,” the letter notes.

The letter continues, focusing heavily on Moore’s seemingly close relationships with two progressive Christian authors, Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt, who have openly shown support for the LGBTQ community. Merritt has even expressed that he had “at least one homosexual encounter about a decade ago.”

The letter notes that Hatmaker and Merritt are “known for their belief that practicing homosexuals can be Christians” and questions if – since Moore is adored by them both – she too subscribes to the same ideology.

The letter, however, does not make a…

A 15-year old Christian girl from a poor family was reportedly kidnapped at gunpoint by five Muslim men in Pakistan before they raped her.

According to UCANews.com, the teenager – identified as Maria – was taken from her home in Sheikhupura city of Punjab province on June 9, while her father – Jalal Masih – was at work.

In a first information report filed with police several days after the incident, Maria’s father noted that neighbors saw, whom he believed to a local businessman named Muhammad Sajid along with four other men, take his daughter. 

In the report, he said, “The locals saw them abducting her at gunpoint in a vehicle. I reached his [Sajid’s] office but he was absent.”

Masih said he eventually got into contact with Sajid the next day, but he “threatened to return her dead body if we informed the police.”

The next day, Masih said that “Sajid escaped after leaving Maria on our doorstep.”

He added, “She was extremely scared.”

Sadly, Maria’s case is only one of many. According to Legal Evangelical Association Development, between November 2018 and June 2019, 28 Christian girls have been kidnapped, tortured, sexually assaulted or raped, forcibly converted and forced to marry Muslim men in the region, CBN News reports.

According to Religion News Service, thousands of Christian and Hindu girls are kidnapped each year and…