Churches Converted Into Torture Chambers by Jihadists

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Churches Converted Into Torture Chambers by Jihadists

ISIS terrorists are stealing priceless relics from Iraqi churches and turning the buildings into dungeons and torture chambers, according to Jay Sekulow with the American Center for Law and Justice.

Sekulow told Fox News the Islamic State is taking historic objects and valuable artwork and selling it on the black market.

It’s all part of the jihadi army’s goal to erase Christianity from territories it holds in Iraq and Syria.

The group has already destroyed several biblical sites, including the tomb of Jonah in Mosul.

They’re also using at least two churches to imprison Christians and force them to convert to Islam.

Sekulow said ISIS considers several groups, including Christians, to be “infidels without human rights.”

“ISIS jihadis commit violence against fellow Muslims in violation of Islamic law. They routinely commit war crimes and engage in torture in violation of international law; and they also kill and threaten Christian, Jewish and other religious communities,” he said.

“In short, ISIS is composed of religiously motivated psychopaths,” Sekulow concluded.

Source and Original Content by Charisma News

iPhone 6s mini to Launch in 2015

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iPhone 6s mini to Launch in 2015

Apple fans who were disappointed with the launch of the large screen iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September this year, might soon see a 4-inch iPhone with an iPhone 6-like design arrive in 2015.

Timothy Arcuri, an analyst from Cowen and Company, is reported to have issued a note to Apple investors stating that the Cupertino-based tech firm might be working on a 4-inch handset, which might be called as iPhone 6s mini.

Apple Insider, which claims to have procured a copy of the issued note, also adds that the specifications of the rumoured mini smartphone will match with that of iPhone 5s’ and the design with iPhone 6. This piece of information however should be taken with a pinch of salt as Arcuri’s predictions is said to be mixed.

If Arcuri’s prediction proves to be correct, the iPhone 6s mini could replace the iPhone 5c – the company’s current budget smartphone – in the market. The analyst has also added that Apple might rely on Qualcomm for the iPhone 6s mini’s components in order to keep the pricing down.

Apple in September this year launched the large screen iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets showing that it is willing to change its beliefs to cater to the moving market landscape. However, some observers also saw this surprise move by the firm as a bit of a U-turn, based on public comments made by the company earlier.

Arcuri not only sparked rumours for the iPhone 6s mini but also said that Apple’s long rumoured 12.9-inch tablet is well under works and might be launched in Spring next year. The tablet is said to ‘reinvigorate’ the product category. Apple plans to ship 15 million to 20 million units of the rumoured tablet initially.

Source and Original Content by Ndtv

Reading Ebooks Before Bed May Affect Health

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Reading Ebooks Before Bed May Affect Health

Use of a light-emitting electronic device such as a ebook reader in the hours before bedtime can adversely impact sleep, overall health, alertness and the circadian clock, a new study has found.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) compared the biological effects of reading a light-emitting electronic device (called LE-eBook by the team) compared to a printed book.

“We found the body’s natural circadian rhythms were interrupted by the short-wavelength enriched light, otherwise known as blue light, from these electronic devices,” said Anne-Marie Chang, corresponding author, and associate neuroscientist in BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders.

“Participants reading an LE-eBook took longer to fall asleep and had reduced evening sleepiness, reduced melatonin secretion, later timing of their circadian clock and reduced next-morning alertness than when reading a printed book,” Chang said.

Previous research has shown that blue light suppresses melatonin, impacts the circadian clock and increases alertness, but little was known about the effects of this popular technology on sleep.

The use of light emitting devices immediately before bedtime is a concern because of the extremely powerful effect that light has on the body’s natural sleep/wake pattern, and may thereby play a role in perpetuating sleep deficiency.

During the two-week inpatient study, twelve participants read LE-e-Books on an iPad for four hours before bedtime each night for five consecutive nights. This was repeated with printed books.

The order was randomised with some reading the iPad first and others reading the printed book first. Participants reading on the iPad took longer to fall asleep, were less sleepy in the evening, and spent less time in REM sleep.

The iPad readers had reduced secretion of melatonin, a hormone which normally rises in the evening and plays a role in inducing sleepiness.

Additionally, iPad readers had a delayed circadian rhythm, indicated by melatonin levels, of more than an hour.

Participants who read from the iPad were less sleepy before bedtime, but sleepier and less alert the following morning after eight hours of sleep.

Although iPads were used in this study, BWH researchers also measured other ebook readers, laptops, cellphones, LED monitors, and other electronic devices, all emitting blue light.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source and Original Content by Ndtv

Priest Refuses to leave Ebola Hot Zone even at Christmas Time

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Priest Refuses to leave Ebola Hot Zone even at Christmas Time

Except for going to church services all the population of Sierra Leone must stay home this Christmas and New Year.
This was the start of a Christmas message from former rock-star-turned-missionary, Father Themi Adams, who was once a member of The Flies, that once shared the stage with The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, and now runs The Holy Orthodox Mission in Freetown, the capital city of the troubled West African nation, that has been hit by the deadly Ebola virus.

Father Themi says, “We will be under a semi-lock-down mode for the Festive Season. No restaurants, no sporting events, no public celebrations, no wedding receptions, no street celebrations, all shops must close on weekdays by 6.00 PM, by noon of Saturdays and no trading on Sundays.

“Indeed the army will be out in force to enforce this. Violators will face the full weight of the law. Why? Are we facing some sort of anti-Christian campaign? No! Then why these draconian measures during the Holy Season? The simple yet tragic answer is that this nation is at war again…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCN

Nativity Scene will Remain in Front of Indiana Courthouse, Judge

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Nativity Scene will Remain in Front of Indiana Courthouse, Judge

On the heels of their spirited hearing [last week] before U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt, Thomas More Society has reached an agreement with the ACLU of Indiana that the Franklin County Nativity Scene will remain in place this Christmas. The agreement was reached on behalf of the two organizations’ respective clients—Franklin County and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. (Photo via Thomas More Society)

“We’re pleased to secure the right to display the nativity scene on the Franklin County Courthouse lawn through Christmas,” said Peter Breen, Thomas More Society vice president and senior counsel. “The parties will now litigate the case on a normal schedule, without the threat of an emergency injunction forcing the removal of the nativity scene just before Christmas.”

The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit seeking an immediate injunction against Franklin County over the County’s allowing private citizens to display a nativity scene on the Courthouse lawn. However, County Commissioners approve requests for displays and events in front of the Courthouse from different groups throughout the year, including a child abuse awareness group, garden club, and private citizens who sponsor and set up a nativity scene each year at Christmastime.

Under the agreement, the Franklin County nativity scene will come down the day after Christmas, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation will drop its request for a preliminary injunction against Franklin County, which could have required Franklin County to remove the nativity scene before Christmas.

“The Constitutional right to free speech protects religious speech in the public square, including nativity scenes, just as much as it protects nonreligious speech,” added Peter Breen. “We will continue working to protect the First Amendment rights of the people of Franklin County as they express themselves in the public forum in front of their Courthouse…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCN

Indian MPs Protest Forced Conversions of Religious Faithfuls

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Indian MPs Protest Forced Conversions of Religious Faithfuls

Members of the Indian parliament have protested against forced conversions of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism.

Opposition MPs accused the prime minister, Narendra Modi, of failing to stop the conversions. The parliament’s upper house had to adjourn because of the protests.

Conversions are legal in India but must be done without force, fraud or inducement.

The BBC reports that Hindu groups close to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party had organised several ceremonies in recent weeks. Weeks ago in Agra, more than 50 Muslim families became Hindus. And in Gujarat last weekend, about 100 Christians were reported to have become Hindus.

The groups responsible insist the conversions have been voluntary and argue the converts are merely returning to the faith of their forefathers that their families abandoned centuries before. The conversion ceremonies are called “ghar vapasi”, which means “returning home”.

According to Reuters, the conversions protests are a setback for Modi’s reform agenda. Reuters reported that comments by the head of the right-wing Hindu group, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, that India was a “Hindu nation” provoked a storm of criticism, ending any chance of opposition support for government business in the upper house of parliament, where Modi lacks a majority.

About one fifth of India’s 1.2 billion people are members of a non-Hindu faith.

Source and Original Content by CT

Pope Sends Message of Support to Middle East Christians

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Pope Sends Message of Support to Middle East Christians

Pope Francis has told beleaguered Christians in the Middle East that they have the support of the entire Church this Christmas.

In a letter, the Pope said Middle East Christians “play a significant role in the Church and in the countries where you live”.

“The entire Church is close to you and supports you, with immense respect and affection for your communities and your mission. We will continue to assist you with our prayers and with every other means at our disposal,” he wrote.

The letter continued: “You are a small flock, but one with a great responsibility in the land where Christianity was born and first spread. You are like leaven in the dough. Even more than the many contributions which the Church makes in the areas of education, healthcare and social services, which are esteemed by all, the greatest source of enrichment in the region is the presence of Christians themselves, your presence. Thank you for your perseverance!”

Referring to the persecution of Christians and other minorities in Iraq, the Pope wrote: “The tragic situation faced by our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq, as well as by the Yazidi and members of other religious and ethnic communities, demands that all religious leaders clearly speak out to condemn these crimes unanimously and unambiguously, and to denounce the practice of invoking religion in order to justify them.”

The Pope praised Middle East Christians “efforts to cooperate with people of other religions” and said they can assist Muslims by “presenting an authentic image of Islam”.

He wrote: “The more difficult the situation, the more interreligious dialogue becomes necessary. There is no other way. Dialogue, grounded in an attitude of openness, in truth and love, is also the best antidote to the temptation to religious fundamentalism, which is a threat for followers of every religion. At the same time, dialogue is a service to justice and a necessary condition for the peace which all so ardently desire.

“The majority of you live in environments which are predominantly Muslim. You can help your Muslim fellow citizens to present with discernment a more authentic image of Islam, as so many of them desire, reiterating that Islam is a religion of peace, one which is compatible with respect for human rights and favours peaceful coexistence on the part of all. This will prove beneficial for them and for all society.”

In the letter, Pope Francis also urged the international community to address the needs of Middle East Christians and those of other suffering minorities “by promoting peace through negotiation and diplomacy, for the sake of stemming and stopping as soon as possible the violence which has already caused so much harm.”

He added: “I once more condemn in the strongest possible terms the traffic of arms. Instead, what are needed are plans and initiatives for peace, so as to further a global solution to the region’s problems. How much longer must the Middle East suffer from the lack of peace? We must not resign ourselves to conflicts as if change were not possible! In the spirit of my pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the subsequent prayer meeting in the Vatican with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents, I encourage you to continue to pray for peace in the Middle East…Read More

Source and Original Content by Catholic Herald

Churches in Egypt on their Guard Against Terrorist Attacks

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Churches in Egypt on their Guard Against Terrorist Attacks

With the holiday celebrations just a few days away, Egyptian Christian churches are on high alert against possible attacks from Islamic extremist groups.

Authorities said that terrorists were possibly plotting an attack on places of worship during the Christmas and New Year’s Eve services, which usually see churches packed.

Open Doors reports that police forces have raised their alert status to the highest level, particularly in areas near churches during the Christmas celebrations.

However, no cancellation of scheduled services has been requested by authorities.

In January 2010, at least six Coptic Christians and a security official were killed in a drive-by shooting outside a church in Naj Hammadi. The incident happened after a midnight mass on Coptic Christmas Eve.

In January the following year, at least 21 people were killed and 70 were hurt after a bomb exploded outside the al-Qiddissin (Saints) Church in the Sidi Bechr district of Alexandria. The bombing happened during a New Year’s Eve service that was attended by approximately 1,000 people.

A Christian leader in Egypt said, “Egyptian Christians are asking for prayers for God’s protection to paralyse the hands of the evil one so no terrorist attack, no shooting, no fear may spoil the joy and cause the loss of any lives or any injuries during the Christmas and the New Year’s Eve celebrations.”

While Catholics will celebrate Christmas on December 25, the Orthodox and Evangelical Christians will celebrate the event on January 7, according to the eastern Orthodox calendar.

Source and Original Content by CT

Archbishop Reveals Painful Christmas Memories

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Archbishop Reveals Painful Christmas Memories

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s urged people not to let the perceived pressure of having the ‘perfect Christmas’ to ruin the day.

Most Revd Justin Welby’s made the comments as he discussed spending a childhood Christmas with his father, who was an alcoholic.

In an interview with ITV, Archbishop Justin also reflects some of the big issues that have defined 2014, while also revealing some painful Christmas memories.

“Don’t let the pressure of having a perfect Christmas ruin your day”, is the advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury as the countdown continues.

“My father was an alcoholic and I remember, particularly I suppose one of the most memorable ones was when he didn’t get out of bed all day, no one else was around and I spent the day scrounging around for some food in the fridge and sitting looking out the window on their Christmas day walks.

Source and Original Content by Premier Christian Radio

1st-Century Synagogue Discovered in Mary Magdalene’s Hometown

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1st-Century Synagogue Discovered in Mary Magdalene’s Hometown

Catholic group the Legions of Christ have reportedly uncovered a 1st-century synagogue in the ancient town of Magdala in Israel, where they say Jesus Christ is likely to have preached to the people.

“Eighty percent of Jesus’ public life was here,” Father Eamon Kelly said about northern Israel, according to Haaretz.com.

Kelly revealed that his organization uncovered the synagogue after starting archaeological excavations at a site in the town of Magdala, believed to be the home of Mary Magdalene, known as one of Jesus’ female disciples. The plots of land are supposed to be used to build a pilgrims’ hotel, inter-faith chapel, a restaurant and a women’s shelter.

“This is the first synagogue ever excavated where Jesus walked and preached,” Kelly said, adding that it is “hugely important” for both Jews and Christians.

Experts have reportedly agreed that it is highly probable that Jesus would have preached at the Magdala synagogue, which is believed to have been built in year 1 A.D., before being upgraded in 40 A.D., and destroyed by the Romans sometime in 67 or 68. The town was located along an ancient trade route running from the Mediterranean to Egypt and Syria.

“He was a clever rabbi. He knew where to set up shop,” Kelly said. “If you walk from Nazareth to Bethsaida to Capernaum, you’re going to come out here.”

He added that in ancient times, townsfolk would gather at synagogues for meetings.

“So if a strange rabbi came to town, a new rabbi, a new preacher, a new teacher, the logical place was to meet here.”

The other discoveries at the site included a Magdala Stone, a menorah, fishing pools and Jewish ritual baths.

“Actually what the archaeologists are saying now is we’re digging up an entire 1st century city,” Kelly noted.

The Legions of Christ says that its mission and purpose is to share the Gospel with the world.

“We eagerly desire that Jesus Christ may come to reign in hearts, families and society through the transformation of all people according to the ‘new creation in Christ’ that we are all called to become (2 Cor 5:17),” the group says on its website. “We seek to make the transforming message of the Gospel reach every corner of society and culture. For this reason, we work to build the civilization of justice and love that Christ preached in the Gospel.”

Previous claims made about discoveries relating to Jesus have stirred much debate and controversy, such as the 2010 finding of a supposed tomb in Jerusalem where Jesus and his family are buried.

The tomb is marked with a Christian symbol and a cross, and was presented in a documentary by archaeologist James Tabor and filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici – though experts largely discredited the legitimacy of the discovery.

Source and Original Content by CP

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