Islamic State soldiers have reportedly killed “scores” of people, including women and children, in Qaryatayn, a town that was once predominantly Christian.

Syrian troops recaptured the city over the weekend, but found that ISIS had killed many civilians.

“These are people who don’t know God, they don’t know anything. They killed children and women with knives, they beat women, broke their arms,” a town resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It’s unclear how many were killed. The Associated Press said 67 were killed, while Homs province Governor Tala Barazi told Reuters that “more than 60 were dead” and more than 100 are missing. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some 128 people were killed.

Abdullah AbdulKarim, a former resident of the city, said the latest slaughter was revenge killing. His own uncle and two of his cousins were shot.

“They came into town with a hit list,” he said, adding that soldiers went door to door for weeks looking for people.

According to International Christian Concern, Qaryatayn was a predominantly Christian town until about 2015 when ISIS first captured the city.

The town has been recaptured and taken back between Syrian and ISIS forces many times. The town was finally recaptured again by ISIS earlier this month.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: October 24,…

Actor Mark Wahlberg said there are certain movie roles he has taken, and one in particular, that he regrets and for which he hopes God can forgive him.

The Huffington Post reports that Wahlberg is a devout Catholic, and his faith has caused him to rethink his role as a porn star in “Boogie Nights.”

The popular actor, who also starred in movies such as “The Departed,” “The Fighter,” and other well-known films, says he now recognizes that some of the film roles he has taken on have not been honoring to God.

“I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I’ve made some poor choices in my past,” Wahlberg said during a youth event hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.

“I feel remorse when I’ve made mistakes,” Wahlberg told the audience at the event. “If I could go back and change a lot of things that I did, I would. I look for ways to give back.”

He added that his role in “Boogie Nights” was “up there at the top of the list” of roles he regrets and for which he asks for forgiveness.

Publication date: October 24, 2017

Research and studies are showing that more Americans are interested in spirituality, but are less interested in organized religion. This trend is especially true for millennials.

According to a report from MarketWatch.com, interest in spirituality, astrology, and witchcraft is soaring among millennials. One study has even shown that over half of young adults in the U.S. believe astrology is a science. The psychic services industry, which involves things such as tarot card reading, palm reading, mediums, and astrology has also grown by two percent in the four years between 2011 and 2016 to be a $2 billion industry.

Melissa Jayne, the owner of Catland, a “metaphysical boutique” in Brooklyn, New York, said she has seen interest in this types of spirituality increase recently, particularly among millennials. To cater to this uptick in interest, Catland now offers classes such as “Witchcraft 101,” “Astrology 101,” and “Spirit Seance.”

Jayne pinpoints why so many young people are showing an increased interest in this type of connection with the supernatural.

“Whether it be spell-casting, tarot, astrology, meditation and trance, or herbalism, these traditions offer tangible ways for people to enact change in their lives,” she said. “For a generation that grew up in a world of big industry, environmental destruction, large and oppressive governments,…