Islamic State kidnap 90 Assyrian Christians From Christian Villages in Syria

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Islamic State kidnap 90 Assyrian Christians From Christian Villages in Syria

Christian Today report– Islamic State militants in north-eastern Syria have abducted at least 90 Assyrian Christians, a monitor that tracks violence in the region said today.

According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), IS jihadists undertook dawn raids in a number of villages inhabited by the ancient Christian minority near Tel Hmar, south of the Khabour river, on 23 February.

Sources told SOHR that they heard militants over wireless devices confirming that they had detained “56 crusaders” from the village of Tal Shamiram. Dozens of Assyrian people were also reportedly abducted from the village of Tal Hermez.

SOHR’s network of sources also said that two people were executed by militants for “dealing with Kurds” in the nearby village of Ghibsh.

The reports have been confirmed by campaign group A Demand for Action (ADFA), which is working to protect and support Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriacs in Iraq and Syria.

IS militants attacked the villages at around 5am on Monday, displacing an estimated 3,000 people, the group has confirmed. Those kidnapped were mostly women and children, while the men were taken to the Abd al-Aziz mountains. The women and children are now believed to be being kept in Tal Shamiram, guarded by IS militants who are demanding a prisoner exchange with Kurdish fighters. They have threatened to kill the captured men if the swap does not go through.

A journalist in Khabour told ADFA that a church had been burnt down in the village of Qabr Shamiye, and around 500 families have been forced to take refuge with relatives in cities such as Hassakah and Qamishli. Iraqi activist Steven Nabil tweeted that one of the oldest churches in Syria has also been destroyed in Tel Hurmiz, along with the Mar Bisho church in Tel Shamiran and the church in Tel Baloua.

ADFA says it has called the mobile phones of those taken hostage, but IS militants answered them and “told us that we should not call any longer since we cannot do anything about their situation”.

The attack follows the murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by IS militants in Libya earlier this month.

Source: Christan Today

Christian Publisher Cancelled Gay Author Book Because of His Homosexual Lifestyle

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Christian Publisher Cancelled Gay Author Book Because of His Homosexual Lifestyle

Christian Today report– A leading Christian publisher has cancelled a book deal with a young writer after he came out as gay.

Brandan Robertson’s book ‘Nomad: Not-So-Religious Thoughts On Faith, Doubt, and the Journey In Between’ was scheduled for publication in October. However, he revealed in a Time magazine article last month that he was gay and refused to sign Destiny Image’s statement of faith on homosexuality, which includes the statements: “Destiny Image accepts the Holy Scriptures as the infallible word of God and answers all questions concerning life and godliness. We do not condone, encourage, or accept the homosexual lifestyle. Destiny Image renounces this lifestyle as ungodly and completely contrary to the Kingdom of God.”

On Friday he was told by the publishers that his book had been pulled. Asked why, chief executive Don Nori told Time: “There is nothing significant to report. We did not reject or refuse. As with all books, a publisher decides what is financially viable. We released the book back to the author with our sincere prayers for his success. This occurrence happens every season.”

Robertson, who lives in Washington DC, wrote on his Revangelical blog yesterday that he had received an email from the publisher a few hours after he had submitted his manuscript referring to “concerns” from book buyers: “As soon as I read those words, a knot formed in my stomach. My heart began to race. I have received emails like this before from leaders at my Bible College and churches I had been a part of. I immediately knew that the problem was going to be with my support of LGBTQ equality and inclusion in the Church.”

He was told that the publisher had tried to sell the book to a number of Christian distributors and had been told that because of of his identification with the LGBTQ Christian community, they had refused to buy it.

Robertson, who identifies himself an an evangelical, wrote: “There is a major problem within Evangelical Christianity. And that problem is that many leaders within Evangelicalism have decided that the Gospel is not truly good news for everyone. For LGBTQ people, the Gospel is not that you are loved, forgiven, and accepted just as you are. Instead, the message is ‘get straight’, be celibate, or be damned. For LGBTQ allies, the Gospel isn’t about grace; it’s about theological conformity. If you disagree on this one issue, the unforgivable sin, you are literally banned. From church, from school, from publishing, from heaven.”

British commentator and former worship leader Vicky Beeching, who came out last year, and is currently in Washington meeting publishers about her own book, said: “Brandan is a new friend of mine. His story hits close to home and will make me very cautious about ensuring I sign with [a publisher] who fully endorses my orientation.

“I am so saddened by the way he’s been treated. To have your creative work set against your LGB or T identity is crushing and I know the feeling well. When I wrote worship songs for…EMI’s Christian division, I always felt that sense of pain – either I could continue to have my songs published by the biggest Christian song publisher, or I could speak up about my gay identity. But not both. It’s especially unfair because, in both Brandan’s case and mine, neither his book or my songs were ‘about being gay’. They were simply just words about spirituality, yet those words suddenly become undesirable in the light of the author’s newly announced sexual orientation.

“Situations like Brandan’s highlight the ongoing struggle for many of us LGBT evangelicals – that coming out is still a costly choice, especially if your livelihood or creative outlet is controlled by conservative churches or Christian companies.”

The issue of homosexuality polarises Christians in the US and opposition to it is regarded by many as a criterion of orthodoxy. Former megachurch pastor Rob Bell is regarded by many evangelicals as having put himself outside the evangelical fold by his public advocacy on a recent Oprah Winfrey show of the need for the Church to recognise same-sex marriage.

Among Destiny Image’s other authors are popular pastors T D Jakes and Bill Johnson.

Source:  Christian Today

Pro-Life Organizations Mourn Loss of Movement’s ‘Main Figure’ Dr. Jack Willke

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Pro-Life Organizations Mourn Loss of Movement’s ‘Main Figure’ Dr. Jack Willke

Christian Post report– Pro-life organizations are mourning the loss of 89-year-old Dr. Jack Willke, who was a major figure in the anti-abortion movement.

Willke, former president of the National Right to Life Committee and founder of the International Right to Life Federation, died Friday at his home in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In a column, Dave Andrusko of National Right to Life News, called Willke “a towering figure in the formation and growth of the pro-life movement.”

“Along with Barbara, his wife of seemingly forever, Jack provided the movement with some of its earliest and most persuasive educational materials,” wrote Andrusko.

“Barb, who was also instrumental in the founding of Cincinnati Right to Life, passed away in April 2013.”

An obstetrician by profession, Willke began his pro-life activism during the 1960s and then retired from his practice to devote all his time to the movement by the 1980s.

“Willke and his late wife, Barbara, co-authored the ‘Handbook on Abortion,’ providing information from an anti-abortion viewpoint,” reported The Associated Press.

“The 1971 book, which sold 1.5 million copies at the height of the sexual revolution and has been reprinted many times and in many languages, influenced generations of anti-abortion activists.”

Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International, recalled in a work published Monday that her first encounter with Willke’s work was a brochure titled “Life or Death.”

“We went to schools, colleges, churches, and community gatherings to raise awareness about abortion and the Sanctity of Life using Dr. Willke’s materials,” wrote Hartshorn.

“I had no idea at the time that this would become my life’s work — a labor of love that was being built on the foundation of men and women like Jack and Barbara Willke.”

Hartshorn also wrote that she believes her organization and others “owe an immeasurable debt to physicians like Dr. Willke.”

“It is amazing to think what Dr. Willke’s life could have been like if he had chosen to neglect his unique calling to the pro-life movement and leave the work to someone else,” continued Hartshorn.

“Dr. Willke’s calling as a physician — a healer — propelled him to a deeper, broader work that would impact and save millions of lives, while influencing hundreds of thousands of life-savers.”

In addition to written works used by the pro-life movement, Willke also had a widely listened to radio program that was broadcast on approximately 400 radio stations for nearly 20 years.

Willke married his wife, Barbara, in 1948, and celebrated 65 years together until her death in 2013. Willke is survived by his six children, 22 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Source: Christian Post

 

Pope Francis and Top Aides to Address ‘Defects’ on Spiritual Retreat

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Pope Francis and Top Aides to Address ‘Defects’ on Spiritual Retreat

Christian Today report–  Pope Francis announced Sunday that he and his top aides will take a spiritual retreat to correct “the many defects we all have.”

The pontiff told the tens of thousands at St Peter’s Square that the retreat will begin next Sunday, and last until Friday morning.

The Church leaders will visit Ariccia, Italy, and spend time reflecting, meditating, and praying.

Although Francis did not list the defects that will be addressed, he recently warned hundreds of cardinals and bishops against having a “prejudiced mentality” that marginalises others.

“There are two ways of thinking and of having faith: we can fear to lose the saved and we can want to save the lost,” he explained last week. “Even today it can happen that we stand at the crossroads of these two ways of thinking.

The Pope used the biblical story of Jesus healing a leper as an example of how Christians should treat society’s outcasts.

“Jesus responds immediately to the leper’s plea, without waiting to study the situation and all its possible consequences,” Pope Francis said.

“For Jesus, what matters above all is reachingout to save those far off, healing the wounds of the sick, restoring everyone to God’s family.”

Francis has consistently called for unity against injustice, and has made the plight of underprivileged populations, exploited workers, and victims of modern slavery central causes for the Vatican.

Source: Christian Today

New ISIS Propaganda Video Shows Kurdish Fighters Being Paraded in Cages on Iraqi Streets

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New ISIS Propaganda Video Shows Kurdish Fighters Being Paraded in Cages on Iraqi Streets

Christian Post report– A new video released by the Islamic State, or ISIS, terror group shows captured Kurdish Peshmerga fighters being paraded in cages through the crowded streets of Iraq.

The propaganda video shows at least 21 Kurds wearing orange jumpsuits in cages on top of pickup trucks on Iraqi streets, according to CNN.

An ISIS militant holding a microphone bearing the terror group’s logo is then shown interviewing some of the Kurds, who identify themselves as Peshmerga soldiers who are protecting the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq.

Most of the captured fighters say they are from the northern city of Kirkuk, and, apparently under duress, urge their fellow soldiers not to fight against ISIS, which is also known as ISIL.

“We say to the Peshmerga: Leave your jobs, or your fate will be like these, either the cage, or under the ground,” says a man in the video in Kurdish language.

The video, whose authenticity has not been verified, doesn’t show any execution, but the fate of the Kurds remains precarious given ISIS’ brutal tendency.

The Kurds are seen as pro-America, as they opposed Saddam Hussein’s regime and backed Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The video also carries footage of the recent beheadings of Egypt’s Coptic Christian in Libya.

In the previous video, the Christians were reportedly whispering the name of Jesus as their heads were being hacked off their bodies.

Meanwhile, Syrian Kurdish forces, backed by U.S.-led air strikes, advanced against ISIS militants in two separate attacks in northeastern Syria near the Iraqi border Sunday, according to Reuters.

ISIS, an al-Qaeda offshoot which seeks to form an Islamic emirate in the Levant region through “jihad,” has earlier released videos showing the beheading of five Western hostages since August – of British hostages David Haines and Alan Henning, and U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Abdul-Rahman Kassig.

The Sunni group, which has gained control over large territories in Iraq and Syria, has also released videos showing execution of two Japanese hostages Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa.

The U.S. military is leading airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria, and also has troops on the ground to train their Iraqi counterparts.

Source: Christian Post

Muslim Form ‘Ring of Peace’ Round A Synagogue To Protect Norway Jewish Community

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Muslim Form ‘Ring of Peace’ Round A Synagogue To Protect Norway Jewish Community

The Blaze report–  A large group of Muslims made a powerful and symbolic gesture showing they want to protect Norway’s Jewish community, gathering hand-in-hand Saturday to form a “ring of peace” around a synagogue.

Muslim youths organized the peace vigil in solidarity with the Jewish community following deadly shootings at a free speech event and at a synagogue last weekend in neighboring Denmark.

The English-language website the Local reported that more than 1,000 Muslims and Jews formed a symbolic, defensive ring around Oslo’s main synagogue. Many of those who attended were teenage girls wearing headscarves.

The Times of Israel quoted an advertisement for the event that read: “Islam is about protecting our brothers and sisters, regardless of which religion they belong to. … Islam is about rising above hate and never sinking to the same level as the haters. Islam is about defending each other.”

Zeeshan Abdullah, 37, one of the organizers told those gathered, “We want to demonstrate that Jews and Muslims do not hate each other.”

“We do not want individuals to define what Islam is for the rest of us,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “This shows that there are many more peace-mongers than warmongers.”

“There is still hope for humanity, for peace and love across religious differences and background,” he said.

Norwegian Jewish community leader Ervin Kohn said the demonstration against anti-Semitism “fills us with hope” especially because “it’s a grassroots movement of young Muslims.”

Reflecting the ongoing threats against European Jews, the Local reported there was a heavy police presence at the event, including sharpshooters positioned on surrounding buildings. The event ended without incident.

The Local quoted other Muslim speakers who said Islam was a religion of peace and that its “true face” was not terrorism.

Police named Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, 22, a Danish citizen of Palestinian origin, as the shooter responsible for last Saturday’s attacks, in which two men were killed, including one guarding a Copenhagen synagogue.

Source: The Xblaze

 

A Coalition of Catholics and Evangelicals Say Gay Marriage, Greater Threat Than Divorce or Cohabitation

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A Coalition of Catholics and Evangelicals Say Gay Marriage, Greater Threat Than Divorce or Cohabitation

Christian Today report–  A coalition composed of conservative Catholics and evangelical Protestants have issued a 5,000-word statement decrying the threat of gay marriage.

The statement, titled “The Two Shall Become One Flesh: Reclaiming Marriage,” declared that same-sex marriages are a graver threat to Christianity and society than divorce and co-habitation.

It is signed by nearly 50 members of the Evangelicals and Catholics Together, founded by evangelical Protestant Charles Colson and Catholic priest Rev Fr John Neuhaus.  The statement will be published in conservative journal First Things in the March edition.

The group is united by their common alarm over the increasing acceptance of homosexual relationships and the growing support for gay rights, including the right to enter into same-sex marriages.

“(W)hat the state defines as marriage no longer embodies God’s purposes in creation,” theHerald quoted the statement as saying.

“An easy acceptance of divorce damages marriage; widespread cohabitation devalues marriage. But so-called same-sex marriage is a graver threat, because what is now given the name of marriage in law is a parody of marriage.”

The group recognises the existence of “hormonal and chromosomal irregularities” and sexual attractions that are different in nature. However, they argue that by legitimising same sex marriages, society will be forced to change their understanding of marriage.

“(Christians) are today urged to embrace an abstract conception of human nature that ignores the reality of our bodies,” the group claimed. “Human beings are no longer to be understood as either male or female.”

The statement also spoke of the increasing tolerance of gay marriage and rights within Christian communities. A “faithful” Christian, the coalition claimed, will not stand idly by and give in to the realities that his faith does not allow him to accept.

First Things editor Russell Reno said that the statement was a “rallying cry” to Christians against the threat of gay marriage.

Source: Christian Today

Atheist Forces Removal of Crosses From Memorial Honoring Late Teacher In A Middle School

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Atheist Forces Removal of Crosses From Memorial Honoring Late Teacher In A Middle School

Christian Post report–  A West Virginia school has agreed to remove crosses that were part of a memorial honoring a teacher who died in 2004 following a complaint from an atheist organization.

Ravenswood Middle School, part of the Jackson County School District, was the site of a memorial that included crosses and angels.

In a vote taken Thursday, the Jackson County School Board decided to remove the crosses following a complaint from the Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.

“The memorial honors late teacher Joanne Christy who taught at Ravenswood Middle School for more than two decades,” reported local media outlet WSAZ.

“At it’s meeting Thursday night people spoke out in support of the memorial including Christy’s widow.”

After Christy died in a car accident in 2004, friends and loved ones built a stone memorial near the entrance of Ravenswood.

The FFRF recently learned of the memorial and sent a letter of complaint last month to the school district superintendent demanding that the “multiple Latin crosses” be removed.

“We are sensitive to the possibility that the crosses and angels are meant as a memorial,” read the FFRF letter, sent on Jan. 20.

“However it is the school’s constitutional obligation to find a religiously neutral means of expressing remembrance in a memorial display.”

The FFRF letter also took issue with the school’s apparent sponsorship of a live Nativity scene during the Christmas season.

Blaine Hess, superintendent for Jackson County, said in a statement released in advance of the Thursday meeting that the community disapproved of the FFRF complaint.

“The matter is certainly upsetting to a community which holds strong convictions in matters of faith,” stated Hess last week.

“The complaint has been reviewed and initial direction has been provided to the schools involved which will move toward compliance with rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Patrick Elliott, staff attorney with FFRF, said in an interview with local media that his organization was okay with angels remaining at the memorial.

“If there is an angel, that is more so a representative of that particular person. I’m not sure there would be a legal issue with that,” said Elliot.

Source: Christian Post

 

Grand Imam Calls for Radical Reform of Islamic Teaching to Halt Extremism Spread

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Grand Imam Calls for Radical Reform of Islamic Teaching to Halt Extremism Spread

Christian Today report–  Muslim religious teaching needs radical reform to stop the spread of extremism, according to the Grand Imam of Egypt’s prestigious al-Azhar University.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb told a conference organised by the Muslim World League in Meccca and attended by senior clerics from across the Muslim world that extremism had flourished because of a misreading of the Koran.

Al-Tayeb said there had been “a historical accumulation of excessive trends” that had led some people to embrace a misguided form of Islam.

One of the factors which has rendered Islamic State’s brand of ideology so toxic is its habit of pronouncing other Muslims as apostates. Al-Tayeb said: “The only hope for the Muslim nation to recover unity is to tackle in our schools and universities this tendency to accuse Muslims of being unbelievers.”

He referred to “terrorist groups… who have opted for savage and barbaric practices” without naming Islamic State specifically.

He blamed a “new global colonialism allied to world Zionism” for unrest in the region, which he said had exploited “confessional tension” in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya.

The conference heard from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, whose speech was read by the Governor of Mecca. The king described terrorism as “a scourge which is the product of extremist ideology” and as “a threat to our Muslim nation and to the entire world”.

It is not the first time the Grand Imam has condemned extremist ideology; in a significant intervention in December he spoke against fundamentalist readings of the Koran which spawned jihadi ideology. However, while he and al-Azhar University have enormous prestige in the Muslim world, hardcore Islamic State ideologues would dismiss him as speaking for the modernist interpretations of Islam which they reject outright.

Source: Christian Today

 

Bear Grylls’ Christian Faith- in 5 Quotes

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Bear Grylls’ Christian Faith- in 5 Quotes

Christian Today report– He’s the world’s most famous non-fictional adventurer; the star of numerous jungle-based TV shows and a huge celebrity all over the world. He’s also the Chief Scout, and a reported gazillionaire thanks to his branded range of survival knives, hatchets and head-mounted torches. And tonight, Bear Grylls returns to prime time British television screens with his new ITV series, Mission Survive, in which he’ll take eight famous faces into the jungle for a sort of nightmare version of I’m a Celebrity.

Famously, Bear is also a committed Christian, a subject which almost always comes up in interviews. Here are just a few of the ways he’s explained his faith to those interviewers, from talking about his own ‘conversion’ to Christianity, to painting a picture of the radical Jesus to whom he’s drawn.

1. Bear on his ‘conversion’ moment

“I remember praying a simple prayer up a tree one evening and saying, ‘God, if you’re like I knew you as a kid, would you be that friend again?’ And it was no more complicated than that. And actually the amazing thing is that all God asks is that we sort of open the door and He’ll do the rest. So often we kinda hide behind our yearning for love and acceptance with loads of complicated theological questions, and actually once that’s stripped away what we really are is just somebody who wants to have that relationship with your Father.”

(From an interview with Relevant magazine.)

2. Bear on personal faith

“Faith is personal if it’s to be real. And I think things that are personal are sometimes hard to talk about. And I think Brits are especially bad at that. But I’ve definitely learned over my life through a lot of difficult times — whether it’s military stuff or losing people on big expeditions on high mountains — I’ve definitely learned it takes a proud man to say he never needs any help. I’m not that man. I do need some help sometimes. And my faith has been that to me. It’s been a real quiet strength and a real glue to our family, as well. For me to be able to climb big mountains with a person I feel has made these mountains is a huge privilege.”

(From an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered radio programme)

3. Bear on the radical Jesus

“The journey’s been that faith has been the wildest ride. And Jesus, the heart of the Christian faith is the wildest, most radical guy you’d ever come across. He was always hanging around with the prostitutes and the tax collectors and having parties and banquets, and I found myself drawn to that character, not the kind of fluff that we like to box as religion.”

(From an interview with CBN’s The 700 club)

4. Bear on drawing strength from God

“My faith isn’t very churchy, it’s a pretty personal, intimate thing and has been a huge source of strength in moments of life and death. At the heart of Christianity is the belief that we are loved and held and forgiven, and I try not to complicate my faith beyond that.”

(From an interview with the Daily Telegraph)

5. Bear on faith vs religion

“Christianity is not about religion. It’s about faith, about being held, about being forgiven. It’s about finding joy and finding home. We all want that, but nobody wants religion. Why do people turn away from faith? They’re not, they’re turning away from religion most of the time. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t want to be forgiven or held or find peace or joy in their life. We try loads of other stuff—we think booze or foxy women or whatever will fill it—but it doesn’t fill the hole.”

(From an interview with Relevant magazine.)

Source: Christian Today

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