North America

This report by the Washington Post claims that the Pentagon says they are not targeting any particular religious group for persecution.  While they actively barr proselytizing, defined as ”unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one’s beliefs,” they do not oppose evangelization which they define as an individual sharing their faith. While this is commendable, it may come down to “he said, she said” if one person believes they are merely sharing their faith and another feels as though an interchange was  forced and intrusive. Where is the line drawn, how is this decided and are punishments really necessary? Will persecution increase amongst service members? Only time will tell.

Christians are greatly concerned with announcements and changes in religious tolerance in the military. Soon, a soldier may be Court Martialed for sharing his or her faith. “It is a version of being spiritually raped and you are being spiritually raped by fundamentalist Christian religious predators,” Mikey Weinstein told Fox News.

Coptic Solidarity calls on the Morsi government to end these diversionary tactics and provide equal protection for all Egyptians. Morsi should immediately initiate a thorough and objective investigation into the events bringing the perpetrators to justice. Furthermore, Coptic Solidarity emphasizes that Copts in Egypt need special attention from the international community.

Please join Coptic Solidarity and others who believe that all individuals deserve human rights and dignity, in a peaceful demonstration to protest the persecution of the Copts and all religious minorities in Egypt and the Middle East.

Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng has spent years under house arrest and behind prison bars in China for having the audacity to represent Christians and other groups seeking justice in China. Last week Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia wrote an open letter to new Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to speak up publicly and denounce China’s imprisonment of Gao Zhisheng.  

A new “congressional scorecard” has been released rating our nation’s lawmakers by their propensity to support religious freedom legislation. Despite several Congressman making an A+ rating, the vast majority are not actively involved in the issue and the current presidential administration is widely seen as perhaps the most “hostile” toward religious freedom in U.S. history.   

In yet another example of zoning laws being used by local officials in the U.S. to place undue burden on churches and Christian organizations, a Florida church has finally been allowed to erect a cross on its 11-acre property in Charlotte County. It took the church six years of legal battles before a court ordered that the cross could be erected after zoning officials decided to classify the cross as “sign” and said it fell under zoning restrictions for signs.

In this revealing article Dr. Paul de Vries, president of New York Divinity School, reveals that government aid towards neighborhoods destroyed or damaged by Super-storm Sandy is being used to repair businesses, including nightclubs and adult video stores, but held back from “places of worship” such as churches. The policy, argues Dr. de Vries, is blatantly discriminatory against religious groups thanks to outlandish FEMA rules and a misinterpretation of “separation of church and state.” Dr. de Vries points out that churches were some of the first groups to respond and sacrificed great time and resources to help victims, making it ironic that they are now left out to dry by our nation’s government.

Two Coptic Christians were found shot and beheaded by police in New Jersey this week. Police have arrested a 28 year-old Muslim, Yusuf Ibrahim, as the suspected killer and are looking into the motive. Some believe the murder was almost certainly of a religious nature. Coptic Christians in Egypt have faced violent persecution in recent years as Islamic groups have become increasingly influential, forcing many to flee abroad. One of the murdered Christians in this case was believed to have fled from Egypt in recent years.

U.S. lawmakers are stepping up efforts to secure the release of Saeed Abedini, an American pastor sentenced to eight years in prison for his faith in Iran. On Feb. 12, more than 80 U.S. Congress members from both parties signed a letter urging Secretary of State John Kerry to "exhaust every possible option to secure Mr. Abedini's immediate release,” the Baptist Press reports. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California), said that Abedini's detention "exemplifies Iran's flagrant violation of human rights and religious freedom."

In a small victory for religious liberty in the United States a federal district court has dismissed a six year old case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against the display of the Ten Commandments in front of a Florida courthouse. The ACLU and other groups have aggressively sought to remove any statement of faith from public property in the United States for many years.   

In one of the largest shows of support for an imprisoned Christian on Capitol Hill in recent years, more than 80 Senators and Representatives have signed onto a letter urging Secretary of State John Kerry to intervene on behalf of American pastor Saeed Abedini. Pastor Abedini, an American citizen, was arrested and imprisoned for eight years in Iran after returning to the country to work on an orphanage.

The following opinion editorial by Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) argues that the idea of “separation of church and state” developed by Thomas Jefferson has been turned on its head in today’s America. Rather than allowing for the free expression of faith in every area of society government is now increasing restrictions on practicing and living ones faith whenever it conflicts with current ideas of political correctness.