Elderly Christian Woman Raped, Stoned to Death in Syria

Islamic militants have subjected an elderly Christian lady to a prolonged rape before stoning her to death.

International Christian Concern reported that 60-year-old Suzan Der Kirkour, who was a gardener and Arabic teacher, was discovered dead outside her village of Al-Yaqoubiyeh July 9 after being subjected to a sickeningly cruel ordeal of sexual violence.

The sordid details of the attack were confirmed by humanitarian organization SOS Chrétien’s d’Orient, who obtained an autopsy report conducted after the attack. Kirkour “died under the repeated assaults of the jihadists of al-Nusra,” the charity noted.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed the incident. “The body of a citizen woman in her fifties was found on Tuesday the 9th of July 2019, and it was revealed later that she is a Christian woman,” the group noted in its report.

“The woman is from Ya’qubiyah village north of Jisr Al-Shughur in the western countryside of Idlib, where her body was found with marks of torture on it, and according to the forensic medicine; the woman had been tortured for about 9 hours before she was stoned till death by unidentified persons.”

Jabhat al-Nusra group is a terrorist organization that was formerly affiliated with al Qaeda.

In a statement, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, Claire Evans, said that Suzan “was a pillar in her community.”

“Her untimely death and the manner of her murder is horrifying,” Evans added. “It further deepens the shadow which has fallen upon any Christians who have remained in Syria throughout nearly a decade of violent conflict.”

Urging peace and reform, Evans implored that the “rule of law, justice, and accountability must be restored in Syria.”

If things don’t change, she said, the Christian faith is under serious threat and we will be “witness to the slow, but fierce, extermination of Christianity from a country where it has existed for over 2,000 years.”

Celebrating New Religious Freedom Law, Bolivian Evangelicals Push for More

(RNS) — After 183 years as a Roman Catholic nation, Bolivia officially became a secular country in 2009, when a new constitution, promulgated by the administration of its first indigenous leader, President Evo Morales, dropped any mention of the historic faith of its Spanish colonial rulers, bolstering the position of its pre-colonial religions.

But the surprising winners in the transition to the new constitution have been the country’s long-ignored evangelical Christians.

Angered when the 2009 charter failed to recognize them, Protestant denominations have spent the past decade mobilizing their growing numbers of followers, finally forcing a religious freedom law that codifies their tax status and, perhaps more importantly, giving them standing in Bolivian society.

“For the first time, the religious entities have a legal identity, with the rights to self-determination and independence from the State,” said Munir Chiquie, president of the National Association of Evangelicals of Bolivia, also referred to as ANDEB.

The turning point for the evangelicals’ long campaign for recognition came in December of 2017, when Morales’ administration replaced the penal code written under Bolivia’s dictatorial president, the former Gen. Hugo Banzer, who is also credited with shepherding the country toward democracy in the 1980s.

Evangelical Christians, led by ANDEB, protested a provision of the new penal code, Article 88, aimed at combating terrorism and trafficking, that established a 12-year prison sentence for anyone who “captures, transports, transfers, deprives of freedom, welcomes or hosts persons” with the purpose of recruiting them for “participation in armed conflicts or in religious or cult organizations.”

Christians charged that Article 88’s language was so expansive and vaguely written that it could result in the persecution of clergy for evangelizing. The article sparked criticism across South America, and evangelicals stirred fears that it would result in the criminalization of preaching in public. ANDEB organized a national day of fasting and prayer in protest.

President Morales denied that the measure was intended to quash evangelizing, but within two months of promulgating the new code, he moved to have it revoked. “It became clear afterwards that the article had been poorly written and its real intent was not to criminalize us,” said Chiquie. “But we protested it, and the law — which had other major problems — was suspended.”

This intermediate victory prompted the evangelicals to press for additional changes. They revived their criticisms of the 2009 constitution, which they felt privileged traditional Andean beliefs that pre-date the Inca empire, and strongly opposed new bills concerning sexuality and gender. In 2017, an article of the law of gender identity that allowed same-sex marriage was declared invalid by Bolivia’s Constitutional Court.

“Another menace to religious freedom was posed by the emergence of themes such as gender ideology,” said Chiquie. “Some segments of society were proposing restrictions on the right of the evangelicals to disagree with them.” It had also become gradually harder for evangelical leaders to express their views in schools and in the media, he said.

The draft that became the religious freedom act had been circulating since a few years after the new constitution went into effect but had been stalled until about five years ago, when Morales’ government took up the project. Talks moved slowly until the Article 88 debacle turbocharged negotiations between government officials and Christian organizations.

The new law, which Morales signed in April, imposes regulations on religious organizations, including a requirement to report their activities to the government annually, but in return no taxes are levied on them. And the very fact of being monitored gives them a legitimacy in the eyes of the government that Protestant churches have never enjoyed.

Julio Córdova, a sociologist who has studied Bolivia’s evangelicals, said the true victory of the law is the visibility it grants.

Córdova also believes the legislation is mostly symbolic. “From a strictly legal perspective, this law is not that important. It establishes the administrative procedures to register the religious entities and not much more than that,” he said.

But Córdova and other experts said that the process of passing the law itself marks a turning point for Christian denominations that have historically tended to keep their distance from politics.

Their quest for a broader role in the country’s affairs has come as the share of the population in Bolivia who are Protestant has increased from 7.6% in 1985 to an estimated 17% today.

“In the last few years, a new wave of Protestantism gained strength in the country, especially with the Neo-Pentecostals and their so-called prosperity theology. Some of them are exploring new ways to obtain power,” said Nelson Jordán Bazán, a professor at Nur University in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. “There is a trend of steadily raising their political participation in the Bolivian society.”

Indeed, some evangelical Christians are pushing for a greater recognition still. Already there is a campaign against the new religious freedom law, promoted by conservative Christians, on the grounds that it forces churches to submit to the state.

In their surging numbers and confidence, Bolivia’s conservative Christians are following a pattern established in Brazil, where evangelicals are said to have played an important role in electing far-right President Jair Bolsonaro last year.

In Bolivia, where general elections are scheduled for October, Morales is being opposed in his pursuit of a fourth term by Víctor Hugo Cárdenas, whose running mate, Humberto Peinado, is pastor of the Church of the Christian Family in Santa Cruz. Both men have criticized the religious freedom law.

In a recent interview with a local newspaper, Página Siete, Peinado claimed that the world is going through a “Christian Spring” and that evangelicals are helping to oust “populist socialists” everywhere, from Brazil all the way to the United States.

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10 Christians Are Dying Every Day for Their Faith in Nigeria

Life has become increasingly difficult for Christians in Nigeria, as persecution continues to rise and an average of ten Christians are dying for their faith every day. 91 million Christians live in Africa’s most populous nation, but many of them face consistent harassment and violence from Muslim extremists.

David Curry, CEO of Open Doors USA, recently spoke about the struggles facing Nigerian Christians on the Pure Flix Podcast. He explained that “There are these Islamic terrorist groups with safe haven in the north and the government has done little to nothing to root them out. That makes the north of Nigeria one of the most dangerous places for Christians.”

Curry pointed to a May 18^thincident in which Islamic extremists attacked a church’s choir practice and are still holding 17 members captive. He said, We don’t know who is alive and who is not. The women are either forced into marriage to jihadists – under Sharia law there is often nothing they can do to get those individuals back – they are ransomed to raise money for terrorist activity or they are killed.”

In an area known as Nigeria’s Middle Belt, Christian farmers face attacks from militant Fulani herders and from Boko Haram. According to the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, more than 500 Christians have died at the hands of Fulani herders since 2016. Boko Haram, while weakened in many places, still remains active in Nigeria and has increased its attacks on Christians there this year.

Some Nigerian Christians have reached out to the United States for help. According to Fox News, a delegation of Nigerian activists traveled to Washington in June with the support of Save the Persecuted Christians and the International Committee on Nigeria. 

Rebecca Sharibu was among those who traveled to Washington. Her daughter Leah was kidnapped from her school by Boko Haram militants more than a year and a half ago. Many of her schoolmates were set free, but Sharibu claims her daughter is still in captivity because she “would not relinquish her Christian faith.” She said, “Leah is a beautiful child. She loves the Lord and I am so proud of her for not giving in. But she has spent her 15^thand 16^thbirthdays in captivity and we need her home.”

Leah appeared in a video released by the militants last August. She was draped in traditional Islamic garb and begged for the Nigerian government to meet Boko Haram’s demands. Those who made the video said Leah would be killed if the government did not acquiesce to their demands. Leah has not been heard from since.

David Curry said that Christians in Nigeria have remained firm in their faith even though they face overwhelming obstacles. He explained that “Their life is stripped down to the basics and they decide what is the most important. And it comes down to their spiritual life and that peace you get from Scripture and wisdom to help you live every day, even in these really hard circumstances… You can find that these folks that are held captive for a long time and you see their faith walk grow despite [the fact that] they have been stripped of every comfort.”

Egyptian Committee Legalizes 127 Churches That Were Previously Outlawed

An Egyptian committee has approved the legalization of 127 churches in the country.

According to CBN News, the churches previously were operating illegally. 

Legal churches must obtain state approval in a process that had been criticized for being too restrictive and slow. In response, thousands of churches set up without permits.

“Egypt has a long history of regulating the building of churches, but many churches were not able to complete this process,” said a release from the International Christian Concern. “Instead, they were built illegally.”

The churches must only be used for religious activities, according to a media release.

But in 2016, the Egyptian government passed a new law that aimed to speed up the legalization process. International Christian Concern says that more than 1,000 churches have been granted permits since the law change.

Under the new law, a cabinet committee of the prime minister and the ministers of justice, housing and antiquities, review church requests for approval.  

In late 2018 after more than 100 churches were approved, the president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt said the process would continue to improve.

“I am pleased,” said Andrea Zaki. “The process has been slow in the beginning, but I think going forward it will be better.”

According to Open Doors USA, Christians in Egypt are still facing daily persecution from the Islamic population, but this is a step in the right direction. Open Doors USA said the Islamic religion "fuels discrimination and creates an environment causing the state to be reluctant to respect and enforce the fundamental rights of Christians.”

The Islamic State group, according to World Watch Monitor, killed more than 100 Coptic Christians in 2017. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of the population.

Egypt is 16^thon the World Watch List for persecution of Christians.

Global Earthquakes 3 Times above Normal - Dozens More Hit the Ring of Fire                               

Within the last 48 hours we have seen large earthquakes going off like firecrackers all along the Ring of Fire.  As you will see below, a magnitude 6.1 quake just hit Japan, a magnitude 6.6 quake just hit Australia and a magnitude 7.3 earthquake just hit Indonesia.  

And of course all of this comes just about a week after southern California was hit by the two largest earthquakes that it has experienced in more than two decades.  So is all of this shaking unusual?  

Just a few moments ago, I pulled up the most recent data from Earthquake Track, and what I discovered is more than just a little bit alarming.  Looking at the entire globe, we have averaged 193 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater per day so far in 2019.  That is very high, but it pales in comparison to what we have witnessed over the last week.  Within the last seven days, our planet has experienced an average of more than 677 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater per day.  That means that the number of global earthquakes right now is more than 3 times above normal.

And the number of very large earthquakes is at a frighteningly high level as well.  According to the USGS, there have been 121 earthquakes of at least magnitude 4.5 around the world within the last seven days, and that includes the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that just hit Japan.

Incredibly, that quake in Japan brought the number of global earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater that we have seen so far this year up to a grand total of 84.  The following comes from the Big Wobble...

Last nights quake brings the total of major quakes (mag 6+) to 84, incredibly all but 7 of them striking the Pacific Ring Of Fire. The last 38 major quakes this year, going back to the 3rd of May have occurred along the Pacific Ring Of Fire. But on Sunday we had to add two more to that total.

The first actually tied the record for the largest earthquake that western Australia has ever seen...The equal-largest earthquake recorded in Australia has hit off the Kimberley coast, shaking items off shelves and stunning local residents who had never felt a tremor before.

The 6.6 magnitude undersea quake struck at 3.39pm AEST on Sunday between Port Hedland and Broome, GeoScience Australia reported. The second was even larger.  When a magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Indonesia on Sunday, it sparked tsunami fears and made headlines all over the globe...

A terrifying 7.3-magnitude earthquake has sparked panic after it rocked the remote Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia today. Scared residents were seen fleeing through the streets and heading for high ground, though no tsunami warning was issued after the land-based quake struck. None of this is "normal".  As I keep warning my readers, we have entered a time of tremendous global instability, and the U.S. is certainly not going to be exempt.

In fact, we just witnessed a magnitude 4.0 earthquake in Montana.  The following comes from Ricky Scaparo...

According to reports from the USGS, A 4.0 earthquake has rattled Manhattan, Montana. This earthquake follows the string of quakes that have rattled the globe over the past few weeks producing powerful earthquakes in Southern California and rattling Seattle, Washington. We will give you more information as we receive it.

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake in Seattle that he mentioned definitely got a lot of attention when it struck very early on Friday morning.  According to a USGS geophysicist, that quake was "widely felt throughout the Seattle area"...

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake shook Seattle and the Puget Sound region just before 3 a.m. Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

"It's been widely felt throughout the Seattle area," said Paul Caruso, a USGS geophysicist.

I know that California is receiving most of the attention right now, but we definitely need to keep a close eye on the Northwest, because they are definitely overdue for a "Big One" of their own and there are several volcanoes in the region that could literally go off at any time. Meanwhile, the shaking in southern California simply will not stop.  According to Cal Tech, there have been 10,303 earthquakes of all magnitudes in California and Nevada within the last seven days.

In case you are wondering, that is not "normal" either. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that we witnessed back on July 5th did not cause an enormous amount of damage because it happened in a very remote location.

But we should definitely not take that quake lightly, because it was extremely powerful.  According to the Los Angeles Times, it actually "packed the energy of 45 nuclear bombs"... When the magnitude 7.1 earthquake ruptured the earth in the Mojave Desert, it packed the energy of 45 nuclear bombs of the type that fell on Hiroshima. Can you imagine if such a quake had happened in downtown Los Angeles?

And if a magnitude 9.0 earthquake were to hit southern California someday, it would be 707 times more powerful than the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that we just witnessed. Hopefully such a quake is still a long way off, but we have witnessed renewed shaking in the region within the last 24 hours.  The following comes from the Express...

California has since experienced a number of aftershocks with a seismic swarm hitting southern California in the past 24 hours. Over the course of the last 24 hours, there have been 762 earthquakes in California, 29 earthquakes were over a magnitude of 2.5. Unfortunately, this is not just a localized phenomenon. As I showed at the beginning of this article, the number of global earthquakes is three times above normal right now.

Our entire planet is being greatly shaken, and many believe that what we have witnessed so far is just the beginning.

Pregnant Woman Changes Mind Mid-Abortion, Saves Twin Babies

A North Carolina woman undergoing a chemical abortion had a change of heart when she learned she was carrying twins and was able to save her babies thanks to the work of a pro-life pregnancy center.   

The woman was six weeks pregnant when she visited a Charlotte, N.C., abortion clinic – A Preferred Women’s Health Center – with the goal of ending the pregnancy. 

Pregnancy Help News first reported the story. 

“Oh – twins,” the technician at the abortion clinic said while performing an ultrasound.

The pregnant woman had always wanted twins, and she swallowed the first pill without having time to consider the consequences. 

A chemical abortion is a two-step process involving a pair of drugs, RU-486 (mifepristone) and misoprostol. Together, they’re known as the abortion pill. Mifepristone blocks the natural hormone progesterone and causes the lining of the uterus to release the unborn baby. Misoprostol starts the contractions that result in delivery of a dead baby.

Leaving the clinic, the woman heard a sidewalk counselor: “It might not be too late for you – AbortionPillReversal.com– they can still help you save your baby.”

The woman, known pseudonymously as “Alexis,” visited the website and called the phone number that was listed. She wanted to save her babies. 

“We got her started on the abortion pill reversal treatment extremely fast,” Courtney Parks of HELP Pregnancy Center told Pregnancy Help News. “It was a matter of hours.”

Reversal treatment involves an extra boost of progesterone to offset the effects of mifepristone. About 750 babies have been born thanks to the treatment and to pregnant women changing their minds.

Parks and sonographer Kelly Byrum let Alexis view her unborn babies on an ultrasound machine. 

“They were tiny, little babies and they had beautiful, little heartbeats,” Parks said. “I just remember sitting with her in that ultrasound room and her crying, and just hoping that this would work for her so that she could save her babies.”

The reversal treatment worked, and several months later, Alexis delivered healthy twins.

The pregnancy center even threw her a baby shower.

“She told me, ‘If I had known what I know now and I had seen how the Lord has provided for these babies, I would have never even walked into that clinic.’ So she’s just been overwhelmed with just how good God has provided for her throughout this,” Parks said.

Three Christians Forced to Convert to Buddhism in Rakhine State, Burma

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,” CHRO Field Director Salai Terah told Morning Star News. “We are trying to travel to that area to find out and solve the problem.”

Village officials have told CHRO leaders that they do not want them to visit, and Terah said doing so now would only worsen treatment of Chin Christians there.

“We can’t travel there at the moment because local authorities and local residents don’t want us,” he said.

Christians told CHRO that after the men signed the documents, area officials again threatened to expel them from the village if they continued practicing Christianity.

The officials also banned the three men from visiting the homes of Christians and doing business with them. Authorities patrol the village announcing through a loudspeaker that if the three men fail to obey, they will be fined 100,000 kyats (US$80) each, local sources told CHRO.

Some local Christians who have been insulted and physically assaulted by local authorities because of their faith have moved to nearby villages, according to CHRO.  

Many ethnic Chin retain their ancestral animist beliefs and practices, though today most are Christians, according to the Joshua Project and other sources. Encouraging Buddhism to try to unite Burma’s disparate peoples, the Burmese government has long persecuted Chin Christians for their faith.

In July 2018, a group of Buddhists physically assaulted a pastor and two Christian women in the Ann Township area, beating them and stoning their home, Terah said.

The house church in Padi Kyin is the only congregation in the village. Of the more than 200 households in the village, only 11 are Christian.

Our Christian community who are minorities there suffer discrimination and human rights violations,” Terah said. “We publicly released the news, but the government took no action. We want religious freedom. Don’t the government leaders know our suffering, or do they pretend to not know it?”

CHRO will try to bring the cases in Padi Kyin village before international Christian organizations if the government fails to address them, he said.

Burma is about 80 percent Buddhist and 9 percent Christian. The country is ranked 18th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from 24^th the previous year. 

Biotech & Human Identity: The Danger Of Tampering With Our Genetic Code                      

When we use our bodies in ways that they are not designed for, bad things can happen. Non-reproductive sexual practices can damage the body in a variety of ways, ranging from STDs to hepatitis to cancers to fecal and urinary incontinence. Our bodies are not infinitely malleable, and whatever our desires for them might be, using the parts of our body contrary to their purposes can cause health problems. But what if our bodies are not operating correctly to begin with? What if we are missing limbs or are blind or deaf or have lost the use of one part of our body? What do we do then?

The answer is obvious: we use whatever technologies or medicines that we can devise to overcome the problem. Tremendous advances in prosthetic technologies, cochlear implants, transplants, surgical reattachments of severed body parts, and the like have enabled people to live normal lives and even to excel in ways that would have been unthinkable just a few decades ago.

Gene Therapies

That much is uncontroversial. Things get more complicated when we are dealing with genetic issues, however, because of the critical importance of our DNA to our identity. On a biological level, it is arguably the fundamental element that distinguishes human bodies from animal bodies.  It also makes each of us physically unique (aside from identical twins). Our genetic code is thus a critical element in defining us as human beings and as individuals, and thus attempts to manipulate it raise important ethical and worldview questions. 

Biotechnology is developing at an incredibly rapid rate, so we need to think these questions through very carefully. The place we need to begin is with the distinction between Somatic Cell Gene Therapy (SCGT) and Germline Gene Therapy (GGT). The former, in current technologies, seeks to cure disorders caused by a single gene such as hemophilia or cystic fibrosis localized to a part of a person's body. SCGT does not change all the cells in a person's body, only those necessary to correct the disorder. This is relatively uncontroversial, at least in its current form.

In contrast, Germline Gene Therapy modifies sperm and egg cells, thereby changing permanently the genetic makeup of the entire organism. Unlike Somatic Gene Therapy, the changes introduced by GGT are passed down to all of the modified organism's descendants. This raises serious ethical questions and as a result has been banned in humans by Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Israel. This is due in no small part to the unknown effect it might have on future generations, who would thus be rendered part of a human experiment without being able to give consent. 

And yet ... if we could use gene-editing technologies to eliminate Sickle Cell Disease or Tay-Sachs or other terrible genetic diseases in cases where we know parents are carriers who could pass them on to their children, some argue that this would be a positive benefit and that the transmission of the corrected gene through the person's descendants would actually be a benefit, whatever the risks involved.

The problem is, we do not know all the things that genes do, and "correcting" a gene for one problem might create enormous problems elsewhere, if not in this generation than some generations down the line. This is why it has been banned in several countries--we don't know enough to properly assess the risks, making it unethical to do the experiment.

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis

As an alternative, we could use Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to avoid transmission of the defective genes. PGD is used to analyze the genome of babies produced through in vitro fertilization to determine whether the embryo has the genes for the disease.  If not, the embryo can be implanted; if so, she or he is discarded. In effect, the parents and technicians decide the embryo is better off never being born than being born with the disease. In other words, the approach does not cure the diseases; it eliminates children with them. Other uses of PGD illustrate a fundamental problem with biotechnology. While it can be used to cure diseases, it can also be used for other purposes, such as determining the sex of children so parents can have the child they want--usually a son. Parents in the deaf community have used it to ensure that their child is deaf as well, and parents with dwarfism have done similarly.

And taking the next step, even without genetic technology, the use of sperm bank and in vitro fertilization can enable women to choose the characteristics they want in the father of their baby, including things such as height, hair color, and education level. Babies thus become a consumer commodity, and like all consumer commodities we insist on our right to choose what we want. And in so doing, we impose our will on all future generations coming from our preferences. This devalues human life and leads directly to a War on the Weak that reduces and ultimately rejects the value of the mentally or physically handicapped.

In ancient Greece and Rome, imperfect babies were "discarded"--thrown into a river or down a well, flushed into the sewers, or left to die on a hillside--in the name of eugenics. Now, in a hideous merging of utilitarian ethics and consumerism, we do the same with our embryos, not to "strengthen the race" but to give us the designer baby we want.

Somatic Gene Therapy Issues

There are similar issues surrounding the largely uncontroversial field of Somatic Gene Therapy. To take a simple example, I am red-green colorblind, a sex-linked trait I got from my mother involving a defect on the X chromosome. It's a relatively minor problem, and no one to my knowledge is working on Somatic Gene Therapy to fix it. 

But suppose someone was. Suppose it was possible to introduce genetic material into my eyes that would build the appropriate cones for color vision that I lack. That would be a good thing--it would be repairing something that isn't working correctly. But take it to the next step. The same technology that can heal can also enhance. Suppose I am a Special Operations soldier. We could use the same technology to introduce cones that would respond to infrared or ultraviolet light, enabling me to see in the dark. Wouldn't that be a good thing? Or suppose you could introduce genes to enhance memory and cognition, or to enhance strength and coordination or stamina--in effect, creating a Captain America type super soldier (or super scholar or super athlete). Wouldn't that be a good thing?

Or take prosthetics. We can currently provide prosthetic devices that enable amputees to function on a more normal level; we are even working on powered exoskeletons to restore mobility to people with spinal cord injuries. (We are also working on Iron Man-like military exoskeletons to enhance physical performance and to provide full-body ballistic protection.) It seems inevitable that soon we will have powered prosthetics to further improve amputee abilities, perhaps allowing them more raw strength in the prosthetic limbs than an able-bodied person has.

If an able-bodied person wanted these kinds of prosthetics, should we allow it? There are already "trans-abled" persons who claim to have handicaps they do not and insist on surgical intervention to make them conform to their self-conception. Why not allow people to merge with machines like a disabled person with powered prosthetics? Is there anything ethically wrong with creating the Six Million Dollar Man or a cyborg?

Techno-Gnosticism

If there is no fixed human nature, if we are infinitely malleable, if we have the right to choose who or what we are, none of these possibilities raise any ethical issues.  Our personal perception of our identity is all that matters, regardless of physical facts, and we have an unalienable right to force physical reality to conform to our self-image and our desires. We are, in short, in a technological form of neo-Gnosticism.

All these examples, many of which seem like bad science fiction, have been seriously proposed by thinkers in our world. They all are various forms of Transhumanism, a worldview which argues that human beings should take charge of our own evolution and merge with machines. 

Many of the most important Transhumanists aren't as interested in the body as they are in merging our consciousness with computers--an even more extreme techno-Gnosticism

Three Children among 13 Christians Killed in Attacks in Two States in Nigeria

JOS, Nigeria, June 20, 2019 (Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Monday (June 17) killed four Christians in north-central Nigeria’s Kaduna state, including three children, on the same day nine other Christians were slain in neighboring Plateau state, area sources said.

Christian residents in Kaduna state’s Kauru County told Morning Star News that between 3 a.m and 4 a.m. well over 200 armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen invaded two predominantly Christian villages in the Ungwan Rimi Kamuru area, killing 8-year-old Monday Yahaya, 9-year-old Zhime Danladi and Samson David, 15.

“They were all buried today after a brief prayer at the grave site,” area resident Thomas John told Morning Star News in a text message.

A Kaduna police spokesman reportedly confirmed the killings but identified the 9-year-old as Ashimile Danladi and cited Samson David’s age as 17.

Also in Kauru County, that evening herdsmen attacked predominantly Christian Kikoba village, killing Audu Gara, kidnapping a Christian woman, Asabe Deme, and burning houses, according to area resident Matthew Nasamu, 51.

“The Fulani herdsmen attacked Kikoba, a Christian village in Kauru LGA of Kaduna state, in the evening, around 5 p.m.,” Nasamu said in a text message to Morning Star News. “All houses were burned and razed down, farms were destroyed, and all the villagers are now displaced.”

In all, 93 houses belonging to Christians were burned, and farm crops were destroyed, he said.

Plateau State Attack 

About 35 kilometers (21 miles) east in Riyom County, Plateau state, Muslim Fulani herdsmen at about 1 p.m. killed nine Christians and burned two church buildings in attacks on two villages, area sources said.

An attack on Kangbro village killed 25-year-old Gado Peter, Stephen Ziah, 60, and Adam Sabo, 65, said Miango resident Lawrence Zango in text messages to Morning Star News. A fourth Christian, Samson Audu Rivi, was receiving treatment for gunshots wounds at Enos Hospital, Miango, west of Jos.

Two church buildings were burned alongside 185 houses in Kangbro village, said area resident Patience Moses, 23, in text messages to Morning Star News.

“Two churches were burnt by the Fulani herdsmen in Kangbro, and the churches are ECWA [Evangelical Church Winning All] Church, Kangbro, and Catholic Church, Kangbro,” Moses said. “185 houses were burnt and destroyed, while the entire Christian villagers who survived the attacks are now displaced.”

Less than two miles away, Muslim Fulani herdsmen shot six Christians to death in the attack on the second village, Nakai Danwal, according to area resident Lawrence Zango, who said at least 54 houses were set on fire. 

Previous attacks 

Zango said that area Christians area have been under attack from herdsmen before.

In April and May, he said, herdsmen killed nine Christians in attacks on predominantly Christian communities of Kigam, Ri-Do, Rotsu, Hura and Jebbu Miango.

“Fulani terrorists killed nine industrious Nigerian citizens and injured two within a month,” Zango said. “The killings are continuation of their usual genocide attacks on innocent farmers on the plateau, destroying their only means of livelihood.”

Salah Akpa, a Christian and head of Kigam village, was killed on his farm on April 9, he said. The following day, a Christian identified only as Emma from Ri-Do village was killed. Herdsmen killed two other people, Janah Dare and Dadi Ibrahim, in an ambush on April 14 in Hura village, he said.

On April 27, the same Fulani herdsmen killed Sunday Di and a Christian identified only as Baram as they made their way home in Dong village, Zango said. The next day in Rotsu village, the same herdsmen ambushed Christians Emmanuel Ishaya and Jummai Ijah, who along with a 7-month-old baby identified only as Tabitha were wounded but survived, he said.

On May 1 herdsmen killed Monday Audu Rivo as he made his way to his farm, and the same day another unidentified resident going hone to Jebbu Miango was shot and was receiving treatment at Enos Hospital, Miango.

“The activities of the Fulani terrorists are similar and the same with that of Boko Haram in the Northest,” Zango said. “The federal government should direct security agencies to investigate and arrest the leaders of the Fulanis within close environs before it escalates to destroy Nigeria.”

The government needs to send more security personnel to rural areas where Fulani herdsmen are forcefully capturing grazing area, he said, adding that it also needs to send relief aid to victims of attacks and compensate traumatized farmers.

Christians make up 51.3 percent of Nigeria’s population, while Muslims living primarily in the north and middle belt account for 45 percent.

Nigeria ranked 12^th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution. 

China Forces Churches to Sing Songs Praising Communist Regime

China continues its war against the Christian faith by forcing churches to replace hymns and spiritual songs with those praising the country.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government required all believers to sing from Newly Compiled Hymns, a hymnal published by China’s Two National Christian Council. As reported by Bitter Winter, a magazine on religious liberty in China, the new required singing includes Bible chapters through a secular lens.

“The hymns published by the government only promote political, secularized content,” director of a Three-Self church in China said. “All believers are unwilling sing them.” One of the hymns reads: “China is beautiful; China is great; the sons and daughters of China love China. … Bless China, O Lord.”

“Such hymns aren’t praising the Lord at all,” the director continued. “They are entirely praising the country, and are no different from secular songs. Isn’t the government engaging in dishonesty and deceit?”

Last month, churches in Mudan district were required to create “Christian cultural activity centers.” These places will “write and perform Chinese operas and skits; form activity groups for painting and calligraphy, Chinese operas, fashion shows, and photography; incorporate local cultural characteristics into Christian traditions, and promote the ‘sinicization’ of Christianity.”

Sinicization is the Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to assimilate minorities into the Chinese culture, which includes Christians. Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, testified at a congressional hearing in September that China plans to roll out a five-year sinicization plan, which includes the new hymns.

Another part of the plan is to re-write the Bible.

“There are outlines that the new Bible should not look westernized and [should look] Chinese and reflect Chinese ethics of Confucianism and socialism,” Fu told the Christian Post. Chinese elements will also be introduced into worship services, attire, and style of church buildings. 

Nonetheless, the Christian population in China continues to rise. Christian Post reports that China will have the world’s largest Christian population by 2030. “In 1980 there were approximately 3 million Christians in China. By 2010 that number had risen to 58 million…By 2025, there could be 255 million Christians.” 

Open Doors USA, a religious freedom watchdog group, however, believes Christianity may become more difficult. “…the increased power of the government and the rule of President Xi Jinping continue to make open worship difficult in some parts of the country.”

New Poll Shows Majority of Arab World Still Believes Israel Is #1 Threat

A clear majority of the Arab world continues to believe that Israel is the main threat in the Middle East and North Africa, a comprehensive BBC poll of 11 Arab countries revealed on Monday. The poll -- which involved interviews with over 25,000 respondents in Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Yemen, Iraq, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria -- also demonstrated that a strict social conservatism prevailed throughout the region.

Opposition to women holding positions of power and influence, as well as sympathy for the practice of "honor killings" -- the execution of female relatives for allegedly shaming their families -- remains widespread as well. The poll, conducted for the British broadcaster by the Arab Barometer research organization, showed that residents of the Palestinian territories were more resistant to liberal democratic values than are their neighbors in several respects.

Notwithstanding a string of brutal internal wars in Arab nations over the last decade in which several million people have been killed and displaced, Israel was still held up as the greatest threat to the region in most countries. In Lebanon, 79 percent of respondents identified Israel as the main threat, while in the Palestinian territories that figure was 63 percent. In all cases, the US came second.

Despite their geographical distance from Israel, a plurality of respondents in Morocco, Algeria and Libya all agreed that the Jewish state was a more significant threat than any other country. Only in Iraq and Yemen did more respondents identify Iran -- which has supported terrorist paramilitaries in the brutal internal conflicts in both countries -- as a bigger threat than Israel.

At the same time, the overwhelming dissatisfaction with living standards in the region meant that at least one in five residents of the Arab world wished to emigrate elsewhere. Europe remained the most popular destination, although a sizable number wanted to move to North America, or to other countries in their own region. About 30 percent of Palestinians would emigrate if given the opportunity, with the number rising to nearly 60 percent in the case of Sudan.

In terms of international outlook, the poll will make comforting reading for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose popularity among Arabs remains high even as it declines dramatically in his own country, in the wake of the resounding defeat suffered by Erdogan's AKP Party in the re-run election for the mayor of Istanbul on Sunday. A full 75 percent of Palestinian, Jordanian and Sudanese respondents said they had a "positive" view of the Turkish Islamist leader. Overall, 51 percent of respondents across the region expressed a liking for Erdogan, compared with 28 percent for Russian President Vladimir Putin and just 12 percent for US President Donald Trump. Although the poll showed that levels of religious observance were falling throughout the Arab world -- especially in the North African countries -- this has not translated into more tolerant attitudes towards women in either public life or within the family.

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Biblical City of Ziklag

The Israeli Antiquities Authority, Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Macquarie University of Sydney, Australia, have announced the discovery of what they believe is the biblical city of Ziklag, the Philistine city in which according to the Bible the young David took refuge from King Saul.

Ziklag is mentioned in the Bible multiple times in relationship to David, who the Bible states received sanctuary in the city along with his army, with the permission of Achish, King of Gat. The site is also believed to be the place from which David left to journey to Hebron, where he was anointed King of Israel and ruled for seven years before ascending to Jerusalem. Later on, Ziklag is mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah as a center for Jews returning from the Babylonian exile.

Over the years of archaeological searches for the city, numerous alternative locations were proposed but none met all the required criteria. The excavations at the current site, called Khirbet a-Ra'i, began in 2015 and uncovered some 10,700 square feet in the Judean foothills between Kiryat Gat and Lachish, according to the press release put out by the IAA and the Hebrew University.

Researchers say the location is unique because it contains evidence of continuous settlement, including signs of a Philistine community and King David-era Jewish settlement, in keeping with the required criteria for Ziklag. Moreover, the site shows evidence of having been destroyed by a massive fire, which is how Jewish Ziklag was brought down at the hands of the Amalekites.

Findings at the site include massive stone structures with bowl- and oil-lamp offerings beneath the floors, consistent with Philistine civilization. Nearly 100 pottery vessels for storing oil and wine, identical to those found in the fortified Judean city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, which has been identified as the biblical city of Sha'arayim, were also located amid evidence of the ancient fire at the site and carbon-dated to the time of King David.

Christian Doctor Could Lose Job for Praying with Patient

A Christian doctor in the United Kingdom who often prayed with his patients is under investigation and could lose his job for the spiritual practice. 

Richard Scott, a 58-year-old general practitioner, often prays with patients who suffer from depression, anxiety or addiction, The Sunday Times reported. 

But the General Medical Council (GMC), an organization that oversees and licenses doctors, is now investigating Scott based on a complaint from a patient who reportedly felt uncomfortable and vulnerable by his praying. NHS England, which leads the National Health Service system, also is investigating him.

“They are kowtowing to aggressive secularism,” he told the newspaper. “Public safety is what they are there for [but] they are suddenly turned it into a big case.” 

Scott serves at Bethesda Medical Centre in the town of Margate, about 80 miles east of London.

The U.K.-based National Secular Society (NSS) had told the General Medical Council in May that a “highly vulnerable” patient felt “discomfort at the use of prayer,” The Telegraph newspaper reported. The NSS complaint said Scott was warned previously about “expressing his religious beliefs in a way that distressed a ‘psychologically troubled’ patient.”

Scott maintains that his actions benefit patients. 

“The NSS is obviously gunning for me – and would like me to lose my job because they don't like me,” he said. “... They think I am irresponsible and dangerous and I would say the same about them.”

A GMC spokesperson said the body has a “duty to investigate.” 

It’s not the first time Scott has made the news for his spiritual practices. The Telegraph, in a 2011 editorial, defended Scott.

“No one maintains that he ever forced religion on anyone, or that his faith ever impeded his ability to dispense medical care,” the editorial said. “... [The Christian faith is central to our country's history and our traditions. Its legacy is visible everywhere. It is right that today, no one expects a person who holds positions of power and responsibility to be a practising Christian. But we appear to be heading towards an alarming situation in which the profession of faith becomes an active disqualification.”

Merging Of Commerce, Religion, Politics - Stepping Stone To Mark Of The Beast?

Every few years attempts are made at removing "In God We Trust" from US currency but, as in other years, the Supreme Court has rejected the most recent case attempting to prove the entanglement of state and religion with currency. In a previous ruling, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Establishment Clause of the Constitution doesn't force the government to purge itself from all religious reflection.

"Precluding general references to God would do exactly that," the federal appeals court ruled.

In Canada, the government has been more than willing to communicate politically correct progressive messages by means of what is being called the "Gay Loonie". Canada's gold-colored $1 coin is affectionately called the "Loonie" from the Loon bird that adorns its cover design.  However, the Canadian mint has now released a commemorative Loonie to mark the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of gay sex in Canada.

Perhaps recognizing the challenge of how to memorialize legal sodomy on a coin, the Mint opted to celebrate this milestone with a more coy "stylized rendering of two overlapping human faces . . . the two faces will form one whole face in front view composed of two eyes with eyebrows, a nose, a mouth and two ears with a small hoop earring on the left ear."  There are also rays emanating from the men that give the image a "holy aura". No doubt, we are to assume they are rainbow rays.

Conservative Canadian Christians have called the new coin a highly offensive attack against God, and protests were previously set up at the Canadian Mint in Ottawa to try to stop its introduction.  The protesters argue "the politicization of our coinage and the aggressive push of the LGBT agenda on all Canadians needs to stop".

Such political messages on currency remind us of the passages in Revelation 13 which warn us that one day currency and the ability to conduct commerce will be directly related to both religion and politics. Whereas there is a lot of debate about the technology that will be behind the "mark of the beast" such as digital currency, microchip implants, etc., the clear message of Revelation is that this mark is a merging of commerce, religion, and politics.  Only those who worship the Antichrist will get the mark and only those with the mark will be able to buy or sell.

There has been growing concern in the Conservative and Christian community over the potential for blacklisting by the financial community.  Similar to how Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have taken to banning organizations that disagree with their left-leaning policies, we now have credit card services, banks and other financial services under pressure to do the same.  Although MasterCard's board says it is committed to the principle of allowing "all lawful purchases," online payments platform Patreon says that MasterCard asked it to withdraw service from Islam critic Robert Spencer, founder of JihadWatch.org, in August 2018. 

Mastercard also pressured a payment processor to cut off service to the conservative activist and think tank founder/author David Horowitz.  Although this action took place last year, the processor later reinstated service following pressure from Breitbart News and other conservative media. Imagine that you are a store merchant who relies on credit card processing but MasterCard and Visa decline your account for promoting "hate".  Without the ability to process credit cards, you would be out of business overnight. Or your personal PayPal account is shut down for doing business with organizations that PayPal rules to be "extremist".  Realize that the CEO of PayPal has revealed the multi-billion dollar service partners with the leftist organization Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to decide who should be blacklisted from their company. Using "company corporate values" as their defense, PayPal has taken intentional steps to deny access to conservatives.

This is a big concern for Christians because the SPLC has taken an anti-Christian slant in recent years, targeting groups like James Kennedy Ministries and the Family Research Council just because they hold Biblical views about sexuality and life. Such irony! They argue "values" as their defense, all the while denying conservative Christians the same "values" argument.  Crowdfunding services such as GoFundMe have already shown how easy it is to shut down those they disagree with when they closed the account of Christian Rugby player Israel Folau who was raising funds to fight his legal battle with Rugby Australia, having been fired for criticizing homosexuality on Instagram.  Folau's campaign had raised more than $750,000 from several thousand donors before the site closed the account and refunded all donations.

With Facebook now looking at introducing its own digital currency, the Libra... Imagine if the use of such currency were directly linked to your Facebook profile.  If Facebook will ban your posts critical of homosexuality or abortion, will they also ban your ability to use their instrument of commerce?  In other words, you could be restricted in your ability to use this currency based on your religious or political views.   The interesting thing about Facebook's new currency is that unlike Bitcoin, which is an open system, Libra is closed and will be highly gate-kept. Facebook announced the currency in partnership with 27 other major corporations, firms, and non-profits, including Visa, MasterCard, Spotify, Lyft, Uber and eBay.

These Founding Members make up the Libra Association, which will be in charge of processing transactions for the network and maintaining its version of the blockchain. By the coin's tentative launch in 2020, the project hopes to expand to roughly 100 members.  

So, bear in mind: this is not just Facebook but a conglomerate of some of the biggest players in the world, essentially launching its own entirely new monetary system controlled by corporations instead of the government.  This is a very significant development, not unlike China's Social Credit System that monitors and punishes citizens who do not 'toe the line'. 

A centralized network like Libra loses all of the features we associate with cryptocurrencies. The Association will be able to blacklist users they don't want to serve, they will be able to rollback transactions they don't like, and like a bank, they will have total access to all your financial information: who you paid, when you paid, why you paid, and how much you paid.  Given Facebook's reputation for mismanaging user data and its flippant approach to privacy, an understandable concern from the community and even lawmakers has been, "Can we trust Facebook with our money and its related data?"

Many of us can live without Facebook but few of us could live without our credit cards for a week.  Thus far, Mastercard, Visa and most banks have not given into the blacklist pressure, but it is just getting started. An extreme event may be just the catalyst needed to move them to take more drastic action. In fact, following the Hegelian dialectic, they just might provoke that 'extreme event' themselves.

With respect to world religions, only Christianity is being challenged legally. Only Christians and the one true God are being marginalized. Only Christians and the one true God are being isolated. We should expect to see a 'change-up' in these legal challenges in the not-too-distant future as Satan inspires the next step in his tripartite assault: elimination. The elimination of God will effectively be accomplished simply by changing the definition of God, followed by changing His identity. Bible believers know this to be the case as we are plainly forewarned: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there shall come an apostasy first, and that man of lawlessness be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he, as God, sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (II Thessalonians 2.3, 4)

Psalm 2 anticipates our present circumstances: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers (of industry?) take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed (His Christ) saying, 'Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from  us'." (Psalm 2.2, 3)

So long as it is in the world, the Church is a restraining force in society. It is these "bonds and cords" that provoke the antagonism of the world, not simply because of their restraint, but because of He Who has ordained them, "the Lord's Anointed". For those lacking discernment, those who fail to see the 'change-up' that is to come, they're going to be 'fanned'; their reaction will be a 'swing and a miss'. 

The prophetic merging of commerce, religion and politics is happening slowly and subtly, but surely.  The prophet Habakkuk states it like this: "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; but at the end it shall speak and not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2.3) These societal changes could prove to be some of the most dangerous and prophetic developments of 2019.

Indian Christians on Edge Big Win for Hindu Nationalists

Two weeks ago, Narendra Modi was sworn in for a second term as India’s Prime Minister. His party, the BJP, won a resounding victory in parliamentary elections.

As Indian pundits – a word that is, by the way, of Indian origin – will tell you, if Modi and the BJP were the obvious winners, their political rivals, the Congress Party, were the big losers. But there’s another potential loser in these elections, one that should especially concern American Christians, and that’s Indian Christians.

To understand why, you need to understand Hindutva, which is the BJP’s governing ideology. It literally means “Hinduness,” and defines what it means to be an Indian in religious—to be specific, Hindu—terms. Hindutva regards Christianity and Islam as foreign religions, and therefore any Indian who claims to be a Christian or a Muslim is less than truly Indian. According to this ideology, Hinduism is central to what it means to be an Indian.

While most of the world mistakenly sees India as a land of Gandhi, gurus, and nonviolence, there’s nothing peaceful or tolerant about Hindutva. For instance, the man who assassinated Gandhi was an adherent of Hindutva who felt Gandhi had betrayed the Hindu community.

In the run-up to the election, one BJP candidate called Gandhi’s assassin “a patriot.” Though Modi denounced the comments, they are consistent with the principles of Hindutva. More concerning are the many examples of Hindutva-inspired persecution of Christians in India, especially in the five years since the BJP first came to power.

In the weeks before the election, there were reports of “food deprivation, beatings, and jail” directed at Christian converts in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

As Open Doors put it, “because radical Hindu nationalists view followers of Jesus as alien to the nation, all Christians in India are suffering persecution. Driven by a desire to cleanse their country from Islam and Christianity, nationalists do not shy away from using extensive violence to achieve their goals.”

Part of their campaign to cleanse India of Christians involves anti-conversion laws. At least six Indian states effectively prohibit conversions to Christianity. I say “effectively,” because Hindu nationalists there have found a way around the freedom of religion guaranteed in the Indian constitution. Any conversion that results from “force, allurement or fraudulent means” is illegal. Given the vagueness of these terms, Indian law empowers ideologically-driven local officials to view all conversions as guilty until proven innocent.

For all these reasons and more, India currently ranks tenth on Open Doors World Watch List—which is eleven spots higher than when the BJP first assumed power.

All of this may come as a surprise given what we often hear or read about India in mainstream media outlets. For example, a recent discussion of the Indian election on a New York Times podcast explained the threat to Indian Muslims, but made no mention of the persecution of Indian Christians.

To be fair, India does have the second-largest Muslim population in the world, and the most visible religious conflict there falls along Hindu-Muslim lines. Still, there are more than 30 million Christians in India, and there’s some reason to believe that this number may be significantly understated. Muslims aren’t the only targets of Hindu extremism. Indian Christians are rightly concerned about what Modi’s triumph means for them.

We should be concerned as well. After all, contrary to Hindutva ideology, Christianity is no European import. It existed in India before Paul reached Rome. Some churches in southern India even worship in an offshoot of Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke.

We must pray for our Indian brethren, asking God to preserve the faith in a subcontinent where it is every bit as native as that which seeks to drive it out.

200 Day-cares with Ties to ISIS Are Shut Down in Australia

Australian police have shut down almost 200 daycare centers after discovering the private businesses were linked to the Islamic state, motorcycle gangs and fraud schemes.

According to The Daily Mail, 114 of the nearly 200 daycares were in the suburbs of southwest Sydney. Another 49 centers were in the Canterbury-Bankstown area, 25 in Liverpool, 23 in Fairfield and 17 in Auburn.

Police also say they arrested the director of one of the daycare centers at the Sydney airport. Police have speculated that he was leaving to fight for the Islamic State.

A 28-year-old man, Hussain Dandachi, was arrested after an investigation found he was involved in a $27 million fraud scheme where the money was being funneled to the Islamic State.

Dandachi pled guilty to doctoring fake invoices of about $100,000 for children who were not at his daycare. He was sentenced to 10 months in jail.

The Daily Telegraph also reported that another daycare was being operated in a house with no electricity.

The Fairfield-based Red Roses Family Day Care company was raided by police in May. Eighteen people were arrested as part of a $4 million fraud.

Police also say they are looking for some 150 parents who allegedly sold their children’s identities to help Red Roses qualify for government subsidies.

The Australian government says it will save about $674 million because they will not be paying for those fraudulent applications for children at the centers.

“(New South Wales) is leading the nation when it comes to combating unscrupulous providers,” said Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Sarah Mitchell. “As Minister, I make no apology for being relentless in ensuring there will be consequences for providers who do not operate in the best interest of children."

The Rise Of Facial Recognition Should Scare Us All

In the last ten years, our world has been completely transformed thanks to the exponential growth of digital technology. Technological advances with computer processors and the Internet have quickly advanced our world into one that resembles some of the most well-known sci-fi films and novels.  Not a single day passes without a report on an emerging technology or new feature in an already existing product. The last ten years alone have seen rapid growth in information technology, encryption, the medical industry and 3D printing technology, just to name a few. Unfortunately, as technology is a tool, there are equally frightening developments taking place in the first two decades of the 21st century. Specifically, the ability for governments and private actors to monitor and spy on the activity of the average person has nearly become accepted as the norm. 

In fact, it has become commonplace to hear Americans respond to warnings of Orwellian futures with the timeless trope, "If you're not doing anything wrong, there's nothing to hide!" This is what makes it all the more surprising to see a surplus of recent reports examining the dangers and implications of a world where facial recognition technology is commonplace.

Here's a small sample of the current headlines related to facial recognition:

- Most Americans Trust Facial Recognition Technology - But Not At The Airport

- Terrifying AI Matches DNA to Facial Recognition Databases

- Why Is Facial Recognition Important? 3 Signs It's Too Big to Ignore Any Longer

- Facial recognition smart glasses could make public surveillance discreet and ubiquitous

Even the Washington Post published a warning titled "Don't smile for surveillance: Why airport face scans are a privacy trap."

Questions surrounding the emerging technology have reached enough of a tipping point that just this week, House Democrats questioned the Department of Homeland Security over the use of facial recognition tech on U.S. citizens. The Hill reported that more than 20 House Democrats sent a letter on Friday to the DHS over the Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) use of facial recognition technology at U.S. airports. The Border Patrol claims that they are rolling out the facial recognition program at a number of airports under a congressional mandate and with an executive order from President Donald Trump. Lawmakers say the program was supposed to focus on foreign passengers, not Americans.

The group of lawmakers wrote:

We write to express concerns about reports that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is using facial recognition technology to scan American citizens under the Biometric Exit Program. The letter to DHS comes shortly after a representative with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) the House Oversight and Reform Committee said that the FBI has access to hundreds of millions of photos that are used for facial recognition searches. 

Gretta Goodwin, a representative with the GAO, said the FBI uses expansive databases of photos--including from driver's licenses, passports and mugshots--to search for potential criminals. Goodwin noted that the FBI has a database of 36 million mugshots and access to more than 600 million photos, including access to 21 state driver's license databases.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio reminded Ms. Goodwin that the FBI has access to more photos than there are people in the country. "There are only 330 million people in the country," Jordan stated. The TSA was also questioned about their use of facial recognition at airports. Austin Gould, the TSA's assistant administrator on Requirements and Capabilities Analysis, said the facial recognition program has been helpful for travelers. However, critics say the potential benefits of saved time and reducing passenger volume should not override the greater risk to privacy. 

The TSA plans to have facial recognition tech at the top 20 airports for international travelers by 2021 and at all airports by 2023. The TSA has also previously expressed their desire to scan the face of every single American who enters the airport. The push back against facial recognition--and biometric technology in general--has moved beyond words in some areas. Most recently, San Francisco became the first city to ban government use of facial recognition. Due to the success in San Francisco, California lawmakers are considering AB 1215, a bill that would extend the ban across the entire state. 

The editorial board of the Guardian also recently spoke out about the privacy threats, calling the technology "especially inaccurate and prone to bias." The editorial board also noted that a recent test of Amazon's facial recognition software by the American Civil Liberties Union found that it falsely identified 28 members of Congress as known criminals. Although the technology is currently dangerous due to its inaccuracy, the Guardian warns: It may be too late to stop the collection of this data. But the law must ensure that it is not stored and refined in ways that will harm the innocent and, as Liberty warns, slowly poison our public life.

It's clear that the debate on the benefits and threats of facial recognition technology is not going anywhere anytime soon. It's up to us as individuals to educate ourselves and inform our peers about the threats to privacy and freedom that are becoming increasingly more apparent every day.

China Installs Surveillance Cameras in Churches to Monitor Christians

China’s Orwellian-like network of surveillance cameras now includes churches.

Most churches within the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement in one major Chinese city, Huai’an, have government-mandated surveillance cameras that allow the communist government to monitor the congregation’s every move, Bitter Winter reported.

For example, Bitter Winter visited a Three-Self congregation that had 28 high-definition surveillance cameras, including six above the podium and four at the entrance. 

Within the Huaiyin district of Huai’an city, 155 of the 170 Three-Self churches have government-mandated cameras that are connected to a network allowing the government to watch Christians, Bitter Winter reported. Huai’an’s population is 4.7 million

“The Religious Affairs Bureau pressured us into installing them,” a member of the church told Bitter Winter. “Each surveillance camera is connected to the public security organs, as required by the Religious Affairs Bureau. They can see every move in the church. If we didn’t follow their demands, the church would have to be shut down.”

The cameras are part of a massive network of cameras across China that allow the government to monitor citizens. There are an estimated 176 million surveillance cameras across China, The Atlantic reported. That number could reach 450 million by 2020.

China’s persecution of illegal house churches is well-documented. But its surveillance of Three-Self churches – which are legal but face severe restrictions – has not received as much attention.

In Dingji Town Three-Self Church in Huai’an, the government installed surveillance cameras in the prayer room, in the lobby, and in the courtyard.

“House church gatherings are being persecuted. I never thought that there would be no freedom at Three-Self churches, either,” a Three-Self church member said.

The footage is being closely monitored. 

“Every time we hold a gathering, the local United Front Work Department, the Public Security Bureau, and the town government send specially-assigned personnel to come and supervise the church,” said the Christian that attends the church with 28 cameras. “These people take turns on duty, sitting in front of the computer and observing each move of every person in the church. Now, when believers come to attend gatherings, they don’t dare to speak casually.”

'The Word of God Began to Change Me': Gay Man Finds Jesus, Marries a Woman

A man who was formerly involved in a homosexual lifestyle has spoken openly of his miraculous conversion. Incredibly, after he found Christ, Brian Wheelock was taken on a miraculous journey of renewal and, eventually, ended up marrying a woman.

Speaking to a crowd at the Freedom March in Washington D.C., Wheelock talked candidly about his former life, declaring that Christ set him free from sexual sin in a profound and powerful way.

“I lived that life for at least ten years, and it was a crazy time in my life,” he said of his former life embroiled in homosexual relationships. “Those feelings were real. I spent a lot of time in relationships and you know what, that’s who I was, it was my identity.”

Speaking with great courage, Wheelock said that he “thought he was free” at the time. Soon, however, he realized that was becoming increasingly depressed and was overcome with a dreadful sense of emptiness.

“The more immersed, and the more I lived that life, to me it was empty, and just began to be a place of depression for me – where I just wasn’t fulfilled,” he said, according to the Christian Institute.

It was only when Brian traveled to the United Kingdom that he was confronted with his need to change. Sinking into a pit of depression and despair, he sought God. “I felt God was telling me ‘Brian, this is not my best for you. Brian, I have better for you,’” Wheelock explained.

Then, Wheelock, who was at the time still involved in homosexual relationships, began to experience vivid dreams about meeting a woman who would at some stage become his wife. Brian recorded the experience in a powerful journal entry:

“Last night I had a dream- a vision from God. I dreamt that I got married (to a girl!) who has a medium build with long brown hair.  She was beautiful.  Together we had 3 or 4 kids…it was hard to tell.  But I could clearly see the oldest. A girl- a beautiful girl- with long brown hair.  She was twirling and spinning with flowers in her hair and the biggest smile on her face,” he wrote, according to LifeSite News.

He felt like it was God speaking to him about his sexual orientation.

So, upon returning to the United States and still wildly conflicted, Brian decided to set foot in a church. “I just literally went to a church and just started hearing the word of God, and something about the word of God began to change me from the inside out,” he said.

However, with the self-awareness to know that he was not beyond the perils of temptation, Wheelock then did something absolutely extraordinary – he wrote up a covenant between him and God, promising not to dwell on sinful thoughts. He would sign it twice daily as a reminder that he could win the battle over sin.

While many would criticize this as legalism, Brian was simply following the crucial scripture found in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that instructs us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Gradually, as he practiced obedience to Jesus, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, something began to shift in his life.

“I didn’t pray in the name of Jesus that he would make me straight,” Wheelock explained. “I prayed I would die to myself and I would become a follower of Jesus Christ. And God is faithful to that.”

After a period of continued healing, Brian went to meet his future wife, Pam. Incredibly, the couple now has three children together and a blessed family life.

“I look at my girls and sometimes cry,” Wheelock said. “If I didn’t yield myself to the Lord and follow His lead, these little munchkins wouldn’t even exist! It overwhelms me to think that an entire generation—my kids, their kids and onward—wouldn’t have even been possible if I didn’t embrace the plan that Jesus was showing me.”

Food Price Shock Coming - African swine fever To Devastate Pig Population

We have never seen an animal disease outbreak like this before, and it is rapidly getting worse.  African swine fever, also referred to as "pig Ebola", has already wiped out millions upon millions of pigs and it continues to spread to even more countries. There is no vaccine and there is no cure, and so essentially we don't have any way to stop this disease.

At this point, the only solution is to kill all the pigs wherever the virus is found and desperately hope that it doesn't spread anywhere else.  But that approach clearly hasn't been working, and according to a recent Fox News report this epidemic has now become the "biggest animal disease outbreak we've ever had on the planet"...

"This is the biggest animal disease outbreak we've ever had on the planet," Dirk Pfeiffer, a veterinary epidemiologist at City University of Hong Kong and swine fever expert, said. "It makes the foot and mouth disease and [mad cow disease] outbreaks pale in comparison to the damage that is being done. And we have no way to stop it from spreading."

China is the epicenter for this outbreak, and it is also home to half of all the pigs in the world. Actually, to be more accurate, I should say that it used to be home to half of all the pigs in the world.

In a normal year, China slaughters approximately 700 million pigs.  But according to Rabobank, that number will be down 30 percent this year due to this outbreak...

Researchers at Rabobank are estimating that this year China will suffer a 30% loss in pork production as a result of ASF. To put that into perspective, that 30% loss in production is equivalent to Europe's entire annual pork supply, and almost 30% larger than U.S. annual pork production.

So let's do some quick math.

30 percent of 700 million is 210 million.

Let that sink in for a moment.  210 million pigs will be lost in China alone in 2019, and when you throw in the rest of the world we are talking about cataclysmic losses already and the outbreak is still getting worse. One of the primary reasons why this virus is so fearsome is because it survives just about anywhere and it is incredibly hard to kill...

The germ is hardy, capable of remaining active in water for a month, in meat and blood at room temperature for several months and for six years in cold, dark conditions. It's resistant to temperature extremes, and can survive a day in vinegar-strength acids.

Even if we had an effective treatment, attempting to eradicate this disease would be a complete and utter nightmare. But as I stated earlier, there is no vaccine and there is no cure. All we can do is keep killing pigs. But of course global demand for pork just continues to grow as the global population increases. So with increasing demand and rapidly falling supply, it was inevitable that pork prices would begin to rise substantially...

The implications of the outbreak are already being felt beyond Asia. Global pork prices have risen by almost 40%, and long term it is likely to lead to more pork imports from Europe and America to meet demand, which will also push up global meat prices.

And what we have seen so far is just the beginning.  In fact, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is now telling us that the price of pork is likely to rise 70 percent by the end of 2019.

Of course if this disease continues to spread, we could be talking about an epidemic that could literally end the global pork industry as we know it today.

Already, there is a tremendous amount of paranoia about the spread of this virus, and for good reason.  In fact, the virus has been found "in Chinese pork products that were confiscated by customs officials in Japan, South Korea and Australia"...

But the virus has been in Chinese pork products that were confiscated by customs officials in Japan, South Korea and Australia, suggesting that the virus has permeated the food chain in China.

And could it be possible that pork products tainted with the disease were able to slip through the inspection process in various countries? We don't know.  But what we do know is that African swine fever has been spreading all over Asia.

It has now spread to Mongolia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, North Korea and Vietnam.  In fact, it is now being projected that Vietnam will lose 10% of its pork production this year...

Rabobank is projecting that Vietnam, which in May mobilized its military in the fight against the disease, will lose 10% of its pork production. Today, pork accounts for three-quarters of all meat consumption in the nation of Vietnam.  This disease is already a major national crisis in that country, and we are still in the very early stages of this outbreak. Meanwhile, this virus is starting to pop up in Europe as well.  According to one report, the disease was just identified at a major pig farm in Poland...

A farm with more than 8,000 pigs in Poland has broke with African swine fever. According to the World Organization for Animal Health, the farm is located in Bielsk Podlaskie near the border with Belarus. And in Denmark, they have actually constructed a 43-mile border fence in order to keep out wild boar. It is a good thing that they are taking this threat so seriously, because African Swine Fever is incredibly deadly.  Up to 90 percent of the pigs that catch the virus end up dead, and once it starts spreading on a pig farm it is inevitable that all of the survivors will have to be killed as well in order to help prevent the spread of the disease. Unfortunately, most people in the western world still don't seem to understand the seriousness of what we are facing.  Essentially, what we are dealing with is an existential threat to the entire global pork industry. And considering the fact that we really struggle to produce enough food for the entire planet in a good year, this should be a major wake up call for all of us.

Last week I spent about 200 dollars on groceries, and my shopping cart wasn't even full.  The price of food is already ridiculously high, but it looks like things are going to get much worse in the months ahead.

Teacher Ordered to Stop Praying with Children Before Lunch

A first-grade teacher who prayed with her class before lunch every day has been told to stop due to a complaint from a parent and an atheist organization.

The unidentified teacher at Norwood Elementary School in Birmingham, Ala., led her class in prayers each day at lunchtime, according to a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation to the school superintendent. The teacher also allegedly taught her students Bible verses and Christian songs. 

“Public school teachers and administrators may not promote religion by leading students in prayer, encouraging students to pray, participating in student-initiated prayer, or otherwise endorsing religion to students,” attorney Christopher Line of the Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote to the Birmingham City Schools superintendent.

The same letter alleged the principal began meetings with prayer.

A Birmingham City Schools attorney wrote back this month, telling the Freedom From Religion Foundation that the teacher and principal were told to stop praying with students and faculty. 

“It is our understanding that no further complaints have been received,” Birmingham City Schools attorney Ashaunti Parker wrote. 

A teacher-parent conference also was held to “address the parent’s concern,” Parker said.

“The teacher was advised to refrain from conducting any religious instruction and teacher-led prayer,” Parker wrote.

Armed Gunmen Kidnap 19 Christians, Kill One in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Suspected Fulani herdsmen stormed a church choir practice and kidnapped 17 Christians in north-central Nigeria the night of May 18, and the same night gunmen killed a Christian and kidnapped two others at a Baptist church, sources said.

Each attack took place in Kaduna state, where assaults on Christians with impunity have recently ramped up in the increasingly lawless country.

In Dankande village, in the Dogon Dawa area of Birnin Gwari County 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the city of Kaduna, the gunmen attacked Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) after midnight, at 12:30 a.m. on May 19, as a combined choir made up of members of two churches was at a 9 p.m.-to-1 a.m. rehearsal, one of the choir members said.

“As we were in the church, Fulani herdsmen numbering over 20 just surrounded the church and started shooting,” Ezekiel Ishaya told Morning Star News. “Everybody was terrified, but there was no way we could run because they had already surrounded the church. They were asking for the pastor’s house, and they threatened to shoot us if we don’t show them the house. Some of them went to the pastor’s house while others kept watch over us.”

The Rev. Nathaniel Waziri, chairman, of the ECWA Zaria District Church Council, confirmed in a press statement on Thursday (May 23) that the gunmen kidnapped the Rev. Zakariya Ido, his daughter and 15 other church members, including the son of the pastor of an Assemblies of God Church.

“The gunmen came and asked everyone in the church to surrender phones and thereafter demanded the whereabout of the pastor,” he said. “After threatening the choristers, they became afraid and showed them the pastor’s house.”

Ishaya said besides the ECWA pastor and his daughter, 10 females and five males were abducted.

“It was in the midst of the confusion that I escaped from the attackers,” Ishaya said.

The Rev. Emmanuel Ibrahim, chairman of the Birnin Gwari chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the assault and said Nasara Baptist church in Guguwa-Kwate village, in the Rigasa area of Igabi County 37 kilometers (22 miles) north of the city of Kaduna, was attacked the same night.

“One member was killed and two other members were kidnapped the same night by another group of Fulani herdsmen,” Pastor Ibrahim told Morning Star News, identifying the slain Christian as Obadiah Samson. 

Kaduna Kidnappings 

Christians and churches in Kaduna state have been under attack for years by either herdsmen or Muslim terrorist groups.

Armed herdsmen in May 2017 kidnapped pastor James Effiong Okon of The Apostolic Church in Zaria while he was on his way from Zaria, Kaduna state, to the city of Kaduna. Pastor Okon was area superintendent of the Apostolic Church in Lawna, Cote D’Ivoire, before being transferred to Zaria.

There has been no word of him since he was kidnapped.

In March 2016, a Fulani gang kidnapped three pastors. The president and vice president of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria (HEKAN), the Rev. Emmanuel Dziggan and the Rev. Illiya Anthony respectively, along with the Rev. Yakubu Dzarma, were abducted from Dutse village in Kaduna state. Pastor Anthony fell ill and was reportedly left in the forest to be found by relatives, while the other two church leaders were held for nine days before a ransom was paid for their release.

Christians make up 51.3 percent of Nigeria’s population, while Muslims living primarily in the north and middle belt account for 45 percent.

Nigeria ranked 12^th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution.  

Pastor and His Daughter Kidnapped with More than a Dozen Church Members in Nigeria

Suspected Fulani herdsmen stormed a church choir practice and kidnapped 17 Christians in north-central Nigeria the night of May 18, and the same night gunmen killed a Christian and kidnapped two others at a Baptist church, sources said.

Each attack took place in Kaduna state, where assaults on Christians with impunity have recently ramped up in the increasingly lawless country.

In Dankande village, in the Dogon Dawa area of Birnin Gwari County 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the city of Kaduna, the gunmen attacked Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) after midnight, at 12:30 a.m. on May 19, as a combined choir made up of members of two churches was at a 9 p.m.-to-1 a.m. rehearsal, one of the choir members said.

The Rev. Emmanuel Ibrahim, chairman of the Birnin Gwari chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the assault and said Nasara Baptist church in Guguwa-Kwate village, in the Rigasa area of Igabi County 37 kilometers (22 miles) north of the city of Kaduna, was attacked the same night.

“One member was killed and two other members were kidnapped the same night by another group of Fulani herdsmen,” Pastor Ibrahim told Morning Star News, identifying the slain Christian as Obadiah Samson. 

Germany 1933 or Europe 2019?

Are we seeing a repeat of Germany 1933?

Jewish shop owners are hounded, threatened and run out of town. Their businesses are the targets of prolonged campaigns of intimidation, culminating in months of demonstrations at their doors with up to a thousand angry protesters at a time shooting red paint bombs and mutilated dolls at employees.

Owners of these businesses threatened with death and (real) bombings. The threats including their families. Police refuse to step in, saying the protesters are behaving lawfully. In fact, a top politician supports and is listed as a patron of the organization behind the protests.

Germany 1933? Or the UK in 2019? Actually both. Since we know how the Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses which began in 1933 ended, let's talk about what's happening in today's UK.

The Palestine Solidarity Campagin, of which Labour party head Jeremy Corbyn is a patron, has, in reality, been waging this campaign against Jewish businesses that sell Israeli products (both those originating from inside Israel proper as well as those made in the disputed territories) since 2001. They have not only targeted Jewish businesses but also the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, an Israeli theater company at Shakespeare's Globe and an Israeli LGBT event in London.

The group is prominent in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israel, which has been deemed anti-Semitic at its core by the U.S. State Department's definition of anti-Semitism. Most recently, the group has forced shops selling Israeli cosmetics to close, like the one owned by UK citizen Nissan Ayalon, 33, who was forced to move his business three times, starting from scratch each time, before finally giving up and fleeing the country. "Eventually, I lost faith in being able to make a life once again in Britain," Ayalon said in a newly-released film called Hounded, which documents the on-going campaign of intimidation of Jews who sell products from Israel. "I just couldn't keep moving to a new city every two years. I had a family to look after."

The true litmus test of anti-Semitism is whether the actions are against Jews per se (biogtry) or simply making a political statement. The BDS movement holds Jews to a different standard than in similar conflicts worldwide. It is a clear case of anti-Semitism. Moreover, it is a known fact that while the movement has created little damage to Israel, the movement significantly harms the Palestinian people (another litmus test of its real raison d'etre: anti-Semitism). Businesses that are targeted in Israel and forced to close because of the movement are mainly located in the disputed territories, which are known for employing large numbers of Palestinians (and paying them at a higher rate than they would receive working for Palestinian companies.

These jobs not only benefit the individuals themselves but also translate to more tax income for the Palestinian Authority - not to mention the good will and peace building atmosphere these companies have been known to create among their Jewish and Palestinian workers. But the story doesn't end there (and if it did, it would be bad enough).

Germany's interior minister and the Berlin mayor allowed the annual pro-Iranian/pro-Hezbollah Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally to take place in Berlin. The purpose of the rally is traditionally to call for the destruction of the Jewish state. The U.S. embassy in Germany tweeted, "Germany's federal courts decided years ago that Hezbollah is a unified organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Symbols of Hezbollah are banned, why not the entire organization?" Ironically, just days after the rally, Angela Merkel, Germany's leader, said, "There is to this day not a single synagogue, not a single daycare center for Jewish children, not a single school for Jewish children that does not need to be guarded by German policemen."

The rally also came on the heels of an unprecedented report released by Germany's domestic security agency about how anti-Semitism among the country's Muslim population is a major problem in the country. Not only has Merkel and her interior minister blatantly refused to ban the internationally-recognized terror group Hezbollah dedicated to the destruction of Jews, they have refused to even entertain the question.

Small wonder that every Jewish establishment in Germany needs police protection.

China Forcibly Removed Church’s Cross on Easter Sunday

China has escalated its crackdown on Christianity in recent weeks, forcibly removing crosses from Protestant and Catholic churches, destroying unregistered church buildings and even demolishing the structure of a legal Three-Self congregation. 

The actions come amidst an official campaign, known as Return to Zero, to eliminate unregistered house churches. 

“The Communist Party is afraid that having a large number of people who believe in God will threaten their rule,” a house church pastor told Bitter Winter, which monitors religious persecution.

Government officials in Shandong province used a huge crane on Easter Sunday to remove the cross of a Protestant congregation, Grassland Church. A week later, officials in Henan province used a crane to remove two huge crosses atop a Catholic church. Shandong is the second-most populous province with 95 million people. Henan is third, with 94 million people. 

ChinaAid, another organization that monitors religious persecution, reported the incidents.   

“Since the Chinese government wrongly believes religions are an attempt by foreign powers to infiltrate China, they often restrict religious practice and expression, including cracking down on religious symbols being displayed on buildings,” ChinaAid reported.

Elsewhere, entire church buildings have been destroyed. 

Government officials in Chumen, Zhejiang, used an excavator to destroy the building of Sola Fide house church, Bitter Winter said. Police forced the pastor to sign a statement pledging not to lead a meeting of the congregation again. Zhejiang is the smallest province in China by population (54 million). 

Even legal churches aren’t safe. Members of East Street Church – a registered Three-Self congregation in Sunfuji, Henan – watched helplessly as officials destroyed their church on Good Friday, ripping up floors and removing valuables. Officials claimed the structure was built too close to the village’s committee building, even though East Street had the permits showing the building was legal. 

“These officials are just like bandits. They confiscated and burned everything,” one Christian told Bitter Winter.

Churches within China are required to register with the government. But such churches – part of the Three-Self movement – are regulated heavily. In many locations, children cannot attend Three-Self churches. Sermons also must be approved. 

The regulation of Three-Self churches has forced millions of Chinese Christians underground.

Pastor and His Daughter Kidnapped with More than a Dozen Church Members in Nigeria

A pastor, his daughter, and more than a dozen churchgoers were kidnapped in an attack by a team of gunmen in the Kaduna state of Nigeria on Sunday that left one person dead.

Rev. ZakariahIdo, 11 girls, and five men were among those kidnapped in the early morning hours on Sunday. Sources have indicated that 20 gunmen attacked.

According to an online Nigerian newspaper called TheCable, the gunmen surrounded the church while choir members were practicing. “It was at about 12:30 midnight. We had combined choir practice in the church with other neighboring communities. We normally hold the combined choir practice from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.,” the witness said. “Everybody was terrified but there was no [way] we could run because they had already surrounded the church.”

The gunmen demanded everyone’s phones and asked where to find the pastor, according to Pastor NathWaziri, the district church council secretary. Parishioners showed them the pastor’s home, where he, his daughter, and several others were abducted. During the attack, one of the church members was killed.

“We are helpless because there's nothing we can do other than to report to the police when such incidents happen,” another eyewitness said. “We have no arms and we cannot stand them, we are just at their mercy because they are well armed and they always come in large numbers.”

According to locals, this is the fifth attack on their community by gunmen. Although no group has yet to take credit for the kidnapping, this Nigerian region has witnessed an alarming increase of attacks from Fulani extremists. This little known terror group has wreaked havoc on the middle belt of Nigeria, ranking them the fourth deadliest terrorist organization in the world, according to the Independent. Boko Haram, another powerful extremist group, dominates the north of Nigeria.

Christian Post reported that in March, the governor of Kaduna state issued a dusk-to-dawn curfew with the growing violence, targeted largely at Christians.

“It is really simplifying catastrophic incidents in Nigeria by saying ‘herder-farmer conflict’ and that does not solve the problem,” Stephen Enada, who co-founded the nongovernmental organization International Committee on Nigeria, told the Christian Post in March. “We need to face reality on the ground and call a spade a spade. In Southern Kaduna, a village is almost wiped out and over 200 people have been killed in the last week.”

The attack comes only weeks after Boko Haram kidnaped another pastor in Borno State. Nigeria ranks as the 12th worst country for Christian persecution, according to Open Doors. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has expressed apprehension for Nigeria, asking the State Department to designate the country of “particular concern” for religious freedom violations.

Shocking Replacement Theology Altar Call - "Repent For Standing With Israel
          

Jesus is my All in All. He is my Lord, my God, my Savior, my Redeemer, my King. He is my Life. Outside of Him, I have nothing. Outside of Him, I am nothing. Jesus is also the Messiah of Israel, and as Israel's Messiah, He confirms -- not cancels -- the Father's promises to the patriarchs.

These are Paul's exact words in Romans 15:8-9: "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, 'Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.'"

How could it be otherwise? How could it be that Israel's Redeemer would cancel the promises God gave to Israel? How could it be that the long-awaited Messiah would nullify the oath God swore to the patriarchs? Yet this is what is being taught aggressively by an evangelical news network, a network that is spreading lies, misinformation, and exaggeration about Israel and the Jewish people on a regular basis.

TruNews' Altar Call

In fact, in what must be one of the sickest moments in the history "Christian" broadcasting, one of the hosts of this network -- ironically named TruNews -- gives an altar call for Christians to repent for standing with Israel. I kid you not. Watch it for yourself here, starting at 1:20:28 until 1:22:41.

The host, Doc Burkhart, leads his audience in a "sinner's prayer." He tells viewers to confess to God, "Lord, I'm so sorry. I don't how I was so deceived. I don't how I was so bewitched by all of this.

"I thought it was a good thing to support the people of Israel. I thought it was a good thing to help Israel. But now I see it's just people using the name of Israel, people using the people of Israel in order to line their own pockets, in order to build their own kingdoms, in order to make themselves feel important."

Help us champion truth, freedom, limited government and human dignity. Support The Stream » Burkhart then calls his viewers to repent of this and turn the other way, confessing, "Jesus, You are my Zion. Jesus, You are my Promised Land. Jesus, You are my Temple. Jesus, You are my Eternal Capitol, Lord." And in true "evangelical" fashion, Burkhart then urges those who responded to this prayer to contact his network.

How judgmental. How unchristian. How deceived.

What an ugly mixing of truth with error.

Jesus Confirms God's Promises

To repeat: Jesus is my All in All, my Everything. And He confirms, not cancels, God's promises to the patriarchs. Chief among those promises was the promise of the Land of Israel as a lasting inheritance.

As the psalmist wrote: "He remembers His covenant forever, the word that He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that He made with Abraham, His sworn promise to Isaac, which He confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.'" (Ps 105:8-11)

To repeat Paul's words: "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs."

Sorry, TruNews, but I'll stay with Scripture. Sorry, Doc Burkhart, but I'll not repent of standing with the purposes of God.

For the record, I have called out TruNews publicly (see here and here) and reached out privately several times, to no avail.

TruNews' Invitation

Initially, in response to my challenge, TruNews invited me to come on their show, and I responded immediately with an enthusiastic "Yes." I simply requested that, for the sake of fairness, their leader, Rick Wiles, join me on my show as well.

He was not willing. I then I suggested we have a public debate. They said they were not interested in debate, but that I should rebuke Ben Shapiro as an antichrist. (I'm not making this up.) Finally, when their anti-Israel, anti-Jew campaign became even more pitched and ugly, I told them I would join them on their show as long as I was given equal time with their panel and that the show was aired unedited.

They said no to my offer, offended that I characterized their views as antisemitic. Sorry, but when you claim that the sexual revolution was a Zionist conspiracy -- among a litany of other accusations -- you're being antisemitic.

Now, TruNews is leading Christians in a sinner's prayer for standing with Israel. What's coming next?

The Truth of Scripture

As for the idea that Jesus is our Temple, our Zion, and our Promised Land, this is not Scriptural.

Rather, in Him, we have become a holy Temple, with Jesus as the chief Cornerstone (see 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5). Jesus is not "our Temple."

And nowhere in the New Testament is it written that Jesus is our Promised Land or our Zion. Instead, the Gospel authors tell Zion -- meaning Jerusalem and the Jewish people -- that Jesus, the King, is coming to Zion (see Matthew 21:5; John 12:5; quoting from Zechariah 9:9).

And Paul says that God will lay in Zion a Stone of stumbling (speaking of Jesus), and that He, the Redeemer, will come from Zion (Romans 9:33; 11:26; quoting from Isaiah 28:16; 59:20-21).

Even the heavenly Zion is a place, not a person (see Hebrews 12:22). In fact, Jesus, the Lamb, stands in Zion (see Revelation 14:1). He is not Zion -- or the Promised Land.

Tragically, Burkhart relies on his viewers' love for Jesus to confuse the issues, as if they are being unspiritual -- not Christ-centered -- by standing with Israel or recognizing God's hand at work in our day.

Nothing could be further from the truth. To say it once more: Christ, the Messiah, confirms God's promises to the patriarchs, and those promises include the Land of Israel as a lasting inheritance.

Burkhart's Mistake

Burkhart and TruNews might just as well urge a starving person to repent for taking bread from a Christian missionary, leading them in a prayer of repentance that said, "Lord, forgive me for my sinfulness. I was being so carnal. I confess that Jesus is my Bread of Life."

That's just as ridiculous as the prayer he led his viewers in, confessing their "sin" of standing with Israel (not to mention slandering those who do as stand with Israel, branding us as duplicitous, money-grubbers).

The only difference in the two prayers is that Jesus, in fact, is our Bread of Life, whereas He is not our Promised Land or our Zion (whatever that even means).

Nothing Christian About This

TruNews has now crossed a precarious, ugly line. Let the viewers beware. Had they simply brought valid criticisms against the State of Israel, I would not be writing this. I would even affirm some of those criticisms myself.

Had they simply questioned where the nation of Israel today is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, I would not have called them out. I recognize that Christians can differ over prophecy.

Had they simply brought legitimate criticisms against the Jewish people as a whole, I would not be concerned. I bring such criticisms as well. But they have now equated Christian Zionism with rebellion against God and denial of the centrality of Jesus, at the same time spreading all kinds of libels against the Jewish people and the Jewish religion. There is nothing Christian about this. I urge them to repent.