http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:58:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26537/iranian-authorities-raid-house-church-in-shiraz-arrest-christians http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26537/iranian-authorities-raid-house-church-in-shiraz-arrest-christians#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:54:48 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26537 Iranian authorities this week arrested Christian converts from Islam while they were meeting for worship at a home in the southern city of Shiraz, according to sources.

The sources put the number of the arrested Christians, who belong to one of Iran’s many underground house churches, at between six and 10.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26537/iranian-authorities-raid-house-church-in-shiraz-arrest-christians/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26375/iran-jails-pastor-extra-year-before-feared-execution http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26375/iran-jails-pastor-extra-year-before-feared-execution#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:44:06 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26375 Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has to serve at least one more year in prison before he may be executed for refusing to abandon his faith in Christ and return to Islam, an official assisting him has said.

Iran's judiciary wants to use that time to "use whatever means necessary to cause him to convert to Islam", explained Jason DeMars, director of advocacy group Present Truth Ministries.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26375/iran-jails-pastor-extra-year-before-feared-execution/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26302/iranian-pastor-strong-in-faith-despite-execution-threat http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26302/iranian-pastor-strong-in-faith-despite-execution-threat#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:57:58 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26302 A jailed pastor of one of Iran's largest evangelical house church movements remains "strong in his faith" in Christ, despite facing execution before Christmas for refusing to return to Islam.

He isn’t the only family member facing criminal charges for converting to Christianity.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26302/iranian-pastor-strong-in-faith-despite-execution-threat/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26218/iran-threatens-to-kill-evangelical-christians-unless-they-%e2%80%9crepent%e2%80%9d-christians-say http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26218/iran-threatens-to-kill-evangelical-christians-unless-they-%e2%80%9crepent%e2%80%9d-christians-say#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:21:52 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26218 Militants with suspected ties to Iranian security forces have threatened to kill nearly a dozen evangelical Christians who fled Iran unless they "repent" and return to Islam.

At least 11 Iranian Christians received electronic mail messages from 'The Unknown Soldiers Of The Hidden Imam' calling on them to either repent or face extra-judicial execution.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26218/iran-threatens-to-kill-evangelical-christians-unless-they-%e2%80%9crepent%e2%80%9d-christians-say/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26142/iranian-authorities-free-christian-after-year-in-prison http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26142/iranian-authorities-free-christian-after-year-in-prison#comments Mon, 05 Sep 2011 06:22:42 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26142 After he became a Christian in the Netherlands, as well as getting free from drugs, Abrahamian returned to Iran to work with drug users.

Iranian authorities were incensed that Abrahamian worked with marginalized Farsi-speaking Muslims, and that he had connections with foreign Christians.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26142/iranian-authorities-free-christian-after-year-in-prison/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25967/iran-court-acquits-11-evangelical-christians http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25967/iran-court-acquits-11-evangelical-christians#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 09:00:38 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25967 Eleven members of one of Iran's largest evangelical house church movements, who were charged with ‘action against the order of the country’ and drinking alcohol, have been acquitted by an Iranian court, BosNewsLife learned Friday, May 20.

The charges referred to their involvement in a house church meeting and to taking communion wine, Iranian Christians said earlier.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25967/iran-court-acquits-11-evangelical-christians/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25867/iran-christians-face-blasphemy-trial http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25867/iran-christians-face-blasphemy-trial#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:36:36 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25867 Five detained members of one of Iran's largest house church movements were to face a trial Monday, April 5, on charges of "blasphemy" which carries the death penalty in this strict Islamic nation.

The five Christians were initially arrested in June 2010 on charges of apostasy, political meetings, blasphemy and crimes against the Islamic Order.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25867/iran-christians-face-blasphemy-trial/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25822/iran-christians-jailed-bibles-%e2%80%9cburned%e2%80%9d http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25822/iran-christians-jailed-bibles-%e2%80%9cburned%e2%80%9d#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:59:18 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25822 Five Iranian house church Christians were behind bars Wednesday, March 15, after being sentenced to one year imprisonment on charges of "crimes against the Islamic order" and there were reports that Iranian authorities have been burning Bibles.

The attacks come amid wider reported pressure on groups deemed dangerous by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25822/iran-christians-jailed-bibles-%e2%80%9cburned%e2%80%9d/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25751/threat-of-prosecution-remains-for-some-christians-freed-in-iran http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25751/threat-of-prosecution-remains-for-some-christians-freed-in-iran#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:53:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25751 In December and January authorities arrested up to 120 believers after Iranian religious and political figures acknowledged the existence of home fellowships and condemned them as a threat to the state. Sources estimate at least 62 of those arrested during late December and January have been released, some on bail. A typical bail amount in Iran can range between a few thousand dollars and the deed on a house.

Some of the Christians who were released reported they were subjected to solitary confinement and harsh interrogation, according to a statement by Elam Ministries on Feb. 4. The statement said some Christians held at Section 209 of Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison suffered up to 34 days in solitary confinement.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25751/threat-of-prosecution-remains-for-some-christians-freed-in-iran/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25062/vatican-stoning-in-iran-adultery-case-brutal http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25062/vatican-stoning-in-iran-adultery-case-brutal#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:03:27 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25062 sentenced to be stoned for adultery.

In its first public statement on the case, which has attracted worldwide attention, the Vatican decried stoning as a particularly brutal form of capital punishment.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the Catholic church opposes the death penalty in general.

It is unclear what chances any Vatican bid would have to persuade the Muslim nation to spare the woman's life. Brazil, which has friendly relations with Iran, was rebuffed when it offered her asylum.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in 2006 of adultery. In July, Iranian authorities said they would not carry out the stoning sentence for the time being, but the mother of two could still face execution by hanging for adultery and other offenses.

Our view: the death penalty is a barbaric form of punishment that should be rejected by all civilized nations -- as should the Shariah. Islamic law is incompatible with Western civilization.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25062/vatican-stoning-in-iran-adultery-case-brutal/feed 0