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/26474/knesset-panel-strengthen-ties-with-s-american-evangelical-christians http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26474/knesset-panel-strengthen-ties-with-s-american-evangelical-christians#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:07:11 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26474 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26474/knesset-panel-strengthen-ties-with-s-american-evangelical-christians/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26305/israel-symposium-to-explore-legislation-aimed-at-curbing-cults http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26305/israel-symposium-to-explore-legislation-aimed-at-curbing-cults#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:29:53 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26305 A panel of academics and professionals from Israel's Ministry of Welfare and Social Services will meet Thursday to discuss the possibility of creating legislation to legally outlaw sects and cultish practices in Israel.

The one-day symposium will explore the ethical dilemma of curbing such groups and attempt to sharpen the definition of what constitutes a cult.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26305/israel-symposium-to-explore-legislation-aimed-at-curbing-cults/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25986/israel-welfare-ministry-calls-for-legislation-to-fight-cults http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25986/israel-welfare-ministry-calls-for-legislation-to-fight-cults#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 06:53:46 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25986 The Israeli government must create comprehensive legislation to combat the phenomenon of cults in Israel and provide a clearer definition of what constitutes cult activity, a report published Monday by a special Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs task force has recommended.

Authored by the team of professionals that dealt with the fallout of Israel’s largest cult to date – that headed by Tel Aviv polygamist Goel Ratzon – the 48-page report focuses on four main areas: preventive action, therapeutic intervention, legislation and government involvement.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25986/israel-welfare-ministry-calls-for-legislation-to-fight-cults/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25969/pilgrims-return-to-jesus-baptismal-site-as-israel-removes-landmines http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25969/pilgrims-return-to-jesus-baptismal-site-as-israel-removes-landmines#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 12:28:33 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25969 Pilgrims are flowing back to the traditional site of Jesus' baptism on the Jordan River as Israel removes 40-year-old land mines and improves the area, but barbed wire and armed soldiers testify to the area's tense past.

Located in a closed military area on the West Bank a few kilometers from Jericho, the site -- Qasr el Yahud -- has been revered since the fourth or fifth century as the place where John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Messiah]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25969/pilgrims-return-to-jesus-baptismal-site-as-israel-removes-landmines/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25846/israels-messianic-jews-face-orthodox-persecution http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25846/israels-messianic-jews-face-orthodox-persecution#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:04:40 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25846 Representatives of a Messianic Jewish community in the southern Israeli town of Arad said Monday, March 21, they face "increased persecution" by ultra-Orthodox Jews who accuse the believers of missionary activities and want them to leave Israel.

In 2008, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that Messianic Jews have the same rights regarding automatic citizenship as Jews who do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25846/israels-messianic-jews-face-orthodox-persecution/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25606/in-rise-of-ultra-orthodox-challenges-for-israel http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25606/in-rise-of-ultra-orthodox-challenges-for-israel#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:52:41 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25606 ultra-Orthodox community, an insular and devout minority that has long been at loggerheads with the rest of the increasingly modern and prosperous country.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25606/in-rise-of-ultra-orthodox-challenges-for-israel/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25276/ultra-orthodox-jews http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25276/ultra-orthodox-jews#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:51:55 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25276 ultra-Orthodox Jewish minority that allowed most religious men to avoid military service, attend separate schools and get paid by the state to study the Bible instead of entering the work force.

But this system is coming under new scrutiny, pressured by a series of Supreme Court rulings, an ambitious education minister and the hugely unpopular cost of sustaining a fast-growing ultra-Orthodox population that has few skills for the 21st century and now accounts for one in four Jewish first graders - and growing. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25276/ultra-orthodox-jews/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24837/israel-controversial-conversion-bill-shelved http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24837/israel-controversial-conversion-bill-shelved#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:28:58 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24837 shelving a bill on Jewish conversions that drew sharp criticism from American Jews.

The bill would have strengthened the control of Orthodox rabbis in Israel over the sensitive process of Jewish conversions. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24837/israel-controversial-conversion-bill-shelved/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24771/messianic-jewish-church-won%e2%80%99t-appeal-israeli-court-ruling http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24771/messianic-jewish-church-won%e2%80%99t-appeal-israeli-court-ruling#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:21:11 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24771 A congregation of Messianic Jews in Israel who recently lost a lawsuit against an ultra-orthodox Jewish group that allegedly incited a riot against them has decided not to appeal their case, the church’s pastor has said.

After meeting with his congregation and members of the Messianic community in Israel, Howard Bass, pastor of Yeshua’s Inheritance church in Beer Sheva, said that although there are strong legal grounds for an appeal, he believes it is not God’s will to do so.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24771/messianic-jewish-church-won%e2%80%99t-appeal-israeli-court-ruling/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23995/israel-immigration-service-raids-african-church-several-detained http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23995/israel-immigration-service-raids-african-church-several-detained#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:34:23 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23995 Security forces of Israel's immigration service broke into an African church in Tel Aviv damaging the ceiling and detaining several worshipers, news reports said Tuesday, December 22.

Immigration officers gathered everyone on the premises and detained those who did not hold papers with a request for refugee status, Haaretz reported. It was not immediately clear how many people were detained.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23995/israel-immigration-service-raids-african-church-several-detained/feed 0