http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:15:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23893/religious-persecution-egypt http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23893/religious-persecution-egypt#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:20:06 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23893 A Coptic Christian was believed to remain under police surveillance Friday, November 6, after he was reportedly detained for two days in central Egypt for "praying without a license."

The Christian man said he was eventually released after two days on “compassionate grounds”, but added that Egypt's feared State Security service has placed him under observation by three policemen.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23893/religious-persecution-egypt/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23886/ukraine-christian-hero-svetlana-milchevich-dies-at-64 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23886/ukraine-christian-hero-svetlana-milchevich-dies-at-64#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:49:23 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23886 Svetlana Milchevich, an evangelical Christian who became a voice of the voiceless with her public fight against abuse of power and corruption by Ukrainian authorities, has died after officials refused to allow her to seek medical treatment in neighboring Hungary. She was 64.

"Svetlana Milchevich, who suffered of stomach cancer, peacefully passed away and is now with the Lord," said her family in a statement. Milchevich died in a cold, run-down hospital of Ukraine's western border town of Uzhhorod, where doctors were struggling to find enough pain killers for her and other patients.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23886/ukraine-christian-hero-svetlana-milchevich-dies-at-64/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23864/hindu-anti-christian-terrorism http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23864/hindu-anti-christian-terrorism#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:50:15 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23864 After the recent arrests of numerous Hindu terrorists for exploding bombs, authorities increasingly view Hindu rightwing extremists as a threat not only to Muslim and Christian minorities but also to national security.

Historically Hindu terrorist groups have traded blows with India’s Muslim extremists, but because of a perceived threat from Christianity many analysts believe Hindu terrorists increasingly pose dangers to Christians as well.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23864/hindu-anti-christian-terrorism/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23851/blogger-hani-nazeer-forced-islam-conversion http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23851/blogger-hani-nazeer-forced-islam-conversion#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:03:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23851 A Coptic Christian blogger in Egypt entering his second year of prison without charge is being pressured to convert to Islam in exchange for his freedom, his attorneys said.

On Oct. 3, 2008, Hani Nazeer, a 28-year-old high school social worker from Qena, Egypt and author of the blog “Karz El Hob” (“Love Cherries”), was arrested by Egypt’s State Security Investigations (SSI) and sent to Burj Al-Arab prison.

Although police never charged him with any crime, Nazeer has been detained for more than a year under Egypt’s administrative imprisonment law.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23851/blogger-hani-nazeer-forced-islam-conversion/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23835/cuba-pastors-released-religious-persecution http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23835/cuba-pastors-released-religious-persecution#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:04:27 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23835 Two Baptist leaders who were detained in eastern Cuba while distributing humanitarian aid from American Christians were free Tuesday, October 27, after two weeks imprisonment Christians said.

Last week the charges of "illicit financial activity" were suddenly dropped and they were released, according to Cuban church leaders. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23835/cuba-pastors-released-religious-persecution/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23825/pakistan-police-torture-christians-arrested-in-islamic-attack http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23825/pakistan-police-torture-christians-arrested-in-islamic-attack#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:19:07 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23825 Two Christians in Gojra, Pakistan who allegedly fired warning shots as an Islamist mob approached that burned seven Christians to death on Aug. 1 told Compass they were tortured after police arrested them.

From his jail cell, Naveed Masih told Compass that he and his brother were taken to the Police Training Centre in Choong, where they were kept in illegal detention for 18 days and were tortured “in so many ways ruthlessly and in inhumane ways.” ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23825/pakistan-police-torture-christians-arrested-in-islamic-attack/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23797/taliban-threatens-to-kill-more-christians http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23797/taliban-threatens-to-kill-more-christians#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:58:45 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23797 In a letter sent to the Christian community in the northeastern city of Sargodha, Taliban militants said Christians should convert to Islam, pay an Islamic tax imposed on religious minorities, known as 'Jizya tax', or leave the country.

If Christians refuse to accept these choices, Christians “will be killed, their property and homes will be burnt to ashes and their women treated as sex slaves,” said the letter.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23797/taliban-threatens-to-kill-more-christians/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23785/colombia-rebels-assassinate-evangelical-pastor http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23785/colombia-rebels-assassinate-evangelical-pastor#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:23:41 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23785 Pastor Manuel Camacho, of the Worldwide Missionary Movement, was shot six times by one or more fighters of The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) outside his home on September 21 in the municipality of San Jose del Guaviare, Christians said.

Pastor Camacho, who in the last eight years led a church with his wife in Chopal village, south of San Jose del Guaviare, was murdered because of his preaching and evangelizing in the town and surrounding areas, according to rights investigators.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23785/colombia-rebels-assassinate-evangelical-pastor/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23750/worship-site-demolished-pastors-arrested-in-china http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23750/worship-site-demolished-pastors-arrested-in-china#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:38:07 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23750 Following a mob attack on a church in northeastern China and the demolition of their worship site last month, the government put officials on alert to use military force against churches to quell potential “unrest,” according to a leading advocacy group.

In the wee hours of Sept. 13 some 400 uniformed police and civilians bearing shovels, batons, bricks, iron hooks and other weapons beat members of the church who were sleeping at the nearly finished factory building used as a worship site. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23750/worship-site-demolished-pastors-arrested-in-china/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23680/karnataka-top-in-attacks-on-christians-in-india http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23680/karnataka-top-in-attacks-on-christians-in-india#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:24:24 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23680 With at least 43 incidents of anti-Christian violence, Karnataka saw more attacks on Christians in the first eight months of this year than any other state in India, according to advocacy organizations.

The figure compares with 35 attacks on churches, worship services and Christians during the same period last year in the state, which has become the center of violence against Christians.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23680/karnataka-top-in-attacks-on-christians-in-india/feed 0