http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:59:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26150/in-recession-hit-hungary-churches-take-over-state-schools http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26150/in-recession-hit-hungary-churches-take-over-state-schools#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:33:52 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26150 Local government officials in Hungary are handing state-owned schools over to churches, unable to afford their upkeep during the economic recession, according to church sources.

"Churches are entitled to run schools in Hungary as public service providers, receiving the same taxpayers' money as public sponsors," said Balazs Odor, ecumenical officer of Hungary's Reformed Church. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26150/in-recession-hit-hungary-churches-take-over-state-schools/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/25874/fasting-for-the-poor http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25874/fasting-for-the-poor#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:47:22 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25874 “Why We’re Fasting” is the title of columnist Mark Bittman’s essay in Wednesday's New York Times, the “we” being himself and David Beckmann, here described as a “reverend,” and “this year’s World Food Prize laureate.” The pastor heads “Bread for the World.”

Yes, why fast? ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25874/fasting-for-the-poor/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25789/sightings-hells-bell http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25789/sightings-hells-bell#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:00:27 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25789 Americans may have thought that cracks in the façade and framework of evangelicalism would show up most visibly when serious evangelicals argued whether Sarah Palin or Mike Huckabee would be the better presidential candidate.

But now we have a chance to see that other divisive issues among evangelicals beg for attention. The topic? Hell, and a punishing God’s use thereof.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25789/sightings-hells-bell/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25782/new-york-times-on-the-rob-bell-controversy http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25782/new-york-times-on-the-rob-bell-controversy#comments Sat, 05 Mar 2011 12:16:58 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25782 While sliding close to what critics consider the heresy of “universalism” — that all humans will eventually be saved — Rob Bell never uses the term in his book.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25782/new-york-times-on-the-rob-bell-controversy/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25778/book-by-rob-bell-ignites-debate-over-universalism http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25778/book-by-rob-bell-ignites-debate-over-universalism#comments Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:07:21 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25778 Mars Hill pastor Rob Bell -- one of the leaders in the supposedly leaderless Emerging Church movement -- has become the subject of a heated online debate regarding his forthcoming book "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived."

The discussion erupted on Twitter and many Christian blogs after Justin Taylor, vice president of editorial at Crossway, published a blog post titled "Rob Bell: Universalist?" ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25778/book-by-rob-bell-ignites-debate-over-universalism/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25752/detained-afghanistan-christians-facing-death-penalty http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25752/detained-afghanistan-christians-facing-death-penalty#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:59:18 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25752 Two Afghan Christians who were arrested for their conversion to Christianity remain behind bars despite diplomatic efforts by the United States to secure their release, a Christian rights group said Wednesday, February 23.

International Christian Concern (ICC) said it had obtained a letter smuggled out of Qasre Shahi prison in Mazar-e-Sharif, in which one Christian wrote that he may receive the death penalty for apostasy.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25752/detained-afghanistan-christians-facing-death-penalty/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/25722/mainline-church-membership-decline-continues-but-more-slowly http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25722/mainline-church-membership-decline-continues-but-more-slowly#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:59:59 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25722 Growing churches continue to grow and declining churches continue to decline, according to the National Council of Ch urches' 2011 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches.

"The direction of membership (growth or decline) remains very stable," writes the Yearbook's editor, the Rev. Dr. Eileen Lindner, in the newest edition released this week. "That is, churches which have been increasing in membership in recent years continue to grow and likewise, those churches which have been declining in recent years continue to decline."]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25722/mainline-church-membership-decline-continues-but-more-slowly/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25378/why-iraqi-christians-are-running-scared-in-sweden http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25378/why-iraqi-christians-are-running-scared-in-sweden#comments Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:38 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25378 attacks by Muslims against Iraq's Christians in recent weeks — including a Halloween day massacre in a Baghdad church, which left 52 dead — the country's religious minority fears for its survival within the boundaries of the Middle Eastern nation. Yet, a long way from their native land, many Iraqi Christians are also living in terror in a far more serene place: Stockholm.

Swedish immigration officials have been deporting Iraqi refugees to Baghdad on flights about every three weeks, declaring that some of them have no legitimate claim to political asylum in Sweden. That includes Iraqi Christians — a category that does not automatically imply a risk of persecution, according to Swedish guidelines. • See also: Iraq's Christians Vow to Survive, With Muslim Help]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25378/why-iraqi-christians-are-running-scared-in-sweden/feed 0