http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:54:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26184/us-couple-threatened-with-500-per-meeting-fines-for-home-bible%c2%a0study http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26184/us-couple-threatened-with-500-per-meeting-fines-for-home-bible%c2%a0study#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:54:55 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26184 A San Juan Capistrano, California, has been ordered to stop holding a Bible study in their home on the grounds that the meeting violates a city ordinance as a “church” and not as a private gathering.

The Pacific Justice Institute says it is "committed to defending this family's home Bible study all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary."]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26184/us-couple-threatened-with-500-per-meeting-fines-for-home-bible%c2%a0study/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26140/turkey-overturns-historic-religious-property-seizures http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26140/turkey-overturns-historic-religious-property-seizures#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:54:35 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26140 The Turkish government made a historic U-turn in state policy this past weekend, issuing an official decree inviting Turkey’s Christian and Jewish communities to reclaim their long-confiscated religious properties.

The return of these extensive properties to their rightful owners has been a key demand of the European Union (EU), to which Turkey is applying for full membership.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26140/turkey-overturns-historic-religious-property-seizures/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26006/nepal-plans-new-criminal-code-forbidding-evangelism http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26006/nepal-plans-new-criminal-code-forbidding-evangelism#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:34:55 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26006 Five years after it abolished Hinduism as the state religion, Nepal is working on a new criminal code forbidding a person from one faith to “convert a person or abet him to change his religion.”

Article 160 of the proposed code also says no one will be allowed to do anything or behave in any way that could cause a person from a caste, community or creed to lose faith in his/her traditional religion or convert to a different religion. The proposal would also prohibit conversion “by offering inducements or without inducement,” and preaching “a different religion or faith with any other intent.”]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26006/nepal-plans-new-criminal-code-forbidding-evangelism/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25858/prospects-dim-for-religious-freedom-in-nepal http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25858/prospects-dim-for-religious-freedom-in-nepal#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:28:54 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25858 A new constitution that Nepal’s parliament is scheduled to put into effect before May 28 may not include the right to propagate one’s faith.

The draft constitution, aimed at completing the country’s transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular democracy, contains provisions in its “religious freedom” section that prohibit anyone from converting others from one religion to another.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25858/prospects-dim-for-religious-freedom-in-nepal/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25674/official-recognition-eludes-christian-groups-in-bhutan http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25674/official-recognition-eludes-christian-groups-in-bhutan#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:44:50 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25674 Bhutan officials have given assurances that freedom for Christians to worship “within the cultural norms” of the tiny Buddhist nation in the Himalayas will not be violated, but they remain ambiguous on whether and when the miniscule community will obtain legal identity.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25674/official-recognition-eludes-christian-groups-in-bhutan/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25327/us-%e2%80%98christian-roommate%e2%80%99-complaint-thrown-out http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25327/us-%e2%80%98christian-roommate%e2%80%99-complaint-thrown-out#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:19:13 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25327 Christian roommate has had a complaint against her dismissed.

The unnamed single woman from Michigan had been landed with a civil rights complaint for the advert and was facing a big fine.

But following intervention from a leading US religious liberty group, which had labelled the case “absurd”, the complaint against the 31-year-old woman was thrown out.

Joel Oster, from the Alliance Defense Fund legal group, welcomed the decision, saying it was right that the “frivolous complaint” had been dismissed.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25327/us-%e2%80%98christian-roommate%e2%80%99-complaint-thrown-out/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25258/jesus-film-fine http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25258/jesus-film-fine#comments Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:51:09 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25258 Uzbekistan has imposed a massive fine on a Protestant for owning a Christian film, Forum 18 News Service has learned. Murat Jalalov was fined - apparently on the instructions of the NSS secret police - after police raided his home.

Other religious believers have been fined for offering religious literature on the street. Uzbekistan bans religious activity that does not have state permission.

The film along with other materials was confiscated for analysis by the state Religious Affairs Committee, which said that the film "could be used among local ethnicities for missionary purposes" and was therefore banned. All the confiscated material was ordered to be destroyed. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25258/jesus-film-fine/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24816/buddhist-bhutan-proposes-%e2%80%98anti-conversion%e2%80%99-law http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24816/buddhist-bhutan-proposes-%e2%80%98anti-conversion%e2%80%99-law#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:56:21 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24816 The amendment bill would punish “proselytizing” that “uses coercion or other forms of inducement” – vaguely enough worded, Christians fear, that vigilantes could use it to jail them for following the commands of Christ to feed, clothe and otherwise care for the poor.

“There was always a virtual anti-conversion law in place, but now it is on paper too,” said a senior pastor from Thimphu on condition of anonymity. “Seemingly it is aimed at controlling the growth of Christianity.”]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24816/buddhist-bhutan-proposes-%e2%80%98anti-conversion%e2%80%99-law/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24431/court-permits-evangelist-to-distribute-literature-on-outskirts-of-arab-festival http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24431/court-permits-evangelist-to-distribute-literature-on-outskirts-of-arab-festival#comments Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:49:31 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24431 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24431/court-permits-evangelist-to-distribute-literature-on-outskirts-of-arab-festival/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24363/arrested-preacher-dale-mcalpine-to-sue-police-over-free-speech-arrest http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24363/arrested-preacher-dale-mcalpine-to-sue-police-over-free-speech-arrest#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 20:07:43 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24363 Dale Mcalpine was charged with a public order offence after speaking to a community support officer (PCSO) in Workington, Cumbria, in April.

The charge was later dropped by Cumbria Police, which said it respected freedom of expression.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24363/arrested-preacher-dale-mcalpine-to-sue-police-over-free-speech-arrest/feed 0