Canada

People are less likely to punish others for their misdeeds if they believe it is "God's job" to do so, a recently released study suggests.

In order to find out how people felt about punishment, researchers conducted five separate studies. In the first three, participants were surveyed to find out the degree to which they believed in "powerful, intervening Gods," and then they participated in an exercise in which some of them had the opportunity to punish others for being uncooperative.

The findings from the first three studies show that those who believe in intervening gods are less likely to personally punish violators, and are also less likely to support government spending to carry out punishments. more >>

Grant Jeffrey, a Canadian Bible teacher known as an expert on Bible prophecies, an advocate of dispensationalism and host of TBN's "Bible Prophecy Revealed," passed away over the weekend after a cardiac arrest. He was 64.

"He is now without pain, he is healed and now with his Heavenly Father. He will be missed sorely," reads a statement published on the Grant Jeffrey Ministries website. The funeral will be held in Toronto, at a location to be announced soon, ministry officials said.

Jeffrey was hospitalized in Toronto, Canada, on May 7, in critical condition. The ministry said in a statement Saturday that Jeffrey died after suffering a cardiac arrest Friday night. He is survived by his wife Kaye, with whom he had been in full-time ministry since 1988. more >>

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is recruiting churches across Canada to train some of their members in evangelism as preparation for next year's launch of its "My Hope" telecast.

The Canada telecast of BGEA's "My Hope," which involves friends sharing Jesus with friends with the help of broadcasts and videos, is being planned for November 2013, Calgary Herald reported.

With the goal of saturating every country in the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ, this relationship-based ministry has reached 57 countries and about 10 million people have said they have established a personal relationship with Christ, according to the ministry website. more >>

Members of a Christian college in Canada will be placing posters around the Toronto Transit Commission's subway system in an attempt to counter recent posters displayed by a Muslim group declaring "there is no god but Allah."

"JESUS SAID, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father except through Me,'" the posters from the Canada Christian College (CCC) reads. The college told The Toronto Sun Monday that it would be placing posters around 50 transportation centers across the city to reach out to commuters.

The CCC poster campaign is set to be launched by May 1 and follows a similar campaign carried out this past January by a Canadian Muslim group, the Walk-In Islamic Infocenter. more >>

Jenna Talackova, the 23-year-old transgender Canadian who was booted from the upcoming Miss Universe Canada pageant, could possibly be reinstated to the competition, organizers have said.

Talackova, who was born a male but underwent sexual reassignment surgery four years ago, was originally told she would not be able to participate in the 61st Miss Universe Canada pageant in May because she had lied in her application about being a naturally born female.

The decision, based on the rules created by the larger Miss Universe organization, run by billionaire entrepreneur Donald Trump, sparked a wave of worldwide criticism, including a petition on website Change.com that gathered more than 41,000 signatures demanding Talackova be reinstated to the competition. Still, others have insisted that the rules are there for a reason. more >>

Three members of an Afghan family living in Canada killed their four female relatives for bringing "dishonor" by dressing "indecently," dating a Christian man, and using the Internet, a Canadian jury said while pronouncing them guilty of "cold-blooded, shameful murders."

The jury convicted an Afghan immigrant couple – identified as 58-year-old Mohammad Shafia and his 42-year-old wife Tooba Yahya – and their 21-year-old son Hamed for drowning the three sisters as well as Shafia's first wife, The Associated Press reported Monday.

The bodies of Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, Geeti, 13, and Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, were found in a car submerged in a canal in Kingston, Ontario, on June 30, 2009. The family had stopped in Kingston while returning home to Montreal from Niagara Falls. The four women were "strong, vivacious and freedom-loving," the prosecution said. more >>