Ethics/rights

NEW YORK -- As the Christian community expresses its concern over reports of a mass exodus of Christians from Iraq, an Iraqi official says the situation is not as bad as it seems, and that Iraq, with a tradition of religious tolerance, very much has a  chance to become an oasis of peace and tolerance in the region – but that would require the eradication of extremism.

The Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. T. Hamid Al-Bayati, met with a group of local interfaith religious leaders in the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the U.N. in New York City Thursday to discuss what the international Christian community can do to support the Iraqi government in protecting the vulnerable religious minorities. The ambassador addressed several Jewish and Christian religious leaders who have expressed concern about the international Christian community not engaging enough in helping their brethren. They have also expressed concern as to whether the Iraqi government was doing everything in its power to protect religious minorities. Among those present at Thursday's meeting were Rabbi Yaakov Kermaier, President of the New York Board of Rabbis and Dr. Paul de Vries, president of the New York Divinity School, along with several others.

News organizations as well as external research companies, and even the U.S. government have been reporting a rise in persecution of religious minority in the country – the aftermath of chaos and a rise in sectarian violence that followed the toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. more >>

George Foster, former New Orleans Saints offensive tackle, and his wife, Chanita, said they have been led by God to feed over 1,000 children in a Southern Africa nation.

Chanita founded the “Beyond the Game” organization, which is committed to feeding children in Swaziland.

“To sum it up because it is a long story, God revealed my purpose,” Chanita wrote on the organization’s website. “It was very clear once I saw the children with hope in their eyes and love in their hugs. My life purpose is James 1:27. With that Beyond the Game was born.” more >>

Operation Rescue, a leading pro-life Christian activist organization, has launched Pro-Life Nation – an initiative seeking to unite grassroots organizations to put an end to abortion and expose the truth about the U.S. "abortion cartel."

"It's a goal and it’s a mission statement," Operation Rescue President Troy Newman told The Christian Post. "We have not only become a pro-life nation, but we're abortion abolitionists as well."

"We believe that with the current climate in America, abortion could be eliminated very soon, if a goal-oriented strategy is employed that includes cooperation among various pro-life organizations and individuals," Newman, who is also president of Pro-Life Nation, said seperately in a released statement.  more >>

British tennis player Laura Robson has been forced to reject claims that she was making any sort of protest in favor of homosexuality Monday, after she donned a rainbow colored headband for her first round match in the Australian Open.

Gay activists expressed their delight that Robson was wearing the rainbow headband, saying that she was the latest high-profile person to offer backing to their agendas.

However, 17-year-old Laura Robson has denied claims that her choice of headwear was a gay protest. more >>

Although the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his leadership in the civil rights movement, an upcoming book is set to make the controversial claim that he would have been an advocate for gay marriage. Those shocking claims, however, squarely contradict what King's own daughter has said about him in the past, and even King's own words, which have described homosexuality as a "problem."

The ongoing debate was recently sparked by Michael Long, author of the upcoming book Keeping It Straight? Martin Luther King, Jr., Homosexuality, and Gay Rights, who feels the civil rights leader would have sided with those advocating for gay marriage. However, most do not believe King would have petitioned for homosexual marriage.

The Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of The Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny, told The Christian Post that in studying King’s speeches, he could not conceive the civil rights leader heading a gay rights movement. more >>

Spirits were high in the freezing temperature Monday morning as a group of 70-odd protesters called for economic and social equality in front of the New York City Federal Reserve bank in downtown Manhattan.

The area, located only one block away from Zuccotti Park, where the "Occupy Wall Street" (OWS) movement originated, has already seen the banners and heard the slogans. But the Monday protest – held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – was also complete with prayers and hymns. Protesters evoked the spirit of brotherhood and unity, while also evoking the legacy of King, the most revered civil rights activist in the United States.

“Occupy the Dream” (OTD) was born when members of the African-American faith community joined forces with OWS to launch “a new campaign for economic justice inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., faithful to its philosophical origin,” organizers said in a recent statement. Monday was only the first day of an initiative that is intended to last until the goal is achieved. more >>