The United States and South Korea began naval exercises off the west coast of the peninsula Sunday to send a clear message to North Korea that its aggressive actions must stop.

The drills in the Yellow Sea have infuriated the communist country which warned of unpredictable consequences if the United States sends an aircraft carrier to its waters.

On Sunday, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency warned, "The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) will deal a merciless military counter-attack at any provocative act of intruding into its territorial waters in the future." more >>

Church leaders in South Korea have asked for prayers after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells on Tuesday, killing two South Korean marines and injuring more than a dozen people.

It was the first direct artillery attack on South Korean territory since the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

The Christian Council of Korea's general secretary, the Rev. Kim Woon-Tae, said he couldn't help but feel shocked and worried after hearing the news. more >>

Hundreds of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and atheists have convened at a Texas church in an effort to try to understand one another.

The Global Faith Forum kicked off Thursday at NorthWood Church in Keller and Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr., is hoping the crowd will be open to listen to one another and even build friendships.

Within a pluralistic world where prejudice and stereotypes often hinder understanding, Roberts says "there is a better way than hate and fear." more >>

Extremists are behind a “religion-cide” in Iraq, said a ministry leader Wednesday after receiving news that five more people were killed in Iraq’s Christian neighborhoods.

Less than two weeks after the deadliest attack against Christians, when 56 believers were killed, local police reported that at least 11 roadside bombs exploded within an hour in three Christian neighborhoods in Baghdad Wednesday. Five people, who have not been identified yet but are thought to be Christians, were killed in the coordinated attacks.

“Baghdad right now is just gripped by terrorism against the Christian community and there is no other way to put it,” exclaimed Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA. “I’m using the word religion-cide to explain to people what is really taking place in Iraq right now.” more >>

A Muslim leader is calling on the Iraqi government and US-led forces to step up their efforts to protect the Christian minority in Iraq from extinction.

Navaid Hamid, Secretary of the South Asian Council for Minorities (SACM) and a Muslim, said the deadly attack last weekend on a church in Baghdad was a heinous crime that should be strongly condemned by the international community.

“With the murderous attack, the safety of Iraq’s Christian minority has become critical and it is the prime responsibility not only of the regime in Baghdad but also that of the allied forces led by [the] US to restore confidence and provide safety because never in the history of Iraq, minorities were so vulnerable [sic],” he said. more >>

After four days of meeting at the Ecumenical Center, Christian and Muslim leaders issued a statement Thursday announcing their intention to form a joint anti-crisis response working group.

The working group will be mobilized “whenever a crisis threatens to arise in which Christians and Muslims find themselves in conflict,” reads the statement that came out of the international consultation on “Transforming Communities: Christian and Muslims Building a Common Future” that was held in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Religion is often invoked in conflict creation, even when other factors, such as unfair resource allocation, oppression, occupation and injustice, are the real roots of conflict,” they say in the statement. “We must find ways to ‘disengage’ religion from such roles and ‘reengage’ it towards conflict resolution and compassionate justice.” more >>