Samuel Smith and World Watch Monitor

Latest

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  Sep 14, 2019

  New York City to repeal ban on gay 'conversion therapy' amid legal battle

  The New York city council is planning to repeal a two-year-old ban on “gay conversion therapy” in order to avoid a costly uphill legal fight.

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  Sep 13, 2019

  Chinese pastors ordered to base sermons on book comparing Bible to Confucianism

  Chinese government officials are demanding that clergy affiliated with the state-sanctioned protestant church base their sermons on a new book that blends biblical teachings with the teachings of Confucius.

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  Sep 13, 2019

  College 'hate speech' policies 'parallel' blasphemy laws in Pakistan, Muslim lawyer says

  A Muslim lawyer is warning that “hate speech” policies instituted at a number of college campuses in the U.S. are having similar psychological effects on students that anti-blasphemy laws in Pakistan have on citizens who are sometimes incited to mob violence. 

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  Sep 12, 2019

  Jacksonville megachurch in 'cardiac arrest,' to sell off most of its massive downtown property

  More than a year after pastor Mac Brunson resigned from First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, the megachurch’s current senior pastor explained that the congregation is in “cardiac arrest” and in need of a drastic downsizing. 

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  Sep 12, 2019

  US evangelical leaders held meeting with Saudi crown prince on eve of 9/11

  On the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a delegation of American evangelical leaders met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the state of religious freedom and the battle against extremism in the kingdom. 

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  Sep 11, 2019

  Norway CPS violated mother's rights through forced adoption: European rights court

  Europe’s top human rights court ruled Tuesday that Norway’s controversial child services agency violated a mother’s rights by forcibly adopting her son to a foster family years after he was removed from her custody at three weeks old. 

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  Sep 10, 2019

  Tony Perkins, USCIRF urge Trump to extend religious freedom commitment to refugees

  Evangelicals leaders, including some who are usually friendly with the administration, are urging President Donald Trump to stop plans to cut the number of refugees allowed into the United States.

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  Sep 10, 2019

  Myanmar military drops criminal case against pastor who told Trump about abuses

  The Myanmar military has dropped a criminal complaint against a Baptist leader who told President Donald Trump in July that the Christian community has been “oppressed and tortured” by the Southeast Asian country’s military government. 

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  Sep 10, 2019

  Pakistani Christian man who died after days in police custody was tortured, autopsy reveals

  The autopsy of a Christian man in Pakistan who died shortly after his release from police custody shows that he suffered torture and abuse, according to reports. 

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  Sep 10, 2019

  Pakistan: School principal abducts 15-year-old Christian girl, forces Islamic conversion

  A school principal in Pakistan is accused of abducting a Christian student and taking her to an Islamic madrasa to forcibly convert her to Islam.