The U.S. State Department in December redesignated Saudi Arabia as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for egregious, systemic and ongoing violations of religious freedom. That decision is applauded by the U.S. Commission on Religious…
Autocratic nations are pretending to embrace religious freedom, U.S. commission warns
Autocratic nations, especially in the Middle East, are increasingly adopting policies that only appear to foster religious tolerance, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. They do this to curry favor and trust with the United States and…
USCIRF ‘outraged’ by omission of Nigeria and India from State Department’s List of Countries of Particular Concern
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has expressed outrage that the U.S. Department of State did not include Nigeria or India in its latest designations of Countries of Particular Concern. Although a government organization, the USCIRF does not have the same…
King Charles should abolish the term ‘Defender of the Faith’
As soon as the dust settles and Charles realizes he really is king, among the first things he should do is repudiate the moniker “Defender of the Faith.” He probably wil not, but people bearing prophetic messages don’t keep silent…
The monarchy Christians
Mark Wingfield posted a query on Facebook that deserves a deeper look. He wondered about the evangelical response to the death of Queen Elizabeth. And he asked the simple journalistic question: Why? I venture a partial response. The evangelical support…
CBF, Fellowship Southwest and BJC join in appeal to DHS to stop harassing Sikhs seeking religious asylum in U.S.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Fellowship Southwest, Baptist Joint Committee and 160 other civil rights and faith groups are demanding American border agents be forced to stop confiscating religious items and other personal property from migrants seeking asylum in the United…
Cuban government clamps down more on religion
The Cuban government, long hostile to all forms of religious expression, is tightening down further on communities of faith in response to ongoing economic challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a religious freedom expert reported. “They must be overwhelmed by…
U.S. State Department calls out Russia, China, Afghanistan, Myanmar for extreme religious freedom abuses
Its continuing domestic crackdowns on minority religious groups and its invasion of Ukraine have solidified Russia’s status as one of the world’s leading violators of religious freedom, U.S. officials announced this month. “Following its designation as a Country of Particular…
Unanimous Supreme Court rules against Boston in Christian flag case
The City of Boston so clearly violated U.S. law on religious liberty that a normally divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously against the city May 2. Given the tense nature of debate about the meaning of religious freedom amid the…