The oppression of Ukrainian religious communities should be added to the war crimes charges already filed against Russian leaders by judges in the Hague, an official with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said May 1. Brutal and ongoing…
80,000 Jews have fled Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine
Jews are urged to flee Russia as the persecution of religious minorities in that country increasingly matches the oppression of Ukrainian faith groups, an exiled rabbi said during a webinar hosted by the U.S. Commission on Religious Liberty. “This new…
In Ukraine: ‘We cannot just preach like we did before the war’
Ukrainian pastors have radically adjusted their ministries to meet the physical and spiritual needs of church members and countrymen since Russian forces invaded Ukraine almost a year ago. So says Igor Bandura, a pastor and vice president of the All-Ukrainian…
Putin needs to be taken down
Someone needs to take down Vladimir Putin. Last week’s brazen attack on a residential building in Dnipro, Ukraine, is only the latest in a year’s worth of horrifying atrocities set in motion by one man alone — Putin. And for…
This will happen in 2023 (I think)
Predicting the future is a fool’s game. Right in my wheelhouse, in other words. Fools and pundits rush in where wiser souls fear to tread. With that boulder-sized grain of salt in mind, here are my predictions for 2023: Let’s…
Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian religious sites are war crimes
Putin’s war machine understands the power of faith and has deliberately sought to destroy Ukrainian churches. Both sides have relied upon Christian themes during the fighting — Putin to justify the unjustifiable and Zelensky to inspire the Ukrainian nation to stand firm in the…
Critics of Brittney Griner are bad patriots making bad arguments
The New Testament story of Barabbas is the best metaphor I have found for what is unfolding in America after the release of Brittney Griner from a Russian prison. The conservative branch of our fractured country has erupted like coyotes…
As Americans celebrate release of Brittney Griner, some conservatives openly criticize her freedom
Former Baylor University basketball superstar Brittney Griner has been released from captivity in Russia in a prisoner swap involving a Russian arms dealer, President Joe Biden announced Dec. 8. “She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home…
In Ukraine, Baptists speak most often of ‘prayers’ and ‘gratitude’ amid the horrors of war
Reading through Facebook posts and updates from the Ukrainian Baptists, the two words most commonly used are “prayers” and “gratitude.” There are abundant reasons for our brothers and sisters to cry out in need to God and to give thanks….