I struggle to reconcile Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:44 with my desire to see Vladimir Putin and his minions annihilated. The Gospel text states: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Two questions…
‘The situation here is terrible,’ Ukrainian Baptist leader tells European allies
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is unfolding as the worst possible scenario faith leaders could have envisioned, a Baptist leader said in a Zoom call Thursday, Feb. 24. More than 75 people joined the online conversation organized on short notice…
Ukrainian and European Baptist leaders issue urgent calls to prayer
Ukrainian Baptist leaders, along with other European Baptist leaders, have issued urgent calls to prayer for the intense conflict emerging at the Ukrainian-Russian border. As dawn broke in the region Wednesday, Feb. 16, the status of the enormous threat from…
International religious freedom group decries Biden administration letting Nigeria escape Countries of Particular Concern list
The nation’s top bipartisan watchdog for international religious freedom praised one addition by the U.S. State Department to its 2021 list of Countries of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations but expressed astonishment that another country was dropped from the…
The true story of two immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. and the pastor who’s helping them
Michael Wangai (not his real name) has been in U.S. immigration “detention” since August 2019. The only crime he has committed is seeking political asylum in the United States with a certainty that if he returns to his home country…
Why is Russia’s Putin talking about marriage and faith in God?
On Wednesday, July 1, Russians voted to approve a series of amendments to the Russian constitution. Among them is the mention of “faith in God” and definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Contrary to some pundits,…
Religion Notes: Religious people happier; Baptist groups fund global projects
It’s long been assumed that religious belief and participation contributes to overall happiness. Now there are some statistics confirming that. The Pew Research Center has released a survey that found, globally, those active in congregations “tend to be happier and…
Powerful spiritual force needed to counter critical national, world challenges
Research shows that a slight majority of Americans believe religion can solve most of the world’s problems. According to Gallup, 55 percent of Americans hold that view. Broken down by politics, 71 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of Democrats express that…
Baptists among religious groups facing severe limits under Russian laws
Missionaries and others who evangelize in Russia now face severe restrictions on those activities since President Vladimir Putin approved sweeping new anti-terrorism laws.