Attacks on Christians in India rose in 2021. Here's why
Plus Christians in Ukraine prepare to house refugees and standards of modesty are changing in Kenya
Hi ReligionUnplugged readers,
Open Doors USA recently ranked India as the 10th most dangerous country for Christians. In line with that ranking is data from United Christian Forum, which found that attacks against Christians increased 80% from 2020 — meaning 2021 saw the highest number of hate crimes against Indian Christians on record.
Delhi-based contributor Rishabh Jain reports on why these attacks are likely rising, including the influence of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government and anti-conversion laws.
Ukrainian Christians have experienced death, displacement and loss in conflicts with Russia that date back to 2014, when Russia seized Crimea. Many churches that once existed in the region of Ukraine close to the Russian border have been abandoned. Now that Russia has amassed some 127,000 troops along its western border with Ukraine, Christians are planning to create temporary places of refuge for the displaced before they move further west. Erik Tryggestad reports.
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Why Attacks On Christians In India Rose In 2021
A Turning Point In The Repression Of Evangelicals In Cuba by Yoe Suárez
On July 11, 2021, in Cuba, thousands of people of all kinds took to the streets in the greatest display of the power of civil society ever seen in this totalitarian country. Since then, a persecution has been unleashed against some pastors that has contributed to an increasing number of religious leaders and churches questioning speaking out.
In Kenya, Religious Millennials Are Changing Standards Of Modesty by Diana Mwango
In the 1980s and ‘90s, modest religious dressing in Kenya meant a very restricted wardrobe — one solid color of fabric stitched and sold in select shops run by members of the church. Today, trend-conscious religious Millennials are changing the dress code, not necessarily by wearing less modest clothes, but by adding twists of artsy, modern style into their closets.
Christians In Ukraine Call For Peace But Prepare For Possible Russian Invasion by Erik Tryggestad
Ukrainian Christians have experienced death, displacement and loss in conflicts with Russia that date back to 2014. That’s when Russia seized Crimea. And now, Russia has amassed some 127,000 troops along its western border with Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian defense ministry.
Jewish Couple Denied Adoption Services By Methodist Children's Home In Tennessee by Anne Stych
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services on behalf of a Jewish couple who claim that a state-funded adoption agency refused to provide them with child placement services because they are not Christian.
Politico Editor Peter Canellos Explores The Moral Formation Of An American Hero For Equality by Dr. Robert Carle
(REVIEW) Justice John Marshall Harlan was the sole defender of civil rights in a series of 1883 Supreme Court cases. In a new book, Peter Canellos argues that Harlan’s distinctive moral values came from his deeply held religious faith, commitment to the founding ideals and personal experience, including inspiration from his biracial brother.
This Innovative Christian Homeless Shelter Is Rising To California's Housing Challenge by Liza Vandenboom Ashley
With 12 campuses across the California county, Orange County Rescue Mission plays a vital role in combating the homeless crisis. The Village of Hope — set apart from other emergency housing facilities by its commitment to aesthetic design — houses up to 270 men, women and children as part of its residential, back-to-work recovery program.
Let’s Not Forget These 6 Big International Religion Stories In 2022 by Paul Glader
Of the 7.6 billion people on Earth, 2.4 billion identify as Christian, 1.9 billion as Muslim, 1.2 billion as Hindu and more than 500 million as Buddhist. Those are just the four largest religions. In other words, 310 million in the U.S. do not necessarily constitute the epicenter for all religion in the world. If anything, religion in America is a unique outlier.
Rabbi Charlie Who Was Held Hostage Talks Antisemitism At Texas Christian School by Cheryl Mann Bacon
Rabbi Charlie, as friends and congregants call him — one of the four recently held at gunpoint for nearly 11 hours at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue —teaches with emotion when he tells students in Mark Baur’s Worldviews course at Fort Worth Christian School each spring that antisemitism has destroyed generations.
Protestants Are Now Cuba's Most Repressed Religious Group, Tally Finds by Yoe Suárez
Since “11J,” the name given to the July 11, 2021, widespread protests in Cuba, state persecution of Protestant pastors spiked. Today, an increasing number of religious leaders and churches are questioning police repression or speaking out against the Cuban government.
Opinion
A Personal Connection To Synagogue Where Hostages Were Taken, Plus 5 Key Storylines
In Friday’s Weekend Plug-In column, Bobby Ross Jr. highlights the top storylines that have emerged after last weekend’s hostage standoff at a Texas synagogue. Plus, catch up, as always, on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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Texas Synagogue Hostage Standoff Highlights Media Failure To Cover Attacks Against Houses Of Worship by Clemente Lisi
Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh, Who Taught Peace And Mindfulness, Dies At 95 by Brooke Schedneck
How A 13th Century Christian Monk's Ideas Of Virtue Offer Hope For Our Democracy by Christopher Beem
Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) Have Moved Toward Equality In Marriage — But Not Church by Caroline Kline
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The Harm of Blasphemy Laws from the Middle East to Europe
Published from The Media Project's virtual conference, Board Member and Islam expert Dr. Paul Marshall examines the use of blasphemy laws. In his lecture, Dr. Marshall discusses how blasphemy law is used to prevent religious reformation and theological discourse, and stop popular human rights-focused policymaking from progressive Muslim politicians in Muslim majority nations through cycles of violence and intimidation. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or listen directly on our website.
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