| | Pakistani pastor shot dead after Sunday service | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It’s Monday, January 31, and we’re here with news out of Pakistan and Nigeria, as well as a roundup of the weekend's top headlines. | In Pakistan, 75-year-old Pastor William Siraj of Shaheed-e-All Saints Church of the Church of Pakistan, a denomination comprised of Methodist and Anglican churches, was shot twice as he and his colleague were driving home from church on Sunday. Siraj died from his injuries, and his colleague, Pastor Patrick Naeem, was injured. Bishop Azad Marshall from the Church of Pakistan took to Twitter to demand "justice and protection of Christians from the Government of Pakistan." In Case You Missed It ...Over the weekend, the news broke that Brian Houston has stepped down as leader of the global multisite Hillsong Church, clarifying he will remain absent the rest of the year as he faces trial for allegedly concealing sex abuse committed by his father decades earlier. Phil and Lucinda Dooley are slated as the new interim global pastors.Chick-fil-A franchisees opening a second location in Marshall, Texas, buried an open Bible in the building’s foundation as a testament to their faith in God. The omicron subvariant BA.2, which is more contagious than the original omicron strain, has reached nearly half of U.S. states but is circulating at a low level, per the CDC. |
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| Kenyan terrorist known for killing Christians arrested in DRC | | Rashid Mohamed Salim, one of Kenya's most wanted terrorists, was arrested Saturday by security agencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo after he was captured by local youngsters, per reports. The Kenyan government had been offering an $88,000 bounty for the capture of Salim, who is known for slaughtering Christians. | | Also of Interest... | | 16 killed, Catholic church burned by suspected Islamic rebels in DRC attackChristian pastor killed over outreach to Muslims: ‘Today Allah has judged you’2 injured in church bombing before confirmation ceremony in DRC; 2nd bomber killed by own IED | | Nigeria releases journalist held in detention for reporting on attacks against Christians | | A federal high court in Nigeria’s Kaduna state has granted bail to a local journalist from the anti-communist Epoch Times who was arrested for his reporting about attacks against predominantly Christian communities in Nigeria and the government's response. Luka Binniyat, a Roman Catholic, was granted bail by the High Court in Kuwa at a hearing on Thursday in which he pleaded not guilty to the charge of cyberstalking a government official, Christian Solidarity Worldwide said in a statement. | | Christian leaders share ways to combat rising anti-Semitism | | Amid the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States, The Christian Post spoke with two Christian leaders to get their opinions on what churches can do in response. Scott Phillips, executive director of Passages Israel, who says social media has reinforced bigotry, believes people need to "stand up [and] show up," build relationships with the Jewish community and seek education on the history and causes of anti-Semitism. |
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| Beware of the reality benders | | Robin Schumacher writes about the current trend of reality bending and "responsibility deflecting" that is plaguing society, pointing to Milwaukee city officials' decision to sue car manufacturers for making their cars too easy to steal as just one example of the debilitating progressive agenda in America. "The bad news is since the definition of truth is that which corresponds to reality, and consequences always exist for living a lie, we’re looking at a rough road now and a worse one in the future," Schumacher warns. | | Socialism: The worst 'bad idea' in history | | Socialism is gaining steam among younger generations despite, as one journalist put it, most of its proponents failing to do the math on what socialism in America would actually entail. With conservative figures revealing 100 million have died in recent decades at the hands of communism, it seems clear that heading down the path of socialism is a bad idea, yet some still persist in supporting it, writes Frank Wright. The issue at hand lies in what has been described as a velvet glove concealing an iron fist, with Wright asserting, "[S]ocialist (or any) government has nothing to give anybody that it does not first take from somebody else. Socialism is principally about the acquisition and concentration of power." |
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| Floral Artist’s Legal Case is Over But She’s Passing Legacy on to Other Creative Professionals | | After almost a decade, Washington floral artist Barronelle Stutzman has ended her legal battle on her own terms. “I am willing to turn the legal struggle for freedom over to others. At age 77, it’s time to retire” she wrote in an open letter. | | But why was this seventy-seven-year-old grandmother in court in the first place? Well, because she—like many creative professionals across the country—simply wanted to create art consistently with her deeply held religious beliefs. Read More | |
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| Louisville pays police officer suspended for praying outside abortion clinic $75K | | The city of Louisville, Ky., has agreed to pay a police officer $75,000 in a legal settlement after the officer was punished for attending a pro-life demonstration outside of an abortion clinic. Matthew Schrenger filed a complaint against Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Erika Shields and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer last October after being suspended for attending a prayer vigil outside EMW Women’s Surgical Center. |
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| Skillet frontman talks publicly defending faith | | In this interview with The Christian Post, multi-platinum rock band Skillet's frontman, John Cooper, encourages Christians to embrace their freedom in Christ despite the cost. Cooper touches on the importance of acknowledging what America and the Founding Fathers got right, explaining, "I'm not saying that America did everything right. I'm only saying that to recognize Christ as Lord or even that there is a God over the state and the state may not intrude into personal rights, that is a really wonderful thing. We should not be quick to give that up, in my opinion." | | Skillet's 11th studio album, "Dominion," dropped this month. The band will also be headlining the Winter Jam 2022 nationwide tour. Learn more. | | | Also of Interest... | | Skillet rocker: Stop elevating Christian influencers, learning theology from praise songsSkillet's John Cooper says he was promised fame if he stopped talking about Jesus | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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