The new rules, however, do not apply to private businesses whose owners have religious or moral obligations to contraception — and that issue has already been a major battleground in federal courts. Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned arts-and-crafts chain that’s suing the government over the mandate, won a round June 27 in its bid to not... Continue Reading

Though the Supreme Court struck down a federal law and not a state marriage law, judges are applying the ruling to state laws because Kennedy wrote that DOMA violated equal protection. Kennedy sought to protect the state laws by saying that DOMA only discriminated in states where gay marriage was legal—but these Michigan judges didn’t... Continue Reading

As in Iraq, Syria’s two-million-strong Christian community, the largest next to Egypt’s Copts in the entire region, is being devastated. Targeted by jihadist militias, they are steadily fleeing Syria, and whether they will be able to return to their ancient homeland is doubtful. On June 23, Catholic Syrian priest Fr. François Murad was murdered in... Continue Reading

We have always been in this world but never of it. “Put no confidence in princes!” the Lord God commands our hearts. Just as our first Century brothers and sisters in Christ knew not to put their trust in silly Caesars who counted themselves as gods, so too we must learn not to put our... Continue Reading

Mr Ruto urged foreign governments to respect Kenya’s sovereignty. “But for these other things we hear it is none of our business as it goes against our customs and traditions,” he said, referring to President Obama’s call for African countries to respect the rights of gay people.   Deputy President William Ruto on Sunday urged... Continue Reading

Chambers fails on two fronts. First, his understanding of the Lordship of Christ doesn’t seem to include sexuality. Second, he seems to be accepting that there are adjectives that go in front of “Christian” to mark a man’s identity, i.e., “gay Christian.” I think there were a lot of wrongheaded people in Exodus to begin... Continue Reading

And because some of the most restrictive countries are very populous, more than 5.1 billion people (74 percent of the world’s population) were living in 2011 in countries “with high government restrictions on religion or high social hostilities involving religion, the brunt of which often falls on religious minorities,” the study’s authors report.  WASHINGTON (RNS)... Continue Reading

Today, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the evangelical-owned craft chain had proven that complying with the mandate would cause “irreparable harm” to the company. As a result of today’s decision, the case now will return to a lower court that will rule on the injunction. But Hobby Lobby isn’t the only company... Continue Reading

Christians are not always targeted deliberately, he says, but this “does not mean they are not a vulnerable group… and implies they are in varying degrees liable to suffer specific threats”. More than two years have passed since the beginning of the civil war between President Bashar al-Assad’s government forces and the Free Syrian Army... Continue Reading

Justice Anthony Kennedy announced the court’s 5-4 decision. Justice Kennedy was joined by the four members of the court’s liberal wing—Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan—while Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, joined by Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.   The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the... Continue Reading