Tennessee Students Plan Prayer Circle after Atheist Group Complains

“We always prayed before games. It was just part of what we did.”

By Mikaela Matthews
Christian Headlines

Students from Rockvale High School in Tennessee will pray before their football game this week after a complaint was filed against the coach.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued an objection against football coach Rick Rice after he prayed for his team, as reported by Faithwire. According to the organization, only students are allowed to lead prayers. The coach apologized for any misunderstanding after discussing the matter with the school principal and acknowledged that he led two prayers after games so far that season. 

But students from the high school believe the complaint was not needed.

“We always prayed before games. It was just part of what we did,” said Drew Kilgour, a Rockvale resident.

“That’s something that you see on the fields. That’s something that you see in the locker rooms. That’s something you see in the classrooms, in small groups when it comes to any athletic sport, but especially in football, we really see that,” Ronnisha Simmons-Duke, a mother of a Rockvale high school student, said.

In response to the complaint, Rockvale students Madison Nowacki and La’Naya Nelson announced an official prayer circle at 6:30 p.m. before their weekly football game, according to the Daily Journal.

“We have been talking about wanting to pray with our team for a while, but we were scared at first,” Nowacki said. “After the complaint, we thought we should voice our opinions as well and stand with our coach.”

Nowacki continued: “I believe that the complaint was very unnecessary and it upsets me to see it. Coach Rice is an amazing, outgoing and hardworking coach. …It was a prayer to heal the boys, and make sure they stayed strong.”

With brothers on the football team, Nowacki and Nelson hope the prayers help the boys “play harder, smarter and stronger.”

The FFRF is an atheist-led nonprofit organization that works to enforce the division between church and state and most recently called out a school in Robertson County, Tennesee, for baptizing athletes. According to CBN News, the school system responded that the activities were student-initiated and led.

Link to Christian Headlines News article

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Court Rules University of Iowa Officials Must Pay From Their Own Pockets For Their Religious Discrimination

With the InterVarsity v. University of Iowa decision where a federal judge ruled resoundingly in InterVarsity's favor, Young Life and other Christian student groups can take heart. They may have a precedent they can take to court to help them fight for the right to choose their own leaders just like any other group.

By Deborah Bunting
CBN News

In a stunning decision, a federal judge has ruled that officials at the University of Iowa violated the law when they kicked InterVarsity Christian Fellowship off their campus and that they are personally responsible for costs incurred by InterVarsity in defending its rights. 

InterVarsity had been on the University of Iowa campus for over 25 years. But in 2018, the University expelled the group from the U of I campus for insisting that anyone in leadership must affirm its Christian beliefs. The University claimed that requirement was discriminatory. 

Along with InterVaristy, UI kicked other religious groups off campus as well – including Sikhs, Muslims, and Latter-Day Saints – all for requiring the same thing of its leaders, simply that they embrace the groups' core beliefs. 

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a religious liberty law group, defended InterVarsity, and in a statement released to the media, said secular groups and "a few religious groups favored by the University" – were excluded from this mass ejection and got to stay on campus.

The Beckett Fund reports in the ruling last Friday, the court held that this discrimination was so egregious that the officers involved – and possibly even the University's president – would be personally accountable for any money Inter Varsity lost fighting to stay on campus. 

Greg Jao, Director of External Relations at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, stated "We must have leaders who share our faith.

"No group – religious or secular – could survive with leaders who reject its values. We're grateful the court has stopped the University's religious discrimination, and we look forward to continuing our ministry on campus for years to come."

CBN report continues here

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Actress Fired for Expressing Biblical View of Homosexuality Sues for Religious Discrimination

Seyi Omooba, 25, was removed from a lead role in The Color Purple 

over comments she made about homosexuality. Christian Legal Centre

By Leah MarieAnn Klett  
Christian Post

A Christian actress who lost her lead role in the stage production of "The Color Purple" after expressing a biblical view on homosexuality is now planning to sue both the theatre and her former agents for religious discrimination.

In March, Seyi Omooba, 25, was given a starring role as Celie in a production of "The Color Purple," based on Alice Walker’s prize-winning novel, to be staged in Birmingham and Leicester, England. The character is seen by some readers as being gay; however, Omooba has said she does not agree with the interpretation of Celie as a lesbian character. 

The London-based actress was dropped from the production after Aaron Lee Lambert, who stars in the West End production of the musical "Hamilton," unearthed a Facebook post Omooba wrote in September 2014, according to The Guardian.

In the post, Omooba urged Christians to “tell the truth” about homosexuality, writing: “It is clearly evident in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 what the Bible says on this matter. I do not believe you can be born gay and I do not believe homosexuality is right…”

"I do believe that everyone sins and falls into temptation but it's by the asking of forgiveness, repentance and the grace of God that we overcome and live how God ordained us to. Which is that a man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24.

"God loves everyone, just because He doesn't agree with your decisions doesn't mean He doesn't love you. Christians we need to step up and love but also tell the truth of God's word,” she added. "I am tired of lukewarm Christianity, be inspired to stand up for what you believe and the truth…”

In his tweet, Lambert asked: “Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite? Seeing as you’ve now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately.”

The following morning, Omooba received a phone call from her agent advising her to retract her comments and apologize for what she had said about homosexuality. However, she refused, citing her Christian faith. 

“I really wanted the role but what they wanted me to do was completely against my faith. I did not want to lie just to keep a job,” she told The Mail Online. 

A short time later, she was dropped from the starring role and dumped by her agents who said her comments had caused “significant and widely expressed concerns.”

Now, she’s taking both the Curve Theatre in Leicester and Global Artists to court for breach of contract and religious discrimination, according to the BBC. The Christian Legal Centre confirmed on Facebook they will back her case.

The daughter of a pastor, Omooba told the MailOnline she was shocked to discover some viewed her comments as homophobic and said she has struggled to find work since the incident. She explained in a Facebook video posted by Christian Concern that those responsible for casting her as Celie knew about her stance on God, marriage, and “many other things that are in the Bible.” 

“I just quoted what the Bible says about homosexuality, the need for repentance, but ultimately God’s love for all humanity,” she said. “I stand by what I wrote, but had I known that it would have come to this, I would have set my account to the privacy mode.”

“I have support from actors that I’ve worked with, including those in same-sex relationships, who say that even though they don’t agree with my views, they know that I’m not hateful or malicious.”

Continue reading here

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Imprisoned Iranian Pastor's Kids Denied School Certificates for Refusing to Study Islam

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is released from jail Sept. 8, 2012. 

The Iranian pastor was acquitted of apostasy. Courtesy of ACLJ

The first amendment to our Constitution guarantees "freedom of religion".  However, Persecution Unveiled has published many reports of Christians being sued, discriminated against, in schools, businesses and churches.  Our founders never envisioned an America where freedom of religion would be under attack by godless people in positions of authority.  What is happening in Iran is a preview of what is to come in America. If Christians do not rise up and speak truth to power, we can expect no less than the persecution that our brothers and sisters in Iran are facing.  Terry Noble, Persecution Unveiled

By Samuel Smith
Christian Post

Imprisoned Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has gone on a hunger strike to protest the regime's attempt to bar his children from completing their education because they refuse to study Islam and read the Quran. 

According to Article 18, an organization that promotes religious freedom and tolerance for Christians in Iran, Nardarkhani’s teenage children went back to school last week but were told they hadn't completed the previous grades.

While two of his youngest children have been told they can’t come back to school because they have not received credit for completing the previous grades, 17-year-old Daniel has been accepted back as a “guest” in the 12th grade but still has not received a certificate telling him that he completed the previous grades. 

Nadarkhani, a Muslim convert who pastored a house church in the Gilan Province, is serving a 10-year prison sentence in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison in Tehran on charges of “acting against national security.” 

He was arrested in May 2016 and charged with promoting “Zionist Christianity,” and violating the national alcohol prohibition through communion and acting against national security. 

Nadarkhani was first arrested in 2009 for protesting the same education policy that is penalizing his children today. The policy requires all students to take a course on the Quran. 

With Nadarkhani and his wife being Muslim converts to Christianity, they protested against their children being taught Islam in school. For that reason, the pastor was charged with apostasy and sentenced to death. However, he was acquitted in 2012.

Article 18 reports that Nardarkhani tried to ensure his children were recognized as Christians before he was sent back to prison in 2018 so they wouldn't have to take Islamic studies. However, the matter has yet to be resolved with local authorities despite a court ruling in the family’s favor. 

Because of this, the Nardarkhani children were not given certificates to show that they are Christians and have completed their studies.

Although Youeil, 15, and Hannah, 16, were set to start the 10th grade this fall, they have not received certificates to show that they completed the previous grades.

The certificate denials come as the three children were accepted to school as fully paying students but labeled as “guests” until the family’s legal case is resolved. 

According to Article 18, religious minorities are typically exempt from Islamic studies classes. However, Iran provides less freedom for Muslim converts, such as the Nardarkhanis, whom the state still considers to be Muslim. 

The U.S. State Department lists Iran as a “country of particular concern” for egregious violations of religious freedom. Iran is ranked as the ninth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA’s 2019 World Watch List. 

Christian Post report continues here

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Mexican Pastor Shot and Killed After Sunday Church Service

Organized crime primarily targets priests and pastors, while indigenous power holders pressure Christians through fines, denying basic community service and imprisonment. 

By Samuel Smith
Christian Post Reporter

A pastor in southwest Mexico was shot and killed after a church service on Sunday amid ongoing targeting of faith leaders by criminal gangs.

According to international watchdog group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Pastor Alfrery Líctor Cruz Canseco was sitting in his car outside Fraternidad Cristiana church in the town of Tlalixtac de Cabrera in Oaxaca state when he was shot at point-blank range. 

Cruz Canseco died while he was being transported to a local hospital. 

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and congregation of Pastor Cruz Canseco,” CSW Chief Executive Merwyn Thomas said in a statement. 

A translated statement posted on the Fraternidad Christiana Facebook page reads: “We regret the departure of Alfrery Lictor Cruz Canseco, friend and brother in Christ very loved by our congregation.”

Although the motive remains uncertain, CSW, which advocates for Christians in over 20 countries worldwide, notes that the killing comes on the heels of a recent series of attacks that have targeted religious leaders in the region.

Among the recent attacks against faith leaders was the kidnapping of Pastor Aarón Méndez Ruiz, who ran a shelter for Cuban immigrants in Nuevo Laredo and was abducted on August 3rd. 

“We also remain concerned for the well-being of Pastor Méndez Ruiz and urge the Mexican government to spare no effort in ensuring his safe return, investigating all of these crimes and prosecuting those responsible,” Thomas stated. 

CSW warns that the expansion of criminal groups in Mexico as well as a “climate of impunity” when it comes to crimes they commit has led to an increase in violence against Protestant and Catholic leaders because they are viewed as a threat to criminal groups. 

According to CSW, 10 religious leaders were killed in Mexico in 2018. 

As questions have been raised as to why church leaders in a predominantly-Catholic country are increasingly being abducted, harmed or killed, USA Today reported last April that at least 23 religious leaders had been killed in Mexico since 2012.

Earlier this week, the Catholic Multimedia Center reported that at least 26 Catholic priests have been killed since 2012. 

“We urge the international community to engage with the Mexican government on these matters and to recognize the role that many religious leaders play, not only as leaders of their churches, but also as voices for peace, justice and integrity, and as human rights defenders,” Thomas concluded in his statement.

Mexico ranks as the 39th-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution as organized crime in the country continues to go unconfronted, according to Open Doors USA’s 2019 World Watch List.

Christian Post article continues here

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Students in Louisiana Public Schools to be Greeted With 'In God We Trust' Signs

"...it’s really important that we ensure that young people understand the patriotic history of our country and how it was founded and its purpose."

By Aris Folley
The Hill

Blogger's Note: There are many stories of religious persecution throughout the US and the world posted on Persecution Unveiled.  I'm happy to share the following 'good news' from Louisiana.

Public school students in Louisiana will be welcomed with "In God We Trust" signs when they head back to school this month. 

The move is the result of a law signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) last year that requires the instruction and display of the motto "In God We Trust" in all public schools in the state starting this school year. 

“Not later than the 2019-2020 school year, the program of instruction on patriotic customs required by this Section shall include instruction on the national motto, ‘In God We Trust,’ and each public school governing authority shall display the national motto in each building it uses and in each school under its jurisdiction,” the law, also known as Senate Bill 224, states.

“The nature of the display shall be determined by each governing authority with a minimum requirement of a paper sign,” the legislation also reads.

The move comes as some state legislatures across the South — including Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina — have discussed similar measures that would require public schools to display the motto.

Just recently, a new law in South Carolina went in effect requiring public schools to place "In God We Trust" signs on display. 

State Sen. Regina Ashford Barrow (D), the lawmaker behind the bill to have the national motto displayed in Louisiana schools, called the measure “important” in helping students understand the country’s “patriotic history” in remarks discussing the law last year.

“This is our national motto. It’s also on our currency,” she said at the time. “So I think it’s really important that we ensure that young people understand the patriotic history of our country and how it was founded and its purpose.”

Click here for The Hill article 

"We Hope and Pray ... the World the World Will Not Abandon Us Now"

"...Now is the time for Christian, Western countries, and for Christian churches and Believers worldwide, to protect our Christian people in NE Syria from falling victim to brutal war, dictatorship, fascism, and radicalism," the Syriac Military Council (MFS)

By Emily Jones

CBN News

US officials from the Department of Defense are going to Ankara, Turkey on Monday to dissuade  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from invading Northeast Syria where many ethnic minorities live, including thousands of Christians.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that Turkey has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the Syrian border and Erdogan is planning on launching a full-scale military operation against US-backed Kurdish fighters East of the Euphrates. 

"We entered Afrin, Jarabulus, and Al-Bab  [in northern Syria], and now we're going to enter east of the Euphrates," Erdogan told an inauguration ceremony in Bursa. "We shared this  [information]  with the U.S. and Russia," he added.

Last month, Turkey threatened to take military action against US-backed forces if it did not reach a deal with the US over a 20-mile security zone inside Syria's northeastern border with Turkey. Erdogan wants to clear the zone of the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia. The Kurdish militia was the United States' main ally in the fight against ISIS, but Erdogan views the group as a terror organization.

"If the safe zone is not created, the threat emanating from this area continues and terrorists are not cleared, then we would start the operation," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in an interview with Turkey's TGRT television last month.

A US official told Reuters that "bilateral discussions" with Turkey are underway "on the possibility of a safe zone with US and Turkish forces that addresses Turkey's legitimate security concerns in northern Syria."

However, Erdogan does not want the proposed security zone to be patrolled by both US and Turkish forces. He insists Turkey have full control of the zone.

For many Christians and ethnic minorities, this would mean disaster.

"Most of our Christian people live in this area and if any military operation happened in this area, it will be a real fear on our people," Abdelahad Gawriye of the Syriac Union Party told CBN News.

More than 100,000 Syriac Christians, one of the world's oldest Christian communities, live there and they fear Erdogan will finish the genocide that ISIS started.

Last year, Erdogan's army worked with Jihadist mercenaries to overrun the Syrian city of Afrin.

The forces displaced hundreds of thousands while searching for Christians and burning churches.   

Last month, Syriac Christians called on the US to save them.

"We hope and pray that as we have defended the world against ISIS, the world will not abandon us now. Now is the time for Christian, Western countries, and for Christian churches and believers worldwide, to protect our Christian people in NE Syria from falling victim to brutal war, dictatorship, fascism, and radicalism," the  Syriac Military Council (MFS) said in a statement.

Last month, the US rebuked its NATO ally and said its actions are of "grave concern".

Click here to view CBN news report.

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Pro-Life Leader Handcuffed While Protesting Dem Debate, Considers Lawsuit

YouTube screenshot of police handcuffing pro-life activist Mark Harrington.

By Tyler O'Neill
PJ Media

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the pro-life group Created Equal protested the pro-abortion candidates at the second round of Democratic debates. Detroit Police prevented them from getting anywhere near the debates, however. At one point, police handcuffed Created Equal President Mark Harrington, threatening to arrest him for trespassing. Harrington claimed the group was treated more harshly than other protesters, was denied a space despite getting there first, and received unlawful threats. Harrington said he is considering legal action.

"By threat of arrest police compelled us to be penned up in nowhere land while more liberal protesters were permitted to express themselves undeterred," Harrington said. 

"False accusations of trespass, disorderly conduct, and violating a legal order, among other equally spurious allegations, were used to bully us into submission. We are now evaluating our legal options in response to this blatant infringement of our First Amendment rights."

Created Equal highlighted four specific statements from police: "Let it be unconstitutional, then." "I can't have a Boston bomber!" "You're going to jail!" and "This is not Burger King" (apparently a reference to the slogan "have it your way").

Over the course of both nights, protesters including Harrington attempted to stand as close to the debate arena as possible, but police directed them to go blocks away, where some other protesters stood essentially without an audience. The pro-lifers contested this, claiming that it violated their First Amendment rights to free speech and free assembly.

"What we encountered from Detroit police was nothing short of police state tactics used to censor our pro-life views. In the name of 'safety,' our rights were routinely violated several times by law enforcement eventually culminating in the handcuffing of Created Equal President Mark Harrington," the organization said in a statement. 

"On at least four different occasions in the span of a few hours, our pro-life views were forcefully suppressed by Detroit police while other more politically correct speech was protected."

At one point, an officer said his order to restrict the pro-lifers "came from on high," perhaps suggesting that the authorities ordered police to single them out for adverse treatment.

"Created Equal supports law enforcement. We also understand that the government can place reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on speech. However, those restrictions must be tailored in a way to be minimally restrictive to free expression. Resigning pro-life activists to an obscure and non-visible location is not reasonable or minimally restrictive," the organization said.

PJ Media article continues here to view YouTube here

Nigerian Priest Killed by Suspected Fulani Gunmen; Clergy March to Protest Killings

"How many more people do they have to slaughter and abduct before your eyes open?"  

The Rev. Paul Offu of St. James Greater Parish in
Ugbawka, Nigeria. | Facebook/Dioceses of Enugu

By Samuel Smith    
Christian Post Reporter

A priest in Southern Nigeria was killed Thursday by suspected Fulani radicals while five pastors from a Pentecostal denomination were abducted in a separate incident just outside of Lagos. 

The Catholic Diocese of Enugu announced the killing of Father Paul Offu by unidentified gunmen on Thursday evening.

According to the diocese, Offu was the parish priest at St. James Greater Parish in Ugbawka. He's originally is from Okpatu in the Udi local government area. 

In a Facebook statement, the diocese declared: "tragedy strikes again in the Enugu Diocese."

"With a deep sense of sorrow, the Catholic Diocese of Enugu announces the tragic death of REV FR PAUL OFFU who was shot dead [Aug. 1] by some hoodlums suspected to be the notorious and murderous Fulani herdsmen, along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Awgu [local government area]," the statement reads. "May perpetual light shine upon his gentle and illustrious soul."

The diocese's communications director, Benjamin Achi, told the Nigerian media outlet The Punch that the priest was killed by Fulani radicals. 

"Fr. Offu was stopped by the murderous herdsmen while returning to his parish after a visit to priest friend along Ihe-Agbudu road in Awgu LGA." Achi told The Punch. "They dragged him to the bush but one of the assailants said kill him, that the church would not do anything if they kidnapped him.”

Across the nation, predominantly Christian farming communities are being attacked with increasing frequency by Fulani radicals. 

While the Nigerian government claims the violence is just "farmer-herder clashes," advocates warn that thousands in these farming communities have been killed or have been forced to flee in the last several years because of Fulani attacks.

The priest's murder comes about five months after the body of priest Clement Ugwu from St. Mark Catholic Church in the Ezeagu local government area was found after a one-week search. 

“All is not well in Enugu State," Bishop Callistus Onaga said at the time, according to an earlier article from The Punch. "We should not continue to pretend about it while our people are killed every day. Enugu State is not secure again. Criminals have shifted to Enugu State from Anambra." 

Achi told The Punch on Friday that the Rev. Paulinus Ikechukwu Ilo is still in the hospital after being shot by suspected Fulani radicals on July 18. On Friday, dozens of priests in the Enugu Diocese protested the killing of their brother in the streets of Lagos in a procession that took them to outside of the Enugu State Government House. 

Click here to continue reading article

Christians Demand UK Leaders Protect Street Preachers' Rights

“….despite laws that theoretically support the freedom to preach in public, in practice, police officers are quick to silence preachers at the first suggestion that a member of the public is offended.”

A union flag is seen near the Houses of Parliament in London 

 April 18, 2017 /Reuters: Stefan Wermuth. 

The following news article reports on the arrest of a street preacher in London after a citizen complaint. The backlash against his arrest is recounted in this article.  It was published in the Christian Post and authored by Michael Gryboski.  

More than 45,000 people have signed a petition demanding that the Home Office protect the rights of street preachers following the wrongful arrest of a Nigerian-born preacher.

Christian Concern, a United Kingdom-based religious organization, delivered over 38,000 signed copies of the petition to the Home Office in London on Tuesday. Since then, the number of signatories has passed the 45,000 mark.

“Christian street preachers should be free to share the Gospel, even where it means challenging the beliefs of others,” read the petition in part.

“The law rightly protects freedom of speech, even if it offends, shocks or disturbs others. But too often, police officers have shown themselves either to be ignorant of this freedom, or unwilling to uphold it. This leads to a chilling effect, where people are increasingly unwilling to say what they believe, for fear of arrest.”

The petition also called on the new Home Secretary Priti Patel to investigate the training for police officers when it comes to street preachers.

The petition came in response to a February incident in which 64-year-old Oluwole Ilesanmi was arrested while preaching in London after someone called the police accusing him of hate speech against Islam, which can be criminally prosecuted in England.

In late July, Ilesanmi was awarded the equivalent of about $3,000 from the Metropolitan Police, as well as an apology, over being wrongfully arrested the harsh treatment he endured.

Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre, which represented Ilesanmi, said in a recent statement that the law should do a better job of respecting the rights of street preachers.

“… despite laws that theoretically support the freedom to preach in public, in practice, police officers are quick to silence preachers at the first suggestion that a member of the public is offended,” Williams said, as reported by Christian Concern.

“Freedom of speech means that each one of us needs to be able to critique all religions and ideas without immediately being labelled and silenced as offensive. Critiquing ideas is often motivated by love for others and not hate. The result of this also chills free speech through self-censorship.”

Christian Post article continues here

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Christianity in Iraq is 'Close to Extinction,' Those Left 'Face Martyrdom,' Faith Leader Warns

"Our tormentors confiscated our present," he said, "while seeking to wipe out our history and destroy our future." Most Rev. Bashar Warda 

Church destroyed by ISIS, Baghdida, Iraq.
| (Photo: Bill Devlin)

By Leah MarieAnn Klett
Christian Post Reporter

Christianity in Iraq is “close to extinction” and those who remain may “face martyrdom,” yet some Christian leaders in Britain refuse to condemn the atrocities perpetrated by Muslim extremists for fear of being accused of Islamophobia, the Archbishop of Irbil has said.

During an address delivered in London, the Most Rev. Bashar Warda said Iraq's Christian population is down to just 250,000 — an 83% decrease in population since the United States’ invasion of Iraq, according to the BBC.

“Christianity in Iraq," he said, “one of the oldest churches, if not the oldest church in the world, is perilously close to extinction. Those of us who remain must be ready to face martyrdom."

While the Islamic State terrorist group was driven from its last stronghold in Iraq earlier this year, religious structures and homes belonging to Christian families have been destroyed and thousands of families have not returned, he stressed.

"Our tormentors confiscated our present," he said, "while seeking to wipe out our history and destroy our future. In Iraq there is no redress for those who have lost properties, homes and businesses. Tens of thousands of Christians have nothing to show for their life's work, for generations of work, in places where their families have lived, maybe, for thousands of years."

The archbishop, who has been outspoken about the plight of Christians in his country, also said Britain's Christian leaders are so concerned with "political correctness" they refuse to speak out against the atrocities committed against Christians in Iraq at the hands of Muslim extremists.

"Will you continue to condone this never-ending, organized persecution against us?" he asked. "When the next wave of violence begins to hit us, will anyone on your campuses hold demonstrations and carry signs that say 'We are all Christians'?"

Warning Christians are “facing our end in the land of our ancestors,” Warda said, “the entire world faces a moment of truth.”

"Will a peaceful and innocent people be allowed to be persecuted and eliminated because of their faith? And, for the sake of not wanting to speak the truth to the persecutors, will the world be complicit in our elimination?

The BBC notes that the outlook for Christians “remains bleak” in Iraq, as tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims persist and there are still IS fighters hiding out in parts of the country.

Iraq is ranked No.13 on persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA’s 2019 World Watch List of the top 50 countries in the world where Christians face the most extreme persecution for their faith.

In October, the U.S. Agency International Development announced it would partner with the nation's leading Catholic fraternal organization, Knights of Columbus, to help bolster the rebuilding of beleaguered communities in Iraq.

Click here to continue reading this Christian Post report

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of our nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest.

Jesus Appears to Group of 72 Christians About to be Killed. The Miracle that Followed is Right out of the Acts of the Apostles

These Believers met Christ face-to-face and heard Him speak; they have experienced His miraculous deliverance.

Michael Ireland 
Assist News

Northern Nigeria is a dangerous place for Christians—especially for those who have left Islam to follow Christ. (Image: Displaced Nigerian Christians /via Aid to the Church in Need-Canada)

But BarnabasAid says God intervened in power to save 72 converts and their children from Boko Haram militants.

According to BarnabasAid, these Believers excel in courageous faith, they have met Christ face-to-face and heard Him speak, they have experienced His miraculous deliverance.

They cannot build themselves up by daily study of His Word—because they cannot read. Or they do not have a New Testament.

Christ Appears 

Their story begins with a group of 500 Nigerian Christian converts from Islam and their children.

It is not normal for this tribe to gather in such large numbers, but all of them had already been attacked by Boko Haram Islamist militants and they hoped that a larger group would give them a measure of security.

Boko Haram were not deterred. They attacked the group and captured 76, taking them back to their camp.

At the Boko Haram camp, the Christians were tortured, and their four male leaders were told they must deny Christ and return to Islam or they would be shot.

The four refused and were duly shot dead, in full view of the rest of the group.

A week later the four widows of the dead men were told they must renounce their Christian faith or their children would be shot. They were given time to think over this dreadful choice.

As they agonized together that evening, their excited children came running in, telling their mothers that Jesus had appeared to them and told them all would be well.

Jesus then appeared to the whole group of 72, and told them not to fear for He would protect them. He said they should not renounce Him but should stay strong, and that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Deliverance from Evil

The next day, the four mothers gave their decision to the militants—they would not deny Christ.

The militants prepared to shoot the children, who were already lined up against a wall. The youngest was a little girl of four. Suddenly the militants began screaming and clawing at their own heads. Shouting "Snakes!" they fled the scene, and some of them dropped dead.

One of the Christian men reached for the gun of a dead militant but the four-year-old put her hand on his arm to stop him. 

"You don't need to do that," she said, "Can't you see the men in white fighting for us?" 

View Assist News story here

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.