RELIGION HEADLINES

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(SRN NEWS) – International Christian Concern is hoping that President Trump’s State Department will place Nigeria and India on its Countries of Particular Concern list.  Nations on that list are accused of gross human rights violations — in particular, persecution of Christians and other minorities.  ICC spokesman McKenna Wendt says “The U.S. has an opportunity to help end the mass genocide of Christians in Nigeria and pressure India to eradicate its blasphemy laws — and that starts with holding countries accountable for their poor religious freedom conditions.”

Pro-life advocates hope that President Trump will again invoke the so-called global gag rule, a policy that cuts off U.S. government funding for groups that perform abortions in foreign countries. The gag rule has been imposed by all Republican presidents since 1984. In 2017, Mr. Trump expanded it, cutting foreign NGOs off not only from family planning money, but from broader U.S global health assistance. The policy stipulates that foreign NGOs that receive U.S government funding must agree to stop abortion-related activities, including discussing it with women.

Attacks on Christians in Turkey have spiked.  According to a study by International Christian Concern, the number of hate crimes perpetrated on believers more than doubled from 2021 to 2023.  The ICC report adds that “The crimes include property damage, harassment, and violence. And the true number of hate crimes is likely higher than what has been presented due to victims’ fear of reporting.”  Since President Erdogan came to power in Turkey, he has taken the officially-secular country in a more Islamic direction and persecution has followed.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, says he will wrap up his official duties in early January amid an abuse scandal in the Church of England. Welby resigned last week after an investigation found that he failed to tell police about physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it. His refusal to accept responsibility for failing to report the abuse in England and in Africa in 2013 kindled anger about a lack of accountability at the highest reaches of the church.