RELIGION HEADLINES – SUN- 1-25-26

(SRN NEWS)  Experts are pointing out the ironic history of China’s brutal one-child policy as the country’s birth rate falls to record lows, alarming the Communist government.  The one-child policy was one of the harshest attempts at population control the world has ever seen, forcing abortions on women and sterilizing millions.  It led to baby daughters being sold or even killed, because parents wanted their only child to be a male.  The Communist government scrapped the policy in 2015 but it might be too late.  China is now an aging society that probably won’t have enough young workers to support a growing population of retirees.

(  )  It’s been just over a year since Syrian dictator Bashar Assad was driven from power by a coalition of Muslim radicals.  Assad provided a measure of protection for Christians in the country and it’s unclear what the future will hold.  International Christian Concern says “The situation and safety of believers in Syria continue to be precarious.  Although the new government has vowed to foster an inclusive nation that protects all people of various faiths, thus far, the actions of the security forces prove otherwise, leading to growing fear and distrust amongst Syrian minorities.”  About 10 percent of the population is Christian.

(  )  Having a large number of Christians in a country does not necessarily protect against persecution.  A new report from International Christian Concern reveals that in the Democratic Republic of Congo “Christians represent roughly 95 percent of the nation’s population, yet they are being slaughtered at alarming rates.  Much of the killing is being done by Islamist groups.”  Nigeria’s Christian population is also under siege, despite representing about half of the country’s population.  More than 60 percent of Mozambique is Christian but Muslim terrorists run rampant, attacking churches and abducting believers.

(  )  America’s Hispanic congregations are growing.  According to a poll released by LifeWay Research, a lot of new Latino-majority churches are springing up around the country and while they are small, they won’t be for long.  The average Hispanic congregation starts with about 30 members, but by year eight, that number has increased to nearly 100.  Half of the new churches are in the three states with the most Latino people: Texas, Florida and California.  Most Hispanic people who come to the U.S. are Catholics, but large numbers of them are turning to the Evangelical Protestant tradition after being exposed to it here.