RELIGION HEADLINES SUN 7/20/25 

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(SRN NEWS)  International Christian Concern reports that the gospel is spreading in Iran despite some of the worst persecution in the world.  ICC President Jeff King says “Conservative estimates suggest more than one million Iranians have converted to Christianity, transforming from a few hundred believers before 1979 to a movement that now dwarfs the regime’s own support.”  ICC also reports that tens-of-thousands of mosques in Iran have closed their doors for lack of parishioners as young people turn away from Islam.  That religion is associated with the Iranian regime which has brought poverty and war to much of the country.

(  )  Anti-Semitism rears its head in Greece.  A kosher restaurant in Athens has been defaced by vandals who wrote “No Zionist is safe here” on the building.  Local authorities are investigating the incident at the eatery which had only been open six weeks.  Anti-Semitism has spiked all around the globe since Hamas launched its devastating attack on Israel in October of 2023.  Restaurants have been a favorite target of pro-Palestinian protesters.  Since 2023 they have attacked eateries in New York, Philadelphia, Melbourne, Australia and other places around the world.  The restaurant in Athens is not far from the city’s Holocaust memorial.

(  )  The federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination will allow some complaints filed by transgender workers to move forward, shifting course from earlier guidance that indefinitely stalled such cases.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that if new transgender worker complaints involve hiring, discharge or promotion, then they will be investigated.  Since President Trump returned to office, the EEOC has moved away from its embrace of transgenderism.  Mr. Trump has vowed to end President Biden’s promotion of transgenderism in the federal government.

(  )  Although Christianity is widespread across Africa, church leaders say they are still combating the popular appeal of witchcraft and other occult practices.  Many people — including leading politicians — secretly consult witch doctors for perceived advantages.  The shamans claim to offer protection or success through rituals, drawing clients from across the continent’s many countries. Many who regularly attend church also secretly visit traditional shrines for the occult service they believe can lead them to prosperity.  Christian pastors preach against the practice, but their words largely fall on deaf ears.