Iranian shopkeeper, 26, who was set to be executed for protesting has been released after weeks in a hellhole prison.
An Iranian shopkeeper who faced execution after being detained for taking part in an anti-regime protest has been released on bail.
Erfan Soltani, 26, became one of the faces of the resistance against the Islamic Republic's brutality when demonstrations began sweeping the country at the end of last year. DM.
Protestant pastor driven out of Mexican village for refusing to pray to saint.
(Photo: CSW)A Protestant pastor and his family have been exiled from a village in Mexico after he refused to pray to a saint during a Catholic ceremony.
Last November Pastor Mariano Velásquez Martínez was appointed to the position of “mayordomo” in the local community of Santiago Malacatepec in Oaxaca State. The position is one of stewardship and involves leading a traditional Roman Catholic festival.
Pastor Velásquez Martínez said that he accepted the position on the understanding that his only role in the festival would be to provide the flowers and candles.
However, when the day of the festival came on 15 January, a fellow mayordomo told Pastor Velásquez Martínez not only to light the candles, but to kneel and pray to an image of Saint James.
Despite Pastor Velásquez Martínez saying that it had been agreed that he would not be required to take such action, the other mayordomo complained to the leadership of the village.
Pastor Velásquez Martínez was reportedly then bound with a rope and told he was being expelled from the village, all in front of a crowd of about 180 men.
The pastor says he was forced into signing a document that expelled him from the community, adding that he was not given a copy. He, his wife and three-month-old baby are now living with relatives in Oaxaca City.
Concerningly, this is not the first time an incident such as this has occurred in the region. Pastor Velásquez Martínez has led the small Iglesia Camino Nuevo y Vivo (New and Living Way Church) since 2023, when the previous pastor was also forcibly displaced.
Porfirio Flores Zúñiga, a lawyer and representative of the Fellowship of Pastors, has demanded that the Attorney General's Office and the Secretary of Government of Oaxaca State use the Forced Displacement Law against those who forced Pastor Velásquez Martínez and his family out.
Under the law, those guilty of forcibly displacing people in Oaxaca state can be punished by up to 18 years in prison.
Anna Lee Stangl, director of advocacy at Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said, ”The arbitrary detention of Pastor Mariano Velásquez Martínez and the subsequent forced displacement of him and his family is unconscionable.
"His case demonstrates how both state and federal governments are failing to meet not only their international human rights obligations, but, even more fundamentally, their commitments to uphold basic rights in Mexico's own constitution and laws.
“This case is unfortunately not unique, and it is past time that the Mexican government, at every level, implements policies to uphold freedom of religion or belief for all, including in communities governed under Uses and Customs.
"We call on the government of Oaxaca to take swift action to hold those responsible for the forced displacement of this family to account under the law, and to take steps to make it clear that freedom of religion or belief must be upheld for all.”
5) His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6) Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]
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8) Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9) and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10) and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11) What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The villain whisperer.Keir Starmer's policies empowering the foes of civilisation bear the fingerprints of one man
This is an expanded version of my column in today’s Times (£) Keir Starmer has provoked much criticism and scorn over his “appeasement” trip to China. In the eyes of many, he made no real gains and left Britain looking weak and alarmingly anxious to court active threats to its own security as the price of access to Chinese markets. One notable detail was that while the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, was left at home, Starmer took with him the man whom insiders call “the real foreign secretary”, the national security adviser Jonathan Powell. Starmer is said to rely heavily on Powell. He sits two rooms from the prime minister and reports directly to him, as opposed to reporting to the Downing Street chief of staff as does every other special adviser. As a political appointee, he is largely protected from parliamentary scrutiny. Yet Powell has now been involved in one foreign policy mis-step after another — involving the Chagos islands, Syria, Gaza, Chinese espionage and Islamism in Britain — all of them characterised by a weakening of Britain and the west, and helping to empower bad people. And he has form in this. ... Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app |
14) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15) (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)
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US churchgoers losing biblical conviction on family, life and morality - study.
(Photo: Getty/iStock)A new nationwide study by the Family Research Council (FRC) and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University reveals a striking decline in biblical conviction among regular US churchgoers, especially on issues of family, life, and morality.
The study, titled “Social Issues and Worldview: A National Survey of Churchgoing Americans”, is based on surveys of more than 1,000 adults who attend Christian worship services no less than once a month.
It found that fewer than half now identify as pro-life or embrace a biblical definition of family.
According to lead researcher Dr George Barna: “Once-firm beliefs about family, life, and morality are giving way to cultural influence and personal opinion. Even among regular churchgoers, moral clarity is fading fast.”
The findings show that just 43% of churchgoers would call themselves pro-life currently, a sharp decline from 63% in 2023.
Only 46% of churchgoers uphold a traditional view of family — defined as a marriage between one man and one woman raising children, falling to 34% among Gen Z.
The strongest support for the biblical definition of family came from born-again Christians (59%), Pentecostal congregants (56%), and Asian believers (55%).
Trust in the Bible’s clarity has also diminished, with only around half (51%) affirming that its message on abortion is straightforward, compared to 65% in 2023.
Dr Barna warned: “The media bombardment favouring a new moral standard is clearly having a transformative effect on Americans. Perhaps the best way to combat the decline in biblical moral perspectives is for Bible-believing Christians to be more candid and bolder in engaging friends and family in dialogue about critical moral issues.
“We cannot let unbiblical views go unchallenged. Christ-followers must not only know what they believe and why, but must be actively seeking to challenge points of view that are biblically indefensible.”
Similarly, the director of FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview and co-author of the report, David Closson, said the trends reflect “a discipleship problem, not primarily a political one.”
He explained: “When the people of God lose moral clarity on something as fundamental as the sanctity of life, it signals a serious discipleship crisis.
“The next generation is being catechized daily by social media, entertainment, and academia—often more effectively than by the local church.”
Despite the sobering data, Dr Barna believes the report offers hope.
“The vast majority of churchgoers still affirm core biblical truths about God and human value,” he said.
He continued: “These convictions provide a foundation for rebuilding. I’m convinced the best response is not retreat but engagement. Bible-believing Christians must be more candid and bolder in engaging friends and family in dialogue about critical moral issues. We cannot let unbiblical views go unchallenged.
“This moment demands courageous leadership—pastors, parents, and educators willing to confront increasing cultural confusion with biblical clarity. Without decisive discipleship and intentional teaching, the church will continue to absorb the world’s values rather than transform them through truth.”
The president of FRC president, Tony Perkins, echoed that sentiment: “This research shows the great need for biblical teaching on the great issues of our day, like the sanctity of life, the family, and human sexuality. The good news is that Christians are looking to church leaders for guidance.
“This report reminds us that there is much work to do — the church must continue to teach, live, and defend a biblical worldview with conviction and hope.”
Even amid widespread moral ambiguity, the data revealed that nearly 80% agreed with a binary view of genders; over 80% of participants affirmed the belief that all people are created in God’s image; 83% acknowledged that every human life carries intrinsic value; and 75% maintained that the God of Scripture is the sole source of life.
Dr Barna concluded: “My hope is that the research findings will guide our shared efforts to rebuild biblical worldview across the nation.
“Now more than ever, we must return to our foundations—grounding believers in God’s Word, restoring moral clarity, and preparing the next generation to know, accept, and stand firm in truth.” CT.
https://www.christiantoday.com/news/why-is-edward-the-confessor-remembered-by-both-the-anglican-and-catholic-churches
Reeves to hit drivers with pay-per-mile tax
Electric vehicles face new levy as Chancellor scrambles to make up for falling fuel duty revenue.
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