News & Views

News and Views

Religious Pakistan has long had some of the harshest blasphemy laws in the world. In addition to state-sanctioned execution, Pakistani Christians and other religious minorities face abductions, indentured servitude and all manner of discrimination. The laws are rampantly exploited to systematically oppress Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and anyone who doesn’t follow the teachings of Islam. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List, more than 50 Pakistani Christians and religious minorities are currently detained []

News and Views

PBI News Pastoral Bible Institute (PBI) Annual Report for year ended April 30, 2024 The directors of the PBI and the editors of the Herald of Christ’s Kingdom have been blessed with another year of service publishing Bible truths and carrying on activities amongst the brethren around the world. The Herald magazine is now published in English, Polish, Croatian and Tamil. Additionally, our association and cooperation continue with both the Bible Fellowship Union in the UK, publisher of Bible Study Monthly, and []

News and Views

Religious The Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate (ROC MP) reportedly directed all its clergy to change their liturgy to include pro-war prayers in support of Russia’s war of conquest against Ukraine. A Russian Telegram channel with insider sources within the ROC MP amplified on March 31 a document dated March 29, in which Head of the ROC MP Affairs, Metropolitan Gregoriy of Voskresensk, instructed clergy to read a prayer — the “Prayer for Holy Rus” — on a daily basis during []

News and Views

Religious While hiking in the Lower Galilee, a man was surprised to spot a small scarab seal sparkling on the ground. Used by Near Eastern cultures for millennia, seals are important indicators of peoples who lived in or passed through different places. The iconography of the seal, carved in the shape of a scarab beetle, identified it as Assyrian, possibly dating back to the eighth century BCE, suggesting the presence of Assyrians in Israel at that time. — Bible History Daily, 2/11/2024 []

News and Views

Religious Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu was a star, even mentioned as a potential future pope. He is now an accused criminal. Vatican magistrates alleged Becciu had embezzled more than $100,000 through a nonprofit group run by his brother. Since the summer of 2021, the 75-year-old Becciu has been on trial for embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering. He is the first cardinal to be tried in Vatican City’s criminal court. Nine others face charges concerning the alleged theft of money intended []