The information was released in Dabiq, the Islamic State’s online magazine.
CHR Comment: When ISIS took responsibility for bombing a Russian Metrojet that crashed in Sinai, they referred to western states and Russia as “divided Crusaders of the East and West.” This shows how they view the secularized nations as if they were Christian nations.
Source: Islamic State claims to kill 2 hostages; reveals photo of Russian bomb
On Sunday, with the city in a reflective mood, churches were packed, and many headed to the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.
CHR Comment: As a modern, secularized nation, churches in France are normally nearly empty. According to Sara Miller Llana and Jason Walsh, churches were packed on Sunday with only standing room at the back. People were drawn to church, as well other public venues, in their search for meaning and comfort. One wonders whether the ideological clash between Islam and western freedom will lead to a renewal of church life, which teaches freedom through God’s forgiveness in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Source: In churches, plazas, playgrounds, Parisians find strength in gathering – CSMonitor.com
CHR Comment: Abaaoud was apparently a student at a Roman Catholic school in Belgium, though he dropped out. This shows the importance of reaching each child that comes to a Christian school.
via Suspected Paris attack mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud linked to other attacks.
CHR Comment: The link below takes you to a photo essay, which illustrates the feelings of the French people following the recent terror attacks. (Remember going to church services after 9/11?) The photos likewise give an excellent view of the great Paris cathedral.
via Mass Held in Homage to Paris Terror Attack Victims – NBC News.
Distinguished scholars from Baylor University on Tuesday decried the myth that religion is on the decline in America and argued that it’s actually growing and stronger than ever.
CHR Comment: A panel discussion took a closer look at media coverage of the Pew Research Center report. Although larger denominations have declined, the panelists noted that there is a rise in new denominations, which more than makes up for that difference. Although fewer people declared a denominational affiliation, they panelists believed Christianity was not declining.
Source: Christianity Is Not Declining in America, Baylor University Professors Say
A private Christian university in Arizona has announced that it will now be extending employee benefits to lawfully married same-sex spouses of employees, but assured that it will continue to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
CHR Comment: The school was founded by the Southern Baptists. It intends to continue teaching that the biblical view of marriage is between one man and one woman.
Source: Christian University Grants Employee Benefits to Same-Sex Couples
British police on Tuesday said they had arrested a former soldier for the Bloody Sunday killings in Londonderry in 1972, one of the worst atrocities in Northern Ireland’s three decades of unrest.
CHR Comment: There is apparently no statute of limitations on this case since the events took place 43 years ago. Given the math, the former soldier arrested was 23 years old when the shooting took place. One wonders why it has take so long to provide a substantive investigation of the event, which resulted in the deaths of 13 Catholic protesters.
Source: Ex-soldier is first arrest in N.Ireland Bloody Sunday probe
Americans see the Christian Bible and the Muslim Quran in very different ways.
CHR Comment: The survey focuses on the Bible and the Quran and whether these texts are beneficial or harmful to American life. Not surprisingly, the Bible is much preferred, though the author proposes that there will be an increasingly negative view of the Bible in the future.
CHR Comment: The article is specifically about urban religion but comments more broadly about mapping projects in religious studies. Focus thus far has been on Catholics, Jews, and African Americans (likely Protestants).
Source: Religion in American History: What the Map of Urban Religious Histories Shows Us
CHR Comment: Swami Chidananda Saraswati travelled to Rome with other religious leaders to participate in an interreligious general audience with Pope Francis on the fiftieth anniversary of the papal document that invited dialogue with other religions. Issues of concern mentioned peace between religions and averting terrorism.
church history review 