80 Christian Homes Burned in Egypt

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A Muslim mob torched and looted the homes of 80 Christian families in the Al-Beida village in Egypt, looking to punish them for wanting to turn one of the buildings in the village into a church so they can worship.

CHR Comment: Rumor that a woman had converted from Islam to Christianity initiated the rioting that led to the destruction of property and to injury. The story points out that moderate Muslims intervened when the mob would have attacked Fr. Karas Naser, the priest of Holy Virgin and the Archangel Michael Coptic Church.

Source: Muslim Mob Torches 80 Christian Homes in Egypt as Punishment for Wanting to Build Church

Pastor Beaten in Pakistan

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Police barged into the United Christian Church in Lahore, Pakistan last Sunday, and brutally attacked the lead pastor in response to a complaint about alleged noise levels from the church’s sound system.

CHR Comment: The article describes the complaint to police as falsely based and as an excuse for the police officer to disrupt the church service. The congregation reported the incident and local officials have promised action against the persecutors.

Persecution of Christians is increasing in Pakistan. According to the last portion of the article, Open Doors reported last year that Pakistan was ranked eighth most severe among those nations where persecution of Christians occurs.

Source: Pastor Beaten During Church Service Amid Rising Persecution in Pakistan

Orthodox Churches Council Opens on Crete Despite Russia’s Absence

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An historic gathering of Orthodox Churches opens on the Greek island of Crete, despite the absence of four denominations including the Russians.

CHR Comment: The article names two key players in the developments: Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and Russian Patriarch Kirill, whose church is not attending.

Source: Orthodox Churches council opens on Crete despite Russia’s absence – BBC News

Noah and the Origin of Wine Making

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Science and sipping: learning firsthand about qvevri, a millennia-old style of making wine in the Republic of Georgia.

CHR Comment: The article describes research into the long history of wine making, tracing practices to the region of Georgia in western Asia. This caught my attention due to the earliest biblical account of wine making (Genesis 9), which appears to be associated with the same region. The last geographic region associated with Noah is the “mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4), after which Noah is described as cultivating grapes, making wine, and getting drunk. The mountains of Ararat are just south of the Republic of Georgia and central to the evidence about earliest wine making. Fascinating that the biblical testimony and the archaeological evidence suggest such closely related origins for viticulture.

Source: Was Georgia the Cradle of Wine? Who Cares, Let’s Drink! – Dead Things : Dead Things

Drop-In Sacraments: Desperation or Renewal?

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Many parishes of the church now offer drop-in weddings, including a 20-minute service complete with hymns, musicians, and witnesses.

CHR Comment: The Church of Sweden, a historically Lutheran state church, has rapidly lost members and witnessed a drop in church involvement. Pastor Jerker Alsterlund’s solution has been to offer short-order arrangements for marriages and Baptisms, which other churches have adopted. Supporters argue that this is an avenue for renewal in the churches, stripping away the cultural trappings that make arrangements for church services awkward.

Source: In a rush and need a wedding? Try the Church of Sweden. – CSMonitor.com

Westboro Baptist Church in Orlando

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People in Orlando have dressed as guardian angels to protect the funeral of one of the Orlando shooting victims from homophobic protesters.

CHR Comment: The Westboro Baptist Church has about 40 members and is notorious for demonstrations at funerals. In this case they are protesting at funerals for the homosexuals killed at the Orlando club shooting. The church members seem unconscious to the offensive nature of their protests, which only seem to undermine the Christian message.

Source: ‘Angels’ protect Orlando funeral from anti-gay Westboro protesters – BBC Newsbeat

Pan-Orthodox Synod Stalls over Disputes

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A historic attempt to bring together all leaders of the world’s Orthodox churches for the first time in more than a millennium has stalled after the powerful Russian church and three others pulled out at the last minute over disputes ranging from the seating plan to efforts to reconcile with the Vatican.

CHR Comment: This article provides more context over what is causing dispute. The issues are primarily about influence and authority, manifested by a dispute over seating at the council. The article confirms the greater size of the Russian Orthodox Church, which may have influenced the withdraw of some smaller churches. Another point of potential dispute may be a measure to foster reconciliation with Roman Catholicism, which would affect the authority and standing of the individual Orthodox church bodies.

Source: Attempt to hold pan-Orthodox synod stalls over disputes – The Washington Post

Christians Arrested in Nepal for Spreading the Gospel

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Seven Christians have been arrested in Nepal for spreading the Gospel by handing out Bible handbooks to as many as 885 students in the Dolakha district, International Christian Concern reports.

CHR Comment: A law passed in 2015 forbade Christians from converting others and from distributing biblical literature. The seven Christians violated with new law, resulting in their arrest. The majority of people in Nepal are Hindu. They do not favor freedom of religion.

Source: Christians Arrested in Nepal for Spreading the Gospel

The Pan-Orthodox Council Must and Will Proceed

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A majority of the Orthodox Churches desire to “walk together” towards unity, while a minority desire ethnic isolation. The Pan-Orthodox Council must not and will not be postponed due to this minority. Nor will the nonparticipation of a minority invalidate the proceedings of the Council.

CHR Comment: The dividing issue that has caused some Orthodox Churches to withdraw from the council, which was fifty years in development, is the issue of consensus—how voting will take place. The article repeatedly speaks of a vast majority of Orthodox Churches participating in the council. However, this seems misleading since the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest body representing the most people. Their withdrawal is significant.

Source: The Pan-Orthodox Council Must and Will Proceed | Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis and Paul L. Gavrilyuk | First Things

Ex-Argentina Official Arrested over Cash Bags at Monastery

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An official in the former government of President Cristina Fernandez was arrested on Tuesday as he allegedly tried to hide millions in dollars and other currencies at an Argentine monastery.

CHR Comment: The monastery is  Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima. The money was not received by the nuns who live at the monastery but by another corrupt official.

Source: Ex-Argentina official arrested over cash bags at monastery