http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/africanchristians/ en-us Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:16:58 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418776/posts Archbishop of York Condemns Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill Ugandan-born Dr Sentamu said gay people were valued by God The Archbishop of York has condemned an anti-homosexuality bill going through parliament in Uganda. Dr John Sentamu, who was born in the African country, said the laws being debated were "victimising". Under the plans gays and lesbians would be jailed for life if convicted of having sex, and gay people who had sex with a minor would be put to death. Dr Sentamu told the BBC the Anglican communion was committed to recognising that gay people were valued by God. Under the bill,... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418776/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:16:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2418614/posts It is a vision most mainstream Canadian church leaders can only dream of: Sunday mornings in which parishioners dance and sing through three-hour services. Seminaries overflowing and unable to keep up with demand for pastors as the number of the newly baptized rises. The dream is a reality in such places as Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, where there is an explosion in Christianity. In the past decade, this demographic surge has started to spill out of Africa, as well as Asia and Latin America, in the form of missionaries to the West, a trend influencing everything from styles of worship... Holy Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2418614/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:42:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2415346/posts Religious leaders yesterday condemned homosexuality as they led thousands of Christians in prayers to mark Christmas Day. Bishop of Kampala Archdiocese Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, who led celebrations at Rubaga Cathedral, told hundreds of Christians that homosexuality is immoral and forbidden. “The Catholic bishops of Uganda applaud the government’s effort to protect families and the church teachings remain clear. Homosexuality acts are immoral and evil and are against the divine laws of nature,” he said. He added: “The church condemns homosexuality because we were created in God’s image and we must remain that.”The archbishop attacked donors whom he accused of forcing... The Monitor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2415346/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:44:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412633/posts A Ugandan legislator who proposed the highly contested Anti-Homosexuality Bill insists the measure is being misconstrued. "There has been a distortion in the media that we are providing death for gays. That is not true," ruling party MP David Bahati said on BBC. "When a homosexual defiles a kid of less than 18 years old, we are providing a penalty for this." The bill, which is currently being debated by a parliamentary committee, has drawn global attention from gay rights advocates and religious leaders alike, many of whom are condemning the legislation for promoting hatred and handing down severe penalties... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412633/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:49:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2407700/posts Life is full of ironies. Europe’s immigration revolution was caused by two major developments, and both had hugely ironic results. Europe’s Holocaust complex and sense of self-hatred following the Nazi horror led to a reactive obsession with racism as the ultimate evil, which led, ironically, to large-scale immigration from among the most anti-Semitic countries on earth, widespread “anti-Zionism” in Europe, and an increase in hate crimes against Jews across the continent. The second factor was the sexual revolution, the decline of church attendance, the invention of the Pill, the 1967 Abortion Act and the increase in female employment, which caused... Telegraph Blogs http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2407700/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:38:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388608/posts Monday, November 16, 2009 Islamic Extremists Kill Somali Church Leader Thirteenth Christian Assassinated This Year By Jeremy Reynalds Correspondent for ASSIST News Service WASHINGTON, D.C. (ANS) -- A human rights group has learned that members of al-Shabab (a Somali Islamic extremist group) have killed yet another leader of an underground church in the Somalia capital of Mogadishu. Washington-based International Christian Concern (ICC), reported that on Oct. 10, Pastor Ali Hussein Weheliye was returning home from a worship service when two masked members of al-Shabab ambushed and shot him. He was later taken to Darful Shifa Hospital where he died of... ASSIST NEWS SERVICE http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388608/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:30:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2380721/posts Where is the hardest place in the world to be a Christian citizen? North Korea, perhaps? Saudi Arabia? According to Lars Widerberg of Intercessor's Network, it is the nation of Somalia. There are thought to be no more than a thousand Christians in a resident population of 8 million people, with perhaps a few thousand more in the diaspora. The Islamist Shabab militia, which controls most of southern Somalia, is dedicated to hunting these remaining Christians down and eliminating every one of them. Christian men attend mosques on Fridays, so as not to arouse suspicion. Bibles are kept hidden. There... CBN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2380721/posts#comment Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:21:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370508/posts Ghana’s first Catholic Cardinal, Peter Appiah Turkson is closer to becoming the first black pope ever of the Catholic Church. Saturday October 24, 2009, Pope Benedict appointed Cardinal Turkson to head the Vatican’s justice and peace office. This position is a high-profile one that cements his reputation as a possible future candidate for the papal office, according to the Associated Press. The justice and peace office is responsible for promoting the church’s social teachings on justice issues, such as war, the death penalty and human rights. Turkson told reporters three weeks ago there was no reason there couldn’t be a... Ghana Business News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370508/posts#comment Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:23:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372499/posts ‘Moderate’ Islamist group had long suspected woman in Puntland was Christian. Three masked members of a militant Islamist group in Somalia last week shot and killed a Somali Christian who declined to wear a veil as prescribed by Muslim custom... Members of the comparatively “moderate” Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali... in her home . Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a... Compass Direct http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372499/posts#comment Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:06:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2361332/posts Somalia: Christian Leader Killed On Sept. 28 an Islamic extremist shot and killed Mariam Muhina Hussein, an underground church leader, after discovering six Bibles in her possession, according to Compass Direct News. The day before the shooting, a leader of the Islamic extremist group al Shabaab reportedly sent his wife to visit Hussein's home in Marerey villange. She pretended she was interested in learning about Christianity. During the visit, Hussein read passages of the Bible and told the woman that she could visit regularly to discuss God's Word, according to Compass. The following day, the al Shabaab leader, identified as... Voice of the Martyrs http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2361332/posts#comment Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:47:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2356794/posts VATICAN CITY (AP) - African bishops attending a Vatican meeting are speaking about the election of Barack Obama in divine terms—putting them very much at odds with many of their U.S. counterparts. Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra, Ghana said Wednesday that there was "a divine plan behind" Obama's election. "It's like the biblical story repeating itself," he told reporters, citing the Old Testament figure Joseph, who after being sold into slavery in Egypt ends up becoming a top official. "We believe God has his own plans. God directs history," he said of the U.S. election. "We pray that it... BREITBART http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2356794/posts#comment Wed, 7 Oct 2009 16:09:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354475/posts Pope To Open Africa Synod In Rome By David Willey BBC News, Rome The pope drew huge crowds during his visit to Angola in March Pope Benedict is to open a three-week gathering of African bishops with a Mass in St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The Synod on Africa is aimed at discussing the continent's social and economic problems. The Catholic Church is growing faster in Africa than in any other part of the world, nearly trebling in size to 150 million followers over 30 years. It will be the second synod of bishops organised at the Vatican to be... BBC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354475/posts#comment Sun, 4 Oct 2009 06:39:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2351871/posts Forget Lions and Tigers The Latest in Big Game thelastcrusade.org Somalia (MNN) ― Somalia's Muslim militants are hunting down converts to Christianity. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Al-Shabaab members have murdered 14 believers since July 15. Compass Direct News reports the September 15 shooting death of 69-year-old Omar Khalafe, an underground Christian who had Bibles in his possession.On the day of his death, Khalafe was carrying 25 Somali Bibles he hoped to deliver to an underground fellowship in Somalia. At a checkpoint controlled by al Shabaab--a rebel group linked with al Qaeda which has taken over large... The Last Crusade http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2351871/posts#comment Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:30:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2349343/posts widespread human rights violations, including mutilation, torture, rape, the abduction of civilians, the use of child soldiers, and a number of massacres. In recent months there has been an increase in violent incidents across provinces of southern Sudan, especially near the Ugandan border. "Everywhere, people are being killed" including at least one church leader, said Bishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak in remarks aired by Radio France International (RFI), monitored by BosNewsLife. "This is why we are appealing to the United Nations and governments in the world like the U.S. Germany and Norway. They should come in now, so that peace... worthynews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2349343/posts#comment Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:27:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344547/posts One of the most powerful figures in the Anglican Church believes that Africa is under attack from Islam and that Muslims are “mass-producing” children to take over communities on the continent. Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, 56, was elected Primate of Nigeria last week and his elevation could exacerbate tensions at a time when Anglicans are working to build bridges with Muslims. Dr Michael Nazir-Ali resigned as Bishop of Rochester earlier this year to work in countries where Islam is the majority religion. Nigeria is split almost half and half between Christianity and Islam. There are about 17 million practising Anglicans in... London Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344547/posts#comment Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:35:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304535/posts Washington, D.C. (July 29, 2009) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Islamic extremists killed a pastor and razed five churches in the city of Maiduguri, Nigeria, on July 27. The extremists also attacked two churches in the Nigerian city of Potiskum. Yakubu Sabo, a husband and father of seven, was hacked to death with a machete by members of a violent Islamic militant group know as Boko Haram (which means “education is prohibited”). Sabo pastored a Church of Christ congregation in Maiduguri. Deeper Life Church, Evangelical Mission, and Church of the Brethren are three of five other churches... PERSECUTION.ORG - INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304535/posts#comment Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:00:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304050/posts A Christian woman who faces 40 lashes for wearing trousers in Sudan made a dramatic appearance in court yesterday to fight her case. Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein walked into the packed hearing in the same green slacks that got her arrested. Under Islamic laws used in parts of the country, it is illegal for a woman to wear trousers rather than long skirts in public. But the law is not supposed to apply to non-Muslims like Miss Hussein, a former journalist who works for the United Nations. And it is only imposed sporadically in the capital, Khartoum, where she was arrested.... dailymail.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304050/posts#comment Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:34:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2300465/posts From website: "Top Thinkers of The Early Church" "Many people who know a lot about the Bible know little about what happened right after the time of the Bible, after Jesus and His apostles. This is the period of time from A.D. 100 to A.D. 500. Few Christians are aware that the very greatest of all thinkers, scholars, and leaders of this time were found on the continent of Africa. The five individuals selected [and discussed below] all lived in North Africa." http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2300465/posts#comment Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:33:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2242396/posts A congressionally mandated commission has blacklisted Nigeria as one of the world's worst abusers of religious freedom, in a controversial decision made with dissent from at least one of the panel's members. The ranking is linked to the government's role in religious discrimination and retribution in the large West African country. Although official policies do not encourage or promote such actions, the commission faults the authorities for failing to prevent violence along religious lines. "The toleration by Nigeria's federal, state and local governments of systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom has created a climate of impunity, resulting in... Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2242396/posts#comment Fri, 1 May 2009 22:55:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2240477/posts Nairobi (ENI). A row is simmering between the Seventh-day Adventist Church in western Kenya and Muslims in the country over reported attempts to convert to Christianity Sarah Obama, the grandmother of U.S. President Barack Obama. 'We had invited her to grace our meeting in Kisumu which was to mark the end of a three-week convention, but although she had prepared, she did not attend,' Lewis Ondiek, SDA central Nyanza executive director, told Ecumenical News International. Some members of her family had stopped Sarah Obama from attending the service, which was led by an Australian evangelist, John Jeremic. Apart from stating... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2240477/posts#comment Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:35:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2233374/posts A Protestant church in Kenya is trying to convert US President Barack Obama's step-grandmother to Christianity against her will, a Muslim group said Monday, condemning the move as provocation. The Seventh Day Adventist church in the western town of Kisumu had invited 87-year-old Sarah Obama -- a Muslim -- to a function on Saturday, where she was allegedly to be baptised. According to relatives in her village of Kogelo, "Mama Sarah", as she is popularly known in the US president's paternal homeland, was surprised by the offer and declined to attend. "I regret the attempt by the Christian religion to... Weasel Zippers http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2233374/posts#comment Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:01:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2233563/posts NAIROBI: A Protestant church in Kenya is trying to convert US President Barack Obama's step-grandmother to Christianity against her will, a Muslim group said Monday, condemning the move as provocation. The Seventh Day Adventist church in the western town of Kisumu had invited 87-year-old Sarah Obama -- a Muslim -- to a function on Saturday, where she was allegedly to be baptised. According to relatives in her village of Kogelo, "Mama Sarah", as she is popularly known in the US president's paternal homeland, was surprised by the offer and declined to attend. "I regret the attempt by the Christian religion... economictimes.indiatimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2233563/posts#comment Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:08:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2232376/posts The LDS Church reached a milestone last week when we ordained our first black African general authority. Elder Joseph W. Sitati of Nairobi, Kenya, was admitted to the First Quorum of Seventy. During General Conference, Sitati was presented for a sustaining vote of the entire church membership, including those of us watching from home with a bag of Doritos. It was such a momentous occasion that I thought a second vote was required. "All those who can sustain the idea that this sort of thing was about dang time, please manifest by ..." Sorry. That was irreverent, I know. It's... The Salt Lake Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2232376/posts#comment Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:52:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2210983/posts Pope Benedict flew from Cameroon to Angola on Friday with an unusual traveling companion -- a turtle. Just before he left Cameroon, the pope met a group of Baka Pygmies, hunter-gatherers from the country's rain forests. They came to the grounds of the Vatican embassy in the capital Yaounde and gave him the turtle of about 30 cm (one foot) long. The Vatican said it was not yet clear if the turtle -- which has not yet been named -- would be left in Angola or find a new home in the Vatican gardens. reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2210983/posts#comment Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:55:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2210731/posts YAOUNDE, Cameroon (CNS) -- A group of Pygmies showed up to give Pope Benedict XVI an unscheduled send-off from Cameroon, and presented him with a live turtle to take back with him to the Vatican. The 15 Pygmies from the Baka ethnic group came to the pope's residence at the apostolic nunciature in Yaounde March 20 as the pontiff was preparing to leave for Angola. They built a ceremonial hut out of leaves in the garden of the residence, and the pope came out to greet them. The Pygmies, including grandparents, parents and children, sang songs and danced to the... CNS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2210731/posts#comment Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:57:15 GMT