Religious scholars in Rome are arguing over a tiny scrap of papyrus that may indicate some early Christians thought Jesus Christ had a wife. Speaking this week at a religious studies conference, U.S. professor Karen King of Harvard Divinity School announced that scholars are studying a piece of papyrus that quotes Jesus as saying the […]
Papyrus Scrap Ignites Marriage Debate
Posted September 19th, 2012 at 3:40 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
Papyrus Scrap Ignites Marriage Debate
Posted September 19th, 2012 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
Religious scholars in Rome are arguing over a tiny scrap of papyrus that may indicate some early Christians thought their spiritual leader, Jesus Christ, had a wife. Speaking this week at a religious studies conference, U.S. professor Karen King of Harvard Divinity School announced scholars are studying a piece of papyrus that quotes Jesus as […]
Chinese Media Criticizes US Religious Freedom Report
Posted July 31st, 2012 at 3:35 am (UTC-5)
Chinese state media criticized a U.S. report on worldwide religious freedom, saying the release is “counterproductive.” The state-run Xinhua news agency said in a commentary Tuesday that the report is a “political tool” and that the United States is imposing its own religious policy standards. The annual State Department report released Monday said there has […]
Clinton Says World Looking To Egypt To Form Inclusive Government
Posted July 30th, 2012 at 5:50 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Egyptians and the international community are looking to the new Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi, to appoint an inclusive government that includes women and Christians. Clinton said Christians in Egypt wonder if a government led by the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood will stand up for non-Muslims and Muslims equally. She […]
Official: Kenya Muslims Offering to Protect Christian Churches
Posted July 5th, 2012 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
A leading member of Kenya’s Inter-Religious Council says Muslim leaders are offering to protect Christian churches following deadly attacks on Sunday. In an interview with VOA , Mustafa Ali welcomed the gesture, which he described as “unprecedented.” “The Muslim leaderships in the country, particularly in northeastern Kenya, are saying that they are offering Muslims themselves […]
Czech Government to Compensate Churches for Confiscated Property
Posted January 11th, 2012 at 6:25 pm (UTC-5)
The Czech Cabinet has approved a bill that will compensate churches for assets seized by the communist regime that ran the former Czechoslovakia for about 40 years after World War II. Prime Minister Petr Necas said the restitution measure was approved unanimously Wednesday. “It was approved unanimously by all present ministers. I consider the result, […]
Sweden Recognizes File-Sharing Group as Church
Posted January 5th, 2012 at 8:35 pm (UTC-5)
The Swedish government has recognized as a “church” a group that openly opposes copyright protection. The group, called “Kopimism,” considers itself a religious organization. It says on its website that it believes information is holy, copying is a sacrament, and file-sharing is a form of religious service. Kopimism’s self-appointed “spiritual leader,” 20-year-old philosophy student Isak […]
Chinese Government Curbs Christmas Celebrations
Posted December 22nd, 2011 at 7:55 pm (UTC-5)
As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas, some Christian leaders in China complain the government is trying to stop celebrations by religious communities that are not officially sanctioned. Pastor Zhan Gang Qingdao who heads a 300-member Protestant community near Qingdao in eastern Shandong province says China’s religious authorities have warned him against holding […]
US Commission Urges Obama to Raise Religious Freedoms in Indonesia
Posted November 16th, 2011 at 7:10 am (UTC-5)
A U.S. government panel is urging President Barack Obama to address ongoing problems of religious freedom in Indonesia during his upcoming visit. Leonard Leo, the chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, sent a letter to the White House Monday highlighting a number of violent attacks that he said were carried out by […]
Kazakhstan Parliament Passes Tough Religious Legislation
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 8:27 am (UTC-5)
The upper house of Kazakhstan’s parliament has approved tough new legislation on religious activity. Supporters of the measure say it will help combat the growing threat of religious extremism, while opponents call it a blow to religious freedom. The measure is expected to quickly be signed into law by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who proposed the […]
