A homosexual activist disrupted a Mass held in a parish in Teignmouth, Devon, with a video camera last week as a priest prepared to read a letter from the country’s bishops conference opposing government efforts to legalize same-sex “marriage.”
Hackers claiming ties to the group Anonymous are taking credit after the Vatican website went down Wednesday. They displayed the following message: “Anonymous decided today to besiege your site in response to the doctrine, to the liturgies, to the absurd and anachronistic concepts that your for-profit organization spreads around the world."
Jonas Himmelstrand, who is president of the Swedish Association for Home Education (ROHUS), has left the country saying, “the safety of my family could no longer be guaranteed,” and that the government of the town of Uppsala was “threatening” him.
The UK Government submitted to the European Court of Human Rights that the applicants' wearing of a visible cross or Crucifix was not a manifestation of their religion or belief within the meaning of Article 9, and, in any event, the restriction on the applicants' wearing of a visible cross or Crucifix was not an "interference" with their rights protected by Article 9.
A Christian psychotherapist is the subject of a professional conduct inquiry in London for supporting therapy for those with unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction. The dispute arose as, in response to a question, Dr Davidson had said: “yes, I do believe homosexuality is a sin.” Commentators speak of a "worrying trend where the door to practising professional therapy is being closed to people with Christian sexual ethics."
The UK Government has written to all local councils in England, telling them that new laws restore their power to hold prayers at official meetings after the High Court had ruled that local councils have no lawful power to hold prayers during official business. The court case was initiated by the National Secular Society and a local atheist ex-councillor who sued Bideford Town Council in Devon for conducting prayers, a custom that had been in place since the 17th century.
On January 31st 2012, the third section of the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment in the case of Sindicatul Păstorul cel bun c. Roumanie whereby it determined that the refusal of the Orthodox Church to register a trade union established within itself was contrary to freedom of association guaranteed by Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights. This interferes with the internal organization of a religious institution. The Romanian Orthodox Church has publicly expressed its wish that the matter is now referred to the Grand Chamber for a new trial.
The Christian owners of a guesthouse who restrict double rooms to married couples have been ordered to pay £3,600 in damages to a homosexual couple in January 2011. Their appeal was lost in February 2012. In November 2013 they were forced to sell their B&B.
According to an Irish Labor party proposal to be discussed in April, ‘Catholics first’ policy in state-funded Catholic schools is illegal, discriminatory and should be abolished.
The National Secular Society uses courts to stop Bideford Town Council from keeping prayers on its agenda.
The Association in Defense of Public and Laity Universities has asked the Dean of the University of Granada in a letter to dissolve the Theology Department which recently opened. The radically secularist group says on their website that "the creation of the Theology Studies Department is a violation of the neutrality and laity principles consecrated in the Spanish Constitution; it is an attack at the university because it undermines the independence and accuracy of the rational and critical thinking, because it puts theology at the same level as science, even though it has not other fundament that the faith itself. With the institution of a Theology Department the university moves forward into Catholicism, and thereby backwards to medieval times and national-socialism [dictatorship]."
A senior Christian religious official looking for a secretary, asked the Austrian equal treatment commission before publishing a job advertisement: would it be permissable to reject a headscarf-wearing Muslim woman? The answer was no.
The former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe pointed out the UK government's double standards in its threats to cut aid to countries which persecute gay people while turning a blind eye to persecution against Christians.
Crowborough Town Council and Mayfield Parish Council - both in East Sussex - have both been warned that prayers "should not be part of a council meeting". The warning comes from the Sussex Association of Local Councils, which is responsible for local government in the area.
At a UN meeting, delegates from Britain, Denmark, Spain and other countries called for Ireland to legalize abortion - with Denmark calling for legislation to allow for abortion on demand, constituting pressure seeking to undermine the Christian convictions of the majority of the Irish population.
The archbishop of Moscow, Msgr. Paolo Pezzi has critized the city of Pskow (North-West Russia) to discriminate against the Catholic Church by denying the prolongation of a building permit.
UK, Blackpool: Jamie Murray, Salt & Light Coffee House's owner, has been visited by the Lancashire Police and threatened for the display of Bible versicles on a TV screen inside his property. The police told Murray that the Bible passages use offensive, insulting words, and this constitutes a violation of Section 5 of the Public Order Act. The officers warned Murray that if he didn’t stop, he could be prosecuted for hate speech. The coffee house TV screen connected to a DVD displays images with no soundtrack from "Watchword Bible", which contents verses from the New Testament.
France banned prayers from the streets beginning September 16th, 2011. The measure mainly aims to target Muslims and their Friday prayers. In support of the new regulation the French Minister, Claude Gueant, affirmed that prayers on the street are unacceptable in a secular country such as France, and police force would be used in case of disobedience. Marine Le Pen, a right-wing French representative, speaking of Muslim prayer meetings, described prayers on the street as a "Nazi occupation". The consequences of a regulation also undermines freedom of religion of Christians, with regard to traditional Catholic processions as well as street evangelisations and outdoor liturgies. It is unclear to the Observatory, whether there will be exceptions granted to such initiatives under the new law.
The Irish Government is „set on passing a law that will require priests to break the seal of confession if they hear about child abuse in the confessional.
On a protest against the USA and the UK in London on September 11, a group of Muslims marched through London. A sign was carried which read "Jihad to Christian Extremists".
A member of U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is calling for a ban on marriages at Christian churches if they refuse to also perform same-sex unions.
Churches which refuse to conduct gay marriages should be stripped of their licence, according to Member of Parliament Mike Weatherley of Hove. While marriage between people of the same sex is not legal in the UK but civil partnerships were introduced in 2005 to give couples the same legal protection as if they were wed. Mr Weatherley said according to „The Argus“: “As long as religious groups can refuse to preside over ceremonies for same-sex couples there will be inequality. “Until we untangle unions and religion in this country we will struggle to find a fair arrangement.”
In the first year after the centre-left’s victory at local elections, local politicians decided to prohibit the traditional Ascencion Day barbeceue – at which „Crostine“ and „Salamelle“ (special Italian sausages) have been indispensable for decades. The reason was that Ascension Day took place during Ramadan. Not to offend the Muslim minority, the local government decided to serve only water melon instead of the traditional barbeceue.
A demonstration against the Catholic Church and the visit of the pope during the major Catholic event of World Youth Day, resulted in the young Christian visitors be booed, spat and shouted at. Several World Youth Day participates were physically attacked, one had to be treated in hospital for being kicked in the stomach. Eight anti-pope demonstrators were jailed.
In the parish St. Giuseppe Calasanzio (Milan) activists wanted to harass a priest for his views on homosexuality. They interrupted mass, carrying banners, shouting and josteling. The case was responded to the Turin Sociologist Massimo Introvigne, representative of OSCE for, amongst others, combatting intolerance and discrimination against Christians.
Poland's life-protecting abortion law, which is inspired by its strong Christian identity, is under attack by international and supranational bodies. This disrespect of national sovereignty targets Christian aspects and is therefore a case of intolerance against Christians in the area of morals.
Richard Scott, a MD with a 28-year spotless work record, has been given a disciplinary call for sharing his faith with a patient.
Cayo Lara, General Coordinator of the United Left party has blamed the Catholic Church for 400,000 Spanish citizens currently unemployed. According to Lara the Catholic Church received public funds amounted in 10.000 millions of euros per year, money that could be used to create job positions for those without a jobs.
The 200-year-old Greek Orthodox Chapel of Saint Thekla in the village of Vokolida, Cyprus was demolished, allegedly by accident. The demolition was condemned publicly by the Turkish Cypriot authorities and two individuals were arrested for destroying the church and a promise was made to rebuild it. Nevertheless, due to several reasons, this has not yet been performed.
The campaign “Calling the Pope to Account” sued Pope Benedict XVI at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against humanity. The charges are: “the preservation and leadership of a worldwide totalitarian regime of coercion, which subjugates its members with terrifying and health-endangering threats; the adherence to a fatal forbiddance of the use of condoms, even when the danger of HIV-AIDS infection exists; and the establishment and maintenance of a worldwide system of cover-up of the sexual crimes committed by Catholic priests and their preferential treatment, which aids and abets ever new crimes”. The campaign is supported by posters and a book publication.
Socialist Youth of Spain (Juventudes Socialistas de España - JSE), part of the PSOE political wing, has started an electoral platform that supports the removal of every religious symbol from public schools, and the progressive reduction of funds including the elimination of schools that receive taxpayers' money but are run privately (which are mostly confessional schools). Among other proposals the JSE supports free distribution of condoms, the day-after pill, indoctrination on abortion, and free sex change surgery.
A flash mob intended to protest against a law prohibiting dancing events on certain holidays interfered with the Good Friday procession of the Croatian Catholic community in Frankfurt/Main.
The Spanish Constitutional Tribunal ruled that Catechism teacher Resurrección Galera Navarro whose working contract was not renewed after marrying a divorced man and not informing her employer, she was dismissed unlawfully. Employer Ferrer Guardia Catholic School in Almeria was sentenced to pay compensation. Acknowledging the human dimension of this incident, it is in any case necessary that religious institutions are able to establish their own rules and ethos.
A gang of about 20 youth has been rampaging repeatedly around the Nathan-Söderblom church in Reinbek in the spring of 2011, including the urination into a work of art that represents the grave of Christ. Police and social service have not been able to calm down those involved, and are considering to hire a social worker to find a remedy.
Irene Wiens, mother of twelve, served a 43-day jail sentence in Germany for refusing to enroll her children in sex-ed classes, deemed by her husband and herself to teach a permissive view of human sexuality. An appeal to the European Court of Human Rights has been filed.
Apple suppresses diversity of belief by shutting down two Christian iPhone applications claiming that the were “offensive to large groups of people”, and the support of traditional marriage, family, and life “expose[d] a group to harm” and delivered “hate speech”.
Professors and authorities of several Spanish public universities have signed a document supporting the anti-chapel students´ movement. After a violent incident took place at Somosaguas Chapel located on Computense University campus, in Madrid, the professors affirmed in the document that "the presence of chapels and other symbols of religion power has no relation with the freedom of religion but with a Catholic Church privilege; and the time to end such [privileges] has arrived".
Missionaries and evangelists in Turkey are perceived as a real threat to both the integrity of the country and to the Muslim religion. Therefore, evangelism is regarded with suspicion and evangelists are sometimes arrested. Non-Muslim religious communities reported that they are personally being attacked. Attacks against churches and cemeteries take place as well.
Individual religious communities in Turkey are restricted in their training of clergy. The Turkish legislation does not provide for private higher religious education for minorities and such opportunities are inexistent in the public education system.
After anti-chapel demonstrations had taken place at Computense University in Madrid and Barcelona University, students of the University of Valencia called to march against chapel service at the Valencia School of Medicine. At the end, the rally did not take place.
Non-Muslim religious communities living in Turkey report difficulties opening, maintaining, and operating houses of worship. These groups may not build new churches because of the often arbitrary refusals to issue construction permits for places of worship. The reason behind this discriminatory behaviour is the fact that all unofficial meetings for religious minorities are considered potentially subversive.
An Italian school from Genova, Pertini-Diaz, rejected Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco’s visit. The spokesperson for Pertini-Diaz expressed concerns about the pastoral purpose of the visit, and the security staff that the cardinal would bring along with him. The Pertini-Diaz school would however welcome a non-pastoral visit.
At Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) a group of 50 young people stormed the chapel of the Somosaguas university campus to protest against the Catholic Church.
Catholic catechism teacher of a Zagreb primary school was accused of homophobia for staying in line with the Catholic Church teachings during catechism classes.
Due to “security reasons”, a glass panel has been set up in order to prevent any worshippers from entering the chapel of the University of Valladolid. The Christian student union “AJIO” met with the president of the university in order to express frustration over such a barrier. Their complaints were not heard, however, as the only answer received from the faculty remains, “God is everywhere. Go away to pray in the field.”
The lands surrounding the Syrian-orthodox monastery of Mor Gabriel, near Midyat in South-Eastern Turkey, have been expropriated by Turkey’s supreme court. According to the verdict, the treasury of Turkey has a right to claim the lands.
At the University of Barcelona protests by a group of secular students against the Catholic liturgical service on campus, including the interruption of the service, led to a cancelation of the weekly Wednesday Mass - until the University would be able to guarantee the safety of attending students.
A Catholic religion teacher was forced to remove a cross and an icon from a wall of a shared office in a secondary school in Zújar, Spain because two teachers said they were "offended" by them.
Christian Copts in Europe, particularly in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, celebrated Christmas on January 6th under special police protection.
The Council of the European Union proposed a visa liberalisation action plan for Moldova without much room for negotiations about the conditions: in a unilateral document, it was required to accept policies which would potentially infringe on the freedom of conscience or expression as well as that of religious institutions and organisations.
The City Hall of Barcelona approved a monument to honor the gay, transsexual and lesbian lifestyle in front of Sagrada Familia, the Barcelona Basilica. The proximity of location as well as the political message in relation to the dedication of the Basilica is troubling to Christians.
Police officers of the Turkish-Cypriot government entered a Greek-Orthodox Church in Rizokarpaso on December 25th 2010 and forced the priest to stop the Christmas morning liturgy. They coerced the priest and worshippers attending liturgy to leave the church and then locked its doors.
Manuel Ángel Rodríguez, City Hall representative of Oviedo, proposed the removal of nativities from any public building, specially schools. In 2009, Juan de Padilla school, in Toledo, suppressed every religious reference to Christmas but «Halloween», a foreign celebration to Spanish tradition, was welcomed. Nativity scenes and Christmas carols were replaced in the Toledo school, while decorated trees and the pagan character of Noel were permitted after two parents had complained about the religious connotation of the shepherds and the angels seen in the traditional manger.
In Great Britain many converts from Islam to Christianity are forced to worship in secret at the risk of their own lives according to the report of the French Internet Portal “Observatoire de l’islamisation” which resulted in a report broadcasted 2010 on British TV.
A small group of parents of Santo Angel School reported the School’s Catholic Center to the Ministry of Education of Murcia for "radical ideas” for organizing an optional weekly praying hour.
A Catholic national school found guilty of ''discrimination'' by Equality Tribunal and fined more than €12,000 for not hiring a Protestant teacher.
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Equality, the Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council and La Caixa funded the Forum Libertat 2010 on the same days on which the historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Santiago and Barcelona took place. The Forum advocated the withdrawal of the public presence of the Catholic Church.
The parents of two students of the public school Ortega y Gasset in Almendralejo (Badajoz) succeeded in their campaign to remove crucifixes from classrooms and prohibit religious ceremonies. The school parent association, who opposes these decisions, called for a protest.
The Greek-Orthodox Church, school, and community in Turkey has been gradually stripped of rights by the Turkish government. European law organizations declare this a violation of human rights.
Mother of an executed prisoner cannot pray at her son's tomb. It is unclear whether he had seen a priest before execution.
Polish equality minister Elzabieta Radziszewska not asked to be a jury-member for this year’s EU journalism award “Together against Discrimination” after explaining rights of schools with regard to employing homosexual teachers.
In a report released in September 2010, the Association of Protestant Churches details the fundamental problems faced by Christians in Turkey. Among them, the place of worship is a troublesome one.
The U.S. House of Representatives deplores: the inability of Orthodox Christians, clergy and other religious communities to access and hold services at their place of worship and cemeteries in the north; the disrepair of churches and cemeteries and the preservation of religious heritage (iconography, mosaics, and other religious symbols); the lack of schools and perspectives for young people in the north.
Ongoing attacks against sidewalk-counseling pro life activists in Vienna filmed and published online.
A statue of the Virgin of Fuensanta (local patron) at the Carazony college in Malaga was removed in September at the request of parents. Another group of parents launched a campaign to ask for it to be reinstated.
The political parties Esquerra Republicana, Izquierda Unida, and Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds, requested Parliament to pass a law to remove any religious sign and faith-related traditions -specially those related to Catholicism-, from the public square.
Two Christian pro-life protesters were arrested twice by Police in Brighton and await the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service to see if they will face a Criminal Prosecution.
Patriarch Bartholomew leads 250 million Orthodox Greeks worldwide. The community in Turkey has dwindled to a few thousand. The Turkish government refuses to recognize the title Ecumenical Patriarch, or Bartholomew's role as an international religious leader. A journalist from CBS asked Bartholomew about his feelings, he said that he felt “crucified” by the difficulties he faces every day in Turkey.
Dr Tali Argov overlooked for promotion, stripped of her privileges and ill-treated at social gatherings, after converting from Judaism to Christianity.
Lead politicians backing the bill refuse to allow a conscience clause; opposition parties claim that the objections of Christians are being ignored.
Turkish attorneys now in fourth year of prosecuting two Christians for allegedly slandering Islam; despite the lack of any concrete evidence to support their claims, Turkish courts are continuing prosecution.
A moderate Christian preacher, Andy Robertson, was wrongly told by a police officer Gainsborough, Lincolnshire that it is a crime to publicly express the religious belief that homosexual conduct is sinful.
Evangelical Premier Media conducted a survey called "Freedom of the Cross Consultations" in May 2010. 12 % of the respondants answered that they had experienced discrimination personally, another 10% that they knew someone who had. Read here some quotes at the workplace with a special focus on the medical profession.
Evangelical Premier Media conducted a survey called "Freedom of the Cross Consultations" in May 2010. 12 % of the respondants answered that they had experienced discrimination personally, another 10% that they knew someone who had. Read here some quotes with regard to religious symbols and prayer in public.
Street Preacher Dale McAlpine was arrested after stating to a passersby that homosexuality was a sin. After seven hours in a police cell, McAlpine was released. (video footage available!)
The renowned daily reports on a noticeable rise in quality and quantity of attacks against Church buildings.
Christian parents arrested and imprisoned up to 40 days when they refused to allow their children to participate in a mandatory sexual education program.
Vienna-based lawyer Georg Zanger wants to sue leading members of the Catholic Church on grounds of membership in a criminal organisation (§ 278a StGB, Austrian Code of Penal Law).
Various non-Muslim organised religious groups continue to deal with difficulties in Turkish society that seems to refuse to them the right to legal personality. The main implications of this problematic situation lie in their property rights, their access to justice and their ability to raise funds.
A street preacher has been arrested and fined £1000 in Glasgow for telling passersby, in answer to a direct question, that homosexual activity is a sin. He was sentenced for “homophobic remarks…aggravated by religious prejudice.”
A group of socialists, communists, liberals and greens, headed by Dutch liberal Sophie in’t Veld and German green Franziska Brantner seek to ban the Catholic Service which has been in place in Strasbourg for 11 years.
Openly homosexual activists disrupt Catholic services for refusing Holy Communion to open homosexuals.
Controversial sex ed bill passed in the house of commons and only later turned down as a legislative project. Under the bill, schools, both religious and secular, would have had to give children information on homosexual relationships as well as artificial contraception and abortion, including on how to obtain abortions and contraceptives. Catholic and Anglican schools would have been required to promote abortion, contraception, “civil partnerships” and homosexuality as “normal and harmless.”
A district judge has thrown out the case against another street preacher, Paul Shaw, who was arrested on February 19 in Colchester over comments he made about homosexual activity.
Gay activists plan mass kissing provocation in front of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Counterdemonstrations led to new location while a few remained there.
“Because of a substantiated fear of persecution”, an American judge on immigration matters argued, the United States is granting political Asylum to a German couple and their children, who are fleeing from compulsory education in Germany.
The Christian Institute published a report called "Marginalising Christians", cataloguing numerous cases of Christians being sidelined by public bodies, popular media, employers and facing barriers to public funding.
A Christian hotelier couple who expressed their Christian beliefs to Muslim guest during a discussion of religion were subsequently arrested for disrupting public order. Charges were later dismissed.
A couple from northern Hessen (Germany) had to pay a fine to the extent of 120 € for taking their children out of school for religious reasons. The district Court of Kassel charged the 48-year-old man and his 43-year-old wife with 60 daily rates of 1€ in an appellate decision. In the previous contested judgment of June 2008 they were supposed to go to jail for three months, even though the attorney admitted that the children are well educated.
United Left (IU) and Initiative for a Green Catalonia (ICV) proposed an amendment to the National Spanish Budget to deprive the Catholic Church of state funding, remove the tax deduction of volunteer contributions of citizens, and end the benefits on value-added-tax and property tax.
Scottish gay/transsexual festival "Glasgay!" featured the play "Jesus, Queen of Heaven" in which Jesus is a transsexual woman. Taxpayer money involved. Christian protestors named "homophobic".
Aleksejs Ribakovs, Orthodox Priest, was beaten and forced to move to another city to protect his family. One of the suspects was caught and identified as a young Muslim who proclaimed to hate Christians.
A Somerset Parish Council ended a 115-year tradition of saying Christian prayers at the beginning of its meeting after receiving a complaint.
A church in London has seen congregation numbers dwindle from 100 to 30 since the local council subjected it to noise restrictions following a complaint from a Muslim neighbour.
A large percentage of Turkish residents report that Christians are unwelcome in both the public and private sectors.
Professor Luigi Lombardi Vallauri's teaching contract was not prolonged by the Catholic University of Milano after he taught things like the gospel was the “most frightening message ever made known to mankind” and that “Jesus was through and through a bad human being”. On October 20th, the Court ruled that this was a violation of his freedom of opinion.
A group of Catholic nuns were openly insulted in Tuzla on August 21st, 2009.
A Christian church in South Wales was targeted by vandals who smashed its newly restored stained glass windows. Worshippers were forced to cancel services in order to fix damages.
Freedom of speech is being challenged in the case of Miguel Hayworth, a Christian street preacher in Manchester, UK who was silenced by police after publicly reading a passage from the Bible discussing homosexuality.
A new Irish initiative that would grant rights to homosexual couples contains no conscience clause and lays out fines and potential prison sentences for registrars who refuse to carry out same-sex civil partnerships. Concerns from church leaders disregarded as Bill passes Second Stage consideration.