Religious Freedom Under Attack

[OldLady]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

 

[Polishprince]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

Its only the liberals who are forcing their belief systems on others. Christians are being forced to pay for abortions and contraception against their religious beliefs. They are being forced to bake cakes for unscriptural events. That's persecution.

 

[Polishprince]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

If Homosexuals want to have Gay Weddings, they should bake their own dam cakes or have bakers who agree with their ideals bake them.

Ditto for anti-life people. They should pay the abortionist out of their own pocket, and not expect the Little Sisters of the Freaking Poor to pay their abortion bills.

 

[jehanne1431]

I have to admit to find few sects as loathsome as the witnesses. And yes, they are extremists, starting with their autocratic, totalitarian leadership mandating that all independent thinking be stopped among the ranks, up to the rejection of blood transfusions even in life threatening conditions, which is particularly egregious, brutal in the case of children. And let's not start about their triumphantly in-your-face proselytizing, and their stone-age doctrine.

That said, if they are poking the eye of the Russian bear, in an obvious case of civil disobedience, they're going to pay a price in return for sparking a world-wide PR campaign. The incarcerated goon even knew he had a snitch in his ranks - so he knew where he was heading. The strategy is almost as old as humankind. I tend to find it stupid for states to create martyrs to whatever cause they loathe and reject, but there it is. I wish both sides good luck with that strategy of stubbornly locking horns. What could possibly go wrong?

The alternative would be for the witnesses to drop the extremism the Supreme Court found incriminating, and to try to get that Supreme Court ruling overturned. But then, that's not how typical extremists typically act.

.
So what is your opinions on the “new Europe?”
From what I can glean, the continent is in real peril because it has abandoned Christianity. (so is the USA, imo, but not nearly as dire). They are secular materialists and they have stopped having children for that reason. Not good. They are too soft on short work weeks, generous holidays. early retirements and benefits for maternity leaves, et al. to the point where a small shrinking percentage of workers or work hours is having to bear the burden to support the enormous government entitlements.

Why are these govts so willing to allow tens of thousands of Islamic migrants into their countries and then look the other way when they refuse to assimilate in any way, commit crimes of passion and hatred, foster terrorists, and make it so uncomfortable for the general population to be around them? Is it because they are afraid of these people and how they practice their religion? It must be. But it has turned this continent into a bad state.

No one goes to church or cares much about the eternal. Unbelievable. Europe has too much ego and not enough wisdom.

 

[OldLady]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

If Homosexuals want to have Gay Weddings, they should bake their own dam cakes or have bakers who agree with their ideals bake them.

Ditto for anti-life people. They should pay the abortionist out of their own pocket, and not expect the Little Sisters of the Freaking Poor to pay their abortion bills.

We can take this up another time and in another thread. This is about Russia banning Jehovah's Witnesses.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

Refuse to bake a ssm cake and you get fined 300+ thousand dollars and forced to go out of business.

Who's forcing what?

Ignorant clown

 

[OldLady]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

Refuse to bake a ssm cake and you get fined 300+ thousand dollars and forced to go out of business.

Who's forcing what?

Ignorant clown

What has ssm got to do with anything and what in hell are you talking about?

 

[Polishprince]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

Refuse to bake a ssm cake and you get fined 300+ thousand dollars and forced to go out of business.

Who's forcing what?

Ignorant clown

What has ssm got to do with anything and what in hell are you talking about?

Here in America, you aren't allowed to oppose Gay Marriage. If a LGBTQQAAI+ couple insists they want you as part of their wedding, your devoutly held religious faith means nothing to the state. You just have to do it or face ruin. BTW, when Gay Marriage was first invented, Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., the greatest theologian of my time, gave a sermon on the topic. Falwell pointed out that Almighty God put Adam and Eve- not Adam and Steve- into the Garden. I checked it out, Falwell was spot on correct and no homosexual has effectively proven otherwise.

 

[Coyote]

This thread has a topic folks lets try to stick to...in a broader sense it is about increasing restrictions on religious freedom around the world...

 

[OldLady]

Like freedom of the press, religious freedoms and tolerances are also taking a beating around the world, and the past few years have seen an uptick in new restrictions on religious minorities.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For Extremism

A Russian court has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for promoting extremism.


"I hope today is the day Russia defends religious freedom," Dennis Christensen, who pleaded not guilty in the trial, said as he walked down the hall of the courthouse before the verdict was read.


A Danish citizen with a Russian residency permit, Christensen was arrested at a worship service in May 2017 by armed police in the western city of Orel. He had unlocked the entrance to the building and delivered a sermon that day but he was not a staff member of the organization, according Human Rights Watch.


A local court had banned his chapter of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization the previous year. A month before his arrest, the Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an extremist group, classifying it on par with the Islamic State. That ruling dealt a blow to the nearly 400 chapters of Jehovah's Witnesses across the country. ​

Seriously....comparing Jehovah's witness' to ISIS?

Russia unfortunately part of a larger trend over the past few years:

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016

Global Uptick in Government Restrictions on Religion in 2016
Nationalist parties and organizations played an increasing role in harassment of religious minorities, especially in Europe

Restrictions on religion around the world continued to climb in 2016, according to Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study of global restrictions on religion. This marks the second year in a row of increases in the overall level of restrictions imposed either by governments or by private actors (groups and individuals) in the 198 countries examined in the study.


The share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices – rose from 25% in 2015 to 28% in 2016. This is the largest percentage of countries to have high or very high levels of government restrictions since 2013, and falls just below the 10-year peak of 29% in 2012.


Meanwhile, the share of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of social hostilities involving religion – that is, acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society – remained stable in 2016 at 27%. Like government restrictions, social hostilities also peaked in 2012, particularly in the Middle East-North Africa region, which was still feeling the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities declined in 2013 and has remained at about the same level since, but it is higher than it was during the baseline year of this study (2007).


In total in 2016, 83 countries (42%) had high or very high levels of overall restrictions on religion – whether resulting from government actions or from hostile acts by private individuals, organizations and social groups – up from 80 (40%) in 2015 and 58 (29%) in 2007.1​

In the United States, Christians are persecuted routinely. Christian outfits like the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby are forced to provide abortion and contraception contrary to their religious beliefs. Christian bakeries are forced to bake cakes for unscriptural gay "weddings". Our country has little room to complain about anyone else in this regard.

Oh, stop whining for one minute. In the United States we don't "persecute" Christians; we just stand in the way of their forcing their belief system on others. We sure as hell don't shut down their churches and outlaw them.

Refuse to bake a ssm cake and you get fined 300+ thousand dollars and forced to go out of business.

Who's forcing what?

Ignorant clown

What has ssm got to do with anything and what in hell are you talking about?

Here in America, you aren't allowed to oppose Gay Marriage. If a LGBTQQAAI+ couple insists they want you as part of their wedding, your devoutly held religious faith means nothing to the state. You just have to do it or face ruin. BTW, when Gay Marriage was first invented, Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., the greatest theologian of my time, gave a sermon on the topic. Falwell pointed out that Almighty God put Adam and Eve- not Adam and Steve- into the Garden. I checked it out, Falwell was spot on correct and no homosexual has effectively proven otherwise.

I have some sympathy for the baker in Colorado, because he opened his business before "sexual orientation" was added to Colorado's PA laws. By then, he had invested in his shop, built up a clientele--it's not so easy to just "move." I wish it hadn't been brought to our highest tribunal. It is a hell of a decision to try and make, and so far the SC has ducked it. They'll probably continue to, and I can't say I blame them.
The baker has refused to make cakes for Halloween and other things he doesn't believe in, so it isn't just gays' weddings he is refusing to participate in. I wish they could have just left him alone and gone to another bakery. They could always have slammed him on FB or something.

It's a sorry situation. But for the most part, Christians in business need to embrace their gay customers same as anyone else. I fully agree with that.

 

[OldLady]

Sorry Coyote. Our posts crossed. No more on the bakers.

 

[Coyote]

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

Our children's private school doesn't receive a dime of taxpayer money and it irritates the hell out of the left because they can't get their filthy paws anywhere near the children.

That's the very reason they refuse taxpayer money. We don't want or need your crap subjected to the kids. We thumb our noses at the left

As for pregnancy crisis centers? When you bemoan Planned Parenthood killing babies while getting tax dollars you have an argument. Until you do you dont.

And don't give me that worn out tired shit "bbbbut PP doesnt use tax money for abortions!!!!!". Nobody with an ounce of sense is buying into that nonsense....of course leftists are famous for not having a lick of sense though.

 

[Coyote]

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

Our children's private school doesn't receive a dime of taxpayer money and it irritates the hell out of the left because they can't get their filthy paws anywhere near the children.

That's the very reason they refuse taxpayer money. We don't want or need your crap subjected to the kids. We thumb our noses at the left

As for pregnancy crisis centers? When you bemoan Planned Parenthood killing babies while getting tax dollars you have an argument. Until you do you dont.

And don't give me that worn out tired shit "bbbbut PP doesnt use tax money for abortions!!!!!". Nobody with an ounce of sense is buying into that nonsense....of course leftists are famous for not having a lick of sense though.

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Any time a private school accepts vouchers, I am paying for it.

Typical filthy rightwing hypocrisy eh?

Also...more than evidence that the claim that Christians are persecuted in this country is laughable.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Destroying a LIFE is NOT the moral equivalent of SAVING life

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

Our children's private school doesn't receive a dime of taxpayer money and it irritates the hell out of the left because they can't get their filthy paws anywhere near the children.

That's the very reason they refuse taxpayer money. We don't want or need your crap subjected to the kids. We thumb our noses at the left

As for pregnancy crisis centers? When you bemoan Planned Parenthood killing babies while getting tax dollars you have an argument. Until you do you dont.

And don't give me that worn out tired shit "bbbbut PP doesnt use tax money for abortions!!!!!". Nobody with an ounce of sense is buying into that nonsense....of course leftists are famous for not having a lick of sense though.

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Any time a private school accepts vouchers, I am paying for it.

Typical filthy rightwing hypocrisy eh?

Also...more than evidence that the claim that Christians are persecuted in this country is laughable.

Our children's school does not accept vouchers, you pay the tuition or go on academic scholarship, no other way to get in and that is by design. It keeps out the "distractions"

I'll help fund Pregnancy Crisis Centers and will never give a nickle to PP. Defund both of them for all I care.

Yes Christians are being persecuted in the USA but your own thread is dealing with Russia, it's Russia's house, Russia's rules.

 

[Coyote]

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Destroying a LIFE is NOT the moral equivalent of SAVING life

It is if you are destroying the woman’s life. Your crisis centers

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

Our children's private school doesn't receive a dime of taxpayer money and it irritates the hell out of the left because they can't get their filthy paws anywhere near the children.

That's the very reason they refuse taxpayer money. We don't want or need your crap subjected to the kids. We thumb our noses at the left

As for pregnancy crisis centers? When you bemoan Planned Parenthood killing babies while getting tax dollars you have an argument. Until you do you dont.

And don't give me that worn out tired shit "bbbbut PP doesnt use tax money for abortions!!!!!". Nobody with an ounce of sense is buying into that nonsense....of course leftists are famous for not having a lick of sense though.

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Any time a private school accepts vouchers, I am paying for it.

Typical filthy rightwing hypocrisy eh?

Also...more than evidence that the claim that Christians are persecuted in this country is laughable.

Our children's school does not accept vouchers, you pay the tuition or go on academic scholarship, no other way to get in and that is by design. It keeps out the "distractions"

I'll help fund Pregnancy Crisis Centers and will never give a nickle to PP. Defund both of them for all I care.

Yes Christians are being persecuted in the USA but your own thread is dealing with Russia, it's Russia's house, Russia's rules.

How are they being persecuted? Be specific.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Destroying a LIFE is NOT the moral equivalent of SAVING life

It is if you are destroying the woman’s life. Your crisis centers

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

Our children's private school doesn't receive a dime of taxpayer money and it irritates the hell out of the left because they can't get their filthy paws anywhere near the children.

That's the very reason they refuse taxpayer money. We don't want or need your crap subjected to the kids. We thumb our noses at the left

As for pregnancy crisis centers? When you bemoan Planned Parenthood killing babies while getting tax dollars you have an argument. Until you do you dont.

And don't give me that worn out tired shit "bbbbut PP doesnt use tax money for abortions!!!!!". Nobody with an ounce of sense is buying into that nonsense....of course leftists are famous for not having a lick of sense though.

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Any time a private school accepts vouchers, I am paying for it.

Typical filthy rightwing hypocrisy eh?

Also...more than evidence that the claim that Christians are persecuted in this country is laughable.

Our children's school does not accept vouchers, you pay the tuition or go on academic scholarship, no other way to get in and that is by design. It keeps out the "distractions"

I'll help fund Pregnancy Crisis Centers and will never give a nickle to PP. Defund both of them for all I care.

Yes Christians are being persecuted in the USA but your own thread is dealing with Russia, it's Russia's house, Russia's rules.

How are they being persecuted? Be specific.

Persecution of USA Christians is nowhere nears what it does around the world but it's there and the only thing holding it in check is the First and the fact you risk pissing off millions.

But you're testing the waters...tread carefully though.

No Christian persecution in the US? Try telling that to these Christians. | Blogs | LifeSite

 

[Coyote]

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Destroying a LIFE is NOT the moral equivalent of SAVING life

It is if you are destroying the woman’s life. Your crisis centers

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

Our children's private school doesn't receive a dime of taxpayer money and it irritates the hell out of the left because they can't get their filthy paws anywhere near the children.

That's the very reason they refuse taxpayer money. We don't want or need your crap subjected to the kids. We thumb our noses at the left

As for pregnancy crisis centers? When you bemoan Planned Parenthood killing babies while getting tax dollars you have an argument. Until you do you dont.

And don't give me that worn out tired shit "bbbbut PP doesnt use tax money for abortions!!!!!". Nobody with an ounce of sense is buying into that nonsense....of course leftists are famous for not having a lick of sense though.

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Any time a private school accepts vouchers, I am paying for it.

Typical filthy rightwing hypocrisy eh?

Also...more than evidence that the claim that Christians are persecuted in this country is laughable.

Our children's school does not accept vouchers, you pay the tuition or go on academic scholarship, no other way to get in and that is by design. It keeps out the "distractions"

I'll help fund Pregnancy Crisis Centers and will never give a nickle to PP. Defund both of them for all I care.

Yes Christians are being persecuted in the USA but your own thread is dealing with Russia, it's Russia's house, Russia's rules.

How are they being persecuted? Be specific.

Persecution of USA Christians is nowhere nears what it does around the world but it's there and the only thing holding it in check is the First and the fact you risk pissing off millions.

But you're testing the waters...tread carefully though.

No Christian persecution in the US? Try telling that to these Christians. | Blogs | LifeSite

Do you realize those claims come down to exactly two things?

Name calling...”homophobes”...that is persecution? Is it limited to Christians? Are other religions subject to horrible slurs? Is it persecution?

Does that mean atheists are being persecuted?



The second thing...the damn gay wedding cake..religious rights or the right to discriminate? If you label it “religious persecution” then it naturally follows that the other side is persecution against homosexuals.

Let’s be honest here. It isn’t persecution. It is competing rights.

 

[Coyote]

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Destroying a LIFE is NOT the moral equivalent of SAVING life

It is if you are destroying the woman’s life. Your crisis centers

Religious freedom is alive and well in the US. It seens silly to argue they are being persecuted when the have nationally recognized state and federal holidays, my tax money goes to subsidize their pregnancy crisis centers and private schools. That does not look like persecution. Not like Christians in Syria...

Our children's private school doesn't receive a dime of taxpayer money and it irritates the hell out of the left because they can't get their filthy paws anywhere near the children.

That's the very reason they refuse taxpayer money. We don't want or need your crap subjected to the kids. We thumb our noses at the left

As for pregnancy crisis centers? When you bemoan Planned Parenthood killing babies while getting tax dollars you have an argument. Until you do you dont.

And don't give me that worn out tired shit "bbbbut PP doesnt use tax money for abortions!!!!!". Nobody with an ounce of sense is buying into that nonsense....of course leftists are famous for not having a lick of sense though.

Pregnancy Crisis Centers: it is you and YOUR ilk that want to fund them with MY money but refuse to fund PP. I am fine with using taxpayer money to subsidize both. How about you?

Any time a private school accepts vouchers, I am paying for it.

Typical filthy rightwing hypocrisy eh?

Also...more than evidence that the claim that Christians are persecuted in this country is laughable.

Our children's school does not accept vouchers, you pay the tuition or go on academic scholarship, no other way to get in and that is by design. It keeps out the "distractions"

I'll help fund Pregnancy Crisis Centers and will never give a nickle to PP. Defund both of them for all I care.

Yes Christians are being persecuted in the USA but your own thread is dealing with Russia, it's Russia's house, Russia's rules.

How are they being persecuted? Be specific.

Persecution of USA Christians is nowhere nears what it does around the world but it's there and the only thing holding it in check is the First and the fact you risk pissing off millions.

But you're testing the waters...tread carefully though.

No Christian persecution in the US? Try telling that to these Christians. | Blogs | LifeSite

I should add...thank God for the first amendment. Because unlike other countries it is a foundational guarantee of religious protections.

Regardless of the religion.

And I support it.