Today’s Headlines:

CHILDREN’S HOMES FACE OPPOSITION FROM HINDU MILITANTS IN INDIA

CHINESE LAWYER IN RELIGIOUS RIGHTS CASES FACES MURDER ATTEMPT

OFFICIAL RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT ‘RELIGIOUS INFILTRATION’ IN CHINA

TELEVANGELIST PAT ROBERTSON CANCELS APPEARANCE AT NRB

Today’s Top Stories:

CHILDREN’S HOMES FACE OPPOSITION FROM HINDU MILITANTS IN INDIA

On Saturday, Jan. 14, approximately 40 Hindu militants opposed to a children’s home and school being constructed in the village of Tikri in northeastern India’s Uttaranchal state came to the construction site and threatened to kill the workers who were building the new facility. The workers fled for their lives.

Ashish Massey, the head of the North India Evangelistic Association (NIEA)

who is funding the project, was also threatened with death by the militants. According to a local report, some of the local villagers allegedly complained to the activists that the Christians had come to their village to convert them.

In a separate incident in West Bengal, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority demolished a church building and orphanage on Monday, Jan. 16, despite ongoing legal proceedings. According to Indian Express, the development authority claimed that the buildings were impeding a planned road expansion. At the time of its destruction, the orphanage was home to 30 children and 20 women. (Voice of the Martyrs)

CHINESE LAWYER IN RELIGIOUS RIGHTS CASES FACES MURDER ATTEMPT

A prominent lawyer who had his legal license suspended by Chinese authorities because of his work in representing the religious rights faced an attempt on his life on Tuesday, Jan. 17, according to China Aid Association. Gao Zhisheng was traveling in Beijing when a vehicle with an obscured license plate stopped abruptly in front of him. Gao narrowly missed hitting the vehicle, stopped and got out to investigate. The driver of the other car then attempted to run down Gao who was able to dodge out of the path of the vehicle. As the car sped away, the newspaper covering the license plate blew away and the plate number was reported. It is believed the driver was a security agent of the Chinese government. (Voice of the Martyrs)

OFFICIAL RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT ‘RELIGIOUS INFILTRATION’ IN CHINA

A senior Chinese official has warned the nation’s religious leaders to obey the ruling communist party and guard against foreigners using religion to “infiltrate” China, the state press reported on Monday, Jan. 23. “Religious affairs work must be established within the overall work of the party and state and must completely obey, serve and develop under this task,” said Jia Qinglin, who is ranked No. 4 in the party hierarchy. Such work “should unify and lead the overwhelming number of religious believers to fully join the undertaking of building socialism with Chinese characteristics,” he said. Jia was speaking Sunday to the top leaders of China’s state-run Religious Affairs Bureau, and his comments were carried in the People’s Daily. Jia raised concerns that Western and Muslim religions were entering China in ways that were not in accord with the government’s wishes. Religious affairs work should “fully withstand foreign forces using religion to infiltrate (our country) in any way and safeguard state security and social stability,” he said. China has millions of Christians, many of whom refuse to worship at state-controlled churches. (WorldWide Religious News/AFP)

TELEVANGELIST PAT ROBERTSON CANCELS APPEARANCE AT NRB

Televangelist Pat Robertson has canceled a scheduled appearance at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention in Dallas next month. The move comes following a major controversy between Robertson and the nation of Israel. The decision came after a meeting with leaders of the NRB. Associated Press reported that Robertson was to have spoken at the closing banquet, but NRB leaders worried that the furor over his linking Ariel Sharon’s stroke to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza could detract from the convention’s focus. Israel and the promotion of Holy Land tours by the Israeli government play a major role in the convention events each year. Robertson, who has apologized to Sharon’s family, told NRB leaders that he regrets the negative impact his remarks have had on other religious broadcasters, and is taking steps to avoid such controversies in the future. The speech at the convention’s closing banquet will now be given by well-known Southern Baptist author and ministry leader Dr. Henry Blackaby. (AgapePress)