Christians lose landmark human rights ruling
UNITED KINGDOM When human rights collide, which trump which? In a much-anticipated ruling, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided that equality and safety laws trump religious conscience (most of the time). In January, it ruled that the United Kingdom did not unjustly discriminate against three out of four Christians who were fired because of their religious beliefs. The ECHR ruled in favor of Nadia Eweida (above), a Coptic Christian fired from British Airways for wearing a cross at work. But in the other three cases—a hospital chaplain also dismissed for wearing a cross (but, in this case, deemed a safety hazard), and a counselor and a registrar who refused to serve same-sex clients—the court said no European human rights laws were violated.
Government revises definition of nonprofit religious employer
In February, the government proposed two changes to its employer contraceptive mandate. The changes largely removed controversial language that narrowly defined religious organizations. However, the revised exemption still does not apply to for-profit companies that object to contraception coverage on religious grounds, or to nonprofits that aren't explicitly religious. "We're doubtful that anyone who wasn't already covered by the exemption will be covered by it," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents many of the organizations suing the government. Overall, for-profit businesses seeking an injunction against the mandate had a 10-4 winning court record by early February.
Prominent pastor supports gay relationships
UNITED KINGDOM A well-known British evangelical has publicly announced that he has changed his views on homosexuality. In the February issue of Christianity, Steve Chalke argued that churches should "consider nurturing positive models for permanent and monogamous homosexual relationships." Chalke's views have provoked controversy before: His strong criticism of penal substitutionary atonement theology broke up one of Britain's biggest Christian conferences (Word Alive) in 2007.
Where persecution is growing the fastest
AFRICA Christianity has long been spreading the fastest in Africa; now persecution is, too. The Open Doors USA World Watch List ranks the 50 countries where Christians face the most religious freedom violations. This year, Mali skyrocketed from unranked to No. 7, while Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Niger also made debuts. (Africa has 17 countries on the list in total, including 6 of the top 15.) Meanwhile, China continued its descent from the Top 10, falling to No. 37 as arrests and confiscations no longer occur "on a large scale." Turkey and Cuba dropped off the list entirely.
Report: Televangelists don't need new laws
Five years after Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) began investigating six major televangelists for "possible misuse of donations," the commission carrying on his project has concluded that no new laws are needed. Increasing financial accountability by ministries does not require "harsh or excessive legislation or regulation," said the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, the group of experts convened by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Instead, its 91-page report recommends that the government better enforce existing laws and better educate nonprofit leaders about those laws. The result disappointed Rusty Leonard, founder of MinistryWatch.com. "If you are a bad actor intent on separating well-meaning people from their money," he said, "a nonprofit entity will still be a legally safe and effective way of doing it."
Agency will defend secularism from religion
FRANCE President François Hollande plans to create a new government agency that will monitor France's official secularist policies. Building on a plan from 2007, Hollande said the new agency will strengthen laïcité (policies established in the early 20th century) by developing a secular morality curriculum for public schools, monitoring religious extremism, and deporting those whose views tend toward "religious pathology." Deportations may include creationists, said France's interior minister.
World's biggest Bible translators unite online
Biblica, Wycliffe Bible Translators USA, the American Bible Society, and the United Bible Societies hope a new partnership will "catapult Bible ministry into a new digital age." Every Tribe Every Nation's first major project is the Digital Bible Library, a collection of hundreds of Scripture translations available to licensed ministries—especially those putting Bibles on mobile devices. The library, which would alleviate problems that organizations have had negotiating for rights and standardized formats, expects to add more than 1,000 additional translations by the end of the year. It is funded by Mart Green (whose family owns Hobby Lobby).
Stanford launches first religious liberty clinic
Thanks to a $1.6 million donation from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Stanford Law School will begin offering a religious liberty clinic—"the only clinic of its kind in the country." Part of Stanford's existing Mills Legal Clinic, an in-house group that operates as a single law firm, the new clinic will focus on defending the free expression of religion and will avoid challenging perceived government endorsements of faith.
Blasphemy laws take hits in Europe
EUROPE Pakistan is not the only nation that bans blasphemy. According to the Pew Forum, 8 out of 45 European countries have laws against blasphemy, and 36 countries have outlawed defamation of religions. However, these figures might change in 2013. Russia recently postponed its controversial new anti-blasphemy legislation in order to gather more public input. Meanwhile, the Dutch parliament recently accepted a motion to abolish a 1992 law that made it a crime to insult God. And Ireland's newly elected leaders favor reforming its 1937 constitution, including a law that criminalizes blasphemy.
Free campus finally given away
After two failed attempts to give away a 217-acre college campus, Hobby Lobby announced that it had given the property to the National Christian Foundation (NCF), the largest Christian grant-making organization in America. The Green family, which owns the retail-craft chain, has been trying to unload the Massachusetts campus (founded by D.L. Moody) since 2011, when a proposed C.S. Lewis college failed to raise sufficient funds. Now the NCF will take over the historic site and continue to search for a suitable Christian institution to occupy it.
First permit in 100 years rejected by church
TURKEY Syriac Christians in Istanbul are far from pleased, even though the city has granted them a large plot of land and what appears to be Turkey's first church building permit in nearly 100 years. The reason: The land is a Latin Catholic graveyard. The property was confiscated by Istanbul officials in 1951, despite a law stating that local municipalities cannot confiscate minority cemeteries. So the "gift" is seen by many as an attempt to cause conflict between Christian communities. Istanbul's 15,000 Syriac Christians currently worship in rented Catholic buildings throughout the city.
Children of divorce less likely to attend church
A new study from the Institute for American Values found that adult children of divorce are less likely to attend religious services or to express interest in God than adult children raised in intact marriages. People raised in happy marriages are more than twice as likely to attend as those raised in "good divorces," in which both parents stay involved in the child's life and attempt to minimize conflict. Among the reasons for the disparity, said lead author Elizabeth Marquardt, are "stories they tell of not feeling understood at church when their parents were splitting."
