"Nobody changes from Muslim to Christian—you are a Muslim. … If I had a knife now, I would kill you." Abdelaa Hashem, an Egyptian judge, to Martha Samuel Makkar, according to her lawyer. Convert Makkar had been charged with forging identification documents. (Egypt does not allow religion changes on identification papers.) (Source: Compass Direct News)
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"There's a tradition of hate crimes being the price we pay for being out and open." David Kilmnick, head of the Long Island Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, on why he considers vandalism of the center a hate crime even though police say it was done by gay former employees. (Source: The New York Times)
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"I guess it's part of growing up as a nation." Tomasito Veneracion, a Roman Catholic priest, on the opening of Qatar's first church since the 600s. Some 15,000 attended the church's Christmas Eve midnight Mass. (Source: The Christian Science Monitor)
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"The good news is we're not selling them anymore." Tom Reese, a Jesuit priest and former editor of the Roman Catholic magazine America, on the return of plenary indulgences to the Catholic Church. (Source: The New York Times)
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"There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know." President Barack Obama, at the National Prayer Breakfast. (Source: The White House)
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"Don't preach in a way that a Muslim would approve. Preach a divine crucified Christ." John Piper, on what advice has most improved his preaching. (Source: Sovereign Grace Ministries)
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
A Christian reconciliation group in Israel and Palestine warned that war would come. Now the war threatens their relevance.العربيةFrançais
The Grammy-winning artist was found dead at her home in Nashville at age 47.
