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Woman found alive 40 years after she was left at Arizona church by two ‘nomadic religious cult’ members

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Woman found alive 40 years after she was left at Arizona church by two ‘nomadic religious cult’ members

Holly Marie Clouse has been found alive 40 years after she was left at an Arizona church by two “nomadic religious cult” members wearing white robes.

Her parents – newlyweds at the time- Harold Dean, 21, and Tina Gail, 17, were murdered in January 1981 in the Texas woods.

The Texas Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit began looking for Holly after officials confirmed the identities of Harold and Tina only earlier this year.

Clouse, now 42 years old, met biological family for the first time earlier this week via the internet. 

The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children is facilitating an in-person meeting in the near future.

Clouse was raised by a two foster parents; they are not considered suspects.

An organisation set up after her disappearance, called The Hope for Holly project, spanned state lines, with law enforcement officials in Texas, Florida and Arizona working to find Harold and Tina’s missing baby. 

Once Clouse was found, her extended family said finding her was an answered prayer. 

Donna Casasanta, Clouse’s grandmother said: “Finding Holly is a birthday present from Heaven since we found her on Junior’s birthday. 

“I prayed for more than 40 years for answers and the Lord has revealed some of it… we have found Holly,

“Thank you to all of the investigators for working so hard to find Holly. 

“I prayed for them day after day and that they would find Holly and she would be alright. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. We will be forever grateful.”

SOURCE: PREMIER CHRISTIAN NEWS

Nigeria suspects Islamic State of killing 40 in Catholic church

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Nigeria suspects Islamic State of killing 40 in Catholic church

Nigerian authorities suspect the insurgent group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) carried out a massacre in a Catholic church on Sunday in which 40 people were killed, Interior Minister Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola said on Thursday.

Assailants wielding AK-47 rifles and explosives attacked the congregation at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, in southwestern Ondo State, during Pentecost mass on Sunday, leaving behind a scene of carnage as they escaped.

“We have been able to see the footprint of ISWAP in the horrendous attack in Owo and we are after them.” Our security agencies are on their trail and we will bring them to justice, “Aregbesola told reporters in the capital Abuja.

The authorities had not previously made any comment about the identity or motive of the killers.

ISWAP, predominantly active in northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring Chad, is one of two major Islamist insurgent groups that have been fighting each other and the Nigerian military for years. Hundreds of thousands have died and millions have been displaced.

Ondo State is far from ISWAP’s usual area of operations.

The state governor, Arakunrin Akeredolu, gave new casualty figures on Thursday. He said a total of 127 people had been affected by the attack in the church, of whom 40 had died, 61 were still in hospital and 26 had been discharged.

Previously, an official from the National Emergency Management Agency had given a death toll of 22. Akeredolu said the new casualty figures had been compiled from reports from multiple hospitals including private ones.

He said the state government would provide land for a mass burial of the victims, but did not say when that would take place.

He said, addressing Catholic clergymen who had come on a condolence visit: “We will have a memorial park here where those who died in the attack will be buried.”

SOURCE: PREMIER CHRISTIAN NEWS

Texas Soul Singer Wrestles with ‘the Old Man’ and Finds God’s Grace in First Album

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Texas Soul Singer Wrestles with ‘the Old Man’ and Finds God’s Grace in First Album

Micah Edwards does not want to become like his father.

At 27, the retro soul singer from Houston has reached the age when many men slip into a resemblance. It just happens. The timbre of their voices, the way they couch a phrase, or how they respond to a situation seems, suddenly, exactly like their fathers’.

And it doesn’t feel like a choice, but the manifestation of inherited traits. The re-expression of psychic wounds. Repeated family patterns, emerging as unshakable identity. Is this who I am?

The King James Bible has a term for the self you recognize and don’t want to be: “the old man,” a colloquial phrase for “father” and a synonym for the sin a Christian has to struggle to put off. Edwards knows the feeling.

He is a father himself now. His baby was born just a few weeks ago. He picks up his son, Benjamin David, while he talks on the phone.

“I just believed this lie from the enemy. You’re going to be just like him,” Edwards told CT. But because of the faith we put in Jesus, we get to write a different story. The Lord brought me out of chains, believing I was doomed to repeat what I saw. ”

That’s what his album, Jean Leon, is about: the choices Edwards’s father made, what that did to the family, and how, by faith, he will be different from him. The title comes from the combination of his parents’ middle names. Years in the making and long teased online—while his previous single “Moments” racked up seven million streams—the album releases Friday, June 10.

“There was a moment in time I believed,” Edwards sings on the title track, “I could never escape your reality / But that was yesterday, now I don’t feel the same.”

In the music video he made for NPR Music’s 2022 Tiny Desk competition, Edwards sits on a stool in front of a mic in a garage crowded with barbecue sauce, hunting trophies, and a Ms. Pac-Man machine. He taps the heel of his brown cowboy boot as the bass player behind him lays down a thick groove and a horn section swings into action.

“Oh, baby!,” he sings. “Brokenness is all I’ve ever known—ever known. / But I know the good Lord has far more for me / And I’m not gonna take the gravity / That’s weighing you down.”

Edwards’s parents got divorced two years ago, ending a marriage roiled by his father’s infidelity, narcissism, and abuse. The five kids in the family are still reeling, but also relieved. The cycle of their parents’ bad choices has finally been broken. Now they can move forward.

For Edwards, that means not becoming like his father. When he talks about it, he talks about choices and discipline, about gritting his teeth and being a man.

When he sings about it, though, he sings about a life transformed by love. He sounds like no one so much as Augustine, an anxious heart that has found rest.

“I will be a better father than my own,” he says toward the end of the album, “Not ’cause of me but by grace and grace alone.”

Edwards’s lead guitarist, Ryan Stueckemann, says this deeply religious album wasn’t what he expected when he started playing with Edwards, but he’s also not surprised this is where they ended up.

“From the jump I knew Micah just really loves Jesus,” he said. “The first time we practiced he asked if we could pray, so this is like the most Christian non-Christian band there could be.”

Stueckemann works full time as the music minister at a Methodist church. Three other members of the band are in worship ministry as well, not to mention Edwards, who sings on Sundays at the nondenominational Sandbox Church.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN TODAY

Christian in Pakistan Jailed since March 2019 Granted Bail

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Christian in Pakistan Jailed since March 2019 Granted Bail

A mentally ill Christian jailed since March 2019 on a charge of blasphemy, punishable by death, has been granted bail, sources said.

Stephen Masih was arrested on March 11, 2019 after a Muslim mob burst into his home in Imranpura Bedian village, Sialkot District, beat him and other family members and accused him of speaking ill of the prophet of Islam after overhearing an argument, according to Masih’s brother. Lahore High Court Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh granted bail to the 40-year-old Masih on May 31, though it was kept private until Saturday (June 4) for security reasons, his lawyer said.

In the March 11, 2019 attack, the Muslim mob also set ablaze the home of his family, members of the Brethren Mission, a Pentecostal branch. Police rescued Masih from the mob and charged him under Article 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for allegedly insulting Muhammad; conviction calls for the death penalty.

On that day Masih, who suffers from bipolar affective disorder, quarreled with his mother, sister, brother-in-law and neighbors and used abusive language unrelated to any religious subject or figure, according to family members. He reportedly used insulting language against a neighboring Muslim woman whose husband, Hafiz Mohammad Mudassar, retaliated by spreading rumors that Masih had defamed Islam’s prophet.

“The court’s decision is a victory for truth and justice, as Stephen was in prison for a crime he never committed,” said Masih’s lawyer, Abdul Hameed Rana, in a press statement. “There was a false testimony. Following his release on bail, we will continue our efforts to have him declared innocent and finally acquitted.”

In July 2021, the Punjab Institute of Mental Health in Lahore reported that Masih was “unfit to stand trial at the moment,” after which UN human rights experts appealed to Pakistan to immediately release him and expressed concern over his treatment by judicial and prison authorities “who are aware of his psychosocial disability and health condition.”

Section 466 of the PPC relating to mentally challenged people facing investigation or trial stipulates freedom regardless of the charge so long as there is no risk that the accused would fail to appear in court when required, Rana said.

Granting Masih’s bail on payment of a surety bond of 200,000 rupees (US$1,000), Justice Sheikh said, “The counsel for the complainant’s contention is that the relatives of Stephen Masih may take him to an unknown place to save his life as the offense under Section 295C of the PPC is punished with death or imprisonment for life. However, he has not placed any material in support of his contention, which shows that it is merely an apprehension.”

Rights activists welcomed the verdict, calling it a victory for truth. Voice for Justice Chairman Joseph Jansen said in a press statement that those who use false allegations of blasphemy to incite or engage in violence should be punished. He said police left Masih’s mother with fractures of the leg and arm when she tried to keep officers from taking her son into custody.

“She has not been able to recover and is bedridden since then,” Jansen said. “His family members fled the area and relocated to a safer place. This case is a clear example that blasphemy accusations stem from personal vendettas rather than genuine instances of blasphemy and lead to mob violence against the accused and their families.”

Tehmina Arora, director of advocacy in Asia for Alliance Defending Freedom International, said the case was yet another horrible example of how people suffer under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

“We welcome the court’s decision to grant bail to Stephen Masih,” Arora said. “We urge the court also to clear Masih of all charges. The many delays to the hearing of Masih’s appeal have already caused him and his family enough suffering.”

Human rights groups have called the allegations against Masih baseless, she noted.

“Given how easy it is to file case on charges of blasphemy, such laws have a chilling effect on the practice and propagation of one’s faith,” Arora said. “This is violative of international law.”

Human rights activist Ashiknaz Khokhar noted that those accused of blasphemy in Pakistan have to face years of imprisonment with limited opportunity for bail. Attorney Farooq Bashir condemned the atmosphere of fear in Pakistan that thwarts justice.

“It is lamentable that none of the neighbors have had the courage to make a statement before the court about his [Masih’s] mental condition due to threats associated with the blasphemy accusation,” Bashir said.

Mere allegations of blasphemy often provoke mob violence and lynching of suspects in Pakistan. At least 1,949 people were subjected to false accusations of blasphemy, prolonged trials and displacement between 1985 and December 2021, according to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). At least 84 people were killed after being suspected or accused under blasphemy laws since their promulgation as part of former military ruler Ziaul Haq’s Islamization during the 1980s, according to the CSJ.

Mobs killed two people accused of blasphemy and injured two others in four cities of Pakistan between December 2021 and March. Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara, 48, was accused of committing blasphemy at the factory he managed in Sialkot and was beaten to death by a mob last December. In in Khanewal in February, a mentally challenged Muslim, Mushtaq Ahmad, was stoned to death by an enraged mob after the son of a local cleric accused him of burning pages of the Koran.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINESPakistan ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The country had the second-highest number of Christians killed for their faith, behind Nigeria, with 620 slain during the reporting period from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021. Pakistan had the fourth-highest number of churches attacked or closed, with 183, and overall.

Bronze Lion of Judah Statue Celebrating Christian-Jewish Friendship Is Dedicated in Jerusalem

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Bronze Lion of Judah Statue Celebrating Christian-Jewish Friendship Is Dedicated in Jerusalem

In a special ceremony on Saturday, a massive bronze lion statue celebrating the friendship shared between Christians and Jews was dedicated in Jerusalem.

The 1,134-pound, 11-foot-long bronze statue, dubbed the Lion of Judah, was created by American Christian artist Max Greiner. The sculpture was given to Israel as a gift of friendship and to symbolize support from American Christians to the Israeli Jews, Faithwire reports.

Several prominent Christian and Jewish guests attended the ceremony at Jerusalem’s Old City Walls.

“We thank you for this sculpture representing the Lion of Judah. We thank you, Lord, that you are the Lion. We thank you, Lord, that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. We thank you, Lord, that we are ambassadors of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and not even the gates of hell shall prevail,” Nick Vujicic, Chief Executive Officer of Life Without Limbs, prayed.

Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, who delivered remarks at the dedication, asserted that God had fulfilled His promise to give the Jews the state of Israel after scattering them and later restoring them.

He also cited God’s fulfillment of His promise in Psalm 126, which states that when the Lord brings His people back, they will say in response, “He has done great things for them.”

“The prayer, support, and friendship of Christians for the Jewish state, the State of Israel, is no less a fulfillment of biblical prophecy than the State of Israel’s existence itself,” Wolicki explained. “The growing positive relationship between Christians and Jews is one of the most miraculous developments of recent history.”

“This Lion of Judah sculpture marks this miracle for posterity. For decades and centuries to come, visitors to Jerusalem will come to this place, read the inscription and be reminded that as the State of Israel flourished in our time, American Christians stood with us, shoulder to shoulder in love and friendship,” he continued.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, the Jerusalem Deputy Mayor, also praised the close ties between Christians and Jews.

“In Hebrew, when we inaugurate something as special as this that symbolizes the incredible friendship between Jews and Christians and the Evangelical community, we have a prayer,” she said.

“We are so blessed to have gotten to this place, to have the Old City of Jerusalem, where we just celebrated Jerusalem Day, 55 years of the reunification of the city King David built for the Jewish Kingdom of Israel, the city that united all the tribes of the Jewish Kingdom of Israel, the city that in Hebrew symbolizes peace,” the deputy mayor said.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, the Lion of Judah statue was installed in Bloomfield Garden, one of the largest parks in Jerusalem, back in May 2020.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

Sadie Robertson Urges Couples to Save Sex for Marriage: It’s ‘Worth the Wait’

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Sadie Robertson Urges Couples to Save Sex for Marriage: It’s ‘Worth the Wait’

Christian author and podcast host Sadie Robertson is encouraging couples to wait until marriage before having sex, saying physical intimacy is a gift from God that should be “opened” only as He designed it. Christian author and podcast host Sadie Robertson is encouraging couples to wait until marriage before having sex, saying physical intimacy is a gift from God that should be “opened” only as He designed it.

Robertson, 24, said on her podcast Whoa, That’s Good that she and her husband, Christian, made a commitment to purity before they wed in 2019.

“It really is worth it,” she said.

Robertson, during the podcast, answered questions from listeners, including one that asked for guidance about setting “healthy physical boundaries” in dating relationships.

“I would just encourage you: Anytime you open that before it’s meant to be open, there tends to be shame, guilt, insecurity, self-doubt, all this stuff,” Robertson said of sex. “But within marriage, we found that to be a beautiful gift. And so it’s definitely, definitely worth the wait. And you’ll see why it’s intended for marriage. It’s intended for two becoming one.”

Responding to young couples who want to marry in order to have sex, Robertson said marriage “is so much bigger than sex.”

“Christian and I said all the time, ‘We want your plan, God, not our own. We want to see your planning come to life in our relationship.’ And part of that was waiting to have sex until we were married. So yes, it feels like a huge deal. And you’re like, ‘Oh, I just want to get married. I just want to get married.’ But just wait, friends.”

Robertson encouraged couples to have accountability partners.

She also addressed couples who have fallen short of purity, saying God forgives and extends grace.

“If you’ve already had sex before, you’re not alone,” she said. “We had both had pasts before we met each other that were not totally pure. [But] then meeting each other, we decided we wanted to pursue purity together. And so we did.”

Robertson’s Whoa, That’s Good podcast won a K-Love Fan Award last week for Podcast of the Year.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

MPs debate violence in Nigeria following church massacre on Pentecost Sunday

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MPs debate violence in Nigeria following church massacre on Pentecost Sunday

The House of Commons held a debate on the growing violence in Nigeria following the attack to a Catholic church on Pentecost Sunday. 

Unknown assailants attacked the congregation with guns and explosives during mass on 5th June – it left 22 people dead and 50 recovering from injuries.

Christian MP Fiona Bruce tabled an urgent question in the House of Commons to ask the government about their role in helping religious groups in Nigeria.

Bruce, who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), asked the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Vicky Ford if she agreed the latest attacks are a “FoRB issue as the attacks are mainly on largely Christian communities?”

She continued: “Will she agree to meet the APPG delegation and me to hear how local faith actors and non-governmental organisations need more support to bring faith communities together? What can the Government do to support the Nigerian constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion and of freedom from discrimination? How does the Government’s partnership with Nigerian security forces and legal services support the apprehension of perpetrators and prevent increasing acts of impunity across Nigeria?” 

In her response, Vicky Ford condemned the “heinous” attack and stressed “the importance of those responsible being brought to justice in accordance with the law”. 

She also said the UK government is working “closely with religious leaders” and is also “liaising with the authorities in Ondo state to encourage a thorough investigation”. 

Ford continued: “We are committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and to promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities.

“We will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of such violence.” 

Christian DUP Jim Shannon, also weight in in the debate, he asked the Secretary of State: “In the Minister’s discussions with the Nigerian Government, the state governors and the British high commissioner, is it clear that the duty of any Government is to protect their people first and foremost, to keep them safe from murder and to ensure their right to worship their God as they wish to do? What help can the UK Government give to the Nigerian Government and the military to combat terrorism in general, ever mindful that the military were involved in operations in 30 of the 36 states of Nigeria?” 

Ford replied: “In terms of support, we have a number of programmes running in the country. We are working with the military on training, for example on human rights. I have heard that that has been making a difference. It is a very complex situation, but we stand ready to support where we can.” 

Authorities have not given any information about the identity of the attackers or their motive.

SOURCE: PREMIER CHRISTIAN NEWS

Every Day Is Pentecost When We Are ‘Filled’ with God’s Spirit

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Every Day Is Pentecost When We Are ‘Filled’ with God’s Spirit

Jamie Dimon is CEO of JPMorgan and, according to Forbes, “one of the most respected Wall Street leaders.” When he recently advised investors to prepare for an economic “hurricane,” his warning made headlines.Jamie Dimon is CEO of JPMorgan and, according to Forbes, “one of the most respected Wall Street leaders.” When he recently advised investors to prepare for an economic “hurricane,” his warning made headlines.

Dimon is worried about rapidly rising inflation, Federal Reserve attempts to counter inflation by raising interest rates, and the possible escalation of war emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Tesla CEO Elon Musk similarly stated that he has a “super bad feeling” about the economy and needs to cut about 10 percent of salaried staff at the electric carmaker. Dimon and Musk are not alone in their concerns: many companies have already begun implementing hiring freezes and laying off workers.

Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary, has observed that whenever inflation has risen above 4 percent and unemployment has dipped below 4 percent, America has suffered a recession within two years. As the Economist notes, we are well across both thresholds now. (For more, see Mark Legg’s “A ‘major’ recession may be around the corner.”)

Making the article’s point, the stock market fell on Friday after jobs data improved and investors worried that the Fed would consequently tighten interest rates even more to curb inflation. The Economist predicts that “given the strengths of the economy today, the next downturn ought to be mild.” However, it adds that America will likely “face a painfully slow recovery.”

“THOSE WHO CAN’T FIND MEANING AREN’T HAPPY”


Let’s make today’s financial discussion more personal: you’ve perhaps heard all your life that money can’t buy happiness, but it turns out that it can.

In a forthcoming study in Stanford Business, Stanford University marketing professor Jennifer Aaker and her coauthors report, “When people get wealthier, they experience greater happiness.” However, there is a surprising and significant corollary in the report: people with less money view happiness as tied to a sense of meaning—the belief that their life has direction, purpose, and value.Jamie Dimon is CEO of JPMorgan and, according to Forbes, “one of the most respected Wall Street leaders.” When he recently advised investors to prepare for an economic “hurricane,” his warning made headlines.

Why this connection between lower income and meaning in life? Aaker points to research showing that making sense of negative experiences is “one route to experiencing life as meaningful.” She and her coauthors also explain that experiences that have been shown to contribute to a sense of meaning—including strong relationships and religion—often do not cost anything.

Aaker notes that since affluent people have greater access to “external sources of happiness,” they may not rely on an “internally constructed sense of meaning.” As Christians know, this is a perilous way to live: “You do not know what tomorrow will bring.” What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes “(James 4:14). As a result, the rich are “not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

This statement by Aaker is therefore significant: “People who succeed in finding meaning experience both meaning and happiness, but those who can’t find meaning aren’t happy.”

“A SOUND LIKE A MIGHTY RUSHING WIND”

It is interesting that financial wealth does not produce personal meaning and may be antithetical to it. What, then, gives our lives purpose and direction?

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday. If you grew up in an evangelical church like me, that fact might hold little meaning for you. This is a problem I want to remedy today.

“Pentecost” comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth.” (The holiday is known as Shavuot in Hebrew.) It comes fifty days after the sheaf offering of the harvest (Leviticus 23:9-16), celebrated during Passover. On the Christian calendar, it falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter.Jamie Dimon is CEO of JPMorgan and, according to Forbes, “one of the most respected Wall Street leaders.” When he recently advised investors to prepare for an economic “hurricane,” his warning made headlines.

Christ-followers know the day because of this miracle recorded in Acts 2: “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (vv. 1–4).

This event was and is transformationally significant for Christians and for the world.

THE URGENT QUESTION OF THE DAY


Let’s summarize the biblical relevance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

He convicts us of our sins (John 16:8), inhabits us at salvation (Romans 8:9), gives us assurance of our salvation (Romans 8:16), makes us his temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), and unifies us as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). He then helps us pray and is interceding for us right now (Romans 8:26).

He teaches us biblical truth (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13), bears witness to Christ (John 15:26), and guides us “into all the truth” (John 16:13). He empowers our witness “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8; cf. Matthew 10:20; Acts 4:31), gives us spiritual gifts necessary to our ministry (1 Corinthians 12:11), and manifests in our lives the “fruit of the Spirit” vital to our witness (Galatians 5:22-23; cf. Galatians 5:16). When our earthly lives end, he “will give life to your mortal bodies” (Romans 8:11; cf. Romans 8:2).Jamie Dimon is CEO of JPMorgan and, according to Forbes, “one of the most respected Wall Street leaders.” When he recently advised investors to prepare for an economic “hurricane,” his warning made headlines.

In short, you and I can do nothing significant in God’s kingdom without the help of God’s Spirit. The Spirit gives our lives meaning and purpose, direction and legacy.

To be “filled” with the Spirit as happened at Pentecost:

  1. Ask him to bring to your mind anything that grieves or hinders him (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).
  2. Confess whatever comes to your thoughts and ask your Father’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
  3. Submit your life and your day to the Spirit, asking him to control, guide, empower, and use you (Ephesians 5:18).
  4. Step out into your day in faith that your prayers have been answered, trusting that you will be empowered and used to impact lives for eternity (cf. Acts 2:4).

When we are “filled” with God’s Spirit, every day is Pentecost. No matter what happens with the economy, no matter our material wealth or lack thereof, every day is filled with purpose, power, and meaning.

So, here’s the urgent question: Has Pentecost come for you yet today?

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

Terrorists Shoot Down, Bomb Worshippers in Southwest Nigeria

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Terrorists Shoot Down, Bomb Worshippers in Southwest Nigeria

Terrorists launched a gun and bomb attack at the end of a Catholic Mass in southwest Nigeria on Sunday (June 5), killing an estimated 70 worshippers, sources said.  Terrorists launched a gun and bomb attack at the end of a Catholic Mass in southwest Nigeria on Sunday (June 5), killing an estimated 70 worshippers, sources said.

The terrorists attacked the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state, at about 9 a.m., church leaders and residents told Morning Star News in text messages shortly after the attack.

A priest at the church, the Rev. Andrew Abayomi, told Morning Star News that as the worship service was coming to an end, the terrorists threw explosive devices on the church building and shot at worshippers.

“We were in worship Mass when the terrorists attacked us. They shot at the congregation while breaking into the church by throwing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at the church building,” Abayomi said. “Some of us hid inside the church as they shot randomly at us. This lasted for about 20 minutes before they retreated.”

He said it was difficult to give details about the number killed and injured, as leaders were focusing on transferring the wounded to hospitals. Owo legislative representative Adelegbe Timileyin told the AP that another priest at the church was abducted in the attack.

Among other Owo residents, Loye Owolemi, said about 70 worshipers were shot dead and others abducted when terrorists attacked the church service.

“Today is a black day in Owo town in Ondo state, as about 70 Christians were killed during an attack on a Catholic Church,” another Owo resident, Augustine Aluko, told Morning Star News. “The Christian victims were killed as they were in worship service.”

Ondo Gov. Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, said it was a “black Sunday” in Owo.

“Our hearts are heavy.” “Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people,” Akeredolu said in a press statement. “This is a personal loss, an attack on our dear state… I am shocked, to say the least. Nevertheless, we shall use every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay. We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolve to rid our state of criminals. ”

While no one immediately took responsibility for the assault, predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen were suspected. They have committed kidnapping and killings primarily in northern Nigeria but have been increasingly active in otherwise peaceful Ondo state, prompting the state government to implement recent restrictions on grazing.

Adeyemi Olayemi, a lawmaker in Ondo, told reporters that Fulani terrorists were suspected as they were likely retaliating for grazing restrictions implemented in response to an uptick in kidnappings in the state.

“We have enjoyed improved security since herdsmen were driven away from our forests by this administration,” Olayemi reportedly said. “This is a reprisal attack to send a diabolical message to the governor.”

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, condemned the attack.

“No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light,” Buhari said. “Nigeria will eventually win.”

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, the predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, as the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report.

“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP [Islamic State West Africa Province] and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam, as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith last year (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021) at 4,650, up from 3,530 the previous year, according to Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List report. The number of kidnapped Christians was also highest in Nigeria, at more than 2,500, up from 990 the previous year, according to the WWL report.

Nigeria trailed only China in the number of churches attacked, with 470 cases, according to the report.

In the 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to seventh place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 9 the previous year.

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

Rays Baseball Players Refuse to Wear Gay Pride Uniforms: ‘We Believe in Jesus’

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Rays Baseball Players Refuse to Wear Gay Pride Uniforms: ‘We Believe in Jesus’

At least five members of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team on Saturday declined to wear uniforms designating LGBTQ+ Pride, saying their faith and their Christian beliefs prevent them from participating in the special event.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Major League Baseball team celebrated Pride Night at Tropicana Field by giving the players hats with rainbow-colored logos and jerseys with a rainbow sunburst on the sleeve.

Fans received Pride flags as they entered the stadium. The pitching mound also included a rainbow sunburst.

But at least five players chose not to participate, opting instead to wear their standard game uniforms and hats.

Those players were pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson.

Adam described it as a “faith-based decision.”

“It’s a hard decision. Because ultimately, we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here,” Adam said of the LGBTQ+ community. “… It’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like (Jesus) encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It’s no different.

“It’s not judgmental,” Adam added. “It’s not looking down. It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”

Sports Spectrum, which profiles Christian athletes, interviewed Adam for a February podcast.

All five pitchers who declined to wear the Pride uniforms reference their Christian faith on their social media profiles. Adam’s Twitter profile reads: “Christ follower / Husband / Father / Pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays / Colossians 3:23.”

SOURCE: CHRISTIAN HEADLINES

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