With a Subtitle: A consolidation of this week's world headlines of interest to Christian readers.

A brief Excerpt: Christian news highlights include a European Court of Human Rights hearing against Turkey, an Arizona judge striking down abortion restrictions, and a Lifeway Research poll on Protestant churchgoers’ Scripture reading habits.

The Author is: Jeff Hilles

30+ TOP STORIES FROM ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA

The Christian Post – Top court to hear cases against Turkey labeling Christians ‘security threat’ – The European Court of Human Rights is hearing 20 cases involving Christians barred from re-entering Turkey after being labeled national security threats. The Turkish government has used internal codes to deny entry or residence to at least 160 foreign Christians since 2019, often citing peaceful religious practices as the reason. ADF International, representing many of the applicants, argues these actions violate religious freedom rights.

The Hill – Court strikes down Arizona abortion restrictions – An Arizona judge struck down three state laws limiting abortion access, including a ban on telemedicine for abortion, ruling they violate the state’s constitution. The ruling was praised by abortion rights advocates, who argued the restrictions made it harder to access care. 

Crosswalk – Churchgoers Feel ‘Empty’ without Reading Scripture, Yet Few Do it Daily – A Lifeway Research poll of Protestant churchgoers found a disconnect between valuing Scripture and daily reading habits. While 62% miss time with God when not reading Scripture and 58% feel empty, only 31% read the Bible daily. 

The Christian Post – Ohio women sue UMC entities, claim they failed to properly respond to grooming, sexual abuse – Two Ohio women are suing multiple United Methodist Church entities, alleging negligence in responding to sexual abuse by a former church music director. The lawsuit claims the church entities were aware of the abuse but failed to report it or prevent it, allowing the perpetrator to continue his actions.

Prophesy News Watch – ‘Blessed Are Those Who End Pregnancies’ Pastor Redefines Jesus. – Rev. Dr. Rebecca Todd Peters, a Presbyterian pastor, preached a sermon redefining Jesus as an advocate for abortion, claiming He would support those who terminate pregnancies. This sermon is criticized as a departure from biblical teachings, elevating personal experience over divine revelation and redefining sin as sacred. 

CBN News – How Abortion-by-Mail Is Changing the Post-Roe Fight – Pro-life advocates are focusing on ending abortion at the state level and restricting access to abortion drugs, particularly those available by mail. The increase in abortions post-Roe is attributed to factors like interstate travel, shield laws, and the rise in chemical abortions. 

The Christian Post – Assyrian Christian community in Middle East ‘doesn’t have a chance of survival,’ advocate warns – Karmella Borashan of the Assyrian International Council warns that the Assyrian Christian community in the Middle East faces systematic persecution and a declining population, with fewer than 300,000 Christians remaining. She criticizes the West for failing to support Assyrian Christians, who have faced persecution since the fall of Saddam Hussein and the Syrian Civil War. 

Prophesy News Watch – Canada’s Digital ID Push: Convenience Or Control? – Canada is quietly implementing a digital identity system through the GC Wallet, promising convenience but raising concerns about privacy and control. Critics warn that digital IDs could become mandatory, leading to surveillance and restrictions on personal freedoms. 

World Net Daily – ‘Insidiously trying to take over’: House schedules hearing to probe Shariah law – The House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government will hold a hearing on February 10th to discuss the perceived threat of Sharia law in the United States. The hearing, titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution,” will focus on how Islamic extremists are allegedly attempting to establish Sharia-based institutions in the U.S. and proposed legislative reforms to protect Americans from these efforts.

The Christian Post – Jelly Roll’s wife says backlash to his Gospel message at Grammy Awards is ‘borderline demonic’ – Jelly Roll’s wife, Bunnie Xo, criticized the backlash against her husband for sharing his Christian faith at the Grammy Awards. She described the criticism as “horrific” and “borderline demonic,” arguing that people are weaponizing religion rather than celebrating Jesus. Bunnie Xo defended Jelly Roll’s speech, stating that he simply encouraged others to seek a relationship with Jesus and did not promote any specific religious agenda.

CBN News – AI Starting to Replace Christian Community and Spirit-Led Sermon Prep? Christian Group Weighs In – The Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) is providing guidance on navigating artificial intelligence (AI) in a Godly manner. The ERLC emphasizes the importance of human community and warns against using AI to circumvent the Spirit-led process of sermon preparation. 

Crosswalk – Are Women More Religious Than Men? – A study by Becker, Bentzen, and Kok reveals that women are more religious than men globally, actively practicing their faith daily. This pattern holds across countries, cultures, and major faiths, with Christian women engaging in prayer more frequently due to emotional expressiveness and caregiving roles.

Prophesy News Watch – California’s Quiet Assault On Christian Education – California’s new regulation, upheld by the Ninth Circuit, requires Christian schools to allow students to opt out of religious services and activities, and to publicly advertise this option. This policy is seen as government interference in religious education, undermining the core purpose of Christian schools to shape students in a Christian worldview. 

The Western Journal – Report: Veteran Police Officer Fired After Telling Biological Male to Stay Out of Women’s Bathroom – A Georgia police officer, Glen Weaver, was fired after telling a transgender woman to leave a women’s bathroom. The incident occurred at the Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, where a woman complained about a man in the bathroom. 

The Christian Post – Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission sued by interfaith coalition alleging bias toward Christianity – An interfaith coalition has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that the Religious Liberty Commission is biased towards Christianity. The lawsuit claims the commission’s composition and lack of transparency violate the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The plaintiffs argue the commission’s actions threaten religious freedom for non-Christians.

CBN News – Seahawks MVP and Coach Give Thanks to God After Super Bowl Victory – The Seattle Seahawks won their second Super Bowl, defeating the New England Patriots 29-13. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, the game’s MVP, and Coach Mike Macdonald both credited God for their victory.

World – Mobile museum carries a Zionist message to U.S. evangelicals – Hear From Us, a nonprofit funded by the Israeli government, is launching a mobile museum called The Israel Experience to promote Christian support for Israel. The museum, which will travel to churches in the American Southwest, aims to educate visitors about Israel’s history and significance from a Biblical perspective, countering declining support for Israel among some Christian groups. 

The Denison Forum – Popular podcast calls evangelicals “cancer” – Podcast host Jennifer Welch, known for her profane rants against conservatives, has turned her ire on evangelicals, calling them “the worst people in our country” and a “cancer.” This stigmatization is part of a larger strategy to normalize unbiblical immorality, legalize it, and criminalize opposition. 

Christian News Wire – Entrepreneur Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Save Noah’s Ark Replica and Bring it to Israel – Dutch entrepreneur Daniel Vandy launched a crowdfunding campaign to preserve a life-size Noah’s Ark replica and potentially bring it to Israel. The Ark, built in 2012, requires restoration due to aging and rising maintenance costs.

Graphs about Religion – The People Streaming Church Aren’t Who You Think – The Pew Religious Landscape Study reveals that education positively correlates with in-person religious attendance across most birth cohorts, except those born before 1950. However, this relationship reverses for online religious service participation, where less educated individuals are more likely to engage. 

Just the News – Michigan sued for forcing pro-life groups to hire pro-abortion staff, provide abortion insurance – Right to Life of Michigan and Pregnancy Resource Center are suing Michigan state officials over a 2023 law that forces pro-life organizations to hire supporters of abortion rights and include abortion in their health insurance plans. The lawsuit argues that the law violates First Amendment rights and the 14th Amendment due to its vagueness and forced taking of human life. 

The Christian Post – Christian persecution has not ended. What has changed is US’s response – Christian persecution remains a pervasive global issue, with over 388 million Christians facing high levels of persecution or discrimination. While the persecution has not slowed, the United States has shifted its approach from engagement to enforcement, implementing visa restrictions and designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious-freedom violations. 

World – Pro-life organizations sue over Michigan employment law – Two pro-life organizations, Right to Life of Michigan and a Grand Rapids pregnancy center, sued Michigan officials, arguing that a state employment law violates their First Amendment rights.

The Christian Post – Assemblies of God Executive Presbyter, Pastor Rod Loy, steps aside amid sex abuse allegation – Rod Loy, Assemblies of God Executive Presbyter and senior pastor of First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, has stepped aside amid a lawsuit alleging 20 years of sexual abuse. The lawsuit, filed by Suzanne Lander, claims Loy abused her starting at age 16, using religious teachings to manipulate her. 

The Christian Post – Hindu mob attacks house church, beats pastor and forces him to walk on thorns – A Hindu nationalist mob in Odisha, India, brutally assaulted Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik, forcing him to walk on thorns and drink cow dung water. Despite his wife’s pleas, police failed to intervene promptly, leaving the pastor to endure the attack for hours. 

Crosswalk – Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? – The Bible does not specifically mention zodiac signs, but it condemns seeking wisdom from sources other than God, including astrology. Astrology, which interprets celestial bodies to predict future events and understand personalities, is considered a form of idolatry and witchcraft. 

The Denison Forum – Transgender care is changing, how should Christians respond? – Recent court rulings and potential government intervention have led to changes in transgender care for minors, with many hospitals and physicians withholding surgeries and treatments. The American Medical Association and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons now advise against transition surgeries before age nineteen due to insufficient evidence of their benefits. 

The Christian Post – Al Mohler condemns Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for using Bible to affirm LGBT ideology: ‘stupid’ – Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, condemned Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear for using the Bible to support LGBT ideology. Mohler criticized Beshear’s veto of legislation banning transgender procedures for minors, arguing that the governor’s interpretation of Christianity is a “rival religion” to biblical Christianity. 

World – California’s Providence Christian College to shut down – Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California, will close at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year due to declining enrollment, rising costs, and other financial challenges. The college, which opened in 2005, exhausted all options to overcome these challenges and determined there was no path toward long-term sustainability. 

The Western Journal – Canada Mass Shooter’s Uncle Confirms He Was Trans According to Report – 10 Dead, at Least 25 Others Injure – A shooting at a British Columbia high school resulted in at least nine deaths and 25 injuries. The shooter, identified as Jesse Strang, was reportedly a transgender-identifying male who died from a self-inflicted injury. 

Crosswalk – Lawsuit Claims Multiple United Methodist Churches Didn’t Report Known Abuse – Two women are suing multiple United Methodist Churches in Ohio, alleging the churches failed to report and prevent sexual abuse by a former music director, John Slate, despite his prior convictions. The lawsuit names the UMC General Council, the UMC West Ohio Conference, the UMC Great Miami River District, Christian UMC of Baltimore, Ohio, Parkview UMC of Plain City, Ohio, and the United Methodist Children’s Home. 

The Christian Post – Major medical group does stunning reversal on make-believe gender – The American Medical Association (AMA) has reversed its stance on supporting irreversible surgeries and experimental drug treatments for children with gender dysphoria, acknowledging insufficient evidence for surgical interventions. This comes after years of research warning against such interventions and a recent $2 million jury award to a woman who underwent a double mastectomy at age 16. 

CBN News – 1,600 Decisions for Jesus at U of Central Florida: ‘Revival Is Not Slowing Down!’ – The UniteUS campus outreach ministry reports 1,600 students made decisions to follow Jesus at the University of Central Florida. This is part of a larger spiritual awakening that has been unfolding at college campuses across the U.S. since the Asbury Awakening in February 2023. UniteUS has held two dozen Christian revival events, reaching over 120,000 students and leading to thousands of salvations.