Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Publisher Backs off Warning Label for Evangelical Books
- Anger at God Common, Even among Atheists
- Sectarian Attack on Village Leaves 4 Nigerians Dead
- UK Court Upholds Bar on Foster Parents over Homosexuality Views
Publisher Backs off Warning Label for Evangelical Books
Southern Baptist bookstores have quietly suspended a four-year-old program that warned customers to read certain books with "discernment." The labels indicated the titles by several up-and-coming authors "could be considered inconsistent with historical evangelical theology," though the Nashville-based LifeWay still stocked the books on their shelves. Chris Rodgers, the director of product standards and customer relations, said the warnings were discontinued because they were "irrelevant to our customers." He said "no one" asked about the authors in question. The labels provided the address to a website to learn more about the work or author; the website has since been disabled. The program recently came under attack in a blog post from Christian musician Shaun Groves, who was upset that LifeWay was willing to warn customers about a book but still continued to sell it.
Anger at God Common, Even among Atheists
New research shows that self-described atheists and agnostics are more likely to be angry at God - or the hypothetical deity they reject - than believers. CNN reports that new studies from Julie Exline, Case Western Reserve University psychologist, and her colleagues. Religious people are also more likely to see a plan or good intentions behind unfortunate events, rather than a mean-spirited attack. "When people trust that God cares about them and has positive intentions toward them, even if they can't understand what those intentions or meanings are, it tends to help to resolve anger," she said. Exline and her colleagues hope to further study people's reactions to God, suffering and anger.
Sectarian Attack on Village Leaves 4 Nigerians Dead
The latest religious and ethnic violence in central Nigeria left a mother and her four children dead on Monday, according to local reports. Officials reported only four deaths, according to The Christian Post. "Four people were killed in the attack," Brigadier General Hassan Umaru, commander of a military unit deployed in the area, told Reuters. "My men are right now combing the area," he added. Several others were reportedly injured. The victims were from a predominantly Christian village near Jos, Nigeria. The area lies on a religious, political and ethnic fault line in the country, caught between the mostly Muslim north and mostly Christian south.
UK Court Upholds Bar on Foster Parents over Homosexuality Views
Christians who hold to a traditional view of homosexuality may be unable to foster children in the United Kingdom after a landmark court ruling yesterday. Christian couple Eunice and Owen Johns had their application denied by the Derby City Council after they couple said they would not be willing to promote or sanction the practice of homosexuality to any foster children. Christian Today reports that judges Lord Justice Munby and Justice Beatson agreed with the council's decision. The judges stated that if children were placed with parents who have traditional Christian views "there may well be a conflict with the local authority's duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of looked-after children." The Johns view their exclusion as religious discrimination. The judges ruled that the U.K.'s equality laws on sexual orientation "should take precedence" over religious practice.
