Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Young Adults More Open, Consider Themselves 'Spiritual'
- Episcopal Church Sues to Regain Control of Fort Worth Property
- Turkey: Local Officials' Role Emerges in Malatya Murders
- James Dobson: We Have Not Raised the White Flag
Young Adults More Open, Consider Themselves 'Spiritual'
Baptist Press reports that despite popular reports that young people aren't interested in spiritual matters, newly released survey data shows the opposite to be true. LifeWay Research and the Center for Missional Research found that 73 percent of unchurched 20- to 29-year-old Americans consider themselves "spiritual" because they want to know more about "God or a higher supreme being." That figure is 11 percent higher than among unchurched individuals who are age 30 and older. Sixty-one percent of 20somethings also said they would be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked them to -- that's about 20 percent more than older generations. "They are interested (in spiritual things), but they are looking for spirituality often in every place except the church," Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research.
Episcopal Church Sues to Regain Control of Fort Worth Property
The Dallas Morning News reports that the Episcopal Church has filed a lawsuit to reclaim church property from a seceding diocese. "We're stewards of property that has been given for generations to the Episcopal Church. We can't just let people walk off with it," said Kathleen Wells, chancellor for the reorganized Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. The Fort-Worth area diocese split from the Episcopal Church last November and has since joined the more conservative Anglican Province in North America, a newly formed province. Bishop Jack Iker of the breakaway diocese said the move was expected. The Episcopal Church's suit also demands the group stop using the trademark name and seal of the Diocese of Fort Worth.
Turkey: Local Officials' Role Emerges in Malatya Murders
Compass Direct News reports that two years after the murder of three Christians in this city in southeastern Turkey, lawyers at a hearing here on Monday (April 13) uncovered important information on the role that local security forces played in the slaughter. Two Turkish Christians, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, and a German Christian, Tilmann Geske, were tied up and stabbed to death at Zirve Publishing Co. offices on April 18, 2007. Plaintiff attorneys have moved the focus of the trial away from the five suspects – Salih Gurler, Cuma Ozdemir, Hamit Ceker, Abuzer Yildirim, and alleged ringleader Emre Gunaydin – to local officials believed to be liaisons or masterminds of the murders. Retired gendarmerie commander Mehmet Ulger and theology researcher Ruhi Abat have suspected links to the crime.
James Dobson: We Have Not Raised the White Flag
The Christian Post reports that Focus on Family's Dr. James Dobson took back leadership on Tuesday to correct misconceptions that the group has been defeated. Last week the London Telegraph picked sections of Dobson's farewell address given in February which said, "We are right now in the most discouraging period of that long conflict. Humanly speaking, we can say we have lost all those battles." They left out the following comment, in which Dobson said, "[B]ut God is in control and we are not going to give up now, right?" Dobson told Fox News' Sean Hannity that "We're not going anywhere... Pendulums swing and we'll come back. We're going to hang in there." Dobson resigned as chairman of the pro-family group in February, but continues to host his radio programs with the organization.
