Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Man Shoots Church Pastors, Kills Wife
- Magnitude-6.9 Earthquake Rocks India and Nepal
- Pro-Gay Groups Take 'Pressure Tactics' to PayPal
- Chinese Believers Arrested for Attending Outdoor Service
Man Shoots Church Pastors, Kills Wife
A gunman killed his wife at their Lakeland, Fla., home Sunday and then burst through the front door of a nearby church, wounding a pastor and associate pastor before members of the congregation tackled him, the Associated Press reports. Jeremiah Fogle, 57, was charged with first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The pastors, who were shot from behind as they led the church in prayer, remain hospitalized in critical condition. Fogle and his wife, who married in 2002, had been members of Greater Faith Christian Center Church but had started their own ministry out of their home and regularly hosted Sunday services. It is not known what led to the shootings, but according to court records Fogle had pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a previous wife in 1987.
Magnitude-6.9 Earthquake Rocks India and Nepal
A magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck northeastern India and Nepal Sunday evening, killing at least 16 and injuring more than 50, according to the New York Times. The quake was followed by two strong aftershocks of magnitude 6.1 and 5.3. The full extent of the damage could not be immediately gauged because the epicenter was located in a remote and sparsely populated region, but TV stations reported buckled buildings, cracked pavement and two major road collapses about 42 miles southeast of the epicenter. The quake was felt more than 700 miles to the west in New Delhi.
Pro-Gay Groups Take 'Pressure Tactics' to PayPal
Homosexual activists are pressuring PayPal to not handle donations made to groups that promote traditional values, but one pro-family organization is encouraging the e-commerce business to be fair, according to OneNewsNow.com. The homosexual activist group All Out is asking PayPal to immediately shut down the online accounts of ten groups it has labeled "anti-LGBT extremist groups." PayPal reportedly said it could not comment on individual accounts and must take "the rights of free speech and religion" into account. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, one of the groups singled out by the effort, said, "The goal of the homosexual lobby is clear, which is to box out Christians and pro-family groups from the marketplace of ideas." He said he was encouraging people to urge PayPal to remain fair and not succumb to the pressure from homosexual groups.
Chinese Believers Arrested for Attending Outdoor Service
At least thirteen Chinese Christians were taken into custody by authorities for going to an outdoor worship service held by the Beijing Shouwang Church, according to ASSIST News Service. Some Christians were arrested as they arrived at the planned location and others were stopped on their way there, including a pastor and a church member from another city. All were released within two days, including four who were interrogated by force at a police station. It was Shouwang Church's 23rd outdoor service.
Publication date: September 20, 2011
