Category: Religious Freedom

The number of Christians subjected to violence worldwide increased in 2024, researchers said, and among the 50 countries where persecution is most severe, 29 reported an increase in violence. Overall, more than 380 million Christians live in nations with high levels of persecution or discrimination. Acts of violence often force Christians to leave their homes in search of safety elsewhere.

The former prime minister of Australia explained to The Christian Post how God sustained him when he led his country through an especially tumultuous time, and explained how he has learned to find his value not in power, but in God’s love for him. “God helps us when we’re on our knees in prayer; He helps us when we’re reflecting on His work, and He also encourages us and supports us through those he puts around us. I’ve always been blessed with that, and, frankly, sought it out.”

The Supreme Court of Brazil has upheld a decision that allows crucifixes and other religious symbols to remain on display in public buildings. The controversy began in 2009 when a citizen claimed that the presence of a crucifix in the Plenary Room of the Regional Electoral Court of the State of São Paulo infringed on the constitutional principles of freedom of belief and state secularism.

Thomas Jefferson’s resume is hard to beat. At 23, he was serving in the Virginia Colonial Legislature and, within a decade, he was in the Virginia governor’s mansion. He followed that up as ambassador to France, secretary of state, vice president, and a two-term president. From a lifetime of profound accomplishments, he chose three to list on his tombstone at Monticello.

Today is the 239th anniversary of one of those accomplishments, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which he drafted in 1777 and the Virginia Legislature adopted in 1786. Remembering a past event can be worthwhile, but doing so here must rekindle a present commitment to this fundamental freedom.

North Korea heads the new Open Doors ranking. North African countries such as Morocco and Algeria appear on the list. “If we lose religious freedom, then all other freedoms fall”.

The World Watch List, released Jan. 15, found that 3,100 Christians were killed and 2,830 Christians were kidnapped in Nigeria in 2024.

“Something profound is happening,” writes Peter Savodnik. “Instead of smirking at religion, some of our most important philosophers, novelists, and public intellectuals are now reassessing their contempt for it. They are wondering if they might have missed something.” “We’ve gone from ‘religion is a crutch for the weak-minded’ to ‘Christianity works even if I don’t know why.’” After years in the cultural wilderness, there’s something the saints can praise God for.

Too often, Americans of faith still meet opposition, often from government itself. Over the next four years, the Supreme Court could change this — for the better. As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office for his second term, the Supreme Court of the United States, which includes three of his appointees, has the opportunity to continue its trend of upholding religious liberty and cement its legacy as a Court that helped restore the free exercise of faith in America.