Jihad Terror Killing in French Church: A 21 year old Muslim immigrant from Tunisia went on a knife rampage at Notre Dame church in Nice, France, killing three on October 9.
One of the victims, a woman, was beheaded by Islamic fanatic near the church's font. Two other people, a man and a woman, were stabbed to death.
Witnesses report that the Muslim fanatic shouted "Allah Akbar" as he killed the innocent churchgoers. He was later shot by police and is recovering in hospital.
Nice's mayor, Christian Estrosi, condemned the attack as an act of "Islamo-fascism."
San Francisco Christians go to Church Again: On September 30, San Francisco’s Mayor London N. Breed allowed Christians to return to church and worship indoors for the first time since March.
According to a press release, “Places of worship can open indoors at 25 percent capacity, up to 100 people. Outdoor worship services will continue, now with up to 200 people, as long as there is sufficient space to allow for social distancing.”
However, singing is still banned “since choirs and singing indoors is a known source of COVID-19 spread. The place of worship must conduct a health check of patrons before they enter the facility.” Worshippers must also wear a face covering “at all times except for brief removal to consume food or drink if it is essential to a ritual or ceremony.”
Before the new guidelines, outdoor worship was allowed but limited to 50 people. Roman Catholic and Evangelical groups protested against the restrictions.
Canadian Priest Says Voting for Pro-Abortion Politicians a Mortal Sin: A Roman Catholic Canadian priest, Fr. Mark Goring, warned viewers of his popular YouTube channel in September that voting for pro-abortion politicians is a “mortal sin.”
Goring warned against complicity in the crime of abortion, “Brothers and sisters, we need to understand that if we vote for a politician who is going to keep the door wide open, and even widen the door to the killing of our most innocent, we’re complicit in this awful slaughter and we have blood on our hands.”
Forward in Faith North America and Forward in Christ are unequivocally against the egregious sin of murdering babies in the womb.
Belize Drops Gay Law: Following opposition from church leaders the government of Belize has dropped a gay rights law, Equal Opportunities 2020.
The Anglican Bishop of Belize, Phillip Wright, along with the Roman Catholic church and the National Association of Evangelicals opposed the law because they believed it would threaten religious liberty and conscience.
As reported by Anglican Ink, the country’s Roman Catholic bishops condemned the law, stating the “bіll іntrоduсеѕ thе nоtіоn thаt humаnіtу hаѕ thrее ѕехеѕ іnѕtеаd оf twо, thе nоtіоn thаt ѕubјесtіvе gеndеr іdеntіtу іѕ mоrе іmроrtаnt thаn оnе’ѕ Gоd gіvеn, bіоlоgісаl ѕех аnd wоuld іmроѕе оn Веlіzеаnѕ thе tаѕk оf ‘gеndеr mаіnѕtrеаmіng.’ Аlthоugh wе lіvе іn а glоbаlіzеd wоrld thеѕе dауѕ, thеѕе nеw ѕехuаl dосtrіnеѕ dо nоt rеѕоnаtе wіth uѕ іn Веlіzе аnd mау рut іn dаngеr thе fаmіlу ѕtruсturе оrdаіnеd bу Gоd.”
San Diego Area Churches Vandalized: St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, and a Syriac Catholic church nearby, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, were found vandalized on September 26.
“I woke up this morning to see our Cathedral defaced with pentagrams, upside down crosses, white power, swastikas, BLM, etc.,” the cathedral’s pastor, Father Daniel Shaba, tweeted. “It reminded me to pray for my brethren in Iraq that are facing persecution. Pray for the criminals who did this.”
Shortly after the vandalism was discovered at the cathedral, deputies with the San Diego County Sheriff’s were alerted to a similar incident at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Syriac Catholic Church.
These two acts of desecration are part of a wider series of attacks on churches and Christian symbols around the country.
Attacks on Churches Back to Normal in France: After a lull during the virus lockdown, attacks on French churches are back to “normal” according to Protège ton église (Protect Your Church).
Protège ton église noted that attacks continued on a smaller scale during the lockdown, “But this lull was only temporary. We deplore a ‘return to normal’ of this unfortunate trend.”
Since 2017, the Paris-based L’Observatoire de la Christianophobie (Observatory of Christianophobia) has recorded anti-Christian incidents in France month by month on interactive maps. The most recent map available, for August 2020, shows 11 incidents, comprising six acts of vandalism and five thefts. The Observatory recorded nine disturbances on its map for August 2019.
Idaho Christians Arrested: There Christians were arrested in Moscow City, Idaho, in September for taking part in an outdoor “Psalm Sing” and failing to observe the city’s “social distancing” regulations.
Some 200 people attended the event which was organized by pastor Ben Zorne. The arrests were made for suspicion of resisting an officer, and others were given citations for not wearing masks and standing too close to each other.
Moscow’s Amended Public Health Emergency Order orders attendees at any public gathering to maintain a 6-foot physical distance or cover their faces with a mask.
According to the church’s Facebook page: “Yesterday Christ Church sponsored a flash psalm sing at city hall... When we arrived, the police were waiting for us. One of them informed me that people either had to social distance or wear a mask or otherwise face a citation.”
Love Guilty: A special Episcopalian disciplinary panel has found The Rt. Rev. William Love, Bishop of Albany, guilty of breaking his ordination vows and the canon law of the Episcopal Church (TEC).
Love committed the crime of forbidding gay marriage in his diocese and prohibiting his clergy from particpating in same-sex wedding rituals. This is not allowed in TEC.
How the Episcopal Church will punish Love remains to be seen.
*Update* -- Bishop Love will resign effective February 2021.
