France: Adventist Church Opens House of Hope in Paris Paris/France | 18.12.2009 | International The protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church celebrated in Paris the official opening of the "House of Hope". This is the new spiritual and cultural center for more than 8.000 000 adult baptised Adventist Christians, living in the Northern part of France. During the opening ceremony, November 27, the deputy Mayor of Paris, Mr. Jean Tibeiri, said, "It's good that a church like yours is open to society. It's a good thing to have created such a cultural and spiritual center, and I am delighted th
Russia and Vatican to Establish Full Diplomatic Ties Rome/Moscow | 17.12.2009 | Religion + State Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Pope Benedict XVI agreed December 3 to establish full diplomatic relations between Russia and the Holy See. According to the Religion News Service (RNS), this step is "likely to be seen as healing decades of mutual suspicion and tension". "During the meetings both parties expressed their satisfaction at the cordial existing relations and it was agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Russian Federation," read a statement
Adventist leaders comment on Copenhagen climate summit <br> <br> Caring for environment is "Christian issue," Church president says Copenhagen/London/Silver Spring (USA) | 16.12.2009 | International Adventist News Network (ANN) recently reported on official Adventist church reactions to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. Should Christians be concerned about caring for the environment? The president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, Jan Paulsen, says "yes," in a video released on YouTube, coinciding with the Copenhagen Summit. "Quite fundamentally, caring for the environment goes back to our [Adventist] earliest beginnings," Paulsen said. The archbishop of Canterbury,
Study Center for Adventist Muslim Relations with new director <br> <br> Pastor, seminary professor Merklin has served internationally Berrien Springs, Michigan/USA | 16.12.2009 | International Former mission institute director Lester Merklin assumed his new post December 1 as head of the Global Center for Adventist Muslim Relations of the Seventh-day Adventist world church. The center is one of five Global Mission religious study operations by the church's Office of Adventist Mission established to build bridges of understanding between the protestant Adventist Church and major world religions. The center consists of Merklin, who will also continue as a faculty member at Andre
Russia: Proposed amendments trouble country's religious liberty advocates <br> <br> Measure seeks to restrict missionary activity Moscow/Russia | 15.12.2009 | Religion + State Religious liberty advocates in Russia say proposed amendments to a national law seek to regulate free religious expression in the country and endanger profession of faith provisions in the Russian constitution. The amendments to the 1997 law called "On Freedom of Conscience and Association" specifically target so-called "missionary activity" in the country, experts say. If passed, the anticipated amendments will "not only contradict the constitution, but also violate the right to freedom
Turks Threaten to Kill Priest over Swiss Minaret Decision <br> <br> Slap to religious freedom in Switzerland leads to threat over church bell tower in Turkey Istanbul/Turkey | 15.12.2009 | Religious Liberty In response to a Swiss vote banning the construction of new mosque minarets, a group of Muslims this month went into a church building in eastern Turkey and threatened to kill a priest unless he tore down its bell tower, according to an advocacy group. Three Muslims on December 4 entered the Meryem Ana Church, a Syriac Orthodox church in Diyarbakir, and confronted the Rev. Yusuf Akbulut. They told him that unless the bell tower was destroyed in one week, they would kill him. “If Switzerla
Adventist religious leaders disappointed with Swiss ban on new Islamic minarets <br> <br> Construction of Mosque prayer towers restricted after national vote Zurich/Washington | 09.12.2009 | Religious Liberty Seventh-day Adventist religious freedom leaders in Switzerland and at the church world headquarters say they are disappointed over last week's national vote in Switzerland banning construction of new minarets -- prayer towers atop Muslim mosques. The action, effective immediately following the November 29 vote, was passed by 57.5 percent of voters following a national referendum supported by a far right-wing political party. The country's three other main political parties and the federal gov
Religious liberty advocates oppose Washington D.C./USA | 08.12.2009 | Religious Liberty Religious liberty experts warn a so-called "defamation of religions" resolution slated for consideration by the United Nations General Assembly this month will invite restriction of religious speech worldwide. Meant to punish those whose speech may offend the religious sensibilities of listeners, passage of the resolution would create a troubling precedent for restricting freedom of religious expression, said James D. Standish, director of UN relations for the Seventh-day Adventist world chu
