Kandarodai

Kandarodai (, , also known as ) is a small hamlet and archaeological site of Chunnakam town, a suburb in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka.
Known as "Kadiramalai" in the ancient period, the area served as a famous emporium city and capital of Tamil kingdoms in the Jaffna peninsula of North Eastern Ceylon from classical antiquity. The notable ancient Buddhist monastery referred as Kadurugoda Vihara is situated in Kandarodai.
Located near a world-famous port at that time, Kandarodai was the first site the Archaeology Department in Sri Lanka excavated in the Jaffna peninsula.
Etymology.
According to Jaffna tradition was this place initially known as "Kadiramalai". According to C. Rasanayagam is the Sinhalese name" Kadurugoḍa" derived from "Kadiragoda", which is according to him derived from Kadiramalai, substituting the Tamil suffix "malai" (meaning "mountain") with the Sinhalese suffix "goḍa." The prefix "Kadira" is the Tamil name for the Acacia chundra tree. The modern Tamil name "Kantarōṭai "is believed to be re-derived from the Kadiragoda term. The Tamil name was Kadiramalai.
Some scholars holds that Kadurugoda is derived from the Sinhalese name "Kandavurugoda" (a site of a military encampment). The Portuguese archives refer to this place as "Kandarcudde". The name Kadurogoda viharaya is mentioned in the 15th century Sinhalese text "Nampota".
History.
In 1970, the University of Pennsylvania museum team excavated a ceramic sequence remarkably similar to that of Arikamedu in Tamil Nadu, with a Pre-rouletted ware period, subdivided into an earlier "Megalithic", a later "Pre-rouletted ware phase," followed by a "Rouletted ware period". Tentatively assigned to the fourth century BCE, radio carbon dating later confirmed an outer date of the ceramics and Megalithic cultural commencement in Kandarodai to 1300 BCE. During this excavation, the university team discovered a potsherd carrying a Sinhalese Prakrit inscription written in Brahmi scripts.
Further excavations were conducted at the site by the University of Jaffna.
Black and red ware Kanterodai potsherd with Tamil Brahmiscripts from 300 BCE excavated with Roman coins, early Pandyan coins, early Chera Dynasty coins from the emporium Karur punch-marked with images of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi from 500 BCE, punch-marked coins called "Puranas" from 6th-5th century BCE India, and copper kohl sticks similar to those used by the Egyptians found in Uchhapannai, Kandarodai indicate active transoceanic maritime trade between ancient Jaffna Tamils and other continental kingdoms in the prehistoric period.
The parallel third century BCE discoveries of Manthai, Anaikoddai and Vallipuram detail the arrival of a megalithic culture in Jaffna long before the Buddhist-Christian era and the emergence of rudimentary settlements that continued into early historic times marked by urbanization. Some scholars have identified "Kourola" mentioned by 2nd century AD Greek geographer Ptolemy and "Kamara" mentioned by the 1st century AD Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as being "Kadiramalai".
The earliest people of Jaffna were belonging to a megalithic culture akin to the South Indian megalithic culture. The period of Buddhism in the Jaffna Peninsula differ from the rest of the island, which is seen as an overlapping of the megalithic beliefs with Buddhism. According to scholars was Kantarodai, known in Tamil literature as "Kadiramalai", the capital of the ancient Tamil Kingdom ruled by Tamil speaking Naga kings from 7th century AD to 10th century AD. The "Yalpana Vaipava Malai" also describes Kadiramalai as the seat of "Ukkirasinghan" who fell in love with a Chola princess in the ancient period. The ancient Kadurugoda Vihara Buddhist monastery is situated at this site where a 10th century pillar inscription of Sinhalese language recording a regal proclamation of the bequest of gifts and benefits to a Buddhist place of worship was found. Kandarodai was a Buddhist mercantile centre among Tamils.
The domes were reconstructed atop the flat bases of the ruins by the Archaeology Department. The similarities between the finds of ancient Jaffna and Tamil Nadu are indicators of a continuous cultural exchange between the two regions from classical antiquity. These structures built over burials demonstrate the integration of Buddhism with Megalithism, a hallmark of Tamil Buddhism. Outside Andhra Pradesh in India, Kanterodai is perhaps the only site where such burials are seen.
Education.
Kandarodai has a number of education institutions notably Kantharodai Tamil Kandaiya Vidyasalai and Skandavarodaya College.


Christianity in Bangladesh

Christians in Bangladesh account for 0.4% (roughly 600,000 believers) of the nation's population as of 2011 census. Together with Judaism and Buddhism (plus other minority religions such as Atheism, Sikhism, Baha'ism and others), they account for 0.7% of the population. Islam accounts for 90.4% of the country's religion, followed by Hinduism at 8.5% as per 2011 census.
Demography.
Christianity in Bangladesh by decades
History.
The introduction and development of Christianity in the Indian Subcontinent can be traced back to several different periods, with the help of several different countries and denominations. The earliest connection to Christianity can be linked back to the arrival of the Apostle Thomas to the Malabar Coast during the first century, in 52 A.D. In addition, the Apostle had managed to convert several thousands of Hindu Brahmins, as they were "attracted" to the lifestyle and were "impressed" by Jesus' sacrifice.
Christianity did not have a presence in Bangladesh until the arrival of the Portuguese in 1510 with individuals like Alfonso de Albuquerque and Portuguese missionaries. Albuquerque attempted to spread Christianity by encouraging inter-marriage with native Bengali women, therefore their descendants were the first generations of Christians. By 1514, the Portuguese had obtained the right to preach Christianity in Bengal, thanks to the agreement between the Catholic Pope and the King of Portugal.
In 1672, Dome Antonio da Rozari, a young Bengali convert, had managed to convert 20,000 low-caste Hindus into Christianity. Afterwards, between the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Portuguese missionaries were evangelising and preaching in the Bengali language. Soon on, evangelical books and Christian theology were being written in Bengali.
In 1740, the first Protestant, Reverend John Zachariah Kiernander, arrived in Bangladesh. In 1770, he funded and built a Protestant church called "Mission Church" in West Bengal.
By the 18th century, British missionaries, such as William Carey, had built more churches, translated the Bible and other Christian books, and had set up religious schools. The British missionaries had also developed Christian newspapers (such as ""Digdarshan"," ""The Gospel Magazine"," and ""The Christian Mohila")" in an effort to spread the gospel.
In more recent times, the rise of Christianity in Bangladesh can be credited to Western NGOs and Christian charities, who provided humanitarian work after the Liberation War in 1971. Since then, these NGOs and charities (see Contributions) have not only assisted with support for emergency relief, healthcare, and education in Bangladesh, but they have also encouraged the practice of reading the Bible. Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately 17 000 to 23 000 NGOs in Bangladesh.
History of churches.
During the month of January in 1600, the first church was officially inaugurated. The church was named "The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus" and was built by the Jesuits, who were not only given permission, but also financial support and land by the King of Jessore.
The second church was financially supported by the Arakanese King and was built by Andre Boves on June 24, 1600. This church was built in Chittagong and was called "St. John the Baptist Church".
In 1601, the third church was built by Dominicans in the south-east of Chittagong. Eventually these churches were burnt down from the attacks by the Arakanese.
William Carey and missionaries.
According to Sufia M. Uddin, William Carey can be seen as "one of the most important early Christian missionary figures". Carey had arrived in Bangladesh in 1773, where he was financially supported by the Baptist Missionary Society to carry out missionary work. William Carey believed his success as a missionary, was due him learning the Bengali language and therefore being able to translate the gospel. In 1801, he was able to publish a translation of The New Testament, which was the first translation in any South Asian language. Carey then published a Bengali dictionary (""A Dictionary of the Bengali language")" that same year and was also appointed as a professor at Fort William College. Carey, with the assistance of Joshua Marshman and William Ward created Serampore College.
Carey's colleagues and missionary team built a Bengali boys' school and by 1817, they were operating 45 boys' schools. As for girls, in 1818 they opened their first Bengali girls' school and by 1824, they were running 6 girls' schools. These mission-run schools would often attract students with scholarships and accommodation. Carey also oversaw the works the Bible being translated into more than 34 Indian languages, while the missionaries wrote books and tracts favouring the Christian lifestyle. These books and tracts (such as ""Prophet's Testimony in Christ", "God's Punishment of Sin", and "Krishna and Christ Compared")" not only emphasised the benefits of Christian life, but they also condemned Hindu and Islamic beliefs. More specifically, Christian missionaries translated the works of the Islamic prophet Muhammad to use in their books to attack Islam, as they claimed it was a "false religion".
Female missionaries.
In 1822, Miss Mary Anne Cooke was one of the first English female missionaries. Prior to this in 1820, missionary William Ward had encouraged for English women to preach Christianity, in order to connect more with Bengali women. With help from the Christian Missionary Society, Cooke founded 15 girls' schools with around 300 students within the Calcutta area.
Sister Argerita Bellasiny, Sister Brigida Janella, and Sister Agostina Bigo from Italy were called upon Father Marietti on May 17, 1868 to help with missionary outreach. The three of them would spread Christianity by going door to door, particularly targeting poor and vulnerable widows.
Missionaries' main objectives.
The missionaries had 5 main targets:
1. They must convert any non-Christian family member in a Christian family.
2. They must not move onto another village, until everyone at the current village that they're currently evangelising at, has converted.
3. Evangelistic campaigns should occur at least twice a year.
4. To focus on the village leaders, even if they're not literate.
5. The book "24 Bible stories" should be used as training for training leaders.
For a Muslim to convert, they are instructed to take oath, while kneeling on the Quran and holding the Bible in their hands. They are required to pledge "By the name of Jesus, from today I enter the fold of Christianity, leaving Islam forever, and by the name of Jesus, I will not reveal the secrets of my conversion to others until the one-third population of my society is converted to Christianity."
First Christian martyr.
Father Francisco Fernandez was the first martyr in Bangladesh, he died on 14 November 1602. He was led to his death because he had attempted to save Christian women and children from being captured and used as slaves by the Arakanese. He was detained, chained, and beaten to death.
Contributions.
Christians have greatly served the education and health sectors. This tiny community has some 1000 schools and about 100 health care centers and hospitals. In Bangladesh, the Christian community runs the country's largest cooperative bank in Dhaka.
Having worked in Bangladesh as a missionary since 1952, Father Richard William Timm, C.S.C. won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding, the Asian Nobel Prize, in 1987 in recognition of his work as a teacher, as a biologist studying plant-parasitic worms, and with Caritas on relief efforts.
In the 1990s, many people opposed the aid of Christian NGOs, and therefore there was a spike in the number of protests and violence opposing the religious influence of Christian NGOs. Up to 52 NGOs were considered to be "anti-Islamic", with the intentions of "proselytising" the Islamic nation to Christianity, targeting the vulnerable; the outcasts, the uneducated, and the poor.
Christian Memorial Hospital (Malumghat).
In 1965, The Church of Bangladesh had built the Christian Memorial Hospital at Malumghat. The employees, such as the nurses and maintenance crew had to be Christian or convert to Christian, or they were sacked. It has been reported that Christian doctors would intentionally prescribe and administer the wrong medicine to illiterate patients. While doing this, the doctor(s) would tell the patient to seek Muhammed (if the patient was Muslim) or Ramakrishna (if the patient was Hindu) for blessings for a recovery. When the patient did not make a recovery, the doctor(s) would then administer the correct medication and then ask them to seek Christ for blessings for a recovery. Once the patient had recovered, they were then told a series of points in order to try and get them to convert. These points were:
Persecution.
Given the country's Islamic culture, Christians in Bangladesh often face the pressure from radical Islamic groups or threats (such as persecution and harassment) from the wider community. In 2019, several churches, such as Mohandi Assemblies of God church, were either burnt down or destroyed. To combat this, Christians would gather in secret or in small houses to practice their religion. Additionally, in 2020, it's alleged that several Christians have been detained by police for "unlawful conversion".
Conditions have improved in recent years as Bangladesh moved from place 35 on the World Watch List of Christian persecution in 2015 to place 48 in 2019. However, a sharp rise of violence against Christians in 2019 sent the country back to number 38 on the list.
Other attacks on Christians.
On June 3, 2001, there was a bomb attack during mass in a Catholic church located in Baniarchor; the attack had killed nine people.
An Italian aid worker, Cesare Tavella was shot and killed in 2015. Parolari Piero, an Italian Catholic priest and doctor was shot several times in 2015.
In 2016, A Christian businessman named Sunil Gomes was hacked to death.
On July 1, 2016, 20 hostages were massacred by a group of Islamic militants.
A pastor of Faith Bible Church was attacked in October 2016.
Dioceses.
There are two Catholic archdioceses and six Catholic dioceses in Bangladesh with some 400,000 Catholics. Each diocese is led by its own local bishop. Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario is the highest Catholic official.
The archdiocese of Dhaka comprises:
The archdiocese of Chittagong comprises:
The diocese of Dhaka was created in 1952 and Reverend James D. Blair was assigned as the first Bishop (Markham, Hawkins IV, Terry & Steffensen, 2013). Following Blair, the first indigenous Bishop of the Diocese of Dhaka was assigned to Reverend B. D. Mondal. By the late 1980s, it was decided that a second diocese was needed, and this was established in Kusthia (Markham et al., 2013).
Christian theological education.
There are 16 Christian theological institutions in Bangladesh.
Christian media.
Catholic weekly magazine "Pratibeshi" was founded in 1941 as "Ranikhong Mission Chithi", a monthly parish bulletin. In the mid 1940s, it took its present name and moved to Dhaka.
Radio Veritas Asia began their Bengali service in 1980. It is jointly produced in Dhaka and Kolkata.
Culture adoptions.
The Catholic community have adopted a Hindu practice, with the use of sindhur.


Ben Seka

Ben Seka has been the Anglican Bishop of Central Solomons, one of the nine dioceses that make up the Anglican Church of Melanesia, since 2011.


Diocese of Central Solomons

The Diocese of Central Solomons is one of the nine current dioceses of the Anglican Church of Melanesia.
The diocese was inaugurated on 4 May 1997, erected from part of the Diocese of Central Melanesia. The cathedral was and remains Christ the King Cathedral, Tulagi. The Central Solomons diocese was divided on 23 June 2013, in order to erect the new Diocese of Guadalcanal by decision of the Anglican Church of Melanesia General Synod; Rennell and Bellona moved to the new diocese while the Nggela and Savo remained. Following that division, the population covered by the Diocese of Central Solomons was around to 17,700.


Islamic terrorism in the Republic of Macedonia


Innocent Gentillet

Innocent Gentillet (1535–1588) was a French lawyer and politician.
A Huguenot moderate lawyer and parliamentarian, he was exiled to Geneva after the massacre of St. Bartholomew, and then returned to France after the Edict of Beaulieu in 1576. His Protestant views are the cause of a new exile to Geneva in 1585, where he died in 1588.
He wrote and published in 1576 the "Discours sur les moyens de bien gouverner" (Sermon on the means of governing), in which he condemned the ideas of Niccolò Machiavelli, suspected of trying to introduce impiety and immorality in government. He also accused the Italians of the entourage of Catherine de' Medici to make the propagators. The book, translated and published in Latin in 1577, then in English, has considerable diffusion throughout Europe until the mid-seventeenth century. It was known as the "Anti-Machiavel" and was the first source of the concept "machiavellism". Gentillet argues that the source of wealth of a state is its large population. He believes that the infighting and bad laws are contrary to the development of population and condemned luxury as detrimental to national welfare. He also announced political science as defined by Jean Bodin.


Christianity in Chad

Christianity arrived in Chad more recently than other religions, with the arrival of Europeans. Its followers are divided into Roman Catholics and Protestants (including several denominations) and collectively represent 45% of population.
Protestantism.
The Protestants came to southern Chad in the 1920s. The American organization Baptist Mid-Missions was the first Protestant mission to settle in the country in 1925 in Sarh. Missionaries of other denominations and nationalities soon followed. Many of the American missions were northern offshoots of missionary networks founded farther south in the Ubangi-Chari colony (now Central African Republic) of French Equatorial Africa (Afrique Equatoriale Franchise — AEF). The organizational ties between the missions in southern Chad and Ubangi-Chari were strengthened by France's decision in 1925 to transfer Logone Occidental, Tandjilé, Logone Oriental, and Moyen-Chari prefectures to Ubangi-Chari, where they remained until another administrative shuffle restored them to Chad in 1932.
In 1964, the Chadian Association of Baptist Churches was officially founded.
These early Protestant establishments looked to their own churches for material resources and to their own countries for diplomatic support. Such independence allowed them to maintain a distance from the French colonial administration. In addition, the missionaries arrived with their wives and children, and they often spent their entire lives in the region. Some of the missionaries who arrived at that time had grown up with missionary parents in missions founded earlier in the French colonies to the south. Some missionary children from this era later founded missions of their own. Many remained after independence, leaving only in the early and or mid-1970s when Tombalbaye's authenticité movement forced their departure.
The puritanical message preached by many Protestant missionaries undermined the appeal of the faith. Rather than allowing a local Christian tradition to develop, the missionaries preached a fundamentalist doctrine native to parts of the United States. They inveighed against dancing, alcohol, and local customs, which they considered "superstitions". New converts found it almost impossible to observe Protestant teachings and remain within their communities. In the early years, Chadian Protestants often left their villages and settled around the missions. But abandoning village and family was a sacrifice that most people were reluctant to make.
Although language and doctrine probably discouraged conversion, the educational and medical projects of the Protestant missions probably attracted people. The missionaries set up schools, clinics, and hospitals long before the colonial administration did. In fact, the mission schools produced the first Western-educated Chadians in the 1940s and 1950s. In general, the Protestant missionary effort in southern Chad has enjoyed some success. In 1980, after a half-century of evangelization, Protestants in southern Chad numbered about 80,000.
From bases in the south, Protestants founded missions in other parts of Chad. For the most part, they avoided settling among Muslims, who were not responsive to their message. In the colonial capital of Fort-Lamy (present-day's N'Djamena), the missions attracted followers among resident southerners. The missionaries also proselytized among the non-Muslim populations of Guéra, Ouaddaï, and Biltine prefectures. Although Christianity appealed to some in the capital (there were estimated to be 18,000 Christians in N'Djamena in 1980), efforts in other parts of the Sahel were relatively unsuccessful.
In the late 1980s, the future of the Protestant missions in Chad remained unclear. As noted, many Protestant missionaries were forced to leave the country during the cultural revolution in the early and mid-1970s. Outside the south, other missions have been caught in the cross fire of warring factions. Rebel forces have pillaged mission stations, and the government has accused the missionaries of complicity with the opposition.
Roman Catholicism.
The Roman Catholic missions came to Chad later than their Protestant counterparts. Isolated efforts began as early as 1929 when The Holy Ghost Fathers from Bangui founded a mission at Kou, near Moundou in Logone Occidental Prefecture. In 1934, in the midst of the sleeping sickness epidemic, they abandoned Kou for Doba in Logone Oriental Prefecture. Other priests from Ubangi-Shari and Cameroon opened missions in Kélo and Sarh in 1935 and 1939, respectively.
In 1946 these autonomous missions gave way to an institutionalized Roman Catholic presence. This late date had more to do with European politics than with events in Chad. Earlier in the century, the Vatican had designated the Chad region to be part of the Italian vicarate of Khartoum. Rather than risk the implantation of Italian missionaries during the era of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the French administration discouraged all Roman Catholic missionary activity. For its part, the Vatican adopted the same tactic, not wishing to upset the Italian regime by transferring jurisdiction of the Chad region to the French. As a consequence of their defeat in World War II, however, the Italians lost their African colonies. This loss cleared the way for a French Roman Catholic presence in Chad, which a decree from Rome formalized on March 22, 1946.
This decree set up three religious jurisdictions that eventually became four bishoprics. The first, administered by the Jesuits, had its seat in N'Djamena. Although its jurisdiction included the eight prefectures in the northern and eastern parts of the country, almost all the Roman Catholics in sahelian and Saharan Chad lived in the capital. The diocese of N'Djamena also served as the archdiocese of all Chad. The second bishopric, at Sarh, also was delegated to the Jesuits. Its region included Salamat and Moyen-Chari prefectures. The third and fourth jurisdictions had their headquarters in Pala and Moundou and were delegated to the Oblats de Marie and Capuchin orders. The Pala bishopric served Mayo-Kebbi Prefecture, while the bishopric of Moundou was responsible for missions in Logone Occidental and Logone Oriental prefectures. By far the most important jurisdiction in 1970, Pala included 116,000 of Chad's 160,000 Catholics.
The relatively slow progress of the Roman Catholic Church in Chad has several causes. Although Roman Catholicism has been much more open to local cultures than Protestantism, the doctrine of celibacy probably has deterred candidates for the priesthood. Insistence on monogamy also has undoubtedly made the faith less attractive to some potential converts, particularly wealthy older men able to afford more than one wife.
The social works of the Roman Catholic Church have made it an important institution in Chad. Like their Protestant counterparts, the Roman Catholic missions have a history of social service. In the 1970s, along with priests, the staffs of most establishments included brothers and nuns who worked in the areas of health, education, and development. Many of the nuns were trained medical professionals who served on the staffs of government hospitals and clinics. It was estimated that 20,000 Chadians attended Roman Catholic schools in 1980. Adult literacy classes also reached beyond the traditional school-aged population. In the area of development, as early as the 1950s Roman Catholic missions in southern Chad set up rural development centers whose clientele included non-Christians as well as Christians.


Panja Sharif, Delhi

Panja Sharif (or "Punja Shareef") the oldest "Karbala" in the city of Delhi. It is located at Kashmiri Gate. It is a major "majlis khana" (meeting place) used for Karbala mourning ceremonies.
Maulana Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi has addressed the "ashrae majalis" (series of 10 majalis) of Panja Sharif Imambargah for many years.
Mirza Muhammad Kamil Dehlavi is buried there.


Islam in Venezuela

There are approximately 100,000 Muslims in Venezuela which make up 0.4 percent of the nation's population. Venezuela has a small but influential Muslim population. Many of them are Arabs of Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian and Turkish descent.
The capital city Caracas has a Muslim population of 15,000. The Mosque of Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim in Caracas is the second largest mosque in Latin America. Located in a rapidly changing area of the city, this historic mosque features a dome, minaret and portal to signal its presence in the urban landscape, and devices such as the octagonal hall rising up from a platform to a circular dome to achieve the transition between the street and the interior of the prayer hall. It was constructed with funds from the Ibrahim bin Abdul Aziz Al-Ibrahim Foundation under the planning of architect Oscar Bracho. Other notable mosques and Islamic organisations include the "Isla Margarita-Caribe La Comunidad Islámica Venezolana, Centro Islámico de Venezuela", the "Mezquita al-Rauda" in Maracaibo, the "Asociación Honorable Mezquita de Jerusalén" in Valencia, "Centro Islámico de Maiquetía" in Vargas, and the "Asociación Benéfica Islámica" in Bolívar. There is also a mosque in Punto Fijo built in 2008.
Margarita Island in particular is home to a sizeable Arab Muslim community. The local cable television outlets telecast channels like al-Jazeera; LBC Sat, a Lebanese channel; and more recently, MBC and ART, two Saudi Arabian channels. Women wearing hijab generally work as till operators. On most shop counters, Quranic verses are on display. Muslims here are mainly involved in retail businesses as well as banks and travel agencies.
On 11 February 2006, around 200 (mainly Muslim) protesters marched to the Danish embassy in Caracas, and burnt Danish and U.S. flags as protests over cartoons of Muhammad spread to Latin America.
On 20 July 2006, dozens of people marched in Caracas towards the Israeli embassy to protest against the war in Lebanon. Most of them were Venezuelan Muslims, but some were members of pro-government organisations.
References.
l
l


Focus on the Family New Zealand


East Java Christian Church

The East Java Christian Church (Greja Kristen Jawi Wetan (GKJW) in the Javanese language) is a congregation of Christian and Reformed churches based on Indonesian Javanese ethnicity, located in Java, Indonesia.
History.
There were two missionary fellowships active in East Java, the "Nederlandsch Zendeling Genootschap" (NZG) and the Java Committee. A decree from the NZG head office was signed by the Consul General T. Boetzelaer van Dubbeldam on 15 October 1931. This decree offered the formation of a united church for East Java as a missionary strategy.
The General Assembly was an equivalent of a synod offered by the Dutch missionary fellowship, which for over 100 years, oversaw the Javanese Christian congregation.
This formation was the suggestion of Dr Hendrik Kraemer, delegate of Nederlands Hervormde Kerk (NHK), which worked for the NZG. His idea was to form a Christian congregation based on the Dutch East Indies territory as both a cultural and political movement. The "Majelis Agung" (MA) was then registered at the East Indies Assembly as a legal entity, which gave it authority to manage assets and act as an organization acknowledged by the government.
GKJW was established on 11 December 1931 in one of the oldest Javanese Christian congregations at the time, Mojowarno. A General Assembly ("Majelis Agung") united the 29 ecclesiastical courts ("Majelis Jemaat", in Indonesian or "Raad Pasamuwan Alit", in Javanese dialect) in East Java. The church was under was socio-political pressure from growing Indonesian nationalism, alongside anti-Christian pressure in the country.
Its initial session convened 12 December 1931 at the Mojowarno congregation's church. The Javanese Christian delegates were senior activists of Javanese Christian congregation movements. They promoted GKJW independence through organizations such as Rencono Budiyo (founded in 1898), Mardi Pracoyo (1912), Perserikatan Kaum Kristen (1918), and Panitia Pitoyo (1924).
Prior to the session, a teacher from Mojowarno named Soetikno presented a home-made wooden gavel. On it is written in Javanese "manjalmaning resi wadaning Kristus" (the year of that session, 1931). Since then GKJW has made use of this gavel at every MA session a tradition. The initial session's theme was Philippians 4:4-9, with emphasis on verse 6 which reads, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God".
The session was led by Dr. C.W. Nortier as the first MA Head. Raden Poeger was voted secretary, and Poertjojo Gadroen was voted treasurer.
GKJW during the Japanese occupation.
During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia (1942-1945), GKJW was under scrutiny because they were interpreted as Javanese people with Dutch affiliations.
Several Javanese Christians found it difficult to practice their beliefs, and after the torture of a number of Chinese and Christians at the Besuki Residence, support grew to find refuge within the
Japanese government in Indonesia.
For this purpose, Raad Pasamuwan Kristen (RPK) was founded in 1943 in East Java. This led to a rift, because both RPK and GKJW had followers.
Many Javanese Christian figures were arrested at the end of World War II, including Rev. Driyo Mestoko, Rev. Tasdik, DR. B.M. Schuurman, and Yeruboham Mattheus. Because of this both RPK and GKJW were left without leadership until Japan surrendered on 14 August 1945. Reconciliation was achieved through an MA session at Mojowarno on 4–6 August 1946.
This reconciliation was symbolized in a communion service on 5 August 1946, which is now recognized as "Hari Pembangunan GKJW" (GKJW Awakening Day).
Recent activities.
At present, GKJW has around 153,000 members, divided into 136 congregations across East Java. These congregations are coordinated under ecclesiastical courts ("Majelis Daerah"), under the GKJW MA.
The GKJW organizational structure is a co-ordination system.
Member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
GKJW doctrine.
GKJW believes in God and in the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. GKJW believes the Bible as the word of God, consisting of the Old and New Testament, and that the Bible is a witness of His work. GKJW accepts the Credo as a form of faith.


Communion of Churches in Indonesia

The Communion of Churches in Indonesia () is a national ecumenical body in Indonesia. It was founded in 1950. It is a member of the World Council of Churches.


Madrid Spain Temple

The Madrid Spain Temple is the 56th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
This temple is the centerpiece of a complex built on more than of land which includes a missionary training center, an institute, temple patron housing, a distribution center, a Family History Center, and underground parking.
History.
The Madrid Spain Temple, built in the Pavones neighborhood of Moratalaz, a district of Madrid, was announced in 1993.
The temple in Madrid is a highly visible symbol of the church's presence in Spain. During the open house, over 100,000 community members and government officials toured the temple, including King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía.
LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley went to Spain to dedicate the Madrid Spain Temple and had his third visit with the King and Queen. During the visit, Hinckley presented them with a special gift created by well-known Spanish artists: a Lladró figurine of the Christus, modeled after the original by Bertel Thorvaldsen. Jose Lladro, president of the Lladro Company, had personally delivered the first five issues of the figurine to Hinckley at the temple site. One of the five figurines is now on permanent display in the temple foyer.
Hinckley dedicated the temple on 19 March 1999. The Madrid Spain Temple has a total of , four ordinance rooms, and four sealing rooms.
In 2020, the Madrid Spain Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.


Thiriyai

Thiriyai (, ) is a small village in the eastern Trincomalee District of Sri Lanka. It is situated about 25 miles north of Trincomalee town through Nilaveli. The total population of the village is 640 at the 2012 census.
Thiriyai is among the ancient Tamil villages of the district and was an international emporium with an old sea port which existed since at least 6th century BCE.
Due to the ethnic conflict, most families fled the village and are now living elsewhere in the country or overseas. Several Tamil refugees returned to the village in the early 21st century during a ceasefire.
Etymology.
The name "Thiriyai" is derived from the Tamil word "thiri", meaning wick.
History.
Thiriyai was populated by ancient Naga tribe. The place is referred to as "Thalakori" "Emporium" in the 2nd century AD map of the Greek geographer Ptolemy, which was an old sea port that existed from at least 6th century BCE.
The Buddhist temple Girihandu Seya, an almost complete example of vatadage, is located close to this village. The temple is supposed to be the first Buddhist Stupa in Sri Lanka. Legends attribute the constructing of the temple by the Trapusa and Bahalika merchants of the 4th century BCE, bringing with them the hair relics of Gautama Buddha. Scholars holds the view that Mahayana influenced seafaring merchants from the Pallava Kingdom were responsible for the construction of this temple.
A 7th century AD inscription found in the Girihandu Seya temple, written in Sanskrit language with the South Indian Pallava Grantha script, indicates the presence of the Avalokiteśvara cult in Sri Lanka. This inscription attributes with showing the influence of the Pallava dynasty in Sri Lanka and on Sinhala script. The Mahayana images and Pallava sculptural styles indicates on the presence of South Indian artists.
Sri Lankan Tamils refer to this place as "Kandaswamy malai" and venerate this place as the hill of Murugan. Thiriyai has traditionally been connected with the Koneswaram temple in Trincomalee and the Kandaswamy malai hill is referred as "Kanthathiri" in the Tamil text Thiruppugazh.
The "Vaiya Paadal", a 17th-century Tamil historical text, refers to "Cupatittu", a Brahmin, who ruled Thiriyai in the 15th century. Thiriyai was part of Vanni Nadu and was once ruled by the Vanniar Chieftain, "Neela Panikkan". The hill known as "Neelanpanikkan malai" and the pond known as "Neelanpanikkan kulam" was named after him. Ruins of his fortress is found on the hilltop.
The area remained a Tamil village, although experienced settling of 72 Sinhalese families north of Thiriyai in the 1960s. Killing of civilians in the 90s in Thiriyai attributed by the Sri Lanka Army and other ethnic tension lead to most family fleeing the area to India with boat, thereupon the area being nearly deserted.


Christianity in Mauritania

Christianity is a small minority in Mauritania. All of the roughly 4,500 Catholics in Mauritania are within the country's only diocese, the Diocese of Nouakchott. There are several expatriate African churches in Mauritania, though there are no more than 200 Protestants in the country, including foreigners.
In spite of a strict law against evangelization, the Mauritanian Christian community is growing and there estimated to be 400–1,000 ethnic Mauritanian Christians. For a period of eight months the Miracle Channel, a Norwegian/Swedish Christian channel, broadcast clandestine Christian gatherings in the Mauritanian desert containing over 160 people.
Persecution.
The distribution of Christian literature and the evangelizing of non-Muslims are prohibited by law. Bibles are rarely printed or distributed. State oppression has included the arrest of Mauritanian Christians due to their religious beliefs and the closure of churches. Conversion from Islam is punishable by death and other religions are not recognized by the state.
Sources.
http://parl.gc.adventist.org/documents/world_reports/WorldReport05.pdf


Romanian Orthodox Church

The Romanian Orthodox Church (), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 1925, the church's Primate bears the title of Patriarch. Its jurisdiction covers the territories of Romania and Moldova, with additional dioceses for Romanians living in nearby Serbia and Hungary, as well as for diaspora communities in Central and Western Europe, North America and Oceania. It is the only autocephalous church within Eastern Orthodoxy to have a Romance language for liturgical use.
The majority of Romania's population (16,367,267, or 85.9% of those for whom data were available, according to the 2011 census data), as well as some 720,000 Moldovans, belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church sometimes refer to Orthodox Christian doctrine as "Dreapta credință" ("right/correct belief" or "true faith"; compare to Greek ὀρθὴ δόξα, "straight/correct belief").
History.
In the Principalities and the Kingdom of Romania.
The Orthodox hierarchy in the territory of modern Romania had existed within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople until 1865 when the churches in the Romanian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia embarked on the path of ecclesiastical independence by nominating Nifon Rusailă, Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia, as the first Romanian primate. Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who had in 1863 carried out a mass confiscation of monastic estates in the face of stiff opposition from the Greek hierarchy in Constantinople, in 1865 pushed through a legislation that proclaimed complete independence of the church in the principalities from the patriarchate.
In 1872, the Orthodox churches in the principalities, the Metropolis of Ungro-Wallachia and the Metropolis of Moldavia, merged to form the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Following the international recognition of the independence of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (later Kingdom of Romania) in 1878, after a long period of negotiations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Patriarch Joachim IV granted recognition to the autocephalous Metropolis of Romania in 1885, which was raised to the rank of Patriarchate in 1925.
Communist period.
Restricted access to ecclesiastical and relevant state archives makes an accurate assessment of the Romanian Orthodox Church's attitude towards the Communist regime a difficult proposition. Nevertheless, the activity of the Orthodox Church as an institution was more or less tolerated by the Marxist–Leninist atheist regime, although it was controlled through "special delegates" and its access to the public sphere was severely limited; the regime's attempts at repression generally focused on individual believers. The attitudes of the church's members, both laity and clergy, towards the communist regime, range broadly from opposition and martyrdom, to silent consent, collaboration or subservience aimed at ensuring survival. Beyond limited access to the Securitate and Party archives as well as the short time elapsed since these events unfolded, such an assessment is complicated by the particularities of each individual and situation, the understanding each had about how their own relationship with the regime could influence others and how it actually did.
The Romanian Workers' Party, which assumed political power at the end of 1947, initiated mass purges that resulted in a decimation of the Orthodox hierarchy. Three archbishops died suddenly after expressing opposition to government policies, and thirteen more "uncooperative" bishops and archbishops were arrested. A May 1947 decree imposed a mandatory retirement age for clergy, thus providing authorities with a convenient way to pension off old-guard holdouts. The 4 August 1948 Law on Cults institutionalised state control over episcopal elections and packed the Holy Synod with Communist supporters. The evangelical wing of the Romanian Orthodox Church, known as the Army of the Lord, was suppressed by communist authorities in 1948. In exchange for subservience and enthusiastic support for state policies, the property rights over as many as 2,500 church buildings and other assets belonging to the (by then-outlawed) Romanian Greek-Catholic Church were transferred to the Romanian Orthodox Church; the government took charge of providing salaries for bishops and priests, as well as financial subsidies for the publication of religious books, calendars and theological journals. By weeding out the anti-communists from among the Orthodox clergy and setting up a pro-regime, secret police-infiltrated Union of Democratic Priests (1945), the party endeavoured to secure the hierarchy's cooperation. By January 1953 some 300-500 Orthodox priests were being held in concentration camps, and following Patriarch Nicodim's death in May 1948, the party succeeded in having the ostensibly docile Justinian Marina elected to succeed him.
As a result of measures passed in 1947–48, the state took over the 2,300 elementary schools and 24 high schools operated by the Orthodox Church. A new campaign struck the church in 1958-62 when more than half of its remaining monasteries were closed, more than 2,000 monks were forced to take secular jobs, and about 1,500 clergy and lay activists were arrested (out of a total of up to 6,000 in the 1946-64 period). Throughout this period Patriarch Justinian took great care that his public statements met the regime's standards of political correctness and to avoid giving offence to the government; indeed the hierarchy at the time claimed that the arrests of clergy members were not due to religious persecution.
The church's situation began to improve in 1962, when relations with the state suddenly thawed, an event that coincided with the beginning of Romania's pursuit of an independent foreign policy course that saw the political elite encourage nationalism as a means to strengthen its position against Soviet pressure. The Romanian Orthodox Church, an intensely national body that had made significant contributions to Romanian culture from the 14th century on, came to be regarded by the regime as a natural partner. As a result of this second co-optation, this time as an ally, the church entered a period of dramatic recovery. By 1975, its diocesan clergy was numbering about 12,000, and the church was already publishing by then eight high-quality theological reviews, including "Ortodoxia" and "Studii Teologice". Orthodox clergymen consistently supported the Ceaușescu regime's foreign policy, refrained from criticizing domestic policy, and upheld the Romanian government's line against the Soviets (over Bessarabia) and the Hungarians (over Transylvania). As of 1989, two metropolitan bishops even sat in the Great National Assembly. The members of the church's hierarchy and clergy remained mostly silent as some two dozen historic Bucharest churches were demolished in the 1980s, and as plans for systematization (including the destruction of village churches) were announced. A notable dissenter was Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa, imprisoned for a number of years and eventually expelled from Romania in June 1985, after signing an open letter criticizing and demanding an end to the regime's violations of human rights.
In an attempt to adapt to the newly created circumstances, the Eastern Orthodox Church proposed a new ecclesiology designed to justify its subservience to the state in supposedly theological terms. This so-called "Social Apostolate" doctrine, developed by Patriarch Justinian, asserted that the church owed allegiance to the secular government and should put itself at its service. This notion inflamed conservatives, who were consequently purged by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, Ceaușescu's predecessor and a friend of Justinian's. The Social Apostolate called on clerics to become active in the People's Republic, thus laying the foundation for the church's submission to and collaboration with the state. Fr. Vasilescu, an Orthodox priest, attempted to find grounds in support of the Social Apostolate doctrine in the Christian tradition, citing Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, Maximus the Confessor, Origen and Tertullian. Based on this alleged grounding in tradition, Vasilescu concluded that Christians owed submission to their secular rulers as if it were the will of God. Once recalcitrants were removed from office, the remaining bishops adopted a servile attitude, endorsing Ceauşescu's concept of nation, supporting his policies, and applauding his peculiar ideas about peace.
Collaboration with the Securitate.
In the wake of the Romanian Revolution, the church never admitted to having ever willingly collaborated with the regime, although several Romanian Orthodox priests have publicly admitted after 1989 that they had collaborated with and/or served as informers for the Securitate, the secret police. A prime example was Bishop Nicolae Corneanu, the Metropolitan of Banat, who admitted to his efforts on behalf of the Romanian Communist Party, and denounced activities of clerics in support of the Communists, including his own, as "the Church's [act of] prostitution with the Communist regime".
In 1986, Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală defended Ceaușescu's church demolition programme as part of the need for urbanization and modernisation in Romania. The church hierarchy refused to try to inform the international community about what was happening.
Widespread dissent from religious groups in Romania did not appear until revolution was sweeping across Eastern Europe in 1989. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Teoctist Arăpașu supported Ceaușescu up until the end of the regime, and even congratulated him after the state murdered one hundred demonstrators in Timișoara. It was not until the day before Ceaușescu's execution on 24 December 1989 that the Patriarch condemned him as "a new child-murdering Herod".
Following the removal of Communism, the Patriarch resigned (only to return a few months after) and the Holy Synod apologised for those "who did not have the courage of the martyrs".
After 1989.
As Romania made the transition to democracy, the church was freed from most of its state control, although the State Secretariat for Religious Denominations still maintains control over a number of aspects of the church's management of property, finances and administration. The state provides funding for the church in proportion to the number of its members, based on census returns and "the religion's needs" which is considered to be an "ambiguous provision". Currently, the state provides the funds necessary for paying the salaries of priests, deacons and other prelates and the pensions of retired clergy, as well as for expenses related to lay church personnel. For the Orthodox church this is over 100 million euros for salaries, with additional millions for construction and renovation of church property. The same applies to all state-recognised religions in Romania.
The state also provides support for church construction and structural maintenance, with a preferential treatment of Orthodox parishes. The state funds all the expenses of Orthodox seminaries and colleges, including teachers' and professors' salaries who, for compensation purposes, are regarded as civil servants.
Since the fall of Communism, Greek-Catholic Church leaders have claimed that the Eastern Catholic community is facing a cultural and religious wipe-out: the Greek-Catholic churches are allegedly being destroyed by representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Church, whose actions are supported and accepted by the Romanian authorities.
In the Republic of Moldova.
The Romanian Orthodox Church also has jurisdiction over a minority of believers in Moldova, who belong to the Metropolis of Bessarabia, as opposed to the majority, who belong to the Moldovan Orthodox Church, under the Moscow Patriarchate. In 2001 it won a landmark legal victory against the Government of Moldova at the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights.
This means that despite current political issues, the Metropolis of Bessarabia is now recognized as "the rightful successor" to the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia and Hotin, which existed from 1927 until its dissolution in 1944, when its canonical territory was put under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church's Moscow Patriarchate in 1947.
Organization.
The Romanian Orthodox Church is organized in the form of the Romanian Patriarchate. The highest hierarchical, canonical and dogmatical authority of the Romanian Orthodox Church is the Holy Synod.
There are six Orthodox Metropolitanates and ten archbishoprics in Romania, and more than twelve thousand priests and deacons, servant fathers of ancient altars from parishes, monasteries and social centres. Almost 400 monasteries exist inside the country, staffed by some 3,500 monks and 5,000 nuns. Three "Diasporan Metropolitanates" and two "Diasporan Bishoprics" function outside Romania proper. As of 2004, there are, inside Romania, fifteen theological universities where more than ten thousand students (some of them from Bessarabia, Bukovina and Serbia benefiting from a few Romanian fellowships) currently study for a theological degree. More than 14,500 churches (traditionally named "lăcașe de cult", or houses of worship) exist in Romania for the Romanian Orthodox believers. As of 2002, almost 1,000 of those were either in the process of being built or rebuilt.
Notable theologians.
Dumitru Stăniloae (1903–1993) is considered one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the 20th century, having written extensively in all major fields of Eastern Christian systematic theology. One of his other major achievements in theology is the 45-year-long comprehensive series on Orthodox spirituality known as the Romanian Philokalia, a collection of texts written by classical Byzantine writers, that he edited and translated from Greek.
Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie (1912–1998), elder of the "Sihăstria Monastery", is considered one of the most representative fathers of contemporary Romanian Orthodox monastic spirituality.
Jubilee and commemorative years.
Initiative of Patriarch Daniel’s, with a deep missionary impact for Church and society, has been the proclamation of jubilee and commemorative years in the Romanian Patriarchate, with solemn sessions of the Holy Synod, conferences, congresses, monastic synaxes, debates, programmes of catechesis, processions and other Church activities dedicated to the respective annual theme.
Current leaders.
The patriarchal chair is currently held by Daniel I, Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja (former Ungro-Wallachia) and Patriarch of All of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Since 1776, the Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia has been titular bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia ("Locțiitor al tronului Cezareei Capadociei"), an honor bestowed by Ecumenical Patriarch Sophronius II.


Yorishiro

A in Shinto terminology is an object capable of attracting spirits called "kami", thus giving them a physical space to occupy during religious ceremonies. "Yorishiro" are used during ceremonies to call the "kami" for worship. The word itself literally means "approach substitute". Once a "yorishiro" actually houses a "kami", it is called a "shintai". Ropes called "shimenawa" decorated with paper streamers called "shide" often surround "yorishiro" to make their sacredness manifest. Persons can play the same role as a "yorishiro", and in that case are called or .
To many (animists) they are the natural residence of spirits, "kami" in the case of Japan.
History.
"Yorishiro" and their history are intimately connected with the birth of Shinto shrines. Early Japanese did not have the notion of anthropomorphic deities, and felt the presence of spirits in nature and its phenomena. Mountains, forests, rain, wind, lightning and sometimes animals were thought to be charged with spiritual power, and the material manifestations of this power were worshiped as "kami", entities closer in their essence to Polynesian mana. Village councils sought the advice of "kami" and developed the "yorishiro", tools that attracted "kami" acting like a lightning rod. "Yorishiro" were conceived to attract the "kami" and then give them a physical space to occupy to make them accessible to human beings for ceremonies, which is still their purpose today. Village council sessions were held in a quiet spot in the mountains or in a forest near a great tree, rock or other natural object that served as a "yorishiro". These sacred places and their "yorishiro" gradually evolved into the shrines of today. The first buildings at shrines were certainly just huts built to house some "yorishiro".
A trace of this origin can be found in the term , literally meaning "deity storehouse", which evolved into "hokora" (also written with the character 神庫), one of the earliest words for a shrine. Most of the sacred objects we find today in shrines (trees, mirrors, swords, "magatama") were originally "yorishiro", and only later became "kami" themselves by association.
Common "yorishiro".
The most common "yorishiro" are swords, mirrors, ritual staffs decorated with paper streamers called "gohei", comma-shaped jewels called , large rocks ( or , and sacred trees. "Kami" dwell often in unusually shaped rocks or trees, or in caves and earth mounds. "Yorishiro" can also be persons, and in that case they are called .
Trees.
Because of Shinto's nature, "yorishiro" are often natural objects like trees. Significantly, in ancient Japanese texts the words 神社 ("shrine"; now normally read as "jinja") and 社 were sometimes read as "yashiro" ("sacred place"), but also sometimes read as "mori" ("grove"), reflecting the fact that the earliest shrines were simply sacred groves or forests where "kami" were present. (Part of the reading disparity may have been due to the confusion between similar characters 社 and 杜.) Many shrines still have on their grounds one of the original great "yorishiro", a great tree surrounded by a sacred rope called . Now such trees have become divine by association, and no longer simply represent a "kami".
Shinto altars called "himorogi" are usually just square areas demarcated with "sakaki" ("Cleyera japonica") at the corners supporting sacred border ropes ("shimenawa"). A branch of "sakaki" at the center is erected as a "yorishiro".
"Iwakura".
Rock sects are also common. An "iwakura" is simply a rock formation where a "kami" is invited to descend, and is therefore holy ground. With time, through a process of association, the "iwakura" itself can come to be considered divine. Archeological research in Japan confirms these sects to be ancient. In shrines, even today stones considered to be related to the shrine's "kami" are used to make food offerings to the "kami".
"Iwasaka".
An "iwasaka" is a stone altar or mound erected as a "yorishiro" to call a "kami" for worship. The concepts of "iwasaka" and "iwakura" are so close that some suggest the two words are in fact synonymous.
In homes.
"Yorishiro" are, however, most numerous in people's homes. During the New Year's holidays people decorate their entrances with "kadomatsu", which are the "yorishiro" of the new year's "kami". "Kamifuda", plaques of wood or pieces of paper (similar to an ofuda) representing the "kami", are hung above the door. There are "kami" who dwell in the toilet ("benjō-gami") and in the well ("suijin"). The "kamado-gami" lives in the oven, and its function is to protect the house from fires. Other common "yorishiro" are the small altar called "kamidana" and the "butsudan", which is an altar for the dead. ("Butsudan" were originally meant just for Buddhist worship, but now often contain also spirit tablets called "ihai", which are "yorishiro" used to recall the spirits of one's dead ancestors). In shops one often sees clay cats with a raised paw called "maneki-neko" or rake-like bamboo objects called "kumade" supposed to attract good business.


Maha Bhoga Marga

Maha Bhoga Marga (Main Road Towards Prosperity) is an advocacy and empowerment foundation established by the Protestant Christian Church (GKPB) in Bali, Indonesia in 1980. The Marga Foundation (MBM) is a nonprofit that aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of rural communities through small scale economic and health development programs. Since its inception, this foundation has been helping the underprivileged in Bali, with their efforts aiming to empower and improve standards of living, such as helping people to start savings accounts, take out loans and use working capital. MBM manages multiple outlets. This extensive list includes 7,600 orphanages (that care for children, educational institutions, from playgroups to high school students and vocational school with about 5,910 people), as well as the High School of Tourism Management Tourism Training and Education Center program. The services that MBM provides allowed the foundation to be awarded as a social organization in Bali by the central government.
The Director of the MBM is Mr Rev Ketut Sudiana.
Areas of work.
MBM’s work falls broadly under two divisions – Economic Empowerment and Environmental Preservation. MBM runs seminars on improving agriculture and organises self-help groups, including ones that promote female economic empowerment. For the environmental preservation part of its mission, MBM partnered with the Indonesian government to establish the ‘Clean and Green’ program. MBM encourages people who would like to volunteer to help in their work to contact them or UnitingWorld. Those with medical training or other applicable expertise are welcome but spots are available for those who help teach English or even pick up rubbish.
Vision and mission.
MBM’s mission is to release the weak, suppressed and underdeveloped people to become a prosperous community, to love God’s creatures and all creation. Its vision is to be a noble way for the people that leads to prosperity.


John Alexander (nonconformist minister)

John Alexander (1736 – 29 December 1765) was a British nonconformist minister and writer.
Life.
He was born in Dublin in 1736, where his father John Alexander, a minister and dissenting tutor at Stratford-upon-Avon, had moved; on the father's death, the widow and family returned to England. After grammar school, John was sent to Daventry Academy, and was afterwards put under the tuition of Dr. George Benson; Benson sometimes took young students under his care, after they had finished their university or academical education, for the purpose of instructing them in a more critical acquaintance with the sacred writings. He afterwards entered the ministry, which he exercised in and near Birmingham, but principally at a small village called Longdon, about twelve miles from that place. On Saturday, December 23, 1765, he returned to rest, in perfect health, between eleven and twelve o'clock, intending to officiate at Longdon next day: but at six in the morning he was found dead in his bed.
Works.
After his death John Palmer published a work of his, entitled "A Paraphrase upon the 15th chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians; with critical notes and observations, and a Preliminary Dissertation, a Commentary, with critical Remarks, upon the 6th, 7th, and part of the 8th chapters to the Romans". To which is added, "A Sermon on Ecclesiastes ix. 10. composed by the author the day preceding his death", London 1766. He wrote also in "The Library", the monthly publication run by Andrew Kippis. There Alexander wrote an ironic "Defence of persecution, essays on Dullness, Common Sense, Misanthropy, the Study of Man, Controversy, the Misconduct of Parents, Modern Authorship, the present state of Wit in Great Britain, the Index of the Mind, and the Fate of periodical productions".
Family.
He had a brother, Dr. Benjamin Alexander, a physician in London, who died young, in 1768, and was the translator of Morgagni's "De sedibus et causis morborum", 3 volumes, London 1769.


Christianity in Guinea-Bissau

Christians in Guinea-Bissau constitute approximately 10 percent (~153,300) of the country's population (1,533,964 - 2009 est.). Other sources report, that the population of Christians in Guinea-Bissau may vary from 5 to 13%
Guinea-Bissau is the only Portuguese-speaking nation with a Muslim majority, wherein others are mostly Christian. Christians belong to a number of groups, including the Roman Catholic Church (including Portuguese Guinea-Bissauans) and various Protestant denominations. Christians are concentrated in Bissau and other large towns.
Foreign missionaries operate in the country without restriction.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. In 2007, the US government received no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.
Roman Catholicism.
Most Christians in Guinea-Bissau are Roman Catholic (about 125,000 Catholics in Guinea-Bissau, or just under 10% of the total population).
There are two dioceses:


Brughiera sanctuary

The Brughiera sanctuary (Italian "santuario di Nostra Signora della Brughiera") is a sanctuary devoted to the Virgin Mary in the comune of Trivero in northern Italy.
Together with the Brugarola sanctuary in Ailoche, the Mazzucco Sanctuary in Camandona and the Banchette Sanctuary in Bioglio it is one of the minor sanctuaries of the Biellese territory, all connected by the ways CoEur - In the heart of European paths and Path of Saint Charles.
Set at 800 m height, the sanctuary was built where the tradition says that the Madonna appeared to a mute shepherd girl, giving her the ability to speak.
The complex is made by two churches: the bigger one, centre of the sanctuary, anda a smaller and ancient one, built in the 16th century on the ruins of a church of the XIV, where Fra Dolcino and his fellows camped out.
In the bigger church are preserved many Ex voto and art pieces: a "Nativity" by Giovanni Giacomo Barbelli, the frescos in the nave and in the presbytery and the wooden pulpit.
In the 18th century were built the house of the hermit and the lodging for the pilgrims.
Near the sanctuary there is a mule track conducting to the Bulliana hamlet nearby, along which there is a Via Crucis of fourteen chapels decorated in the 19th century.
The battle for the sanctuary.
The church is set near the border between Trivero and Mosso. Its strategic position led to a battle, painted in the bigger church. On the fresco there is a writing describing the event: "On 25 March 1643, day of the Annunciation, many gunshots were shot, with no offense for anyone thanks to a miracle of the Virgin Mary".


Nicholas Abram

Nicholas Abram (1589 at Xaronval, in Lorraine – 7 September 1655), was a Jesuit theologian. He taught rhetoric at Pont-à-Mousson, then engaged in missionary work, and finally taught theology at Pont-à-Mousson for seventeen years.
Works.
His principal works are:
His other works may he found in Carlos Sommervogel, "Bibliothèque de la compagnie de Jésus" (Brussels, 1890).


Sri Siddha Suniyam Deviyo

In the island country of Sri Lanka, people worship and respect a powerful god called "Śrī Siddha Sūniyam Deviyo". It is believed that this god bears dual sides in his personality. During the bright lunar fortnight ("Śukla Pakșa"), the Benevolent ("Ardha Deva") aspect of Sūniyam Deviyo becomes prominent, while in the dark lunar fortnight ("Kŗșņa Pakșa"), his Malevolent ("Ardha Yakșa") side gets prominent. His Benevolent side always results in the betterment and protection of the virtuous people, while the wicked ones gets severely punished and destroyed by the darker personality of this powerful deity. It is also strongly believed that he travels in the night throughout the country from village to village to help the righteous and discipline the sinful, mounted on his white stallion ("Turaga") vehicle ("Vāhana"), giving rise to a fragrance of jasmine smelled throughout his en route. If a dog barks at him during this traveling, the unfortunate animal will be thrashed with his "Solu" weapon ("Āyudha"), that results in the paralysis of its hind legs and death of the poor dog. In Sanskrit "Sūna" means born, produced, bringing forth, "etc". In contrast to the meaning of "Sūna", "Sūnā" denotes a meaning of a place for slaughtering animals, slaughter-house, butchery, killing, hurting, injuring, imminent death, danger of life, "etc". That might refer connotatively to the Malevolent ("Ardha Yakșa") side of Sūniyam Deviyo.
Worshiping Sūniyam Deviyo.
First, one should have a bath and dress with a clean and white garments. Then, the person should observe Buddhist "Tisaraņa"and "Pañca Śīla". Next, a coconut oil lamp should be lighted along with white flowers in a well cleaned place, which is sprinkled with rose water, fumigated with gum benzoin ("Sāmbhrāni") and scented with burning of camphor ("Karpūra"). Lastly, the prayers ("Deva Stotra") should be recited. The timings for this, is given in the table below.
It is recommended to worship Sūniyam Deviyo specially during "Kemmura" days, such as Wednesdays and Saturdays. While worshiping Sūniyam Deviyo, one should place his or her hands on his or her chest. As the lighted lamp radiates the light, similarly the compassion radiates from the bottom of one's heart will attract the favors of this powerful deity.
Personal Qualities of a Worshiper.
The person, who worships this powerful Sūniyam Deviyo, should have the following personal attributes.
Deva Stotra for Worshiping.
Śiva namastu namo Rāmah
kanda senā samāgamah
vaďiga tantra maņi kaņțhah
Oďďi mangala namo namah
Agni skandhañca hastena hastena vaďiga kargate
mukhena vişa sarpena šīrşe pañca keşake
udare nāga bandhāmī nīlot turaga vāhanam
Sūniyam devatā nāma maiham pādate namo namah
To Give Merits to Sūniyam Deviyo.
To give merits ("Puņyānumodanā") to Sūniyam Deviyo, one should recite the following
Nā nā vaņņa mahā tejo odāta haya vāhano
grāma sañcārako devo idam pujnjnānu modatu
Siyalu duk duralana
dev teda balaya sasobana
vihiduvana apamana
Sūniyam devi mepin ganu mena
Dā vemin nuvara Panďuvas niridunța
tejasin turaga vāhana veďa ința
mā tuțin kiyana deya ițukara dența
Śrī siddha Sūniyam deviyani matu Budu vanna (devatāveni me pin ganța)


San Salvador El Salvador Temple

The San Salvador El Salvador Temple is the 135th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is the fourth temple to be built in Central America and the first in El Salvador.
History.
Announced in 2007, construction began on the temple in September 2008. On 20 September, ground was broken and the site was dedicated by Don R. Clarke, of the Seventy and president of the church's Central America Area.
The temple is in Antiguo Cuscatlán, an affluent district southwest of San Salvador. The San Salvador volcano provides a background for the temple grounds and the three-story building.
A public open house was scheduled for 1–23 July 2011. The temple was dedicated on 21 August 2011, in three dedicatory sessions.
In 2020, the San Salvador El Salvador Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.


Maahefun

Maahefun is a celebration marking the beginning of Ramadan, where Muslims in the Maldives celebrate the taking of their last meal before beginning the month-long fasting.


Alanna Nobbs

Professor Alanna Nobbs is the President of the Society for the Study of Early Christianity.
She earned a BA Hons1 and PhD in Latin at the University of Sydney. She taught at Macquarie University and was Head of School. Her specialization being in Greek Early Christian and Byzantine documents.
She was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday 2012 list with the award of Member of the Order of Australia for her service to ancient history and the classics.
Her husband is former fellow professor at Macquarie University, Ray Nobbs, who was also Dean of the Australian College of Theology.
About the society.
The society was established by the Vice-Chancellor on 8 May 1987, and a Constitution for the Society was approved by the Council of Macquarie University in December 1987. The society has no ecclesiastical ties, however it collaborates on academic occasions with Christian and Jewish theology colleges and communities. Its president is Professor Alanna Nobbs.
The society circulates three newsletters a year outlining its activities.


Archdeacon of Belfast

The Archdeacon of Belfast is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Connor. The Archdeacon is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy. within the diocese. There have only been two holders: Barry Dodds and George Davison. Some have advocated that a city the size of Belfast needs its own Bishop rather than an Archdeacon.


Parish of Goorooyarroo

Goorooyarroo Parish is a parish of Murray County, New South Wales, a cadastral unit for use on land titles.
Geography.
It is located to the north-east of the Australian Capital Territory.
History.
About a third of the parish was transferred to the Federal Capital Territory (later renamed the Australian Capital Territory) in 1909, which included what is now the northern suburbs of Gungahlin.
A small part of the New South Wales electoral districts of Monaro and Burrinjuck were in the parish as mentioned in their electoral district profiles.
The parish's name is commemorated by two areas of nature reserve, each called Goorooyarroo (NSW) and Mulligan's Flat / Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve (ACT), which were originally part of the parish.
Research.
In Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve within the ACT, the Mulligan's Flat - Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment is conducting research into remnant plant and animal life in the area, notably reintroduction of the eastern bettong (marsupial) and brown treecreeper (bird), and remnant yellow box ("Eucalyptus melliodora") and Blakely's red gum ("Eucalyptus blakelyi"). This study is led from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University, along with involvement from the CSIRO and ACT Government.


Motokichiro Osaka

 was a Japanese pastor, theologian, and newspaper columnist. He is notable for his public criticism of efforts by the Japanese government to regulate religious bodies and strengthen a national form of Shinto, which culminated in a government-backed attack that left Osaka close to death. During his recovery, a personal awakening transformed his conceptualization of Christianity from an earthly, altruistic social practice to an ascetic practice rooted in Catholic orthodoxy.
Osaka was a student and lifelong friend of philosopher Kitaro Nishida, the founder of the Kyoto School.
Early life and education.
Osaka was born on June 25, 1880, in Daijoji-cho, Enuma-gun, Ishikawa Prefecture, to Kamayoshi Hiratsuka and his wife Koshiki Momoshi. He was later adopted by the Osaka family.
In 1901, Osaka accompanied his teacher at Ishikawa Prefectural Hirojo Junior High School, Zen philosopher Kitaro Nishida, to a Zen "sesshin" at a temple in Mikawa.
Nishida inspired Osaka began his studies in the Department of Political Science at Tokyo Imperial University in 1903. He was baptized at the Ichi Bancho Church in Tokyo in 1904 by pastor and theologian Masahisa Uemura and briefly enrolled at Uemura's Tokyo Theological Seminary.
Osaka left Tokyo Imperial University in 1908 over personality conflicts with Uemura to attend Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. He graduated from Auburn in 1911 and moved to Edinburgh to attend the New College. He returned to Japan in 1912 on a "foreign mission."
Ministry and Turn Toward Progressive Christianity.
After his return, Osaka became affiliated with the Japanese Christian Church as a minister in 1913. He was subsequently ordained pastor of the Takanawa Church.
Osaka became critical of what he perceived as indifference by the church toward contemporary social problems. When the Japanese Christian Church fractured in 1917, he left to establish an independent church near Osaki Station in Tokyo. To disseminate his progressive views, he began to publish a magazine entitled "The Friend of Faith" in the same year. Articles in English and Japanese were both featured in the magazine.
The Osaki church began to operate in 1919.
In 1922, he established a study group called the Messianic Society of the People's Church Study Group to further develop and teach his ideas.
Yomiuri Newspaper Column and Attack.
Osaka accepted an invitation to contribute to the Religion Column of the Yomiuri Newspaper from his high school friend, media mogul Matsutarō Shōriki in 1925.
Beginning in 1929, Osaka used his column to criticize the Japanese State's development of policies that sought to centralize control of domestic religious organizations and promote a form of Shinto that scholars have dubbed State Shinto. To strengthen opposition to the Religious Bodies laws of 1927 and 1929, as well as the "Shrine Issue" that sought mandatory participation of Japanese school children in religious ceremonies at imperial shrines, he promoted solidarity between Japanese Christians and Buddhists on the issue. Inter-religious dialogue was considered a prerequisite for establishing a more democratic Japan by many Japanese Christians at the time.
At the behest of philosopher Miki Kiyoshi, another student of Kitaro Nishida, Osaka organized discussions with several intellectuals and philosophers related to the Kyoto School, including Nishida himself. The sessions took place in June and July 1932, and they resulted in texts published in the Yomiuri Newspaper to great public acclaim.
In May 1933, Osaka interviewed his former teacher Nishida to discuss Nazi-sponsored book burnings in Germany. Nishida argued that the "genuine cultural achievements of Germans," which included contributions to "music, theater, and philosophy," could not be destroyed by Nazi cultural politics. Nishida told Osaka that he thought it ironic that both capitalism and communism, the two forces of ideology he considered to be most influential in the epoch, had been birthed by Jewish thinkers David Ricardo and Karl Marx respectively. The interview exemplified Osaka's willingness to publish text critical of the tenets of Japanese ultranationalism.
As Osaka became increasingly vocal in his criticism, the newspaper's conservative management believed that publishing his ideas would "cultivate a feeling of suspicion and animosity toward the politically idealistic and naive" young pastor. In February 1934, Osaka criticized the Shrine System Investigative Committee (Jinja Seido Chosakai), which the Diet had created as an advisory council on the "Shrine Issue," calling it vacuous and challenging what he perceived as its unjust legal protection.
In response to the criticism, leader of the committee Imaizumi Teisuke and his subordinates brought Osaka to the Tokyo Daijingu in the Iidabashi District. Imaizumi's men, who were hired gangsters, forced Osaka to his knees and demanded that he atone for his criticism. When he rejected their demands, they forced him to bow his head while beating him with their fists. Osaka was then taken to the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya, where Imaizumi's men gave him a severe beating.
Recovery.
Osaka described his recovery after the attack as "receiving one life for nine deaths." He was hospitalized for nine months and confined to bed for three years. Pleurisy caused by trauma to the ribs led to degeneration of the ribs themselves, which required numerous surgeries and medical care for almost two years after the attack. Ultimately, four of Osaka's ribs were removed. Matsutarō Shōriki paid for Osaka's hospital bills.
While he recovered, Osaka began a correspondence with his old friend philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who had come to visit him in the hospital.
Transformation and Ascetic Lifestyle.
According to scholar Thomas Hastings, Osaka came to understand his earlier engagement with Christianity as "excessively conceptual and philosophical." He had spent very little time searching for meaning in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as his engagement had been with a Christianity that he understood as an Earthly "philosophical or social movement." He came to see his ordeal as a trial. Osaka concluded that up until the attack, he had lived life "to the detriment of himself and others." His reflection during his recovery prompted him to devote himself entirely to disseminating "the truth of Christianity" and pursuing "an embodied, holistic piety."
After his discharge from the hospital, Osaka attended the Osaki Church. He devoted his time to "reading, prayer, and religious practice" in addition to preaching. According to a member of the church, Osaka switched from reading Kierkagaard to Augustine when he found the former lacking in what he sought. In Augustine's work, he saw parallels to his own life experiences that became so intense that his hands shook while he read. His reading of Augustine led him to seek out works of other early theologians, including the Ante Nicean and Post Nicean Fathers in Tokyo's bookstores.
Osaka came to believe it essential that he "exemplify" a devout life in order to "encourage others." He constructed a small bedchamber for himself connected to the church sanctuary, rising early every morning to spend the day praying and studying. He remained at the church all hours of the day and offered three prayer meetings with members of the church in the morning, afternoon, and evening. He also offered lectures.
Osaka lived this ascetic lifestyle until the turmoil of the Second World War prevented Osaka from continuing.
Notoriety Outside of Japan.
In 1939, an anonymous author writing in The Christian Century incorporated the story of Osaka's attack into a critical essay that attacked the silence they perceived among Western Christians around the marginalization of Japanese Christians by the state. He wrote: "Now came the time when Japanese Christians had to choose between Caesar and God. There was on remarkable Christian minister in Tokyo who chose God. Before him I am ashamed, because I am a coward. Before him the much exalted Kagawa might be ashamed, because it seems that he too is afraid of the Ceasar of Japan. This minister kept on writing and preaching that God was his choice, that God must be recognized by the Japanese nation, that God is still the king of kings, and that Japan shall perish if she does not obey God. In his church and in public places, this man proclaimed all these dangerous things. The Yomiuri Daily News of Tokyo carried some of his messages in its church section.
One day a group of terrorists broke into his study. They beat him until he was unconscious. They forced him to go through a pilgrimage to the shrines of the living and dead deities of the nation as a penitent. They had to drag him along, and they beat him again and again because he refused to bow to any image sacred to Ceasar. I often wonder why he did not give up his ghost. He is crippled for life, but continues to fight his lone battle from his bed. His name, Motokichiro Osaka, should be known to all Christians in the world; yet I have heard no Christian minister mention his name.
If a few influential Christian leaders had supported or joined Osaka, if one Kagawa had spoken one word of approval or sympathy, the majority of the Japanese Christians might have made as brave a showing as the Marxists before them. But not a single man followed in Osaka's steps or openly approved his path. Instead, the whole Christian church in Japan, figuratively speaking, marched to the imperial palace and bowed before the throne!"
Personal life.
Osaka married Misao Matsumoto in October 1913.


Panagiotis Zepos

Panagiotis Zepos (, 1908–1985) was a Greek professor of law and a prominent lawyer, who served many times as secretary-general and minister in Greek governments.
Biography.
He was born in Athens and he was the son of lawyer Ioannis Zepos. His brother, Dimitris, was also a lawyer. After graduating from the Law School of the University of Athens, he attended master courses in University of Berlin. In 1931 he obtained a PhD in law from the University of Athens and three years later was elected reader in the Law School.
In 1939 he was elected assistant professor and, later, full professor in University of Thessaloniki. In 1954 he was elected professor of civil law in University of Athens, holding this position until 1974, when he retired.
In 1970 he was selected ordinary member of Athens Academy, of which he served as president in 1975.
He served as secretary-general in the Ministry of Justice (1935), secretary-general in the Ministry of Education (1945), and Minister of the Interior and Minister of National Education in the national unity cabinet of 1974 and Konstantinos Karamanlis' government in 1974–1976.
He died in 1985 in Athens and he is buried in the First Cemetery of Athens. He was survived by his wife and his daughter.


Panama City Panama Temple

The Panama City Panama Temple is the 127th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was announced in 2002 and was dedicated on August 10, 2008 by church president Thomas S. Monson. Located in Cárdenas, a suburb of Panama City, it is the first church temple in Panama.
The plans to build a temple in Panama City were announced by the LDS Church on August 23, 2002. Ground was broken and the site was dedicated on October 30, 2005, by Spencer V. Jones, a member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy and the president of the church's Central America Area. On May 4, 2007, a statue of the angel Moroni was added to the temple's spire.
The temple is adjacent to the LDS Church's Cárdenas Ward meetinghouse, close to the Panama Canal. The Panama City Panama Temple serves Latter-day Saints in all of Panama. There are 39,000 Latter-day Saints in Panama in seven stakes and eight mission districts.
The open house for the temple began on the July 11 and ended on July 26, 2008. During the open house, the temple was open to everyone; however, since it has been dedicated only members of the church in good standing can enter. The temple's dedication was held on August 10, 2008 in four sessions. Prior to the dedication, a cultural celebration was held including performances by Panamanian youth members of the church.


Bola Odeleke

Bola Odeleke (born 1950) is a Nigerian pastor, evangelist, preacher, founder and general overseer of Power Pentecostal Church.
Early life.
She hails from Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria.
She had her primary and secondary education at Ilesa, the hometown of her mother.
She became a Christian in 1970 but began her evangelism on November 1974 and on August 2014, she celebrated her 40th anniversary in the ministry.
She became a bishop on May 28, 1995 and was the first African woman to become a bishop.


Paul Beauchamp

Paul Beauchamp (1924–2001) was a French Jesuit and theologian.


Bernard du Bosquet

Bernard du Bosquet (died 19 April 1371), "legum doctor", was a professor at the University of Toulouse from 1350, the Archbishop of Naples from 5 September 1365, and a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church as priest of Santi Apostoli appointed by Pope Urban V on 22 September 1368 until his death. He participated in the Papal conclave of 1370.


Farah Omar

Haji Farah Omar (, ) (1871 - 1949) was a politician and Somali nationalist from British Somaliland Protectorate. He was one of the first modern politicians to emerge in the Protectorate and later became one of the first initiators and pioneer leaders of the political struggle between Somali people and colonial forces. He is credited for the formation of the first Somali association, the Somali Islamic Association, created in 1925 for publicising Somalis' claim to independence.
Haji Farah Omar is described in the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World as a reformist, modernist Islamic leader. Omar was exiled to Aden by the British administration for his protests against excesses of colonial administration, and campaigning for the improvement of economic facilities and expansion of education in the Protectorate.
Omar visited India in 1930, where he met Mahatma Gandhi and was influenced by Gandhi's non-violent philosophy which he adopted in his campaign in British Somaliland Protectorate.
His political agitation did not find favour with the British colonial authorities which led to him being exiled to Aden.


Shariah TV

Shariah TV is a Muslim-themed talk show, presented by Tazeen Ahmad, broadcast on a late-night slot on Channel 4. The audience, made up of British Muslims, asks a panel questions relating to life as a Muslim in Britain. Channel 4 frequently presents the panel as scholars in Islam, however many have not attained the necessary qualification to be termed a scholar and some themselves would refuse to accept such a title which carries great weight.
The series has continued to raise sensitive and diverse issues such as homosexuality, free speech, and anti-terrorism legislation.
The series returned on 5 June 2007 (at 00:10) for a four-part special from the city of Jerusalem.
The latest series began on 15 July 2008, and is broadcast from New York City.


Eastern Orthodoxy in Taiwan

Eastern Orthodoxy in Taiwan represents Christians in Taiwan who are adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
1895-1945.
Eastern Orthodoxy arrived in Taiwan around 1895, the year the Qing Dynasty ceded the island to Japan. These first Orthodox believers were Japanese immigrants, who almost immediately began petitioning St. Nicholas (Kasatskin), Archbishop of Japan to send them a priest. In 1901, a Tokyo synod created the Christ the Savior Parish in Taiwan. Its first priest was Fr. Simeon (Okava or Yukava—spellings differ), followed (in 1911) by a Fr. Titus (Kariyama). Records indicate a Taiwan-based Orthodox population of 15 or 17 (in 1900), 29 (in 1901), and 44 (in 1903). The activity of the community was interrupted by the 1912 death of St. Nicholas of Japan, and largely ceased with the end of Japanese rule in 1945.
Sayama Dayroku, later Archbishop Nicholas of Ramensky (near Moscow), was born 1914 in Taihoku (Taipei).
1949-1970's.
In 1949, some 5000 Russians arrived from China (e.g. Shanghai, Harbin, Xinjiang) in the wake of the Chinese Civil War, and began gathering in Taipei's Cafe Astoria. Mention is made of a Korean War-era funeral led by Bishop (later Archbishop) John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco, then a U.S. army chaplain en route from Korea to the USA. Archbishop Ireney (Bekish) of Tokyo (later New York) made annual visits to Taipei between 1957 and 1959, celebrating divine liturgy in a private home, under the name of the Church of the Forerunner. In 1960 he ceded these duties to an American military chaplain, Fr. Nikolay Kirilyuk. 1965 saw a visit by Metropolitan Vladimir (Sagosky) of Japan (later San Francisco), American military chaplain Archpriest Peter Zurnovich, and Fr. Kirill Arihara. The number of Orthodox faithful in Taiwan has been variously estimated at 50 (in 1960), 100 (in 1958), and 200 (in 1965). The Russian community's most famous member, Chiang Ching-kuo's Belarusian-born wife Chiang Fang-liang (née Faina Ipat'evna Vakhreva), did not attend services (and may have nominally affiliated with her husband's Methodism).
Sources differ as to whether this predominantly Russian church had any contact with the earlier wave of Japanese-era believers. By the 1970s the church had again dwindled into inactivity, in part because of a canonical rule requiring the closure of any parish which goes more than fifty years without a resident priest.
2000-present.
But nevertheless, the Taiwanese Orthodox Church was re-established by a Greek hieromonk, Fr. Jonah (Mourtos) of Osiou Gregoriou monastery (Mount Athos) in the year of 2001 AD under the auspices of the Metropolitan of South Asia under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul. The attendants are mainly Russian and other Slavic people but gradually, more and more Taiwanese locals are coming to Orthodoxy. In 2012 the Russian Orthodox Church reactivated the parish of Christ the Savior in Taipei under the leadership of a priest from Canada. The trilingual parish celebrates the services in a mixture of Chinese, English, and Slavonic.
The Holy and Sacred Synod of Constantinople founded also the new Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and South East Asia in November 1996, with jurisdiction over: Hong Kong, Macao, China, Taiwan, Mongolia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and also Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Timor, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.


Norman Sykes (priest)

Norman Sykes (17 May 1897– 20 March 1961) was a priest in Anglican orders and a distinguished ecclesiastical historian, sometime Professor of History, Westfield College, London, sometime Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford and Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Cambridge (1944).
He was a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 1944 to 1958 and an Honorary Fellow from 1958 to 1961.
He was Dean of Winchester from 1958 to 1961, dying while in office.
A principal contention of his studies was to engage a more positive re-evaluation of the eighteenth century Church of England.
His effective use of archives was demonstrated with the papers of William Wake held at Christ Church, Oxford prior to publication of his two-volume work devoted to that archbishop.


Christianity in Sohag Governorate

Christianity is the religion of a major part of the population in Sohag Governorate in Egypt. The Minya Governorate, Asyut Governorate and Qena Governorate has also a sizable Christian populations.
Important Christian landmarks in the Sohag Goverorate includeWhite Monastery (Deir el-Abyad) and the Red Monastery (Deir el-Ahmar) of the Copts. Sohag is the seat of a bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. A diocese of Sohag under the Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts exists. In 2000, 21 Christians were killed in an attack by Muslims of Arab tribes. Security forces (SSI)
arrested over one thousand two hundred Coptic Christians in Sohag
on the 15th of August 1998.
There were riots between Copts and Muslims of Arab tribes in 1999.
Monk and prophet Shenute (about 350–465; Abbot of the White Monastery) was a key figure in the struggle against idolatry. The governorate was the site of violent clashes of Islamists versus the government.
The late Patriarch Stéphanos II Ghattas of the Coptic Catholic Church, a cardinal, was born in Sohag Governorate.
According to M. Izady, the Copts made up 14,86% of Sohag regional population in 1914, however they now account an estimated 35% of Sohag regional population.


Charter of Ukrainian Muslims


Ain Kalmus

Ain Kalmus (given name Evald Mänd; 8 June 1906 Emmaste Parish, Hiiu County – 15 November 2001) was an Estonian writer and theologian.
From 1925 to 1929, he studied at the Baptist Evangelical Seminary at Keila. After that he finished Andover Newton Theological School (USA), defending his master's thesis. After returning from USA, he worked as a Baptist minister in Tartu and Soutern Estonia, later also as a pastor in Tallinn. In 1944, he escaped to Sweden and in 1946, to USA.


Domenico Benivieni

Domenico Benivieni or Dominicus Benivenius (Florence, 1460 ca. – 1507) was an Italian religious .
Life.
Born in Florence, his father was Paolo Benivieni. Girolamo Benivieni and Antonio Benivieni were his brothers.
He was known for his works on logics, theology and his studies about Aristotle. He was praised by Marsilio Ficino. From 1470 to 1481 taught logics at the University of Pisa.
From 1492 he became one of the main defenders of Girolamo Savonarola and his theories. From February 16 1498, he was forbidden to attend the sermons of Savonarola and was no longer dispensed with the participation in the choir of his church, from which he was then suspended. He died in 1507.


Fundamentalist Presbyterian Church in Brazil

The Fundamentalist Presbyterian Church in Brazil was founded in 1956 in northeastern part of Brazil under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Israel Gueiros. A schism occurred in the Presbyterian Church of Brazil, because of the inspiration of the Bible and other doctrinal issues. Today the church has 5 presbytery and the denomination are about to form a Synod. Has its own journal and started evangelical projects.
The church has 1,800–2,000 members and 27 congregations.
The church has connections with other fundamentalist churches and Carl McIntire. The church adhere to the Apostle Creed and Westminster Confession of Faith.
The current moderator is José Pereira de Barros.


Qazi Nisar Ahmed

Qazi Nisar Ahmed () is a Deobandi Muslim cleric and chief of the Tanzeem Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. He went into hiding on 15 October 2005, when the government sealed two mosques in response to sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shias, and ordered the arrests of seven top clerics of both sects, including Qazi Nisar.He can be saw in many videos trying to get empathy by sectarian and extremist outlawed parties like LEJ and TTP to spread sectarian violence across the country threatening Government, its law and order by showing his large number of supporters outside Gilgit Baltistan . He was reported to be living outside of Pakistan. Northern Areas had requested that Interpol arrest him; however, he instead returned of his own free will on the evening of 10 March 2006 and surrendered to Gilgit police, who flew him to Islamabad.


Mustafa Celalettin Pasha

Mustafa Celalettin Pasha, born as Konstanty Borzęcki (April 10, 1826 in Modrzewiec, Piotrków County – 1876 in Novoselë, Kolonjë), was a participant in Polish and Ottoman uprisings, a strategist, and a writer.
He was the great-grandfather of Nâzım Hikmet and Oktay Rıfat Horozcu.
He participated in the Greater Poland Uprising (1848) (Poznań uprising against the Prussians) and the Hungarian revolution in 1848-1849 (the Polish Legion fought in Hungary during the war). After the fall of the uprising, he emigrated to the Ottoman Empire, where he enlisted in the army. There he adopted a new name, Mustafa Celalettin Pasha, and was circumcised and converted to Islam in 1849. He married Saffet Khanum, a daughter of Omer Pasha, a native Serbian who converted to Islam; they had one son, Hasan Enver Pasha.
In the Ottoman Empire he became famous on the battlefield in numerous wars from 1852 on. He was captain of the Ottoman General Staff and the chief of the department of cartography, and received the rank of Major General.
He was killed in the war with Montenegro. His body was placed in a mosque in Albania, where he was buried as a Ottoman hero.


Paul Pisani

Paul Pisani (1852–1933) was a Franciscan friar and historian from France.
Family background.
Pisani's ancestors of French-Italian origin settled at the Levant at the end of the 18th century. They served French and Russian embassies in Constantinople. Pisani was therefore fluent in French and Italian and also had some knowledge of Serbo-Croatian.
Career.
Pisani was ordained a priest in 1878 and received his D.Litt. in 1893. He was a professor at the Institut Catholique de Paris from 1888 to 1889 and from 1908 to 1922. He was a close friend of Monseigneur Maurice Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst, founder of the Institut Catholique, and was his secretary from 1884 to 1888.
Selected works.
Pisani emphasized in his works that pretended racial unity of the population of the Illyrian Provinces was partially imagingary. He was a friend of Tullio Erber whose interpretation of some events was, according to Pisani, influenced by the Austrian government that was employer of Erber.