Monitor The Strategic Trends

Introduction:

Tolerance is the buzz word ricocheting around politically correct circles over the past few years. What that really means is that all political, philosophical and theologically correct viewpoints must be tolerated, and any other viewpoints must be mercilessly squelched. The bottom line of this whole rhetoric is that the Christian viewpoint is hateful and must be silenced.

National Day of Prayer For the Persecuted Church Is November 13 November 01, 2011

Religion Is Just A Patsy September 13, 2011

The Norway Shooter Is No Fundamentalist Christian July 26, 2011

Not Christians, Not Scientists January 04, 2011

Christianity Around The World in 2010 December 28, 2010

Global Religion: Spirit Guides: Coming to a Church Near You? by Leisa Garcia, Director of Issachar Studies

Strategic Trends Update: Coming to America: Tony Blair Faith Foundation by Leisa Garcia, IDB Folio Specialist

Strategic Trends Update: The Placebo Effect of Mystical Experience by by Leisa Garcia, IDB Folio Specialist

Strategic Trends Update: Whatever Happened to the New Age? Part 2 by Leisa Garcia, Folio Specialist

Issachar Report: Whatever Happened to the New Age? Part 1 by Leisa Garcia, Koinonia Institute

Documents

Who stole Harry Potter's phoenix? -

Related Sites

Message To Buddhists For The Feast Of Vesakh 2001 - An example of efforts to bring Buddhists and Christians together.

Earth Charter Completed--Global Religion Not Far Away -

Bah' Faith - The second most global religion -

Eagle Forum - Keep up to date with education in politics

Voice of the Martyrs - Updates on persecuted Christians worldwide.

News Sources

Christianity Is Growing - And So Is Persecution - Christianity is growing almost as fast as humanity itself, but its 2.2 billion adherents cannot count on safety in numbers. According to a report published by the Pew Forum in December, the Christian share of the population of sub-Saharan Africa has soared over the past century, from 9 percent to 63 percent. Meanwhile, the think-tank says, the Christian proportion of Europeans and people in the Americas has dropped, respectively, from 95 to 76 percent and from 96 to 86 percent. But moving from the jaded north to the dynamic south does not portend an easy future. In Nigeria scores of Christians have died in Islamist bomb attacks, targeting Christmas prayers. Dozens of churches in Indonesia have been attacked or shut. In Egypt and Syria, where secular despots gave Christianity a shield of sorts, political upheaval and Muslim zeal threaten ancient Christian groups. In India Hindu nationalists want to penalise Christians who make converts...

Evangelical Leaders See Secularism As Greater Threat Than Islam - Evangelical leaders around the world say they do not see Muslims as as much of a threat to their faith as secularism and popular culture. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted the survey during what it called a "geographically representative" meeting of global evangelical leaders last year in South Africa. While a century ago the world's 80 million evangelicals lived mostly in Europe and America, that population has since tripled and today most live in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia.

World Religion Leaders Will Not Pray Together, Says Vatican - Pope Benedict XVI and representatives of the world's major religions will make speeches and sign a common commitment to peace when they meet in Assisi in October, but they will not pray together, the Vatican said. The October gathering will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's "prayer for peace" encounter in Assisi.

Malaysia To Release 35,000 Bibles - Malaysia's government agreed Tuesday to release some 35,000 imported Bibles seized by customs officials amid a dispute over their use of the word "Allah" as a translation for God. The decision was a major step by the Muslim-dominated government to soothe frustrations among religious minorities. Last week, Malaysia's main Christian grouping said it was fed up and disillusioned with authorities' refusal to allow the distribution of the Malay-language Bibles. The Prime Minister's Department said in a statement that the government was releasing the books, which have been held for months at two ports, because it was "committed to resolve amicably any interfaith issues."

Vatican upset with Saddam Video -