In Rostov Oblast, a cleric of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church is prosecuted as a “cult leader.”
From the World
Pakistan Threatens to Prosecute Blasphemy Committed Abroad
Authorities claim that American citizens operating in the U.S. an Ahmadi Web site risk prison sentences up to 10 years.
Jehovah’s Witnesses—Why Are They Persecuted?
Data show that they are the #1 target of religious intolerance worldwide. A seminar and two special journal issues explored the question why.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Sexual Abuse: 4. Answering Some Criticism
Survivors of sexual abuse have every right to be angry. Sometimes, however, they should consider whether they are not used again, this time to support anticult campaigns.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Sexual Abuse: 3. Some Common Misunderstandings
Both official reports and media often confuse “institutional” abuse in religious settings and abuse happening in families that happen to be religious.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Sexual Abuse: 2. Belgium and The Netherlands
The two Northern European countries commissioned reports on the issue that were largely publicized, but both their methodology and conclusions are objectionable.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Sexual Abuse: 1. The Australian Case
Did the Australian Royal Commission report really uncover hundreds of “hidden” cases? Or was a religious minority unfairly targeted?
French Law on “Republican Principles”: What if It Would Promote More Freedom of Religion?
A new “White Paper” by Frédéric-Jérôme Pansier, Willy Fautré, and Massimo Introvigne, asks to use the law to modernize the French definition of religion.
Victorian “Conversion Practices” Bill: Concerns for Religious Liberty
The draft law pursues the laudable aim to prevent violence and the use of quack therapies against homosexuals, but may criminalize legitimate religious counseling.
New Religious Movements, COVID-19, and Media: The Case of Scientology
A Webinar organized by the Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religions discusses the book by Rosita Šorytė on how Scientologists confronted the pandemic