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Air Force Academy Coach Tweets to Evangelize God, Draws 'Church and State' Criticism
Air Force Academy Falcon's football tight end coach Steed Lobotzke's tweets involve promoting Christianity. Because the tweets were sent on a Twitter account that identifies Lobotzke as being with the academy's football program, Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is strenuously objecting to the coach's lack of separation of church and state, and wants accountability to be established.

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Spiritual Episodes of Drug-Induced State Help Cancer Patients Face Depression, Death
Study findings published Thursday by Johns Hopkins and New York University School of Medicine researchers indicate psychotherapy fueled by a hallucinogenic called psilocybin, the active ingredient in the mind-altering drug known as magic mushrooms, could reduce psychological illness and distress among patients with life-threatening diagnoses. Cancer patient and study participant Tony Head said he wasn't sure he'd call it "God," but some extraordinary power touched him during his psychedelic-assi

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'In God We Trust' Motto on U.S. Currency Targeted for Removal
U.S. District Court officials for the Northern District of Ohio on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against the federal government that demanded the removal of the national motto, "In God We Trust," from U.S. currency. The plaintiffs, which are a "group of atheists, humanists, and religious persons who find the use of God's name on currency to be sinful," claim this national motto on currency breaches their rights to free exercise, free speech and equal protection. Attorneys from the largest U.S. l

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Dollywood Employee Finds Burnt Bible Page With Poignant Message in Tennessee
Tennessee wildfires caused a lot of destruction, but one Dollywood employee who was cleaning up debris at the theme park discovered a burnt but surviving page of the Bible that he said left him speechless. Isaac McCord said a torn piece of paper, charred around the edges, caught his eye. It was a page from the Book of Joel from the King James Bible, a part of which references how a fire would devour the wilderness.

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Megachurch Pastor Imprisoned in North Korea Gets Aid From Swedish Ambassador
A senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official just met with a Swedish ambassador to discuss diplomatic access for Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim, a 60-year-old Canadian pastor who was born in South Korea, and who now is being held in a labor camp after being arrested and sentenced by a North Korean court in December 2015, Korean Central News Agency reported.

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Qatar Evangelical Alliance breaks ground on worship center, witnessing Christ in a Muslim nation
A worship center for evangelical churches has commenced construction in Qatar, marking a significant spiritual milestone in the history of evangelicals in the country.

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Hong Kong's deadliest fire in a Century: churches mobilize and pray to support the community
On 26 November, a severe level‑five fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Early reports said at least 13 people died and 23 were injured. Local churches mobilize to support the community and pray.

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Faith and freedom: USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler shares insights on China’s religious landscape
As China continues to update its religious regulations, changes in the country’s faith environment and space for religious practice have drawn increased global attention. In this interview, USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler responds to questions about religious policy, human rights, and faith, offering her perspectives on China’s current situation and sharing words of support and encouragement for Christians facing challenges.

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U.S. Congressional hearing highlights religious freedom challenges facing Chinese Christians and other faith communities
A recent U.S. congressional hearing cast a spotlight on religious freedom conditions in China, with witnesses sharing firsthand accounts of pressure faced by Christian, Muslim, and Tibetan Buddhist communities.

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Christians gather in Hong Kong to pray for victims of Tai Po Hong Fu Court fire
More than 1,000 Christians gathered in Hong Kong on Dec. 5 for a united prayer service commemorating the victims of the five-alarm fire that devastated Hong Fu Court in Tai Po on Nov. 26, destroying thousands of homes and killing 159 people.
