Sweden may be one of the most secular countries in Europe, but it still is a safer haven for immigrant converts to Christianity than their home countries in the Middle East.

Update (May 6): Forum 18 reports that Kazakhstan's proposed State Programme to Counter Religious Extremism and Terrorism will severely restrict religious freedom in the country. The 21-page document contains 74 recommended measures to tighten government involvement in religion, including state oversight of "publication and distribution of all religious works, sharing faith, foreign religious study and places of worship."

Forum 18 also reported in late April that the Agency for Religious Affairs has instructed members of faith communities in Kazakhstan not to talk about their faith or be reported to the police.
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Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia have more in common than just shared borders in Central Asia: All three are states where recently "courts have ordered religious literature to be destroyed," Forum 18 reports.

Update (May 9): In a 6-1 ruling, the Louisiana state Supreme Court has ruled that a school voucher program that uses public funds to send low-income students to private schools violates the state constitution. The constitution prohibits programs that do not distribute funds to public and private schools equally.
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The Indiana Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the state's school voucher program—the most expansive program of its kind in America—is constitutional despite complaints that much of the money involved goes to religious schools.

Update (April 16): World Watch Monitor reports that 20 people have been killed in the Central African Republic capital city of Bangui, "where an alliance of rebel groups took power last month. Seven of the victims were attending services in the Evangelical Federation of Brothers church on Sunday."
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Update (Mar. 28): HCJB Global reports that a partner radio station in Bangui has been "overrun by looters" and "stripped of equipment essential to continue operation."
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(WWM) A three-month-old rebel uprising in the Central African Republic (CAR) swept into the country’s capital Sunday, ousting the president and leaving ransacked Christian homes and churches in its wake.

Update (May 14): The Associated Press reports that Red River Women's Clinic, North Dakota's only abortion clinic, has filed the first lawsuit challenging the state's new, restrictive anti-abortion law that "requires doctors who perform abortions to obtain hospital-admitting privileges."

According to the AP, Red River Women's Clinic argues that the law "could effectively make abortion illegal in North Dakota."
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Update (April 19): Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has signed a new "anti-abortion bill that creates new restrictions on the procedure and defines life as beginning 'at fertilization,'" according to Reuters.

The Associated Press adds that "the declaration that life begins at fertilization is embodied in 'personhood' measures in other states," including Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, and North Dakota.
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Update (April 9): As of Tuesday, Alabama is the latest state to tighten its abortion restrictions, the Washington Post reports.

Local Alabama news reports that the bill, which was signed into law by the governor this morning, "requires abortion clinics to use doctors who have hospital admitting privileges in the same city where they do abortions, which supporters of the bill said is an important requirement for follow-up care when women have complications."
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Update (April 4): The Washington Times notes the growing pro-life split between "purists" and "incrementalists" in conservative states.

CT previously has examined the pro-life split in its extensive earlier coverage of abortion, which includes several articles on disagreements between pro-life groups on legislative strategy at the state level.
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Update (Mar. 28): The Washington Post has an interesting interactive graphic that allows viewers to visually explore abortion laws by state.
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One of the biggest holy days of the church calendar year is days away, but 1 in 5 Americans still may not know whether or not they'll attend Easter services on Sunday, according to a new LifeWay Research survey.

Update (April 12): Libya has released the four Egyptian Christians whom Libyan officials arrested for proselytising in exchange for two "senior Qaddafi-era officials ... who face charges in Libya of corruption." All charges against the Christians have been dropped.
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Libya has announced that it will free from jail four foreign missionaries who were arrested last month on allegations of evangelism, according to Bloomberg News.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Three days after Pope Francis appealed for greater inter-religious dialogue between Catholics and Muslims, a high-profile Italian Muslim who converted to Catholicism and was baptized by Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will leave the church to protest its soft stance against Islam.

Liberty University is on the rise—and actor Kirk Cameron isn't getting left behind.

Update: Following the trustees' meeting, CT spoke with Moore about his new role.

Trustees for the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) have elected Russell Moore as its next president.

Moore, a well-known Southern Baptist leader who currently serves as dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in Kentucky, will succeed Richard Land when he retires. (Complete press release at bottom.)

Americans' actions may not be aligned with their beliefs when it comes to the best-selling book of all time, according to a new report from the American Bible Society (ABS).

Update (Mar. 27): Lawmakers voted yesterday to override the governor's veto.

Will the legal back and forth make any difference? As the Associated Press reports, "Wayne State University law professor Christopher Lund reviewed the effects of 16 state religious freedom laws, finding they’ve largely been unused and that people who did claim religious infringement in those states lost more often than they won."

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Update (Mar. 26): Southern Baptist leaders in Kentucky are strongly protesting the veto and urge lawmakers to override it.

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A religious freedom bill recently passed by the Kentucky state legislature received the stamp of disapproval from Gov. Steve Beshear.

Update (April 22): ChinaAid reports that a house church raid in Henan province, China, has resulted in the arrest of U.S. church leader Dennis Balcombe, a Hong Kong Revival Chinese Ministries International pastor. Seven other Chinese house church leaders also were arrested.

CT previously interviewed Balcombe in 2004.
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ChinaAid reported in February the Chinese government's plan to eradicate all unofficial Protestant churches across the country. Now, that plan appears to have been set in motion.

Iconic District of Columbia pastor and Christian social activist Gordon Cosby died this week, leaving behind a legacy of ministries across the nation's capital.

As the wave of headlines related to Dennis Rodman's controversial visit to the Hermit Kingdom finally subsides, religious freedom advocates have a real North Korea story to pay attention to.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has agreed to formally investigate the "systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights” in North Korea—a move described by Christian Solidarity Worldwide as a "long-awaited, groundbreaking resolution ... after years of advocacy and campaigning."

Recent legal battles over nondiscrimination policies and religious freedom have prompted the United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) to examine whether or not it is possible to reconcile the at-times conflicting principles.

(RNS) The Episcopal Church has a new commandment for its bishops: Thou shalt not assist former Episcopalians who are trying to take the church’s assets.

Recent research show signs of re-evangelization in New England, America's least religious region.

(RNS) First comes baby, then comes marriage? That is the new norm for many middle-class young Americans—and they and their children are paying a price, says a new report.

Benedictine monks seeking to support themselves post-Hurricane Katrina have won a second legal victory as they fight Louisiana funeral homes for the right to make and sell handmade caskets at prices that undercut the undertakers.

Update (Mar. 25): Secretary of State John Kerry has released a statement calling for the immediate release of imprisoned pastor Saeed Abedini.

Kerry stated:

I am deeply concerned about the fate of U.S citizen Saeed Abedini, who has been detained for nearly six months and was sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran on charges related to his religious beliefs. I am disturbed by reports that Mr. Abedini has suffered physical and psychological abuse in prison, and that his condition has become increasingly dire. Such mistreatment violates international norms as well as Iran’s own laws. ... The best outcome for Mr. Abedini is that he be immediately released.

The State Department released Kerry's statement on the same day as the American Center for Law and Justice released a letter from Abedini, Baptist Press reports.

RNS offers more details.

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Update (Mar. 19:): The Christian Chronicle points out that Charisma's list is missing Church of Christ member Paul Jolley, although it does include fellow contestant Janelle Arthur.

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'American Idol' may have gotten a bad rep last spring when producers reportedly asked contestant Colton Dixon to "tone down [his] devotion to Jesus Christ" on the show.

But Christians apparently aren't shying away from the 'Idol' stage this season. Charisma reports that 8 of the top 10 finalists of Season 12, including favorite Angie Miller, are professing Christians. (And the Christian Chronicle says there's a ninth.)

As India draws fresh international attention over the recent gang rape of a Swiss tourist, International Justice Mission (IJM) is proclaiming a "landmark" legal victory against sex trafficking in Kolkata.

A group of "ultraconservative" Russian Orthodox Christians is attempting to defend religious freedom in an unusual way: demanding that the United States relinquish control of Alaska.

Sending $38 each month to sponsor a foreign child—a practice made popular by Compassion International—has some fresh evidence on its side. A new report from researchers at the University of San Francisco reveals that sponsored children are more likely to graduate both secondary school and college, have salaried employment, and be leaders in their communities.

Mumford and Sons has skyrocketed to popularity as of late, winning the 2013 Album of the Year at the Grammy's and selling out their tour. But the buzz this week is all about frontman Marcus Mumford, who told Rolling Stone magazine that he wouldn't call himself a Christian.

The death toll from an accidental fireworks explosion during a religious procession in Mexico has risen to at least 17 people, the Associated Press reports.

Organizers of Nigeria's state-sponsored pilgrimages for Christians are patting themselves on the back for a smooth year in which not one pilgrim absconded to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Rome, or other destinations.

However, they also announced that no new slots are available for this year's Easter pilgrimages.

A Michigan federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act (ACA), ruling in favor of Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan and his for-profit property management company, Domino's Farms Corporation.

Update (Mar. 15): We've updated our list of must-read articles on Pope Francis. Updates now appear first on the list.

News outlets went wild Wednesday after the surprisingly quick election of a new leader for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, flooding social media and online news feeds with countless articles on Pope Francis.

Presuming you don't have time to read everything—and assuming you've already read CT's coverage of reactions from American and Argentine evangelical leaders (including Luis Palau)—here are CT's picks for the most helpful articles on former archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Bergoglio (in no particular order).

Updates appear first on the list.

Update (Mar. 15): CT has gathered reactions from evangelical leaders in America and Argentina, including Portland evangelist and native Argentine Luis Palau.

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Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, has been selected as leader of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church.

Compassion International has announced that Jim Mellado will succeed president and CEO Wess Stafford when Stafford retires from his role later this year. Mellado currently serves as president of the Willow Creek Association, a ministry that serves local churches.

Update (4:10 p.m.): Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance (IRFA) president Stanley Carlson-Thies has released a statement voicing his support for Rogers in her new role.

However, he notes one caveat:

Many faith-based organizations will be very uneasy about Rogers' view that their right to hire on a religious basis should be limited in any program they operate using government funds. Such a universal limit would be unprecedented and would cause many of the government's current and most-valued service partners to have to walk away.

The Interfaith Alliance, Baptist Joint Committee, Sojourners president Jim Wallis, and Anti-Defamation League all also have released statements on Rogers' appointment.
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(Update, 9:20 a.m.): A call to CT from White House Office of Communications specialty media director Shin Inouye confirmed Rogers' appointment.

In addition, today's Politico Playbook includes a statement from senior adviser to the president, Valerie Jarrett, on Rogers' appointment.
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The Obama administration has appointed Melissa Rogers as the new director of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Rogers currently is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a D.C. think tank, and also is director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University Divinity School.

New research from professors at Baylor University suggests prior studies purporting to show a link between divorce and children's religiosity as adults may be overstated.

The Atlantic offers an interesting look at the growing number of evangelical parents who homeschool their children but want their textbooks to teach evolution instead of young earth creationism (YEC).

Trustees at Fuller Theological Seminary have sorted through 250 nominees and selected Mark Labberton as the school's next president.

Labberton, who currently serves as director of Fuller's Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching, replaces longtime president Richard Mouw, who retires in June after leading the seminary for the past two decades. (Complete press release below.)

Update (March 18): Last week, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman became the country's first Republican senator to formally announce his support for gay marriage.

Portman, a Christian whose college-aged son is gay, changed his former position on same-sex marriage and challenged his party's stance, the Religion News Service reported. Portman said, “The overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible, and certainly the Golden Rule, and the fact that I believe we are all created by our maker, that has all influenced me in terms of my change on this issue."

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, also spoke out in favor of same-sex marriage for the first time in a video posted online Monday.

In the Human Rights Campaign clip, Clinton said she believes America must uphold and protect the dignity of all its citizens, including lesbians and gays. "I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples," she said. "I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law."

The recent announcements from these two politicians, one right and one left, come days after new research revealed higher support for same-sex marriage.
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A U.S. district judge has overturned Idaho's so-called "fetal pain" law, a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

During an hour-long meeting on Friday, President Barack Obama told religious leaders that he hopes Congress will approve a comprehensive immigration reform bill within the next several months.

Update (April 19): A federal district court has decided in favor of Seneca Hardwood Lumber Company, ruling that the family business is "likely to succeed on the merits" of its challenge to the contraceptive mandate. The court said current exemptions are "‘woefully underinclusive’ and therefore does not serve a compelling government interest.”

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In a ruling noted by Religion Clause for bringing "several new twists" to the ongoing legal fight over the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) contraceptive mandate, a Pennsylvania federal district court has ruled that a for-profit business owner may proceed with his lawsuit even as the court dismissed the case of Geneva College and another for-profit business owner in the same ruling.

Update (April 24): The Christian Science Monitor (CSM) reports that a clash in a neighborhood called Franciscabad prompted Christians to fight back when Muslims attacked local shops and churches.

"This is virtually unheard of in Pakistan," CSM states. "In similar cases in the past, Christian leaders and priests have generally appealed for calm and encouraged the community to forgive. At the most, they will organize peaceful protests to record their outrage."
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Update (Mar. 15): The Legal Evangelistic Association Development (LEAD) of Pakistan has provided an initial report on last weekend's attacks on Christians' homes in Lahore, Pakistan, calling it an "episode of unspeakable violence."
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Update (Mar. 13): Salvation Army colonel and Pakistan territory director Robert J. Ward confirms that pastor Asghar Nizam Ranjha has been relocated after "unfounded" charges of blasphemy against him. Ward's full statement can be found at the bottom of this post.
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Update (Mar. 11): Morning Star News offers more details on the riot in Pakistan's second-largest city, including that local government officials reportedly ordered police to let the protestors "vent their grief and anger.”

World Watch Monitor also offers more details, including that Pakistan's supreme court has requested an investigation into how police handled the riot.

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Hours after a mob set fire to more than 150 homes belonging to Christian families in Lahore's Joseph Colony, protesters took to the streets throughout Pakistan, decrying the government's inaction.

The sectarian riot was one of Pakistan's largest since a surprisingly similar riot killed nine Christians in Gojra in 2009, prompting hopes that widespread outrage would lead to revisions of existing blasphemy laws. (The incident was one of CT's Top 10 News Stories of 2009.)

C. J. Mahaney, founder of Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM), will step down as its president effective April 12 in order to focus on being a local pastor. The news comes shortly after the beleaguered network of churches asked a Maryland court to dismiss a lawsuit alleging its leaders covered up the sexual abuse of children.

Facing forgery charges, Hong Kong feng shui master Tony Chan has embraced Christianity and changed his name to "Peter."

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has declared that one adoption agency with a policy "discriminating" against non-Catholic families—and same-sex couples in particular—is operating in breach of Scotland's equality law.

The Mississippi state legislature has overwhelmingly approved a new bill that aims to guarantee religious liberty for students, allowing them freely to express their religious beliefs in homework assignments, in classroom settings, and at school events like football games.

Update (Apr. 1): Hannah Gay talks more about her faith in a Baptist Press interview.

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Update (Mar. 12): Debate continues over whether the baby was actually infected vs. exposed to HIV, and thus the true significance of the treatment.

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The doctor who made headlines last week for apparently curing a baby girl born with AIDS began her work in pediatric HIV after observing the spread of the disease while as a missionary in Africa.

Hannah Gay, a Southern Baptist and doctor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, is responsible for the aggressive, early treatment being heralded as a “functional cure” for a two-year-old girl who now continues to test negative for HIV.

Update (May 21): The New York Times reports that a federal judge has "temporarily blocked enforcement of [the abortion ban in Arkansas] saying the law was likely to be declared unconstitutional."

Arkansas prohibits abortions after the twelfth week of pregnancy, making it the second-most restrictive state ban in the country. North Dakota, which bans the procedure after as little as six weeks, is also facing legal action against it.
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Update (Mar. 12): The New York Times reports on how the ban has inspired pro-life activists in other states to pursue similar restrictions, but "traditional leaders of the anti-abortion movement, like National Right to Life and the Roman Catholic Church, think such laws will quickly be overturned in federal courts."
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Overriding governor’s vetoes, the Arkansas state legislature voted to bar most abortions after 12 weeks’ gestation—the point at which fetal heartbeats can be detected with abdominal ultrasounds.

When Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez died Tuesday afternoon, he left "behind a bitterly divided nation," The New York Times reported. Now, it appears his death is dividing Christian opinion as well.

The majority of U.S. congregations reported increased giving throughout the economic recession, according to a new report from the Indiana University School of Philanthropy. But it's not all good news: Most congregations also reported significant spending increases—and less than half said their revenue kept up with inflation.

Update (April 23): Entertainment Weekly reports that producer Mark Burnett has good news for anyone who was a fan of History Channel's miniseries The Bible: He has re-cut the series to create a movie version that will be released in the fall—and he's also working on a follow-up to the show.
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Update (April 8): History Channel’s miniseries The Bible ended just last weekend, but the show is already available on DVD—and sales are through the roof.

According to Broadway World, The Bible’s home entertainment launch is the “biggest selling TV [show] on DVD in the last 5 years and the biggest miniseries of all time on Blu-ray, Digital HD and DVD in its first week of release … with 525,000 units sold.”

“According to the Association for Christian Retail (CBA), The Bible is the fastest pre-selling faith based title in its 60-year history,” Broadway World states. “The Bible also ranked #1 across digital stores including iTunes, Amazon, VUDU, Xbox, PlayStation, CinemaNow, and GooglePlay.”
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Update (Mar. 12): In its second week, zombies managed to beat the Bible for viewers. The Bible miniseries drew 10.8 million viewers Sunday night, versus 11.46 million for the Walking Dead. However, as Baptist Press reports, Burnett-Downey miniseries still placed second on cable for the night, and has garnered more than 50 million cumulative viewers (according to a press release).
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Parents considering whether or not to send their children to private school can now weigh more than just tuition and curriculum. According to a new study from professors at Calvin College, the affiliation of a high school student's school significantly impacts his or her sense of civic duty.

More than one-third of Americans say they feel "very connected" to their local church or religious institution, according to a new survey from Rasmussen Reports.

In a new interview with Chuck Bentley, Billy Graham says he is anticipating the day when "all the burdens and sorrows that press down upon me at this stage of my life will be over."

In short, America's pastor is looking forward to "going home."

High-profile lawyer Gloria Allred has filed a lawsuit against San Diego Christian College alleging it fired a then-unmarried employee, Teri James, for having premarital sex with her fiance and getting pregnant. James, who is now married and expecting her child in June, alleges she was wrongfully terminated; the college says James violated its moral code, which she had agreed in writing to uphold.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an expanded, Senate-approved version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which now awaits being signed into law by President Barack Obama.

CT reported in 2012 when evangelical groups, including the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief, Christian Community Development Association, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship—spoke out against VAWA and its failure to expand protections for abuse and trafficking victims, especially immigrants.

An Assemblies of God church in Indiana recently invited four of its former pastors to return so that the congregation could repent of gossip and other mistreatment that drove the leaders away.

A new report from Calvin College's Financial Review Task Force says the school's $69.4 million budget gap is the result of construction costs that exceeded expectations by about $31 million.

Update (Mar. 15): Morning Star News reports that Ezzat Hakim Attalah, the Christian missionary who died while being held in jail in Libya last week, likely died as a result of torture.

"Repeated electrical shock torture ... likely exacerbated his heart ailment, leading to his death in custody, according to sources close to the deceased," Morning Star reports.
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Update (Mar. 11): Asia News reports that one Christian, Ezzat Hakim Attalah, has died of natural causes while being held in jail in Benghazi, Libya, following his arrest with fix other Christians on Feb. 28.
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The founding pastor of the world's largest Pentecostal congregation could be indicted on charges of breach of trust for costing the church more than $9 million in a stock scheme gone awry.

Update (Mar. 5): Author and columnist Jonathan Merritt says Christians should not support teaching the Bible in public schools, speaking out against "The Bible" producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. Merritt argues that Bible curricula in public schools would most likely use non-literal interpretations of the Bible—the opposite result of what most Christians actually want.

Update (Mar. 4): The New York Times takes a look at Bible courses in Texas, while CNN examines the making and motivation of The Bible miniseries.

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Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, a powerhouse TV couple known for their Christian faith, advocate in the Wall Street Journal today that public schools in the United States should "encourage, perhaps even mandate, the teaching of the Bible in public schools as a primary document of Western civilization."

Their op-ed, which comes as they prepare to launch a 10-part TV miniseries on the Bible, also comes as a new report says serious problems in elective Bible courses in Texas are undermining the growth of such classes in public schools.