Pope Francis made a statement Thursday that the Catholic Church would not accept a Middle East that is devoid of Christians.
The Pope told reporters after a meeting with patriarchs in Syria, Iran and Iraq the church would not resign itself to a Christian-free Middle East. The Pope called for “the universal right to lead a dignified life and freely practice one’s own faith to be respected.”
“Syria, Iraq, Egypt and other areas of the Holy Land sometimes overflow with tears,” The Pope said.
The number of Christians in the Middle East continues to dwindle through oppression and civil war. Christians are just 10% of the Egyptian population, 5% in Syria, 2% in Iraq and 1.2% in Palestinian territories.
The Vatican said the population of Christians in the region has shrunk more than half since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The U.S. Air Force Academy admitted to Fox News that they had removed the phrase “so help me God” from three oaths in the official cadet handbook.
Fox News’ Todd Starnes reported that two dozen members of Congress sent a letter to the Academy Superintendent demanding to explain why the phrase was removed from the 2012 edition of the handbook. The phrase was taken out of the Cadet’s Oath of Allegiance, The Oath of Office for Officers and the Oath of Enlistment.
The news comes less than a month after the Air Force Academy announced they were making “so help me God” option in the school’s honor oath after a threat from the anti-Christian Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
“This phrase is a deeply-rooted American tradition – begun by George Washington as the first president of the United States and now stated by many who take an oath of service to our country,” Ron Crews of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty told Fox. “The removal of this phrase is a disservice to the countless men and women who wish to include this phrase as a solemn reminder that they are pledging their fidelity to God and their country.”
Crews pointed out that law requires the words remain part of the oath.
The Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has targeted Christians for extermination in northern Nigeria and has killed more people for their faith in Christ in one year than the rest of the world’s martyrdom of Christians combined.
The Jubilee Campaign released a report showing that close to 1,200 Christians were killed for their faith in northern Nigeria. The persecution watchdog group Open Doors agreed with Jubilee’s data that more Christians have been killed in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined in the last year.
The group released their information at an event sponsored by the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom.
One of the event’s speakers was Adamu Habila, a Nigerian Christian who survived being shot in the head at close range by a Boko Haram militant when he refused to convert to Islam.
“I give thanks to God Almighty for keeping me alive up to this moment. I know if not because of God I am a dead man now,” said Habila. “But because of His grace I am still alive in order to testify the goodness of God in my life and the work of God in my life.”
The U.S. State Department officially declared Boko Haram a terrorist organization last week.
The Supreme Court is considering a case that involves prayers at the opening of government meetings.
An anti-Christianist in Greece, New York sued the town because they had opened their meetings with prayers that the resident considered “overtly Christian.” They claimed that the prayers violated their Constitutional right to not hear prayers.
A federal appears court ruled the city was violating the Constitution. Observers at the court noted the questions and tone of the judges indicated the Court would likely not agree with the lower court’s ruling as it stands.
The case has surprised some observers in that along with the usual social and religious conservative groups backing the town’s position what they’re doing is legal, the Obama administration has joined in support of the town.
The potentially decisive vote in the case, analysts believe, could be Justice Anthony Kennedy who seemed dissatisfied with the positions of both the town and the resident.
The case is expected to be decided by June.
The anti-Christian Military Religious Freedom Foundation has found another target in their quest to eliminate Christ and Christians from the armed forces.
The group filed a complaint at the Air Force Academy claiming the phrase “so help me God” in the Academy’s honor oath is hostile toward those who do not profess a faith in their personal life.
Fox News reports that the Honor Review Committee of the Academy is reviewing the oath and will make recommendations to Academy leaders. The Academy Superintendent will make the final decision.
The current oath reads: “We will not lie, steal or cheat nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me God.”
The Colorado Springs Independent newspaper obtained a photo last week of a poster at the academy with the oath and forwarded to the anti-Christian group.
“Removing this voluntary affirmation expresses hostility toward religion,” Ron Crews of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty told Fox News. “Further, it removes the solemnity and gravity of the oath, particularly for the many cadets who come from a faith tradition.”
