Although the year since the U.S. Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) has brought little relief for the persecuted church, Christian advocates around the world still hail the act as a leap in the right direction.
The act, signed October 27, 1998, reformed U.S. foreign policy to promote religious freedom through incentives and sanctions. It set up the Commission on International Religious Freedom to investigate religious freedom violations and recommend policy to the president and Congress. IRFA created an at-large ambassadorship for religious freedom and establishes a special advisor to monitor persecution and write an extensive annual report on the state of religious freedom worldwide.
The U.S. president has options to use against violating countries that range from a diplomatic "wrist slap" to trade sanctions.
Religious liberty advocates believe that the IRFA has great potential to help suffering Christians, but that it's too soon to tell if it will make a lasting mark.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
A Christian reconciliation group in Israel and Palestine warned that war would come. Now the war threatens their relevance.العربيةFrançais
The Grammy-winning artist was found dead at her home in Nashville at age 47.
