Weekly briefing: Largest religious freedom event, Planned Parenthood head ousted, oldest Christian letter |
| State DepartmentAmbassador Brownback welcomes participants and speakers at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom held at the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. on July 16-18, 2019. |
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| We've compiled the top stories of the week. Here's what you need to know: |
| US State Dept holds largest religious freedom event |
| The U.S. State Department held the world’s largest religious freedom event this week in Washington with guests from across the globe to address the plight of persecution. |
| It was the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom and it took place as restrictions on religion have increased around the world. |
| Read more of CP’s coverage of the ministerial: |
| 200 more Asia Bibis |
| Trump meets persecution survivors |
| Pence announces sanctions on Iranian-backed leaders |
| More coverage of the ministerial is to come |
| Planned Parenthood head ousted |
| The board of Planned Parenthood ousted its president, Leana Wen, just eight months after she took the helm. |
| Wen noted that the decision was made during a secret board meeting, citing “philosophical differences” over the direction of the organization. |
| While the board’s priority is to “double down on abortion advocacy,” Wen’s priority, she said, has been on providing health care to underserved women. |
| Professor fired after speech against puberty-blocking drugs sues university |
| Professor Allan M. Josephson was fired by the University of Louisville after he spoke publicly in opposition to medicalizing gender dysphoric youth with puberty-blocking drugs and hormones. |
| Josephson is now suing the school. |
| Alliance Defending Freedom is representing the psychiatrist and arguing for his free speech rights. |
| Josephson had spoken at a panel in 2017, after which he was demoted, subjected to “fairly hostile work-environment situations” and then let go last month. |
| Oldest Christian letter outside of Bible revealed |
| The oldest Christian letter outside of the Bible was revealed this week by the University of Basel in Switzerland. |
| The scrap of papyrus dates back to the 230s A.D. and is a letter written by a young man named Arrianus, addressed to his brother, Paulus. |
| What makes it distinctly Christian is how the letter concludes with “I pray that you fare well in the Lord.” |
| Pray for |
| Syrian Christians; one woman was tortured for hours and killed by Muslim extremists |
| New releases |
| Disney"The Lion King" stars Donald Glover, Beyoncé Carter-Knowles, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Seth Rogen, and James Earl Jones. |
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| Film: |
| The Lion King (July 18) |
| Albums: |
| Good Things Take Time by Gaither Vocal Band (July 19) |
| Rebels by Influence Music (July 19) |
| Bless Somebody Else by Kurt Carr (July 19) |
| Books: |
| Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year by Mark E. Moore (July 16) |
| A Week in the Life of a Slave by John Byron (July 2) |
