Good for a Smile

The number of Christian martyrs has tripled in two years. :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Washington D.C., Jan 15, 2016 / 04:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In 2013, there were some 2,100 Christians killed for faith-related reasons across the globe. Last year, that number rose to at least 7,100, according to a recent report from an advocacy group.“The persecution of Christians is getting worse – in every region in which we work – and it’s getting worse fast,” Lisa Pearce, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, said in the group’s 2016 report. “Many countries have dropped down the list, not because persecution there is decreasing, but simply because others are getting worse faster. And it wasn’t good three years ago.”“We can and must be strenuous in protecting Christians and all others facing persecution for their faith,” Pearce added.Open Doors has worked to help persecuted Christians for over 60 years. It was founded by a Dutchman known as Brother Andrew. He smuggled Bibles into Eastern Europe at a time when communist regimes severely restricted Christianity and other religions.The organization works in 60 countries. Each year, it compiles instances of anti-Christian persecution and evaluates the global situation.

Source: The number of Christian martyrs has tripled in two years. :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Hillary Clinton: A Career Criminal

Holy Screwtape! Young C.S. Lewis secretly worked with MI6? — GetReligion

I don’t know about you, but for years now I have grown increasingly skeptical about a lot of the books and other products that continue to roll out from the publishing industry that surrounds the life and work of the great Oxford don and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis.Don’t get me wrong. I have an entire room of my house that, basically, is dedicated to Eastern Orthodox icons, my family and C.S. Lewis. My son’s middle name is “Lewis” and we almost used “Jack” as his first name. I read “The Great Divorce” every year during Lent.But, honestly, it’s almost like we’ve reached the point where people would publish an annotated edition of this man’s grocery lists, should they become available. There are still fine books being published about the Narnian, but I’ve grown more skeptical about some of work produced by the C.S. Lewis industrial complex.And then someone comes up with an interesting twist in the life of Lewis. In this case, Christianity Today has just published an online essay — by scholar Harry Lee Poe of Union University here in Tennessee — that is a bit of a news scoop. It argues that, while no one is claiming Lewis ever ran around with a gun and a decoder ring, the young Oxford don appears to have done some work for MI6, as in Her Majesty’s Secret Service.Yes, you read that right. This kind of adds a new layer of meaning to discussions of an “Inner Ring” and talk about devilish high-ranking agents working with case officers to snare souls. Here is how it starts:

Source: Holy Screwtape! Young C.S. Lewis secretly worked with MI6? — GetReligion

Unseen Photos of Sr. Lucia

“The Next Right Step” – A Catholic Talk by Charlie Johnston