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Monday, February 23, 2026

Tag: Anti-Christian Discrimination
February 2, 2026
News
Religion

More Minnesota Church Invaders Arrested Following Don Lemon Indictment.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of two more suspects linked to a protest at a Minnesota church, following a federal indictment.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ian Davis Austin, Jerome Deangelo Richardson, journalist Don Lemon, and others named in the indictment.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrests followed a January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you,” Bondi said.

🎯IMPACT: Austin and Richardson are among nine suspects charged in a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to violate religious freedom at a place of worship, as well as injuring, intimidating, and interfering with the free exercise of religion.

IN FULL

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday the arrests of Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson in connection with a January 18 storming of the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, by anti-ICE activists and Don Lemon, bringing renewed attention to a federal investigation into the disruption of a worship service in a coordinated attack on the church.

Austin and Richardson are among nine suspects charged in a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to violate religious freedom at a place of worship, as well as injuring, intimidating, and interfering with the free exercise of religion. The protest targeted the church’s pastor over alleged ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and took place during a live church service.

According to federal authorities, demonstrators stormed the sanctuary, chanted slogans opposing ICE, and interrupted worship, causing alarm among congregants. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) characterized the incident as a “coordinated attack on the church,” citing the organized nature of the protest and the timing during religious services.

Bondi warned in a social media post, “If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you.” Prosecutors have argued that the actions inside the church went beyond protected protest activity and crossed into criminal interference with religious worship. Authorities allege that some participants coordinated travel, livestreaming, and on-site disruptions to maximize attention during the service.

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October 3, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News
Religion
UK

WATCH: UK Police Threaten Christian With Arrest for Street Preaching.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Street preacher Ollie Sabatelli was issued with a “Community Protection Notice” warning him to stop causing “annoyance, upset, and distress” by preaching from the Bible over a speaker system and threatened with arrest in Guildford, England.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ollie Sabatelli, a preacher known for his social media presence.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Over September and October 2025, in Guildford and Brighton.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You need to listen to me, if you breach this, you can be arrested and you will be arrested.” – Police officer to Ollie Sabatelli.

🎯IMPACT: Sabatelli attempted to circumvent the notice by preaching using only his voice, with no microphone.

IN FULL

Christian street preacher Ollie Sabatelli was issued with a “Community Protection Notice” by police in Guildford, England, to prevent him from preaching in public using a speaker system. Officers alleged the “manner” of his preaching was causing “causing annoyance, upset, and distress,” which is unlawful in the United Kingdom.

Video of the incident shared to social media on October 2, 2025, shows an officer warning Sabatelli, “You need to listen to me, if you breach this, you can be arrested and you will be arrested.”

He accused the preacher of “causing annoyance, upset, and distress” to “the local community and businesses,” citing “the content you are choosing to preach… and the choice of words,” as well as his use of a loudspeaker.

Despite clearly indicating that his words as well as his volume were the issue, the officer backtracked when Sabatelli asked him if he was banned from preaching the word of God, saying it was only the “manner” of his preaching “using a loudspeaker” that was at issue. Sabatelli therefore continued preaching using only his voice.

Sabatelli, who has amassed a significant following, with 91,000 followers on Instagram and 184,000 on TikTok, was previously driven out of Brighton last month for preaching on topics such as homosexuality, which the Bible describes as a sin.

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July 18, 2025
News
Religion

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Threatens Visa Retaliation Over Mistreatment of Christians.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A disagreement between U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and the Israeli authorities over delays in granting tourist visas to Christian groups has surfaced.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, and Christian organizations.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The dispute became public on July 18 after leaked correspondence was published by Israeli media.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It would be very unfortunate that our embassy would have to publicly announce throughout the United States that the State of Israel is no longer welcoming Christian organizations and their representatives,” Huckabee wrote.

🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights tensions between the U.S. and Israel, with potential implications for Christian pilgrims.

IN FULL

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has formally raised concerns with the Israeli government regarding delays in granting tourist visas to Christian groups. The issue came to light after Israeli media published details of Huckabee’s letter to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, followed by Arbel’s official reply on July 18.

In his letter, Huckabee cautioned Israeli authorities that the continued holdups could lead to serious diplomatic consequences. “This is not the relationship Israel wants to have with its best partner and friend,” he wrote.

“It would be very unfortunate that our embassy would have to publicly announce throughout the United States that the State of Israel is no longer welcoming Christian organizations and their representatives and is instead engaging in harassment and negative treatment toward organizations with long-standing relationships and positive involvement toward Zionism and friendship to the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” Huckabee said. He also suggested that such delays could impact the ease with which Israelis obtain visas to the United States.

Interior Minister Arbel, affiliated with the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, wrote in his response, “In my view, this course of action deviates from accepted working norms and does not reflect the direct and constructive relationship we have established.”

These tensions emerge amid broader frustration among Christian groups toward Israel, particularly following recent controversial incidents. One such event involved a strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of three people. Another involved the fatal beating of a Palestinian-American Christian by extremist Jewish settlers—an incident Huckabee has publicly condemned.

There have also been several high-profile anti-Christian incidents in Israel in recent years, including the desecration of Christian graves, physical attacks on Christian clergy, spitting attacks, and vandalism of churches. Members of the current coalition government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have also tried to introduce legislation to criminalize Christians from evangelizing in the country, though it did not pass.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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April 23, 2025
News
Religion

Trump VA Directs Staff to Report Anti-Christian Bias.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the creation of a task force dedicated to addressing “anti-Christian discrimination” within the agency, urging employees to report incidents through a designated tip line.

👥 Who’s Involved: The initiative involves VA Secretary Doug Collins, appointed by President Donald J. Trump, and VA employees. The broader effort reflects the administration’s stance against anti-Christian sentiment under former President Joe Biden.

📍 Where & When: The announcement was made via a memo on April 22, and it applies across the Department of Veterans Affairs’ system.

💬 Key Quote: Doug Collins encouraged employees to report “any instance of anti-Christian discrimination,” stating such reports should contain “sufficient identifiers such as names, dates, and locations.”

⚠️ Impact: The move is part of a larger effort by the current administration to address bias, paralleling similar task forces in other federal agencies such as the State Department.

IN FULL:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has initiated a task force to combat “anti-Christian discrimination,” encouraging personnel to report suspected bias through a newly established tip line. Announced through a memo on Tuesday, VA Secretary Doug Collins, appointed by President Donald J. Trump, directed employees to report any instances of discrimination.

This scheme aligns with the administration’s overarching campaign to highlight the anti-Christian sentiment that flourished under former President Joe Biden. Earlier in February, President Trump signed an executive order noting that the previous administration exhibited a significant pattern of targeting individuals due to their Christian beliefs.

The VA’s announcement follows similar initiatives by other government bodies. The State Department, for instance, recently implemented a task force addressing “anti-Christian bias,” with employees being encouraged to report such conduct.

The oversight includes examining how cases of discrimination might manifest within the workforce, such as penalizing Christian practices or denying religious exemptions to vaccine mandates. Previously, the Biden government mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for federal employees and contractors, although the requirement was eventually rescinded following extensive legal challenges.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has been vocal about alleged anti-Christian bias within federal frameworks. Bondi recently convened with various Cabinet officials to deliberate on claims of religious discrimination.

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October 21, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
Religion

Kamala Kicks Christians Out of Event: ‘You Guys Are at the Wrong Rally.’

Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, publicly dismissed two Christian rallygoers during a rally in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Grant Beth and Luke Polaske, students at the University of Wisconsin’s LaCrosse campus, attended Harris’s rally—and after a Democratic presidential nominee praised abortion—the two can be hard shouting “Christ is Lord.” A briefly startled Harris snaps back, “Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally,” while appearing to form the shape of two ‘horns’ with one of her hands.

While this part of the exchange with Harris was caught on video, the rally crowd’s interactions with Beth and Polaske didn’t end with the Democratic Party nominee’s quip. Both were booed and heckled by the crowd, though they insisted during an appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend that they were “there for the right reasons.”

“I was pushed by an elderly woman. We were heckled at, we were cursed at, we were mocked, and that’s the biggest thing for me personally,” Grant Beth said regarding the aftermath. “Jesus was mocked. You know, His disciples were mocked.”

For Christian members of the Democratic Party, Harris’s remarks appear to suggest they and their beliefs are not welcome—and consequently, they would be more at home with President Donald J. Trump and his supporters.

A CHRISTIAN CREDAL AFFIRMATION.

The Kingship of Christ is a common phrase and declaration in Christianity—with variations including “Christ is King” and the announcement that “He is the Prince of Peace.” In addition, the phrase “Jesus is Lord” is actually a Christian credal affirmation—a declaration of one’s belief in the dual nature of Christ as both man and God.

The phrase is primarily attributed to Saint Paul and his letters to various Christian groups found in the Bible, with no less than five passages specifically referencing the phrase. These include 1 Corinthians 12:3, Romans 10:9-13, Philippians 2:11, 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, and Romans 1:3-4.

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Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic Party's presidential nominee, publicly dismissed two Christian rallygoers during a rally in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Grant Beth and Luke Polaske, students at the University of Wisconsin's LaCrosse campus, attended Harris's rally—and after a Democratic presidential nominee praised abortion—the two can be hard shouting "Christ is Lord." A briefly startled Harris snaps back, "Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally," while appearing to form the shape of two 'horns' with one of her hands. show more
October 17, 2024
Christopher Tomlinson
1A
Religion
UK

Veteran Convicted for Praying Silently Near Abortion Clinic.

A court has convicted a man for praying silently within the vicinity of an abortion clinic in Britain. Prosecutors argue he broke a law banning all praying, protesting, and demonstrating near facilities that abort babies. Adam Smith-Connor has been sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs of £9,000 (~$11,700). He silently prayed outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth, England, in November 2022.

Smith-Connor, a military veteran and physiotherapist, stood silently with his hands clasped together, praying for his unborn son, a victim of abortion 22 years prior. “Today, the court has decided that certain thoughts—silent thoughts—can be illegal in the United Kingdom,” he said of his conviction. “That cannot be right. All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind, and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?”

Previously, pro-life Christian activist Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was awarded compensation this year after police wrongfully detained her for silently praying near a Birmingham abortion clinic in late 2022. Christian groups have sounded alarms over laws that prohibit even silent prayer near abortion clinics. Groups have worked to overturn legislation and court rulings, arguing they violate freedom of religion.

British politicians appear adamant about enforcing and expanding bans on prayer near abortion clinics.

Bans on prayer within 150 meters (~492 feet) of clinics come into force by the end of October in England and Wales. The bans coincide with the Roman Catholic feast of All Souls’ Day, in which Catholics pray for the dead.

In Scotland, prayer is prohibited 200 meters (~656 feet) from abortion clinics. Christian and pro-life groups warn the law could also criminalize prayers in private homes within “no-prayer zones.”

Image by NIAID.

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A court has convicted a man for praying silently within the vicinity of an abortion clinic in Britain. Prosecutors argue he broke a law banning all praying, protesting, and demonstrating near facilities that abort babies. Adam Smith-Connor has been sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs of £9,000 (~$11,700). He silently prayed outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth, England, in November 2022. show more
October 11, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Religion
UK
World

Criminalization of Prayer at Home is Now Here.

Christian and pro-life groups are raising alarms over new abortion laws in Scotland, which could criminalize prayer even in private homes. The legislation, which took effect last month, establishes 200-meter (~656-feet) “safe access zones” around all abortion clinics, banning activities that supposedly “harass, alarm, or distress” abortionists and their patients—including silent prayer vigils.

Even people living within these zones now face the possibility of prosecution for actions people can see or hear from outside their homes. This means activities such as praying aloud or displaying religious symbols could potentially be treated as crimes.

The Scottish Government led by the left-separatist Scottish National Party (SNP)—roughly equivalent to a U.S. state government—confirmed through letters sent to residents in Edinburgh’s safe zones: “In general, the offenses apply in public places within the safe access zones. However, activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a zone could be an offense if they can be seen or heard within the zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.”

Many Christians, for whom prayer is a personal and sacred act, now fear their private expressions of faith could be under threat from the new law. Michael Robinson, executive director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, criticized the law as “sinister and Orwellian.” He stresses that the authorities could prosecute individuals for silently praying in their gardens or displaying Bible verses in their windows.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, called the law “regressive” and an example of “state overreach,” vowing to monitor its enforcement across the country.

Similar laws are set to be imposed in England following multiple failed prosecutions of Christians praying silently inside their heads near abortionists’ clinics.

Image by James Chan.

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Christian and pro-life groups are raising alarms over new abortion laws in Scotland, which could criminalize prayer even in private homes. The legislation, which took effect last month, establishes 200-meter (~656-feet) “safe access zones” around all abortion clinics, banning activities that supposedly "harass, alarm, or distress" abortionists and their patients—including silent prayer vigils. show more
September 4, 2024
Christopher Tomlinson
Culture
Religion
World

Church Arson Suspect was at Large Despite Previously Targeting 5 Churches.

A 19th-century church was partially destroyed in an arson attack on Sunday. Police say the main suspect in the case has not only been convicted of church burnings in the past, but was only just released from prison.

The 39-year-old suspect was arrested shortly after a fire consumed the Roman Catholic Immaculate Conception church in Saint-Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. It was revealed Tuesday, September 3, that he had been convicted of prior church attacks, attempting to set fire to at least five different churches.

The suspect had been in prison since 2021 but was recently released. While police say he has a history of attacking churches, the information they have released on him, beyond his sex and age, is limited, and they have not explained his motivation.

Social media reports have offered a name for the suspect and alleged he posted about Islam and Palestinian statehood, but such claims remain unverified as of the time of publication.

MANY INCIDENTS.

Over the last several years, attacks on French churches and other Christian sites have become so frequent that members of the Roman Catholic clergy and nonprofits are sounding alarm bells.

Several attacks on French churches have seen people killed, including the 2020 Nice attacks, which saw a jihadist migrant from Tunisia stab three churchgoers to death, and the killing of Father Jacques Hamel in 2016, also by Islamic extremists.

A Catholic group called the Observatory for Christianophobia has documented over a thousand cases of anti-Christian attacks since 2017, from thefts to desecrations and other incidents.

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A 19th-century church was partially destroyed in an arson attack on Sunday. Police say the main suspect in the case has not only been convicted of church burnings in the past, but was only just released from prison. show more
July 30, 2024
Jack Montgomery
News

WATCH: Trump Slams Olympic Opening Ceremony as a ‘Disgrace.’

Former President Donald J. Trump says the Paris Olympics opening ceremony was a “disgrace,” referencing segments that appeared to mock Christianity openly. At one point in the proceedings, an obese drag queen wearing a halo-like headdress and other crossdressers appeared to recreate The Last Supper, in which Jesus Christ and his disciples shared a final meal before being arrested and crucified.

“I thought the opening was a disgrace, actually. I thought it was a disgrace,” Trump told Laura Ingraham. He suggested that, if reelected, his influence over the Olympics’ organizers will be such that “We won’t be having a Last Supper as portrayed as the way they portrayed it.”

“Look, I’m for everybody; I’m very open-minded,” he said. “But I thought what they did was a disgrace.”

The ceremony’s organizers have issued an “apology” for The Last Supper scene, claiming unconvincingly that their drag queens were actually recreating a debauched wedding between pagan deities, as depicted in the Dutch painting The Feast of the Gods.

However, Christian leaders such as America’s Bishop Robert Barron have rejected this explanation as “woke duplicity,” noting the wording of the apology amounted to saying, “If you’re so simple-minded and stupid to have been offended by this wonderful expression of French culture, well, we’re sorry about that.”

“Christians are offended because it was offensive, and it was intended to be offensive, so please don’t patronize us with this condescending remark about ‘Well, if you had any bad feelings, we’re awfully sorry about that,'” he said.

Elsewhere in his interview with Ingraham, Trump mentioned the trauma his wife, Melania, experienced following the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania. He said she was watching his rally live when Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on him, which has had a significant impact on her.

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Former President Donald J. Trump says the Paris Olympics opening ceremony was a "disgrace," referencing segments that appeared to mock Christianity openly. At one point in the proceedings, an obese drag queen wearing a halo-like headdress and other crossdressers appeared to recreate The Last Supper, in which Jesus Christ and his disciples shared a final meal before being arrested and crucified. show more
February 1, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Crime
Religion
UK

WATCH – London Cop Orders Christian to Stop Singing Hymns: ‘Not Allowed Outside Church.’

A recording of a police officer in Sadiq Khan’s London telling Gospel singer Harmonie London she was “not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds” has gone viral on social media.

Metropolitan Police volunteer officer Maya Hadzhipetkova, speaking with a thick foreign accent, can be seen insisting that Christian hymns cannot be sung “outside of church grounds unless you have, uh, unless you’re authorized by the church to do this kind of songs [sic],” which is untrue.

The footage then cuts to the policewoman and another officer walking away from the scene while being challenged on whether or not her false statements contradicted the Human Rights Act. The officer responds by sticking her tongue out at the camera.

The interaction generated significant backlash for the Metropolitan Police on X, formerly Twitter, with the force responding to users saying they were “working to understand the context in which these comments were made.”

The Metropolitan Police claimed the dispute centered on “a specific by-law related to busking.” Still, X users questioned this, as busking is an entirely separate issue from whether “church songs” can be sung “outside of church grounds.”

The force then flipped the script, complaining X users were making “personal and hurtful” comments about their officer and warning: “This is unacceptable.”

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A recording of a police officer in Sadiq Khan's London telling Gospel singer Harmonie London she was "not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds" has gone viral on social media. show more