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Northern Europe
Sweden sentenced for trying to deport a Christian convert
The United Nations Committee against torture has convicted Sweden for violating the Convention against Torture by trying to deport a Christian convert to Afghanistan. In 2019, the UN interfered in deportation of an Afghan man, Abolfazl Abdoullahi. According to the Swedish Migration Agency, the convert's choice to become a Christian…
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Eastern Europe
Russian Orthodox Church: All churches should be exempt from QR
The Russian Orthodox Church urges the Russian government to abandon the QR code for all churches. The State Duma has made a draft resolution for a law on QR-codes in public spaces. With this QR-code, people can prove whether they are vaccinated against the coronavirus. The State Duma suggests that…
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Central Europe
Germany will get a new commissioner for religious freedom
The new German coalition wants to continue the office of commissioner for religious freedom. After the general election it was questionable whether it would be re-occupied. However, as the Federal Development Ministry announced on Wednesday in Berlin, Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) will “shortly make a proposal for the appointment” of…
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European Union
European Parliament criticises ban on “Christmas”
Members of the European Parliament almost unanimously criticised EU Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli, while debating her controversial language guidelines that have since been pulled. The centre-right European People's Party requested the debate. The party leader Manfred Weber praised Europe's Christian roots. “Freedom of religion, or not to believe, is a…
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Eastern Europe
Church in Belarus asks for marriage and family in constitution
The Orthodox Church of Belarus wants it to be defined in the constitution that marriage is a union between men and women. The Church also wants constitutional protection for (unborn) life and traditional family values. Orthodox Christianity reports so based on a report by news agency Sputnik Belarus. “We propose…
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Western Europe
Dutch review of family name rules: even 10 surnames possible
Not just one parent, but both parents in the Netherlands should be allowed to give their children their parents' surname. The number of surnames can even grow to ten. Last Tuesday, the Dutch government sent a bill to the Parliament to regulate this. If the bill is passed, the child…
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Central Europe
Call to ban Martin Luther from Berlin's street names
Research shows that almost 300 squares and streets in the German capital Berlin bear the names of people who can be associated with hatred of Jews. Among them is the German church reformer Martin Luther. A new chapter in the discussion about renaming streets has begun. A scientific study finds…
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Northern Europe
Nordland to survey conversion therapy in Norway
In Norway, Nordland Research Institute has been commissioned to survey the phenomenon of conversion therapy. This is what the Norwegian newspaper Vårt Land writes. Nordlandsforskning is now preparing the study, writes Eirunn Lysø, department director of Bufdir in an email to Vårt Land. Bufdir, the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth…
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Northern Europe
Conservative Christians excluded from support in Norwegian town Klepp
Organisations with a Christian view on relationships and sexuality will no longer receive money from the Norwegian municipality Klepp, [Vartland](https://www.vl.no/religion/2021/12/13/akkurat-na-konservative-kristne-far-ikke-soke-om-kulturstotte-i-klepp/) reports. Institutions are no longer allowed to refuse people certain positions of trust on the grounds of cohabitation, sexual orientation, gender or ethnicity if they want to qualify for the…
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European Union
EU country must accept parental rights of gay couples, court says
Every EU member state must accept the parental rights of gay couples that have received a child in another country. Even if that member state reserves marriage for man and woman. The European Court of Justice (Luxembourg) has ruled that, according to the Dutch Reformatorisch Dagblad. The court had to…
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