All Iran articles
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News AnalysisHow should Christians respond to the war in Iran?
As US commanders reportedly invoke Armageddon to justify war with Iran, AJ Gomez reports on how Christian leaders are debating the meaning of biblical prophecy
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OpinionI just about coped with headlines of war — but the church prayer meeting made my anxiety worse
What happens when our prayer meetings start to sound like the news cycle? For Derek Hughes, the answer came after a meeting following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which left him with an anxiety heavier than when he walked in. In moments like these, he asks whether we are bringing our fears to God or just spreading them around
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OpinionWe don’t need hypermasculine world leaders. We need ones who lead like Jesus
Global politics is dominated by displays of strength, aggression and ‘tough’ masculinity, says Chine McDonald. The life of Christ offers a radically different vision of both manhood and servant leadership
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OpinionWhy the Iran conflict fails the ‘Just War’ criteria
The tradition of just war theory, developed from thinkers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, sets out strict moral conditions for when war can be justified and how it must be conducted. Judged against it, the latest US escalation in Iran looks dangerously thin on justification, argues George Pitcher
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OpinionNo, the Iran war is not the start of Armageddon
As the war in Iran continues, reports have suggested leaders in the US military are invoking language around the end times and Armageddon. Rev Dr Ian Paul, who completed his PhD on the book of Revelation explains what scripture really teaches about the end of the world
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OpinionIran’s future hangs in the balance, but it’s people are more open to the gospel than ever
Despite the massacres of the January uprisings and now the chaos of war, Iranians are still turning to Christ, says Chrissy Parkes. She calls on Christians around the world to pray for peace in Iran and the Middle East - and for the Church to keep shining a light in the darkness
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OpinionThere isn’t a clear path to freedom for Iran’s Christians
Persecution of Christians is likely to get worse in the short term, warns Dr Martin Parsons
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OpinionAs Iran teeters on the brink of civil war, Christians are called to justice, mercy and prayer
With Iran experiencing brutal crackdowns on protesters and US military forces positioned nearby, the Middle East faces another potential crisis. But as Christians witness this unfolding tragedy, we’re not called to respond with panic or indifference, says Tim Farron MP, but with humble dependence on God
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OpinionIran in upheaval: What the protests mean for Christians
As an internet blackout sweeps the country and thousands of protestors take to the streets, Steve Dew-Jones says it is about time the world’s media picks up on what is happening in Iran. Could it finally be time for change in the country with one of the world’s fastest growing Christian communities?
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OpinionChristians are still persecuted in Iran - despite a train station named after the Virgin Mary
Tehran’s Holy Virgin Mary metro station supposedly celebrates the “peaceful coexistence” of religions in Iran. But on International Religious Freedom Day, Steve Dew-Jones reminds us that Christian converts still face extreme persecution
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OpinionCasting the last stone? Why the punishment of stoning persists around the world
Today is the International Day Against Stoning. It may seem barbaric that this method of corporal punishment still exists, says Ben Cohen, but it does. Here’s why Christians should care
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OpinionThe Church cannot continue to sleep through crisis - it’s time to return to the night vigil
The Church once lit up the night with intercession. If the Church wants to ignite the revival that awaits us, Jonathan Oloyede says it must reclaim the night vigil and reopen the wells of persistent prayer and fasting
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OpinionIran’s evangelicals are branded “enemies of the state”. They need our prayers now more than ever
Donald Trump may have floated the idea of regime change in Iran, but would it be good for Iranian Christians? That depends on who takes over, says Ben Cohen. But right now, the nation’s beleaguered evangelicals need our prayers
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OpinionWhy Iran’s nuclear theology left Israel no choice
Behind Iran’s nuclear ambitions lies a dangerous theology that most Westerners are ignorant of, says Dr Michael A. Youssef. He argues Israel’s actions are a necessary attempt to stop a regime that is seeking to hasten Armageddon
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Opinion‘Even in war, God is moving’ 4 ways to pray for the Iranian Church
A Christian in Iran shares her story of God at work even among the chaos of conflict in the Middle East. She asks believers around the world to stand with the underground Church in Iran as they pray for peace and an end to the war with Israel
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ReviewsThis Oscar-nominated drama is a terrifying glimpse into what persecuted Christians face
Seeing a big-screen dramatic portrayal of a brutal and unjust regime brings to life the stories we hear from persecuted Christians, says Steve Dew-Jones. Here’s what he made of the Iranian film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig
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Magazine FeaturesThe Iranians stormed this church and forced its closure. But I’ll never forget the Christians I met there
When Tara Jamali returned to Iran after an absence of 20 years, she was shocked to discover the church she attended as a student boarded up. Pressure on Iranian Christians is growing she says, but glimmers of hope are present in the darkness
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OpinionIraq wants to lower the age of consent to 9. Christians must do something
Proposals by Iraq’s ultra conservative government to make the law reflect strict Islamic Shia principles would have devastating affects on women’s rights - and lower the age of consent to just nine years old. They must not be allowed to do so, says one Iraqi woman
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InterviewsBishop Guli Francis-Dehqani: ‘I don’t want to be a controversialist, but I have to speak out’
Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani arrived in the UK as a refugee from Iran following her brother’s assassination. Her extraordinary life story has given her a passion for justice and an inability to keep quiet, despite what it might cost her
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OpinionWar between Hezbollah and Israel would be a catastrophe for Lebanese Christians
Lebanon has more Christians than any country in the Middle East. Iran shows what full Hezbollah control would mean for the Church there and across the Middle East, says Dr Martin Parsons
