Update: Religious communities in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan face registration deadline

Many religious communities in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have not yet re-registered with authorities, as required by restrictive religion laws that were passed in both countries earlier this year (for more information, click here and here). If religious communities fail to register by January 1, 2010, they will be considered illegal.

As of December 16, only about 100 of the 534 religious communities in Azerbaijan that previously had registration statuses have re-registered. Amendments to the Religion Law will require communities to provide an increased range of information when applying for registration and to obtain approval to build or rebuild worship places. Additional amendments include a ban on the sale of religious literature in unapproved locations and on religious activity outside registered addresses.

In Tajikistan, fewer than half of the religious communities in the country have been re-registered. The highly restrictive Religion Law imposes state censorship on all religious literature, bans state officials from being among the founders of a religious community, requires state approval to invite foreigners for religious visits or to travel abroad for religious events, and restricts children's religious activity and education. (Source: Forum18)

Pray that authorities in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan will respect freedom of religion. Pray that Christians in former Soviet republics will echo Peter's sentiment and be determined to obey God regardless of what man says (Acts 5:29).

To find out more about the hardships Christians face in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, go to the Azerbaijan Country Report and the Tajikistan Country Report.

Land, Religious Leaders: Sanctions Needed on Iran

Baptist Press reports that Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land has joined Jewish and evangelical Christian leaders in New York in calling for immediate sanctions to thwart Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission collaborated with Paul de Vries, president of the New York Divinity School and leader of the New York Evangelicals, and Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, in issuing a statement Nov. 2 urging all governments to apply sanctions in order to produce effective diplomacy and encourage the human rights efforts of Iranians living under a militant Islamic regime. These leaders recommended sanctions on banks that work even indirectly with Iranian banks and on firms and government that export refined petroleum to Iran. "Such actions could quickly damage Iran's economy, shrink the regime's domestic popularity, provoke real diplomacy, and engender significant steps toward ending the Iran regime's murderous pursuit of nuclear weapons," their statement said.

Religious Hostility Case Heads to the 9th Circuit

Advocates for Faith & Freedom reports that the case against a teacher who denounced creationism as "religious, superstitious nonsense" is headed to the 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. A lower court found thatDr. James Corbett had violated the Establishment clausewith these and other statements critical of religion. One of Corbett's Advanced Placement students, Chad Farnan, filed the suit after tiring of his teacher's disregard for religion. On May 1, 2009, District Judge James V. Selnaagreed, saying that Corbett's statement "constitutes improper disapproval of religion in violation of the Establishment Clause." This case recognizes that far too often the Establishment Clause is invoked when there is a perceived promotion of religion by a governmental actor, but is not applied with equal force where a government actor like Dr. Corbett shows disapproval of religion.

Georgia High School Bars Religious Banners at Games

ABC News reports that Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School opened its Friday night game with a twist -- for the first time in years, a Bible banner was absent from the field. The school's tradition of Bible-inspired banners such as "In God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid." ended after a parent questioned the constitutionality of the banners at school-sponsored games. The superintendent reluctantly agreed that the actions could open the school to a lawsuit. "It broke my heart to have to tell those girls that they could not display that message on the football field. It was hard to be the bearer of bad news. This is the law, and we will follow the law," said Denia Reese, superintendent for Catoosa County public schools. Still, students showed their support for the tradition with their own biblical banners -- and even body paint -- in the stands.