An analysis by the organization Open Doors revealed that the Bible is banned or restricted in 88 of the world's 195 countries, meaning that nearly half of all nations limit access to the Holy Scriptures. Among the most serious cases is China, where—despite its image of economic openness—state control, direct government intervention, and social surveillance mechanisms continue to persist. Additionally, Cardinal Joseph Zen has called on the faithful to “return to the catacombs,” warning that in China religious worship is not only strictly regulated, but that there is also a state-authorized form of worship. The prelate discourages attending these official churches and urges believers to practice their faith freely, remaining “faithful to the truth that makes us free.” [I spoke to a lady from China the other day. I believe she was wearing a cross, which is why the subject came up. She told me something to the effect of, Don't believe what the western media says about Chinese persecution of Christians. We have "official churches." They are fine.] Japan’s famously reserved political culture erupted in rare bluntness this week when Mizuho Umemura, a member of Japan’s upper house and rising figure in the Sanseitō party, delivered a firm rejection of expanding Muslim burial plots in Japan. Her remarks, now going viral, came during a November 27, 2025, session of the Health, Labour and Welfare Committee. She said openly what most Japanese politicians avoid acknowledging: Within hours, millions of Japanese praised her for saying what they feel but cannot express under modern speech restrictions: Japan will not be bullied into changing its identity. In her speech, Umemura notes that Japan’s land scarcity, geological instability, and centuries of public-health policymaking make burial, especially mass burial, a serious issue. Unlike much of the West, Japan is a country of: Cremation is not merely cultural. It is scientifically necessary in a nation where earthquakes can rupture soil, liquefy land, and disinter buried bodies — turning cemeteries into biological hazards. According to your verified transcript, Umemura said: Unlike Western politicians who bend immediately when accused of “Islamophobia,” Umemura does not retreat because she does not accept the premise that national self-preservation is bigotry. https://rairfoundation.com/japan-says-what-west-wont-nation-must-not/ UK Supreme Court Rules That Christian Education And Worship In Schools Is Unlawful: The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the Christian-focused religious education and collective worship in Northern Ireland’s state-funded primary schools is “unlawful.” This is a direct assault on the Christian foundations of the education system, but has been coming for some time. It is a stark warning of what happens when a nation abandons truth for relativism in its schools. The ruling claims that the current RE curriculum fails to be “objective, critical and pluralistic.” But what does that really mean? It could mean that Christianity will be treated as just one option among many and given less priority, stripped of its rightful place as the moral and spiritual bedrock of our culture, where Christ was once the focus of children’s worship. It will mean that Christian teachers in Northern Ireland, even where there are a majority of Christian pupils, will not be able to teach biblical truth as truth, but only as one perspective among countless others. The North Korean (DPRK) regime recently boasted that it had won the war against religion, even as a new human rights report shows that repression has only intensified since the pandemic. The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights surveyed 15,303 defectors and found that 99.6 percent said free religious practice is impossible inside the country. North Korea is officially an atheist state, though its constitution nominally guarantees freedom of religion as long as religious activity does not introduce foreign influence or threaten the state or social order. In reality, nearly all respondents reported that religious activity is completely banned, with only a small number saying they had practiced their faith in secret before escaping. Researchers conclude that restrictions have grown even harsher in recent years, reinforcing North Korea’s status as one of the world’s most repressive countries for religious freedom. Possessing foreign media or religious texts can lead to imprisonment, execution, or the punishment of entire families. Pyongyang recently claimed that underground churches and secret prayer groups have been “practically exterminated"... Anyone caught praying, possessing a Bible, or meeting for worship is labeled part of a hostile class and risks imprisonment, torture, or execution. Protestants and Catholics are sent straight to political prison camps without reeducation, and entire families can be punished for three generations under the regime’s “total control zone” system. North Korean Christians and field workers say they remain committed to discipling the young however they can, knowing that without a grounded next generation, the underground church may not survive. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/north-korea-war-religion-prison-work-camp-execution/ One of the left’s favorite talking points is that extreme wealth concentration among billionaires is a major contributing factor to the financial struggles of everyday Americans. According to the logic of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among other progressives, eliminate billionaires and you solve America’s economic problems. But Mark Levin debunks this argument with ease: “The billionaires aren't our problem. They're irrelevant in terms of whether you succeed or not. Government's your problem because they take from you, they regulate you, they obstruct you.” Billionaires, he explains, via investments and spending, actually pump their money back into the economy, which means “more capital, more research and development.” Then the money they save in banks just gives banks “more money to lend to ... you and me, Mr. and Mrs. America,” says Levin. But the government with their excessive spending and never-ending list of regulations and taxes bar the American people from financial success. “Try and open a restaurant ... maybe a doughnut-and-coffee place in your community. Watch all the red tape you have to go through,” says Levin. “That's not capitalism blocking you. That's socialism. That's government. That's politicians and bureaucrats.” He gives another example of someone trying to increase his property value by adding a room to his house. Most will never see it happen because regulations will either forbid it or make it financially untenable for the homeowner. The national debt is sitting at $38 trillion, and that doesn’t even account for our “off books debt.” “Meaning they owe Social Security recipients, Medicare recipients because they've taken all your money,” Levin explains, noting that the actual debt is “over $300 trillion.” “The economy creates between 17 and 18 trillion a year. We're never going to pay that, are we? And so it's borrow, borrow, borrow, borrow,” he sighs. No matter how the economy is doing, the government’s mindset is always the same: “Spend more.”
Almost half of the countries in the world ban or restrict the Holy Bible:
Japan Says What the West Won’t: A Nation Must Not Rewrite Its Laws for Islam:
Japan’s funeral practices are not simply “tradition” — they are rooted in public health, national history, and cultural continuity. And they will not be rewritten because of foreign demands.Japan Cremates 99.9% of Its Dead — For a Reason, Not a Preference
North Korea War on Religion – Prison, Work Camp, or Execution for Believers: