Portugal: Catholic country that needs reviving
As a predominantly Catholic country, Portugal is even further unified by the culturally embedded traditions and practices of the church. Despite this, drug use has become prevalent, with half of all teenagers reportedly experimenting with illegal substances. The country is known as the bridge for shipping cocaine and hashish from Southeast Asia to Europe and North America. The Portuguese government is still struggling to pull its nation out of increasing debt and social depression. Portugal is a financially and spiritually bankrupt nation. 94% claim Christianity as their faith but it is a stagnant belief based on tradition - few openly practise or evangelise. There is little evidence of living and growing relationships with the Lord. The youth are overlooked, and New Age ideals, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses are beginning to take hold of those who do not know Christ. Portugal is in desperate need of a revival now
Poland: Cool spiritual temperature
It was the Catholic Church that kept Polish culture from crumbling under the Communist regime. Now in 2015 Saudi Arabia, one of the most hostile nations towards Christianity and boasting to have a 100 percent Muslim population, has more evangelical Christians than Poland. The Catholic Church still holds sway over Polish culture, but personal faith is nominal and morality is being chipped away from the foundations of Polish society. There is a desperate need for evangelical witnesses (90% of municipalities have no church). Pagan, Wiccan, and New Age religions are gaining followers and there are two Jehovah's Witnesses for every evangelical Christian. Poland has the potential to change the spiritual well-being of Europe, but it is in need of guidance to be redirected toward Christ's glory. God has carried Poland through the years of tragedy and poverty, and He will lead them into the light He shines for them.
Norway: Man faces eight years in jihadi trial
Norwegian prosecutors are seeking an eight-year jail sentence for a jihadist who they say fought for the Islamic State group and an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in Syria. Ishaq Ahmed a 24-year-old Norwegian left for Syria in 2013. Prosecutors say he fought for IS before joining the Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate. He could face up to nine years in jail if found guilty of ‘support for a terrorist organisation’.
Ahmed insists he is innocent and that he was in Syria carrying out humanitarian work. But prosecutors maintain that in the months before his departure he carried out online research into weapons and body armour and have found no evidence of humanitarian work or any effort to procure medical materials. His is the second trial in Norway over suspected links to the IS militants.
Netherlands: New rules slash youngsters’ invalidity benefit
The number of new claims for invalidity benefit under the Wajong scheme has dropped 90% since new rules were introduced at the beginning of this year. In the first four months of 2014, 5,109 youngsters were found to be entitled to the benefit, compared with just 515 in the first four months of this year. The benefit is for those unable to work because of illness or handicap at a young age. Since the beginning of this year, only people who cannot work at all are entitled to claim. Others who used to be entitled to help, such as people who hold down a small part-time job or people with Downs syndrome, have to apply to their local authority for welfare benefits instead. Elsevier magazine reported last week that 820,330 people in the Netherlands are considered unable to work and are receiving some form of invalidity benefit. The total Dutch working population is 7.2 million. Some 250,000 of them claim Wajong benefits, of whom almost 80% have behavioural issues such as ADHD or autism.
