>> george: today on christian world news, russia passes a law banning american families from adopting russian children. what it means for that country's 700,000 orphans. and a shocking story of christian persecution in nepal. the most hindu nation in the world. plus, descendents of an ancient tribe of israel return to their home. how christians are helping to fulfill biblical prophecy. ♪ >> george: a new russian law bans americans from adopting russian children. hello, everyone, i'm george thomas. my colleague, wendy griffith is on holiday. russian president va vladimir putin signed a law

preventing thousands of russian orphans to go to americans. john waggi plains. >> reporter: michelle mobley has quite a collection of toys and clothes. they were gathering them for a little one who would soon join them. >> we always wanted to adopt. we decided this is the time. >> reporter: the christian nebraska couple has a blog site telling of their wait for 6-year-old artem, who spent his whole life in a russian orphanage. his mother gave him up when she learned he had down syndrome. but it was love at first site for the mobleys. >> the minute he walked in, we knew he belonged to the family. you go along in your life, and you know someone is missing in your family. when we met him, we knew that piece was fulfilled. >> when you hear about a story and you start connecting and reading more about him, it's hard for me

to not think about him. not want to take care of him. i knew he was the one, too, because you get connected to these kids. even though you can't see them on a daily base. you read their story and how you wish you can help them out. >> reporter: the mobley's have endured extensive background checks and spent thousands of dollars to make artem part of their family. then vladimir putin signed a law, leaving the mobleys in limbo. >> when the law passed, it was hard to tell my daughter we might not get him because we had been preparing a whole year to have him. and to have to tell them we might not be getting him because of politics, that's a tough thing to break to anybody. you know, that we have no control over this and it is just retaliation, and the

innocent suffer. >> reporter: the mobley's say they will work for years to get artem, even though they are greatly saddened by the russian law. >> you can't stop loving him. once you meet him and get to know him, you can't just make my heart and my mind just stop thinking about him. we'll wait. >> reporter: the mobleys hope since they registered before january 1st, the russians will still approve their adoption. in the mea meantime, they wait for a court date to determine the next step. john waggi, cbn news. >> george: what a heartbreak. in recent years, american evangelicals have sharply increased their adoption of children from russia. now for that time being, it is all over. i spoke to the russian ministries for the reason behind the new law and its impact on russian orphans.

can you tell us why russia passed this law specifically preventing americans from adopting russian children? >> i think this is just a simple retaliation against american legislature that just a few weeks before the american congress banned russian corrupt officials from coming to the united states, and many other countries are thinking about following that pattern. so that was the kremlin retaliation. but not against american politicians. some how they decided to retaliate against their own children. that's a very sad situation. >> george: there are about 750,000 orphans and homeless children in russia. what is the government then doing to help care for these kids? >> what the russian government is doing, according to their own understanding, they think they do a lot. they provide those buildings. they provide food. they provide free

education. but the most -- that's what these children need, they need family care. they need a family that will provide love for them. that will love them. that will help them to go over all those difficult issues when teenagers grow. and every child deserves to be loved. and that's what this law proves. so that unfortunately, this is i call it not just anti-american law. this is inhumane law. >> george: sergei, i have seen what the russian ministries is doing across the soviet union and specifically dealing with orphans and going into orphanages and giving them a message of hope and encouraging them. how does this new law -- does it affect the way you guys operate at all? >> this is not going to affect our ministry in russia, i don't think, at all. but, you know, what we are doing now, pushing harder the issue of mobilizing

national christian families to adopt their own children. and unfortunately, the number of orphans in those institutions is not decreasing. it is growing. and it shows clearly that there are some moral issues within the family, society, etc. and that's what we're trying to do through our program. it is called "a home for every orphan." to train, to mobilize national christian families to adopt orphans within the country. and i don't think that this law will affect this work at all, to understand that there are so many children in those institutions that they need somebody's love. and so the christian families will make a decision, overcoming the sigm stigma that is there in the orphan society against orphans, and will reach out to the orphan community and adopt all of those who need family, and who need to have a chance in life, and to be raised in a

situation of hope and prosperity. >> george: there is great concern for these special-needs orphans, such as those with down syndrome. what kind of care do they receive? >> this is even a more sad situation, george. children with special needs, special, like, down syndrome, they are even more stigmatized in russian orphanages. and they are kept in those special places for special-needs kids. and this law, this inhumane, anti-america law, will ban so many families in the united states, that out of their compassioned heart, they go to russia. and in many cases they adopt special-needs kids, and special kids with down syndrome. >> george: and sergei, russians celebrate christmas on january 7th, and i know you guys have a special project, called "project hope," where you deliver the good news and other material to thousands of children

across the former soviet union. tell us about that quickly, and the importance, what happens when a child receives this box. >> george, "project hope" is one of the most exciting projects. we mobilize so many churches and russian leaders, and coordinators throughout entire russia to get involved and deliver this wonderful gift, packed by national churches, sorted by volunteers, and supported by american evangelical families. and these gifts of hopes are placed into the hands of those orphans that are looking for hope. >> george: i know your ministry is actively involved in bringing that message of hope to thousands of children across the former soviet union. sergei, from the russian ministries, great to have you on the show this week. >> thank you so much, george. >> george: and we want to hear your reaction to this new law and its impact on russia's orphans. you can leave your comments

at our facebook, cwn. facebook, and tell others about it. up next, shocking stories of persecution froromhe >> george: welcome back to christian world news. islamic militants killed 12 christians in two church attacks on christmas eve. six died, including the pastor, when gunmen broke into a prayer service at the church of christ in yourbay province. a deacon and 12 others died inborno state. nigeria's president says, quote,"the church is one of the main targets of terrorists." speaking at a church in nigeria's capital, he said, "if the idea of boko haram is to stop christians from worshipping god, they will not succeed."

sudanese war planes bombed christians in the mountains. 11 christians died in the attacks that took place between december 18 and the 26th. the islamic regime incartom, have long targeted the residents, who are mostly christians and black africans. one church leader said they are praying and waiting for the international community to intervene. iran has arrested pastor yusef nardarkhani again. this time on christmases day. the pastor was acquitted of a charge of apostasy in november, but he was told he would have to finish his three-year sentence for a different crime, evangelizing muslims. now iranian authorities claim he needs to go back to prison and finish his time. nepal is known for being on top of the world. it is also a country where hinduism and communism

struggle for dominition. as gary lane reports, god is on the move. ♪ >> i am from a hindu family. before i came to christ, my life was in darkness, and i didn't know god. >> safrada, however, faced persecution from her own family when she left hinduism for christianity. >> when i accepted jesus christ as my savior, the persecution started to come into my life. my mother asked me, do you love your religion more than your parents? i told her, i love both. she hated me for following christ, and she used to say bad words to me. >> reporter: physical attacks soon followed. she says her mother

threatened to kill her with a sickle and blind her with a nail. >> my mother told me, if you're blind, you will stop going to church. she took the nail, pushed me to the ground, and tried to stick the nail into my eyes. i moved, and the nail hit my ear. >> reporter: sarada escaped to the jungle where she now lives with a friend. christians not only come under attack from co-workers and family members, but also churches come under fire from maoist and hindu militants. one point in case is this church in the remote area of southeastern nepal. >> good to see you, brother. god bless you. let's sit down and have you tell me what's been going on here with your church. >> non-believers came to our church and demanded that we join their festival and worship idols. we told them we don't worship like this. >> reporter: the christians refused to help fund the hindu festivals. >> when we didn't pay the money, they came and attacked us and took our

livestock. >> i was right in this place, 230 villagers with sticks came here and took the two oxen i kept right in here. >> matthew 5: 12 says, "in my name you will be persecuted and you will be hated." and nepali christians are also disrespected in death. what happens to christians when they die? this was the only cemetery in all of kathmandu where christians could bury their dead, but no longer. rarely are christians given a place for burial. religious extremists believe non-hindu bodies discrate the land. and militants often force them to dig up the buried remains of loved one. one christian woman reportedly kept her deceased husband's decaying body in her home because she was prevented from burying him. this woman helped hide christians in her house. a mob attacked them.

so what does the future hold for nepali christians? pastor carma says his church will stand firm. >> we want to keep the witness of god in this place and improve the church. our main purpose is to influence all of the villagers. >> reporter: and god is working in the heart of mr. chadry, the man who lost his oxen. >> we are sons and daughters of god. whatever the villagers took from us belong to him. >> reporter: and what about sarada? she and her aunt led her cousin, huma, to christ. >> i told her, if you find god, you will know how wonderful he is, and you will know god's plan for your life. >> reporter: and now huma says she wants to share the good news. >> after i finish my education, i want to share jesus with those who do not know him. i will walk with him and share the gospel. >> even though people offer many animals for sacrifice, they will not be forgiven.

only christ's blood can bring forgiveness for our sins. i now know that is not the end. god has brought me from darkness to light. >> reporter: eternal hope and vision at the top of the world. gary lane, cbn news, kathmandu, nepal. >> george: up next, the future of faith in america. good news from a new gallop poll when we come back.

>> george: back in 1996, "time magazine" asked the question: is god dead? nearly 50 years later, a new book presents proof that god is very much alive to millions of americans. as paul strand reports, the author believes those numbers will grow even more in the years ahead. >> reporter: the new book's title says it all, "god is alive and well." and front frank newport has the numbers to prove it. >> we have well over 90% of americans who in our survey

questions say they believe in god. right there is evidence, at least in the minds of the majority of americans, god is quite alive. >> reporter: the book's findings about religion in america rests on 300,000 interviews done. some have declared this a post-christian age, but newport says not according to the data. >> 75% to 80% of americans are christians. >> i think the evidence shows just the opposite. >> reporter: the new leader of the secular coalition of america points to research showing a big difference between church goers and believers. >> of people who go to church every week, you have 30% who go and don't believe in god. >> reporter: she cites her own experience. >> i went as an early teen with girlfriends. i liked the social side of it. and got coke and lay's potato chips. >> reporter: she says the

number of atheists has soared to almost 20%, and it has doubled among the young. >> there are quite a number of 10, 12, 14, 15-year-olds that will come out and say they're atheist. >> reporter: newport acknowledges this growth. >> we call that the rise of the nuns, not n-u-n-is, but n-o-n-s. age 23 is the least religious age from 18 to death. >> reporter: but he says faith and church attendance picks up as americans marry, have children, and age. and that can lead to better health and other benefits. >> being more religious causes one to have higher well-being. >> reporter: newport believes as word of this gets around, it may make religion even more popular. and those over 60 are simply more religious, and baby-boomers are beginning a senior explosion. and there is also a

migration to states that are warmer and better off economically. many are in the bible belt, and newcomers tend to pick up the regional consult. but rogers thinks america may follow them and lose its faith. >> we have countries in europe and estonia, and you only have 16% of the people in that country that believe in god. >> i wouldn't say based on the indicators that we're moving into a post-religious are post-christian area. >> reporter: but newport and rogers believe on a general truth, more religious equals republican, and non-religious equals democratic. >> they are considered the largest religion in the democratic party. the delegates down at the democratic convention, they wanted no mention of god, even in their platform at all. >> reporter: but newport thinks democrats may fight harder for religious voters in the future. and points to words from president obama at a recent prayer breakfast. >> he started talking about

how in his view, religion translates into basically democratic positions on issues, like equality and compassion for the poor, and things like that. and that suggested to me the possibility that democrats may begin to contest for the religious voter in the years ahead. >> reporter: rogers counters it is still about winning, and she sees the g.o.p. courting the nons. >> they're seeing the growing numbers, especially under 30, and they would like to stay in business and win elections. >> reporter: it all points to cross-currents and politics and life here in america. where more than 90% of people believe in god. one of the fastest growing groups is those who have no religion at all. paul strand, cbn news, washington.

>> george: and finally this week, a lost tribe has come home to israel. and the return could be part of biblical prophecy. chris mitchell was at the airport when more than 50 members of the binine

menasha tribe made history. >> their arrival was tearful and emotional. >> i feel like i'm home. >> i'm excited. i'm overwhelmed. i'm extremely -- it's unexplainable. i feel like crying. >> reporter: and this group is just the first of a long-awaited migration. nearly 2,000 tribe members live in israel, but five years ago the government stopped their return. now a recent decision permits all of the bene menasha, about 7,000, to return. >> the 10 tribes may have been lost to us for many centuries, but they were never lost in terms of their identity. >> reporter: michael worked for years to help bring about this moment. he believes the bene menasha return fulfills biblical prophecy. >> the prophet isaiah says,

"fear not, for i am with you." "from the east i will bring your descendents." your descendents. these are the descendents of israel. and they are coming back from the east. it is as if the headline of today was written by isaiah, the prophet, 2500 or 2600 years ago. >> reporter: the syrian empire exiled the tribe almost 3,000 years ago. although they settled in northeast india, tribe members kept their jewish roots for more than 2,000 years. several christian organizations helped bring them home. >> in fact, the hebrew prophet said, when god gathered his jewish people back from all of the ends of the earth in the last days, he said there would be gentiles helping and bringing them back. i said, i'll beckon to the gentiles. and so we have this invitation from god himself

to be involved in this. ♪ >> reporter: another nearly 30 300 are scheduled to arrive in february, with thousands more yet to come. chris mitchell, cbn news, gengorian airport, tel aviv. >> george: thank you for joining us this week. until next week, from all of us here at christian world news, good-bye and god bless you.