If you have been following the devastation that has taken place in Myanmar recently and realize that some reports are now saying that even the aid that is getting into Myanmar is basically being stolen, then you'll want to pray with us that the Lord would divert another cyclone that appears to be heading Myanmar's way again.
CBN News has a video report and news article that you may read here.
Today I read a very interesting article from The Associated Press entitled
Evangelist Franklin Graham visits China ahead of Olympics .
As we all know, there are numerous brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus who are under persecution in China, which is why The Voice of the Martyrs has a great program called Bibles Unbound that you can join and send bibles to China. I do it monthly, and I love it!
Back to the article, and why I'd like you to read it. The first sentence in the article says...
BEIJING (AP) — The son of American evangelist Billy Graham said Friday he is opposed to missionary work at this summer's Beijing Olympic Games.
The article goes on to say...
While some Christian groups have said they plan to proselytize during the August games, Graham said he was against that because Chinese law does not permit such actions.
"I would not support any illegal activity at all," Graham said.
The reason I wanted to highlight this today is because earlier today I was listening to a Christian radio program and the host was blasting Franklin Graham for not standing for Jesus in China. That got me curious because to my knowledge, Franklin Graham has never had an issue proclaiming the gospel, and yet it appears in this instance that he is simply wanting to be obedient to the laws in China. And I don't think he denies or likes the fact that Chinese Christians are being persecuted.
The article goes on to say...
Graham, whose mother was born in China where her father worked as a physician, said he had seen improvements in religious freedoms in the 20 years since he had been coming to the country, but said Christians in China must obey the law as they work with authorities to "resolve these areas of misunderstanding or where there is tension."
"I think the government of China is recognizing that more and more and are seeing the value of a personal faith that people can have and so I'm here to encourage that," Graham said.
"I'm not here to condemn, I'm here to work with them and help to build better bridges of understanding between Christians and government," he said.
And yet the article previously says the following about Christian persecution going on in China.
While the Protestant church has grown rapidly in China in recent years, the party maintains strict control over the official church, seminaries and individual congregations. Christians who meet in independent, unauthorized congregations — often private homes — are frequently subject to harassment and arrest.
In the most recent such report, police raided a gathering of about 40 members of the Chengdu Qiuyu Blessings Church at a resort near the southwestern city of Chengdu on May 2, New York-based Human Rights Watch reported.
Officers joined by officials of the local religious affairs bureau told the participants they were "suspected of being involved in illegal religious practices," the group said. Members were detained for hours and photographed, and Bibles, hymnals and Bible study materials were confiscated.
Separately, three leaders of unauthorized churches in the eastern province of Shandong were detained during a Bible study group on Thursday morning, the Texas-based monitoring group, China Aid Association reported.
Among them, one pastor from Taiwan was expelled and banned from returning to China for five years as part of China's ban on missionary work of all types.
So here is the question of the day: What do you think of Franklin Graham's stance regarding obeying the law of the land in China, by not participating in illegal activity during the Olympics and doing evangelism. Versus what is happening to the many persecuted Christians in the country.
Is this a situation of we must obey God rather than man, a compromise or something else. Please share your thoughts in the comments. All comments are moderated so they will not appear automatically.
UPDATED 5/8 - I just wanted to come in here and give you an update on the conference. Yesterday my husband and I received news that the airline we were using to get to Oklahoma cancelled our flights, and in order to reroute our trip to Oklahoma at this late date the cost is way to high. We prayed about what we should do, and it appears right now that we will not be going to the conference afterall. However, you should still go!
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Have you seen the new poll question that is highlighted on the main The Voice of the Martyrs website? If you haven't, let me tell you the question.
And now for some great news - My husband and I will both be attending this wonderful conference, and I would love to be able to meet any of the persecution bloggers or readers who will be attending.
Please let us know if you'll be coming in the comments. And if you want to learn more about the conference click here and to take the poll online click here.
Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580
WASHINGTON, April 30 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following text is a statement by the President regarding North Korea Freedom Week:
Laura and I send greetings to all those observing North Korea
Freedom Week. I am deeply concerned about the grave human rights
conditions in North Korea, especially the denial of universal freedoms
of speech, press, religion, assembly, and association, and restrictions
on freedom of movement and workers' rights. I have met in the Oval
Office with some of the brave individuals who have escaped from that
country. I am deeply concerned by the stories of divided families,
harsh conditions, and suffering. The United States stands with the
North Korean people in their call for freedom. We believe it is every
person’s basic right to live in freedom and dignity. We will continue
to support the North Korean people as they strive to achieve the rights
and freedoms to which they are entitled as human beings. We look
forward to the moment when we can celebrate the blessings of liberty
with the North Korean people.
I just finished reading this great article over at the National Catholic Register called Easter in the Land of the Martyrs. It's a touching account of what some Iraqi Christians suffer, as well as how the church has grown stronger as a result of persecution. Here's a small snip, be sure to read the rest.
Some radical Muslims want to “cleanse” Iraq of Christians. Others associate Christians with the West, and therefore with the enemy, and feel justified in attacking them.
Especially in Archbishop Rahho’s Mosul.
After radical Muslims misrepresented Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks in Regensburg, Germany, to anger their followers, it was in Mosul that an Orthodox priest was kidnapped and then beheaded.
Archbishop Rahho’s secretary, Father Ragheed Ganni, described modern life in the ancient town that was known as a rough place even in Old Testament times, when it was called Nineveh.
... will give 5 Bible booklets in the Mandarin language to anyone who will be attending some
of the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer?
It's true. The other day when Todd Nettleton was on Janet Folger's show, he told Janet and her listeners that if you know of anyone who is going to China for the Olympics have them call The Voice of the Martyrs and have them ask for the 5 bible booklets so they can bring them to China with them.
To learn more, please call 1-800-75-VOICE.
I just received news that Pastor Zaur Balaev was released from prison!!! We here at The Voice of the Martyrs are rejoicing as Pastor Balaev was one of the prisoners highlighted in our Prisoner Alerts. And we want you to know that your prayers and letters really did make the difference.
As of today in Pastor Balaev's case there were 57142 prisoner alerts sent beginning in December 2007 and almost 3400 letters sent to encourage the pastor.
Pastor Balaev was arrested for “conducting an illegal religious meeting” in his home village in Aliabad, Azerbaijan in May 2007 and he was sentenced to two years in prison.
Here is the entire The Voice of the Martyrs news release on this great release.
On March 19, Baptist Pastor Zaur Balaev was released from prison in Azerbaijan. The release was part of a presidential amnesty on Novruz Bairam, a holiday marking the beginning of spring.
Pastor Balaev was met outside the prison by his son (pictured), and Ilya Zenchenko, head of the Baptist Union. “When Balaev was released, journalists asked whether he was feeling grateful to Azerbaijan’s president for his release, Zaur answered that he always in everything feels grateful to Jesus only and no one else. Journalists immediately quit shooting (footage) of him,” VOM contacts said.
Pastor Zaur Balaev was arrested in May 2007, for “conducting an illegal religious meeting” in his home village in Aliabad, Azerbaijan. In August, he was sentenced to two years in prison under Article 315, Part 1, for violence against a state representative. The original charges accused him of holding “illegal” meetings under the guise of religious activity without concrete authority and registration. He was also accused of attracting young people to worship services and playing loud music at services. Azerbaijan’s authorities later changed their accusations while Balaev was in custody, initially claiming that he set a dog on police during a raid on a Sunday service. After more than 50 people signed a written statement testifying to Balaev’s innocence, the dog disappeared from the authorities’ claims and Balaev was instead accused of attacking five policemen and damaging a police door.
The Voice of the Martyrs featured Pastor Balaev on the group’s Christian prisoner web site, www.prisoneralert.com. Visitors to the site composed more than 3300 letters of encouragement to Balaev.
“We rejoice with Pastor Balaev and his family upon his release,” said Todd Nettleton, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs. “We rejoice in his faithfulness, and we thank our readers who wrote letters of encouragement to him in prison. Our prayers and our letters do make a difference for persecuted Christians like Pastor Zaur!”
The Voice of the Martyrs encourages American Christians to continue praying for protection and wisdom for Pastor Balaev as he returns home to his family and congregation.
Yesterday, The New York Times had a very interesting article titled Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics in which the young people are basically saying they are hating Islam because it limits their freedoms.
Sara, a high schooler says,
“I hate Islam and all the clerics because they limit our freedom every day and their instruction became heavy over us,” ... “Most of the girls in my high school hate that Islamic people control the authority because they don’t deserve to be rulers.”
Atheer, a 19-year-old from a poor, heavily Shiite neighborhood in southern Baghdad, said: “The religion men are liars. Young people don’t believe them. Guys my age are not interested in religion anymore.”
The article goes on to say,
Professors reported difficulty in recruiting graduate students for religion classes. Attendance at weekly prayers appears to be down, even in areas where the violence has largely subsided, according to worshipers and imams in Baghdad and Falluja.
And one of the other interesting things the article says is that the young people are turned off to Islam because of beheadings and when they occur, the phrase Allahu akbar is said, meaning "god is great". The youngsters are believing that THAT is what Islam really is (instead of this religion of peace) and are deciding not to follow Islam.
The greater question I have is this possibly the beginning of a shift in the Iraqi young people towards the gospel of Jesus Christ? My hope and prayer is that it is.
You can read the full article here.
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you know that China is a communist nation and has a serious record of persecuting Christians. You may also know that China has one of the largest underground Christian churches in the world.
However, did you know that China is about to have the largest Bible print shop in the world? Amazing isn't it!
According to an article at OneNewsNow.com , China is planning on having Amity Press, which is a government-sanctioned plant, print one-million bibles per month.
But the ultimate question is why now? Is this a political ploy on behalf of the Chinese government to appease freedom loving countries like America prior to the Olympics, or is it something bigger and grander that the Lord has in mind for His people?
What do you think? Please leave us a comment and discuss!
The Iranian parliament is reviewing a bill for the Islamic Penal Law (Penal Code) that aims at legislating the death penalty for apostasy.
According to the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, the draft law defines an apostate as “any Muslim who clearly announces that he/she has left Islam and declares blasphemy.”
Article 225 to 227 of the law defines two kinds of apostates, namely, innate (Fetri) and parental (Melli) apostates. Parental apostates are individuals whose parents had been Muslims and the individual later decided to leave Islam, while innate apostates had one parent who was Muslim, “but after the age of maturity, without pretending to be Muslim, chooses blasphemy.”
The draft law states, “Punishment for an Innate Apostate is death. Punishment for a Parental Apostate is death, but after the final sentencing for three days he/she would be guided to the right path and encouraged to recant his/her belief and if he/she refused the death penalty would be carried out.”
The proposed law indicates that punishment for women will be life imprisonment and “hardship” will be exercised on female apostates who will be immediately released when they recant.
This law reinforces stringent laws Christian converts from Islam face in Iran. Pray for Iranian believers who live in danger because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Ask God to give them courage and increased faith as they remain faithful in their walk with the Lord.
One of our wonderful persecution bloggers alerted me to a great post they recently wrote called A Dangerous Christian.
Here's how the post begins...
Years ago, Mario Murillo wrote a book called, I Am the Christian the Devil Warned You About.
I couldn't help but think of that when I read a special report from Voice of the Martyrs about Pastor Hua Huiqi. In 2007, just ten minutes from the Olympic Village in Beijing, Hua was arrested and spent six months in prison. While in prison his 77-year old mother was harrassed, arrested and is still serving a two-year prison sentence for allegedly damaging government property.
Hua was released from prison on July 25, 2007, 20 pounds lighter than when he went in.
Now, here's the part that made me think "I am the Christian the devil warned you about":
February 7th, Bob Fu, who is a leading advocate for the persecuted church in China, received the 2007 John Leland Religious Liberty Award for his service to the Lord and the persecuted church, from Richard Land, the President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
In an article posted at the Baptist Press website, Bob Fu is described as...
-- "a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus as pastor of a house church and leader of a Bible school in the People's Republic of China, a nation politically hostile toward Christianity;
-- "a bold witness for his faith who endured arrest and imprisonment by Chinese authorities;
-- "a brave refugee to the United States who inspires the Christian community to fight for the liberation of their brothers and sisters in Christ living in the grips of persecution."
We here, at The Voice of the Martyrs, want to publicly congratulate Bob Fu for his award. It is well deserved.
To learn more about the award, please click here.
Today highlighted in the online website the Orlando Sentinel.com the highlighted Senior Spotlight is Mary Heitz who among many other things, says this about The Voice of the Martyrs.
"Someday I hope to: Tell more people about The Voice of Martyrs. It's a ministry to the persecuted church throughout the world. Because they will not deny who Christ is."
We here at the Persecution Blog, want to thank Mary for her ministry and also for her love of the persecuted church.
The article Stacy pointed out a few days ago discusses a topic from our March newsletter: Christians in Israel. Here's an excerpt from the Jeruslam Post article:
...CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE are also unaware of Palestinian Christians. Samir says he meets Americans in the Old City who are shocked to find he is both Arab and Christian.
All interviewees concur that this anonymous Christian community is characterized by lack of support from sister churches....
Look for more in the March newsletter, coming soon to your mail box. And if you don't get the newsletter, you can sign up for the FREE newsletter by clicking on the link at the top right corner of the page.
There is a very interesting article in the Jerusalem Post today called Christian Anonymous about how many Christians really are in Israel. Check it out, it's very interesting.
Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and columnist, David Burchett, discusses Christian persecution in his latest column at Crosswalk.com
In his article Dissin' Jesus, Burchett writes, "The fact is that Christians are getting beaten up a bit in this culture. And a lot of Christians are getting defensive about it. I understand that. Nobody likes to be mocked, ridiculed, badgered and marginalized . Okay, most of us don’t like that. The tough thing for followers of Jesus is deciding the right response to all of these verbal drive-bys. I have a hard time calling them attacks. I read the Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter. The suffering Christians around the world can use the word attack and persecution honestly. So far in America we are only dealing with bad manners and insults."
Burchett goes on to write about a recent incident when Ms. Jacobsen, an employee of ESPN was accused of making a vulgar remark about Jesus. In fact, you may have heard about this unfortunate incident because it was all over the news for a few days. Burchett goes on to explain his feelings about the issue as opposed to serious Christian persecution taking place in the world.'
It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord uses things to teach about Himself all over the world. In a story today put out by Assist News Service I read of a man by the name of Arvind Khodke who has collected postal stamps since childhood and now at 57 years old, he still collects stamps so he can learn more about Christianity. Here's part of the article...
The idea might seem far-fetched, but he has already collected about 500 stamps depicting pictures of the Holy Family, Jesus, the Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, Nativity scenes and popes. He also collects cartoons and other pictures on Christianity.
Khodke recalls his first direct interaction with Christianity was through a mission hospital in the central state. He had heard about Christian missionaries being “very charitable, and I myself experienced it in the hospital,” he told UCA News on Dec. 26.
“They really take care of the sick, and there is no better example of Christian charity,” he affirmed. He became “more interested in Christianity” when media began to report increased attacks on Christians in the state.
Please add Arvind to your prayer list and ask the Lord to reveal Himself in even greater ways to Arvind. And you can read more about Arvind and his stamp collecting here.
NEW DELHI, January 15 (Compass Direct News) – With elections due in 10 states this year and a general election scheduled for 2009, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is apparently planning to use religion-related issues to polarize voters. This tactic, Christians fear, will increase the incidence of anti-Christian violence. The party is planning to hold major rallies in almost all state capitals by the end of March in preparation for the general election, reported The Hindu on January 9. “There will be increased violence against Christians in the 10 states that go to the polls – and in other states, too,” said Dr. John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council.
Read the full story at Compass Direct.
SAUDI ARABIA – President George W. Bush has proclaimed January 16, 2008, Religious Freedom Day.
In a proclamation released by the White House during President Bush’s visit to Saudi Arabia, he called on all Americans, “to reflect on the great blessing of religious liberty, endeavor to preserve this freedom for future generations, and commemorate this day with appropriate events and activities.”
President Bush added, “In an era during which an unprecedented number of nations have embraced individual freedom, we have also witnessed the stubborn endurance of religious repression. Religious freedom belongs not to any one nation, but to the world, and my Administration continues to support freedom of worship at home and abroad. On Religious Freedom Day and throughout the year, we recognize the importance of religious freedom and the vital role it plays in spreading liberty and ensuring human dignity.”
On Religious Freedom Day Americans celebrate the 1786 passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which greatly influenced the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, promising religious freedom to all Americans.
“How interesting that President Bush would announce this proclamation from Saudi Arabia, which is consistently one of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world,” said Todd Nettleton, Director of Media Development for The Voice of the Martyrs. “This is an important day to thank God for the freedoms that we enjoy in this country. It’s also an opportunity to remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in restricted nations, like Saudi Arabia, where they are persecuted, arrested and sometimes even killed simply for being a follower of Christ.”
Pray for Christians in restricted nations who risk their all because of their relationship with Christ. Ask God to protect them and give them grace to remain faithful in spite of persecution. You can encourage persecuted Christians in a practical way by writing letters to Christian prisoners in restricted nations at www.prisoneralert.com.
The following news is courtesy of our friends at Compass Direct. Please visit here to see the full story, which is extremely fascinating.
(Compass Direct News) – A Turkish judge in the Black Sea coastal city
of
Samsun on Sunday (January 6) set free a teenager who confessed to
making death
threats against a pastor and his church, a day after authorities
arrested the minor.
Judge Sinan Sonmez of Samsun’s First Minor Petty Offenses Court ruled
that 17-year-old Semih Seymen be freed “because of his youth.”
Seymen told police he called pastor Orhan Picaklar of Samsun Agape
Church several times starting December 29, threatening to kill him. In
an official
protest filed today at the Samsun court, Picaklar objected to the
decision to
release the defendant. “The defendant openly confessed,” Picaklar told
today’s daily Taraf newspaper.
“He said he was going to do a massacre tomorrow, the police heard him say
this over the telephone, but because he is ‘underage’ he is set
free?”
A reader for the Voice of the Martyr's monthly magazine recently wrote a very good article that is published at The Bulletin - Philidelphia's Family Newspaper. In their lengthy article they cite VOM numerous times and I thought you may enjoy the article. Please check it out, especially if you didn't get January's issue.
Turmoil faces Pakistan in the wake of assassination
Pakistan
(MNN) -- As we wrap up 2007, here's rundown on some of the stories that
had significant impact on the body of Christ around the world. Our top
story today comes from Pakistan. The country is in shock after
Opposition Leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated December 27. Open
Doors supports the evangelical church in Pakistan. Paul Estabrooks of
Open Doors says, "I think there's going to be some turmoil for quite
some time over this. Of course in the past, Christians have often been
the object of anger of the dominantly Muslim society there." Pakistan
is not the only country affected. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission
India's Dave Stravers says Christians in India are bearing the brunt.
"Christians are complaining that some of the national officials that do
protect them from local Hindu extremists, their attention is diverted,
and they're not willing to get involved in another aspect of religious
violence because of this fear that Muslim/Hindu animosity might break
out in the country."
Today ABC News has an exclusive interview with the Works family. Click here to read the story or to watch the video update.
Turkey
(MNN) -- At least 27 people died and 100 were wounded Wednesday when
three car bombs ripped through a southern Iraqi city. Rival Shiite
groups have been battling for control of oil and power. The violence
has forced thousands of Christians out of Iraq. Some say 90-percent of
the Christian population is gone. Many are refugees in Turkey. World Evangelical Alliances'
Johan Candelin says they're now his mission. "The challenge is huge,
but it's better to do a little than to do nothing. So that's why I'm
going there to comfort them, to share the Gospel about the birth of
Jesus Christ and bring them some food and toys for the children."
Candelin says he's helping a
small group of 2,000 who have had loved ones killed or kidnapped. "Many
have had children that have been taken away. Once they got them back,
they left the country. So unfortunately, the Christian population in
Iraq is leaving the country very fast. It is becoming a totally Muslim
country, unfortunately."
This morning as I was going through the news I came across this "opinion" letter sent to The Daily News Record, and I thought it would be interesting for you to see, because apparently some Christians are not helping. Here's the letter in its entirety.
What has happened to Christian people? Some act like, if you are not a Christian, that they don't want anything to do with you.
I have noticed this and feel very strongly about it. However, to only care and help the people that are Christian is wrong. God didn't turn his back on any of his people.
I know some people who have been sick. Did Christian people go and see them? I have noticed the only time when some Christian people go to see you is when someone dies. And that is wrong.
If you are a true Christian, then you need to show people that you are a true Christian. There are people here that, if you are not a Christian, the first thing they will say is, "I'm sorry I can't help you." That tells me they aren't real Christians.
I don't go to church, but I help people out all the time.
Delores Gordon
Harrisonburg
So you may be thinking, what does this have to do with Christian persecution? Good question. It doesn't have anything to do directly, but it does indirectly because it's just a reminder that people are watching the Church. And some people, like this dear woman, apparently have never heard of the ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs, who DO help people who are not Christians.
In fact, I'd like to ask you to sign up for our FREE VOM Newsletter and tell a few friends to sign up also. The magazine is completely FREE and it comes once a month, and it's a GREAT magazine that will encourage you, and equip you with the ability to pray and minister to the persecuted church.
Merry Christmas!
Government authorities tortured a woman to death on September 5 for refusing to deny her evangelical faith. It was the fourth such killing in less than a year, according to a Christian support organization.
Citing Christian sources in the East African nation, Open Doors reported that 33-year-old Nigsti Haile was killed for refusing to sign a letter renouncing her faith. Held at the Wi'a military training center 20 miles south of the Red Sea port of Massawa, Haile was one of 10 single Christian women arrested at an independent church gathering in Keren. The women have spent 18 months under severe pressure.
If you read this blog, you will remember those South Korean Hostages that were taken captive by the Taliban a few weeks ago.
Today the Christianity Today website has a story about how they are coping since they were all released. The article is called In the Aftermath of a Kidnapping and is worth the read. Please check it out.
Here you go - another source confirming what we wrote about today.
Click here to read the article.
There's a great article over at the Florida Baptist Witness website titled 200 million Christians worldwide face persecution by David Eddinger that I would love for all of you to read in its entirety.
The article quotes Tim Gill who is an associate with The Voice of the Martyrs as he gave a presentation about the persecuted church to a college ministry at the First Baptist Church in Orlando.
In light of the new updated news concerning the ban of bibles in China at next years Olympics, I hope that this story over at WorldNetDaily isn't going to confuse anyone, because apparently whoever penned the story at WND, read this blog and saw the previous information, which as I said in my previous post, isn't accurate.
With that said, today WND has a column about how U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham R.- S.C., has called China's Chinese Ambassador on the carpet for not allowing bibles.
As well as Congressman, Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich.,
who also took to the floor of the U.S. House to denounce the ban plan, and
introduced a resolution condemning the attack on Christianity.
The good news is that the previous report was not true, bibles will be allowed. And I want everyone to pass on this new information, so everyone will know that the report we cited was erroneous.
And I also want to take a moment to let you know that the WND article also cites Todd Nettleton concerning how the Voice of the Martrys Bibles Unbound program does send bibles into China, because it is legal. Please sign up today to be apart of this awesome program, if you haven't already. For only $30 a month you can send 5 bibles to China. It's a great deal, and a great ministry that I pray you will be involved in.
A few days ago I posted a story that I picked up from the Catholic News Agency concerning some news that bibles were going to be banned in China, from the athletes, during the 2008 Olympics.
It has come to my attention this morning that the Catholic News story is incorrect. Apparently there was a miscommunication between a journalist from Italy and the organization committee.
The International Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organizing Committee have confirmed that bibles and other religious material will be permitted in the Athletes Village for personal use and there will also be places available for the athletes to worship, as well as their coaches and others.
I would like to thank Mike from the China Resource Center for this updated and correct information.
CAIRO, November 7 (Compass Direct News) – Egyptian police this week released two Christian rights activists detained for three months. A host of journalists, lawyers, clergyman, family and friends gathered at the Cairo home of Adel Fawzy Faltas last night to celebrate the acquittal and release on Monday (November 5) of the Egyptian head of the Middle East Christian Association and an associate. Faltas, 61, and colleague Peter Ezzat, 25, had been held on unsubstantiated charges of insulting Islam and tarnishing Egypt’s reputation abroad. Faltas had conducted an online interview with a controversial convert from Islam to Christianity only days before his arrest on August 8. Sporting a wide grin, shorts and tennis shoes as well-wishers pressed around him at his 8th floor flat, Faltas said, “I was always a free man. When you respect yourself and what you are doing, then you are free.”
For the full story, please visit Compass Direct.
Pakistan (MNN) -- Next, Pakistani Christians are bracing for more sectarian violence, after President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency. Voice of the Martyrs' Todd Nettleton explains: "He has suspended the country's constitution and essentially put the army in control of the country at this point in time. We're hearing reports of opposition party members being rounded up. So this very much is a concerning situation in Pakistan. Obviously, the Christians there could potentially be caught up in the middle of this upheaval." Ministry may be affected. Until public order is restored, Nettleton says, "Right now, any kind of a large gathering is suspect. So any kind of a large church meeting would be suspect to the government. Right now, I think that Christians are keeping their heads down and waiting to see what comes out of this. We need to pray that they'll be safe; we need to pray that they'll be protected; and I think we can also pray that this can be a time of ministry." Full story: http://www.MNNonline.org/article/10543
According to a Catholic News Agency report it appears that bibles are on the list of prohibited objects at next years upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The reason? They are a "security" risk. In fact, apparently no religious symbols will be allowed to be present with any of the athletes at the games.
The article goes on to say, "The Spanish daily La Razon said the rule was one of a number of “signs of censure and intolerance” towards religious objects, particularly those used by Christians in China. Currently in China five bishops and fifteen priests are in prison for opposing the official Church."
Please be in prayer for our suffering brothers and sisters in China. We know that many of them have been praying for the Olympics and the potential gospel outreach, and we would love to see the Lord's good work be done.
ISTANBUL, October 25 (Compass Direct News) – Muslims who attacked a Pakistani church and declared religious war against Christians from mosque minarets have apologized for their actions, human rights workers said.
Police no longer stand guard around Gowindh village’s sole church following its attackers’ apology October 12, a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) member told Compass.
No charges have been brought against the 300 Punjabi Muslim villagers who vandalized the New Apostolic Church at 6 a.m. October 10. The mob broke church windows, threw dung on its walls and cut wires to the church’s loudspeaker.
Finish reading this amazing story at Compass Direct. What you will read, may not be what you expect.
Yesterday one of my fellow persecution bloggers shared with you the controversy in China about whether or not bibles should be smuggled into China. Some say no - and others like me say - yes. And if you read this blog all of the time, you know why we say YES - bibles do need to be smuggled.
However, this video may convince you otherwise. Don't let it.
Watch another piece produced by CBN News titled Bible Distribution Overflows.
I am very happy to share with you today that one of the prisoners of the faith has now been released. I would ask that you continue to pray for this dear saint because he is faithful and still being threatened.
LOS ANGELES, September 18 (Compass Direct News) – Chinese house church leader Cai Zhuohua, jailed since 2004 for “illegal business practices” by distributing Christian literature, has been released with stern warnings to stop practicing his faith outside of the government-sanctioned church. Bob Fu of China Aid Association told Compass that on Thursday (September 13), three days after Cai’s release on September 10, officials of the Public Security Bureau took the well-known Beijing house church pastor to their offices and tried to intimidate him with threats. “They warned him to be careful – not to be interviewed, to obey the law and not attend religious activities,” Fu said. Officials from the National Security Bureau – China’s equivalent of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency – on two occasions gave Cai similar warnings before he was released, Fu said.
Please read the full story at Compass Direct.
Hello Everyone...
Stacy here...you may have noticed that I haven't been blogging the last few days and the reason why is because I have been at a conference in Nashville, and then I flew into Florida for the Values Voter Debate that took place last night at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
It was such an honor to be invited to attend this historic event and to be a delegate at the event, and when I found out that Tom White from The Voice of the Martyrs was going to be there to ask a question, I couldn't contain my excitement. However, sadly, I wasn't able to meet him in person....although I tried!
Well, Tom got to ask the following question to the seven Republican candidates that took the time to show up to the Values Voter Debate.
Tom White, Voice of the Martyrs – PERSECUTION
Christians are being beaten, jailed, and expelled throughout the Muslim World. For example, the Washington Post reported, in Saudi Arabia, no Christian church buildings are permitted. Yet, Saudi extremist Wahhabis have built hundreds of mosques in the USA with funding from Saudi Arabia. If elected, will you take action to protest this gross injustice and persecution by denying visas or by imposing trade sanctions?
And I'm happy to say that all the candidates said that they would take action against these injustices. (Forgive me, I'm recalliing and I'm pretty sure everyone said so. If one candidate didn't it would be Ron Paul...but right now I'm pretty sure it was all of them who said they'd support it. If it turns out I'm wrong, I'll correct it later.)
It was a great debate and I want to HIGHLY encourage all of you to visit ValuesVoterDebate.com and order the DVD of the debate and share it with your friends and pastors. There are questions asked of these presidential candidates that have never been asked in a presidential debate. YOU will want to see this in its entirety.
To give you a preview, click here to see the 48 questions that were asked of the candidates. And this wasn't all of the questions.
Also to see who won the debate with 63% of the delegate vote, click here.
These are wonderful times we are living in and our religious freedoms are at stake here in America. Now is the time to get informed and to learn what the leaders of tomorrow believe.
One of the great blessings of my role at VOM is to be able to draw on the expertise of our friends around the world, people who see up close the persecution of our brothers and sisters in restricted nations; people who know what’s happening on the ground in restricted nations because they are there!
When I see a news report or other item that needs a response, I can draw on the expertise of many. One such item was recently posted by our friends at CBN, an item that parrots the Chinese government’s statements about printing Bibles in China and seems to question whether outside ministries (like VOM) need to be working to provide Bibles to members of the Chinese Church.
The article points to a report where the Chinese press trumpeted the fact that their own government-controlled Bible printer, Nanjing Amity Printing Company, had printed 43 million Bibles between 1981 and 2006. Now 43 million sounds like a large number. But remember that there are more than 100 million Christians in China. That means that, over a 25 year period, the government didn’t even print enough Bibles for half the Christians to have one!
One of our contacts who works regularly in China, (I will not share her name for security reasons) offered some very good reminders about the battle to bring God’s Word to the many millions who need it and want it in China:
This (article) shows very clearly the battle that is being waged against the Word Of God in China today. The Church of China has four primary enemies: the government, false brothers in the church, the cults and misinformed people in the West.
I will not take time to give you my entire essay on this subject, only some points to remember:
1. Comparatively few Christians have access to computers and the internet on a regular basis so internet Bibles cannot reach (all of) the nation. Also, what if you had to download and print out your entire Bible? How easy would that be to read?
2. Not only can I legally buy a Bible in my city, I can buy 10. Problem is I don't need 10 Bibles in the cities where those book stores exist, I need 10 million Bibles in the country side. In most cases, if you go to a legal Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) bookstore and order many copies, the authorities follow you home, and sometimes arrest you for doing so. (This is our experience.) Also, even with urbanization, there are not enough Bibles for sale even for the city Christians.
3. If there are 100 million Christians in China, and one Bible lasts five years (I don't exactly know about this longevity number), this means that we need 20 million new Bibles every year just to replace the ones being worn out. (Remember, Chinese Christians actually read their Bible every day and they travel much and they live in harsh environments, so a Bible does not last as long as in the USA where we use it mostly on Sundays and in a clean environment.)
With these three simple thoughts alone, please tell me if we need to provide more Bibles for China? Can anyone come up with a verifiable number that shows 20 million new Bibles are being provided legally in China every year?
Friends, you will read much in the months between now and the Beijing Olympics about how FREE it is in China, how oppression and persecution have gone into the past and how our brothers and sisters are living and worshipping in freedom and ease. Unfortunately, at times you will read such stories even from reputable Christian sources.
Our friends in the unregistered churches…and in Chinese prisons…have a very different story to tell. Do not forget them.
Todd Nettleton is the director of media development for The Voice of the Martyrs—USA. He has been to China five times.
A few weeks ago I shared a video of some Chinese Christians praying for the coming 2008 Olympics to their land. I remember feeling touched in my spirit as I watched the video because if the Olympics were being held in America we wouldn't have to worry about being persecuted. We have so much to be thankful for here in America!
Yesterday according to the ChristianToday website, Release International has launched a petition to press China to halt the persecution of Christians who attend unregistered churches.
“Up to 100 million Chinese Christians are outside the official church. For some there is no church within reach, while many others cannot accept the restrictions imposed by the state,” says Release International’s CEO Andy Dipper. “They face arrest, torture and imprisonment, and the destruction of their church buildings.”
Click here to learn more about the petition.
There is a provacative news release put out today by the Christian Defense Coalition that says that, "Their Blood Will Be On Our Hands" if Congress does a premature withdrawal of American troops in Iraq. If that happened it would lead to the persecution, torture and genocide of religious minorities in that country.
There will be a press conference tomorrow where the group will go into detail about their concerns.
The press release goes on to say the following...
While in Baghdad the delegation met with Iraqi Christians leaders and were told by them if the Americans would withdraw early, it would lead to the extermination of Christians and Christianity in IraqRev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, comments, "Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi and the members of Congress must be reminded that a premature withdrawal of American troops in Iraq would lead to the persecution and slaughter of those who practice non-Islamic religious traditions. This would be especially true for hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians.
Please remember our Iraqi brothers and sisters in your prayers. Thank you!
If you've been reading our blog for the last few weeks then you know that there has been some controversy about how the South Koreans were released from the terrorist Taliban. Today Compass Direct released the following story concerning some new controversy.
ISTANBUL, September 11 (Compass Direct News) – More than a week after the Taliban released Korean aid workers in Afghanistan, some South Korean Christians are critical of their government’s ban on missionary travel to the country. They claim that the ban limits religious freedom and encourages extremist attacks on Christians around the globe. A Taliban spokesman said last week that his group would continue kidnapping foreigners because they had found it to be an effective tactic, according to Agence France-Press. Choi Han Eu, president of the Institute for Asian Culture and Development, told Compass that carrying out religious activities is a basic human right that must be protected. “In Iraq, in Somalia or any other country where there is a dangerous situation, will Christians not be able to go there if it is a Muslim country?” said Choi. Christian sources said the ban has curtailed almost all development work by Koreans in Afghanistan.
CBNNews has an interesting story today about the persecution of Messianic Jews in Israel. When I traveled to Israel in May, one day of touring I had a Jewish tour guide, who told us, without hesitation that Jews who believed in Jesus were not really Jews and also that they were the most dangerous people in Israel. And I have to tell you that I was stunned because here this woman was hosting a bus full of Christians and some of us could've been Jewish for all she knew.
Well, the CBN story is interesting because it begins this way...
CBNNews.com - ARAD, Israel - The state of Israel promises religious freedom to all faiths.However, in some Israeli towns, Jews who believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah face persecution.
One of those places is in a town called Arad.
Arad sits in the middle of the Negev Desert, about a two hour drive south of Jerusalem. For most of the nearly 25,000 residents, it's a quiet setting. But for others, it's been the scene of noisy protests and almost daily harassment.
If you're curious as to who it is persecuting Messianic Jews in Israel, and you want to learn about how they are doing it and how the Christians are responding, please click here to read the article. I think you'll find it very interesting.
Statement by the President Regarding the Death of Dr. D. James Kennedy
Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580
SYDNEY, Australia, Sept. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following text is a statement by President Bush regarding the death of Dr. D. James Kennedy:
Dr. D. James Kennedy was a man of great vision, faith, and integrity. Under his leadership, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church of Florida developed from a small group of worshipers in an elementary school cafeteria into one of America's most prominent congregations. Dr. Kennedy's message of love and hope inspired millions of Americans and others worldwide through the institutions he founded, including Coral Ridge Ministries, Knox Theological Seminary, and Westminster Academy. He was also a student of history and successful author who encouraged Americans of faith to exercise their democratic freedoms and put their values into practice. His legacy of grace and personal humility will continue to influence hearts and lives.
Laura and I pray for Anne, his wife of over 50 years, and the rest of the Kennedy family.
I have thought a lot about whether or not I wanted to comment on a few of the stories I've been reading this past week regarding the repentance of the Korean pastors, and I have to say honestly that I am not sure I really understand their need to repent for doing the work of the great commission.
While there has been worldwide criticism and even some very hateful comments coming from the critics of the Korean Christians for sending missionaries into dangerous and foreign lands, my question is - Is that really a bad thing?
It's the people who are critical that have the issue, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. I really don't think that the Lord has an issue with His children being obedient to His commands.
Here's a story on the Christian Post - please read it and then feel free to comment and let me know if you think these Pastors need to repent for doing the work of the great commission.
I think that if any pastors need to repent, it's those pastors who could care less if people get saved or they send anyone on the mission field...but then again, that's just me.
Even though it's a Saturday night, I just had to blog about this news article I just read in the Washington Post concerning the release of the South Korean hostages. But first, let me preface this post with the old saying, "No good deed goes unpunished." Let us all remember the reason these Christian missionaries went into Afghanistan in the first place, was to HELP those in need that the Afghanstan government couldn't.
Yet here in the latest article from the Washington Post we not only see the VICTIMS in this whole mess continue to be persecuted, but we also don't see a whole lot of condemnation for the murderous terrorist Taliban. Is it just me, or is this a little ridiculous!
SEOUL, Sept. 2 -- Looking wan and exhausted, and apologizing for the trouble they had caused their nation, South Korean missionaries held hostage for six weeks in Afghanistan arrived home early Sunday morning.
The 19 young Christians released last week by Taliban captors returned to a country thankful for their safe return but angered by what has been widely portrayed as the recklessness of the missionaries and the church that sent them into a war zone.
Work with me here as we take these paragraphs apart. It is totally understandable that the South Korean Christians are feeling bad about what has happened with them and their nation. God only knows, and I mean that in the literal sense, what these precious saints have undergone under the Taliban. So I think it's polite of them to apologize if they feel the need. However, I don't believe they need to apologize in the first place. These South Korean Christians are the VICTIMS in this whole mess, and yet they are being portrayed as though they were reckless and out to intentionally get kidnapped by the Taliban. Give me a break!
But the article gets even more disgusting as you read through it. Read this...
In response to public anger over this seeming recklessness, the South Korean government, which negotiated the hostages' release and was reported by the Reuters news agency to have paid a $20 million ransom, is demanding that the church and families of the hostages repay some of the costs of bringing them home, including airfare, medical treatment and the transport of the bodies of two missionaries slain by their captors.
The South Korean government said it has not yet decided whether to demand that the church and families shoulder the entire cost of its negotiations with the kidnappers. That effort, according to media reports here, included the use of agents from South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service.
Keep in mind that both the Taliban and the South Korean government are denying that any ransom was paid, and again consider how this is being played out in the press. We have a group of missionaries who went to Afghanistan to help the people over there. They were kidnapped by the terrorist Taliban - not because of anything they did, but simply because the pure evil of the Taliban is just who they are.
Yet, it is amazing to me how these poor Christians are being made out to be some horrible people because they simply went over to serve. This is an outrage and if anyone needs to apologize it's the Taliban and the South Korean government to their people. The missionaries are completely innocent and they lost a few of their friends to this terrorism that they all went through.
Let's remember WHO the victims are and WHO the terrorists are. In case the Washington Post needs to be reminded, the terrorists are the Taliban who kidnapped, and murdered. The victims are the Christians who were doing good works. Got it.
The great news today is that the Taliban has released the final three hostages they have been holding captive for the last six weeks. I've linked below some of the news agencies and their coverage of the story.
Some wonderful news has just broke via English.chosun.com citing that twelve of the nineteen remaining hostages have been released. Here's part of the article from English.chosun.com -
The Taliban freed four women and one man hours after releasing a first group of three women. The hostages were handed over to tribal chiefs in southern Gazni province Wednesday and then to Red Cross officials.Taliban officials said the rest would be freed shortly.
Provincial Governor Merajuddin Pattan told VOA he was confident the crisis was now over.
"Within three days the whole number will be released," he said.
More information here.
Please keep praying until the rest are released. And thank God while you're praying because He hears the cries of His children.
Today there isn't really much new information concerning the South Korean hostages held by the terrorist Taliban. But what we've found is that according to the english.chosun.com the Afghan government is said to be forming a special committee to solve the problem.
Afterall, when all else fails, form a committee. In fact, I know a great joke about committees, but I'll spare you because it's a groaner.
And on a completely different note, the Baptist Press is looking at this issue and trying to determine what the future of missions will be for the Koreans.
But as Korean Christians pray, church and mission agency leaders are struggling with how best to adapt to environments and cultures where a Christian presence is unwelcome and often dangerous. They are discussing how best to complete the task of taking the Gospel to "the ends of the earth," while protecting those under their watch who have been called to difficult places.And, at the request of the Korean government, plans are underway to remove all Korean Christian workers Afghanistan.
Keep on praying everybody because the Lord knows what He is doing with this situation, and I think that one thing He is doing is raising awareness about this part of the world. That's good news, and we know the Lord will have the ultimate victory in this situation.
Sometimes it never ceases to amaze me the misinformation and hate against Christians and Christian organizations like The Voice of the Marytrs. We truly do live in the days when good is called evil, and evil is called good.
This morning, as I was catching up on some news, I came across this unbelievable story written by Sophia Tesfamariam and posted on the American Chronicle website. What caught my eye about her article is that it mentions Todd Nettleton and also Kevin Turner from Strategic World Impact, Glenn Penner from VOM Canada (all 3 of who I have personally interviewed) and Carl Moeller of Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Compass Direct. She characterizes all of them this way:
"...just some of the major ones that are aggressively spearheading the disinformation campaign against Eritrea, and are actively engaged in subverting Eritrean customs, laws and traditions."
Wow! Talk about spreading misinformation! She goes on to say in her unbelievable hateful rant against Christians and the good missions work that all of these organizations do, the following:
These individuals and groups all use the same verse, read from the same, and disseminate disinformation using the lazy “cut and paste” method of reporting. Whatever site you read you will see, “Christians are tortured in prison and others exposed to malaria-carrying mosquitoes and locked in shipping containers in soaring temperatures…The government has pledged to clear the country of evangelicals by 2005 etc. etc. What a pathetic lie. If we believe what these radical, militant, hate mongering individuals are writing from their deceptive cyber bases, half of the Eritrean population were to be eliminated by heat stroke, malaria, torture etc. etc. by 2005 for being Christians. They haven’t been.Therefore, I can’t see the difference between the Islamist radicals that President Bush talked about and the Christian radicals who are equally exploiting Christianity “for political ends” and defiling “a noble faith”. Just like the Islamic radicals, these Christian fundamentalist and extremists are also elitists “led by a self-appointed vanguard that presumes to speak for the [Christian] masses”.
So let me get this straight...according to Sophia, Christian ministries like VOM and the others, are wrecking havok, spreading misinformation, trying to change customs and cultures, and of course are just as militant as radical Islamic murderers who are killing Christians every where they can, because they believe that is the only way they can get to their "heaven".
I would love to for Sophia to send me personally the documention that proves that Christians are on a mission to kill others who do not believe like they do. It's not going to happen because the Christian organizations that she is willfully attacking and maligning, are nothing but mission organizations that offer help to the persecuted Christians and those who suffer from tragedy. Islamic militant murderers on the other hand, there are plenty of incidents we could easily document where their goal is to annilhilate Christians and Jews. Visit Jihad Watch for more information on that.
Yesterday, WorldNetDaily broke this astounding story coming out of the Netherlands, where a Bishop by the name of Tiny Muskens is advocating that Christians refer to God as Allah because he believes that it will ease tensions between Muslims and Christians.
You can read the full story here at WND. And after reading the full story, I would love to hear what you have to say about this story. Would you refer to God as Allah if you are a follower of Jesus Christ? Answer in the comments please. All comments are moderated and will be approved before being published.
(Picture of Tiny Muskens courtesy of Radio Netherlands Worldwide.)
Today I wanted to give you another update on the situation with the Korean hostages. ( I took off yesterday because it was my wedding anniversary, so I hope you don't mind.) Okay, here's the latest news concerning the South Korean hostages...
News.com.au is reporting that the two freed women have now officially left Afghanistan and are headed for Seoul and then also have another medical check up on their health.
There is also no new news concerning the talks with the Taliban concerning the release of the remaining hostages.
Please continue your prayers for this vital situation.
Newsweek has also released a new story online that asks the question is there a gray zone when dealing with terrorists and paying ransom?
Are you as thankful as I am that these two precious saints were released yesterday by the Taliban. I am, and I want to thank all of you for praying and for continuing to pray for this dire situation.
Today, I wanted to give you a brief update on the two women who were released. According to an Al Jazeera website the two women who were released yesterday spent the night in a "safe place" last night.
The San Jose Mercury News is also reporting today that while there has some been discussion via phone with the South Korean government and the Taliban, there are no new face to face talks currently planned.
Meanwhile the news website, The Korea Times, is reporting that the negotiation focused on ransom and the Taliban is demanding a mere ten million dollars to free all of the hostages.
Exclusive:
Saudis might confiscate Bibles from tourists
By Michael Freund
Despite a series of initiatives aimed at generating foreign tourism, the Saudi Arabian government continues to bar Jews and Christians from bringing items such as Bibles, crucifixes and Stars of David into the country and is threatening to confiscate them on sight, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
"A number of items are not allowed to be brought into the kingdom due to religious reasons and local regulations," declares the Web site of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the country's national carrier.
After informing would-be visitors that items such as narcotics, firearms and pornography may not be transported into the country, the Web site adds: "Items and articles belonging to religions other than Islam are also prohibited. These may include Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings, items with religious symbols such as the Star of David, and others."
Contacted by the Post, an employee of Saudi Arabian Airlines in New York, who would only give her name as Gladys, confirme
