Sunday School Teachers Persecuted
Imagine teaching Sunday school and having "Happy Week" only to be accused of paying off children to renounce their Muslim religion. Well, imagine no longer because this is what this case is about.
Three Sunday school teachers were arrested under the guise that they broke the following law.
The law providing protection for the children clearly states, "Any person who purposely uses deception, lies or enticement to make a child choose another religion not of his own free will . . . be prosecuted by imprisonment for five years and/or a fine of Rp.100.000.000 (one hundred million Rupiah)." (Criminal Law Section 53, Clause (1), section 86 Law No. 23, 2002 Concerning the Protection of Children, ยง55).
The problem however, is that the parents of these Muslim children did not bring this suit, it was the principal of the school who got upset because the children were singing Christian praise songs!
The article also goes on to say that the parents of these Muslim children actually went on field trips with their children. So it is not the parent's issue in this case, it is the principal.
During the recent court proceedings there has been intense Islamic persecution and pressure that has scared the children who were testifying. (Probably against their will.) This is a sad and frightening reality for those who follow Christ in Indonesia.