A religious rights advocate in Washington, DC is condemning the arrest of more Christians in Eritrea. According to International Christian Concern, 30 Christian women were arrested in Asmara, the country’s capital city.
International Christians Concern’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia Jonathan Racho says, “The Christians were praying at a house at the time Eritrean officials raided the prayer meeting, arrested all of the people, and took them to the police station.”
Their children and grandchildren told ICC sources that they are concerned about the safety of their loved one. Racho is concerned, too, “because we know that Christians who are imprisoned in Eritrea are mistreated, they face torture, and there are cases where Christians were tortured to death.”
Racho is baffled by their arrests. “They don’t pose any security risk to the country. These are just old married people. They have just come together to pray. It doesn’t make any sense to arrest moms and grand-moms for praying together.”
Most of the detainees are members of Faith Mission Church, an evangelical body. The church has been carrying out evangelistic and development activities in Eritrea for over five decades. It was forced to go underground in 2002 after Eritrean officials required all religious groups to register. The officials then allowed only three Christian denominations to register. They include: the Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran denominations.
religious freedom
India: More Extreme Extremists
I am again grateful for religious freedom here in the United States.
New anti-conversion legislation coupled with more “extreme” Hindu extremist cells rising up across India make the future of Christians throughout the country look much more challenging.
First, “To further its campaign against Christianity, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party BJP has demanded an amendment in the Indian constitution to check religious conversions,” according to Christian Today.
While seven states across India already have anti-conversion legislation, if this amendment passed, all of India would have to abide by its regulations and not just scattered states throughout the country.
[…]
In addition to anti-conversion legislation, accompanying the good news of BJP slowly losing ground and facing “a potentially uncertain and unstable future,” according to Christian Today, there is also more bad news for Christians.
As BJP loses popularity, new extremist groups who claim to breakaway factions of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu extremist umbrella organization, are launching their campaign against Christians. These groups go by names such as the Abhinav Bharat (Pride of India), the Rashtriya Jagran Manch (National Revival Forum) and the Hindu Dharam Sena (Army for Hindu Religion).
These new organizations viewed RSS and BJP as “too mild,” according to Baptist Press, and they advocate increased violence against Christians. These beliefs have been supported in their actions with several attacks in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Jabalpur since 2006.
As persecution worsens in India, Christians need to step up and not be afraid to share their faith, Stavers said.
Also, though many actions are restricted, Christians can still do several things to reach the searching of India.
Source: Mission Network News: Political climate makes conditions even worse for Indian Christians.
Persecution Updates
Here are four recent pieces from Mission Network News, the first being from Somalia:
Somalia’s Muslim militants are hunting down converts to Christianity. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Al-Shabaab members have murdered 14 believers since July 15.
Compass Direct News reports the September 15 shooting death of 69-year-old Omar Khalafe, an underground Christian who had Bibles in his possession.
On the day of his death, Khalafe was carrying 25 Somali Bibles he hoped to deliver to an underground fellowship in Somalia.
Full article: Islamic extremists in Somalia hunting Christians
Next we go to India:
Since his conversion from Hinduism six years ago, Indian pastor Vanamali Parishudham has suffered opposition for his faith in Christ from other Hindus and even his parents. Most recently, Pastor Parishudham was physically attacked on his way to his home in Narketpalli, Andhra Pradesh.
On his five-kilometer walk home from a Sunday service, three Hindu extremists came up behind Parishudham and struck him hard on the head with what are being called sharp-edged metal rods. According to International Christian Concern, Parishudham was knocked unconscious almost immediately and left for dead by his attackers. He was bleeding severely from the head.
Full article: Pastor attacked by extremists
Now on to China:
An official notice was sent to government agencies last weekend telling them to “be prepared to use military force to crackdown on the churches throughout China,” according to ChinaAid. Dubbed the “Xinjiang Model,” this method was named after a violent incident that resulted in several hundred deaths in August. ChinaAid’s president says this preparation is unnecessary.
Full article: Officials prepare for violent crackdown
And finally back to India:
After being attacked by an ax-wielding young man, death was anticipated for Gospel for Asia missionary Titus Aamer.
Aamer met with this young man because he expressed an interest in Christianity: his parents had recently given their hearts to Christ. Later, however, the man attacked Aamer after being influenced by anti-Christian extremists.
Aamer suffered severe blows to the head and wasn’t expected to live; he remained in a coma until doctors were able to treat his wounds.
Full article: Militants in India launch brutal attack against missionary
Now you know.
Good’s Store: Update
Kenneth Burkholder is perplexed.
His business, Good’s Store Inc., is one of hundreds of Amish and Mennonite stores that do not sell American flags.
Nobody’s singling out the other places.
But Good’s is under fire. Again.
The sender of a recent mass e-mailing claimed that a young, unnamed Good’s sales clerk “wrinkled her nose” in disdain when quizzed about flag sales.”We don’t sell those here,” the clerk supposedly said, “and we never will.”
It’s true that flags aren’t in the Good’s inventory, said Burkholder, the company president. The families that own the stores are Anabaptists, who view the banner primarily as a symbol of military might.
But, he said, it’s false to imply that this faith group, which includes Amish and Mennonites, is anti-American.
Nor could Good’s find proof that the supposed testy exchange with an employee ever took place, Burkholder added.
“We researched it. That was my main concern,” Burkholder emphasized, that the company not appear arrogant.
[…]
Burkholder said the brouhaha is not going to affect the store’s Amish and Mennonite customers.
Nor is it going to compel the 51-year-old business to start stocking American flags.
All the same, he added, he would prefer that people just stop talking — and writing — about what’s for sale at Good’s.
“We’ve been through this a number of years.”
“Get Out of the Pulpit”
That’s my message to you, pastor friend, if you’re going to become political in the pulpit.
Today is Pulpit Freedom Sunday:
More than 80 pastors nationwide will be participating in the Alliance Defense Fund’s second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday on Sept. 27. The pastors will preach sermons related to biblical perspectives on the positions of electoral candidates or current government officials, exercising their constitutional right to free religious expression despite a problematic Internal Revenue Service rule that activists groups often use to silence churches.
Pulpit Freedom Sunday is an event associated with the ADF Pulpit Initiative, a legal effort designed to secure the First Amendment rights of pastors in the pulpit. Some of the pastors preaching Sunday will address the positions of candidates in current state governor’s races; others will address the positions of existing government officials or people who have declared themselves for office in future elections.
“Pastors have a right to speak about biblical truths from the pulpit without fear of punishment. No one should be able to use the government to intimidate pastors into giving up their constitutional rights,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley. “ADF is not trying to get politics into the pulpit. On the contrary, the whole point is that churches should be allowed to decide for themselves what they want to talk about. The IRS should not be the one making the decision by threatening to revoke a church’s tax-exempt status. We need the government to get out of the pulpit.”
Let them proclaim freedom from politics in the pulpit!
I have a modest proposal. Those preachers who want the government to “get out of the pulpit” will put their pen where their mouth is by signing a public commitment to stay out of politics.
Any pastors who do not get out of politics will “get out of the pulpit.”
Did I say that is a modest proposal? Yep. And it is. Just like it’s sensible.
But is it Biblical?
(By the way, how does anybody get into a pulpit?! I mean, it’s not like it’s a closet or a telephone booth or or a bathtub or a car or even some sort of clerical garb.)
Ireland Blasphemy Law
One of my friends from Hopewell Mennonite Church recently moved to Ireland. So this story caught my attention this morning:
Ireland’s new blasphemy law labeled return to Middle Ages
The Irish government plans to bring into force a new law in October that critics say is a return to medieval justice.
The legislation, aimed at providing judges with clear direction on the 1937 Constitution’s blasphemy prohibition, imposes a fine of up to 25,000 euros – about $39,000 – for anyone who “publishes or utters matter that is intentionally meant to be grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion.”
Police with a search warrant will be able to enter private premises and use “reasonable force” to obtain incriminating evidence.
“Nothing Less Than Prophetic”
For those who have taken our religious freedom for granted or have gradually slipped into lukewarmness or even hypocrisy, this book may jolt us back to reality.
“Have you read The Whirlwind Cometh?” asked my Arizona friend shortly after noon today.
He just came across the book and is probably done with it by now. He said reading it in the context of what’s going on in the United States these days made chills go up and down his spine.
“It’s nothing less than prophetic,” he said (and I think that’s an exact quote).
He thinks every young man and young woman in our Mennonite churches should read it. “Required reading for” is the way I recall him putting it.
Maybe some day I will get around to posting some excerpts from this novel, set in Canada.
Apparently written by an Amish author who chose to remain anonymous, this inexpensive little book is published by Pathway Publishers. (Maybe this qualifies as one of the few truly profitable amish novels!)
This is an unusual book, a story you will not soon forget. A new Canadian government under Prime Minister John Smith sweeps into power, and at once begins a program to bring reform to Canada. One result is that the historic peace churches are put to a test to see if they are truly nonresistant and if their faith is genuine. The young people must appear before tribunals before they are granted conscientious objector status.
For those who have taken our religious freedom too much for granted, or have gradually slipped into lukewarmness or even hypocrisy, this book may jolt us back to reality. This gripping story is not a history, but a challenge to examine the present and be ready for the future.
Hey — an idea! You could buy your own copy and post your comments here!