Endangered Christians | Ain't Complicated

Iran: Christians Targeted

Iran’s supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslims this week to fight the “blind and savage terrorism” fueled by the West. That bodes ill for believers, who are often targeted because of assumptions that Christianity is Western.

Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says there’s reason for concern. “Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated that he is going to really go after the underground churches. [He claims] they’re illegal, they shouldn’t be happening. There’s these apostasy laws…. We need to be praying for the legislators in Iran that they would do the right thing and that they would be guided by the Lord.”

Will these statements unleash a wave of violence against Christians? “Unfortunately, when there is this kind of violence taking place, Christians are targeted,” explains Musselman, adding that it is not always the faith aspect that draws negative attention. Sometimes, it is not directly faith-related. He says, “The churches, if they’re displaying crosses or if they’re not dressing like Muslims,” can paint the mark.

However, the harsh reactions aren’t necessarily creating the response expected. A combination of disillusionment and despair is actually acting as a catalyst for the Gospel. Musselman notes that “we’re seeing these underground churches springing up all over Iran, where there are young people coming to know the Lord.”

Read the full article here: Iran ramps tension with the West

Karen in Burma

OK, the Karen — not my sister. As far as I know, she’s in Woodburn, not Rangoon.

“It seems like the Burmese government is getting ready for a huge offensive action against a lot of people,” he says.

Klein believes he knows the target. “From what my contacts are saying from inside, they’re now trying to get rid of anybody who is opposed to the government. Everybody wants freedom. They want it to open up. They do not like this government, but they feel hopeless.

“Yesterday, we told you about the thousands of tribal people who have been forced out of Burma or killed. Klein says it’s nothing short of genocide. The question is: Why won’t the United Nations do something about it? Klein says, “The reason the UN Security Council won’t do anything is because China and Russia are backing the military government.”

Klein says there could be a “huge genocide before the election in October. They’re going to slaughter a whole bunch more people. They’ve been killing the Karen, and more and more of the tribals are being killed now. I’m just concerned that there are going to be millions of people slaughtered — is the world going to ignore and act like it’s not our problem?”

While the world ignores what’s going on, Vision Beyond Borders isn’t. Klein says, “People have lost all confidence in their government. Even people are turning away from Buddhism. They’re looking for hope. They’re turning to Jesus Christ. There are some Bibles getting into the country, and there is a tremendous need for more Scriptures because people are open to the Gospel now.”

Source: Burma seeking nuclear weapons and more

Rwanda, Congo, Orissa, Burma — with a shrug, the world sweeps them under the rug.

An Ominous Use of Facebook

I use Facebook, albeit with great caution and reserve.

But even that caution and reserve would not have protected me from a Gardes Maroc Maroc:

Muslim uses Facebook profiles to find and target Christians

But what if your Facebook profile were used as a weapon against you by Muslim extremists opposed to your Christian faith?

According to Compass Direct News, this is exactly what is happening in Morocco, where over 100 foreign Christians have been deported since the beginning of the year for allegedly “proselytizing.”

Facebook user Gardes Maroc Maroc collected pictures and information from Christian converts’ Facebook profiles, then posted 32 collages of the Christians, referring to them as “hyena evangelists,” “wolves in lamb’s skins” and accusing them of trying to “shake the faith of Muslims.” If the latter statement were true, the Christians would be guilty of breaking Morocco’s anti-proselytizing law and would face deportation or prison.

[…]

In addition to Maroc singling out several Christians, he also called for authorities to investigate the Village of Hope in Ain Leuh, where he claimed “foreign missionaries” were indoctrinating the children. This may be part of the reason the orphanage was raided on March 8 and 26 foreign Christians expelled.

Does this mean I will hide my faith online?

No.

At least not at this point.

Which naturally begs this follow-up question: At what point would I consider hiding my Christian identity online?

Persecution in Mexico

What do you think of when you think of Mexico? Illegal immigration? A hot vacation spot? What you may not realize is how much persecution exists there and how widespread it is.

[…]

While Mexico does have religious freedom laws, much of the persecution takes place in more rural areas where it is harder for the government to keep tabs on how Christians are being treated.

Plus, Musselman said the response to the Gospel has been tremendous throughout these villages: “One of the reasons there’s been an increase in persecution is the indigenous people are really responsive to the Gospel.”

As the church grows, Musselman said persecution increases, but then the church grows even more.

To shed light on everything taking place there, VOMC created a video, Mexican Voices: Testimonies of the Persecuted.

Source: Video seeks to raise awareness about persecution in Mexico

Alert: India Email

Did you get this email?

You may have recently gotten an e-mail prayer alert that reads like this: “Please pray for churches in India. Buddhist extremists in India burned down 20 churches last night. Tonight they plan to destroy 200 churches in the province of Olisabang. They plan to kill 200 missionaries within 24 hours.”

Rev. Samuel Stephens with India Gospel League says this message is false. He writes, “If this were true, I would have been one among the first few to receive such information because of the presence of our extensive network of pastors and church planters spread over a good part of the country. Further, there are no provinces in India. We have states and districts. There is no state or district named Olisabang.”

Another fact that debunks the e-mail’s veracity: Buddhist extremist groups are prevalent only in Sri Lanka, not in India. Violent attacks on Christians and pastors and the destruction of churches by Buddhist extremists are becoming increasingly frequent and widespread in Sri Lanka.

However, IGL says Buddhists and Christians in India have lived peacefully and in amity with each other for years. Stephens notes: “I am led to believe that this message is a deliberate, planned and mischievous attempt by Hindu extremists to damage the good relationship between Buddhists and Christians. It is intentionally sent out to create animosity between these two groups.”

Source: E-mail rumor spreads anti-Christian sentiment

I didn’t.

Survival: USA, President Obama, Israel

Can they all survive these perilous times?

I got to pondering that question on Tuesday of this week (ie April 6, 2010).

My conclusions?

I do not see how President Obama can survive to complete his first term in office.
Nor do I see how the United States can survive almost three more years of what it has experienced in the first year plus of the Obama Presidency.
About Israel, well, take man’s measuring rod and she’s doomed also.

I should remind you at this point that I am a two-separate-kingdoms Christian. I am apolitical and my comments are likewise.

I believe we are in a period of intense peril for the USA, for President Obama, and for Israel. I believe this great peril exceeds anything any of those three have experienced before (at least if we limit the scope of that comment to the modern nation-state of Israel and not historical Israel).

The course presently charted for the US will hasten its collapse or at least the collapse of her system of government (which would be catastrophic enough). I will not elaborate on why I think that.

President Obama surely has more than the usual potential assassins plotting his destruction. Again, I’ll not take the time to elaborate. I don’t see how the Secret Service can keep him safe.

Israel need only look at the radical change this week in the American nuclear posture to doubt her own survivability. The US has just declared it has taken a nuclear counterstrike off the table as a response to a non-nuclear WMD attack. If the US will not retaliate that way to such an attack on itself, why should Israel think the US will stick its neck out for her when she’s attacked with chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons? Couple that with other developments of late, and Israel appears dangerously alone.

Well, I have taxes to do. And a Sunday School class to prepare to teach in the morning. And missionary reports from Mexico to get ready for tomorrow afternoon’s Mission Board meeting. And other pressing matters pressing me. I already spent too much time on this. I shall have to forego the pleasure of expanding my points.

In closing, these points:

As I understand the Scriptures, Israel survives, thanks only to dramatic divine intervention.
About the United States and about President Obama, I don’t know. I’m not that kind of prophet.
I just don’t see how they survive another three years.
I pray they do.

I call on God’s faithful people to pray that way as well.

PS: Am I going off the deep end?

PS, Jr: I’m not fearful nor paranoid. Nor am I a kook. 😉

Kyrgyzstan: Did You Know?

Will religious freedom increase with new Kyrgyz government?

While Kyrgyzstan’s President Bakiyev refused to resign, an interim government has been established, headed by Former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva.

Wednesday’s coup has left many in the country in fear, says Sergey Rakhuba, vice president of Russian Ministries.

[…]

Rakhuba is hoping the coup also means a repeal of restrictive religion laws.

[…]

That could happen as Otunabayeva wants the new government to draft a new constitution and hold new elections in the next six months.

In the meantime, reports indicate Bakiyev is trying to rally supporters in the southern portion of the country, which could mean additional bloodshed.