Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 062 | Wed 30 Jun 2010
'And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.' (Prayer of the Persecuted Church in Acts 4:29,30 ESV)
JUNE 2010 UPDATE -- During June we prayed concerning . . .
INDIA, where intolerant Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) continues to advance unchallenged and violence against Christians is soaring amidst a culture of impunity. Prayer is requested concerning the Maa Narmada Samajik Kumbh (Mother Narmada Social Kumbh) to be held on the banks of the Narmada River in Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh in February 2011. Millions of Hindu devotees are expected to pour into this predominantly tribal district to attend the kumbh, where they will be incited against Christians and recruited to the Hindutva cause.
* UPDATE: VIOLENCE AND INTOLERANCE IN KARNATAKA Pastors Shidu Kurialose and Nithya Vachanam of the Bethel Assembly of God Church in Chandapura were attacked by Hindutva militants on 23 June. The militants accused the pastors of 'forcible conversions' before beating them with iron rods, leaving them seriously injured and requiring hospitalisation. In Bangalore on 13 June Pastor Sam Joseph consented to go with some men and pray over their sick friend. Upon arrival, the pastor was accused of 'forcible conversions', beaten and dragged to the police station -- all in front of waiting media. He was released after agreeing to stop conducting Christian meetings. Pastor Vasanthe Kathedar of the New India Church (NIC) in Okkere, Belgaum, was conducting a home prayer meeting when he was arrested on 9 June and charged with creating communal disharmony and disrupting the peace. On 7 June, Hindu militants invaded a worship meeting run by the Jesus Prayer Team and accused Pastor Lalathamma and Kadaur Devaki (both women) of creating communal disharmony. Police arrived and arrested them under 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings.
AFGHANISTAN, where video footage of Afghans being baptised, as well as praying to and worshipping the Lord with foreign Christians, led to high-level calls for apostates to be executed in accordance with Islamic Sharia Law.
* UPDATE: AFGHAN CHRISTIANS UNDER SIEGE Sources have told Christian Solidarity Worldwide that more than 20 Afghan Christians have been detained in Afghanistan since early June. Reportedly non-Christians with ties to Westerners have also been targeted for interrogation. Afghan Christian refugees arriving in India on 8 June reported there had already been many arrests and searches as well as claiming that arrested Christians were being tortured for information on the 'underground church'. Afghan Christian refugees have also been targeted for persecution in Delhi, India. On 14 June a group of Afghan Muslim refugees deliberately rammed their car into a disabled Afghan Christian refugee named Hamidullah. Earlier in the month a young Afghan Christian refugee named Mirdad Al was attacked by a group of Indian and Afghan Muslims who abused him as a pagan and infidel. Indian police reportedly refuse to extend protection to 'illegal immigrants'.
KENYA, where the Church is finding herself in a dangerous position as she opposes the draft constitution which Kenya's most powerful forces want passed. Whilst the Church favours constitutional reform, she is unhappy with the draft constitution's softened position on abortion, its entrenchment of kahdi (Islamic) courts and 'majimbo' (ethnic federalism). Opponents of the draft constitution have been targeted with violence and 'hate speech' laws.
* UPDATE: On Sunday 27 June Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his wife Ida addressed the congregation at All Saints Cathedral, telling them they should vote 'Yes' for the constitution because the Bible tells them to. To this end PM Odinga quoted 2 Corinthians 1:18-20: 'But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No" . . . but in him it has always been "Yes" . . .' When Odinga took his seat the courageous Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala accused him of quoting the verse out of context. After correcting the PM's misinterpretation, the Archbishop urged the church to stay united. Kenya's Anglicans have committed themselves to pray daily concerning the constitution in the lead up to the 4 August constitutional referendum.
USA, where four Christians were arrested and charged with breaching the peace for witnessing to Muslims at an Arab festival. Also the Supreme Court was considering whether or not a public college could enforce an anti-discrimination policy without violating a group's First Amendment right to freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of religion.
* UPDATE: US SUPREME COURT WEAKENS FIRST AMENDMENT On Monday 28 June, the US Supreme Court (SC) ruled 5-4 against the Christian Legal Society (CLS), upholding the right of Hastings College to withhold registration from groups that discriminate, saying this does not violate the First Amendment. The SC ruling means that public colleges may dictate anti-discrimination policies. Thus the colleges are permitted to deny Christian groups registration and access to funding on the grounds that they are discriminatory if they insist that their voting members and leaders be Christians who practise biblical morality. The SC ruling has seriously weakened the First Amendment. A CLS claim will now be tested in a lower court that Hastings College has not enforced its policy equally but has targeted CLS because of its politically incorrect views on homosexuality.
JUNE 2010 ROUND-UP -- also this month . . .
* INDONESIA: BEKASI MUSLIMS PREPARE FOR JIHAD
At the recent Bekasi (West Java) Islamic Congress (held in the Al-Azhar Mosque) all Bekasi Muslims were called on Sunday 27 June to prepare to fight Christians so as to stop the Christianisation of the city. It was proposed that there would first be 'talks' but if the talks fail 'this might mean war'. The Congress urged the Bekasi regency and municipality administrations to implement Islamic Sharia law immediately to 'limit apostasy'. (Sharia limits apostasy by making it a capital offence.) The Bekasi Islamic Presidium is planning a road-show aimed at persuading every mosque in Bekasi to form its own paramilitary unit that can be quickly mobilised if the decision is made for 'war'. Yenny Wahid of the Wahid Institute comments: 'Anarchism on behalf of religion is increasing, and the government seems to fear any group that uses Islam.'
* LEBANON: SIDON'S CHRISTIANS THREATENED
Christians in the predominantly Christian villages east of the southern port city of Sidon were shocked on Friday 18 June to find pamphlets being distributed that called on Christians to 'spare their lives by evacuating the area within one week' or 'bear the consequences'. Lebanon's Daily Star reports that the pamphlets 'were signed in the name of the Wilaya (Province) of Sidon and its surrounding areas, and included Islamist slogans'. Suspicion is focused on Ein Hilwe, a Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon that houses a significant presence of Al Qaida supporters. Incitement and sectarian violence have been traced back to Ein Hilwe in the past. On Tuesday 22 June the government deployed Lebanese Security Forces to Sidon to ensure that it 'will remain an example of Islamic-Christian coexistence'.
' . . . praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints . . . ' (Ephesians 6:18 ESV)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
061. Religious freedom under threat in the West
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 061 | Wed 23 Jun 2010
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER THREAT IN THE WEST
The principal religious liberty trend of the multicultural West is that religious liberty is disappearing as the culture's biblical foundations are eroded. Unfortunately, most churches and Christians are not going to realise it until the new social order has been consolidated and persecution starts to strike them directly. Christians in the West are losing the right to criticise Islam and witness to Muslims. They are also losing the right to conscientiously object to new social norms being imposed on them essentially at the behest of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) lobby groups. Just as in non-free states, Western law-makers and law-enforcers are justifying their interventions as necessary to maintain 'peace' and/or defend 'equality' against 'extremist fundamentalism' (i.e. any ideas contrary to the democratic consensus).
Rattled by the chaos and confusion of cultural collapse -- the result of a culture losing its foundations -- Western governments are increasingly resorting to external restraint and authoritarian repression. They are opting for 'peace' through appeasement, rather than justice and defence of their Constitutions through education and rule of law. To remove contradictions, laws are being amended and re-interpreted and fundamental concepts are being redefined. Driven by fear of unrest, Western governments are increasingly proving themselves willing to secure 'peace' at any price -- even the loss of liberty. As soon as it appears that intolerant forces might protest, riot or divert their collective vote elsewhere, weak Western democracies yield and appease, repressing 'divisive' or 'provocative' elements at the behest of the most belligerent. And in a 'post-Christian' (as distinct from Judeo-Christian) culture, there is nothing as divisive and provocative as the gospel message and righteousness of Christianity.
USA: TWO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CASES TO WATCH
The population of Dearborn (Michigan, USA) is about 30 percent Arab and for some 15 years Dearborn has hosted an annual Arab International Festival. Christians (mostly Arabs) have been witnessing at the Arabfest for years without any strife, although it has stirred tensions. In 2009 a group called 'Arabic Christian Perspective' (ACP) -- led by Californian Pastor George Saieg, an Arab from the Sudan -- agreed to be confined to a booth because of complaints. However, the Arabfest organisers limited ACP's ministry greatly by assigning it a booth at the furthest end of the festival. Meanwhile, other groups that continued to witness freely were harassed and expelled, despite going out of their way to avoid trouble. This year (June 2010) an appeals court ruled that George Saieg had a right to distribute Christian literature but not inside the festival -- only on the perimeter. A team from Acts 17 Apologetics Ministries visited the Arabfest on Friday evening 18 June. Taking in no Christian literature, Dr Nabeel Qureshi, the main apologist, simply wore a t-shirt with the words 'Jesus Always Loves You' and waited for Muslims to approach him. Nabeel had a couple of wonderful conversations over about 15 minutes before he and his companions -- Paul Rezkalla, David Wood and 18-year-old Afghan convert Miss Negeen Mayel -- were arrested and led away in handcuffs to cheers and shouts of 'Allahu Akbar!' The four Christians were charged with breaching the peace and held overnight in Dearborn City Jail.
In 2004 Hastings College of the Law de-registered the campus group Christian Legal Society (CLS) after it was deemed to have contravened the College's non-discrimination policy with regard to religion and sexual orientation. The CLS by-laws mandate that members (i.e. those with voting rights and leadership eligibility) must be able to sign a statement of faith and conduct. According to Hastings College, that violated the equality rights of practising homosexuals and non-Christians. CLS sued the College on the grounds that the non-discrimination policy violated their right to freedom of association: the constitutionally guaranteed freedom to form around shared beliefs. In April 2006 a federal district court ruled against CLS. In March 2009 the US Court of Appeals upheld that decision. When the Supreme Court heard CLS' petition on 19 April 2010 the bench seemed about evenly split. A judgment is expected before the end of June. At stake is the freedom of all US student groups to choose leaders who share their beliefs.
(An expanded version of this RLPB will be available on Religious Liberty Monitoring.)
WE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:
* God will awaken the American Church to the insufficiency of political, economic and power structures to transform society, so that they will, in humble dependence, invest their hope/trust/faith in the Lord, and wait upon him as he does something new in their midst.
* America, as a nation, will 'wake up, and strengthen what remains' (Revelation 3:2a ESV).
'It is God's manner to make men . . . to see their miserable condition as they are in themselves, and to despair of help from themselves, or from an arm of flesh, before he appears for them . . .' (Great Awakening preacher, Jonathan Edwards (1703-58). From a sermon on Hosea 5:15)
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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER THREAT IN USA
On 18 June Dr Nabeel Qureshi, 18-year-old Afghan convert Miss Negeen Mayel and two others were charged with breaching the peace for witnessing to Muslims at the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan. Qureshi simply wore a t-shirt which read 'Jesus Always Loves You'. After 15 minutes of conversation with Muslims who approached Qureshi, the group were arrested, taken away in handcuffs and detained overnight in Dearborn City Jail. Also the US Supreme Court will soon rule on the case of the Hastings College Christian Legal Society which sued the College for its right to freedom of association. Hastings de-registered the campus group because CLS by-laws required its members to sign a statement of faith and conduct. That was deemed to discriminate against practising homosexuals and non-Christians.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER THREAT IN THE WEST
The principal religious liberty trend of the multicultural West is that religious liberty is disappearing as the culture's biblical foundations are eroded. Unfortunately, most churches and Christians are not going to realise it until the new social order has been consolidated and persecution starts to strike them directly. Christians in the West are losing the right to criticise Islam and witness to Muslims. They are also losing the right to conscientiously object to new social norms being imposed on them essentially at the behest of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) lobby groups. Just as in non-free states, Western law-makers and law-enforcers are justifying their interventions as necessary to maintain 'peace' and/or defend 'equality' against 'extremist fundamentalism' (i.e. any ideas contrary to the democratic consensus).
Rattled by the chaos and confusion of cultural collapse -- the result of a culture losing its foundations -- Western governments are increasingly resorting to external restraint and authoritarian repression. They are opting for 'peace' through appeasement, rather than justice and defence of their Constitutions through education and rule of law. To remove contradictions, laws are being amended and re-interpreted and fundamental concepts are being redefined. Driven by fear of unrest, Western governments are increasingly proving themselves willing to secure 'peace' at any price -- even the loss of liberty. As soon as it appears that intolerant forces might protest, riot or divert their collective vote elsewhere, weak Western democracies yield and appease, repressing 'divisive' or 'provocative' elements at the behest of the most belligerent. And in a 'post-Christian' (as distinct from Judeo-Christian) culture, there is nothing as divisive and provocative as the gospel message and righteousness of Christianity.
USA: TWO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CASES TO WATCH
The population of Dearborn (Michigan, USA) is about 30 percent Arab and for some 15 years Dearborn has hosted an annual Arab International Festival. Christians (mostly Arabs) have been witnessing at the Arabfest for years without any strife, although it has stirred tensions. In 2009 a group called 'Arabic Christian Perspective' (ACP) -- led by Californian Pastor George Saieg, an Arab from the Sudan -- agreed to be confined to a booth because of complaints. However, the Arabfest organisers limited ACP's ministry greatly by assigning it a booth at the furthest end of the festival. Meanwhile, other groups that continued to witness freely were harassed and expelled, despite going out of their way to avoid trouble. This year (June 2010) an appeals court ruled that George Saieg had a right to distribute Christian literature but not inside the festival -- only on the perimeter. A team from Acts 17 Apologetics Ministries visited the Arabfest on Friday evening 18 June. Taking in no Christian literature, Dr Nabeel Qureshi, the main apologist, simply wore a t-shirt with the words 'Jesus Always Loves You' and waited for Muslims to approach him. Nabeel had a couple of wonderful conversations over about 15 minutes before he and his companions -- Paul Rezkalla, David Wood and 18-year-old Afghan convert Miss Negeen Mayel -- were arrested and led away in handcuffs to cheers and shouts of 'Allahu Akbar!' The four Christians were charged with breaching the peace and held overnight in Dearborn City Jail.
In 2004 Hastings College of the Law de-registered the campus group Christian Legal Society (CLS) after it was deemed to have contravened the College's non-discrimination policy with regard to religion and sexual orientation. The CLS by-laws mandate that members (i.e. those with voting rights and leadership eligibility) must be able to sign a statement of faith and conduct. According to Hastings College, that violated the equality rights of practising homosexuals and non-Christians. CLS sued the College on the grounds that the non-discrimination policy violated their right to freedom of association: the constitutionally guaranteed freedom to form around shared beliefs. In April 2006 a federal district court ruled against CLS. In March 2009 the US Court of Appeals upheld that decision. When the Supreme Court heard CLS' petition on 19 April 2010 the bench seemed about evenly split. A judgment is expected before the end of June. At stake is the freedom of all US student groups to choose leaders who share their beliefs.
(An expanded version of this RLPB will be available on Religious Liberty Monitoring.)
WE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:
* God will awaken the American Church to the insufficiency of political, economic and power structures to transform society, so that they will, in humble dependence, invest their hope/trust/faith in the Lord, and wait upon him as he does something new in their midst.
* America, as a nation, will 'wake up, and strengthen what remains' (Revelation 3:2a ESV).
'It is God's manner to make men . . . to see their miserable condition as they are in themselves, and to despair of help from themselves, or from an arm of flesh, before he appears for them . . .' (Great Awakening preacher, Jonathan Edwards (1703-58). From a sermon on Hosea 5:15)
~~~~
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER THREAT IN USA
On 18 June Dr Nabeel Qureshi, 18-year-old Afghan convert Miss Negeen Mayel and two others were charged with breaching the peace for witnessing to Muslims at the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan. Qureshi simply wore a t-shirt which read 'Jesus Always Loves You'. After 15 minutes of conversation with Muslims who approached Qureshi, the group were arrested, taken away in handcuffs and detained overnight in Dearborn City Jail. Also the US Supreme Court will soon rule on the case of the Hastings College Christian Legal Society which sued the College for its right to freedom of association. Hastings de-registered the campus group because CLS by-laws required its members to sign a statement of faith and conduct. That was deemed to discriminate against practising homosexuals and non-Christians.
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