Christians Prepare to Face Increasing Persecution in India

In national elections due in the next few months, observers warn that if a Hindu Nationalist government comes to power attacks on Christians in India will increase.

There has been a spate of attacks on Christians and Muslims in India in the last year. Mapping of the attacks on Christians and Muslims show that the worst affected areas are Gujarat and Orissa, where the upper-caste Brahmins hold significant economic power.

They use this power to enforce their ideology which is to reduce the "Dalits" - or lowest caste - and Christians and Muslims to be second class citizens.

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In Kandhamal, Odisha, in 2008 attacks were carried out on "tribal" Christians and the agencies that helped them, with 38 Christians killed, 18,000 injured and 50,000 displaced.
World Vision, a Christian relief agency, was forced out of the area.

Before that, in 2002, some 2,000 Muslims were killed over three days in Gujarat. The chief minister, Narendra Modi, described himself as a Hindu nationalist and was accused of condoning the attacks. He is the prime ministerial for the BJP party.

A seminar held this week in Delhi by the Centre for Religious Freedom to develop a Religious Freedom Support Group was encouraged to form groups that would respond to attacks at six levels:

1) Spiritual support providing spiritual and crisis counselling and prayer support
2) Media and information
3) Legal rights- providing details of making legal complaints nationally and to international for a
4) Developing good relationships with the police for protection and action
5) Developing good relations with community leaders so that churches can be seen as a benefit to their communities 6) Direct relief – providing contacts for relief support and places of refuge

Seminar participants were encouraged to see that issues of religious freedom could not be separated from issues of social justice and economic empowerment, something which appears to go against the default position of many pastors in India.

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Edmonton Police Blunder on Hijab

By Farzana Hassan, Toronto Sun

We seek to be “inclusive” of all cultures in Canada — even the ones that shun Canadian values and conspire to undermine its democracy and diversity.

The Edmonton police service has announced its decision to design a hijab, the Muslim head covering, as part of a Muslim woman’s police uniform.

Did someone actually move this in a meeting? Was it really seconded?
This will be a slicker version of the hijab, with snaps to undo it quickly, as if this is the only problem the hijab poses.

The real problem is not with the garb itself but what it represents. This accommodating move is designed to attract more Muslim women to the police force, but it conveys the impression the Edmonton police wish to attract only hijabi women.

They seem to think all Muslim women who join the force will want to wear the hijab.
It makes you wonder why the hijab has become so intricately linked to Muslim women that both must now apparently be acknowledged in the same breath?

Automatically associating the hijab with Muslim women stereotypes them.
It implies, at the very least, that only those who wear the hijab are authentic Muslims.
The Qu’ran does not mandate the hijab, so wearing it is an odd criterion for authenticity.
This unwittingly endorses a cultural practice that is actually steeped in patriarchy.

For those of that ilk, this latest round of exalting the hijab by giving it a prominent place in a Canadian police service counts as a victory.

The proposal has been made as a “gesture of inclusion,” says Scott McKeen, an Edmonton councillor, in response to the aspirations of a community who “can feel a little skittish at times” about Islamophobia.

Sadly, this attitude, however well-intentioned, plays into the hands of those Muslims who hold moderates in contempt.

The hijab brigade is busily trying to sell the idea the hijab is “liberating”.
This partly accounts for the hosannas greeting the decision of the Edmonton police service.
How lovely it is that Muslim women can “do everything” while being suitably attired!
They can be effective law enforcement agents and their hijabs need not hinder their movements.
Many hijab supporters would love to project that view and, by doing so, shrug off all criticism that the hijab is patriarchal.

Continued, here.

Mark Driscoll on Piers Morgan, Tolerance, and Why Morality is Like Banking, Not Winetasting

"I brought him [Morgan] a nice study Bible and he thanked me, saying I was the first person ever to give him such a gift. The show was edited fairly, though I was bummed they took out the segment where I told him that one day he would be sitting across the desk from Jesus Christ to answer God's questions and that he was not ready for that day." -Mark Driscoll

(Seattle, WA)—Referring to an earlier interview he did with Piers Morgan in which the CNN television host pressed Pastor Mark Driscoll on the subject of tolerance, Driscoll has addressed the subject in a way that will surely resonate with many Christians.

He recalls asking Morgan what his definition of tolerance was. Morgan replied that he thought it was tolerating people "who may have a lifestyle or a belief that you don't agree with."

Driscoll's answer was, "Yes, we have to [tolerate]. When Jesus says, 'Love your neighbor,' He knows you're not going to agree with all your neighbors, but He wants you to love them, to seek good for them, to care for them."

Expounding on the issue, Driscoll continues, "Our conflict was around the old definition of tolerance (which I hold) and the new definition of tolerance (which he, Morgan, holds).

"The old view of tolerance assumed that (1) there is objective truth that can be known/ 2) various people, groups and perspectives each think they know what that objective truth is and (3) as people/groups disagree, dialogue and debate their conflicting views of the truth, everyone involved will have an opportunity to learn, grow, change and possibly arrive together at the truth.

"The new tolerance is different from the old tolerance. The new view of tolerance assumes that (1) there is no objective truth that can be known; (2) various people, groups and perspectives do not have the truth but only what they believe to be the truth and (3) various people, groups and perspectives should not argue and debate their disagreements because there is no truth to be discovered, and to assume otherwise only leads to needless conflicts and prejudices.

"Today morality is more like wine tasting than banking," concludes Driscoll. "In banking, there is a right and wrong answer…but we don't see morality like banking anymore. Instead, we see it more like wine tasting. In wine tasting, everyone has their favorite blends and no one is necessarily right or wrong—it all depends on individual palates.

The problem is, the God of the Bible sees morality like banking, not wine tasting. This is why Jesus referred to sins as "debts" in the world's most famous prayer (Matt. 6:12).

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Terrorization of Egyptian Christians Intensify; Pray

There is a perception that Christians can be attacked with impunity. "If you hurt a Christian, no one is going to do anything to you. No one is ever brought to justice in any sectarian violence against Christians… There has to be a stop to this." -Mina Thabet

(Cairo, Egypt)—Three months after the Egyptian Army liberated Delga from militant Muslims, Islamists and criminals are terrorizing Christians in other towns across Egypt, human rights activists said. (Photo: Watani Weekly)

According to the Middle East Correspondent of Morning Star News, Islamists in the towns are again charging Jizya, a Koranic fine on non-Muslims also known as the "submission" or "humiliation" tax, after a lull following the retaking of Delga on Sept. 16, said human rights activists within the country. In several towns across Egypt, Muslim extremists and criminals have set up a cottage industry persecuting Christians for profit, the activists said.

"Extortionists using the threat of kidnapping, torture and murder are seizing money, land and other property from Christian's throughout the southern part of the country but mainly in Minya and Assiut governorates," said the story.

Mina Thabet, founding member of the Maspero Youth Union said, "What you are dealing with now is some criminals attacking Christians – Christians who own shops and things like that. He added that in the case of militant Islamists, persecuting Christians is seen "as a religious duty."

Continued, here.

Coins Depicting Jesus Uncovered?

Referring to discovered coins that may depict Jesus, Dr. Tim White of Northwest University says, "The 3D imaging analysis of early coins with possible pictures of Jesus is very intriguing." 

(Gonzales, TX)—In what appears to be a very significant discovery of Art and Art History from the 1st century A.D., historian, historical archaeologist, and imaging inventor Ronald Stewart, ThD, PhD is stating that he has possibly uncovered hand-struck coins minted sometime between 33-47 A.D. which have images and depictions of Jesus Christ—many which correlate to well-known Biblical events. Research is ongoing, but these initial findings would be a major development throughout art history, Christianity, Near Eastern history, and numismatics.

Prior to this unique discovery, the earliest known depiction of the face or likeness of Jesus Christ was in 235 A.D., in what is known as "The Healing of the Paralytic." This has long been a concern for believers (and others), insofar as there were no (extant) drawings, painting, or other images of Jesus for the 200 years immediately after Christ's death.
Likewise, the earliest image of Jesus on a coin showed up in a Byzantine gold coin estimated to be from 692 A.D.

Examples of readily-identified Biblical stories of Christ which Stewart has seen on these coins include: Jesus healing the blind man, Jesus raising Jarius' daughter from the dead, and Jesus being bound and dragged on His way to Pontius Pilate.
In order to arrive at his conclusion, Stewart has relied on his own advanced imaging technology called Infinite Microscopic to Macroscopic Imaging, a system that has been used and improved upon for the past 25 years. This imaging system has been used by the federal government, select State and county agencies, private museums in the USA and the UK, and other researchers and archeologists over the past several years.

"I am excited by this work. This is exactly the kind of in-depth research of which Christians need to stay apprized. The 3D imaging analysis of early coins with possible pictures of Jesus is very intriguing," says Dr. Tim White-adjunct professor at Northwest University and senior pastor of Washington Cathedral.

Dr. Stewart plans on displaying the coins at some pending exhibits throughout the USA in 2014.

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Prime Minister Netanyahu: Iran Agreement a 'Historic Mistake'

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opened Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting by mounting a sharp attack on the agreement reached Saturday night between Iran and Western powers over the nuclear issue.

Netanyahu stated, "For the first time, the world's leading powers have agreed to uranium enrichment in Iran while ignoring the UN Security Council decisions that they themselves led. Sanctions that required many years to put in place contain the best chance for a peaceful solution. These sanctions have been given up in exchange for cosmetic Iranian concessions that can be cancelled in weeks."
"Implications of this agreement threaten many countries - including, of course, Israel. Israel is not bound by this agreement," Netanyahu affirmed. "What we achieved last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement; it is a historic mistake."

He continued, "Today the world has become a more dangerous place, because the most dangerous regime in the world took another step towards achieving the most dangerous weapon in the world."

Read more, here.

‘Nigerian Islamists Force Christian Women to Convert’

BERLIN – The Al-Qaida-linked Islamic group Boko Haram unleashed a new tactic in its war to obliterate Christianity in northern Nigeria: convert or die.

Two gunmen from Boko Haram kidnapped Hajja, a 19- year-old Christian in July as she picked corn near her village in the Gwoza hills, a remote part of northeastern Nigeria where a six-month-old government offensive is struggling to contain an insurgency by Boko Haram.

“If I cried, they beat me. If I spoke, they beat me. They told me I must become a Muslim but I refused again and again,” Hajja told Reuters in an interview.

The Islamists threatened her with a knife pressed to her throat and said her options were to convert to Islam or die.

Aaron Jensen, a spokesman for the United States government’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, “We have seen reports of forced conversion and enslavement.

The United States strongly condemns any acts of forced conversion or enslavement if true. These alleged actions violate fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of conscience.”

Boko Haram is generally translated as “Western education is sinful.” In a telephone interview with the Post about Boko Haram and radical Islamist groups, David Cook, a professor of religious studies at the Houston-based Rice University, said Boko Haram’s methods are “part of a pattern you can find in a lot of groups, Salafi Jihadists, for example, in Syria.”

Cook, a leading expert on Boko Haram, estimates core membership to be a few thousand to perhaps as many as 5,000.

Tiffany Lynch, senior policy analyst at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, told the Post by email that “Boko Haram’s stated goal is the implementation of Shari’a nationwide and in 2012 called on all Christians to leave northern Nigeria. With this goal, Boko Haram attacks churches during worship services to maximize its killing, kills individual Christians, forces Christians to convert to Islam or die, kills persons engaged in what it believes is ‘un-Islamic’ behavior, and kills Muslim critics.”

Read more, here.

The Danger of Turning Religion Into an Idol

Trevor is a good pastor friend. While having lunch with him one day, I could tell he was overwhelmed. When I inquired about his tired appearance, he replied, “I’ve been busy working for God for nearly four decades, and I’m exhausted.” Tears started welling up in the corner of Trevor’s eyes. “Pete, do you ever wonder how much is enough? How good is good enough?”
I just listened.

“Most of my ministry has been spent living in fear that I’m not good enough for God," he continued. "From day to day I question whether or not He really loves me. And if I’m honest, most of my ministry has been fueled by this fear. And the harder I try, the more I feel like I’m failing.”

My friend is hardly alone in his struggle. Many of us in ministry wrestle with trying to please God with our good deeds. I call this the “spiritual treadmill,” a condition that causes us to work harder and harder and never feel like we’re really making any progress toward pleasing God.

Make no mistake: The spiritual treadmill is a trap. It’s a lifestyle that leads us into believing freedom will exist at the next level. It causes us to think if we could do just a little more for God, then we’d know He loves and accepts us. But once we reach our goal, the spiritual bar gets raised. We end up falling short and feel the need to make up for our failures.

This striving is nothing new to our generation.

Continued, here.

Turkish Military Linked to Christian Murders

Nearly six years into the court trial over the murder of three Christians in southeastern Turkey, documents have emerged confirming that secret military units were involved in those assassinations and others.

Malatya’s 3rd Criminal Court is forcing prosecutors and the military to turn over previously secret documents, throwing light on a shadowy network believed to be behind several decades of assassination and coup plots in Turkey.

The court is conducting the trial of five men accused of stabbing, torturing and then slashing the throats of Turkish Christians Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel and German Christian Tilmann Geske in the Malatya office of Zirve Christian Publishing on April 18, 2007.

Earlier this month, the Ankara Prosecutor’s Office handed over to the Malatya court confidential intelligence files seized from the General Staff’s Tactical Mobilization Group archives, known as the “Cosmic Room” in the Turkish media.

According to the most recent indictment in the Zirve case, the documents confirm the existence and illegal activities of secret military units involved in extrajudicial surveillance and assassinations of members of Turkey’s Christian minority communities.

“These documents have made it easier for us to see the big picture of what kind of an organization this is,” Zirve plaintiff lawyer Erdal Dogan told Taraf newspaper on Sept. 16.

Continued, here.

Number of Christian Martyrs Continues to Cause Debate

The debate over the precise number of Christians martyred each year continues.
In May, a Vatican spokesman told the United Nations Human Rights Council that as many as 100,000 Christians are martyred each year.

That figure stems from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, recognised as “home to the world’s leading scholars of Christian demographics” according to Judd Birdsall, formerly of the US State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom, and currently a PhD student at Cambridge University.

While CSGC researchers estimated that around one million Christians were martyred in the first 10 years of the 21st Century, leading to an average of around 100,000 a year, Birdsall said he “found this figure puzzling”. While he said he admires CSGC’s “rigorous and interesting” work, his colleagues’ annual reports for the State Department contained “accounts of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of martyrs.

Some Christian organizations place the number as high as 1,000. Why the discrepancy?”  
One such organization is Open Doors International, which works in more than 25 countries to support Christians who face many levels of “persecution” - from extreme harassment and discrimination to torture and death.

Continued, here