WASHINGTON — One-hundred percent of Christians in 21 countries around the world experience persecution for their faith in Christ as over 215 million Christians faced “high levels” of persecution in the last year, a leading human rights watchdog group reports. Continue reading “100% of Christians Face Persecution in These 21 Countries | re-blog CP World by Samuel Smith”
Tag: Pakistan
9 Things You Should Know About Persecution of Christians in 2013 – Reblog Gospel Coalition
JOE CARTER | 12:05 AM CT (Original)
Christians are the single most widely persecuted religious group in the world today. As we pray for the persecuted church, here are nine things you should know about the plight of believers around the globe:
1. Christian churches around the world have set apart the month of November to remember and pray for the persecuted church, through the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP).
2. According to the U.S. Department of State, Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in Christ.
3. With the exception of four official state-controlled churches in Pyongyang, Christians in North Korea face the risk of detention in the prison camps, severe torture and, in some cases, execution for practicing their religious beliefs. North Koreans suspected of having contact with South Korean or other foreign missionaries in China, and those caught in possession of a Bible, have been known to be executed.
4. In Syria, Christians are increasingly becoming the target of violent attacks. Catholic and Orthodox groups in Syria say the anti-government rebels have committed “awful acts” against Christians, including beheadings, rapes and murders of pregnant women. A special ‘Vulnerability Assessment of Syria’s Christians’ conducted by the World Watch unit of Open Doors International from June 2013 warned that Syrian Christians are the victims of “disproportionate violence and abuse.” They warned further that Christian women in Syria are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse.
5. In August 2013, Egypt faced what has been called the worst anti-Christian violence in seven centuries: 38 churches were destroyed, 23 vandalized; 58 homes were burned and looted and 85 shops, 16 pharmacies and 3 hotels were demolished; 6 Christians were killed in the violence and 7 were kidnapped.
6. The bloodiest attack on Christians in Pakistan’s history occurred in September 2013. Two suicide bombers exploded shrapnel laden vests outside All Saints’ Church in the old city of Peshawar. Choir members and children attending Sunday school were among 81 people killed. The attack left 120 people wounded, with 10 of them in critical condition.
7. During an attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi in September, Islamic terrorists asked people for the name of Muhammad’s mother or to recite a verse from the Quran in order to identify non-Muslims. One of the terrorists announced, “We have come to kill you Christians and Kenyans because you have been killing our women and children in Somalia. Any Muslims can go.”
8. Four Christians in Iran will get 80 lashes each this month for drinking wine during a communion service. Ahmed Shaheed, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said that it is common practice for Christians to be punished for violating theocratic laws. In the UN report Shaheed wrote: ‘At least 20 Christians were in custody in July 2013. In addition, violations of the rights of Christians, particularly those belonging to evangelical Protestant groups, many of whom are converts, who proselytize to and serve Iranian Christians of Muslim background, continue to be reported.’
9. An average of 100 Christians around the world are killed each month for their faith. (Note: There are several sources that claim the numbers are as high as 100,000+ a year. In the absence of solid evidence for those numbers, though, I chose to go with the more empirically verifiable estimate.)
Morning Prayer: Psalm 25:17; Isaiah 40:28-31; 2 Timothy 4:10-11 ~ strengthen us
Morning Prayer:
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening sentences
Lord Jesus – To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.
Morning readings
Psalm 25:17 ESV:
The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.
Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV:
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
2 Timothy 4:10-11 ESV:
For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
Reflection:
O Holy Christ, bless me with Your presence when my days are weary and my friends are few.
Intercessions:
Mighty and Everlasting God, Maker of heaven and earth, Comfortor of all… especially those who are in trouble and great distress this day – look with favor upon Your people. We think particularly of those who are suffering great persecution because of their faith in Your Son Jesus Christ:
+ For the victims and families of those affected by the killings and mayhem in the Westgate shopping center in Nairobi, Kenya… we pray to the Lord
+ For the victims and families affected by the suicide-bomber massacre at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan… we pray to the Lord
+ For the victims and families of Christians murdered and displaced in the Syrian civil war… we pray to the Lord
+ For the victims and families of Coptic Christians targeted for revenge in Egypt… we pray to the Lord
+ For the Christians around the world who are being murdered, raped, plundered, abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, or otherwise oppressed by Muslims… we pray to the Lord
+ For all of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are imprisoned because of their faith… we think especially of those in North Korea and Iran… we pray to the Lord
Give power to the faint and strength to the weak… breathe life into those who are exhausted… speak a word of hope and encouragement to those who feel abandoned… and comfort all who are suffering great loss this day. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Song Christ Be in My Waking
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
_____________________________________
Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.
The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.
The Silent Tragedy of Child Marriage – Re-Blog / Robert Spencer
The Silent Tragedy of Child Marriage
By Robert Spencer
May 20, 2013 – 8:00 am
“Since this is not negated later, we can take from this verse that it is permissible to have sexual intercourse with a prepubescent girl.” — IslamOnline.Com
Last Friday, an Afghan journalist named Mustafa Kazemi posted on Facebook a harrowing story about an eight-year-old girl in the Khashrood district of Nimruz province in Afghanistan, who was sold off into marriage to a mullah in his late 50s, and who bled to death on their wedding night.
It was one of many such tragedies in a land that little notes nor long remembers such deaths. An eight-year-old girl sold into marriage and dead after a brutal sexual assault that her body could not withstand is no more noteworthy than a pack animal that collapses under a too-heavy weight. It’s time and money wasted, that’s all. Forget about it. Get another one. Continue reading “The Silent Tragedy of Child Marriage – Re-Blog / Robert Spencer”
Please pray for Christians in Pakistan – World Watch List #14
Peanut Gallery: Persecuted Church in Pakistan – World Watch List #14
Discrimination impacts all aspects of daily life. Opening a new church building is virtually impossible and emigration of Christians continues unabated. The Christian community is very vulnerable and sexual assaults on underage Christian girls by Muslim men continue to be reported.
PAKISTAN
Population: 180 million (5.3 million Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Islamic Republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism/Dictatorial paranoia/Organised corruption
Christians are caught between Islamic militant organisations, an Islamising culture and a weak government with a military complicit in fuelling Islamic militants. The Rimsha Masih case prompted a debate on blasphemy laws, but others still face charges and extremist groups continue to incite hatred for Christians. Many Christians are uneducated manual workers who suffer unfair treatment from employers. Muslim men continue to sexually assault underage Christian girls. Opening a new church building is virtually impossible and emigration of Christians continues.
PLEASE PRAY:
- Praise God that the laws of Pakistan give Christians considerable freedom to run established churches
- Give thanks that the Christian population is growing and a steady but significant trickle of Muslims are joining churches
- For imprisoned Christian Asia Bibi, sentenced to death on blasphemy charges.
PERSECUTION DYNAMICS
Persecution has been in evidence in Pakistan for many years and the country is set to surpass Indonesia as the world’s largest Muslim population by 2030. Christians account for 2.5 per cent of the population.
In 2012 the case of Rimsha Masih, who was accused of having desecrated the Qu’ran, gained international attention. After three months in detention she was finally released in September and later exonerated of all charges. The case prompted a debate on how blasphemy laws are misused to target innocent people. Extremist groups continue to incite hatred for Christians: at the time Rimsha was released, other Christians were facing blasphemy charges.
Discrimination impacts all aspects of daily life. Opening a new church building is virtually impossible and emigration of Christians continues unabated. The Christian community is very vulnerable and sexual assaults on underage Christian girls by Muslim men continue to be reported. Many Christians are uneducated manual workers who suffer unfair treatment from employers. There is, however, freedom to run established churches and the Christian population is slowly growing. Despite this, society neglects the Christian minority. Extremist views may well gain popularity in the coming elections, to the disadvantage of minorities.
The Peanut Gallery 