Category: Persecution

Persecution Blog is reporting that a pastor jailed in Vietnam has been released.

Pastor Quang Released from Vietnamese Prison The Voice of the Martyrs has received news that Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang was released from prison on the afternoon of August 30. It is unknown if his release is related to a recently announced amnesty in conjunction with celebrations of Vietnam's independence. More details about the circumstances and conditions of his release will be made public as they become available.

Approximately 100 Christian leaders remain imprisoned in Vietnam. Glenn Penner, spokesman for VOMC, expressed his continued concerns, "While we welcome Pastor Quang's release from prison, we expect the Vietnamese government to grant him full liberty to pick up his responsibilities with the Mennonite Church of Vietnam without conditions or restrictions. We also urge the Vietnamese government to release evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach and other Christians who are still unjustly imprisoned."

Praise God for this unexpected release and for His goodness, faithfulness and mercy. Continue to pray for Pastor Quang, his wife and church members, as government pressure will undoubtedly continue.

For more information on the persecution facing Christians in Vietnam, as well as more information on Pastor Quang, go to http://www.persecution.net/country/vietnam.htm.

Worthy News is reporting that Turkey is increasing its mistreatment of Christians.

ISTANBUL, August 30 (Compass) — Bektas Erdogan never expected his Christian faith of 11 years to jeopardize his career as a fashion designer in Turkey.

Hired five months ago by a designer jeans company in the Beyazit district of Istanbul, Erdogan was assured by his Muslim boss that he would be evaluated on the basis of his work, not his religion.

After his first collection sold successfully in Russia, Erdogan thought the phone call he received earlier this month from his employer — asking him to come to work on a Sunday afternoon — boded well. Maybe there was a surprise company dinner.

But that evening at the shop, his supervisor angrily accused him of “missionary work” and “brainwashing.” With the help of two employees and a relative, he beat Erdogan for two hours. The men repeatedly struck the designer’s head and face with their fists and the butt of a pistol. Three times Erdogan’s boss attempted to shoot him, but the gun failed to fire.

“He really wanted to kill me. It wasn’t just to scare me,” said Erdogan, who told Compass that he prayed for help and meditated on Bible verses while his attackers threatened to murder him and hide his body.

His co-workers released the 32-year-old Erdogan with a swollen and bloody face around 9 p.m., warning that they would kill him later. Since then, he has received three anonymous phone calls threatening his life.

Erdogan did not report the August 7 incident to the police, fearing that his boss’ ties with local officials might make him the target of further aggression. He also felt that once the authorities learned he was a Christian, they would be unwilling to help.

He believes that his employer’s anger stemmed from shop employees’ interest in Christianity. During his last three months at the job, Erdogan said, “Almost every meal [at work] became a question-and-answer session about my religion.”

A mob of 50 "Hindu radicals" today ransacked an Assembly of God church building in India desecrating the Bible, sources on the ground report.

 

— 'Hindu radicals' ransack Christian church — WorldNetDaily.com

Just wanted to let everyone know about a new program a PersecutionBlog.com. I signed up and would encourage everyone who blogs about the persecuted church to do the same.

If you found out that Paul was in jail, would you write to him? Check out this story on PersecutionBlog.com for some thoughts.

Cyndi and I have decided to write one person a week. Don't know how? Well, visit PrisonerAlert.com. There you can find out about prisoners. You can even write a short letter and have it translated. Postage isn't that expensive. Give it a shot.

Reading blogs this evening, I came across some posts about pharmacists who have refused to follow the orders of the IL state Governor.

Illinois pharmacists defy Blagojevich
Another pharmacist opposing Blagojevich

Here are some quotes:

Metro East pharmacists Peggy Pace, John Menges and Gaylord Richard Quayle say they will not compromise their religious beliefs by filling emergency contraception prescriptions – something Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says they must do.

Rep. Ron Stephens, a Republican from Greenville and a pharmacist, said he, too, will defy the governor's emergency rule that a legislative committee made permanent last week, forcing morning-after pill prescriptions to be filled.

Their positions set up a legal showdown between the state and pro-life pharmacists who see filling the prescriptions, in essence, as participating in an abortion.

…

A new rule in Illinois — the first of its kind in the United States — tells pharmacists that if they're in the business of selling contraceptives, they must fill all contraceptive prescriptions, including those for so-called "morning-after" birth-control pills.

Luke Vander Bleek owns four pharmacies in suburban Chicago and is one of several pharmacists suing Gov. Rod Blagojevich (search) over the administrative rule, which was approved by a rule-making panel of the Illinois Legislature last week.

Vander Bleek said he sells regular oral contraceptives, but is not willing to sell the "morning-after" pill known as Plan B.

He considers it tantamount to abortion, since it is taken after sexual intercourse and can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus.

I'm sure these professionals will come under fire for standing up for their beliefs. I wonder who we could write to to express support for these pharmacists? Oh well, I guess this blog will have to do….I'm glad these guys are standing for what they believe in. I'm praying they will stand strong in the face of opposition. Don't back down.

Persecution Blog today has a post that asks an interesting question:

If you said something on your website about your own personal beliefs and had someone tell you to apologize for it – would you?

It goes on to talk about two pastors who were accused of "vilifing" muslims who were persecuted under the Victorian hate speech law. What did they do? Well, it turns out that they simply told everyone to "love Muslims."

Fredric has this to say in the comments: 

Don't apologize! The law is wrong. If this is paid and followed, it is denying God and His Word. We see so many unwilling to back down for their beliefs here on this site ans suffer. If jail is all they face, then the pastors should not buckle, the church should rally behind them and a voice cry out against this.

I agree. Don't back down! Brothers and Sisters, so many believers are in chains around the world–yes, even today. They are standing up for the Truth. What makes us think it cannot happen here (here=wherever you are)? Chances are, it will eventually happen. We must decide today what we will do when that happens. So, my answer to this question is: 

if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)

This brings up another interesting point. Americans, what if you are in a foreign country and the government tells you you cannot serve God? What would your answer be? Why do I ask? It turns out that China seems to be cracking down on more and more Americans too. Just so you know, my answer would be the same as above: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Why would I take such a stand? Why would I be willing to die for Christ? Well, to me, it isn't about dying for Christ…it is about LIVING for Christ. God doesn't "call" people to die for Him; however, if in living for Him that is what we have to do to not deny God then that is what it takes. God "owns" me. He paid dearly for my life through the blood of His Son. Since I have already given my life to Him to do with as He pleases, it is just a matter of keeping on.

From PersecutionBlog.com:

The Bible Not Allowed in Saudia Arabia

A report from The Christian Post today is saying that Indians have been warned not to carry the Scriptures into Saudia Arabia.

What is next? Americans working in Saudi Arabia will also be "warned" not to take Bibles into the country? This reminds me of the first Gulf War when the Saudi's didn't want to let our military chaplains into the country or let our soldiers have Bibles. 

I don't know about you, but this makes me want to make sure everyone I know receives a copy of the bible as soon as possible.

Remember, the King James Bible is in the public domain. If you want, you can download a PDF copy of the King James Bible here.

I just wanted to let everyone know that this post on christian persecution in Saudi Arabia was edited at the request of the copyright holder (bosnewslife). It seems that they are a subscription based service, and because I didn't know this (I received the information via a third party.) I posted it trying to help alert others to the situation.

In a way, this is exciting (they found me somehow!) and disheartening (why don't they make information free. Especially this type of information.)

Do you want to stay current with the state of Christian persecution in the world today? I found this yesterday:

http://www.persecutionblog.com/