# Persecution of Christians



## Adam's Apple (May 4, 2004)

Persecution by David Limbaugh, is quite interesting and is very apropo to our times.  This book outlines in voluminous, researched detail the war taking place at this time in the educational, academic, political and judicial arenas against Christianity.  This information is not reported by the national, liberal-learning media, of course, but it is taking place all across America.  Anything Christian or pertaining to Christian beliefs is being attacked by the secularists, with the young members of society being their particular targets.  If I had kids growing up right now, I would surely be an activist in this cause.


----------



## waltky (Jan 22, 2013)

Iran holding Christian pastor for $116,000 ransom...

*Wife: Jailed American Pastor Still Held in Iran*
_WASHINGTON January 22, 2013 :  Iran's semi-official news agency said Monday that a jailed American pastor of Iranian origin is to be released after posting $116,000 bond, but his wife in the U.S. claims Tehran has no intention of freeing him and that the announcement is "a game to silence" international media reports._


> The news agency, ISNA, quoted Saeed Abedini's lawyer, Nasser Sarbazi, as saying that his client stood trial Monday in the Revolutionary Court on charges of attempting to undermine state security by creating a network of Christian churches in private homes. The pastor, who was jailed in September, has rejected the charges.  In Tehran, ISNA quoted Sarbazi as saying that the court would issue its verdict later, but that Abedini would be released within the next few days after posting the bail. ISNA said the lawyer indicated that the pastor would be allowed to leave Iran and meet his family in the U.S. Abedini's father attended Monday's court session.
> 
> However, the pastor's wife, Naghmeh, said in a statement that the Iranian regime had repeatedly promised to free Abedini on bond, but that he remains in detention.  "After the judge told Saeed's lawyer that bail was back on the table, the family in Tehran ran around in circles today to make sure Saeed was let out on bail," said his wife, who lives near Boise, Idaho. "But again, the bail officer rejected (the) bail."  Her comments were provided by the Washington-based American Center for Law and Justice, which focuses on constitutional and human rights law around the world. The center is representing the pastor's family in the United States.
> 
> ...


----------



## uscitizen (Jan 22, 2013)

Ohh poor widdle persecuted christians.  You just have a church for every few hundred people in the USA.


----------



## Book of Jeremiah (Jan 22, 2013)

uscitizen said:


> Ohh poor widdle persecuted christians.  You just have a church for every few hundred people in the USA.



Still.  I know that must kill you but the facts remain the facts irregardless of how much they annoy you.  

Interesting fact about your avatar.  It isn't too far off you know?  The real you IS invisible!  You are a trichotomy.  Three beings in one.  God said, Let US make man in OUR image.  What image?  The image of God the Father, Jesus His Son and His Spoken Word, His Holy Spirit is a picture of  Spirit - Soul - Body ( physical )   God is a Spirit and so are you although your spirit is NOT the Holy Spirit.  So as a spirit you are an eternal being. 

Which simply means you are going to live eternally some place.  Where that is, is up to you but I will give you a hint.  Mockers lose.  Big time. 


-Jeremiah


----------



## uscitizen (Jan 22, 2013)

Globally, the wealth of the Catholic Church is estimated to be in excess of $3,000 Billion. It is the highest land owner of Manhattan Island. It owns more gold than all of Europe combined.

For over 14 centuries, the Vatican was the undisputed wealthest single economic entity in the world.

The problem is that the Catholic Church hides its wealth behind tens of thousands of front companies, blind trusts, off shore accounts and other financial loopholes to both avoid tax and the revelation of its wealth.

See:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/final_testam&#8230;

And that is just the Catholic church.


Poor widdle persecuted christians.


----------



## uscitizen (Jan 22, 2013)

despite being worth an estimated $40 billion and taking in $8 billion a year from tithes. The article says that the LDS church gives away less than one percent of its annual income to charity.
Read more at Mormon Church Upset by Bloomberg Businessweek's Cover Mocking Founder, Wealth


----------



## uscitizen (Jan 22, 2013)

&#8220;Robertson lives on the top of a Virginia mountain, in a huge mansion with a private airstrip. He owns the Ice Capades [Pat Robertson's International Family Entertainment Inc bought Ice Capades In February 1995 from Dorothy Hamill for $10 million], a small hotel, diamond mines (in Zaire), a vitamin company (Kalo Vita) involved in a multi-level marketing scheme along the lines of Amway, and until recently, International Family Entertainment, parent company of the Family Channel &#8230; all estimated to be worth between $150-200 million&#8221;. How does a televangelist, who is supposedly involved in non-profit work, manage to create such a fortune for himself? One thing is known for sure, Robertson's numerous private business interests have at times pushed their expenses onto the tax-exempt, religious interests of CBN. For example, Robertson was caught using CBN money and equipment to aid his diamond mining operation -- a double good deal for Pat, seeing as he employed people in Zaire for ridiculously low wages, and managed to use CBN's infrastructure to cut costs even more. In looking at Robertson's businesses, one is struck by the constant use of non-profit, donor money to fund his schemes. (For documentation of this and more, see Rob Boston's book entitled The Most Dangerous Man in America?: Pat Robertson and the Rise of the Christian Coalition.)


----------



## pinqy (Jan 22, 2013)

Adam's Apple said:


> Persecution by David Limbaugh, is quite interesting and is very apropo to our times.  This book outlines in voluminous, researched detail the war taking place at this time in the educational, academic, political and judicial arenas against Christianity.  This information is not reported by the national, liberal-learning media, of course, but it is taking place all across America.  Anything Christian or pertaining to Christian beliefs is being attacked by the secularists, with the young members of society being their particular targets.  If I had kids growing up right now, I would surely be an activist in this cause.



Let's be clear: What Limbaugh refers to as 'persecution" simply means "lack of special treatment and privileges." I really don't see how not allowing Christianity special rights and dominance over other religious beliefs is persecution. 

Limbaugh is quite clear that he does not want neutrality or equal treatment, he wants Christian dominance and special government support.


----------



## waltky (Jan 28, 2013)

Iranian court gives Abedini 8 years in prison...

*Iran Sentences American Pastor to Eight Years Imprisonment*
_January 27, 2013   An Iranian court on Sunday sentenced Iranian-born American pastor Saeed Abedini  a convert from Islam to Christianity  to eight years imprisonment for  threatening the national security of Iran by leading underground house churches, according to a U.S. religious organization closely involved in the case._


> The 32 year-old from Boise, Idaho was convicted four months after being arrested while visiting family in Iran. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) says Abedini has been assaulted and mistreated while in custody in Irans notorious Evin prison.  The State Department and ACLJ have also raised concerns about the conduct of his trial, saying Abedinis lawyer was given little time to prepare and was excluded from some of the proceedings.  ACLJ executive director Jordan Sekulow called the case a mockery of justice.  Iran has not only abused its own laws, it has trampled on the fundamentals of human rights, he said in a statement.  We call on governments around the world to stand and defend Pastor Saeed, Sekulow added, urging the U.S. government to engage further in pressing for the release of an American citizen facing a lengthy prison term simply because of his Christian faith.
> 
> Tehrans treatment of a U.S. citizen is a brazen challenge to Washington as President Obama begins his second term and Sen. John Kerry prepares to assume the helm at the State Department.  Rather than settle the case quietly, the authorities handed it to a Revolutionary Court judge who has been sanctioned by the European Union for handing down the death penalty or long jail terms to rights activists convicted after the disputed 2009 presidential election.  The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in its 2012 annual report identified the official, Abbas Pir-Abbassi, as a judge responsible for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.  Sekulow noted that Revolutionary Court convictions and sentence need top approval. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei had to sign off on the case, he said.
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Feb 12, 2013)

Christians bein' persecuted in India...

*Violence against Christians Spreading in India*
_February 11, 2013   Hindu extremist attacks on Christians in Maharashtra state could expand even as violence elsewhere in India grows in areas where extremist groups had not beeen so active, Christian leaders said._


> Ram Puniyani of the All India Secular Forum said at press conference in Mumbai this month that Maharashtra is vulnerable to increased attacks on Christians after a decade of heightened Hindutva [Hindu nationalism], especially targeting tribal and Adivasi [indigenous] communities, as they are easy targets, with little fear of retaliation.  The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) released preliminary results of a study on Feb. 1, with Christian leaders saying that persecution is not increasing in comparison with previous years but is appearing in new areas. While the perennially troublesome Karnataka state saw the most attacks on Christians with 67, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 28, four new states entered the top 20: More attacks from Hindu extremists took place in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Mizoram and Goa than in previous years.  Moreover, CSF noted persecution against Christians from Islamic extremists in Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and West Bengal.
> 
> Joseph Dias, general secretary of CSF, said the study chronicled 250 of the worst cases of persecution, but that the actual number of incidents nationwide was much higher. While there were no pogroms such as occurred in Orissa state in 2008, persecution has become more widespread, with an increase in Hindu nationalist attacks even where the Hindu brigade is not traditionally strong, he said.  Parliamentary and state assembly elections in the next year portend an increase in attacks as Hindu extremists try to divide voters along religious lines, he said.
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Feb 16, 2013)

Granny says, "Dat's right - Iran persecutin' Christian pastor `cause he knows Jesus is the Savior o' the world...

*80 Members of Congress Call on Kerry to Seek Release of American Pastor Imprisoned by Iran*
_February 15, 2013  - More than 80 members of Congress have sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to exhaust every possible option to secure the release of American Pastor Saeed Abedini, who is facing a lengthy prison sentence in Iran because of his Christian faith._


> The senators and congressmen -- Republicans and Democrats -- say the life of Pastor Saeed Abedini hangs in the balance and calls on Kerry to engage his case directly and without delay.  As an American citizen, Mr. Abedini deserves nothing less than the exercising of every diplomatic tool of the U.S. government to defend his basic human rights, the letter states.  The letter is signed by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, including Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), co-chairman of the International Religious Freedom Caucus; Rep, an Henry Waxman (D-Calif.); Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).
> 
> Abedini is a former Iranian Muslim who converted to Christianity in 2000 and later became a U.S. citizen.  He was arrested last July by Iranian Revolutionary Guards after travelling back and froth from the U.S. to Iran as part of efforts to build an orphanage in Iran. He was convicted in September by an Iranian court in Tehran of endangering Iranian national security for trying to establish churches in Iran a decade earlier.  Abedinis wife, Naghmeh, and their two children currently live in the United States.
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Feb 22, 2013)

Mooslamics persecutin' Copts in Egypt...

*Islam or death? Egypt's Christians targeted by new terror group*
_February 21, 2013 - A group of Christian priests from a local Coptic church in Egypt were told to convert to Islam or face death, according to an Arabic news site._


> The incident, which comes in the midst of continued persecution and pressure on Egypts Christian community, took place this week in the town of Safaga, near the Red Sea, the El Balad site reported.  According to El Balad, the threats are from a new group in Egypt, Jihad al-Kufr, whose name translates to Jihad against non-believers or non-Muslims. The group targets non-Muslims, and reportedly pressures them to convert to Islam.   Its not the first time. This is happening every day, said Adel Guindy, president of Coptic Solidarity and a member of Egypts Coptic community who travels between Paris and Cairo. This one incident caught the attention of the news agencies, but there are worse things happening to the Christians every day in Egypt, he said.
> 
> Christians have felt increasingly at risk since the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, which resulted in the rise of President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood movement.  It has definitely worsened under the revolution. Once the worst part of the society surfaced -- the Islamists -- the Copts are paying a heavy price. The West doesnt really feel our pain. Its a war of attrition, Guindy said.  Copts are the largest Christian community in the Middle East, and the most prominent religious minority in the region. Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypts 85 million people.
> 
> ...


----------



## uscitizen (Feb 22, 2013)

Jeremiah said:


> uscitizen said:
> 
> 
> > Ohh poor widdle persecuted christians.  You just have a church for every few hundred people in the USA.
> ...



How do you know god said anything?
Because some people wrote down that he did?
Paper does not care what men write on it.


And there is absolutely no proof that I or anyone else will live eternally in any plane of existence.
What I am is the result of biochemical reactions and such in my brain, the combined experiences of my life, etc.  When my brain dies I cease to exist.  Period.

You post proves that christians are the ones who practice the persecution.


----------



## waltky (Feb 22, 2013)

Persecution of Christians in China...

*China's Christians see mounting persecution in country's effort to disband churches, report finds*
_February 21, 2013 - Christians and human rights advocates are alarmed over an aggressive crackdown on house churches in China, where the faithful are forced to call their gatherings "patriotic" assemblies or sent to prison where they can face torture, according to a new report._


> Cases of the government persecuting Christians rose 42 percent last year, amid a three-phase plan by Beijing to eradicate the home-based churches, according to China Aid, a Texas-based human rights group. Experts say the Communist Party in China has long felt threatened by any movement that galvanizes a large sector of the population, fearing it could wield political clout. But the nation has become more systematically hostile to worshippers, according to Bob Fu, China Aid founder and president.  There have been new tactics of persecution as well, especially with the government using secret directives and memos with long-term, step-by-step strategies to eradicate house churches, Fu told FoxNews.com. This is very serious stuff.
> 
> Last year, the government mounted a new three-phase approach designed to wipe out unregistered house churches by forcing them to join the official "Three-Self Patriotic Movement" and stop defining themselves as churches. The phase included having China's State Administration for Religious Affairs secretly investigate house churches and create files on them, the report found. The current wave of crackdowns, which began midway through 2012, is part of the second phase, according to Fu.
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Feb 24, 2013)

Iran persecutin' American pastor...

*Jailed American Pastor Writes of Horrific, Unbearable Conditions in Iranian Prison*
_February 22, 2013   Imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini wrote of what he called horrific and unbearable conditions in the Iranian prison where he is held after being convicted in January for being a Christian._


> They are trying to put me under such horrific pressures (that are sometimes unbearable) so that they can show me that my faith is empty and not real, Saeed wrote in a letter obtained by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).  Saeed wrote that his Iranian jailors subjected him to psychological warfare and that one of his guards had attacked me while he was singing worship songs in his cell. He also wrote that my body does not have the strength to walk due to the conditions of his imprisonment.  Saeed is in Irans Evin prison, sentenced there by Iranian Judge Pir-Abassi, whom ACLJ says is known as the hanging judge, serving an eight-year term for threatening the national security of Iran by leading Christian services in Iranian households.
> 
> Saeed and his Iranian lawyers were allowed to attend only one day of his trial, according to the ACLJ, which represents his wife and children still in the United States.  This is the first letter the 32-yeard-old Saeed has written since his imprisonment began in January. The pastor writes of enduring physical violence, actions committed to humiliate me, insults, and being confronted [by] extremists in the prison who create another prison within the prison walls, and death threats.  His wife, Naghmeh, said in a statement released by the ACLJ: The most important thing we can do is pray, continue to raise awareness of his case and continue to work for his freedom.
> 
> ...


----------



## noose4 (Mar 4, 2013)

The idea that Christians are persecuted in the U.S. is beyond absurd and an insult to all groups of people that have actually suffered being persecuted.


----------



## pinqy (Mar 4, 2013)

waltky said:


> Iran holding Christian pastor for $116,000 ransom...
> 
> *Wife: Jailed American Pastor Still Held in Iran*
> _WASHINGTON January 22, 2013 :  Iran's semi-official news agency said Monday that a jailed American pastor of Iranian origin is to be released after posting $116,000 bond, but his wife in the U.S. claims Tehran has no intention of freeing him and that the announcement is "a game to silence" international media reports._





waltky said:


> Iranian court gives Abedini 8 years in prison...
> 
> *Iran Sentences American Pastor to Eight Years Imprisonment*
> _January 27, 2013   An Iranian court on Sunday sentenced Iranian-born American pastor Saeed Abedini  a convert from Islam to Christianity  to eight years imprisonment for  threatening the national security of Iran by leading underground house churches, according to a U.S. religious organization closely involved in the case._





waltky said:


> Iran persecutin' American pastor...
> 
> *Jailed American Pastor Writes of Horrific, Unbearable Conditions in Iranian Prison*
> _February 22, 2013   Imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini wrote of what he called horrific and unbearable conditions in the Iranian prison where he is held after being convicted in January for being a Christian._





waltky said:


> Christians bein' persecuted in India...
> 
> *Violence against Christians Spreading in India*
> _February 11, 2013   Hindu extremist attacks on Christians in Maharashtra state could expand even as violence elsewhere in India grows in areas where extremist groups had not beeen so active, Christian leaders said._





waltky said:


> Mooslamics persecutin' Copts in Egypt...
> 
> *Islam or death? Egypt's Christians targeted by new terror group*
> _February 21, 2013 - A group of Christian priests from a local Coptic church in Egypt were told to convert to Islam or face death, according to an Arabic news site._





waltky said:


> Persecution of Christians in China...
> 
> *China's Christians see mounting persecution in country's effort to disband churches, report finds*
> _February 21, 2013 - Christians and human rights advocates are alarmed over an aggressive crackdown on house churches in China, where the faithful are forced to call their gatherings "patriotic" assemblies or sent to prison where they can face torture, according to a new report._



But are these incidences persecution of Christians per se, or are Christians just part of overall intolerance of other religions?
Let's look at the State Dept International Religious Freedom Reports.
Iran:


> The constitution and other laws and policies severely restrict freedom of religion. The constitution declares the official religion of Iran is Islam and the doctrine followed is that of Jaafari (Twelver) Shiism. The fourth article of the constitution states that all laws and regulations must be based on undefined Islamic criteria and official interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law).
> 
> The constitution provides Sunni Muslims a degree of religious freedom, and states that, within the limits of the law, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians are the only recognized religious minorities with protected freedom to practice their religious beliefs, as long as they do not proselytize. Articles 13 and 26 of the constitution specifically recognize Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism and grant these three groups the right to worship freely and to form religious societies. The government regarded the Sabean-Mandaeans as Christians, and they are included among the three recognized religious minorities; however, Sabean-Mandaeans do not consider themselves Christians. No other non-Islamic religions are recognized by the law, and adherents of these other religious groups, such as the Bahais, do not have the freedom to practice their beliefs.


So it's not just Christians, and Christians have some measure of freedom not granted to some other groups.

India:
India varies by local government..there's discrimination against non-Hindus, especially Muslims and Christians, in some areas, and discrimination against non-Muslims in others, etc. I don't see any particular anti-Christian problem as opposed to poor treatment of Christians along with other minority religions.

Egypt:


> Non-Muslim religious minorities officially recognized by the government, including most Christians, generally worshiped without harassment. However, Christians faced personal and collective discrimination, especially in government employment and the ability to build, renovate, and repair places of worship. The government also failed to redress laws relating to church renovation and construction. Members of the Bahai Faith, which the government does not recognize, faced personal and collective discrimination. The government also sometimes arrested, detained, or harassed minority Muslim sects, converts from Islam to Christianity, and members of other religious groups whose beliefs or practices it deemed jeopardized communal harmony. Government authorities often refused to provide converts with new identity documents indicating their chosen faith.


 So again, it's not explicitly Christian persecution.

China:


> The constitution provides for freedom of religious belief, but limits protections for religious practice to normal religious activities. The government applies the term normal religious activities in a manner that does not meet international human rights standards for freedom of religion. The governments respect for and protection of the right to religious freedom deteriorated.
> Only religious groups belonging to one of the five state-sanctioned patriotic religious associations (Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Protestant) are permitted to register with the government and legally hold worship services. Other religious groups, such as Protestant groups unaffiliated with the official patriotic religious association or Catholics professing loyalty to the Vatican, are not permitted to register as legal entities. Proselytizing in public or unregistered places of worship is not permitted. Some religious and spiritual groups are outlawed. Tibetan Buddhists in China are not free to venerate the Dalai Lama openly and encounter severe government interference in religious practice (see Tibet section). Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members are required to be atheists and are generally discouraged from participating in religious activities.


Is that persecution against Christians or against all theists?

I find it interesting that those claiming Christian persecution never mention persecution against other religious minorities in the same country.


----------



## Book of Jeremiah (Mar 4, 2013)

uscitizen said:


> Jeremiah said:
> 
> 
> > uscitizen said:
> ...



Right. I hear that is the case atheists brought before the courts in Europe..  Arrest any Christian overheard saying Jesus is the Only Way into Heaven and it is hell for all those who reject salvation.  What is the crime called?  Terrorism.  They claim the gospel instills fear into their hearts.  It should.  Would you prefer to be awakened to the dangers of hell only after you are there?   What kind of love would that be?  Definitely not calvary love. That is for sure.  If you want to go to hell, you are not going to do it with your blood on my hands.  I will most assuredly tell you that you must be born again to enter the Kingdom of heaven.  Without holiness, no one will see the LORD.  God isn't grading on a curve here. You either take the holiness of Christ garment and put it upon you or you can forget it. You own righteous deeds are considered nothing more than filthy rags in the eyes of G-D Almighty.  Put on Christ or stand before G-d naked and ashamed one day.  He didn't send His Son to the Cross as a mere "option" of salvation.  No.  HE IS THE WAY TO SALVATION.  THERE IS NO OTHER WAY.  - Jeremiah


----------



## pinqy (Mar 4, 2013)

Jeremiah said:


> Right. I hear that is the case atheists brought before the courts in Europe..  Arrest any Christian overheard saying Jesus is the Only Way into Heaven and it is hell for all those who reject salvation.  What is the crime called?  Terrorism.  They claim the gospel instills fear into their hearts.



Whoever you heard that from was lying.


----------



## Book of Jeremiah (Mar 4, 2013)

pinqy said:


> Jeremiah said:
> 
> 
> > Right. I hear that is the case atheists brought before the courts in Europe..  Arrest any Christian overheard saying Jesus is the Only Way into Heaven and it is hell for all those who reject salvation.  What is the crime called?  Terrorism.  They claim the gospel instills fear into their hearts.
> ...



It's the law there.


----------



## pinqy (Mar 4, 2013)

Jeremiah said:


> pinqy said:
> 
> 
> > Jeremiah said:
> ...



That is untrue. It is certainly not the law anywhere in Europe. Now, specifically targetting and saying Group X will go to Hell, may well run afoul of hate speech laws in some countries, but that's not what you were claiming.


----------



## freedombecki (Mar 5, 2013)

uscitizen said:


> despite being worth an estimated T$40 billion and taking in $8 billion a year from tithes. The article says that the LDS church gives away less than one percent of its annual income to charity.
> Read more at Mormon Church Upset by Bloomberg Businessweek's Cover Mocking Founder, Wealth


 That's not 100% on the mark, uscitizen. I lived next door to Mormon country for 35 years. All they make goes to a church that (1) teaches families how to take care of each other (2) re-establishes people who have no home, no car, no job, etc., to having from their pockets (3) refusal to publish good works for human praise (a biblical idea, BTW) (4) gives scholarships to many, many young people whether they are Mormons or not. 

Mormons I knew were first and foremost good neighbors. Individuals gave a ton of money to secular schools, supported teams, and rehabilitation community centers, not to mention gifts to the medical community of hospital equipment not otherwise affordable.

I have no pony in the Mormon show, but I will tell you that as human beings, they prosper neighbor, other citizens' businesses, communities, state, and nation in ways you will never hear about because of their adherence to (3) above.


----------



## waltky (Mar 11, 2013)

Christian persecution in Pakistan...

*Violence Against Christians Flares in Pakistan Amid Charges of &#8216;Blasphemy&#8217;*
_March 11, 2013  &#8211; Christian schools in several cities remained closed on Monday following the weekend looting and torching of more than 150 Christians&#8217; homes and stores by a Muslim mob riled by allegations of &#8220;blasphemy&#8221; against Mohammed._


> The violence in Lahore, the capital of Punjab state, sparked protests by Christians there and in other cities, in some cases leading to clashes with police. Senior church leader Bishop Azad Marshall appealed to the Christian community to remain calm but also called for justice.  Police officials said some of those involved in the attacks in a Christian enclave known as Joseph Colony had been identified from media footage and had been arrested. But few accused of similar offenses in the part have been convicted or punished.  Also under arrest is the Christian whose alleged blasphemy is being blamed by the mob for their behavior.
> 
> Named by police as Sawan Masih, the 28 year-old has been charged under section 295-C of Pakistan&#8217;s blasphemy laws, which states, &#8220;Whoever by words, either spoken or written or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death.&#8221;  The latest violence comes just days after Pakistani Christians voiced concern about the way non-Muslim minorities fare under the country&#8217;s electoral system as the May elections approach.
> 
> ...



See also:

*Egypt's Christians Think U.S. Is Backing Muslim Brotherhood, Congressman Warns*
_March 8, 2013  &#8211; A Republican congressman who recently returned from a Mideast visit warns of eroding U.S. credibility, citing a perception among Egyptians that the Obama administration is supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and employing a double standard by overlooking abuses, especially those targeting minority Christians._


> Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), a veteran religious freedom advocate, visited the region to hear first-hand the concerns of Christians about their future amid turmoil in their countries.  In a report on his trip, he urged the administration to pursue policies emphasizing the need to protect minority rights, particularly in its dealings with Egypt&#8217;s new government and the anti-Assad opposition in Syria.  In Egypt, Wolf reported that apart from his interaction with government officials, &#8220;no one painted a rosy picture for the future of Egypt.&#8221; &#8220;In fact, many suggested that life was better under [ousted former president Hosni] Mubarak. I was repeatedly told that the new government led by President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood is ignoring women&#8217;s rights, human rights and religious rights.&#8221;
> 
> Wolf witnessed the perception that the U.S. is backing the Muslim Brotherhood. (Secretary of State John Kerry heard the same complaints during his recent visit to Cairo, as did his predecessor before him.)  &#8220;I was told people think the United States is developing relationships with the Muslim Brotherhood because it believes the party is going to remain in power,&#8221; Wolf said. &#8220;[T]he feeling is that as long as the Brotherhood protects the United States&#8217; interests in the region, it can act with impunity within its borders.&#8221;  Wolf met with Copts and other Christians, and heard about at atmosphere of intolerance towards Christians and women, regularly fostered in television programming.  &#8220;Churches have been desecrated, and no permits to build new churches have been granted since January 2011,&#8221; he said. January 2011 marked the start of the protests that led by Mubarak&#8217;s departure.  &#8220;By most accounts, U.S. policy has not evolved to meet the new realities in Egypt,&#8221; Wolf said. &#8220;We have embraced the Morsi government the same way we embraced the Mubarak government to the detriment of other elements of Egyptian civil society &#8211; elements with which we have a natural affinity.  &#8220;While such groups may not take the reins of leadership in the near future, they are central to the Egyptian democratic experiment, and we can bolster their standing and effectiveness if we take the long-term view.&#8221;
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Mar 12, 2013)

Iran persecutin' Christians...

*Iran puts five Christians on trial for their faith*
_March 11, 2013 - Five Iranian Christian converts who were detained late last year will reportedly begin trial in Irans Revolutionary Court this week, according to a human rights group following the case._


> The five men were among seven arrested in October when security forces raided an underground house church in the city of Shiraz during a prayer session. They will be tried at the Revolutionary Court in Shirazs Fars Province on charges of disturbing public order, evangelizing, threatening national security and engaging in Internet activity that threatens the government, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a religious persecution watchdog group.  Judging from recent cases, it is likely that, at the very least, those detained may face lengthy prison sentences, said CSW spokesperson Kiri Kankhwende.  According to Kankhwende, the crackdown against Christian converts and house churches parallels a general increase in repression against many, including journalists, religious and cultural minorities and others as the government is leading up to Junes presidential elections.
> 
> The five imprisoned men, Mohammad Roghangir, Surush Saraie, Eskandar Rezaie, Shahin Lahooti and Massoud Rezaie are members of the Church of Iran denomination, one of the country's largest house church movements.  There has been a noticeable increase in the harassment, arrests, trials and imprisonments of converts to Christianity, particularly since the beginning of 2012," Kankhwende said. "Any movement that differs from or offers an alternative to orthodox Shia Islam, and any persons who chooses to follow an alternative belief system, are interpreted as a challenge to the very state itself.   The underground church network has been rapidly growing in Iran as a place where converts from Islam to Christianity can pray as they are forbidden to attend services at formal churches.
> 
> ...


----------



## koshergrl (Mar 12, 2013)

I have stumbled onto the anti-Christian death cultist thread.

Joy. I was wondering where the pigs were congregating, and now I know.


----------



## waltky (Mar 16, 2013)

Christians Persecuted In Pakistan, Middle East...

* Minorities, including Christians, at receiving end in Pakistan*
_Friday, March 15, 2013 - Nearly 2.2 billion Christians across the globe, 37.5 per cent of whom live in North and South America and 25.7 per cent of whom reside in Europe, are today wary of the treatment meted out to the followers of Jesus Christ and readers of the Holy Bible in most parts of the Muslim world, though they are also distressed over the state of affairs in non-Muslim countries like India._


> While the followers of the worlds largest religion, are visibly rattled over the recent Joseph Colony disaster in Lahore where an unruly mob had set ablaze the houses of the Christians, besides reducing their belongings to mere ashes, they are yet to erase the memories of a six-month old incident when the prayer leader of an Islamabad mosque was arrested by police on charges of fabricating the evidence that he had used to accuse a 14-year old Christian girl Rimsha Masih of blasphemy.  Just to recall, in September 2012, poor Rimsha Masih could have faced a death penalty for allegedly desecrating the Quran, but a timely testimony from an eye-witness in her favour and against the prayer leader has saved her from going to the gallows.
> 
> We all know that non-Muslim minorities like the Hindus, Ahmadis and Sikhs etc and have already voiced grave concern, and so have their sympathizers in the US and Europe, over the failure of successive Pakistani regimes to protect the rights of minorities in a country where over 2.9 million followers of seven different faiths, besides Islam, are living together.  These minorities comprise more than three per cent of all Pakistanis having national identity cards.The break-up of religious minorities in Pakistan shows that the Hindu community is the largest with 1.4 million followers. Christians are second on this list with 1.27 million followers.
> 
> ...


----------



## waltky (Apr 17, 2013)

US Pastor Suffers Internal Bleeding In Iran Jail...

* Persecuted Pastor Saeed Abedini Suffers Internal Bleeding After Prison Beatings*
_4/16/2013 - It began last week. American pastor Saeed Abedini, who is serving an eight-year prison term in Iran because of his Christian faith, has been suffering from internal bleeding for monthsinjuries received from beatings in prison. In what could only be viewed as a cruel act of psychological abuse, prison officials took Pastor Abedini to a hospital last weekonly for him to be turned away and brought back to Evin prison without receiving medical treatment for his internal bleeding._


> Now comes word out of Iran that the beatings and physical abuse are intensifying. Abedini reported Monday that last week he was severely beaten the same day the prison officials took him to the hospital.  During the weekly prison visit Monday, Abedini's family reported that his physical condition is worsening, having seen firsthand the marks and symptoms left by the recent beating. These beatings and the internal injuries are causing Pastor Abedini frequent fainting spells. Iranian officials are telling Abedini it could be an additional two months before he will receive medical treatment.  Such a delay is inhumane and a gross violation of Irans international obligations.
> 
> In addition to refusing to give Abedini the medical care he needs, it now appears authorities are stepping up their physical abuse and psychological torture. Abedini reported that cellmates, who appear to have connections to the Iranian intelligence police, recently threatened they would suffocate the pastor in his sleep, making his death look like an accident. The daily threat that his life could be taken by his internal injuries or by the hands of cellmates weighs heavily on Abedini.
> 
> ...


----------



## koshergrl (Apr 17, 2013)

But NOBODY persecutes Christians! It's all in your head!


----------



## waltky (Apr 22, 2013)

Iran pressuring pastor to recant conversion to Christianity...

*American Pastor Faces Worsening Conditions in Iranian Prison*
_April 19, 2013   Almost 570,000 people have signed a petition calling for international pressure on Iran to release American pastor Saeed Abedini amid continuing reports of that he is being beaten and maltreated in prison. The Iranians reportedly are demanding that he recant his faith in Jesus Christ or spend even longer behind bars than the term he already faces._


> Arrested last September while visiting family members in Iran, Abedini  a convert from Islam to Christianity who moved to the U.S. in 2005  was sentenced in January to eight years imprisonment for  threatening the national security of Iran. He is incarcerated at Tehrans notorious Evin prison.  The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which is leading a campaign for his release and representing his wife and children in Boise, Idaho, reports troubling news from relatives visits to the prison  reports of continuing beatings, internal bleeding and fainting, denial of medical treatment and death threats from cellmates.
> 
> A letter from Abedini obtained by the ACLJ earlier this month recounted that prison authorities had told him, Deny your faith in Jesus Christ and return to Islam or else you will not be released from prison. We will make sure you are kept here even after your eight year sentence is finished.  I can not express in words how concerned I am about Saeeds physical and mental health, the pastors wife, Naghmeh, said in a statement released through the ACLJ.  He is now continually attacked and threatened. The Iranian government should know that we are watching and aware of what they are doing to Saeed inside Evin prison. We need to speak louder until Saeed is home safely on U.S. soil.
> 
> ...


----------



## pinqy (Apr 22, 2013)

koshergrl said:


> But NOBODY persecutes Christians! It's all in your head!


None of the examples are laws specifically against Christians.


----------



## waltky (Jun 3, 2013)

Granny says dey's persecutin' dat poor good Christian family man...

*American Pastor Jailed in Iran Now Accused of Spying, Brainwashing Young Muslims*
_June 3, 2013   Amid growing international calls for Iran to release an imprisoned Iranian-American pastor, a regime mouthpiece reportedly has accused Saeed Abedini of spying for the U.S. government and brainwashing young Iranian Muslims to convert to Zionist Christianity._


> According to Mohabat News  an independent Iranian Christian news agency  Irans Bultan News charged that Abedini, who was arrested while visiting Iran last September to build a non-sectarian orphanage, had been commissioned to pursue nine objectives.  These included the illegal planting of house churches; creating financial networks to support the spread of Zionist Christianity including attempts to brainwash and recruit Iranian orphans; and transmitting news from inside Iran directly to the White House  which it said amounted to an accusation of spying.
> 
> Bultan (Bulletin) News is linked to Irans intelligence service and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Another Iranian site linked to the intelligence service, Didehban News, also ran the report.  Abedini, a convert from Islam living in the U.S. in 2005, was sentenced in January to eight years imprisonment for threatening the national security of Iran. Amid a campaign led by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the evangelical pastors plight taken up by members of Congress and by Secretary of State John Kerry. On Friday, ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow brought his case before the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, with the pastors wife, Naghmeh Abedini, sitting alongside him.
> 
> ...


----------

