With all the talks of ethnic fighting amongst the Islamic factions of Iraq, this broadcast on 60 Minutes last night broke my heart. If anyone knows of anyway to help these folks, please post.

Vicar: Dire Times For Iraq's Christians
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/29/60minutes/main3553612.shtml?source=mostpop_story

our percieved persecution here pales in comparison, no?

Another interesting quote from that story:

Sure does. We're complaining about the merits of a fantasy movie, while there are Christian who literally are kidnapped and killed for simply being Christian.

Christians and Muslims are like oil and water. Christians are the oil, Muslims the water. Eventually, the fires of Christianity will burn hot enough to evaporate the hatred that is Islam.

How's that? Pretty good, huh? On-the-fly, even! Woohoo! LOL

Miser:

In no way downplaying the plights of Christain brethren in Iraq. It is very real. You can, however, go to the website of Voice of the Martyrs, which is a missionary organization that tracks Christian persecution worldwide. Alot of the Moslem countries openly and physically abuse Christians, deprive them of rights, jail them etc. Heck, the true Catholic Church in China in still underground (as opposed to the puppet national catholic church in China).

I received the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter yesterday. There is a great deal of suffering going on all over the world. Christians are being persecuted, tortured, and killed for their beliefs. If you can get your hands on a book called "Jesus Freaks" you can read the stories of some of these individuals. Heartbreaking and inspiring.

"We're complaining about the merits of a fantasy movie," - Mr. Miser I choose rather to send my money to those who truely need it - not waste in on a film designed to undermine my child's faith in God that these martyrs are dying for. Our children need to be strong in their faith - I see no conflict there. Is a child's fantasy movie the most important thing in life - no, but our daily decisions either strenghthen or weaken our children's faith. As I look around this world I am fully convinced that we must do everything in our power to strenghthen our kids' faith.

The parents in these muslim and communist countries have other worries for their children. Will their kids give in to the culture around them? be used as a pawn to get their parents to deny their faith? be tortured and killed for being Christian? will they starve because parents are in jail or not allowed to work? They don't have the luxury of watching movies - I would put money on the fact that this one will not be allowed to be seen in any muslim country.

Way back earlier this year, I'd make posts about Christian persecution in the U.S., mostly with the intention of stirring debate, because what christians deal with in the U.S. is mostly of intellectual abuse (with rare exceptions).

But overseas, it is pretty rotten for people following Christ, and I mean physically, mentally, intellectually etc. In fact, the warning of Jesus (Father will turn against son, mother against daughter, I will cause division in families) is actually an observable reality in Middle Eastern, some African, and of course, communist countries. We do not realize how well we have it here.

In the U.S., I'd say persecution of a physical nature does happen to Jewish folks, not institutionally, but from bigots among the citizenry, though nothing near the pogroms that took place in western europe.

There is almost no physical persecution of Jews here in the US, unless you count property damage as physical persecution.

As for bigotry, I can't disagree there, but that is true for all groups and yes it is not anything like Jews have dealt with and continue to deal with in other countries.

But thanks for thinking of us

Yeah, I was referring to property damage and also kids being beat up that often is missed by the larger media. That still does happen unfortunately.



Hey, its Hannukah after all

I also get Voice of the Martyrs. I was surprised to see 60 minutes cover Christian persecution. My one concern was the comment about it being worse after Saddam was removed. As if maybe we (the United States) are somehow responsible. Of course, I am sure it is true but there have always been areas of the world where Christians suffer tremendous persecution, torture and death. I hope someone else goes on to broadcast the plight of Christians in other Middle East countries, Indonesia, China etc. It is astonishing that in this day of political correctness and tolerance the Christians suffer such agonizing persecution simply because they profess Jesus as Lord - but then that is the way of the cross. Christ is a rock of offense to the world.
As Boler'slet's agree to "agree together" in prayer for the persecuted church:
For their strength and endurance under physical hardship,for their faith and commitment to Christ to grow only stronger and bolder, for their spirits to see the spriit world and the heavenly host that is near to them and for their witness to break the bondage of their persecutors. And, especially for the children, that God would hold them close and cover them with the shadow of their wings that they might be able to persevere until they break free of persecution or until God calls them home.

Trail Hiker,

File the note on 'post-Saddam' persecution under 'Unintended Consequences'.

Well, true - normally it's not on the approved list of topics. This time, though, they believe it can be placed at the feet of a Republican President. So, full speed ahead.

That was my thought as well.