My previous post on the Episcopal church stands in stark contrast to the fate of a man in Iran who may well have already been put to death for the "crime" of being a Christian.
Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is a convert from Islam to Christianity. And that is a huge no-no in Islamic nations and a nation as Iran in particular.
Because Pastor Nadarkhani is a pastor, he is seen as an enemy of Islam because he is trying to convert Islamics to becoming Christians.
Well, Pastor Nadarkhani is about to meet a martyr's fate for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is a crime in Iran to try to convert people from Islam to any other religion. But Christianity is reviled because it is evangelical in nature and practice.
Now, there is no evidence that Pastor Nadarkhani was forcibly making people convert from Islam to Christianity. But just mentioning that there is another way is too much for the ayatollah's. They have to make example's of people like Pastor Nadarkhani.
And it appears that they will.
No matter what happens, Pastor Nadarkhani will probably die for his faith. Whether at the hangman's noose in a prison. Or on the outside chance he would actually be freed, die at the hands of pro-government goons that will take him out.
In the linked article, Pastor Firouz Sadegh-Khandjani relayed a story of another man that was released by the Iranians and later killed by pro-government agents.
The sad fact is that there is little that can be done.
One group that is fighting for Pastor Nadarkhani's release is Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a British Christian group. They need our help and prayers.
Even the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, spoke up for Pastor Nadarkhani. And finally, the White House is getting ramped up on this.
All that can happen now is that the Iranians do indeed accede to multiple streams of international pressure and at least commute the death sentence or free Pastor Nadarkhani unconditionally.
This is something that should unite all people of faith and Christians in particular. It stands in total contrast the freedom of religion guaranteed in the Untied States constitution. That a regime would feel so threatened that they will kill a man of a very minority faith because he shared his religion. No, he did not take a gun, a sword or any other weapon but the weapon of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible and share with people.
For that, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani may very well be the latest martyr of the Christian faith.
It is for people like this that churches should be fighting for.
4 comments:
what is it that prevents the US from becoming a theocracy? I often wonder this because I get the feeling a lot of religious freaks would love this.
Because we have the FREEDOM OF religion. Not to impose by force any religion on anyone. You are free to be or not be a believer. A lot of people can not accept the fact that that Founders while not all explicitly Christian understood that there is a positive role for religion in our society.
I actually agree with that. While I personally do not see religion as a positive force, I do see the need that the choice to worship should be unrestricted. I think there are many people of all religious (and non) stripes who would gladly trade in this Constitutional freedom if their own religion or perspective could rule the country.
I agree that there is a very, very small number of Christians that would think what you are suggesting. However, I think that the Islamofanatics are the ones that are agressively seeking what you fear. And those seeking it are very much willing to use force to meet their goal. Too many people on the left seem to fear the Westboro crowd over the al-Queda crowd. Who has killed more people to spread their narrow religious POV?! I rest my case!
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