Returning Home

As I noted in an earlier blog, I injured my right shoulder while in Ukraine. At the time, it was just uncomfortable. It has since blossomed into full scale agonizing pain, so much so that I have only managed a couple of hours of sleep during each of the last three nights.  As I rode on the train yesterday to Bonn for meetings today, I came to the decision that I could no longer continue this trip. Enduring the pain that has spread throughout the right side of my body has become the focus of my life over the past few days, not the meetings that I have come for.  So I am returning home this afternoon.

While I am grateful that this injury had nothing to do with my cancer or stem cell transplant, it is still frustrating and very disappointing to have to cut this trip short, as I had such hopes for it.  Could I continue, I would.  But God is on control and while I plead for His touch on my shoulder during this time, I rest in this knowledge, even though I get very little rest otherwise.

Pentecost and Persecution

Today was Pentecost.  The following is a portion of the message I preached on at the Free Church Mennonite Brethren Church in Owingen, Germany:

Jesus' sermon in Luke 4:16-30 marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.  In chapter three He had been baptized at which time the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and the Father had confirmed his identity.  Then in chapter four He had been driven into the wilderness to be tempted.  Now, He goes into the synagogue and He announces that the Spirit of the Lord is upon to preach good news to the poor.  It is this anointing that prepares him for a mission that will be marked by humiliation, opposition, rejection, and suffering, as we see in how the crowd responds to His sermon.  They seek to kill Him.

Hardly a great way to begin one's public ministry.  If this had happened to me the first time I preached, I am not sure if I would still be in the ministry. Indeed, I suspect that my sermon was more a persecution of those who had to listen to it than the other way around.

But as we continue through the New Testament, we see that this event is a model for the remainder of Jesus' ministry.  Jesus goes forth and ministers in a context of opposition and hostility.  Ultimately, His ministry leads to the Cross, a symbol of weakness, shame, rejection and humiliating death. 

This is typically how God's purposes are accomplished in Scripture; through Spirit anointed messengers who spread the Good News in the face of opposition, humiliation, rejection, and death.  This is the path that Jesus walked and it is the path that His disciples will walk following the day of Pentecost. 

Like Jesus, they wait until they are empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to begin to obey Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8 to take the gospel to the world; a world which the Bible says is in a state of rebellion to God, hostile to the Word of God and the people of God; a world that is not marked by an openness to the things of God but a rejection of them. They go out as lambs among wolves.  They are sent out as "witnesses" and witnesses, as we note in Scripture and church history, often martyrs

And like their Lord, his messengers are anointed by the Spirit to preach the gospel to those in need.   And like their Lord, we read in Acts that they almost immediately ran into opposition.  Already in chapter 4, Peter and John are arrested and interrogated for a sermon they gave in chapter 3 shortly after Pentecost.  In their prayer in 4:25-29 they recount how David, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had said:

'Why did the Gentiles rage,
        and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
        and the rulers were gathered together,
             against the Lord and against his Anointed'-

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

They knew that just as Jesus had suffered, so would they.  Being empowered by the Spirit would not protect them from persecution; indeed, the Spirit empowered them for persecution and continued ministry.

This is a principle that we must not miss in Scripture. The purposes of God are always carried out in an environment of conflict, with God's messengers suffering rejection, opposition, pain and even death in order to carry this good news to others.  They suffer so that others can be healed.  They die so that others can live.  They suffer shame and rejection so that others can receive honor and acceptance with God. 

Do they do this on their own strength?  No, it is only possible because of Pentecost.  It is only possible because the Spirit of the Lord is upon them, empowering them in times of weakness, giving them the words to say when words fail them, praying for them when they don't know what to say.  Life lived in the shadow of the cross is life lived in the power of the Spirit.  There is no contrast between a theology of the cross and a theology of the Spirit.

A cross-centered gospel requires Spirit-filled, cross-carrying messengers.  In the plan of God, there is no other way that His purposes can be achieved.

Suffering the Effects of Persecution in the Present in Ukraine

I am in Germany now, having arrived yesterday after five days in Ukraine. The Ukrainian trip was enjoyable, though physically challenging for me. We visited a number of elderly pensioners who were persecuted for their faith by Soviet communist authorities during the years of 1946-1990. Many of them are now rather sickly, forced to spend a disproportionate amount of their meager pension on medications. Additionally, prices have risen to on electricity and gas (both of which used to be quite cheap) and these elderly saints now find themselves in real financial need.

Since 2004, The Voice of the Martyrs has been assisting a number of these pensioners with finances to supplement their paltry pensions. Coming off of this trip, I realize that we will need to increase our subsidies rather significantly, given the increasing inflation and the decreasing health of those we serve. We will mention this more in upcoming editions of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter.

I would like to share some of their stories with you right now, but I hurt my right shoulder during our trip back to Kiev from Lviv over some rather rough roads. Hence, I am finding it rather painful to type. Here are the faces of some of the dear sisters that I met.

 

More on Theology Matters

On Friday I read an article,"Why Theology Matters" by Michael Craven, which I think speaks to the weblog discussion that's been going on recently regarding the importance of theology in the Christian walk (see also Glenn's April 14 entry "Is Doctrine Worth Dying For"). I found the article to be very articulate and challenging and I especially liked Craven's reminder the lack of a proper biblical theology leads to a "less than adequate witness of the Gospel." To read it, click here. Hope you will find it a worthwhile read as well.

Leaving for Europe Tomorrow

I would appreciate your prayers as I leave tomorrow evening for 16 days in Europe during which I will be visiting various ministry partners in Ukraine, Germany, Belgium, and Holland.  I will also be speaking at a church in Germany on Pentecost and to a youth conference in Holland.  The trip will involve a lot of traveling as you can see from my itinerary:

May 3-8 in Ukraine
May 8-13 in Germany
May 13-15 in Belgium
May 15-18 in Holland

I will try to blog from Europe as I have opportunity to keep you up to date with how things are going.  This is my longest trip since my stem cell transplant in December 2006 and so there is a bit of apprehension on the part of some.  But I am feeling fine and am confident of God's ability to keep me healthy.  Pray that I will be able to encourage my co-workers and that there will be some profitable decisions made.  Pray especially as I visit some elderly pensioners in Ukraine who were persecuted by the Soviets when they were younger.  I find their testimonies absolutely enriching and I rejoice that we have been able to assist a number of them over the years since their pensions are very small.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission Strikes Again

As reported in today's Persecution and Prayer Alert, in a ruling released late last week, the Ontario Human Rights Commission declared that Christian Horizons, an evangelical Christian organization that provides care and residential services to 1,400 developmentally disabled individuals, was wrong to require that its employees sign a lifestyle and morality statement as a condition of employment and ordered that it "cease and desist" from doing so.  The lifestyle and morality statement prohibits behaviours Christian Horizons believes are prohibited for Christians including "homosexual relationships," "extra-marital sexual relationships (adultery)," "pre-marital sexual relationships (fornication)," "viewing or reading pornographic material," "endorsing" alcohol or cigarettes and "lying."  This kind of code is quite common among faith-based organizations.  The Voice of the Martyrs has one that we require our staff to sign annually.

Boasting that it's ruling "has a significant impact for faith-based organizations that provide services to the general public," the OHRC ordered Christian Horizons to pay Connie Heintz (39) two years' wages and benefits, plus $23,000 in compensatory damages because from a complaint brought by Ms Heintz claiming that she was forced from the organization when she made it public that she was a lesbian. Heintz (39) willingly signed Christian Horizons' "lifestyle and morality" employee code when she joined the organization in 1995. By all reports, she agreed with it fully at the time.  In 2000, however, she made it known to the organization that she was a lesbian, Heintz was offered counselling in her evangelical tradition to assist her in determining whether she could return to compliance with the basic requirements of her employment. Instead, she resigned, filing a human rights complaint four months later.

As we noted, contrary to what many are claiming, the OHRC ruled against Christian Horizons not on the grounds that the agency receives virtually all of its funding from the Ontario government (more than 75 million dollars annually) and, as such, is subject to the provincial human rights code. Rather, the ruling was because Christian Horizons' primary mission is to serve the public need for group homes for people with developmental difficulties.  In a press release by the OHRC, Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall commented, "This decision is important because it sets out that when faith-based and other organizations move beyond serving the interests of their particular community to serving the general public, the rights of others, including employees, must be respected." The Tribunal also ruled that Christian Horizons must develop anti-discrimination policies, provide training to all employees and managers, and review all of its employment policies to ensure that they are in compliance with Ontario's Human Rights Code (click here to review the entire ruling).

As I read the ruling, it seems to me that had Christian Horizons limited its work to serving Christians that it likely would have won its case, despite receiving public funding from the government.  But because Christian Horizons serves others outside of their faith community, they are now subject to the same restrictions as a secular organization.  Don Hutchinson, General Legal Counsel and Director of Law and Public Policy with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada rightfully asks in a National Post blog, "Imagine that Mother Theresa and her Missionaries of Charity had been told that their ministry in the streets of Calcutta was, in essence, not ministry but ‘social work.' In order for the sisters to continue in their work, they would no longer be permitted to require that staff members share their beliefs and ministry commitment."  This is, in effect, the consequence of this ruling for Christian Horizons. They have been stripped of their right to operate as a faith-based organization simply because they chose not to limit the scope of their work to Christians. 

Does anyone else find this outrageous?

Who Determines What "Objectionable" Literature Is?

Late last week, I received an email concerning one of our stories in the Persecution and Prayer Alert.  The sender stated that he was unsure how to understand the prayer request following the report of charges laid in Singapore under the Undesirable Publications Act against a couple who was alleged to have been distributing an evangelistic tract entitled "The Little Bride."  We asked people to pray that the charges be dropped. The sender asked if we were saying that they were not, in fact, distributing the tract and that the charges are false.

I can understand the confusion.  As we understand it, the couple had, indeed, distributed the tract.  Nor do we dispute that the tract may be perceived by some as having violated both Singapore's Undesirable Publications Act and Sedition Act.  That does not, however, make their activity criminal, in our opinion.  The problem lies with the nature of these kinds of laws which seek to punish someone who might offend someone else.  Ong Kian Cheong (49) and Dorothy Chan Hien Leng (44) are charged under the Sedition Act for "promot[ing] feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore" (to view the full text of this Act, click here). The two were also charged under the Undesirable Publications Act, which defines "objectionable" material as an item which depicts "race or religion in such a manner that the availability of the publication is likely to cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups" (to read this Act, click here).

As I mentioned in a blog back in December, the trend toward defending an individual's or group's "right" to NOT be offended (in particular, it seems, for Muslims and homosexuals) and thus limiting the rights for others to express differing opinions, represents a significant threat not only to freedom of expression and religious liberty but to democracy and undermines two basic premises of the Rule of Law principle itself.  The first is the shift from the objective (what was expressed) to the subjective (how was it received and/or perceived). This represents (as Mats Tunehag well stated) "a shift from freedom of speech to "freedom from hearing'; from the speaker to the hearer; from what was said to how it was perceived; from instigating violence to ‘I was offended'; from objective to subjective criteria and laws."

The second Rule of Law principle that is being undermined by this trend is the loss of predictability. Laws and the consequences of breaking them should be predictable. But how can one know if what one says is going to offend someone, somewhere, for some reason? The law, therefore, becomes entirely subjective and liable to abuse, just as we see the Blasphemy Laws of Pakistan being abused today.

We need to recognize that in a free society (such as Singapore purports to be), the right to free expression includes the right to offend. But freedom of expression also includes the right to defend. Everyone, including the offended, have the right and obligation to counter perceived false or misleading accusations and correct perceived prejudicial comments. But we do not demand that such things been banned and that the authors be punished for expressing their beliefs; we stand against what has been said. This is the nature of apologetics, to expose the truth that has been hidden behind what we perceive to be lies, misunderstandings or misinformation expressed by our accusers.  If we don't feel like doing the hard work of defending our faith, we can get over it and act like adults who are secure enough if our beliefs to withstand a few hurt feelings. But we don't go running to the government and expect them to protect us from offended feelings!

I do believe that it is appropriate that we ask that the charges be dropped against this couple for the reasons given above.  These are simply bad laws that need to be challenged.  Being legally guilty does not mean that one is morally guilty. 

Having said that, however, those who would violate them do need to be prepared to suffer the consequences for their civil disobedience. We do not call for lawlessness. 

Finally, we need to address whether the actual publication was "objectionable."  You can click here to view an English version of this material.  The problem is, as noted above, determining whether something is objectionable is completely subjective.  Legally, this should be completely irrelevant in a society truly subject to the Rule of Law.  I'll leave it to you to determine whether you believe this tract is objectionable or not.  Whether it was wise for this couple to distribute it is another matter.  But a lack of wisdom is not a criminal offence. 

So, I stand behind our decision to urge prayer for this couple; that the charges against Ong and Dorothy would be dropped and that the Holy Spirit will direct them as they respond to their accusers (Luke 2:11).

Islamists in Our Midst

Twenty-three year old Torontonian Naeem Muhammad Khan openly supports the Taliban and calls Osama bin Laden a hero.  His Facebook page encourages people to "Support Our Troops" but he is not speaking on our Canadian troops in Afghanistan; he is referring to the Taliban who are killing our young men.  He claims on his Facebook group "Enemies of Islam" that "this group does not advocate violence against the people who will be Named and Pictured in this group, the only purpose is to let the Muslims know their enemies."  Yet, in his comments on various pictures of so-called enemies of Islam, he asks (concerning a picture of a summit meeting between the Pakistani, American, and Afghani presidents) "Why didn't a bomb go off?" On a picture of Geert Wilders and Ayaan Hirishi Ali, he comments "Hope they get killed like pigs."  And to Salmon Rushdie, he comments, "May he die like a pig he is."

This fellow came to my attention first on Thursday in an article in the National Post in which they did an expose of and interview with Naeem Muhammad Khan.  In the article, they referred to a citation in one of his online postings (which I have not been able to find; if anyone knows where it is, I would like to see it) in which he wrote concerning an "Islam basher". ""Behead her!!! And make a nice video and post it on YouTube."

My question is, where are the Ontario and Canadian Human Rights Commissions now?  This man, despite his claims to the contrary, is publicly calling for violence against enemies of Islam (i.e. Canadian soldiers, moderate Muslims, whom he calls apostates, and others who dare to critique Islam).  Or will they, in their typical fashion, go after the National Post reporter who dared to report on this Islamist?

Videos Reveal an Orwellian Society

Today marks the beginning of North Korea Freedom Week during which a number of organizations will highlight the appalling human rights abuses, and especially the persecution of Christians, in North Korea. This week I did a little surfing for recent video reports on North Korea and was amazed by a couple of reports that have been released in the last year or so.

The first is by the National Geographic Society called Inside North Korea. I used to have a link to the full 47 minutes of the program but it disappeared off of Google video.  The strangest part is the last five minutes, which I have been able to find on YouTube. The reporter, disguised as a medical worker, was able to film a meeting where a number of North Koreans learn the results of their eye surgery. As the bandages come off, the atmosphere of the meeting takes on the feel of a televangelist’s healing crusade. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean. It’s sad, surreal, and a little bit scary.

The second is a 14-part VBS report that is really quite amazing. I must warn you, however, that the language is a little colourful in a couple of them and some of the other videos on their site are not really suitable for family viewing. Here is episode three.

If you want to view the entire series, click here.

Muslims Converting to Christianity in Iraq

How should Christians respond to China's hosting of the Summer Olympic Games?

The issue of China hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics has indeed become controversial especially after the recent crackdown in Tibet. The controversy stems from the fact that the Chinese government's continuing failure to fully respect the basic human rights of its citizens. We at The Voice of the Martyrs are particularly concerned about the violation of religious liberties of Christians in China.  Since China was awarded the Olympic Games in 2001, we have seen a significant increase in the suppression of Christian groups that refuse to register with the government on the principle that to do so would be to allow the government to exercise unbiblical control over their faith.  This has been despite clear promises made by the Chinese government that they would actively work to improve human rights in their country should they be awarded the Olympic Games.

How should we respond to this?

Whether a boycott of China or Chinese products is appropriate or not is a matter of individual conscience.  But there are some things that all Christians can and should do in light of the upcoming Olympics in Beijing.

The first thing you can do is to pray for China. In April, in a historic move, key organizations that work with the persecuted church around the world, including The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, launched a global campaign calling for prayer for China. Pray that the authorities of the nation to stop the ongoing house church raids and arrests of pastors. Pray that the Chinese leadership will uphold the constitutional rights of Chinese Christians to worship God freely. Respond to the call of Chinese church leaders for prayer for full freedom to manifest their faith in China, the release of unjustly imprisoned Chinese Christians, and an end to discrimination and persecution of religious believers. Pray for the church in China as she contributes to the development of a just and harmonious society, fostering integrity, moral and ethical living and caring for the vulnerable.  We would urge you and your church to join Christians from around the world in planning and participating in a special 24 hours of prayer for China on August 8, 2008 (08-08-08), the day of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics.

Another step you can take is to write a gracious and respectful letter to the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa with your concerns about the violation of human rights in China. For such letters to be effective, we do advise the writers not to advance their political opinion or mention the Voice of the Martyrs.  You can write the Chinese ambassador, Lu Shumin, at:

Ambassador Lu Shumin
Diplomatic Missions Embassy of the People's Republic of China
515 St. Patrick Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 5H3 

You may also wish to express your concerns to Maxime Bernier, Canada's foreign affairs minister at:

Hon. Maxime Bernier
House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Finally, you can learn as much as you can about China and the state of religious freedom there. The Voice of the Martyrs has a number of books and videos specifically on China that you can order on our website. You can also ask us to send you our most recent resource catalogue.  Knowing the truth about China will help you as you pray and write as well as giving your insight on how you can stand together with your brothers and sisters in China and encourage others to do likewise.

Muslim Organization Seeks to Stem Islamic Extremism in Britain

I wish this group well, although I am not sure that they will be successful. It seems abit like King Canute commanding the sea to go back.

Updated "Religious Freedom in the World" Finally Available (Sort of)

The long-awaited update to the 2000 edition of Religious Freedom in the World edited by Paul Marshall is finally available.  As described by the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom (which undertook the research),  the 499 page survey describes and analyzes over 100 countries and territories, especially those where religious freedom is most violated. It also ranks them comparatively, includes scores and charts of freedom, details world trends, correlates religious freedom with measures of economic freedom, social wellbeing, civil liberties, and political rights, and features essays on relevant issues by experts such as Paul Marshall, Felix Corley, and others.

Comparing this new edition with the old one (which was produced by Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom), the first difference I noted was the price.  This new edition costs in the $60 range (depending on where you buy it, you might save a buck or two); the old one cost about half that amount.  Granted, the new edition is larger than the previous one and more accessible.  But the cost of this new version will make it prohibitive.  The Voice of the Martyrs sold the previous one; it is doubtful that we will sell the new one given the high price.  That is unfortunate given the value of this book.  The older version was a standard reference text for our staff and the new one will be likewise.  The research in the 2008 edition is excellent, yet accessible to the non-expert.  I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in having an informed understanding of religious freedom in today's world.  There is no other reference book quite like this one, to be honest.

But there is one final caveat; you have to find a copy first.  For some reason, Hudson Institute is not selling this book on their website (they refer you to Amazon.com which has no stock available).  In Canada, Amazon.ca is also out of stock already and they only recently made the book available.  Either it is selling well or they had a very limited stock to begin with.  I suspect the latter, although I hope for the former. The Indigo-Chapters website does not even list the book. Exhausting my Canadian options, I checked Abebooks and found the sellers there trying to rip you off by overpricing the book.  Finally I checked with the U.S. publisher, Rowman & Littlefield, and found it listed there. Having had no experience with them, I can only hope that they will fill my order for three more copies quickly. 

I am afraid that this book, given its price and availability, will not have nearly the distribution that its predecessor had and that is unfortunate given its value.

Warm Reception in Cottam

I had the most enjoyable time this morning fellowshipping and sharing with the congregation of the Cottam Baptist Church in Cottam, Ontario.  Cottam is a lovely small town near Windsor in the southern-most part of Canada.  The church numbers about 100 or so. Their pastor is a warm brother named Don Brehaut who possesses a genuine concern for the persecuted church around the world.  His praise for our work as a mission was humbling and his love for Christ and His Church worldwide is a model that I wish many others would follow.  As I shared in both the Sunday school hour and the worship service, I sensed an openness and a freedom in the Spirit that I had rarely had in the decade that I have been with The Voice of the Martyrs.  Their worship is simple and even a little old-fashioned.  But it is warm and you know that God is there.  When the pastor prays, it is obvious that this is a man who knows God.  This church is a gem and I wish them God's richest blessing.

If you live in southern Ontario and are looking for a church home, contact the Cottam Baptist Church.  You won't be impressed by their programs as much as you will be impressed by their people.  And that, I believe, is how God judges success.