My heart aches for all peoples wiped out by genocide; regardless of religion, they are God’s beloved people, and I believe this is yet another aspect of His creation which breaks His heart daily. The only Christian believers left are local Somalis. Catching and killing them is useful propaganda for indoctrinating its young fighters and suicide-bombers in the belief that America, Britain, Italy and the Vatican, are all “crusaders” trying to convert Somalis to Christianity. The transitional government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, is unlikely to speak up for anyone caught with a bible. Though professing moderation, he promotes a version of sharia law whereby every citizen of Somalia is born a Muslim and anyone who converts to another religion is guilty of apostasy, punishable by death. Every month several Somalis are killed for being Christian. Christian groups monitoring Somalia from abroad, report at least 13 members of underground churches have been killed in the past few months. Most were Mennonites. They include:
Hundreds of Somalis may have been killed for being Christian since the Shabab arose in 2005. Such atrocities – and reports that the Koran has been read over the victims even at the point of their beheading – are upsetting to evangelical Christians. Mr Ahmed’s government sorely needs money to shore itself up. But if he fails even to hint that Christians should be tolerated, he may find America’s Congress increasingly loath to help bail him out. (While I don’t think religion should be used as a political tool, I do think there needs to be assurance – whatever that means – that if a govt is going to help another one that there won’t be genocidal behaviour for any peoples. How you ensure that is another matter entirely) Source: Intercessors Network via Australian Prayer Network
It’s Remembrance Week (that’s what I call it, since Remembrance Day falls on Wednesday this year, and some churches call the Sunday before it Remembrance Sunday). As we remember those who fought and are fighting in the various wars – regardless of your views on the validity of those wars – remember Somalia too.
Somalia is currently the hardest place in the world to be a Christian citizen. There are thought to be no more than a thousand Christians in a resident population of 8m people, with perhaps a few thousand more in the Diaspora. The Islamist Shabab militia, which controls most of southern Somalia, is dedicated to hunting them down. Christian men attend mosques on Fridays, so as not to arouse suspicion. Bibles are kept hidden. There are no public meetings, let alone a church. Churches and Christian cemeteries have been destroyed.
justice
[ht: mandy thompson]
All you need to do to help get $100,000 into the hands of the International Justice Mission and step up the fight against sex trafficking and modern slavery is click through to YouTube, rate this video, and vote – once per day.
Be the hands and feet (and fingers) of Christ and do what you can to make a change. This is the easy bit, so at least do that!
No matter what I am going through, my perspective is kept in check by what God’s people in other countries are going through constantly. Indeed, not always in other countries…just not necessarily in my view. I never want to become jaded in face of suffering – no matter who, where or what. This reminder helped keep me in check today.
Despite what the Constitution of Laos decrees, small villages are subject to the tyranny of their local authorities.
The Laotian Constitution states: Lao citizens have the right and freedom to believe or not to believe in religions. Yet Christian believers’ rights were once again violated by local officials of Katin village. One day last month, the village chief, volunteer security force, village elders, and some villagers of Katin village, broke into the pig pens of new believers and confiscated a pig from each of nine families after the believers returned home from fellowship meetings.
Many Christians raise pigs for profit. One pig represents 1½ months income for a Laotian villager. Village officials stated that the seizure of the pigs was a punishment imposed because the families had ignored their order forbidding them from believing in the Christian faith. This action appears to be the follow-up of an earlier incident when Katin village authorities confiscated the water buffalo of Mr. Boonchu (a Christian believer). At that time, authorities told Mr. Boonchu that if he and his family recanted their Christian faith, the buffalo would be spared.
When Mr. Boonchu refused, they took his buffalo to the village square and slaughtered it. The meat was distributed to all non-Christians in the village. They warned them that they would seize the animals of Christians who refused to renounce their faith, until there were no more animals.
The ministry leader of the village has asked for prayer for the families who have suffered the latest loss.
Source: Christian Aid
For reasons which currently are not public, a completely ludicrous decision has been made today.
One of the nation’s leading church-based charity groups, the Salvation Army, has been left off the committee that will oversee bushfire appeal funds. Despite raising more than $12 million for bushfire victims and already distributing $1.4 million in cash, the Salvation Army will not play a role in overseeing the operation of distributing the millions raised.
Opposition community services spokesman Tony Abbott called for the inclusion of the Salvation Army. “The Salvation Army are always there when times are tough, without any favouritism as to race or creed,” Mr Abbott said. “The Salvos are at least as active as any other welfare group. It is disappointing they aren’t being given a look-in at official level. “For some reason — maybe it is because of their Christian orientation, maybe because they were thought to be close to the Howard government — the Rudd Government is giving them the cold shoulder. It is wrong and it should stop immediately.”
Salvation Army spokesman Neil Venables said the organisation was ready to respond to any invitation. “We would hope that it’s not because of our Christian values and the perception that we were close to the previous government,” Major Venables said. “We were committed to working with the Howard government, as we are committed to working with the Rudd Government. “It is not about political persuasion; it is about how we most effectively fulfil our mission. At times like this, the Army has the ability to do its best work.”
Sources within the Salvation Army said many officers had been “gobsmacked and bewildered” by their failure to be included in government planning and co-ordination, including being omitted from the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund Advisory Panel. The administration costs of the official government-Red Cross appeal are being picked up by the Government, but the same offer has not been extended to the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal.
Source: Compiled by APN from media reports
I really hope this is rectified. The Salvation Army are one of the most trusted charity organisations in Australia (quite apart from being a church), and to exclude them from this process is foolishness. This is especially so considering how much they have already contributed to the relief of the misery caused by the tragedy, and the overt Christianity of our Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd. To be denied a mission field such as this strikes me as a real miscarriage of justice.
What do you think? Even if you don’t know much about the fires, or Australia, tell me how you think the government, the church and secular charity organisations shoud / can work together in times like these.
