Persecution: Understanding from a different Vantage point

In the last three post a common theme is apparent in the articles I chose to explore, Persecution of Christians around the World and there affect if any on us Westerns who are free to proclaim what faith we reside to without having to bear the consequences of our testimony. In writing about this topic, one is transitioned from a self-centered live to an inclusive live that cares about the atrocities of others. Also, I begin to question whether I have used my freedom here in the United States to change people's lives, to encourage faith and instill hope , or have I became complacent and oblivious to the extreme blessing that I have to be able to share my faith without overt persecution from the government or from my employers. While searching the blogosphere about the above convictions, I found a blog that is titled, "Are American Christians "Persecuted?" Here Michael Spencer, a writer and communicator living and working in a Christian community in southeastern Kentucky, expresses his views on whether or not American Christians are persecuted while not discrediting unfair business practices that led to someone being fired for their beliefs or prejudicial bias and intimidation. The second post touched on a different vantage point of persecution, in which, is titled "Is Doctrine Worth Dying For?" Here Glenn Penner, author of "In the Shadow of the Cross: A Biblical Theology of Persecution and Discipleship" and he Assumed the position of VOMC's CEO in January, 2007, writes a provocative understanding of the reality as to why people are dying for their faith, but he also touches on some fallacies and misguided beliefs about who or what they are actually dying for.

Here is my comment on Michael Spencer's post "Are American Christians "Persecuted?"


Upon reading your post I was thrown aside a little by your opinion that can Americans justly claim that they are being persecuted? That is an interesting question in which I never thought about because I always assumed that any hindrances in advancing the Good News was considered persecution. There are many ways in which a person can be persecuted. From top-down persecution which includes overt hindrances from the government to the individual, and bottom up persecution where one's family and friends turn the convert over to the authorities or religious leaders for losing their faith. When you said, "So Paul states a general principle: all the godly will be persecuted as false believers and impostors grow worse and worse." I take it to mean that everyone who professes the name of Christ Jesus will suffer persecution and in fact Jesus says "don't be surprised when they persecute you because just as they treated me, they will do the same to you!" It is true that persecution takes many forms depending on geographical location, however, it is trivial to assert that one form of persecution is genuine than the other. This could perhaps be an issue of pride if one takes their type persecution and esteem it over other's to dismiss or belittle their suffering. However, I do believe that when in war it is much easier to fight a visible, identifiable enemy than to fight an invisible force as if one was shadow boxing. In other words, the persecution that happens outside of The United States has a face and a body attached to the persecutor rather here in the states, the persecutor is a force of persuasion and a current that can carry you adrift if you are not aware of societies schemes. This is why Paul says, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Here is my comment on Glen Penner's post on "Is the Doctrine worth Dying for?"

Upon reading your entry Glen I realized that I agree that the doctrine is worth dying for, but it should not be separated from knowing Jesus Christ, however I do not agree entirely that "relationships are based on knowledge" I understand that when learning about Christ through the scriptures, one must believe in them and hold fast to them to bring about an inward transformation where their perspectives and values change from selfish to selfless. Then that person will be able to say "to live as Christ, to die is gain." However, when talking about why someone chooses to die, it is important that the doctrine is not separated from Christ Jesus as if they were separate entities. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1 & 14) These two scriptures indicates that Jesus is the word of God and how the word of God became flesh. This leads me to my next point that relationships do not develop solely on knowledge but also with someone, a person-Jesus Christ. In Hebrew, the word knowledge is tied with head knowledge and intimacy, where to know someone requires physical contact and a closeness to the other person that involves more than just knowing about them or what they have said. Can I say that I know a famous movie star like Brad Pitt if I have never spoken with him or shared my feelings, hopes, and aspirations with him, could I still say that we have a relationship if I only know facts about Brad Pitt? Certainly not. Would our relationships last if we were content on just knowing what is said about them or what they said without sharing our hearts with the person and asking of them in return of their heart, wants, and desires? A relationship calls for correct knowledge about the other person, quality time invested, shared emotions, fears, laughs, desires, and promises of security with the other in order for a relationship to grow strong where one is at the point to give one's life for the other.

Overall, it is a close relationship with Christ and the belief in the Holy scriptures without doubt that enables a person to die for who and for what they believe in.

Transformation: Child Soldier to Entrepreneur!

Many young nine year olds are mostly concerned with being accepted in their schools and causing pranks on certain kids. But imagine being faced with the task of killing another human being at that tender age is unimaginable. Despite this unthinkable notion, this is a current reality for the kids in Burundi. However, programs and organizations like World Visions have tried not to make this Life for so many young children by pushing for The Soldier Prevention Act that would prevent the U.S. from spending tax payers’ money on guns and weapons to end up in these youngsters’ hands, as seen in the picture in the up-left corner. Bizimana Jean Marie, who goes by the name John, was one of these child soldiers who were taught to do horrific things. Unlike the other soldiers, John went willingly because of the hardships his mom and he faced in a displacement camp. Fortunately for John, he was one of the several children taken out of the National Army to be reintegrated back into the community in which he lived in before. Furthermore, World Vision also teaches John how to cut hair among with other sociable and emotional repair he must have needed after being forced to do all kinds of atrocities. From child Soldier to Entrepreneur. World Vision understands that to aid in the healing process, one need to be involved in the opposite action from which he was used to giving out. In other words, John used to help an Army of men kill and terrorize other people and in some cases, even killing another person. Now he will learn to do the opposite of such things to relearn who to love and care for another, and also where you can make a living from your service as well. I can only imagine what internal transformation John must have undergone, from killing to serving the same people?

Saul had the same type of transforming occupation from being the chief executor of Christians too being one of many that would devout the rest of his life in bringing thousands of lost people to Christ in which he suffered many of the atrocities he dished out and later who wrote two thirds of the New Testament. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14) Here Paul (the new name that God has given him) states that he is not perfected, but he presses on towards the goal that God has given him; to be a mouthpiece of His transforming power and ability to save anyone. Also he states that he has forgotten those things which are behind him and looks forward. Paul had a lot of reasons, valid ones at best, to be ashamed and guilty of where he could have been easily deterred from carrying out God's plan for his life. But Paul rests in God's mercy and Grace and lives a life Transformed. One could imagine that John too has wrestled with these same convictions of”how is it that I could be used for good when I even volunteered to be used for evil just so that I can eat?" Paul would respond, " But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." Ephesians 2:4-5 and "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 If John could have heard these saying, I am sure that he would have a smile of hope and appreciation for his second chance of an opportunity to bless rather than curse, to livening up someone's day and evoke smiles, rather than death and provoking others to anger and mourning amongst families and friends.

This is the wonderful work of Transformation at its best in a life that now has a sense of purpose and vitality and who would have thought of it that being an Entrepreneur could have such rich intrinsic rewards as John and Paul have both experienced in serving others!

This week I was heavily inspired from my last post on Evangelizing: Persecution versus Freedom to search throughout the Internet to see what is being done about this problem and If other countries are trying to rectify this atrocity. I have found there are organizations out there trying to mobilize support through prayer, financial support, or through providing jobs for the people in that country.

My first website is called Open Doors. This website is dedicated to serving persecuted Christians worldwide through prayer, sending aid, and equipping them with inspirational resources to endure their current situation. The site provides a lot of information on how you can get involved in your own country by sending letters to your congress man/woman and to join in with current petitions that Open Doors is already doing. According to the Webbby Awards, this site does a great job of engaging the viewer in events around the world and inviting them to participate in a number of ways. The next website is an example of people in a persecuted country that try to do something for their own people and to increase their quality of life. This site is called Operation Nehemiah. This site is geared to provide current Sudanese who have been persecuted out of the country or who had their jobs taken away to be financially stable again and to be encourage that Christ can still be trusted in for salvation. Some other projects that Operation Nehemiah is trying to accomplish are: Bee Keeping, Brick and Tile Production Fund and Trumpet Call Radio in which shares the unhindered word of God in their own language. This site definitely gets the viewer involved in giving to specific projects that will help rebuild Sudan. The next site is a blog called Persecuted Church Weblog. This blog is focused on the persecution of Christians and providing viewers with a resource of where they can learn what is happening around the world and in United States as well. According to the Blog Evaluation Assessment, this blog does a great job in updating its events and news under the blog activity section and also has easy, but educated language where anyone with a fifth grade level education can read it. This next site is a site in which I am most found of because it has a wealth of information in the form of reports on video of where persecution is happening around the world too highlights of people who are changing their world for Jesus Christ. This site is called Persecution TV. This site even reaches the younger generation by having a Facebook group where they post videos and allow for people to converse and pray openly about topics that they were not aware of. Also the site has a section where you can download video reports and information to your ipod via pod cast. This site really does reach and incorporates all age groups to view and become spiritually involved with the website.

This next site is from Canada where the Voice of the Martyrs can be heard by viewers like you and me. This site is The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada. As the other sites, this site involves the viewer by encouraging them to remember the captives and shows the viewer how they can do so at the bottom of the page. This site also has the Persecution Report video where you can watch what is going on in another country and updates of captive Christians. Another site is called Chin Aid where their main purpose is to expose the suffering, encourage the believers and to equip the suffering through aid from the larger body of the Church of God. KLove News is another site is very interactive by providing uplifting and encouraging Christian music and educational elements to covey the gospel to millions of listeners. This site also has news that orientates the viewer to news in their own city and how legislature affects their current surroundings. This next site I stumbled across displays Christian History like no site I have ever seen before. The site is called Christian History Institute. It is an extensive site on Christian History from the first century too the twentieth century. It has articles from the most famous Christian thinkers' too interesting facts about today's date in relation to Christians who lived in the past. For instance, on this day, March 29, 1549, the Jesuit Manoel da Nobrega and his five companions stamped Brazil with a Catholic imprint that is still alive today in Brazil. This site even tells you who was born on your birthday in Christian History. Overall, this site is very informative, inspirational, interactive, and takes you back in time without leaving your keyboard.

Evangelizing: Freedom vs. Persecution

Last week in India, forty Christians were kidnapped by extremists who wanted them to convert back to Hinduism, and still no word is known about their well-being. Such stories are not common-place here in the United States of America because American citizens have the First Amendment of Bill of Rights that states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." One might say that this principle is only for the United States and not for the world, but on the contrary, according to Articles 9, 13, and 18-20, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that all humans from every nation have the right to leave a nation as they please without restriction, to believe or change one's religion, and to assemble publicly without unnecessary seizures from the government. However, worldwide , lives are being savagely ransacked because of their faith. For a shocking reality check, watch these two short clips on lives disrupted by persecution: video, & video 2. Consequently, people of the Christian faith should be excited and readily sharing the gospel to others with at peace of mind because of the laws and regulations in place! One has to ask him or herself, if they are truly taking advantages of the freedom one has as an American citizen than others in persecuted territory. In my opinion, when a discipline is not tested, the authenticity of it is slightly diminished to mere utterances of allegiance rather than a life lived out of its convictions even if it meant harm to one's body or loved ones was inevitable. In my experience as a Christian evangelizing with this freedom, I admit that I do not always live out my convictions, but rather preach them because I am not in situations where I can not even have the luxury of verbalizing my religious affiliations, let alone encouraging others to join my faith, without having to think, "Is it worth my job, health, or life!"

In relation to the picture above, the Bible encourages the believer who may be going through persecution where their strength can and will be renewed when they believe. In John15; 18-21 affirms, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, "A slave is not greater than his master' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me." Such a passage for warns the believer that God has given us knowledge that this world is in opposition towards you. Actually 1 John 3:13 states that, "Do not be surprised, brethren. if the world hates you." For further encouragement of strength such passages of 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 announces. "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our bodies. Overall, these verses embolden and revitalize the believer who is suffering to understand that God is always with them and he will never for sake them.

For this same reason, I am also taking the charge to go over seas to do exactly what this young man is doing in the picture below, however, I will also be teaching English to college students where I will get a chance to share American culture and to learn East African culture as well. Furthermore, I am going to live out the verses above and to see how complacent I have been and to see what and how a Christian lives their life in a country where it is illegal to share their faith.

Backbone:Updated Linkroll

This week I probed the Web and blogoshpere for superlative resources in the form of websites and blogs that discusses the impact that Religion( mainly Christianity) has on the private as well as the public sphere of one's life. These sites as well as blogs can be found in my Link roll for your informative pleasures. According to The Webby Awards, the content and infrastructure of Christian Coalition of America website is very appealing to the reader where one can know whats happening of importance within Christianity on Capital Hill as well as inviting the reader to join its cause in in acting change in legislature. Like Christian Coalition of America, The Institue on Religion & Democracy educates and supports changes in congress for freedom of Religious rights of people and organizations, but also seeks this out world wide. Thus, this site is great for getting educated on political events in the religion sector within the United States and Internationally as well.In The Girzzley's Lair, Arthur has an interesting view point on various topics that would inspire the reader to interact with him. However, Arthur does not have any sites that explore the faith of Christianity or would inform the reader about his faith. Despite this note, Arthur has an extensive archive section from the present back to February 2006. In Christianity Today, informs the reader with an superlative resource on ways to build and develop leaders in the Church, in the home, and in the work place. Cased on the Webby Awards, Christianity Today does a great job of interacting with the reader on free subscriptions to Voice of the Martyrs or a free trail version of Leader's Journal. Also, the site's functionality is great where the site regularly scrolls ads across or pops up key free resources that the reader can receive. Also, like Christianity Today the PEW is an amazing site that offers news about every area in Religion and how it relates to public life from politics and laws to home issues to the public’s general view point of religion.Within Focus on the Family, this site hits key issues that impact the dynamics of a family, such as, Relationships & Marriage, Parenting, Faith, Entertainment, and Life Challenges and so on. It is overall a resource center for to-be parents or how to have a life long marriage. This site also allows you to interact with a friend by sending an email to your friend about a resource that you think might be of some use/encouragement to them!. In relation to inspiring and developing relationships, Life in Site of Christ is a great blog for watching videos of inspiring, soul invigorating messages that spurs you on or develops curiosity as to what the viewer is living for. The blog does a great job at keeping its sermons up-to-date that allows its viewers an easy one stop solution if they missed church that day. However, it would have been cool to read an abstract of how the message impacted “Gospel lover’s” life or present situation. Furthermore, some of the advertisements like Palm Readings are contradictory to the messages about trusting in God to tell you what your purpose is and the overall point of the site. Lastly, NRB & Evangelical Press Association are two sites provide an opportunity for the gospel and Christian related issues to be viewed in press and on TV broadcast stations around the world. These two sites are great for people who are artist, writers, publishers, or broadcasters who want to join an association where they can be trained, inspired, and network with other professionals. However, it is not accessible for the average college student or non-professionals.

Religion: Is an Apology Enough?

"I'm sorry." We are mostly taught at a young age of the importance of apologizing when you have done wrong against someone else. However, after the apology has been made, it is out of our hands and thus resides in the recipient's heart the ability to forgive us or not. Most common responses tend to be: "Yes I'll accept your apology, or not I will not, or even "no!... it is too late now!" Unfortunately, when we ask for forgiveness via an apology and we are granted acceptance, our past offenses some how are blown in our faces on the next time we do not meet up to the recipient's expectations or when we have wronged them in any way.

After pondering the differences between the way God forgives us to the way we forgive each other, I chose two separate blog entries through the blogosphere that discusses the ramifications of apologies from political figures to the way God forgives humans. In my first post, I commented on Abraham Piper's entry on Listening to God Through Other People about how God shows Abraham through other people who God is and what he thinks of us. The second comment deals with an apology made by Kevin Rudd on behave of Australian's atrocities against Aborigines and the Stolen Generations of Australia.

Comment: "Listening to God Through Other People"
I really enjoyed your discussion on God's ability to not cast us off into eternal darkness-separation from His presence-but He rather accepts us for who and where we are in our faith in Him and he works with us. This is one of the reasons why I have chosen this picture from John Piper's home website because it reminds me how God continues to show me mercy and forgives me even when I do not deserve it. If I'm not mistaken, mercy is giving someone what they do not deserve. Another verse that pairs up with this picture is Hebrews 13:8 " For God is the same as yesterday, today, and forever." The very fact that the Sun has been rising in the east and sets in the west for as long as man can remember, shows me how He is also faithful to forgive us that many times and also to cast our transgressions into a sea of forgetfulness. I do understand that it is much easier to believe in words that we hear than from words that we see, but as you have stated in your entry, the many times God reveals Himself through other people, it is for our advancement in our faith and our realization that I can and should believe the words of God and His promises.

There is one theory that I have in which I would like your opinion on which is as follows: that God really does shows who He is through people-being that He has created us in His image-, through nature and through the way the universe is set up.

One question I have for you is what other witnesses has God given you apart from other people that expresses God's nature and love and worthiness of your praise and faith in Him?


Comment: "The apology and moral significance of guilt"
I was unexpectedly taken off guard when I read your blog post on The apology and the moral significance of guilt. I thought that I was going to be lead through a discussion about how in theology, one's guilt usually leads them to repentance and is then forgiven and acquitted of all wrong doings and never to be brought up again. Thus, I was left opened with a non-assuming role as a reader to hear what you had to say about Kevin Rudd's national apology.

I enjoyed your frankness about the intent of Rudd's apology and learned that no matter what status, creed, or age one is who gives an apology, that not all ears will receive it in the way that you intended it. I do agree with Immanuel Kant's assertion that the moral worth of an act lies not in its commission but in its intention but, however, are even capable at deciphering responses and other people's actions, let alone our own speeches? Jeremiah 17:9-10 affirms, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Therefore, I am assume that your take on the apology weighs more on the issue at hand but I implore you to consider at what point do we forgive and never bring up one's past deeds or to cast off one's apology on the accusation of ulterior motives embedded into the intentions/heart of the action.

Furthermore, what would be an apology or how would an apology be read to your standards and would you actually accept it or would you still remember the injustices of that particular race of people?

Religion: Identity

2 weeks ago at the University of Southern California Michael Alexander, from Temple University, gave a lecture at The Casden Institute for the Study of Jews in American Life on Minstrelsy as a discourse on how Jews used this form of entertainment to rise economically as well as to identify with the African American struggle. The term Minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety of acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in black face. Minstrel shows portrayed blacks in stereotypical ways as ignorant Upon researching this method of entertainment, its roots are well into the late 17th century were slaves were portrayed as slow and musical people. When the Jews were under persecution in Europe and were segregated by the known citizens, it was a smart strategy to find a way back into society through the guise of another race while identifying with their own heritage. However, can a group of people or even a few people seem to resist changing their identity in order to fit in and become like the very people they disliked upon entering that land? Can a few people actually hold fast to their heritage and upbringing without selling it out to degrading another culture?

During Professor Alexanders' lecture, he also mentioned that Minstrelsy is a racially unjust tradition that Jews in the late 19th and early 20 th Century practiced to gain a foot hole in American lime light. Which brings us to the discussion about whether our Identities enable us to be fixed and unmovable by societies waves of injustice. The word Identity according Domaine de Nianing - Novara - Oxford - Bydgoszcz - Bern 2002 states that the word comes from the Latin "idem" meaning 'the same' or "identidem" that means 'repeatedly,' 'in the same way.' Referring to a human being, these characteristics do not seem to portray very appealing/interesting traits." By this assertion, even identity seems to be a stagnant and dull reality for this dynamic phase shifting construct of reality that we live in and to go against the grain seems illogical and foolish. However I assert that this is exactly what is needed in a changing environment, and thus our identity can not shift to one thing after another to suit society. Rather it is not so much as how strong our Identity is but instead what it is anchored in. For instance, in the spirit of honoring Black History month, I inject that it was because of Dr. Martin Luther King's resolve, and assured religious background and teaching that kept him grounded in his quest despite the resistance , as well as Harriet Tubman determination to free her people form the slavery of her time.

When situations were unbearable, these two heroes of African Americans staid the course and fought for their agenda without resorting to penetrating the stereotypes of another race or their own. However, I can not say the same for Bill Kersands, James A. Blaud, San Lucas, and Wallace King who became famous African American men in the Minstrel shows as much as any white performer just about sixty years after Harriet Tubman's view of using ones craftiness for the good of her own people.

In conclusion, Religion has sameness and rigidity in quality that allows it to stand the test of time and to allow its followers a path of joy even though they are going through turmoil where they can still, and still fight for what they believe in with out missing a beat. It has a since of a moral backbone that will not falter under pressure from the world and will give their constituents a quality resilience of being hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Upon what foundation is your Identity built on, sand or on a rock?