The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on November 13th is a global day of intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide. Its primary focus is to encourage intercessory prayer on behalf of persecuted communities of the Christian faith.
Visit www.OneWithThem.com for resources and information, and stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.
I actually couldn’t help laughing when I read about this – and I’m a pastor! In the fight to defend traditional values this story pretty much tells you how we got to where we are today.
After unknown persons, probably upset about California banning homosexual marriage, spray-painted swastikas on a San Francisco Catholic Church, the pastor was upset. But not for the reason you might think. From KCBS, out West, comes this gem:
Vandals may have marked up the wrong church Saturday night in an apparent revolt against Proposition 8 supporters.
Black spray-painted swastikas marred the front of Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in San Francisco’s Castro district. Though the church itself is gay friendly, the proposed ban on gay marriage had support from prominent Catholics up to and including Pope Benedict.
Pastor Steve Meriweather told KCBS his parishioners actually share the vandals’ sentiment against Prop 8. “I think it’s unfortunate that they selected our community to attack,” said Meriweather, “because it’s the wrong one.”
If only they had asked the good pastor first he might have directed them to a church more worthy of being vandalized!
Photo credit: Facade of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York by David Shankbone
A British couple was sentenced to hard labor in Gambia for criticizing the country.
Two British missionaries broke down and wept as they were sentenced to a year’s hard labour in jail after pleading guilty to charges of sedition. Relatives and friends of David and Fiona Fulton, who have three children – including a two-year-old adopted daughter – expressed their dismay and horror at the severity of the punishment handed down to the couple from Torquay by a court in Gambia.
The judge quoted from an email sent in September, entitled “Hell In The Gambia,” in which the country, which is 97 per cent Muslim, is described as “sinking fast into a morass of Islam”….
The presiding magistrate in the case, Idrissa Mbai, said that he intended the sentence to deter others seeking to criticise the government of President Yahya Jammeh, who has cracked down on dissent in the wake of a series of coup attempts.
“I found the offences of the accused party to be very shocking. They have shown no respect for the country, the government and the president of the republic. I will send a clear message to the offenders,” he said. He also imposed fines of £6,250 on each of the defendants. Failure to pay will result in an additonal six months in prison, he said.
Freedom of speech, certainly freedom to criticize, should never be taken for granted. In Islamic countries caution is especially called for. Read more here.