The Persecuted Church

Hebrews 13:3

Christians in the Furnace of Oppression

Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.[1]

O

ne year ago, the world was shocked and horrified when Islamic radicals murdered three thousand American citizens—innocent people cherished by the families who lost them. Among the dead, buried in the rubble of the World Trade Center in the borough of Manhattan, were citizens from around the world, including a number of Canadians.

Shocking as that event is, imagine September 11 happening 666 times. Imagine two million Americans being killed by radical Islam—then you’ll have an idea of what the citizens of southern Sudan have endured at the hands of the Islamic North.

Sudanese Christians are victims of slavery, rape, starvation, and torture—all in the name of a cruel, wicked religion. Two million and counting have been murdered by Sudan’s radical Islamic government. Five million people have been driven off their land.

These situations share in common religious oppression and persecution at their root. They are not the only instances of religious oppression which could be cited. Other instances of Muslims, driven to vicious and violent acts by the bitter religious invective of their religious leaders, seeking to slaughter Christians have passed across my desk during the past several weeks. Here are a few of the headlines.

Assist News Service, October 10, 2002, headlined a story detailing how a Jordanian Christian widow was given five days to surrender her children to an estranged Muslim relative. The courts had ruled that she had proved herself to be “unfit to be a custodian of her children” by “distancing them from Islamic rituals and doctrine.”[2]

A Compass News item dated October 15, 2002 confirmed that an Egyptian convert to Christianity who disappeared five months ago has been imprisoned on criminal charges. He is accused of reviling Islam. The basis for the charge is that he became a Christian, although he had been born a Muslim. Open incentives are offered to encourage Christians to convert to Islam, but for a Muslim to become a Christian invites official persecution.

In addition to jailing this man, his fourteen-year-old daughter has been subjected to threats of kidnap and rape. In fact, on April 8, Sarah was kidnapped for four days and yet another attempt at kidnap was made which forced the family to spirit her away to England where she is kept in safety.[3]

In Nigeria, at least twelve Christian students were killed and over fifty injured in a riot at the Federal College of Education, according to a report by the Barnabas Organisation on October 15. The rioting broke out after a Christian candidate won the annual student union elections. Disgruntled Muslim students whipped up resentment among local Muslims who attacked Christian students.[4]

Persecution of the Faith is not limited to Muslim attacks. Hindus, Buddhists, Communists and secularists have all increased assaults against the Faith in recent years.

Christians in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu are subject to imprisonment and severe fines if in the course of preaching the Gospel someone should be converted to the Faith. This law is similar to laws passed by Madhya Pradesh state in 1968, by Arunachal Pradesh state in 1978, and by Orissa in 1968. Though Christians constitute less than six percent of the population, the Indian government fears them because of their faith and courage. Moreover, money raised by Hindu organisations in the United Kingdom and in the United States is being used to prosecute Christians in India.[5]

Religious gatherings in Vietnam are being broken up and Christian leaders are jailed as local authorities forbid villagers to worship, or conduct weddings or funerals.[6]

Four Chinese Christian women have been re-arrested, after they were found innocent of a charge of being members of an underground church. They were arrested to keep them silent of the fact that they were sexually abused and tortured during their first captivity. Now, they face three years of what the Chinese call “re-education through labour.”[7]

The History of the Faith is the Story of Suffering Saints. Jesus cautioned that those who followed Him could expect persecution. This was not an occasional theme, but rather it was constant. Consider just a representative sample of the instances in which Jesus warned against becoming too popular.

Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets [Luke 6:26].

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: “They hated me without a cause” [John 15:18-25].

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world [John 16:33].

As He prayed His high priestly prayer, Jesus spoke these telling words before the Father. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world [John 17:14].

These warnings were iterated by the Apostles, as is demonstrated by this summary statement of the first missionary journey. [They strengthened] the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God [Acts 14:21, 22].

The catalogue of the Apostle’s tribulations and trials is astonishing to say the very least. Listen, as he relates what it was like to live as an Apostle of Christ Jesus. Whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant [2 Corinthians 11:21-29]?

There is no question but that the Christian Faith is under assault. One scholar has offered his opinion that more Christians have been martyred in the Twentieth Century then were martyred during the previous eighteen hundred centuries. Though Islamic adherents are not the only ones attacking this Faith, they stand out at the present time as primary persecutors of the Faith. The current raging of Islamic clerics is but a skirmish in the long war against the Name of Christ the Lord. If Christians could say that Jesus is but a god among gods, there would be no particular cause for persecution. However, we are convinced that He is Lord of lords and King of kings. This Jesus is very God who rescues us from the coming judgement by His mercies and by His grace. We cannot deny Him. With the Apostle, we confess, Great indeed … is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among the nations,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.

[1 Timothy 3:16]

We need to again receive the encouragement provided by the Apostle, who urged, Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

[2 Timothy 2:8-13]

If the Christian Faith is only another religion among the religions of the world, I would not bother to keep its precepts. I would not make an effort to please God, if all we have is another religion. Certainly, I would agree with many about us that worship and service to the Living God would be of no consequence, if this were but another religion. However, Christ lives! He has conquered sin through the sacrifice of His own life in our place. Christ the Lord went into the grave, cleaned it out and made it a pleasant place to await the resurrection.

We in contemporary Canada have so long assumed that we have the right to freedom—freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of worship—that we have forgotten that such freedom is tenuous in this world at best. The quality of your faith will never be more powerfully displayed than it is in the face of opposition. Opposition to Christ in this country is an ever-present threat.

At the present time, bill C-250 has been re-introduced before Parliament by Svend Robinson. The bill would add “sexual orientation” as a protected category in Canada’s genocide and hate crimes legislation.[8] We need no particular imagination to draw the conclusion that passage of this legislation will mean that some Christians—and particularly pastors—may well face fines and/or imprisonment in the near future.

Already, in Saskatchewan, a man was fined $5,000 for buying newspaper ads that quoted Bible verses condemning homosexual behaviour. An Ontario “human wrongs” tribunal levied a $5,000 fine against Scott Brockie, a Christian businessman who refused to print a letterhead for a pro-Sodomite group. In 1997, Canadian Broadcast Standards Council rules were used to censure the airing of a James Dobson, “Focus on the Family” program entitled “Homosexuality: Fact and Fiction.” Here in British Columbia, Chris Kempling, a schoolteacher is facing loss of his job for making statements critical of homosexuality—even though the comments were made outside the classroom. Sweden has already outlawed “unfavourable speech” against sexual orientation.

Speculation abounds that the following consequences may result from passage of bill C-250.

· The Bible, at least certain portions of the Bible, may be declared “hate literature.”

· Churches will not be able to mention certain Scriptures.

· Clergy may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to marry homosexuals.

· Parents may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to allow their children to attend classes that teach about and promote homosexual behaviour.

· Expressing disagreement with homosexual behaviour or the homosexual agenda, either verbally or in writing, would be considered hate propaganda.

· Educators, including those at private religious schools, will not be able to refuse to teach homosexual curriculum.

· Religious institutions will not be allowed to teach anything non-supportive of homosexual sex.

· Canadian Blood Services will not be allowed to screen risk-behaviour donors.

· Governments (including local municipalities) will be prevented from passing (even debating) sex standards laws.

The Canada in which my grandchildren will grow to adulthood promises to be quite different from the Canada to which I immigrated over twenty years ago. The convictions which I hold have been tested, but they shall be subjected to still more demanding tests in coming days. Those who name the Name of Christ will be called upon to determine if they hold convictions or whether they merely have a set of preferences which are readily exchanged for peace with the world. How powerfully convicting are the words of James, the brother of our Lord.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

[James 4:4-10]

The Suffering of the Saints Serves a Positive Purpose. Suffering does exert a positive effect on the saints. I do not say this to encourage us to seek to bring suffering upon our heads, but neither do I think we should shrink from suffering for the cause of Christ. Suffering gives the Christian confidence. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us [Romans 8:16-18].

Suffering for the cause of Christ brings the comfort of Christ to His people. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort [2 Corinthians 1:3-7].

Suffering serves to transform us into Christ’s likeness. It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…

I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death [Philippians 1:29; 3:8-10].

Suffering equips the church to stand firm and empowers her in Christ’s work. I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me [Colossians 1:24-29].

The suffering of the saints gives evidence of God’s pending judgement on the world. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

This is evidence of the righteous judgement of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed [2 Thessalonians 1:5-10].

Suffering gives us evidence of our divine calling. Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me [2 Timothy 1:8-12].

Suffering purifies the saints. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler [1 Peter 4:12-15].

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [1 Peter 5:6-11]. Those who suffer for their faith are purified through the experience; they will emerge from the fiery trial as pure gold.

Suffering brings God’s eventual reward—the crown of life. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life [Revelation 2:10].

Those who suffer because of the Faith of Christ the Lord, experience clearer vision. They know that which God is calling them to and they realise the hostility of those who persecute them is because of Christ. Those who suffer for Christ’s sake are blessed of God, as even Jesus our Lord has stated. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account [Matthew 5:11]. Persecuted saints possess lives marked by great joy.

Ultimately, suffering prepares us for our eternal home. Among the great verses found in the Word of God is that which Paul penned in the letter to the Philippians. Philippians 3:20, 21 reads as follows: our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. The child of God knows that this world is not his home. There is a yearning for a better world which has been promised. That longing is the product of God’s Holy Spirit at work within our hearts. No doubt, you recall the glorious old Stamps-Baxter hymn.

This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

The Suffering of the Saints is Never in Isolation from Other Believers. I fear that we modern Christians have forgotten the admonition that Paul wrote to the Roman Christians to weep with those who weep [see Romans 12:15]. Somehow, suffering because of Christ seems so remote and distant as to be a virtual fable to us. Our experience has transmuted this verse into something it was never meant to be. Our text admonishes us to remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them. Such teaching encouraging mutual pain seems strangely foreign to our experience as Canadians.

I wonder whether we are prepared to accept Christians imprisoned because of their Faith? I wonder if we can accept fellow Christians who would rather experience the isolation and deprivation of prison rather than submitting to governmental dicta? Would we pray for them? Would we visit them? Would we acknowledge them as our own? How would you react if your pastor were to phone you from prison, urging you to visit him there? Perhaps he would say something like that which the Apostle wrote.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus [2 Timothy 1:8-13].

I have met a few, a very few, of God’s choice saints who were called to suffer for the cause of Christ. Harry Lee spent decades in Chinese prisons and work camps, because he was a Christian and would not renounce His Faith. Marcos Buscios was mistreated and threatened with prison in Greece because of his Baptist convictions. I have met a few saints from the old Soviet Union who were tortured and imprisoned because of their Faith. They chose prison instead of their conscience. I always felt I was in the presence of special people when I was able to speak with them.

Suffering unites Christians as no other experience can. Paul taught us that in the Body, if one member suffers, all suffer together [1 Corinthians 12:25]. I wonder whether we believe this affirmation. For all the talk about the “universal church,” I see scant evidence of it in the reaction of proponents to the suffering of the saints in our world. This should not be.

I recommend to this congregation that we appoint a member to be a liaison to the suffering saints of this hostile world. I recommend that we provide at least monthly a review of the pain experienced by fellow Christians, printing a synopsis in our bulletin and posting appropriate articles on the bulletin boards. I recommend that we set aside at least one Sunday each month to pray for the suffering saints throughout the world. Perhaps as we exhibit tenderness toward them, God will bless us with increased understanding of their plight and enable us to provide relief in some tangible fashion. Would that the membership of this congregation would assume the lead in this matter during our upcoming congregation meeting.

One great change which I believe would result from such measures in our assembly is that we would pray for our government. I do not say that we do not pray, but I suggest that we would be more diligent still in praying for those in leadership. We would know the reality of the apostolic admonition found in 1 Timothy 2:1, 2. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. Praying for those in authority is a matter of primary priority. Does our practise demonstrate this as a priority among us? We seek peaceful lives and freedom through our petitions to God for those in governmental leadership.

One further change which I believe would come from such measures would be that we would be more zealous in our own efforts to witness to the world about us. If the cost of being a Christian is so great in so many other nations, we should seize the opportunity to be bold for the cause of Christ here and now. If the cost of being open about our Faith means persecution in so many other nations, we should be grateful that God has spared us such persecution to this time. The most meaningful way in which to demonstrate our gratitude would be to exhibit boldness in our witness.

Persecution can embolden some for witness. However, witness to the cause of Christ, freely given, arises from a purer motive still. Paul could say to the Colossians, remember my chains [Colossians 4:18], knowing that his imprisonment had a great impact on some of the professed saints of God. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear [Philippians 1:12-14].

This is my concluding plea. There are among us friends who have somehow yet to receive the grace of God in Christ the Lord. You are good people, good citizens and warmly disposed to do what is right. Yet, somehow you have yet to believe the Good News of life in the Risen Son of God.

Throughout the message today, you have perhaps marvelled at the thought that some people would persecute others because of their Faith. Perhaps you have even reacted mentally at the message by questioning whether Christians are not the greater persecutors of devout people. No doubt, you wonder that people would believe so strongly that they would be willing to die rather than renounce the Faith which they have embraced. Tragically, the persecutors named in this message are for the most part common people, motivated in part by fear and in part by hatred.

What I am saying is that they are not so very different from you or from me. The only thing which will restrain you from joining in opposition to us Christians when persecution comes to Canada will be the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. His Spirit dwells in those who have believed the Son of God. And that is my call to you at this time.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].

With a spirit of compassion which comes from our faith in the Righteous God, we invite you to join us. Believe this Good News and be born from above and into the Kingdom of God. God’s grace is found, neither in a church nor in a religion, but it is found in a Person—Jesus the Son of God. Rite and ritual have no meaning divorced from faith in the Son of God, and it is that faith to which we now call all who will receive it. Amen.

Appendix A

Jordanian Christian Widow Given Five Days to Surrender Her Children

Michael Ireland – ASSIST News Service (2002-10-10)

A Jordanian Christian widow has been forced back into hiding after being ordered to surrender her children to an estranged Muslim relative. According to Middle East Concern, Siham Qandah was told by the Ministry of Justice on October 7 that she had less than a week to hand over her daughter, Rawan, 14, and son, Fadi, 12, to her Muslim brother. The order came eight months after Jordan's Supreme Court upheld earlier rulings granting legal custody of the children to the brother. Mrs. Qandah was told that if she failed to comply with this order, the children would be taken by force. The family is threatened with separation because she is bringing them up as Christians rather than Muslims. A lower court ruled that she had proved herself to be "unfit to be a custodian of her children" by “distancing them from Islamic rituals and doctrine.”

ISTANBUL, October 15 (Compass) – A letter smuggled out of Cairo's Mazraa Tora prison last month confirmed that an Egyptian convert to Christianity who disappeared five months ago has been imprisoned on criminal charges.

In a hand-written letter obtained by Compass last week, Hisham Samir Abdel Latif Ibrahim, 26, confirmed that he had been arrested in early May by Egyptian security police. According to the letter written on September 17 to a Coptic Christian cleric, Ibrahim has been accused of falsifying his identity papers and reviling Islam.

"I was told that a man called Adel had informed them about me," Ibrahim wrote. He stated he had been interrogated daily by SSI officers, who named a person they claimed had issued new Christian identity papers for him.

Born in Alexandria into a Muslim family, Ibrahim is believed to have obtained Christian ID papers on the basis of a newly issued birth certificate identifying him as Milad Mahrous Habib Agayby. Egyptian Muslims are forbidden by law to change their religious identity, although open incentives are offered to encourage Christian citizens to convert to Islam.

According to acquaintances in Cairo, Ibrahim became a Christian in 1996 through listening to the Christian radio program "Yanabi El Sahara" (Fountains in the Desert).

Before his disappearance on May 7, Ibrahim had been living with Shafik Labeb Ishaq and his wife Violet, a Christian couple active in an evangelical Coptic Church in Cairo. Since March, the couple and their three daughters have been subjected to repeated harassment by both security police and local Muslim extremists.

An accountant for an Egyptian communications company, Ishaq confirmed that several times during March security police officers summoned him and his wife for interrogation, sometimes late at night or even at dawn. The police also came knocking at their door at odd hours of the night, always claiming to be searching for unknown individuals.

At the same time, the family received warning notes and dozens of obscene telephone calls, threatening to kidnap and rape their youngest daughter Sarah, 14. Repeated attempts were made by young Muslim men to convince Sarah she should run away, leave her faith and become a Muslim.

Then on April 8, fanatic Muslims in the neighbourhood managed to kidnap Sarah for four days. Although her parents located her and forced the captors to return their daughter, a similar attempt was made on July 28. Again on August 16, a veiled Muslim woman tried to force her way into the home where Sarah was staying.

To protect Sarah from being forcibly converted to Islam, Ishaq and his wife obtained travel documents and sent her on August 27 to England, where she remains in an undisclosed location until the rest of her family can leave Egypt to join her.

"Sarah was exposed to danger," the Ishaq family's pastor confirmed in a written statement from Cairo, "and even the lives of her family are also in danger."

Twelve Killed In Nigeria after Student Election (Oct 15)

(Barnabas.org) At least twelve Christian students were killed and over 50 injured in a riot at the Federal College of Education in Nigeria. The rioting broke out after a Christian candidate won the annual student union elections. Disgruntled Muslim students whipped up resentment among local Muslims who stormed the campus. Christian students were attacked and forced to flee. According to official sources twelve were killed and many others were injured and required treatment at the local hospital. Some Christian women students were raped. Such religiously motivated clashes provide a worrying reminder of the possibility of widespread religiously motivated violence during national elections scheduled for next year.

October 24, 2002

Carnage in Bali

(The West Learns What Indonesian Christians Already Knew)

By Charles Colson

To many Westerners, the word "Bali" is synonymous with "paradise.” The combination of climate, culture, architecture, and friendly locals makes the island and its beaches a favourite for tourists from all over the world.

That’s why the recent terrorist attack that killed nearly two hundred people came as a particularly nasty shock. The atrocity has world leaders vowing to crack down on radical Islam within Indonesia—to which Christians can only reply: What took you so long?

The problem may be that since September 11, Western leaders have continually said that Islam is a peace-loving religion hijacked by the hijackers. The problem isn’t Islamic beliefs, they say—all roads lead to heaven; all religions are alike.

I understand why government leaders say this—we don’t want a war with the Muslim world, much of which is moderate—and we certainly don’t want to cause discrimination against Muslims living in the United States. But as I’ve frequently said on BreakPoint, we must not kid ourselves either. We had better realise that there are lots of Muslims who take the Qur’án very seriously. And there are many Islamists who are dedicated to the destruction of the West.

We have to understand this so that we’ll recognise that just cleaning up al-Qaeda will not solve our problems. Militant Islam is a dangerous movement and must be reckoned with as such around the world. The tragedy in Bali has at least awakened the world to the real dangers we must deal with.

Western governments are now demanding a crackdown on these groups in Indonesia. Australian Prime Minister John Howard demanded "a maximum effort on the part of the Indonesian government" in its fight against terrorism. And the United States has called on Indonesia’s president to crack down and intensify her government’s efforts.

If you want evidence of Islamic extremism, just ask any Indonesian Christian. For nearly three decades, Indonesia’s Christians have endured one outrage after another at the hands of their Muslim neighbours. In 1975, Indonesia invaded and annexed East Timor, killing hundreds of thousands of East Timorese Christians. Twenty years later, as East Timor gained its independence, the government again did nothing as more Christians were slaughtered.

In the mid-nineties, Indonesia’s Christian Chinese were made the scapegoat for the country’s economic woes. Again, the government stood by as Christian businesses, homes, and churches were looted and burned.

And in the last few years, an Islamic militia, the Laksar Jihad, has declared war on Christians living on the islands of Sulawesi and the Moluccas. The militia, which includes members from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Albania, and Bosnia, has attacked Christian villages and forced Christians to either convert to Islam or be beheaded.

And Indonesia’s government has been joined in its silence by Western governments—until, that is, the victims were Western tourists.

While Christians should applaud the new resolve to deal with Islamic extremism in Indonesia, we can’t stop there. Islamic extremism is indivisible; the people killing tourists and the people killing Christians are proceeding from the same worldview—a worldview threatening to all of us. That’s why overlooking the true nature of Islam is not only wrong, it’s folly—the kind of folly that can turn any paradise into hell on earth.

Vietnamese Government cracks Down on Christians (2002-09-26)

According to sources at Voice of the Martyrs, at least eighteen Christians have been arrested in Vietnam in the last month, most of whose whereabouts are currently unknown. At least thirty have been arrested since June. It appears that the recent government crackdown is particularly targeted at Protestant church leaders, land rights advocates, and individuals suspected of guiding asylum seekers to Cambodia. Local authorities have posted police in the homes of church leaders, while also breaking up religious gatherings, burning literature, and confiscating property. Local authorities largely forbid gatherings of villagers for worship, weddings and funerals.

November 14, 2002

Vietnam Persecution Surge -- Churches Closed, Leaders Jailed

Baptist Press

HO CHI MINH CITY (BP)--Information has been pouring out of Vietnam about a recent wave of government repression against Montagnard evangelicals in Vietnam's Central Highlands, Compass Direct news service reported Nov. 13.

Documents acquired in October by religious and human rights workers in this Southeast Asian country and correspondence received in recent days confirm that by the end of September, 354 of 412 churches had been forcibly disbanded in Dak Lak province alone. By mid-October, about 50 Christian pastors and elders in the province had been arrested or had "disappeared."

It is expected that the remaining 58 churches in the province will soon be closed.

Montagnard churches -- "Montagnard" means "mountain people" and is a collective name for Vietnam's many minority tribal groups inhabiting the Central Highlands -- were historically part of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South). Last year, 26 years after the country was reunified under communism, the ECVN(S) was granted legal recognition. However, only a handful of the many hundreds of Montagnard churches were allowed to identify with the ECVN(S).

On Nov. 7, meanwhile, Freedom House released news of ongoing persecution of Hmong Christians in Vietnam's north-west provinces, including the story and photo of a 36-year-old Hmong Christian man who died from beatings by police and officials because he was a believer. Also, Vietnam's normally cautious Roman Catholic Conference of Bishops recently released a letter decrying the persecution of Catholic Montagnards.

Reports from the affected churches reveal a pattern, Compass Direct observed. Beginning in late summer, leaders of the predominantly Ede minority churches were summoned by local authorities, told their churches were illegal and ordered to disband their church organisations. Many were threatened with dire consequences if they did not comply.

In addition, church leaders were specifically prohibited from any further religious activity outside their own homes with their own families, the Compass Direct account continued. All communal activities of the churches -- worship, teaching, prayer for the sick, observing holy days, administering sacraments, performing baptisms, weddings and funerals -- were forbidden. Leaders were forced to sign statements of compliance.

Government authorities had reluctantly tolerated the existence of Montagnard churches for nearly 20 years, although there were frequent problems and many restrictions. In February 2001, however, several thousand Montagnards surprised local authorities by demonstrating against the illegal loss of their lands to ethnic Vietnamese settlers and against the lack of religious freedom.

Waves of heavy-handed crackdowns followed, along with brutal campaigns to force Christians to sign documents agreeing to give up their faith, Compass Direct reported. Many fled into the forest or to Cambodia.

However, this latest move against churches in Dak Lak is the most severe persecution since 1975, when churches were closed and church leaders put in re-education camps for years, the news service noted.

The ECVN(S), which has usually been very cautious about speaking out against abuses, went public this time. The ECVN(S) president, Duong Thanh, has written a frank and detailed letter to Vietnam's Prime Minister and to other relevant government agencies. According to Compass Direct, the letter describes the persecution and points out how government actions are contrary to the constitution and to specific promises made by Vietnam's Religious Affairs Bureau.

The constitutional provision for religious freedom and the promises of the bureau are quoted in the letter, along with a warning that it will be impossible to contain this news in Vietnam. The letter concludes by asking the Prime Minister and relevant government bodies for immediate redress.

Earlier complaints addressed to local authorities by the legally recognised provincial committee of the ECVN(S) resulted in increased pressure and persecution, Compass Direct reported. Authorities seized church leaders at will and took them to unknown destinations. They confiscated church furniture, Christian books, Bibles and musical instruments, and then sealed off or took over the simple chapels where Christians met. Officials have entered chapels while Christians were worshipping and harangued Christians to give up their faith.

Local Dak Lak television is reported by many to have broadcast "Ceremonies of Voluntarily Renouncing Christianity" and has shown pictures of Christians "voluntarily" giving their Bibles and songbooks to be burned.

"All the Christians I met greeted me with tears, asked me to pray with them and then hurried me on my way lest something untoward happen to me," said a recent visitor to the area. "Even some sympathetic government officials received me with tears, recognising the overwhelming sadness of what is happening."

He added, "Many of the churches in Vietnam are praying night and day for this 'national tragedy.’ Please pass this sad news to churches overseas as well so that they may participate in earnest prayer, beseeching the Lord to deliver us from this distress. There are many other heart-rending stories which I cannot tell you now."

The United States Commission on International Religion Freedom in September recommended that the U.S. State Department name Vietnam as a "country of particular concern" -- the worst category for abusers of religious freedom. Yet even seasoned observers of the religious liberty abuses in communist Vietnam are surprised at the ferocity in the latest persecution of Christians.

"Besides visiting gratuitous suffering on innocent people, Vietnam is badly hurting itself in the eyes of the international community," said one long-time observer.

October 10, 2002

India State Enacts Anti-Conversion Law

John Lindner - Editor, Christian Aid Mission

Christians in India are reeling from a new law passed by the Tamil Nadu state government this weekend banning forced or induced conversions.

The ordinance, issued on October 5, bans religious conversions "by force, allurement or fraudulent means" without defining the terms. Violators are subject to three years' imprisonment, except in cases where the converts are minors, women, or members of scheduled castes or tribes. In those cases the imprisonment could extend to four years with an additional fine of 100,000 rupees ($2000). In every instance, both the convert and the minister involved must report to the magistrate.

The ordinance follows the pattern of those passed by the Madhya Pradesh state government in 1968, and the Arunachal Pradesh state government in 1978. Orissa enacted the "Orissa Freedom of Religion Act" in 1968, which was overturned by a higher court, and then restored by India's Supreme Court in 1973.

According to J.N. Manokaran of the India Missions Association, statistics do not warrant such a law. Census figures showed the Christian population at 5.69% in 1991, down from 5.78% in 1981 and 5.75% in 1971.

Christians fear the new law will hinder their free exercise of religion by embroiling them in restrictive regulations. They point out the penalties are especially severe for converts among the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, which they believe was designed to thwart the conversion of Dalits to Christianity. The law may also encourage many to bring false charges against Christian ministers and intimidate new believers. Some fear that chapel services in Christian schools, hospitals and children's homes may even be viewed as violating the new law.

India's constitution guarantees freedom of religion. "This ordinance is a violation of human rights," Manokaran told Christian Aid. "Human beings have the freedom to choose in what they believe, object of worship and manner of worship. This right cannot be deprived from anybody, including women and members of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes."

The All India Christian Council said today it will challenge the new law in court. The AICC also is calling for a nation-wide non-violent protest on October 19, with a major protest rally in Chennai (Madras), the capital of Tamil Nadu. "This is a do or die battle," AICC says church leaders are saying.

Many mission groups have originated in Tamil Nadu, including Church Growth Missionary Movement, Fellowship of Evangelical Friends, Friends Missionary Prayer Band, Tamil Christian Fellowship, Indian Bible Translators and India Missions Association.

October 16, 2002

Egyptian Police Arrest, Harass Local Christians Barbara G. Baker

Compass News Service

Western Money Used to Target Christians in India

(CompassDirect.org) — Money raised by Hindu organisations in Western countries is being used to fund aggression against Christians and other minorities in India. Non-profit organisations associated with Hindu extremist organisations collected nearly one million pounds in the past year from subsidiaries in the United Kingdom. In 1999, the India Income Tax Department revealed that funding from the United States reached $62.5 million dollars. A 1998 letter written by Sitaram Agarwal, secretary of the World Hindu Council (VHP), states that his organisation “needs money and lots of it to carry out shuddhi (cleansing) and seva (service) and dharam prasar (proselytizing)” among lower caste Indians. The Congress Party has alleged that the VHP is guilty of misuse of funds it receives in the name of charity and has demanded an inquiry. “If international pressure is brought to bear by Western governments, much could be achieved,” said missions professor Dr. W. Jacob. “Otherwise it may be too late.”

Chinese Christians Face 3 Years of 'Re-Education through Labour'

Allie Martin Agape Press

Four Christian women who were released by a Chinese court last week have been arrested again by officers of China’s Public Security Bureau. The four were re-arrested only hours after they were found innocent of charges relating to their membership in an underground church. Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says the four were arrested to keep them silent. “All of them were sexually abused and tortured while they were in custody, and were planning a lawsuit against the police and against prison officials that had allowed this abuse to go on,” Nettleton explains. “So they have been re-arrested by the police and sent away for three years of what the Chinese call ‘re-education through labour.’” Police in China can send a prisoner to jail for up to three years without a formal trial or formal charges. Nettleton says the treatment of the four women proves that China is not serious about religious freedom. “I think we need to be on the phone to the Chinese embassy and to our government officials,” he says. “Chinese President Jiang Zemin will be in Texas later this month to meet with President Bush, and our hope is that [Bush] will be very firm in raising the issue of religious freedom in China.”

Protests of Christian persecution gaining traction in U.S., Land says

By Dwayne Hastings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) –The revelation by North Korea that it had engaged in a clandestine operation to develop nuclear weapons, contrary to promises made to the Clinton administration in 1994, thrust the Asian nation again into the news. However, many in the United States have had the communist nation on their minds and in their prayers for years for its shoddy record in human rights.

At least one advocacy group for persecuted Christians believes North Korea has the worst record of oppressing Christians of any nation in the world.

Open Doors, an international ministry to persecuted Christians around the globe, placed North Korea atop its annual "World Watch List," bumping Saudi Arabia from its perennial and infamous place in the top spot. The list ranks countries according to the level of persecution Christians endure for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Christian refugees from famine-swept North Korea who manage to traverse the border into China tell aid workers there that despite the severe oppression in North Korea, house churches exist in the nation. Open Doors reports the policy of communist dictator Kim Jong II, like his father, is to demand unswerving allegiance from the nation's citizens. Christians are sought out and eliminated for their refusal to worship Kim himself, the report said.

North Korea is regarded as the "most hard-line atheistic nation" in the world, according to Paul Marshall in the book, "Religious Freedom in the World."

"The people of North Korea are perhaps the least free on earth," the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom stated in an Oct. 3 letter to President Bush. In the letter, the USCIRF, an independent federal agency that advises the president and Congress on religious liberty issues, urged the president to make human rights and religious freedoms primary conditions in any talks seeking improved bilateral relations.

"The U.S. should not abandon human rights—and be seen to legitimise the horrific abuses of the North Korean regime—for promises on military issues," USCIRF chair Felice D. Gaer said in the letter. North Korea was cited by the Bush administration in 2001 as a "country of particular concern" for its severe violations of religious liberty.

"Religious freedom does not exist as the state severely represses public and private religious activities, including arresting and imprisoning—and in some cases torturing and executing—persons engaged in such activities," she continued.

North Korea is not the only country that makes a habit of denying its citizens religious liberty. It is estimated that 200 million Christians are being persecuted world-wide and another 400 million Christians are living with restrictions on their religious freedom.

Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said revulsion against widespread acts of persecution against Christians is slowly gaining traction across the United States, prompted in part by the national news media's new-found willingness to report on attacks against Christians coupled with a growing awareness of the issue among evangelicals.

"Just over five years ago, the maltreatment of Christians around the world gained a much greater hearing when an international day of prayer was declared to call Christians to remember their brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith in Christ," explained Land, who was appointed to serve on the USCIRF by President Bush last year. The 2002 International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (www.persecutedchurch.org) is Nov. 10.

"The deadly attacks and harassment aimed at Christians is condoned, and even sanctioned, by some governments and carried out by fanatical bands of marauders," Land said. "While some improvement in this arena has occurred, Christians continue to be the target of assaults, imprisonment and even death."

Muslim backlash against Christians has claimed the lives of 39 Pakistani citizens, and 75 Pakistan Christians have been injured in attacks since last October, Land said. Armed gunmen killed eight believers in a Pakistani Christian welfare organisation Sept. 25. News reports indicate the seven victims were bound and gagged and then shot point-blank in the head in the offices of the Institute for Peace and Justice in Karachi.

Churches, Christian schools and hospitals all have been targets of the anti-Christian terrorism in Pakistan, Land continued, while noting Christian persecution does not always involve violence.

In Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, Christian orphanages and programs for the poor are being forced to close their doors because those served by the ministries are placing their faith in Christ much to the chagrin of local Buddhists, a news report from Christian Aid reveals. The nation's socialist government provides Buddhists interest-free loans and supplemental rice allotments, while leaving the Christians to fend for themselves in the economically depressed country.

"Our persecuted brothers and sisters are asking for our prayers," Land said. "We must be obedient to the command of Hebrews 13 in praying for them as well as for those who oppress them."

Persecution Continues in India with Passage of Laws Forbidding Religious Conversions

Sources for The Voice of the Martyrs report that acts of violence against Christians in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have increased in light of recent legislation forbidding religious conversions. The legislation is similar to that which was earlier passed by the state government in the northern state of Orissa. "At the moment there is a lot going on between Hindus and Muslims in this area,” said a VOM source in India who remains anonymous for safety reasons. “There are protest rallies by Hindus. Churches are being burned, including the church of our pastor. Other Christian buildings and schools are closed. The Hindus are very radical and won't tolerate Christians in their area. They want to convert everyone. When a Hindu converts to Christianity, he is cast out by the whole community (family, friends, neighbours). Please remember the situation here in your prayers.” VOM also learned this week how four Christian families were recently beaten in the streets and the young girls raped when they refused to take part in a Hindu festival in the state of Orissa. When the police were told, they did nothing.

Appendix B

Canadian Christians Concerned Over Pending 'Hate Crimes' Bill

Fred Jackson AgapePress

A federal hate crimes bill making its way through the Canadian Parliament could signal what's in store for American Christians should similar efforts succeed in the U.S. An open homosexual and member of the Canadian Parliament is pushing to have sexual orientation added as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate crimes legislation. Pro-family groups in that country are raising the alarm that it could well lead to outlawing any criticism of homosexuality. WorldNetDaily says there have already been incidents at the provincial level in Canada where people who have done just that paid a high price. For example, a Saskatchewan man recently was fined $5,000 for buying a newspaper ad that quoted verses from the Bible condemning homosexual behaviour. In addition, two years ago in Ontario, a human rights commission levelled a $5,000 fine against a Christian businessman who refused to print letterhead for a pro-homosexual group. In a current case in British Columbia, a teacher is facing the loss of his job for making statements critical of homosexuality—even though he made his comments outside the classroom.

LAW OF THE LAND

The Bible as 'hate literature'?

Canadians advance bill that chills speech about homosexuality

Posted: October 21, 2002

1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Art Moore

A prison sentence for quoting the Bible in Canada? Holy Scriptures treated as "hate literature"?

That could happen if a proposed bill is passed by Parliament, according to opponents who believe it would criminalise public expression against homosexual behaviour.

A self-described homosexual member of the House of Commons, Svend Robinson, is expected this week to reintroduce bill C-415, which would add sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate crimes legislation.

Christian groups lined up against the bill admit they can easily be misunderstood for opposing a measure apparently designed to protect people.

"We don't want to promote hatred against anyone and are opposed to violence for whatever reason," said Bruce Clemenger, head of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada's Centre for Faith and Public Life. "Our concern, though is that ... courts have not distinguished between the identity of the person and the activity. So sexual orientation refers to both the sexual disposition as well as the activity."

But homosexual activists contend such a distinction cannot be made with homosexuals any more than it can with matters of race or ethnic origin.

"The argument of separating the person from the behaviour is their concept," insisted Kim Vance, president of Ottawa-based EGALE, Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere.

"In reality they are the same thing," Vance said in a WND interview. "That's language that they use to justify [opposition], but it's language that we don't agree with."

The bill's backers argue that statements against homosexual behaviour for religious reasons are exempted in the current law.

In a letter Robinson sends to inquirers, he quotes Alberta Attorney General Dave Hancock, who insists protecting gays from hateful propaganda has nothing to do with endorsing homosexuality.

"There are appropriate ways to discuss issues in our country ... and you don't need to put forward hateful literature," Hancock said. "It doesn't matter what you believe about sexual orientation."

But opponents point out that the law addressed by Robinson's amendment spells out three different types of actions or speech considered criminal, and only one can be excused by a religious defence. And even that one, opponents maintain, has not always held up in court, because its vagueness leaves wide discretion to judges.

The most dangerous aspect of this amendment is that "hate" and "hate propaganda" are not defined, says Brian Rushfeldt, executive director of the Canada Family Action Coalition in Calgary, Alberta.

"I would have no way of knowing I'm conducting a criminal act until I'm charged with it, because there is no clarity in the law," Rushfeldt told WND.

"Sexual orientation" also is not defined in the law. Prime Minister Jean Chretien, when he was justice minister, told a constitutional parliamentary committee in 1981 that "sexual orientation" should not be in the Canadian constitution because it is too "difficult to interpret, to define."

Religious defence?

No religious defence is contained in section 318 of the current law, which has a sentence of up to five years in prison for advocating "genocide," nor in section 319(1), prohibiting public incitement of "hatred" against an identifiable group that is "likely to lead to a breach of the peace."

Section 319(2), which prohibits a public statement that "wilfully promotes hatred" against a protected group, does have an article that excuses statements expressed in "good faith," including religious expression.

Clemenger, however, points to a 4-3 Supreme Court decision in which the minority opinion, written by current Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, expressed deep reservations about whether these defences are of any use.

"What they are saying is, that if you wilfully promote hatred, you can use this defence, but no one in good faith would promote hatred," Clemenger said. "So that 'good faith' clause almost eliminates the defence."

Rushfeldt and his allies note that provincial human rights commissions, which already include sexual orientation as a protected category, have penalised people for actions motivated by their conscientious objection to homosexual behaviour.

A Saskatchewan man recently was fined $5,000 for buying a newspaper ad that quoted verses from the Bible condemning homosexual behaviour.

Two years ago, the Ontario Human Rights Commission penalised printer Scott Brockie $5,000 for refusing to print letterhead for a homosexual advocacy group. Brockie argued that his Christian beliefs compelled him to reject the group's request.

Robinson's amendment would make both of these men criminals, opponents contend.

Rushfeldt also recalled instances in which the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council rules have been used to censure programs addressing homosexuality. In 1997, the council ruled that the airing of a James Dobson "Focus on the Family" program, called "Homosexuality: Fact and Fiction," violated the requirement that opinion, comment, and editorialising be presented in a way that is "full, fair, and proper."

The rules are "so vague," said Rushfeldt, "that if somebody says something that hurts feelings it can be considered a violation of the broadcast standards."

In a current case, a British Columbia teacher could lose his job for making "derogatory and demeaning" statements against homosexuals, according to the judgement of a teachers association panel. Though none of the statements in question were made in class, the panel cited letters to a newspaper that indicated veteran teacher Chris Kempling's attitude could poison the class environment.

One Kempling letter cited by the panel said: "Gay people are seriously at risk, not because of heterosexual attitudes but because of their sexual behaviour, and I challenge the gay community to show some real evidence that they are trying to protect their own community members by making attempts to promote monogamous, long-lasting relationships to combat sexual addictions."

The Vancouver Sun reported Sept. 25 that the panel does not need to find direct evidence of a poisoned school environment to determine that a member is guilty of conduct unbecoming. The panel said, "It is sufficient that an inference can be drawn as to the reasonable and probable consequences of the discriminatory comments of a teacher."

In June, Sweden passed a constitutional amendment that adds sexual orientation to groups protected against "unfavourable speech.” The amendment must be voted on again this fall, and if passed, would be enacted in January. In effect, it outlaws any teaching that homosexuality is wrong, carrying a sentence of up to four years in prison.

U.S. opponents of this kind of legislation fear that the United States is heading in the direction of Canada and Sweden as battles continued to be waged over the addition of sexual orientation as a protected category in hate crimes laws and employment discrimination.

"I think the U.S. is not far behind Canada," said John Paulk, gender and homosexuality specialist for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

Canadian pro-family activists also are concerned about challenges to the definition of marriage, especially after an Ontario court ruled earlier this year that restricting marriage to a man and a woman is unconstitutional and discriminatory.

'Hate literature'

In an "action alert" distributed last week, Rushfeldt wrote that if C-415 becomes law in Canada, "the following consequences will result, especially once hate crime charges are brought before the courts":

· The Bible, at least certain portions of the Bible, may be declared "hate literature."

· Churches will not be able to mention certain Scriptures.

· Clergy may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to marry homosexuals.

· Parents may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to allow their children to attend classes that teach about and promote homosexual behaviour.

· Expressing disagreement with homosexual behaviour or the homosexual agenda, either verbally or in writing, would be considered hate propaganda.

· Educators, including those at private religious schools, will not be able to refuse to teach homosexual curriculum.

· Religious institutions will not be allowed to teach anything non-supportive of homosexual sex.

· Canadian Blood Services will not be allowed to screen risk-behaviour donors.

· Governments (including local municipalities) will be prevented from passing (even debating) sex standards laws.

In his letter to constituents, Robinson defends the necessity of the bill by using the example of American Fred Phelps, known for his website "www.godhatesfags.com.” Robinson said that when Phelps wanted to come to Canada to "pursue his campaign of hatred against gay and lesbian people," Canadian police lamented that there was nothing in the criminal code to stop him.

Robinson quotes Sgt. Pat Callaghan, head of the hate crimes unit of the Ottawa-Carleton Police Department: "If we had that legislation, we wouldn't have to put up with his nonsense… We could have told him, 'If you show up and start spreading this hate, we'll arrest you.'"

Opponents point out, however, that Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., bases his views on religious grounds, which contradicts Robinson's claim that he does not intend to shut down religious discussion.

EGALE's Vance told WorldNetDaily that she believes, however, that religious speech must be limited.

"There's a huge difference between someone being allowed to practice their religion and taking out ads in the newspaper saying that gay and lesbian people are sick and immoral," said EGALE's Vance. "There is a line there, and it's been crossed."

Responding to concerns about free speech, Robinson said the law has an additional protection in that no criminal proceeding can be instituted without the consent of the provincial attorney general, which "will prevent frivolous or trivial prosecutions."

Clemenger said, however, that provincial law officials across the country have expressed support for the bill and have shown deference to homosexual activists in their decisions.

Robinson said the Canadian Association of Police Boards adopted a resolution in support of C-415 at its annual general meeting Aug. 23, "noting that equal protection and treatment of all citizens is fundamental to a fair justice system."

Not a dead issue

Robinson's bill passed a "vote in principle" in the House of Commons in May – with just 16 MPs present – and must pass a final vote before submission to the Senate, where opponents say it likely would be rubber stamped. Bills that become law pass a final formality of "royal assent" from the queen's representative, the governor general.

Some Canadians mistakenly have believed that the bill is a dead issue, according to opponents, because when a new session of Parliament convenes, all legislation from the previous session dies.

But according to the rules, if Robinson resubmits the bill within 30 days of the Sept. 30 "Speech from the Throne" – which outlines Parliament's plans for the year – the legislation will continue on its track from the same position it had before.

Bill Siksay, Robinson's assistant at his Burnaby, B.C., office, said Robinson was unavailable for comment. He told WND, however, that the MP has indicated his intent to reintroduce the bill this week.

Patrice Martin, clerk of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for the House of Commons, which would handle the bill, said he expects C-415 to be reactivated.

Martin's committee then would prioritise the bill among other submissions by government and members of parliament. The committee could either delay C-415 – a private members bill – or send it back to the House for a "third reading" and final vote, possibly with amendments.

Enough votes

Vance believes that based on the voting pattern of MPs, enough votes are there to pass C-415. She notes passage of a law that added sexual orientation as a factor in sentencing for crimes motivated by hatred.

"Our sense is there is very strong support for [C-415]," she said. "To me, this is just a natural extension of the sentencing law. If you agree that sexual orientation is a motivating factor for hate crimes, then it's logical to have it for speech."

Her group is preparing a brief for the justice committee and plans to submit a petition that it circulated in the summer.

The issue has received little attention in the Canadian press, says opponent Jim Enos, vice chairman of the Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council in Ontario.

"We're asleep as a nation," said Enos. "Outside of families who are made aware through the churches, you never hear anybody talking about it."

"I don't think people are all that politically minded as a whole, unless they are closely linked to a church," Enos added. "They're more concerned about the price of a VCR or DVD."[9]

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[2] Appendix A

[3] Appendix A

[4] Appendix A

[5] Appendix A

[6] Appendix A

[7] Appendix A

[8] see Appendix B

[9] http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29328