The reports out of Nigeria indicating more than 500 Christians from three villages being slaughtered are stomach-churning. Much more of this religious violence occurs than is usually reported in North American media so it was good to see the National Post highlight this with a front page picture this morning (although it is buried on their website.) The Times OnLine stories are a bit more detailed and also contains an analysis piece by the reporter Jonathan Clayton.
The story is obviously a complex one that involves a complex informal power-sharing agreement between southern Christian tribes and Northern Muslims, jealousy about how to fairly divide the benefits that come from the oil that primarily comes from one part of the country, and an illness to a President that has resulted in "drift and dither" rather than leadership and decision-making. All that said, the almost 50-50 split between the Muslim and Christian religions, divided mostly along ethnic lines, is a clear fault line. Reports indicate that the murderous gangs shouted religious slogans and that fellow Muslims were spared, being identified by their ability to respond in religious language.
The issue of religious freedom and persecution is one that does not occupy the mainstream media much. The Hudson Institute has a center for Religious Freedom that does good scholarly work and is doing its part to create a mainstream awareness of what is going on. A quick skim of their pages remind us that it is not only in the villages of Nigeria, but in many countries around the world where men and women are not just discriminated against, but die regularly for their faith.
But neglecting this issue also happens within the church. While most Sundays we do pray for "our persecuted brothers and sisters," I for one must confess that this is as often as much jargon as a passionate and understood conviction. Truth is, I don't know and relatively rarely think about the details under which the persecuted church lives. It's been a few years since I last read a book on the subject -- the one that jumps to mind is Nina Shea's In the Lion's Den which I read a decade or so ago. Today's news is a reminder that it is probably necessary to pick up such a book again and rekindle the passion so that we might pray more earnestly for the persecuted church. It is also a reminder for us never to take the privileges and freedoms we enjoy for granted but to be good stewards of our opportunities.
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huntingboat's Full Review: Marvin W. Heyboer - Journeys into the Heart and He...
This true story of an investigation on the ground of several Islamic cultures in Africa reveals the shocking truth of the brutality (to the point of death) that Islamic believers wreak on non-Muslims, especially Christians. This is the hidden side of Islam that the Western world and especially Christians need to know about, lest they be murdered or subjucated by Muslims. Islam is a religion with world domination in its sights! If you are not Muslim, you are inferior and must serve Islam or die. Millions of people in Africa and the Middle East live in subservience to Islam. They and their children have no future (except as 'good Muslims'), but must live miserable, impoverised lives.
The book is a true eye opener! The most startling book I have ever read, and I read a lot. It's a very personal account where Marvin Heyboer risked his life numerous times. Marvin is a retired pastor in the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
This book will change everyone who reads it.
Hopefully it also puts the free countries of the world on defense against their Muslim populations, many who have not and will not integrate into western societies. 9-11? Now I know where the danger lies!
Hopefully a second edition will be carefully editted. Recomended *****
Recommended:
Yes
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