Annual Report
Of the US Commission
On International Religious Freedom
Of the US Commission
On International Religious Freedom
Putting a Human Face to Threats to Religious Freedom
by Ruth Kramer
Mission Network News
...What’s the point if nothing happens? “The reality is that Christians are restricted in their faith in at least 60 countries of the world,” explains Curry. It’s advocacy for those who have no voice. “There are hundreds of millions of people that don’t have the freedom to choose for themselves what they believe.”
Working the recommendations into policy or connecting it to assistance is one way of turning intention to action. Curry has wondered if the politics matter, and has decided that they do. “When you have an area where people do not have religious freedom, it’s the first sign that an area is going to tip into chaos. It happened in Iraq over the last 10 years, and then ISIS blew up. It’s happening right now in Nigeria. It’s happening in Pakistan.”
Bottom line: in most of the CPCs, it is dangerous (if not illegal) to own a Bible, to share your faith in Christ, change your faith, or teach your children about Jesus. Those who boldly follow Christ face harassment, arrest, torture, and sometimes death.
Yet Christians continue to meet for worship and to witness for Christ, and the hope they have attracts others. The Church is growing. More people, more persecution. It’s estimated by the World Evangelical Alliance that there are more than 100 million Christians worldwide who will suffer because they follow Christ...
by Ruth Kramer
Mission Network News
...What’s the point if nothing happens? “The reality is that Christians are restricted in their faith in at least 60 countries of the world,” explains Curry. It’s advocacy for those who have no voice. “There are hundreds of millions of people that don’t have the freedom to choose for themselves what they believe.”
Working the recommendations into policy or connecting it to assistance is one way of turning intention to action. Curry has wondered if the politics matter, and has decided that they do. “When you have an area where people do not have religious freedom, it’s the first sign that an area is going to tip into chaos. It happened in Iraq over the last 10 years, and then ISIS blew up. It’s happening right now in Nigeria. It’s happening in Pakistan.”
Bottom line: in most of the CPCs, it is dangerous (if not illegal) to own a Bible, to share your faith in Christ, change your faith, or teach your children about Jesus. Those who boldly follow Christ face harassment, arrest, torture, and sometimes death.
Yet Christians continue to meet for worship and to witness for Christ, and the hope they have attracts others. The Church is growing. More people, more persecution. It’s estimated by the World Evangelical Alliance that there are more than 100 million Christians worldwide who will suffer because they follow Christ...
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