Muslim men beat up Christians and then implicate them in ‘fake’ police case

ASSIST News Service (ANS) Saturday, May 8, 2010 By Jawad Mazhar Correspondent for ANS, reporting from Pakistan

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN— Shocking news has just come out that on the Easter Sunday (April 4, 2010), ten Christian men were beaten by rich and powerful fundamentalist Muslims in Sargodha, located in Pakistan’s Punjab province, and then, despite being severely injured, were booked by the local police. 

‘The biggest precedent of injustice served on Pakistani Christian Citizens,’ says Christian leader

According to news given to ANS by Farrukh Tanvir, President of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Youth Wing of the Sargodha region, the Christians had protested about the way some local Muslims had abused, scorned, mocked, called pejorative names and about hearing obscene language used against Christian women and girls going to the Easter Sunday Service at the Catholic Church of the Virk Colony, near Chak # 48-SB, Sargodha, by local Muslims.

Tanvir, talking to ANS in an exclusive interview, said that on the morning of Easter Sunday, jubilant Christian girls, women, men and children dressed in new clothes were going to attend the service at the only Catholic church of the Virk colony.

He said that a gang of “radical local Muslim youths of the Faqira clan” were standing in the way of the Christians going into the church and they started “playing pranks” with the congregants and hurled insults at them for “being Christians and celebrating the Easter Festival”. (more…)

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Thank God for the one man who has the courage to stand up to our ruling elite’s assault on Christianity

Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey

Mail Online  on 12th April 2010

The Church and the judiciary are two of the most venerable pillars of the establishment.

But in an explosive development, war has been declared between them over one of the most fundamental aspects of our society – freedom of religious conscience.

In an unprecedented move, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, and other church leaders are calling upon the Master of the Rolls and other senior judges to stand down from future Court of Appeal hearings involving cases of religious discrimination because of the judges’ perceived bias against Christianity.

Lord Carey is said to have prepared a witness statement in support of Mr McFarlane

No wonder Lord Carey and his colleagues have been galvanised into militant action. For under the guise of promoting ‘ tolerance’ and ‘liberal’ social attitudes, anti-discrimination law is deeply intolerant and illiberal. (more…)

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Why are Liberals So Afraid of Prayer?

Bishop Harry JacksonBy Harry Jacskson Jr – The Christian Post  – Apr. 27 2010

The last two weeks have been anything but calm in the world of faith and religion. Conservative Christians are wondering whether they are being betrayed by both the White House and the court system. The ruling of a Wisconsin judge that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional and violates the concept of the separation of church and state has been like a blow to the solar plexus for battle weary Christians. In the much-touted culture wars, there has never been such an open case of liberals throwing down the gauntlet in a specific area that has been deemed “Christian territory.”Perhaps the blame for this change in the political atmosphere should be laid at the feet of the current administration and it’s concept of pluralism. After all, the president boldly declared last year that the U.S. was no longer a Christian nation. This remark infuriated the faithful and set the stage for millions of rank and file Christians to question his personal faith. Next, he did not attend the National Day of Prayer and refused to make a declaration or statement until late in the day last year. Conservative Christian powerbrokers watched tentatively as the administration attempted to bring new leaders into the president’s advisory circle. These new leaders had no real national cache’ with the Christian masses. Despite the fact that the president attended a Congressional prayer breakfast earlier this year, his approach seems to have been aimed at “defanging” the politically powerful, religious right.

(more…)

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Tony Perkins: I see ‘hostility’ toward Christianity

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council,Family Research Council chief confirms ‘politically correct’ options diminishing
April 27, 2010 - By Michael Carl © 2010 WorldNetDaily
“We see a federal judge who’s been on the bench since Jimmy Carter appointed her. She’s not a new judge. This is a judge who’s been around for quite some time. And she decides all of a sudden that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. So I do think what we’re seeing is an environment that is hostile to Christianity,” Perkins said.

He also said what is happening now parallels America’s past.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council says he sees more and more limits being placed on what is “politically correct” for Christians to do.

“I see an environment being created that is hostile to Christianity,” he said. “Two months ago, I was disinvited to speak at Andrews Air Force Base. Just last week … Franklin Graham [was] disinvited to pray at the Pentagon on the National Day of Prayer.”

He said that “shows that this isn’t about political activity. It’s not about public policy positions. It really comes down to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” (more…)

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The Orwellian logic that’s turning the faith Britain was built on into a crime

Dale McAlpine was hauled to court after telling a gay police community support officer he thought homosexuality was a sinBy Melanie Phillips – 3rd May 2010

Terrifying as this may seem, the attempt to stamp out Christianity in Britain appears to be gathering pace.

Dale Mcalpine was preaching to shoppers in Workington, Cumbria, that homosexuality is a sin when he found himself carted off by the police, locked up in a cell for seven hours and charged with using abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

It appears that two police community support officers – at least one of whom was gay – claimed he had caused distress to themselves and members of the public.

Under our anti-discrimination laws, such distress is not to be permitted.

Dale McAlpine was hauled to court after telling a gay police community support officer he thought homosexuality was a sin.

And so we have the oppressive and sinister situation where a gentle, unaggressive Christian is arrested and charged simply for preaching Christian principles.

It would appear that Christianity, the normative faith of this country on which its morality, values and civilisation are based, is effectively being turned into a crime. (more…)

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Franklin Graham: Christians Will Lose the Power to Pray Outside Church Walls ‘Maybe in My Lifetime’

C:\\Documents and Settings\\JASONG\\Desktop\\Franklin Graham.jpgWednesday, May 05, 2010 By Pete Winn, Senior Writer/Editor, CNS News
Two top evangelical leaders sounded a defiant tone on the eve of National Day of Prayer — warning that the American right to freedom of religion “is being eroded every day” and may be lost in an onslaught of secularism unless Americans “have the guts to stand up.”

The Rev. Franklin Graham, who last month was officially “dis-invited” by the Army to speak at a National Day of Prayer ceremony at the Pentagon for statements he made about Islam, said he will not back down in preaching the Gospel as he sees it.

“We’re living in a time where we cannot compromise, we cannot back up, we cannot retreat,” Graham said Wednesday during a live Webcast from the Washington, D.C. offices of the Family Research Council.

“The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be preached to the ends of the Earth – that’s what He’s called us to do,” he said.

Graham, the honorary chairman of this year’s National Day of Prayer, made his comments in a sermon to an audience of leaders making final preparations for Thursday’s National Day of Prayer. (more…)

Continue ReadingFranklin Graham: Christians Will Lose the Power to Pray Outside Church Walls ‘Maybe in My Lifetime’

When the Thought Police Come Knocking on Your Door

Bill Muehlenberg of CultureWatchCultureWatch  – Bill Muehlenberg’s commentary on issues of the day…

Let me tell you in advance something you will need to know. If in the near future you notice that no new articles are being added to this website, and no new comments are being posted, there will be one very good reason for this: I will be in jail, or fighting a lengthy court battle, because of Victoria’s new EOC law which was just passed.

Now I realise that for my many enemies this will be tremendous news indeed. But for those at least concerned about freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of conscience, this should be a very worrying development.

And to be honest, I am perfectly aware that there will be some Christians as well who will see the closure of this website as a good thing: “Yes, Bill was just too radical, and too much of a trouble maker. It is probably a good thing he has been put away. He was giving Christianity a bad reputation”.

Of course I will not find such attitudes surprising. Jesus had warned about these very things. He told his disciples to be ready for the coming persecution: “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you” (John 16:1-4). (more…)

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Freed Female Converts to Face Iranian Judge Again

Islamic womenBy Ethan Cole|Christian Post Reporter Fri,  Apr. 09 2010

The two Iranian female converts to Christianity, who were released in November, will again appear before a judge next Tuesday, an Iran-focused Christian ministry reported.

Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were summoned for a court hearing on April 13.

According to Elam Ministries, which has been following their case from the beginning, the women are still in frail physical condition from their time in prison. The two had spent 259 days in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison where they were reportedly subjected to psychological abuse and their medical requests were ignored.

Since their conditional release on Nov. 18, the women have been recuperating and receiving medical treatments. Elam reported on Thursday that they “remain unwell, weak and suffering from various illnesses.”

Despite their sufferings, Rostampour and Amirizadeh are “determined to be faithful to the Lord and speak the truth in court whatever the consequence of personal cost,” the ministry said. (more…)

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Ex-Muslim Defends Franklin Graham’s Islam Remarks

By Michelle A. Vu, Christian Post Reporter, Thursday April 29th

Graham and others like him who criticize Islam are not saying they hate Muslims, said Sabatina James, a well-known Paskistani convert to Christianity who lives in Europe, in an interview with The Christian Post on Wednesday.

The granddaughter of a mullah weighed in on the Franklin Graham controversy this week, contending that there is a difference between critisizing Islam and Muslims

 “Make the difference between sin and sinner,” said James, “between Islam and Muslims. Don’t say that every Muslim is a terrorist and every Muslim is bad because that is just not true. But there are definitely things that need to be changed in Islam or else you can’t live in a democracy.”

James, who is living under police protection and constantly on the move because of death threats against her, said Islamic rights do not fit in a country like the United States.

“Nobody is allowed to beat up his wife just because she’s not obedient but that is written in the Quran,” she said. “You know you have to think about it.”

“Is there a different Quran? No they are teaching the same Quran where it is written ‘beat your wife if she is not obedient.’ They are teaching the same Quran where it is written ‘the Christians and Jewish people are evil.’ It is written in the Surah Al-Maidah. It is written there ‘don’t take Jewish and Christian people as your friend.’ That is what you are taught in the Quran schools.” (more…)

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Spiritual War report and thank you to Bill Muehlenberg of CultureWatch

Bill Muehlenberg of CultureWatchDear family & friends in Christ,

Pastor Daniel and a team from Catch The Fire attended the below mentioned debate in order to prayerfully support Bill Muehlenberg in his stand for the Lord’s righteousness. We want to thank the Lord for people like Bill who stand up for the truth of the Word of God. He did a fantastic job in standing up for marriage between a man and a woman as God has ordained it to be in His Word.

At the end of the debate Pastor Daniel with a few others approached Rodney Croome and asked him, “Is Federal Labor or Liberal more sympathetic to the homosexual cause?” He first refused to make a clear statement, but then acknowledged that under Labor they were able to get 80 + pieces of legislation passed in Parliament to support homosexuality, which they could not do under the Howard Liberal era.

Following is one of Bill Muehlenberg’s recent emails with some very important information for your continued prayer and moral support in fighting the good fight of faith in our nation of Australia. (more…)

Continue ReadingSpiritual War report and thank you to Bill Muehlenberg of CultureWatch

Pastor Daniel meets ex-satanist from Mount Ainslie in Canberra

Pastor Daniel and Steve united in the LordSteve confronting Pastor Daniel on Mount AinslieDear family & friends in Christ,
 
I thank my Lord and Saviour every day for the young man who was once a Satanist, but was born again after the spiritual warfare prayer operation on Mount Ainslie in Canberra last October 2009.

 

This proves that God loves every single person, no matter who they are or what they have done, He will still forgive them of all their sin as He died for us all  (John 3:16).
 
I am sure you have all heard about this young man who was very angry and hostile towards us on Mount Ainslie last year in October 2009 when we carried out a major spiritual warfare prayer assault against Satan and his demonic powers of darkness over our capital city of Canberra and nation of Australia.  This young man at that point was a Satanist and led the anti-God mob against us right through the whole prayer operation.
 
Glory to God for miraculously opening the door for me to communicate via email with this young man, named Steve, who sometime in February this year 2010 gave his life to Jesus! I know many of you have being praying for him and I thank you so much for doing so.
 
In April during the revival meetings in Canberra, I along with my friend Pastor Glenn, met up with Steve at his home. This was the first time that I met him after he became a born-again Christian. I spent around 1 hour 10 minutes with him and oh how wonderful it was to sit next to a guy who was formerly on the other side (the dark side with Satan) and now we were both on the same side (in the light with Jesus)!

(more…)

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Reality Check: Don’t Forget Your Persecuted Brothers

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 – J. Lee Grady Newsletters – Fire In My Bones 

Last week many of our brothers and sisters lost their lives for Christ. How should we respond to the cry of the martyrs?

Last week while millions of Americans crammed into theaters to see Alice in Wonderland in 3-D, many Christians in other parts of the world were attacked, raped or killed for the cause of the gospel.

This past weekend I received an urgent message from my friend Christopher Alam, a U.S.-based evangelist, who was writing from Southeast Asia to inform me of a terrible atrocity in Myanmar.

“As long as our brothers and sisters are dying for Christ in other nations, we cannot take off our armor or live in a fantasy world of prosperity and instant blessing.” (more…)

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Son of Hamas Founder Shares Faith Journey, Reveals He Spied for Israel in New Book

Son of Hamas Founder now following Christ02 March 2010 – Ken Walker – Featured News Charisma Online
  
The son of a Hamas founder whose Christian conversion made international headlines released the complete story of his faith journey Tuesday in a memoir brimming with spy-novel-like drama.

Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef details a six-year-long conversion process that originated with a Bible study in Jerusalem and resulted in his departure from the Islamic terrorist organization. He was baptized in 2005 near Tel Aviv in a ceremony performed by a San Diego woman visiting the church that Yousef attended.

The 31-year-old says his faith has sustained him ever since, particularly since leaving his homeland in 2007. The pain of separation is better understood when one reads his account of the lifelong, close-knit ties forged by Palestinian families.

“Whenever I compare my pain to [Christ’s], I forget my pain,” said Yousef, who lives on the West Coast.

“When I feel alone in this journey, I know that He feels with me because He went through much worse. Every step I get closer to the cross I learn more about His sacrifice and pain, which absolutely makes me forget about my pain.” (more…)

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U.S. Court Rules that National Day of Prayer is Unconstitutional

John Jalsevac (Apr. 16, 2010)

A little history: June 30, 1812: It being a duty peculiarly incumbent in a time of public calamity and war, humbly and devoutly to acknowledge our dependence on Almighty God, and to implore His aid and protection:

Therefore, Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that a joint committee of both Houses wait on the President of the United States, and request that he recommend a day of public humiliation and prayer to be observed by the people of the United States, with religious solemnity, and the offering of fervent supplications to the Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these States, His blessing on their arms, and the speedy restoration of peace. (Resolution requesting the President of the United States to recommend a day of public humiliation and prayer)

In a decision released Thursday, U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. The decision comes in the case filed by The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a Wisconsin-based organization, which challenged the constitutionality of a 1988 federal law giving the president the authority to designate the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer. (“The First Prayer in Congress” by T.H. Matteson 1848)

The day of prayer “goes beyond mere ‘acknowledgment’ of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context,” Crabb wrote. “In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience.” (more…)

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European Union Moves to Defend Persecuted Christians

Friday, February 26, 2010 – By Michael Ireland Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service 

Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

WASHINGTON, D.C, (ANS) — The European Union (EU) has established a working group to protect persecuted Christians and prepare a manual for embassies of member states regarding the treatment of persecuted Christian minorities.

According to International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org, Italy’s Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, in an interview yesterday with the Italian daily newspaper Avvenire said, “We could promote a group of like-minded countries who take to heart the right of Christians to profess their faith anywhere in the world. …You see, Christians have never had a political group offering them strong support through their governments.”

ICC reported that the Foreign Minister also stated that his country will hold an international conference on religious freedom this year and will soon introduce a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly regarding the rights of Christians. (more…)

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