Posted on 03/27/2006 3:20:30 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
A monitor of Christian persecution says two more Afghan believers have been jailed in the wake of the case of Abdul Rahman, a convert to Christianity who faced the death penalty under the nation's Shariah law.
According to Compass Direct, two other Afghan Christians were jailed in the past few days.
"Because of the sensitive situation, local sources requested that the location of the jailed converts be withheld," the organization said.
Compass Direct also reports that this past weekend, one young Afghan convert to Christianity was severely beaten outside his home by a group of six men who eventually knocked him unconscious with a hard blow to his temple. He woke up in the hospital two hours later, but later was discharged.
"Our brother remains steadfast, despite the ostracism and beatings," one of his friends is reported to have said.
Today, a United Nations spokesman said Rahman had applied for asylum.
"Mr. Rahman has asked for asylum outside Afghanistan," U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards told the Associated Press. "We expect this will be provided by one of the countries interested in a peaceful solution to this case."
As WorldNetDaily reported, Charges against Rahman were dropped yesterday with the court citing a lack of evidence. Last week, pressure came to bear on Afghanistan from Western nations decrying the fact that under Islamic Shariah law Rahman could be executed for converting from Islam to Christianity.
Reuters reported today the U.S. State Department announced Rahman will be released from custody.
"He will be released," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "I understand now that the details of his release and any potential onward travel are being handled as a private matter."
Meanwhile, hundreds of people in Afghanistan protested today against the court's decision to drop the charges. Protesters chanted "Death to Bush!" and other anti-Western slogans, while the police stood guard, the AP reported.
The religion of peace is the cult of death. The sooner we accept it, the sooner we will start dealing with it.
Its as if we were to say there are good Nazis and bad Nazis.
I think its cool that there are Christians in Afghanistan. Sure makes it seem easy to be a Christian here compared to there. (looking down)
Karzai is going to have to start ridding Islam of its mullah class. They aren't supposed to have such people anyway (according to my reading of the Koran).
prayers for these folks
Where is the liberal moral outrage over this? None, just silence. And as Thomas More once said, "silence means consent."
Karzai and the new government are either
1. Going to stand up to the violent muslims, or
2. Give in to them.
If 2., then US bugout. Redirect funding to big long range planes, missiles and bombs.
Are they "mentally insane" too?
I read the first one had been "insane", er a Christian for 16 years.
"Rahman was being prosecuted for converting to Christianity 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan. He was arrested last month after police discovered him with a Bible."
Yeah, those NASTY, EVIL Christians. And look what happened. One soul saw the light.
Rumor has it:
"He looks very calm. But he keeps saying he is hearing voices," Amirpur said.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/27/christian.convert.ap/index.html
Bet ya he wouldn't be considered "insane" if they hadn't caught him with a Bible.
I hope the U.S. takes him and his family in.
There is an old saying from Santayana:
"Those who do not learn from history are forced to repeat it".
The Churches of the East have been subjected to persecution for centuries. These are the 'martyr' churches and their members are fleeing in large droves, with few remaining to secure and protect christian holy sites.
If we in the West do not learn from these christians, we will be subjected to the same persecution in our own country. Please remember them in your prayers.
This story makes me wonder if we have wasted our blood and treasure on this cesspool of a country.
The pressure must not have come from Western Leftists. It would violate their admiration of diversity!
We were fools to not have just taken over this country, and Iraq. Bush better realize how much support this nonsense may cost him. File under: Ann Coulter was right.
Jean d'Arc had a similar problem. The English cured her of it but I don't recall them being Moslems.
Christians who are freed from concerns over "holy places" can probably do a much better job being missionaries.
NO, they didn't have the same problem. This man reads the Bible. He's been a Christian for 16 years.
OTOH, there is more going on with Joan of Ark then is usually stated:
Letter to the Hussites (March 23, 1430)
Introduction and Context
This is a letter dictated by Joan of Arc threatening to lead a crusading army against the Hussites, a religious / military faction in Czechoslovakia considered "radical Catholics" or "Proto-Protestants", being composed of the followers of the dissident theologian Jan Hus plus various other groups with a common grievance against the Church or the government of the Holy Roman Empire. In the letter, Joan denounces their theology as a "mad and obscene superstition", and threatens to add her own leadership to the ongoing crusading efforts against them unless they, quote, "return to the Catholic faith and the original Light".
Ironically, the German Inquisitor Johannes Nider, working from badly muddled information provided by pro-English partisans, would later cite this letter among his collection of allegations - perhaps the first and only time that someone's crusading zeal against heretics would be included among such a list.
On a final contextual note: some people have been shocked by the violent threats against the Hussites contained in this letter, but it needs to be remembered that - as with her efforts against the English - she was responding to an existing state of war being waged by her opponents. She specifically refers to their attacks on churches and monasteries, and it may not be coincidence that the letter was sent out following a particularly vicious campaign by the Hussites which had devastated significant areas in Silesia, Hungary, Lusatia, Meissen, and Saxony - precisely the sort of campaign against civilians which always upset her. This is the setting for the threats of violence.
The Text
The original version of the letter was translated into Latin by her scribe and confessor, Jean Pasquerel, since Latin was the most convenient means of communicating with the Hussites (who, unlike the English commanders, spoke little or no French), which is why Pasquerel's name appears at the bottom of the letter - as in fact was frequently done in that era when a scribe recorded a letter dictated by someone else.
Such translation would account for the linguistic style: while the views expressed in the letter are consistent with what we know of Joan's opinions, and some of her distinctive manners of speech are also in evidence, the occasional difference in style is an expected consequence of the conversion out of French; whereas the other letters were frequently recorded directly in her rural Barrois/Lorraine dialect.
An English translation is below, with notes and commentary on the right; a transcription of the original language is also available.
English Translation Notes and Commentary
Jesus, Maryn1
For a long time the rumor and voice of the people have reported to me, Joan the Maiden,n2 that from true Christians you have become heretics, and like the Saracensn3 you have ruined the true faith and worship, and embraced a disgraceful and unlawful superstition; and wishing to sustain and spread it there is not a disgraceful thing nor foolish belief which you would not dare. You spoil the sacraments of the Church,n4 you tear up the articles of the Faith, you destroy the churches, you break and burn the statuesn5 which were set up as memorials, you massacre Christians because they preserve the true Faith. What is this fury? Or what rage or madness consumes you? This faith, which God Almighty, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have revealed, established, elevated to power, and glorified a thousand ways through miracles - you persecute this Faith, you wish to overthrow and destroy it. You are blind, but not because you lack eyes or understanding. Do you believe that you will remain unpunished for it? Or are you unaware that God opposes your unlawful effortsn6 and will not permit you to remain in darkness and error? So that the more you indulge yourselves in crime and sacrilege, the more He will prepare great punishments and anguish for you.
As far as I am concerned, to tell you frankly, if I wasn't occupied in the English warsn7 I would have come to see you a long time ago; but if I don't find out that you have reformed yourselves I might leave off [fighting] the English and go against you,n8 so that by the sword [lit. - "by iron"], if I can't do it any other way, I will eliminate your mad and obscene superstition and remove your heresy or your life; but if you would prefer to return to the Catholic faith and the original Light, then send your ambassadors to me and I will tell them what you need to do; if [on the other hand] you are not willing and if you obstinately resist the spur,n9 remember what damage and offenses you have committed and await me, who will inflict similar upon you with forces human and divine.
Given at Sully the [2]3rd,n10 of March
to the heretics of Bohemia
Pasquereln11
Note 1:
"Jesus, Mary" was her standard introduction at the beginning of most of her letters.
Note 2:
"The Maiden" or "Virgin" ("la Pucelle") was her chosen nickname, explaining that she had promised her saints to maintain her virginity "as long as it pleases God". Like most female saints, she would be canonized as a "Holy Maiden".
Note 3:
The Islamic Saracens were the other group which she advocated crusading efforts against.
Note 4:
There were a number of theological differences between the Hussites and the Church - some of the Hussites abolished virtually every aspect of traditional Catholicism in ways that foreshadowed the Protestant Reformation - but the chief tenet for which they are best known was their belief that the laity needed to take communion under both kinds (i.e., the wine as well as the bread) as a necessary condition for salvation. They therefore bore an image of the communion chalice on their flags, shields, etc, and were sometimes known as "Utraquists" (from the Latin phrase "sub utraque specie" - "under both kinds"). The moderate Hussites were granted a special dispensation to practice this form of communion by the terms of the compromise worked out with the Church in 1433.
Note 5:
Some pro-Hussite clergy had taken to destroying the artwork and saints' relics in their local churches, and entire monasteries were destroyed by Hussite armies.
Note 6:
'Unlawful' in the sense of 'against the laws of the Church', of course.
Note 7:
Joan, needless to say, did not refer to the conflict as the "Hundred Years War" - a modern label for this long series of conflicts between France, England, their various allies and proxies, and related groups.
Note 8:
This comment sheds some light on her thoughts at this point. At the time the letter was dictated, there was a dubious truce in effect with the English and Burgundians, but she would shortly take the field again toward the end of the month.
Note 9:
A common saying based on the famous statement from Acts 26:14 - "....durum est tibi contra stimulum calcitrare".
Note 10:
Quicherat's transcription reads "3"; Pernoud & Clin's transcription gives it as "23".
Note 11:
Friar Jean Pasquerel, of the Order of Saint Augustine, served as her confessor, scribe, and (here) translator, hence his signature on the Latin version sent to the Hussites.
http://joanofarc.info/joanofarc_letter_march_23_1430.html
Threatening a Crusade to force people to convert to Catholicims ... LOL! Te Crusades and the Inquisition were enough of an embarassment of the Catholic Church. I'm not surprised they burned her at the stake.
Personally speaking, I wouldn't have burned her at the stake. As for turning to Catholicism - NO WAY! As a Bible based Christian that would not be a possibility.
Thank GOD for the Reformation so others could truly be Christians.
I have no doubt that at this late date in Church history, God selects his best martyrs from among the Protestants who are willing to minister personally right in the belly of the beast.
Someday, again, it'll be the Catholics turn to take the stage.
No doubt those future martyrs will also hear voices.
Anyone rejecting the teachings of Christ and His Apostolic Church would be a heretic like the Moslems.
L
Which Apostolic Church? Bunch of 'em out there you know.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.