Posted on 11/12/2005 3:21:12 PM PST by MSCASEY
JMM Urgent Prayer] November 12, 2005 Dear Friend in Christ,
I am asking you today to pray for an extremely critical situation. More than 60 new believers in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh are being threatened with death if they do not convert back to Hinduism! It is not enough that they escaped the spiritual bondage that has oppressed their people for centuries, but now radical Hindus have threatened to burn alive any Christians who do not return to their former slavery.
Here is what happened: On November 4, a pastor was attacked and severely beaten by a group of militants who threatened his life. Now the same group says they will conduct a puja (ritual) on November 20 to forcefully convert the Christians in his church to Hinduism--and burn alive any who do not renounce their new faith.
The pastor has filed a complaint with local police, but the area is dominated by a large temple to the Hindu god Shiva. Thousands of pilgrims come to the temple, so Hinduism is important to the local economy. It is not clear if the police will take any action to protect the Christians.
What is most important now is that we pray for this situation. I urge you to pray for the protection of the men, women and children in that place who have committed their lives to Christ. Pray that God will surround them with His angels and turn back any violence. Please also pray for their attackers, that their hearts will be softened and that God will work a miracle in their lives.
Imagine what a powerful force for good they could become if they surrendered their lives to the Living God instead of gods that do not hear them!
Please share this request with your church and your friends. This is a spiritual battle, and only through prayer and fasting will the enemy be defeated in this stronghold.
I thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Asia. Thank you, most of all, for standing with us and with our brothers and sisters in Himachal Pradesh during this challenging time.
Yours for the lost of Asia,
Pastor.Johnson Mathews
http://www.persecution.org/newsite/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=3
This is a link to your peaceful Indians and Hindus! To many stories and to much to believe your propaganda. Sorry!
Ms. Casey's Daughter
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty!"
Christianity birthed the freedoms in this country and is also a severe threat to the caste systems in India that keep men in darkness.
I thought they were non-violent. Burning people alive doesn't sound very Ghandi-like (sarcasm). Prayers offered.
"Where was it that they burned the Australian and his young two sons alive in India?"
The murderers of Grahams Stains have already been brought to justice I dont think you are aware of it considering your zeal for anti-Hindu propaganda.
BTW what part of India is your pastor from?
Me too. I thought the Hindus were a relatively benign bunch.
Christianity messes with that power structure and is therefore something to be feared by the priests and rulers. If the Untouchables and Sudras (Laborers) were ever to discover all of the implications of Christianity, especially equality before God, the caste system would most likely collapse.
The police cannot be really counted on for protection.
What we never see here (and won't see) are the articles about evangelical Pastors and/or their sons raping their young Indian "converts."
If Hindu missionaries came to America and straight off the boat began to call Jesus a demon and Christianity lies from the devil, we would find quite a few skewered Hindus.
You may as well smile. (God probably is)
Prayer bump
Your (right-wingin_It's) answer sounds a bit like Lot arguing with God about 10 good people in Sodom, but OK, how about countries like Iran? Or Saudi Arabia? Pakistan? Cities like Fallujah? Or Mecca?
I have another idea - and it's just an idea - how about putting our (God's) resources where they can generate the most effective return (I hate using a financial term when talking about people but I don't know how else to phrase it).
Just to pull a nation out of a hat, and one that almost no one is familiar with, let's try Macedonia. It's currently about 33% Christian and 17% Muslim accoring to http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mk.html#People
It's a country bordering Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece, so it's right in there with a lot of other Christian/Muslim nations that stand a good chance of falling into the Islamic corner - like Turkey. If you were fighting a war (and we are, both spiritually and literally) would you send your warriors to a locale that's 99.8% enemy occupied, or would you reinforce a sustainable area? Easy question, right?
Then maybe later, we could work from an established base, and if we're successful in establishing democracy in a(n) Arab Country(ies), then (I believe) we'd be working in a less hostile environment (freedom!).
I still can't reconcile "dust off your sandals" with "go into all the world". Any answer I come up with seems to ignore one or the other. As a man, I lean strongly toward shepherding my resources where I can make them count. As a Christian, I simply don't know the answer.
Don't think so - verbally attacking Christians, pastors, the Bible, Jesus, and anything else associated with Christianity is protected speech. Attack any other religion and you're automatically labeled a bigot!
Attacks on Christians in foreign countries is a regular thing. Eight countries were announced by the US as being on a list of those where religious freedom is not allowed (those compiling the list bravely included Saudi Arabia - that is SO politically incorrect) and it doesn't include a great many where oppression of Christians is a regular thing (like CHINA!)
Ms Casey's Daughter:
Shiva IS known as 'the destroyer'. I think no more info on Shiva is offered because the writer doesn't have the knowledge to offer.... but if you'd like more, check out http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/shiva.htm (can't remember if I sent you this address already)
The more you read on Hinduism, the harder it is to believe, with its pantheon of Gods - it reminds me of Norse or Greek mythology. And unlike Christianity, there's no hard evidence supporting this religion at all. (Just like Mormons, but that's another story.)
However, that's irelevent to the discussion at hand. This is one of the arguments made by people who take one person's actions and damn the entire Christian religion with it. Jim Baker is a good example - people who feel condemned by Christianity reveled in his commission of sin. It makes them feel better about themselves to see one who appeared to be on a higher plane flung to the ground, and they used his story to condemn ALL televangelists because that suited their purposes and made them feel better. But they would do well to keep their eyes on Christ rather than the hypocrites and sinners that we all are, Christians and no-Christians alike.
ARridgerunner: how many missionaries have you met and talked to personally? I have met quite a few. Some of them risk their lives every day witnessing to Muslims in Arab countries where they could be tried and executed for doing so. They don't make diddly squat, but they are there because they believe their Lord told them to go, and because they love their fellow man.
Jesus was harsher than most modern missionaries. He told it like it was and pulled NO punches - that's why His enemies, the Pharisees and Sadducees hated him, and it's why He was ultimately killed. It wasn't because He was all peaches and cream!!!
And you are right, there IS only one God, but trust me, all religions aren't "just different ways of worshipping the same God". The Bible makes very clear that there is only one way to reach Heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ.
And before you criticize Christians for that exclusive attitude, please think about this fact - ALL religions are mutually exclusive. NONE of them (except maybe Bahnai Br'ith if I'm spelling it right, but it's a man made religion) believe we're all worshipping the same God. So yes, you and the rest of the world DO have to follow the God in the Bible if you want to LIVE eternally, for Jesus said He was The Way and that No one could reach the Father but through Him.
If you believe that's not the God I know, I can live with that - I wouldn't want you to err in your choice of Gods based on my limitations.
Please refer to the website http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/shiva.htm
where Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma are all mentioned as separate gods.
I am not by any means an expert on Hinduism, but Shiva is mentioned as having different faces, but not as being encarnations of the other two Gods mentioned here, and Vishnu, I believe has 8 incarnations. There also a Kali, goddess of time and death, among others.
Last time I heard anything about this episode, many were arrested for trial, but ONE guy was trying to get everyone else off by insisting he acted alone (despite the fact that many more were seen burning the car and interfering with rescuers. Can you direct me to a site regarding conviction and penalties for the perpetrators of this horror? (the 2 boys burned to death were 8 and 10 if I remember correctly)
And Yugo probably got awards for increasing the quality of their cars. India may have improved but there's a long way to go!!!
From what I know, Jesus "Decended into Hell" for the purposes of preaching...so I lean more toward the "Go into the world" as you put it. But I know, I know...Your talking about realistic strategies! Hmmm...I don't think we'll get anywhere unless we purify ourselves too. This country (USA) is high on the list!
I think resources should be committed Palestine 1st and foremost, then spreading out to rest the Middle East. Then Africa and India is also a problem (because there is the present danger of mixing of Christian liturgies and practices with the other native religions' practices, in a really STUPID attempt to have Christianity be more accepted in those countries. I percieve the crazy mixing ideas as dangerous and a threat.
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