Have you heard about the group of angry Christians gathered around the house of a 14-year old Muslim girl with Down’s syndrome, threatening to kill her, burn her house and the houses of other Muslims in the area? And, that this occurred after a neighbor reported the girl was seen burning pages of the Bible. In this region where Christians are in the majority, hundreds of Muslims have fled their homes in fear. About 300 Muslims set up a camp outside of the city, from where they were later ejected and the make-shift mosque they had constructed was burned.
Has anyone seen this story in the news? Of course not, because none of the above happened. Well, not exactly. The story is accurate if we switch the Muslim and Christian references. The truth is that Rimsha Masih, the 14-year old girl with Down’s syndrome was jailed in Islamabad, Pakistan and hundreds of Christians fled their homes in fear. Under Pakistan’s blasphemy law, the girl faces a possible death sentence if found guilty of insulting Islam or the Quran. [1] Christians who fled are without food in many cases, except for some assistance provided by relief organizations. Zahid Pervez, whose house has been looted of its few valuable possessions, said "We'll never go back. We have young children. How can we go back? They won't even let us say our prayers there." A neighbor reported that the girl and her mother were beaten by a mob that formed outside their house.
And yet, in the USA, Christians are labeled as intolerant, bigoted and hateful. In Pakistan, a council of Muslim clerics and scholars, to their credit, joined hands with the Pakistan Interfaith League - which includes Christians, Sikhs and other religions - to call for justice for the girl. [2]
Sunday, in a plot twist, a Muslim cleric was arrested and charged with planting pages of the Quran in the girl’s shopping bag. Her lawyer plans to request a dismissal of the charges, though he still agrees the blasphemy law is a good law. Today, the girl was granted bail – one million rupees, about $10,500 - which was paid by a humanitarian organization. However, she’s not out of the woods yet, as people accused of blasphemy who are not convicted often face vigilante justice. A Pakistani man in this situation in July was dragged from a police station and beaten to death before his body was set on fire. And, two politicians who criticized the blasphemy law were murdered last year. [3]
What is the difference between this response to insult and that which is advocated in the Bible by Jesus and His apostles? Jesus instructed us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). The Apostle Paul stated: “when we are reviled, we bless” (1 Cor. 4:9) and “see that no one repays another with evil for evil” (1 Thess. 5:15). The Bible informs us that those who know God have love for others and “the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). The Bible instructs believers in Jesus to live in peace with others (Matt. 5:9, Rom. 12:18, 1 Cor. 7:15).
When Bibles are burned, angry mobs of violent Christians do not form, nor should they. All religious beliefs must be tolerated as long as the adherents do not harm others. As followers of Jesus, we denounce any violence or oppression in the name of religion and call for freedom to openly discuss issues of faith, without fear of retribution. Let’s have a civil discussion in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Christians do not hate those who persecute our brothers and sisters; rather, we love and pray for them. Religious beliefs must not be coerced by force, but demonstrated through love and open dialogue.
[1] The NY Daily News India, “Father of Pakistani Christian girl appeals to President Asif Ali Zardari”, 28 Aug 2012.
[2] Saeed Shah in Islamabad, The Guardian, “Pakistani Muslim leaders support Christian girl accused of blasphemy,” 27 Aug 2012.
[3] Taha Siddiqui, Christian Science Monitor, “As Pakistani Christian girl is granted bail, critics call for blasphemy law reform”, 7 Sept 2012.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Belief in God leads to brain damage
Yes, that is an actual conclusion of a scientific study conducted at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. Researchers Amy D. Owen, et. al., studied neuroimaging data from MRI measurements to assess the relationship between religious factors and structural neuroanatomy, specifically hippocampus volume in the brain. The hippocampus has been associated with memory consolidation, learning and influencing of emotions via connections with the amygdala. Atrophy of this brain structure later in life has been associated with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and lessened ability to form new memories. The study found that people who reported having a life-changing religious experience showed increased hippocampal atrophy from base line to final assessment among born-again Protestants, Catholics, and those with no religious affiliation.
Participants in the study, conducted between 1994 and 2005, were 268 men and women over the age of 58. Religious factors assessed included frequency of public worship, private activity (prayer, meditation, or Bible study), and religious group membership. Baseline and annual factors assessed included born-again status and life-changing religious experiences. The study found that those who reported a born-again or life-changing religious experience suffered greater hippocampal atrophy during later life. The authors interpreted the findings by hypothesizing that cumulative stress, producing glucocorticoids, led to decreased hippocampus volume.
Some covariates that may impact the results were studied, including social support, self-reported stress and depression. These and other variables require more research in connection with the results found. It is questionable whether this study adequately considered other factors, such as prescription drug use, diet, exercise, non-religious life stressors, mental activity level, and so on. And, is it possible the causal relationship is reversed? Perhaps the self-perceived effects of aging may lead one to sense his or her own mortality, leading one to more diligently seek a religious experience. Causal relationships between brain anatomy and emotional/psychological factors are always tenable at best.
The study speculated that stress may be present for born-again Christians as a result of being a religious minority. However, that conclusion seems unfounded because most of the demographic sample included Southeastern Protestant Christians, hardly an oppressed minority in that part of the USA. The researchers' primary premise seems accurate (though not the secondary conclusion), that stress-induced cortisol in the body can affect the hippocampus, and is supported by other research. In particular, returning Gulf War veterans suffering from chronic PTSD exhibited smaller hippocampal brain regions in MRI exams than a control group. An additional interesting finding is that therapeutic treatment seems to be associated with an increased hippocampal volume after six months, indicating a resilience.[2] Perhaps born again Christians can be treated? The secondary conclusion, that people with a life-changing religious experience suffer more stress, seems irrational, particularly in light of other studies that indicate positive emotional and psychological benefits of religious experiences.
A few points need to be made here. First, if the hypothesis of the researchers is accurate – that increased stress leads to increased glucocorticoids, thereby damaging the hippocampus – would it not seem reasonable that people who have had a life-changing religious experience would experience less stress? Almost by definition, an experience that is life changing would seem to bring more peace and contentment to one’s life. How would a life-changing religious experience lead to more stress? The researchers own hypothesis seems to be contradicted by the results of the study.
Second, since millions – perhaps billions – of people throughout history, across all cultures, claim to have strong religious beliefs, does this study conclude they were also brain-damaged? It is a well-known fact that many people from all races and geographical locations through all of recorded human history have believed in some deity, afterlife, and/or spiritual experience. Not all of these are of the evangelical Christian variety. The bias of this study is striking – the group studied were Christians, not Hindus, Muslims, or Rastafarians. The control group – those supposedly with normal cognitive anatomy – were those with no religious affiliation.
Third, other studies have found there is not necessarily the supposed direct connection with hippocampal size and mental function, such as memory. In the December 22, 2011 issue in the journal Neuron, Dr. Jordan Poppenk, Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute, found some evidence that extensive spatial memory acquisition leads to enlargement of the posterior hippocampus and a decrease in the anterior hippocampus. In other words, there may not be a direct one-to-one relationship between size and memory capabilities. Poppenk stated, "This suggested to us that the crucial predictor of individual differences in recollection ability might not be the overall size of the hippocampus but the separate contributions of the posterior and anterior segments of the hippocampus." [3]
In conclusion, much evidence links religious and spiritual involvement with improved mental health. [4] And, a study conducted of more than 20,000 adults representative of the U. S. population found that an average life expectancy difference of seven years for those who attend church or religious services over those who do not. [5] Perhaps, during those seven years, they were brain damaged as well.
[1] Owen AD, Hayward RD, Koenig HG, Steffens DC, Payne ME (2011) Religious Factors and Hippocampal Atrophy in Late Life. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17006.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017006.
[2] Brigitte A. Apfel, Jessica Ross, Jennifer Hlavin, Dieter J. Meyerhoff, Thomas J. Metzler, Charles R. Marmar, Michael W. Weiner, Norbert Schuff, Thomas C. Neylan.Hippocampal Volume Differences in Gulf War Veterans with Current Versus Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms. Biological Psychiatry, 2011; 69 (6): 541 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.09.044
[3] Cell Press, “Gauging individual human memory from scans of brain’s hippocampus?” ScienceDaily, 20 Jan 2012, Web 22 Jul 2012.
[4] Raymond F. Paloutzian, et. al., Handbook Of The Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality, (New York, NY: The Guilford Press, 2005), 446.
[5] Robert A. Hummer, et. al., “Factors Affecting Mortality”, Demography, Volume 36, Number 2 (1999), 273-285, DOI: 10.2307/2648114.
Participants in the study, conducted between 1994 and 2005, were 268 men and women over the age of 58. Religious factors assessed included frequency of public worship, private activity (prayer, meditation, or Bible study), and religious group membership. Baseline and annual factors assessed included born-again status and life-changing religious experiences. The study found that those who reported a born-again or life-changing religious experience suffered greater hippocampal atrophy during later life. The authors interpreted the findings by hypothesizing that cumulative stress, producing glucocorticoids, led to decreased hippocampus volume.
Some covariates that may impact the results were studied, including social support, self-reported stress and depression. These and other variables require more research in connection with the results found. It is questionable whether this study adequately considered other factors, such as prescription drug use, diet, exercise, non-religious life stressors, mental activity level, and so on. And, is it possible the causal relationship is reversed? Perhaps the self-perceived effects of aging may lead one to sense his or her own mortality, leading one to more diligently seek a religious experience. Causal relationships between brain anatomy and emotional/psychological factors are always tenable at best.
The study speculated that stress may be present for born-again Christians as a result of being a religious minority. However, that conclusion seems unfounded because most of the demographic sample included Southeastern Protestant Christians, hardly an oppressed minority in that part of the USA. The researchers' primary premise seems accurate (though not the secondary conclusion), that stress-induced cortisol in the body can affect the hippocampus, and is supported by other research. In particular, returning Gulf War veterans suffering from chronic PTSD exhibited smaller hippocampal brain regions in MRI exams than a control group. An additional interesting finding is that therapeutic treatment seems to be associated with an increased hippocampal volume after six months, indicating a resilience.[2] Perhaps born again Christians can be treated? The secondary conclusion, that people with a life-changing religious experience suffer more stress, seems irrational, particularly in light of other studies that indicate positive emotional and psychological benefits of religious experiences.
A few points need to be made here. First, if the hypothesis of the researchers is accurate – that increased stress leads to increased glucocorticoids, thereby damaging the hippocampus – would it not seem reasonable that people who have had a life-changing religious experience would experience less stress? Almost by definition, an experience that is life changing would seem to bring more peace and contentment to one’s life. How would a life-changing religious experience lead to more stress? The researchers own hypothesis seems to be contradicted by the results of the study.
Second, since millions – perhaps billions – of people throughout history, across all cultures, claim to have strong religious beliefs, does this study conclude they were also brain-damaged? It is a well-known fact that many people from all races and geographical locations through all of recorded human history have believed in some deity, afterlife, and/or spiritual experience. Not all of these are of the evangelical Christian variety. The bias of this study is striking – the group studied were Christians, not Hindus, Muslims, or Rastafarians. The control group – those supposedly with normal cognitive anatomy – were those with no religious affiliation.
Third, other studies have found there is not necessarily the supposed direct connection with hippocampal size and mental function, such as memory. In the December 22, 2011 issue in the journal Neuron, Dr. Jordan Poppenk, Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute, found some evidence that extensive spatial memory acquisition leads to enlargement of the posterior hippocampus and a decrease in the anterior hippocampus. In other words, there may not be a direct one-to-one relationship between size and memory capabilities. Poppenk stated, "This suggested to us that the crucial predictor of individual differences in recollection ability might not be the overall size of the hippocampus but the separate contributions of the posterior and anterior segments of the hippocampus." [3]
In conclusion, much evidence links religious and spiritual involvement with improved mental health. [4] And, a study conducted of more than 20,000 adults representative of the U. S. population found that an average life expectancy difference of seven years for those who attend church or religious services over those who do not. [5] Perhaps, during those seven years, they were brain damaged as well.
[1] Owen AD, Hayward RD, Koenig HG, Steffens DC, Payne ME (2011) Religious Factors and Hippocampal Atrophy in Late Life. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17006.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017006.
[2] Brigitte A. Apfel, Jessica Ross, Jennifer Hlavin, Dieter J. Meyerhoff, Thomas J. Metzler, Charles R. Marmar, Michael W. Weiner, Norbert Schuff, Thomas C. Neylan.Hippocampal Volume Differences in Gulf War Veterans with Current Versus Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms. Biological Psychiatry, 2011; 69 (6): 541 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.09.044
[3] Cell Press, “Gauging individual human memory from scans of brain’s hippocampus?” ScienceDaily, 20 Jan 2012, Web 22 Jul 2012.
[4] Raymond F. Paloutzian, et. al., Handbook Of The Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality, (New York, NY: The Guilford Press, 2005), 446.
[5] Robert A. Hummer, et. al., “Factors Affecting Mortality”, Demography, Volume 36, Number 2 (1999), 273-285, DOI: 10.2307/2648114.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
IAG-BB3, Pool of Siloam
(Information about God – Brief Byte 3)
Historical accuracy of the Bible is unparalleled among major world religions. One example involves the Apostle John’s report that Jesus put clay on the eyes of a blind man and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. When the man did, he was healed and could see (John 9:1-6). The pool is also mentioned in Nehemiah 3:15 and Isaiah 8:6, referred to as the “Pool of Shelah”. In 2004, conclusive evidence for the pool was discovered by archaeologists Eli Shukrun and Ronny Reich during excavation for a drainage pipe. Several steps were also discovered, perhaps the same ones used by the blind man. The pool was fed by the Gihon Spring. Archaeologists found coins that dated from the biblical era with ancient Jewish writing, with pottery shards and a stone bottle cork, all of which helped to confirm this is the location of the Siloam Pool, according to a report by MSNBC. This discovery, while not proving the healing by Jesus, does provide another in a long list of discoveries which confirm the historical accuracy of the Bible.
Historical accuracy of the Bible is unparalleled among major world religions. One example involves the Apostle John’s report that Jesus put clay on the eyes of a blind man and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. When the man did, he was healed and could see (John 9:1-6). The pool is also mentioned in Nehemiah 3:15 and Isaiah 8:6, referred to as the “Pool of Shelah”. In 2004, conclusive evidence for the pool was discovered by archaeologists Eli Shukrun and Ronny Reich during excavation for a drainage pipe. Several steps were also discovered, perhaps the same ones used by the blind man. The pool was fed by the Gihon Spring. Archaeologists found coins that dated from the biblical era with ancient Jewish writing, with pottery shards and a stone bottle cork, all of which helped to confirm this is the location of the Siloam Pool, according to a report by MSNBC. This discovery, while not proving the healing by Jesus, does provide another in a long list of discoveries which confirm the historical accuracy of the Bible.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
IAG-BB2, Intelligence produces information
IAG-BB2
Information about God – Brief Byte 2
(Everyone’s busy, so this is very short, but informational.)
Critics charge that Christians employ a “God of the gaps” rational to account for biological systems that are not yet explained. Invoking an intelligent designer when an evolutionary process has not yet been discovered is labeled as anti-scientific. But that’s not true, particularly regarding information in the cell. The complex specified information encoded in the DNA of every cell can be explained. All causal information of this type is produced by an intelligent mind. This includes words in a book, radio signals, hieroglyphics and computer programming language. The data encoded in DNA is not only highly complex, comprised of three billion base pairs (in humans), but is also purposeful. The DNA molecule contains the blueprint design specifications for all of the biological systems in an organism. “Whenever we find specified information and we know the causal story of how that information arose, we always find that it arose from an intelligent source. It follows that the best, most causally adequate explanation for the origin of the specified, digitally encoded information in DNA is that it too had an intelligent source” (Stephen C. Meyer, Signature in the Cell, p. 347).
Information about God – Brief Byte 2
(Everyone’s busy, so this is very short, but informational.)
Critics charge that Christians employ a “God of the gaps” rational to account for biological systems that are not yet explained. Invoking an intelligent designer when an evolutionary process has not yet been discovered is labeled as anti-scientific. But that’s not true, particularly regarding information in the cell. The complex specified information encoded in the DNA of every cell can be explained. All causal information of this type is produced by an intelligent mind. This includes words in a book, radio signals, hieroglyphics and computer programming language. The data encoded in DNA is not only highly complex, comprised of three billion base pairs (in humans), but is also purposeful. The DNA molecule contains the blueprint design specifications for all of the biological systems in an organism. “Whenever we find specified information and we know the causal story of how that information arose, we always find that it arose from an intelligent source. It follows that the best, most causally adequate explanation for the origin of the specified, digitally encoded information in DNA is that it too had an intelligent source” (Stephen C. Meyer, Signature in the Cell, p. 347).
Friday, June 15, 2012
IAG-BB1, Five key facts
IAG-BB1
(Information about God – Brief Byte 1)
Everyone’s busy, so this is very short, but informational.
Five key facts
Can we believe the gospel accounts of Jesus? Critics and liberal theologians question the authenticity of much of Jesus’ life and the New Testament. However, there are five key facts concerning Christ that even the most liberal Bible scholars accept:
1. Jesus was killed by crucifixion
2. Jesus’ disciples believed that he rose and appeared to them
3. The conversion of the church persecutor Saul
4. The conversion of the skeptic James, Jesus’ half-brother
5. Jesus’ tomb was empty
Even New Testament critics and extreme liberals such as John Dominic Crossan, Gerd Ludemann and Bart Ehrman accept that Jesus was killed by crucifixion, for instance. So, there is consensus, even with skeptics, regarding some key points in the gospel accounts. (As told by Michael Licona, Ph.D. New Testament Studies, to Lee Stroebel in The Case for the Real Jesus.)
(Information about God – Brief Byte 1)
Everyone’s busy, so this is very short, but informational.
Five key facts
Can we believe the gospel accounts of Jesus? Critics and liberal theologians question the authenticity of much of Jesus’ life and the New Testament. However, there are five key facts concerning Christ that even the most liberal Bible scholars accept:
1. Jesus was killed by crucifixion
2. Jesus’ disciples believed that he rose and appeared to them
3. The conversion of the church persecutor Saul
4. The conversion of the skeptic James, Jesus’ half-brother
5. Jesus’ tomb was empty
Even New Testament critics and extreme liberals such as John Dominic Crossan, Gerd Ludemann and Bart Ehrman accept that Jesus was killed by crucifixion, for instance. So, there is consensus, even with skeptics, regarding some key points in the gospel accounts. (As told by Michael Licona, Ph.D. New Testament Studies, to Lee Stroebel in The Case for the Real Jesus.)
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Secret ingredient in correlation between religiosity and life satisfaction
It has long been known that people who are religious are more satisfied with their lives. Believers can personally attest to the peace and joy that comes from knowing God's presence. However, one key measurable reason for this positive correlation between life satisfaction and religiosity has not previously been determined in scientific studies – perhaps until now. To set this up, we should ask: How many people have had an unpleasant experience when visiting a church in which the people seemed to be unwelcoming and unfriendly? How many have been unhappy in church because they felt disconnected?
A study published in the American Sociological Review examined the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction by studying an intervening factor, the “secret ingredient”. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chaeyoon Lim, assistant professor of sociology, and co-author Robert D. Putnam, Malkin Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University, used data from the Faith Matters Study, a panel that surveyed a sample of U. S. adults in 2006 and 2007. The study found that 33% of regular church attendees who have three to five close friends in their congregation report they are “extremely satisfied” with their lives. In comparison, only 19% of those who attend religious services weekly, but have no close friends in the congregation, reported they are extremely satisfied. Lim noted the evidence substantiates the hypothesis that happiness is not derived so much from attending church, hearing sermons or even praying, but in building intimate social networks. One of the important functions of religion, according to Lim, is to give people a sense of belonging to a moral community based on religious faith.
The study’s findings were applicable to three main Christian traditions (mainline Protestant, Evangelical Protestant, and Catholic). The researchers found similar patterns among Jews and Mormons. "Our study offers compelling evidence that it is the social aspects of religion rather than theology or spirituality that leads to life satisfaction," said Lim. "In particular, we find that friendships built in religious congregations are the secret ingredient in religion that makes people happier." [1] At informationaboutgod.com, we would certainly not discount the importance of individual prayer, listening to sermons and other important aspects of the Christian life. Nonetheless, this study demonstrates the encouragement that is derived from interpersonal connections.
“Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11)
“pray one for another” (James 5:16)
“if we love one another, God lives in us” (1 John 4:12)
“ let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
[1] American Sociological Association, “’Secret ingredient’ in religion makes people happier.” ScienceDaily, posted 7 Dec 2010, accessed 20 May 2012.
A study published in the American Sociological Review examined the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction by studying an intervening factor, the “secret ingredient”. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chaeyoon Lim, assistant professor of sociology, and co-author Robert D. Putnam, Malkin Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University, used data from the Faith Matters Study, a panel that surveyed a sample of U. S. adults in 2006 and 2007. The study found that 33% of regular church attendees who have three to five close friends in their congregation report they are “extremely satisfied” with their lives. In comparison, only 19% of those who attend religious services weekly, but have no close friends in the congregation, reported they are extremely satisfied. Lim noted the evidence substantiates the hypothesis that happiness is not derived so much from attending church, hearing sermons or even praying, but in building intimate social networks. One of the important functions of religion, according to Lim, is to give people a sense of belonging to a moral community based on religious faith.
The study’s findings were applicable to three main Christian traditions (mainline Protestant, Evangelical Protestant, and Catholic). The researchers found similar patterns among Jews and Mormons. "Our study offers compelling evidence that it is the social aspects of religion rather than theology or spirituality that leads to life satisfaction," said Lim. "In particular, we find that friendships built in religious congregations are the secret ingredient in religion that makes people happier." [1] At informationaboutgod.com, we would certainly not discount the importance of individual prayer, listening to sermons and other important aspects of the Christian life. Nonetheless, this study demonstrates the encouragement that is derived from interpersonal connections.
“Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11)
“pray one for another” (James 5:16)
“if we love one another, God lives in us” (1 John 4:12)
“ let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
[1] American Sociological Association, “’Secret ingredient’ in religion makes people happier.” ScienceDaily, posted 7 Dec 2010, accessed 20 May 2012.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Some of us can worship in peace
We feel safe entering churches in the USA and western nations, more concerned about where we will eat lunch afterward than whether we will be shot. For that we can be thankful, because it is not the case in many parts of the world. On Sunday, April 29th, Gunmen attacked worship services at a church in Kano, Nigeria, killing at least 21 people in a coordinated shooting and bombing assault. Christians were gunned down as they tried to flee, reported the Associated Press. [1] Our prayers go out to those families who lost loved ones. As Paul wrote, “we weep with those who weep”. (Rom. 12:15)
The Islamist sect responsible, Boko Haram, has previously targeted churches, including on Christmas day when at least 44 people were killed in a bombing at a church outside Abuja. The group claimed January 20 attacks, also in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, when coordinated bombings and shootings left at least 185 dead in the extremists' deadliest attack. [2]
On May 2nd, Boko Haram has released video celebrating the bombing of a Nigerian newspaper and warning of more attacks on the media if they publish reports that are viewed as biased to the sect or insulting to Islam, reported Reuters. The group, which wants to impose an Islamic state on Nigeria's more or less evenly mixed population of Muslim and Christians, has been blamed for hundreds of killings since 2009. [3]
Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents. On April 22, a church was bombed in Khartoum, Sudan and previously many church bombings occurred in the Nuba Mountain region of Sudan. On January 1, 2011, a Coptic Christian church was bombed in Alexandria, Egypt as mass was ending. In January, 2010, three Christian churches were bombed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Muslims. The list could continue.
For those of us who live in comfort and safety, we remember those who do not. However, we also recognize the danger of complacency and that is the reason for this posting. We shine a light on the works of evil, as Paul admonished: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them”. (Eph. 5:11) We also pray for those who persecute fellow believers (Matt. 5:44), in the hope they will become brothers.
[1] “21 Killed in Attacks on Church Services in Northern Nigeria”, May 1, 2012, by Salisu Rabiu and Jon Gambrell / The Associated Press.
[2] “Terror as worshippers gunned down during university church services”, 30 Apr 2012, Herald Sun.
[3] Deborah Lutterbeck, 2 May 2012, Reuters.
The Islamist sect responsible, Boko Haram, has previously targeted churches, including on Christmas day when at least 44 people were killed in a bombing at a church outside Abuja. The group claimed January 20 attacks, also in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, when coordinated bombings and shootings left at least 185 dead in the extremists' deadliest attack. [2]
On May 2nd, Boko Haram has released video celebrating the bombing of a Nigerian newspaper and warning of more attacks on the media if they publish reports that are viewed as biased to the sect or insulting to Islam, reported Reuters. The group, which wants to impose an Islamic state on Nigeria's more or less evenly mixed population of Muslim and Christians, has been blamed for hundreds of killings since 2009. [3]
Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents. On April 22, a church was bombed in Khartoum, Sudan and previously many church bombings occurred in the Nuba Mountain region of Sudan. On January 1, 2011, a Coptic Christian church was bombed in Alexandria, Egypt as mass was ending. In January, 2010, three Christian churches were bombed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Muslims. The list could continue.
For those of us who live in comfort and safety, we remember those who do not. However, we also recognize the danger of complacency and that is the reason for this posting. We shine a light on the works of evil, as Paul admonished: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them”. (Eph. 5:11) We also pray for those who persecute fellow believers (Matt. 5:44), in the hope they will become brothers.
[1] “21 Killed in Attacks on Church Services in Northern Nigeria”, May 1, 2012, by Salisu Rabiu and Jon Gambrell / The Associated Press.
[2] “Terror as worshippers gunned down during university church services”, 30 Apr 2012, Herald Sun.
[3] Deborah Lutterbeck, 2 May 2012, Reuters.
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