M
After what I heard this morning i thank God for the religious freedom we have.
Every year for the past several years, a group from my church in conjunction with some
other churches and WEC, has gone to Turkey to hold a missions week for women out there
and the surrounding "Stan" countries like Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikastan,
Kazakahstan, etc.
This year for obvious reasons they couldn't. But instead a group of several Christians from these
countries visited the UK and have been spending the week at our church meeting up with friends
and contacts over here.
We got to hear first hand of the problems, like while in theory you can be a Christian, in
practice there is a lot of control going on from the very bottom to the top.
Friends neighbour's tell on you to the authorities if you are a Christian.
Employers refuse to employee you. Pastors have to report their preaching schedule to the
authorities 3 months in advance. The KGB attend services anonymously so the friendly
person sat next to you could in the very next breathe arrest you. They attend to see if
the pastors keep to the preaching schedule they have stated. Every few months pastors
have to provide them with a list of people who attend the church.
In Uzbekistan, you are only allowed to have one bible per family, that's a fairly recent change as
before no one could have a bible. But still no one can have any other kind of Christian literature,
song sheets, notes. One woman recently had her house raided by the KGB for becoming a
Christian, they took everything religious away, even her own personal note book she used
during daily devotional. She told us she couldn't even take our church notices sheet back
with her as she could get arrested.
Another person spoke of having books/bibles stored (sorry can't tell you where), but the
penalty if they are discovered is 7-8 years in prison.
They really are on the edge having to look over their shoulders all the time. House groups
are illegal, even saying the name of Jesus can see you being arrested.
But yet the christian church is growing and they are not Luke warm, they are on fire.
It has to be all or nothing, they cannot afford to make wishy washy commitments.
All the Christians are the real deal.
It made me realise how much we / I take for granted. I can freely catch a bus and
pop to church any time I want, I can have as many bibles as I want in the house, I can watch
God TV on TV. I can join CC!
I can freely tell people I am a Christian, download sermons, invite people to church, pass
out tracts on the streets and much much more. I can even debate doctrine and scripture
interpretations. None of this is possible in these other countries, yet their faith is as real as
it is ever possible for it to be.
They don't spend time arguing with each other, their time is spent keeping each other safe!
Praying for each other, sharing scripture, memorising it as they cannot write it down!
We have no idea of real persecution and I hope we never do.
Every year for the past several years, a group from my church in conjunction with some
other churches and WEC, has gone to Turkey to hold a missions week for women out there
and the surrounding "Stan" countries like Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikastan,
Kazakahstan, etc.
This year for obvious reasons they couldn't. But instead a group of several Christians from these
countries visited the UK and have been spending the week at our church meeting up with friends
and contacts over here.
We got to hear first hand of the problems, like while in theory you can be a Christian, in
practice there is a lot of control going on from the very bottom to the top.
Friends neighbour's tell on you to the authorities if you are a Christian.
Employers refuse to employee you. Pastors have to report their preaching schedule to the
authorities 3 months in advance. The KGB attend services anonymously so the friendly
person sat next to you could in the very next breathe arrest you. They attend to see if
the pastors keep to the preaching schedule they have stated. Every few months pastors
have to provide them with a list of people who attend the church.
In Uzbekistan, you are only allowed to have one bible per family, that's a fairly recent change as
before no one could have a bible. But still no one can have any other kind of Christian literature,
song sheets, notes. One woman recently had her house raided by the KGB for becoming a
Christian, they took everything religious away, even her own personal note book she used
during daily devotional. She told us she couldn't even take our church notices sheet back
with her as she could get arrested.
Another person spoke of having books/bibles stored (sorry can't tell you where), but the
penalty if they are discovered is 7-8 years in prison.
They really are on the edge having to look over their shoulders all the time. House groups
are illegal, even saying the name of Jesus can see you being arrested.
But yet the christian church is growing and they are not Luke warm, they are on fire.
It has to be all or nothing, they cannot afford to make wishy washy commitments.
All the Christians are the real deal.
It made me realise how much we / I take for granted. I can freely catch a bus and
pop to church any time I want, I can have as many bibles as I want in the house, I can watch
God TV on TV. I can join CC!
I can freely tell people I am a Christian, download sermons, invite people to church, pass
out tracts on the streets and much much more. I can even debate doctrine and scripture
interpretations. None of this is possible in these other countries, yet their faith is as real as
it is ever possible for it to be.
They don't spend time arguing with each other, their time is spent keeping each other safe!
Praying for each other, sharing scripture, memorising it as they cannot write it down!
We have no idea of real persecution and I hope we never do.
