Throughout the history of mankind God’s people have been persecuted. Even the casual Bible reader is aware that the prophets were usually tortured and killed.

Most people are aware that the Jews have always been persecution and rejected. Over and over again they were attacked and taken into captivity – even robbed of their homeland for centuries. They were turned out of many countries and have been the object of prejudice and discrimination continually.

Then along came the Christian faith – growing out of Judaism because Jesus was a Jew, the Jews were God’s people, and Christianity is the fulfillment of the promise to the Jews of a Savior.

The church began to be persecuted.

Jesus, of course, was crucified for his teaching, but John the Baptist was the first martyr to die for the Christian faith. He was beheaded.

Later, the disciples were jailed and beaten for spreading that faith. Stephen was stoned to death. What a horrible way to die, but it gets worse.

James, the church leader, was executed. Paul was often beaten and jailed and was finally beheaded. Peter was reportedly crucified upside down, his own choosing because he felt unworthy to die the same way Jesus did. Most of the origianl disciples were crucified, put to death by sword or spear, of beheaded.

In Rome, to bear the name of Christian was a crime punishable by death. Nero, the Roman Emporer, had creative ways or torturing believers. He would have them covered with animal skins and then let dogs tear them to pieces until dead. Others he would crucify or set on fire and aloow them to burn through the night, lighting up his villages.

Christians were often taken into the arenas and mauled and eaten by lions while crowds cheered for the lions.

In the second Century, Polycarp, a church leader, was punished for not denying his faith, as many were. They set him on fire, but he wouldn’t burn. So they ran him through with the sword and he bled so much that his blood extinguished the fire.

A woman, Blandina, was tortured all day till her torturers were worn out, but she wouldn’t die. So they finally hung her by a rope and allowed wild animals to each her alive.

Others were place on hot iron chairs or beds and roasted to death. Some were hung up and disemboweled or gutted. A man named Romanus was whipped unmercifully, but didn’t die, so they carved him to the bone, knocked his teeth out to quiet his preaching, tore his eyelids off, branded his cheeks with hot knives, and plucked his beard out a little at a time till his face was totally disfigured.

Children were tortured to death in front of their parents.

But lest you think this is just a lesson in ancient history, look ast what’s happening around the world today.

According to the Organization - International Christian Concern there is known persecution of Christians in at least 41 countries:

Algeria Azerbajan Bangladesh Bhutan Burma China

Columbia Cuba Egypt Ethiopia Germany Haiti

India Indonesia Iran Israel Jordan Kazakhstan

Kuwait Laos Latvia Libya Macedonia Mexico

Morocco Nepal Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Peru

Philippines Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka

Sudan Turkey Vietnam Uzebkistan Yemen

Believe it or not, there have been more Christians killed in the 20th century than in the previous nineteen centuries combined. Today millions of people of faith around the world are being killed, tortured, raped or maimed, sold as slaves and more, for no reason other than their faith. More than 150,000 Christians were expected to be killed for their faith in 1997. China, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq are nations that disregard religious freedom.

Here are just a few examples of what is happening in our world today:

Russia Restricts Rights

Under new government regulations, foreign

religious workers will be allowed to stay in

Russia for only three months at a time. Before

this change in policy, foreign religious workers

could have their visas renewed for a year

without leaving the country. The new regulations

require foreign religious workers to renew their

visas at the Russian Embassy or consulate four

times a year. Many analysts view this as an

outgrowth of last year's law which curtailed the

rights of many Christian groups.

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Christian Threatened

Still another Pakistani Christian was accused of

breaking the country's discriminatory blasphemy

laws in early June. A high school headmaster

was threatened with imprisonment or mob

assassination by his Muslim accusers in the

already volatile atmosphere of Pakistan's Punjab

province. Cornelious Christopher Datt, the

Christian headmaster of Government High

School in Gojra, was accused last month by a

Muslim teacher on his staff of showing

disrespect for the Koran by throwing a copy of

Islam's holy book on the table.

-Compass

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Maldives Cracks Down

An extensive crackdown on Christians and

Christian work began in mid-June in the

Maldives, a chain of hundreds of small islands

off the southwest coast of India. All known

Maldivian Christians and those suspected of

holding Christian beliefs or associations have

been imprisoned on Dhoonidhoo, a small island

near the capital, Male, according to the

Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (EASL).

"They are kept isolated from other prisoners,

and have been denied visits even from their

spouses and loved ones," said Godfrey

Yogarajah of the EASL concerning the

estimated 50 believers. "They are subjected to

torture. Their position is extremely vulnerable, as

the Maldivian authorities are attempting to hide

what is happening and to claim to the outside

world that no such persons exist."

-Compass

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Christians Brace for More

Vietnam's six-and-a-half million Roman

Catholics and 600,000 Protestants are bracing

themselves for more government interference

following a new directive released in July by the

Politburo of the ruling Communist Party.

Warning that "some religious followers and

leaders in some places have not yet complied

with the law," the directive urges all government

organizations to get more involved in the

religious community, to ensure "it promotes

patriotism" and "fights the attempts and activities

of hostile forces."

-Compass

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Christians Released

The mid-July release of 11 foreign nationals

arrested in June for alleged Christian activities in

the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh has been

confirmed by their embassies and expatriate

Christians living in the Kingdom. Eight of the

prisoners said they were investigated for

distribution of Christian materials in the Arabic

language, while one Filipino was accused of

pastoring a church of expatriate Christians in

Riyadh.

-Compass

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Catholic Church Hangs On

Though the Tibetan plateau remains one of the

least evangelized places on earth, and the

Tibetan people among the most staunchly

resistant to the gospel, approximately 6,500

Catholics are still worshipping God in

southwestern Tibet, according to a 28-year-old

Tibetan priest, Fr. Lawrence Lu Rendi. Writing

in the July edition of the Catholic biweekly Faith,

he stressed that the Catholic community was

made up of 70 percent young people. Figures on

the number of Tibetan Protestant believers are

too sensitive to be published.

Reaching Burma . . . With Bibles

THIS PAST AUGUST, 18 FOREIGNERS -- including six Americans -- were

sentenced to five years of hard labor for handing out pro-democracy literature in

Burma. Fortunately for the activists, the military dictatorship immediately

commuted the sentences and ordered the 18 deported. While distribution of

pro-democracy literature can carry harsh prison sentences, propagation of the

Christian faith, in some areas, is views as far more serious

In a nation comprised mostly of Burman Buddhists, Christianity is concentrated

among the country's ethnic minorities, such as the Karen and Karenni, many of

whom have been struggling for years for some form of independence and

freedom.

The government maintains a policy of systematic repression, including random

arrests, extrajudicial killings, rape, forced labor, forced military service, and

torture against the ethnic minorities and pro-democracy groups, while using

religion as a weapon to stir up internal divisions and hatred between Buddhists

and Christians as part of their divide-and-conquer strategy.

In spite of the wide spread persecution, the Church in Burma continues to grow,

even among the Burmans. Among other things, Christians in Burma are in

enormous need of Bibles. In a recent CFI visit inside the country, church

leaders pleaded with CFI to establish a mechanism for ongoing delivery of

Bibles to some of the most isolated, cut off regions in the country. "We only

have one Bible for our entire church," a Christian leader inside Burma told CFI.

He explained that in some areas the government allows one Bible per family.

Christian Freedom International is responding to the challenge and is taking

Bibles into Burma. Burmese and Karen language Bibles are reaching ethnic

areas and churches where there is the most need. CFI is distributing Bibles to

Burmans as well as to the ethnic minorities. Please pray for God's special

blessing on this most important project. If you want to help CFI provide Bibles

for Burma, go to our secure donation form or call 1-800-323-2273.

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Connecticut Democrat, noted that Christians are the most

persecuted religious group in the world today.

Pakistan

What could cause well-known church leader John Joseph to kill himself in broad daylight on

the streets of Pakistan? It was the utter despair a Christian feels living in a country that

desires to see all faiths other than Islam annihilated. The straw that broke the camel's back

came down in November of 1997. Well-known Christian prisoner, Ayub Masih was sitting

outside a courthouse in stifling heat, awaiting his trial on the charge of blaspheming the

prophet Mohammed to a neighbor. A police officer pointed a finger exclaimed, "So you are

Ayub Masih." Moments later, shots rang out from an assassin's gun as Ayub was rushed

inside the building. Barely escaping death, Ayub was taken back to prison where he

languished in a cell for months. Ayub was later tried by the district court in a secret trial

without being allowed proper defense and was sentenced to death . All Christians need to

remember those like Ayub who can be sentenced to death for proclaiming their faith. Many

Christians receive death threats from Muslim extremists. Even Muslim officials who have

sympathized with the Christian community have been assassinated. Pray for Christians who

are daily fighting against despair such as overcame John Joseph. Pray for courage that

Christians won't keep their faith quiet.

China

Can you envision what it would be like to be a Christian in China? Revival is spreading like a

wildfire, but it has not come without a price. Believers are ridiculed, beaten, electrocuted,

spit upon, tortured, and even executed for the simple fact that they love God and are unable

to contain that love. Gao Feng was recently imprisoned without trial because he was

attempting to register his "illegal" Protestant church. While in prison, he was shocked

repeatedly with cattle prods because he began a hunger strike to protest

the taking of his Bible. Withstanding various forms of brainwashing and extreme suffering,

he did not give up. He stated, "I would prefer to be in prison for two years than to do nothing

for God." God is using these Christians to change China. Recently, the leaders of the

Chinese house-churches met in secret and wrote a petition to the Chinese government

asking that the persecution cease. Please pray that God will use the peaceful and fearless

testimony of believers to soften the hearts of the Chinese officials. Also pray that God will

continue to strengthen these Christians as they strive to live for Him.

Egypt

Fear is a feeling that is far too familiar to many Egyptian Christians. This terror is illustrated

in the case of a 14-year old girl named Teresa. Imagine the scene when a teacher kidnapped

this young girl and took her to a police station and tried to convince and bribe her to embrace

Islam. Even under these circumstances, she stood strong in her faith and did not fall to the

persuasion of these Muslims. Throughout Egyptian society, there are many laws and

customs that are intolerant of Christians and cause them to live in a constant state of fear.

The identification card that Egyptians are required to carry specifies the holder's religion.

Before being hired, all applicants must display this card, which has resulted in the

discrimination and unemployment of many Christians. Within the school system, all children

possessing a Muslim name are required to learn about the Muslim religion. Some Christians

are resorting to changing their children's "Muslim" names to exempt them from the

mandatory Islamic curriculum. Please pray for the Christians in Egypt who are daily

pressured by the Islamic community to abandon Christ and return to Muslim ways. Pray that

they will be able to stand in the midst of discrimination.

Cuba

The church in Cuba is exploding in numbers despite the staunch efforts of the Cuban

government to ban all religion. Pastors like Carlos are counting the cost to preach the gospel

despite arrests and continued threats. The church that Carlos preaches in has 1500

members. Only some can fit inside while several local villagers listen through screened

windows from the outside. Carlos has paid for his dedication and zeal for the Lord. He lives

in difficult financial circumstances in this repressed nation. Most pastors in Cuba work for a

bare minimum but see more eternal fruit in the scores of those coming to salvation. Though

Carlos isn't permitted to go door to door sharing the gospel, hundreds of hungry seekers pack

inside and outside his church to hear of Jesus Christ. There are several pastors in Cuba like

Carlos who spend time in prison for their fruitful ministry. The Castro regime has been

known to close down churches, arrest evangelists, and confiscate church property. Most

rural pastors travel from village to village on foot. There is a great need for bicycles. There

are many young men willing to move to rural areas where there are no churches. These

pastors have no way to support themselves. It only costs 15 dollars a month to support a

pastor and his family in Cuba. The church needs our prayers to persevere through this

difficult season. Many pastors need food for their families and desire teaching supplies to

train their growing congregations. We need to stand with the Cuban church and see that the

evangelism continues to flourish.

Sudan

No matter whether you live in the United States, Europe, or Sudan, the kidnapping of a child

is every parent's worse nightmare. Six-year-old Athak Diok Deng was abducted last year by

the National Islamic Front (NIF) militia. He was kidnapped, stripped, beaten, and taken north

to be sold as a slave to a Muslim master. Nuba, located in the prominently Muslim north, is a

place of much devastation and pain for the Christian believers. Murder, crucifixions,

enslavement, destruction of villages, and the burning of churches are common occurrences in

the NIF's Jihad (holy war) against the Nuba Christians. There are reports of families being

captured and sent to concentration camps. In these camps, the children are separated from

their families and brain-washed to join this Jihad. The women are raped so that their children

will be more Arab than Nuba. Can we even begin to understand the pain and anguish that

these families must feel? Yet, even under these circumstances, the Christians continue to be

encouraged when missionaries bring in Bibles and literature to remind them of the hope they

have in Jesus Christ. Please pray diligently for these people. Pray that God will remove their

pain and hurt and fill them with love and joy unspeakable. Pray that God will remove the hate

and anger that the government feels towards the Nuba Christians and bring a peace that

passes understanding.