Eastern Orthodox Church Persecutes Others
We are very Sad to post this page. We had hoped that the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs and leaders would turn towards Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion. Instead it has consistently appeared - for the past several years, that the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs have adopted a policy of 1. Silence and 2. Encouragement of State Repression of Protestants and Evangelicals around the world (and anyone else who is not Eastern Orthodox).
How we arrived at this sad state within the Eastern Patriarchates
After the official fall of Communism (which is actually far from dead - globally), the Eastern Orthodox Church claimed it only wanted time to educate the members of its own church into its own principles. But this claim - sadly - was hollow. The Eastern Orthodox leaders continue to foster the repetition of Prayer-Mantras in their own surroundings, continue to foster policies which discourage the personal study of the New Testament, and continue to worship Mary as a replacement to Jesus Christ.
Denials...denials...denials...but even the Patriarchs can't change history. The reports of the Eastern Orthodox cooperation with Security services in the betrayal of their own congregations, the documented case of Eastern Orthodox bishops who actually were spies, and the questions raised about Patriarchs, continue unanswered.
The problem was not simply that most of the Leadership of the Eastern Orthodox Church (even though they are all "officially" separate Patriarchs) was appointed thanks to the old Soviet USSR days, but that even though communism fell outside of the Eastern Orthodox Church, it has remained very much alive at the top echelons of leadership, well entrenched within the bureaucracy of the Patriarchs that continue to Prey upon the ignorance of their followers.
Catechism in the Eastern Orthodox Church consists mostly of reading biographies of Fake Saints, or material which is published by the Roman Catholic Church or Roman Catholic publishing houses. Contrast that with the actual study of the New Testament.
It is Interesting that the Protestants claim as their heritage the ancient Greek copies of the New Testament, most of which are BYZANTINE in nature. In other words, it is the Protestant Bibles that contain the very books and the very Bible that the Eastern Orthodox Church CLAIMS to care about.
However the Eastern Orthodox Leaders continue to work on their "New translation" which actually will change the Greek Text of the New Testament from what it was for 2000 years, to the New Greek Text which is based on Westcott and Hort, who were part of the covert movement to steer all denominations towards the Vatican.
ERITREA: SOME 900 CHRISTIANS IMPRISONED WITH HELP FROM EASTERN ORTHODOX
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA (ANS) - June 8, 2005 - In September 2001 the Eritrean government closed down all private media, then rounded up its opponents and critics and silenced them by incarcerating them in
'secret' prisons. Amnesty International estimates several thousand political prisoners are languishing incommunicado in detention. The crackdown on churches began in May 2002 when the government closed and banned all but three state- sanctioned denominations: Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran.
Today some 900 Christians including 16 pastors are in prison for their faith.
The conditions are dire and torture is routine . This religious repression is partly driven by the politically powerful
Eritrean Eastern Orthodox Church trying to protect its influence in the face of evangelical renewal. The Eritrean government denies there is any religious repression, boasting full religious freedom with tight national security.
These four years of repression, violence and injustice have also been four years of drought. Today, around 60 percent of Eritreans rely on food aid. UNICEF reports that more than 40 percent of pregnant or lactating women are malnourished and between 10 and 20 percent of all children under age five are acutely malnourished. New laws came into effect on 1 June 2005 to regulate Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and tax their imports, making it impossible for smaller NGOs to operate. NGOs engaging in 'political or economic sabotage' will be banned. Eritrea's suffering and isolation will thus be further compounded.
Compass Direct (CD) reports that on Saturday 28 May, police raided a large wedding ceremony in the Eritrean capital of
Asmara, arresting at least 250 guests, along with the bride and groom (both of the Meserete Kristos Church) and their wedding party. Members of the government-sanctioned denominations were later released, while about 70 others belonging to banned evangelical churches were kept in custody. CD reports that amongst those arrested were Pastor Gideon of the Meserete Kristos Church, Immanuel an evangelist from the Kale Hiwot Church, and Esaye
Stefanos, a nationally known gospel singer from the Full Gospel Church. The prisoners are reportedly being pressured to abandon their evangelical beliefs and join state-sanctioned churches.
On Wednesday 25 May, Eritreans from across America along with their supporters gathered outside Eritrea's Embassy in Washington DC to protest Eritrea's human rights violations. They called for the release of all political and religious prisoners, and for political, journalistic and religious freedom to be restored. Eritrean believers at the rally prayed and worshiped the Lord openly in front of posters of imprisoned Eritrean pastors. The Director of Jubilee Campaign, Anne
Buwalda, comments, 'Almost everyone [at the rally] knew one or more jailed pastor. ... they came from as far away as Minnesota and Atlanta to attend because of their love for their pastors.'
Sources believe the wedding arrests were a response to the Washington protest and the Eritrean government is trying to intimidate local believers into silence. Retaliatory arrests are intended to send the message that overseas advocacy and pressure will only make things worse. There will be a rally outside the Eritrean Embassy in London on Thursday 9 June, to call once again for religious freedom in Eritrea.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
God to comfort, encourage and sustain imprisoned believers, supplying all their needs, healing their trauma of body, mind and soul, and filling them with an overwhelming assurance of his presence and love.
God to raise up powerful advocates and effective measures to restore justice and religious liberty to Eritrea, so those unjustly imprisoned can be released and God's word can go out boldly, powerfully and freely.
the President of Eritrea, Isayas Afewerki - 'The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.' (Proverbs 21:1)
the irresistible Holy Spirit to revive the state-sanctioned Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches, from the grassroots to the leadership, that repenting they will know
spiritual unity as one true body based on Biblical teachings, solidarity with the persecuted, and renewed passion for the living Christ.
'Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.' (Habakkuk 3:2)
What Response do you expect from local congregation members of the Eastern Orthodox Church ?
First Denials. Then usually follows the attempts of the local congregation members to try to get it out of their mind, to pretend that if they stop thinking about it, that the leaders to whom they have entrusted their eternal spiritual wellbeing will somehow magically stop being corrupt and stop hurting other people.
It would be great to have even a small amount of Eastern Orthodox actually write letters not only to the embassies of the countries in question, and to the Foreign Eastern Patriarchates where this takes place, but also to their own Patriarch to express their concern about the disrespect that the Eastern Orthodox Leaders demonstrate to other faiths, as well as the EOC leader's attitude of violent intolerance.
It's easy for individual Eastern Orthodox to "Say" they are against this. Picking up a pen and investing ten minutes of their precious time, that is a very different matter.
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John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Galatians 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
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"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
--Article 18 of the Universal
Declaration of
Human
Rights--
Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.
Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in
His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.
That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.
Core Universal Rights
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief
Bill
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