Population: 31 057 000
Capital: Kabul
Religions: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim
Languages: Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari)
Political leader: President Hamid Karzai
Christians: <1%
The Sunnis make up about 80% of the country's population. Afghanistan has a small Christian community. Conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death under the Shari'a Law. There are no Christian or Jewish schools, no Christian churches and one synagogue.
To give you an idea: In 2006 Abdul Rahman was arrested on charges of apostasy and sentenced to death for refusing to return to the Muslim faith. Due to international pressure, Rhaman was released and fled to Italy.
Persecution of Christians is intense. During the Taliban regime, persecution was accomplished formally by law, and informally, by tribes and families.
See more here: http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=20
What to pray for
- Pray for godly men and women to obtain positions of influence in the country.
- The Afghani drug trade is estimated to be among the worst in the world. Pray that it will cease.
- Pray for the thousands of underground believers, many not even known by their families. Pray for safety, protection, courage and wisdom. Pray that they may be effectively discipled.
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Friday, 08 February 2008
persecution, suffering and prayer
In recent months, I decided to take use of Google's offer to mail you news updates based on keywords you provide. I chose Symfony (the web based PHP framework which I use), Israel (I don't have a TV and want to keep up to date with the going's on there) and Christians. I've noticed that many of the Christians headlines don't make it to the mainstream google news site. I've also noticed, that much of the news is about persecution cases around the world. This is happening today, and many people are just not aware.
A while back I added a persecution.org widget to this blog on the left hand column, showing highlights from a Christian based advocacy group. Take a look from time to time at those links. That being said I move on to the reason for this post:
I recently got a book called "The Persecuted Church Prayer Devotional" - Which is an overview of some of the most hostile countries to find yourself in, if you are a Christian, or involved in Christian ministry in any form. The back of the book states a little known fact: More Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all the previous centuries combined, and this onslaught has continued unabated into the new century. I agree with the conclusion of the write up, which says that it is our duty to be knowledgeable and to take action on behalf of those who are persecuted. Also that one of the most essential actions we can take is to stand in the gap by being on our knees in prayer.
I happen to know both that modern persecution is very real, knowing someone who travels to Sudan now and then to assist with ministry there. Also I know some people in the East who go to places like Tibet and China. It is interesting that many people that I speak to do not know things that are not well represented in modern media.
In the next few weeks I want to take a look at the top ten ranked countries, for violations against Christians and the kind of violations that occur. My aim is twofold: to create awareness, and hopefully by so doing, to create a desire for intense prayer, regarding what is going on there. The book contains many more than ten countries, detailing these violations in an easily accessible format - well worth looking into. The first country we will look at, is ranked tenth in it's intensity of persecution against Christians. It is Afghanistan.
Before I start with that (in my next post) - look at the samples I got from today's Google news alert via email on the word Christians:
The cross they bear - Persecution going on in parts of India by the hand of Hindu extremists.
China's crackdown on Christians worsens - 2007 proves to be a tougher year for Christian leaders and people in house churches.
Pakistani Christians released by abductors - Five Christians had been abducted my militants on the suspicion of selling liquor.
Note: after a period of time, these links may no longer work.
A while back I added a persecution.org widget to this blog on the left hand column, showing highlights from a Christian based advocacy group. Take a look from time to time at those links. That being said I move on to the reason for this post:
I recently got a book called "The Persecuted Church Prayer Devotional" - Which is an overview of some of the most hostile countries to find yourself in, if you are a Christian, or involved in Christian ministry in any form. The back of the book states a little known fact: More Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all the previous centuries combined, and this onslaught has continued unabated into the new century. I agree with the conclusion of the write up, which says that it is our duty to be knowledgeable and to take action on behalf of those who are persecuted. Also that one of the most essential actions we can take is to stand in the gap by being on our knees in prayer.
I happen to know both that modern persecution is very real, knowing someone who travels to Sudan now and then to assist with ministry there. Also I know some people in the East who go to places like Tibet and China. It is interesting that many people that I speak to do not know things that are not well represented in modern media.
In the next few weeks I want to take a look at the top ten ranked countries, for violations against Christians and the kind of violations that occur. My aim is twofold: to create awareness, and hopefully by so doing, to create a desire for intense prayer, regarding what is going on there. The book contains many more than ten countries, detailing these violations in an easily accessible format - well worth looking into. The first country we will look at, is ranked tenth in it's intensity of persecution against Christians. It is Afghanistan.
Before I start with that (in my next post) - look at the samples I got from today's Google news alert via email on the word Christians:
The cross they bear - Persecution going on in parts of India by the hand of Hindu extremists.
China's crackdown on Christians worsens - 2007 proves to be a tougher year for Christian leaders and people in house churches.
Pakistani Christians released by abductors - Five Christians had been abducted my militants on the suspicion of selling liquor.
Note: after a period of time, these links may no longer work.
Wednesday, 06 February 2008
abide with me
Abide with me,
Fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens;
Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail
And comforts flee,
Help of the helpless,
Oh, abide with me.
Swift to it's close
Ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim,
It's glories pass away;
Change and decay
In all around I see;
O thou who changest not,
Abide with me
from William H. Monk, 1823-1889
full version here: http://ingeb.org/spiritua/abidewit.html
Fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens;
Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail
And comforts flee,
Help of the helpless,
Oh, abide with me.
Swift to it's close
Ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim,
It's glories pass away;
Change and decay
In all around I see;
O thou who changest not,
Abide with me
from William H. Monk, 1823-1889
full version here: http://ingeb.org/spiritua/abidewit.html
Saturday, 02 February 2008
peer review and climate change, creationism
I've also often wondered why the scientific articles/papers I find from creation-science organisations are not submitted or not found in peer-reviewed journals. I suspected a scenario painted by this article, yet I had no idea of the lengths editors would go to to deride or ignore work that would challenge the current popular paradigm.
If you're interested in looking at some of the inner workings of the scientific community that is more blindly trusted than many other fields - read this article. Peer review it yourself. But be sure not to make the same mistakes that this article criticises. Don't throw it out outright because it presents views different to your current opinion of the peer review process.
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/5613/
If you're interested in looking at some of the inner workings of the scientific community that is more blindly trusted than many other fields - read this article. Peer review it yourself. But be sure not to make the same mistakes that this article criticises. Don't throw it out outright because it presents views different to your current opinion of the peer review process.
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/5613/
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