Religious Liberty

Welcome to Religious Liberty

“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” -First Amendment-

The Religious Liberty Ministry serves the church as a liaison to governments, religious associations, and local community organizations.  Their understanding of the law and human rights will help secure religious freedom to all local congregants.  As we continue to minister in the last days, we recall the words of Christ, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.”  We know that our stand for Christ will be tested on account of our religious beliefs.

Although we as Americans have been blessed with the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state, our brothers and sisters throughout the world have not that luxury.  On behalf of the world church and the ecumenical community at large, our religious liberty efforts must continue to reach the far corners of the globe in order to protect the rights and privileges of all God’s people. 

 

"India is being destroyed," says K.P.

“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” -First Amendment-

The Religious Liberty Ministry serves the church as a liaison to governments, religious associations, and local community organizations.  Their understanding of the law and human rights will help secure religious freedom to all local congregants.  As we continue to minister in the last days, we recall the words of Christ, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.”  We know that our stand for Christ will be tested on account of our religious beliefs.

Although we as Americans have been blessed with the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state, our brothers and sisters throughout the world have not that luxury.  On behalf of the world church and the ecumenical community at large, our religious liberty efforts must continue to reach the far corners of the globe in order to protect the rights and privileges of all God’s people. 

 

"India is being destroyed," says K.P. Yohannan, president and founder of Texas- based Gospel for Asia.  "What we are seeing is a breakdown of the rule of law, and the Christians are suffering because of it."  Radical Hindu groups continue to burn and loot churches and attack Christians in Orissa and Karnataka, India, while new attacks are being reported in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.  While the attacks continue, the death toll among believers continues to rise as they struggle to survive in refugee camps where access to clean water and safe food is severely limited…. read more http://cwnewz.com/content/view/395/2/

Gayle Williams, 34, was a UK and South African national.  She was killed by two men on a motorbike, witnesses told the BBC.  The Taliban are reported to have said they killed her because she was working for a Christian organization called Serve Afghanistan….read more http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7679212.stm

 

We sadly share the news of a Global Mission pioneer who was killed in Orissa, India last year.  On August 25, 2008 a mob of fundamentalist extremists surrounded Samuel Nayaka, a veteran Global Mission pioneer working in Orissa.  They demanded that he renounce Christianity, or else be killed…read more http://www.adventistmission.org/article.php?id=1020

 

The Religious Liberty Ministry will continue to keep our church community informed of political and social occurrences that affect our religious freedoms so we can prepare ourselves and others for these last days’ events.

Links of Interest

The Religious Liberty Coordinator

To worship God according to conscience and to share Christ’s love are cherished freedoms not universally enjoyed. The government of God is based on freedom of choice. God chose to create humanity also with the power of choice. “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil . . . blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deut 30:15, 19).

Free exercise of religion is like a fragile flower; it must receive the most vigorous protection possible and the most gentle care to be found. Within it, freedom of conscience thrives or is throttled.

Revelation 13 points to a political power that will arise in the last days causing people to “worship” another religion-political power. Religion and politics are symbolized in Revelation 17 by an apostate church being sustained by the government. The persecuting power of this union of church and state is illustrated by the woman who becomes drunk with the blood of the saints.

What, then, are we to do about threats to religious freedom? Ellen White says, “It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger. We should endeavor to disarm prejudice by placing ourselves in a proper light before the people. We should bring before them the real question at issue, thus interposing the most effectual protest against measures to restrict liberty of conscience” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 452).