Report from Pakistan: March 2012
March 17, 2012
It is easy to be misled when the media are biased. That's why we need alternative news sources.
This came as an email this week from a Protestant missionary. The ministry is here: www.epicinternational.org. I have not seen anything like this before. I report it because you probably have not seen anything like it, either.
If this report is true, then the Islamic world has pockets where things are going on unlike anything that is reported in Western media.
The missionary lives in Turkey.
Thank you all for your prayers while I was away in Pakistan. This was the most spiritually encouraging ministry trip that I have ever been on. I arrived in Lahore at 3 AM wearing my Shalwar/Kamiz (traditional Pakistani clothing) and was greeted by my sister Sarah and Nadeem. Then the adventure began in cities and villages, visiting family after family and one ministry leader after another.As a person that only hears news about Pakistan from the media, I had many concerns and misconceptions. Yes, there is still great persecution towards foreign workers and attacks on churches in Pakistan. In fact, while I was there two foreign Catholic workers were kidnapped by the Taliban, another thrown in jail by the police and just before I arrived a Presbyterian church was fired upon and many were wounded. While there, I saw an angry protest targeting someone who defamed Muhammad or the Qur'an. Because it is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan they are under Sharia law, the apostasy law exists and defamation laws exist.
What you do not hear is that Pakistan is Spiritually Blessed:
There is another side of Pakistan that you never hear about. I truly believe that the churches and believers in Pakistan are the most spiritually blessed that I have ever seen. In fact, they have more freedoms than any other Christians in any other country that I have visited. The believers do know that they could suffer persecution at any moment but they never back down for a second.
There are around 20 million Christians in Pakistan, whole neighborhoods and villages are Christian, with some neighborhoods having up to 60 churches in them. There are mixed Muslim/Christian villages and neighborhoods and they generally have decent relationships with one another. Many churches broadcast their services on loud-speakers so that the whole community can listen in, especially for those that are not able to attend. The Muslim neighbors listen to the sermons and service whether they like it or not every day!
The Christians hold outdoor meetings weekly (like tent services) over loud-speakers. One that I spoke at over 350 attended and it was right across from the mosque! Many churches meet for prayer, worship and a sermon every night. And they are always packed! The last night I was there I preached at one such service. During the church services the women sit at one side, (cover their heads for prayer), the men sit on the other side and they sing, worship and pray for hours.
Christians can openly state that they are Christian, wear crosses, put religious symbols on their taxis, rick-shaws and are open about their faith, unlike here in Turkey. There are many Christian private schools for one to be educated in, however the majority are poor and sending their kids to school is not an option.
Pastors work hard doing up to 20-30 home visits daily. They visit the members of their church, pray for their needs and encourage them. I went on many home-visits with the local pastors and prayed for these wonderful brothers and sisters. I was shocked to hear that the churches hold evangelistic crusades in open air stadiums where up to 3,000 people or more attend. In fact, I was asked to be the speaker at a 3 day crusade that will be held in a city south of Lahore next year.
The Christians that live in the villages live in a close community, and in the neighborhoods in the city the doors (curtains) to every home are always wide open (even at night, and street cats wander into your room!), there is a feeling of security and trust among each other and in the areas they live in.
That is the good news. Here is the bad news.
One of the most shocking things that I learned was of the existence of 21st century slavery. I not only heard about it, I went to where it was happening, observed it, spoke to and prayed with the people en-slaved, and spoke with ministry leaders whose goal is to end this.What is the bonded-slave labor? They make bricks in the hot sun from morning till night. They have quotas they must fill each day. They mix the mortar, sand, mud etc… form it with a pre-cut out mold and lay them in the sun to dry. Then after they are dried they fire the bricks in the kilns.
Who does this work? Every man, woman and child. The children are not educated, the men and women also never learned to read or write. Most were born into this bonded-slavery and know no other life. And the majority are Christians!
Where do they live? Right where they work! In a row of dusty, dirty one room brick made rooms. One room for each family! These are "graciously" provided by the owners.
There are no churches in any of the thousands of brick kiln villages and the majority of the Christians are not only physically lacking they are spiritually lacking. They have no pastor, no one to read them the Bible or to pray with them or to encourage them. There are ministries that have begun to help get these Christians out of this bonded-slavery, and to send Sunday School teachers once a week to teach the children the Bible. But this is only in a few places and the need for pastors, teachers and help to pour into these brick kiln villages are overwhelming. My heart and prayer is to see a church and pastor for each brick kiln village. Please read more about these villages by going to a link of one of the men that are ministering in these areas: http://thetruthwon.com/2011/09/situational-report-on-bonded-labor-at-brick-kilns/
I also did not know that there are 20 million Christians. That is over 10% of the population.
That there is poverty in Pakistan comes as no surprise. Neither does the fact that the Taliban kidnaps foreign-born Christians. But the story of sermons broadcast on loudspeakers was news to me. That would be illegal in the USA: zoning laws. Maybe you missed this news report.
An Orange County couple has been ordered to stop holding a Bible study in their home on the grounds that the meeting violates a city ordinance as a "church" and not as a private gathering.Homeowners Chuck and Stephanie Fromm, of San Juan Capistrano, were fined $300 earlier this month for holding what city officials called "a regular gathering of more than three people".
That type of meeting would require a conditional use permit as defined by the city, according to Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), the couple's legal representation.
The Fromms also reportedly face subsequent fines of $500 per meeting for any further "religious gatherings" in their home, according to PJI.
So, if we want freedom of religion, are we supposed to move to Pakistan? This is not the high school civics textbook version of America.
Things are always more complex in life that we imagine. Our minds can handle only so much diversity. Then we suffer from overload. Odd things no longer register. The information on open Christian worship in Pakistan is a very odd thing.
Conclusion: Islam in Saudi Arabia is different from Islam in Pakistan. Maybe not different enough, but different.
Conclusion: religious liberty in Orange County, California is different from religious liberty in Paulding County, Georgia. The first amendment of the Constitution, guaranteeing religious liberty, and extended by the U.S. Supreme Court to local jurisdictions, has not been extended enough in Orange County.