Shapur II, the Sassanian king of Persia (today's Iran) brutally
persecuted Christians in the 4th century. Under previous Sassanian and
Parthian rulers, Christians had more or less known peace. Persecuted by Rome,
the Persian lands were for many a haven and it was an important seat of early
Christianity.
But in 313 everything changed. Constantine 'converted' and
Christianity was not only tolerated but promoted and became tied to the state.
This would not become formal until later, but the trajectory under Constantine
was all too clear. For the Persians this meant the Christians living in their
empire were now a potential Fifth Column and as such were perceived as being
potentially disloyal, even treacherous. Rome once the persecutor now had the
potential to be viewed as a political saviour and Shapur knew that during the
next Roman-Persian conflict, there was a chance that some Christians might aid
Rome with everything from intelligence to guerilla warfare.
The Constantinian tradition continues to ignore this lesson
and ongoing reality, that the politicisation of the Church leads to
persecution. Never mind the fact that politicisation flies in the face of the
New Testament and ethically speaking represents an abandonment of core
Christian concepts. The practical outworkings are to re-define the Church and
its mission and to place Christians in oppositional polities in imminent
danger.
Tehran and Washington have been at odds since the 1979
Revolution, itself the outworking of Western manipulations and interventions
going back to WWII. In reaction to the brutal Western backed regime of the Shah,
the Shiite Revolutionaries installed a brutal authoritarian regime headed by
the ayatollahs. They continue to fear Western intrigues and military
aggression. While their actions around the Middle East are often painted as
aggression by the West, the truth is they are playing a game of chess and their
moves and actions are largely anticipatory and defensive seeking to counter the
United States and its regional ally-proxy Israel.
That said, the simmering tensions between Iran and Saudi
Arabia have intensified and have widened into a regional Cold War with various
proxy spin-offs. Saudi Arabia if of course a close ally of the United States
and a close (but quiet) ally of Tel Aviv. Additionally the United States has
repeatedly painted Iran as 'evil' and to make matters worse has militarily
invaded the nations on its eastern and western borders, namely Iraq and
Afghanistan.
Iran fears overt attack as well as infiltration and while the
regime tolerates historic ethnic Christian communities like the Assyrians and
Armenians, there is a marked hostility to Western-connected Evangelical groups.
They are viewed as conduits for Western influence and money and remember money
played a large role in the protests that took place in 1953, the events that
overthrew the democratically elected Mosaddegh and installed Mohammad Reza
Pahlavi, the last Shah.
Iranian evangelicals should be striving to distance
themselves from Western connections and eliminate even the perception of
Western influence and money being behind their groups.
But that's not what's happening. Instead we find dolled up
activists meeting Trump and sitting on stage with Right-wing Evangelical groups
known for their hostility to Iran and in general terms what can only be
described as rapacious militarism.
The imagery is poignant. It's one thing to abandon the hijab
and the Iranian chador, but to see these short-skirted heavily painted women
emulating what has become Right-wing femininity... a femininity that has
nothing to do with modesty... is also telling.
These Iranian Evangelicals decided to speak publically in
condemnation of the regime and not just publically but in forums connected to
those who would wage war against the regime and overthrow it. Appealing to
human rights and the principles of Western Liberalism they have chosen the
United States as the venue of their public activism. They could have given
their talks in Mexico, Canada or France but no, they decided to meet in the
United States with those groups connected to Donald Trump and those that have
most loudly praised his murder of Iranian Quds force general Qassem Soleimani.
Apparently they are either blind to the meaning of their
actions or are willing collaborators, acting in hope of a US military regime
change operation, hoping that such a move will bring freedom to the Church...
and Western style cultural and political reforms no doubt.
They are precisely the reason Iran is paranoid. Their actions
give credence to every Iranian fear that Evangelicals are connected to the
enemy and are likely working to subvert their government.
These Iranian Evangelical activists are not only completely
misguided in their understanding of Christian ethics and the role of the Church
in politics but they are also collaborators and even dupes, working with and
being used by powerful forces that would overthrow the government of their
country in order to exploit its geopolitical position and its resources.
They're trading one evil for another and while Tehran may be no friend to
Christians, their friends in Washington actually have far more blood on their
hands.
They represent a confusion that has become all too typical in
Evangelical circles.
There is a Charismatic revival taking place across the Middle
East. There are many reports of conversions especially in Iran. And yet one
cannot help but have somewhat mixed feelings when reading and hearing the
reports. So often the conversions seem to have little to do with the Word, with
the foolishness of preaching but seemed tied to sensational visions... visions
which spawn conversions which in turn lead to rather dubious actions.
It would seem Christianity for many is a sort of magic ticket
to Westernisation. I hope that's not the case and I don't mean to be unkind,
cynical or overly critical. The Holy Spirit can work in whatever way He chooses
but there's something amiss in this movement. I have very mixed feelings about
it. I continue to watch and wait but I'm uneasy about what I'm seeing.
It's a question I've asked before. Is the stage being set for
a great global revival or perhaps something more akin to The Great Apostasy? By
their fruits you will know them.
The American Empire and American Evangelicalism (they go
together) are evil and subversive to the faith. If the 'spirit' is leading all
these vision inspired groups to embrace these dark spiritual forces... then it's
not the Holy Spirit that's guiding them.
I hope the Christians in Iran will distance themselves from
these activists and publically rebuke them. Their collaborations are literally
a call to arms and bloodshed and yet (sadly and ironically) they have the blood
of fellow Christians on their hands. That does not excuse the evil conduct of
the regime but it does not alleviate the guilt of those who would scheme with Beasts
for the sake of gain.
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