Protestantism and the Judiciary in Türkiye

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Turkey,-Constitutional-Court:-Expulsion-of-Protestant-leaders-does-not-violate-freedom-of-faith-60914.html

Ankara fears these Western-connected congregations are a Fifth Column, a means of cycling subversion into Turkish society, laundering money, and the like. While mostly exaggeration or simply untrue, I don't doubt there are some instances where this is the case. It may even be that some church leaders don't quite understand who they're affiliating with and where their money is coming from.

Dominionism and its Bestial Theologians

https://billmuehlenberg.com/2023/01/17/douglas-macarthur-christianity-and-japan/

All I can say is 'wow'.

The way that Bill Muehlenberg manages to distort both history and Scripture is nothing short of remarkable.

Evangelisation and the American Right's Allies in Israel

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Msgr.-Shomali:-anti-evangelisation-law-in-the-Knesset-violates-'freedom-of-conscience'.-58028.html

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is a centrist when compared to his coalition partners, understands the critical need for US Evangelical support and while he undoubtedly views his American backers as useful idiots and does not want to see their brand of Christianity flourish in his country, he doesn't want to unnecessarily antagonize them – and thus has (since this initial writing) made moves to counter this legislation which would block their missionary work. Besides given the near uprising over his proposed reform of the judiciary, he's got much bigger problems and needs his American backers at a time like this.

American Evangelicals Red Baiting the Chinese Government

I've touched before on how many American based missions organisations cannot be fully trusted when it comes to reporting the news. They often echo US State Department lines and when it comes to certain countries (such as China) there is a tendency to utilise talking points and narratives provided by the American Right.

A Controversy over Missions among the Sioux

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/15/1117605626/a-reservation-in-south-dakota-bans-outside-missionaries

I caught this NPR story a few weeks ago while driving home and it made me groan inwardly – yet another compelling story, but one in which I find myself disagreeing with all involved.

Military and Missions: Not a Good Match

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/why-military-and-missions-make-a-good-match/

The editorial at Mission Network News argues that military and missions make a good match. The author is sadly mistaken. Apart from being accustomed to a life overseas, they have nothing in common.

The Threat of Persecution in Ukraine

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/russian-invasion-brings-threat-of-persecution-to-ukraine/

The warning that a Russian occupation of Ukraine will potentially invite forms of persecution is true enough but at the same time it must be noted that Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), Mission Network News (MNN), and many other missions and Evangelical organisations like Door of Hope International (DOHI) are not to be fully trusted. Some radio programs spread more false information than anything else especially when it comes to politics and certainly international relations.

Current Ministry Downgrades

Like so many other ministries, Come Over and Help is experiencing what I can only call a downgrade. There are many little things I've noticed over recent years but a couple of glaring examples has driven me to go public in my condemnation and I can no longer recommend them as a ministry to support.

The Pastor as Upper Middle Class Professional

https://www.opc.org/feature.html?feature_id=504

According to the guidelines provided by the OPC, the pastor is to be 'free from worldly care and employment'. And yet what this translates into is that the pastor should make a salary commensurate with that of an upper middle class professional.

Judgment on the African Church

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54297372

What a sad testimony. While I don't doubt that the Obama administration was pushing feminism and sodomy alongside their humanitarian efforts, one would hope the Africa church would see the danger of any and all connections to the American Empire and what it represents.

Brunson's Legacy: Ankara's Hostility to Foreign Protestants and Evangelicals

https://www.persecution.org/2020/06/21/turkey-resumes-discrimination-protestants/

After Andrew Brunson was released in the fall of 2018 and repeatedly sat on the public stage with Trump and vocally supported his Anti-Erdogan geopolitical posturing – is anyone surprised that Erdogan looks askance at foreign evangelical leaders at work in his country?

Tajikistan Troubles and Evangelical Reporting

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/in-tajikistan-christians-are-government-targets/

https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2019/02/tajikistan-children-barred-from-attending-church-5000-christian-calendars-burned/

Caught between East and West, and embroiled in the New Great Game, Tajikistan continues to exist as an authoritarian state which while mostly secular, panders to Islam in an attempt to counter the narratives of extremist groups like al Qaeda, ISIS, and even the Taliban.

Brunson Postscript

As a follow-up to this post:

http://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2018/10/brunsons-testimony-negated.html

It remains to be seen what he will do, but given that he's eagerly making the rounds on the news circuit there is the real possibility that he will grow quite wealthy as a result of this experience.

Brunson's Testimony Negated

It will come as no surprise to regular readers that I am critical of the events that led up to the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

I don't doubt his innocence and that he was caught up in a geopolitical tug-of-war between Washington and Ankara. Erdogan lost the showdown and as a consequence has egg on his face. Brunson was freed which (as Christians) is something we should all rejoice in but sadly the circumstances surrounding his freedom are in fact a source of concern... and for American Evangelicals yet another mark of shame.

From Brunson's perspective, I'm sure he just wanted to be released and who can blame him?

Christian Persecution in Nepal

Rarely gaining much attention in the international news, Nepal is garnering attention due to its position between India and China and increasingly it's receiving focus due to religious tensions.

A majority Hindu nation, there is great concern and hostility to Christian proselytism and the Himalayan republic is starting to put pressure on missionaries and church leaders. Laws which were passed last year are now being implemented and as of August 2018 sentencing guidelines are set to become significantly harsher. Many fear the state will look the other way if mob violence is used against Christians.

The Guardian and the Dalits of Nepal

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/aug/15/they-use-money-to-promote-christianity-nepal-battle-for-souls

In the Hindu sphere it is almost natural that the Dalits or Untouchables would be the most likely group to embrace Christianity with its message of universal salvation and its largely egalitarian ecclesiastical construct. I use the term egalitarian with hesitation because it is used by others in different ways and I don't want to be misunderstood. Biblical Egalitarianism does not mean the elimination of male and female roles both in the family and in the Church but it certainly does mean an elimination of class distinctions, something at the core of many Asian societies.

Can Western Evangelicals Condemn the Kremlin's Ban on The Watchtower Society?

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/2562/Other_Russian_confessions_react_to_prohibition_of_Jehovah_Witnesses_

There's a sad irony here. Russian Evangelicals are right to condemn and reject the state's ban on The Watchtower Society. While the Watchtower represents a rejection of the Biblical Gospel it nevertheless should be allowed to exist and its followers should be permitted to pursue their own path.

Western Evangelical condemnations of the ban, instigated by the Anti-Western Kremlin and the anti-Evangelical campaign flowing from the Orthodox Patriarchate, are often more rooted in pragmatics and politics.

Pentagon Ministries and North Korea

This report is really not all that surprising. For many years there have been hints of and in some cases confirmed reports of Christian ministries and various NGO's collaborating with American intelligence agencies. This has happened in many countries and contexts. Occasionally foreign governments will act with hostility toward these groups. While we must lament all such actions our media both mainstream and Christian often fail to report the full story and provide context.

https://theintercept.com/2015/10/26/pentagon-missionary-spies-christian-ngo-front-for-north-korea-espionage/

Missionary Emails from the ISIS Frontline

As I said, ISIS is a monstrosity. There's no ambiguity there. That said, be careful. There's a flurry of information out there right now and a lot of it is propaganda. There are many people who are trying to stir up the US public to demand for a heavier military intervention.

Social Darwinism, Eugenics and Mythologizing the Past

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FmEjDaWqA4

This video came up in some previous discussions. I revisited it recently with my kids. We've been working through the late 19^th century and I believed this video to be both pertinent and helpful.