ASSIST News Service – November 13, 2010
Iranian Pastor Accused of ‘Thought Crimes’ to Die by Hanging
By Michael Ireland
TEHRAN, IRAN – An Iranian court has passed down a death sentence on a Christian pastor, who was found guilty of so-called “thought crimes.” According to www.presenttruthmn.com, the official verdict has now been delivered in writing to Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, stating that he is to be hung for the crime of apostasy. Spokesman Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries, says: “There are 20 days to appeal the verdict, and Youcef’s attorney is now beginning the process of the appeal.”
The prayer burdens surrounding this development are many, DeMars said in an e-mail to ASSIST News Service. “Please pray for Youcef, that God would grant him peace and strength in this hour, that God would move on his behalf, and that he would be delivered! Pray also for his wife and children; this is extremely difficult for them. “We are trusting our great Lord to give her the peace that comes only from the True Comforter. Pray that the church in Iran would stand strong, that their faith would not be shaken, but that their eyes would remain fixed on Christ. Pray also for the local officials in charge of this case in Iran, that their hearts would be changed, and that they would experience salvation in Jesus Christ,” he said.
DeMars concluded: “Brothers and Sisters, it is critical that we intercede constantly on behalf of our brother Youcef. I trust that, as the Lord leads each one individually, Youcef will be lifted before the Lord continually with prayer and fasting. ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,’ (James 5:16).” DeMars, in calling Christians around the world to pray for Pastor Youcef, also cited William Branham, who said: “Prayer changes things. Prayer is the most powerful weapon that was ever put in the control of human beings. There’s no atomic bomb, or no hydrogen bomb as powerful as prayer.”
** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael’s volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department – ‘Michael Ireland Media Missionary’ (MIMM) – of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of ‘Truth Through Christian Journalism.’ If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter
Another example of how theocracies are a terrible system of government; Iran.
Bang on when it comes to Islamic theocracy.
What theocracies do you know of that have worked? Christianity has had 2000 years to work on it and hasn’t got it to work yet, or else there would be a working example to point to.
A Bear,
Not that I was going to bother responding your hastily generalized premises again…but since you waste no opportunity to be insensitive toward someone in this pastor’s grievious situation, I’ll bite.
But instead of sending five lines of “blah, blah, blah” back to you, I’ll answer your question with a rhetorical question: What examples of Kant’s ‘catagorical imperitive” ethic and Rousseau’s ‘social contract’ democracies have “worked” (as you put it)? Every example of ‘democracy’ in the modern world is chalk-filled with unworkable factors, unworkable scenario’s, and unworkable people.
RRC; Modern western democracy as imperfect as it is still works better than any other system that has ever existed. The fact there are periodic elections provides flexibility to improve our governments and to adapt to changing circumstances.
Where is there or has there been a theocracy you believe to be superior to democracy?
btw, what did I write that was so insensitive that made you threaten to bite me?
A Bear,
First, you have stated:
Modern western democracy as imperfect as it is still works better than any other system that has ever existed.
“…[T]hat has ever existed?” — I don’t accept this as factual on its own. This is something you are making up.
Second, you have stated:
Where is there or has there been a theocracy you believe to be superior to democracy?
I don’t accept the premise here that “A Bear” or “RRC” have the ethical qualifications or jurisdiction to evaluate a theos (Grk.) who would actually be the true God and Creator and would directly rule a particular culture – past, present, or future. That God is never in the court dock of A Bear’s opinion, by definition.
Third, I’m putting the philosphical underpinnings of “modern western democracies” on the dock for testing, expressed in the definitive works of Kant and Rousseau. I’m hoping you’ll “bite” on that and defend them because that is the crux of the matter.