Sandor Iron Rope’s Post

Consider this. On February 5, 2024, the local ordinary in Beijing, Archbishop Joseph Li Shan, attended and spoke at a meeting of Chinese religious leaders organized by the United Front Work Department and chaired by Wang Huning, Chairman of the CPPCC. The meeting discussed goals for Chinese religious organizations, including the implementation of the Five Identifications within the organizations. It is imperative for USG officials to be mindful of such things to avoid setting themselves up to appear to either be affirming or turning a blind eye to the CCP controls on the Catholic church and the Sinicization underway. There are any number of ways USG officials who are people of faith to keep their worship obligations and not be used as a tool for propaganda. 新東方政策 (“Ostpolitik” in Mandarin) was a failure and is failing again.

Today is Religious Freedom Day, marking the date in 1786 that the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was passed. It articulated the concept of faith freedom for all, and the principle was enshrined a few years later in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As this day marks that landmark legislation, we must remember that not all citizens nor all people enjoyed the rights and privileges of religious freedom in 1786. Baptists believe that we are inherently free to choose whether to worship God and follow Christ without efforts by the government to advance or restrain religion. This historic commitment to religious liberty for all people can be traced back to 17th-century England and Colonial America, where Baptist leaders called for complete religious freedom. Baptists declared that the government was powerless to control conscience and was incompetent to dictate spiritual matters. Learn more about what religious liberty is from one of BJC’s most-used resources: https://lnkd.in/eCSWzFe 

Religious freedom is a fundamental human right under threat for many worldwide. Discover inspiring stories and learn how you can support the fight for faith and liberty in our latest blog.

*Unity in Diversity* Join hands to promote peaceful coexistence and protect freedom of religious belief. *Shared Values* 1. Respect for all faiths and beliefs 2. Tolerance and understanding 3. Mutual acceptance and cooperation 4. Protection of human rights and dignity 5. Peaceful resolution of conflicts *Principles for Peaceful Coexistence* 1. Recognize the value of diversity 2. Foster open dialogue and communication 3. Encourage interfaith collaboration 4. Promote education and cultural exchange 5. Support freedom of religious expression *Freedom of Religious Belief* 1. Protect the right to choose and practice one's faith 2. Oppose persecution and discrimination 3. Advocate for religious tolerance 4. Support interfaith understanding and cooperation 5. Celebrate diversity of beliefs and cultures *Take Action* 1. Organize interfaith events and dialogues 2. Support organizations promoting religious freedom 3. Educate yourself and others on diverse faiths 4. Advocate for policies protecting religious freedom 5. Engage in community service and volunteerism *Together, We Can* 1. Build bridges of understanding 2. Foster a culture of peace and respect 3. Protect freedom of religious belief 4. Promote global unity and cooperation 5. Create a brighter future for all

Happy Easter! As we celebrate, let's also remember those enduring persecution. In this Washington Examiner article, I highlight the situation in Iraq with Chaldean Christians cancelling Easter celebrations to highlight their dire situation. Genocides continue against Uyghurs in China & Rohingya in Burma with increasing persecution against Christians in those countries and Nigeria, Somalia, Libya and Pakistan, where also see increased persecution against Ahmadiyyas. Religious freedom is being threatened in NE Syria with a potential new Turkish invasion. I highlight a hero of the Christian faith, Corrie Ten Boom, who survived a concentration camp in the Holocaust for standing up for those of another faith - her Jewish neighbors. We should follow her example & stand up for each other against persecution of anyone because of their religion or belief. As we show in our work at IRF Secretariat, in order to work with partners of all faiths, we don’t need to compromise our religious beliefs. Instead, we bring our whole selves, including our strongly held beliefs, while accepting the human dignity of those with different beliefs. We stand for each other while working together to build religious freedom for all. This is the only way to interrupt the years of worsening religious freedom conditions and create long-term peace and stability. https://lnkd.in/e6x9EmDV

Ukraine - The Land of Religious Freedom Our documentary film project "Ukraine Story Anthology" is a journey through the human experiences of Ukraine under siege. One of the issues we investigate is religious freedom in Ukraine. Given accusations made by Moscow and their lobbyists in the USA, and recirculated by Tucker Carlson and Vivek Ramaswamy, some Americans have been led to believe that Kyiv assaults Christians. On our documentary journey I was able to go inside both the Muscovite and Orthodox sections of the ancient Lavra in Kyiv. I also interviewed individuals roughed up by thugs from the Muscovite church for challenging Putin's presence in Ukraine. Importantly, I had the privilege of traveling through Ukraine to speak with military chaplains, Eastern Catholics, Armenian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Evangelical, Baptist, Assemblies of God, Muslim and more. There were three messages on repeat from those I interviewed: First, Ukraine is a land of religious freedom. It does not persecute Christians, Jews of Muslims. Second, the Russian Orthodox Church under the Muscovite Patriarchy is not a church, but an ecclesiastical, KGB-run branch of Putin's invasion helping to facilitate warcrimes. Three, the only religious persecution taking place in Ukraine is at the hands of Russian occupiers in the East who target Christian churches for destruction and believers outside of Patriarch Kiril's control for torture. The picture below is of my son and me in an ancient Armenian Orthodox Church in Lviv.

After ban on Ukraine's Orthodox Church, widespread discontent among believers, West silent on religious freedom issue https://lnkd.in/dMu2Am5Y #UkraineOrthodoxChurchBan, #ReligiousFreedom, #BelieversDiscontent, #UkraineCrisis, #ReligiousRights, #OrthodoxChurch, #ReligiousPersecution, #WestSilent, #ChurchBanControversy, #UkraineConflict, #HumanRights, #FreedomOfReligion

ETHIOPIANISM... Ethiopianism or Ethiopanism is a religious, political and cultural movement that emerged in the context of the African diaspora, mainly in the Caribbean and West Africa, as a response to colonialism and racial oppression. This term refers to the idea of an African renaissance and the desire for independence, self-determination and a return to African roots, symbolized in Ethiopia, which was one of the few African countries not to be colonized by European powers. Ethiopanism has its roots in several ideological and religious currents, such as Ethiopian Christianity and Pan-Africanism. In addition, it has had a strong influence on movements such as Rastafarianism, which sees Ethiopia and its former emperor, Haile Selassie, as a messianic and redeeming figure. In religious terms, many African and Afro-descendant Christian groups saw Ethiopia as a symbol of resistance, faith and strength in the face of European domination and its imposed religion, European Christianity. They therefore adopted a more independent view of Christianity, which led to the rise of indigenous African churches. In short, Ethiopianism is a movement that promotes African pride, resistance against colonialism and oppression, and the recognition of Ethiopia as a symbol of African freedom and sovereignty.