One Christian Slaughtered Every Five Minutes

Why do you suppose it is that The Church of America seems to be sound asleep, or even dead, when it comes to the facts about Christian persecution happening around the world and especially at the hands of Muslims?

"I do not understand why the world does not raise its voice against such acts of brutality." — Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III.

The White House said it was preparing to accuse the Islamic State of genocide against religious minorities, recognizing various groups, such as the Yazidis, as victims. However, Christians are apparently not going to be included.

An NGO report states that one Christian is slaughtered every five minutes in Iraq, and that, "Islamic State Militants in Iraq are using Christian churches as torture chambers where they force Christians to either convert to Islam or die."

When Pope Francis stood before the world at the UN, his energy was, once again, spent on defending the environment. In his nearly 50-minute speech, only once did Francis make reference to persecuted Christians -- and their sufferings were merged in the same sentence with the supposedly equal sufferings of "members of the majority religion," that is, Sunni Muslims. Sunnis are not being slaughtered, beheaded, and raped for their faith; are not having their mosques bombed and burned; are not being jailed or killed for apostasy, blasphemy, or proselytization.

"What is happening in Lebanon is an attempt to replace the people with [Muslim] Syrians and Palestinians." — Gebran Bassil, Foreign Minister of Lebanon.

Throughout September, as more Christians were slaughtered and persecuted for their religion -- not just by the Islamic State but by "everyday" Muslims from all around the world -- increasing numbers of people and organizations called for action. Meanwhile, those best placed to respond -- chief among them U.S. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis -- did nothing.

"Why, we ask the western world, why not raise one's voice over so much ferocity and injustice?" asked Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the head of the Italian Bishops Conference.

Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III said: "I do not understand why the world does not raise its voice against such acts of brutality."

As one report put it: "Human rights activists see it. Foreign leaders see it. And more than 80 members of the U.S. Congress see it. Together, they are pressuring the leader of the free world [President Obama] to declare there is a Christian genocide going on in the Middle East."

In response, the White House said it was preparing to release a statement accusing the Islamic State of committing genocide against religious minorities, naming and recognizing various groups, such as the Yazidis, as victims. However, Christians are apparently not going to be included as victims, as Obama officials argue that Christians "do not appear to meet the high bar set out in the genocide treaty."

Meanwhile, Father Behnam Benoka, an Iraqi priest, explained in a detailed letter to Pope Francis the horrors Mideast Christians are experiencing. To his joy, the pope called the Middle Eastern priest and told him that "I will never leave you." As Benoka put it, "He called me. He told me certainly, sure I am with you, I will don't forget you... I will make all possible to help you."

However, later in September, when Pope Francis stood before the world at the United Nations, his energy was, once again, spent on defending the environment. In his entire speech, which lasted nearly 50 minutes, only once did Francis make reference to persecuted Christians -- and even then they did not receive special attention but, in the same breath, their sufferings were merged in the same sentence with the supposedly equal sufferings of "members of the majority religion," that is, Sunni Muslims (the only group not to be attacked by the Islamic State, a Sunni organization):

I must renew my repeated appeals regarding to the painful situation of the entire Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where Christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and folly, have been forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and have faced the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their own lives, or by enslavement.

Here;  http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7046/christian-slaughter

Could it be possible that we Christians in America have become so wealthy, so comfortable and so busy that we have become ignorant about the Body of Christ in the rest of the world?

When we see Jesus, might he ask us, "Why did you ignore the pleas coming from your brothers and sisters who were hungry, thirsty, naked and in prison?  Why did you turn your back on them?"

"Well, you see Jesus we were real busy doing other things...plus it's really depressing to hear about people being tortured and killed!  That type of news is just such a downer during the Holidays...."

I heard a statistic recently that sounded amazing to me;  More Christians have been killed for their faith in the last 50 years than in all the last 2000 years combined!  Guess you will have to Google it and see if it's true.

In the meantime, if you are feeling convicted and want to do something for our persecuted brothers and sisters, you may consider ACLJ and their link is here;  http://aclj.org/?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=bh