The Who, What, Where, and Why of Faith

CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION FLED XI JINPING’S CHINA, BUT ESCAPING CONTROL HAD A PRICE
from: Wall Street Journal

(2 June) One Sunday afternoon in the fall of 2019, a congregation of Christians in China's southern city of Shenzhen crammed into a rented office space to debate one of the biggest decisions of their lives: whether they should stay in China or seek exile in South Korea.

Chinese authorities regard the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, an unregistered "family church" founded in 2012, as illegal. Its members say they have faced government harassment for years. Some members felt the pressure had grown too much to bear.

Over three hours, more than 50 debated the proposal. Some wanted to leave to ensure their children could continue their religious schooling. Some worried about finding jobs, or being forced back to China. Emotions ran high and tears were shed, participants recalled.

When the church reconvened for a vote the following Sunday, the result was decisive: 56 members in favor of relocating versus 17 against. Under China’s leader, Xi Jinping, the Communist Party has tightened control over all aspects of society, from business to religion, and suppressed dissent with growing vigor. That has pushed more ordinary Chinese to try to leave. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: These Chinese Christians were able to withstand the dangers of trying to escape from communist China and go to a foreign land where they would be strangers and would have to start all over again – all because of their faith in Christ and their deep desire to pass this faith on to their children. May we have such faith!

AZERBAIJAN: A STRASBOURG COURT JUDGMENT ALONE "IS NOT ENOUGH FOR JUSTICE"
by Felix Corley: Forum 18 News Service

(15 June) In decisions issued between April and June, both the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (ECtHR) have again instructed the Azerbaijani regime to pay compensation to those whose freedom of religion and belief it had violated. In line with Azerbaijan's legally-binding international human rights obligations, the decisions of both the Human Rights Committee and the ECtHR require the regime to change its laws and practices so that freedom of religion and belief violations cannot recur.

"The State party is also under an obligation to take all steps necessary to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future, including by reviewing its domestic legislation, regulations and/or practices with a view to ensuring that the rights under article 18, "Freedom of thought, conscience and religion," of the Covenant [on Civil and Political Rights] may be fully enjoyed in the State party," the 26 April UN Human Rights Committee decision (CCPR/C/131/D/2805/2016) declares in wording it has used in earlier similar decisions. The decision echoes the call in the November 2016 Concluding Observations on Azerbaijan's report to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Similarly, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (ECtHR) has repeatedly stated that "a judgment in which the Court finds a breach of the [European Convention on Human Rights] or its Protocols imposes on the respondent State a legal obligation not just to pay those concerned the sums awarded by way of just satisfaction, but also to choose, subject to supervision by the Committee of Ministers, the general and/or, if appropriate, individual measures to be adopted in their domestic legal order to put an end to the violation found by the Court and to redress so far as possible the effects."

Instead, the regime is planning to impose more restrictions on freedom of religion or belief. Religion Law and Administrative Code amendments adopted in Parliament on 4 May – and awaiting presidential signature – would give the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations a veto over non-Islamic religious communities' appointment of leaders, and a say in reviewing the appointments of Muslim clerics every five years. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: The former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are notorious for signing and then disregarding international treaties that should have a legal force greater than their own constitutions. But they routinely discriminate against religious believers – both Christians and Muslims – who don't belong to the officially recognized religious organizations that are infiltrated and controlled by government agents.

UKRAINIAN BIBLE SOCIETY MARKS 30 YEARS ON 23 JUNE
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine

(23 June) The Ukrainian Bible Society is a Christian non-denominational Union established in 1991 that translates and distributes the Bible and its individual books in Ukraine. The society is a member of the United Bible Societies International Association. Today, UBS celebrates 30 years of activity. On this occasion, celebrations were held with the participation of representatives of Churches and religious organizations.

On behalf of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, head of the Department of Religion, ensuring the right of citizens to freedom of worldview and religion of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Andriy Yurash congratulated the UBS.

He addressed words of congratulations to the leadership of the UBS: President Grigory Komendant, vice-president of the mitred protopresbyter Vasyl Lutsyshyn, General Secretary Oleksandr Babiychuk, deputy general secretary Anatoly Raichinets. Andriy Yurash listed the achievements of UBS:

"Over the years, exceptional things have been achieved and are being achieved:
- more than 13 million copies of the Bible have been printed and distributed;
- a house was built, where the society was able to successfully carry out its own projects;
- together, a new modern translation of the Holy Scriptures was carried out, the full version of which was published last summer;
-an unprecedented project of continuous Bible reading on Sofia Square for more than 3 days was carried out;
- another idea was initiated and successfully implemented - a handwritten Bible, which was joined by more than 31 thousand people…
- UBS in Ukraine became the first interfaith organization, modeled on which other structures later emerged, in particular, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations;
- UBS was an organization that was two months ahead of the rise of the independent Ukrainian state.
All of the above-mentioned is only a small part of what has been achieved. There are even more plans and prospects ahead." [read more...]

COMMENTARY: It is encouraging to see that the Ukrainian Bible Society has stood firm for thirty years now, withstanding the military, political, and economic turmoil that has taken place in the newly-independent Ukraine during that time period.

IN ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT, 1 IN 14 THIRD GRADERS HAS AUTISM
from: Disability Scoop

(18 June) ASBURY PARK, N.J. – New Jersey’s rate of autism among children has always been high, but some of the largest school districts – including Toms River, Newark, Jersey City and Elizabeth – have rates even higher than the state average.

And in Toms River, the state’s largest suburban school district, the autism rate is more than twice the state average, with 1 in 14 8-year-olds in the district on the autism spectrum, according to the first study to compare a cross-section of districts in the state.

Toms River’s autism rate is likely a harbinger of the rate all New Jersey districts will see soon, the study’s co-author said. In nearly all the 74 districts studied, the research showed a steady increase over time in the rate of students with autism.

"It feels like some kind of science fiction," said Walter Zahorodny, co-author of the study and an associate professor of pediatrics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, of the data he presents to educational and parent groups. To say that 7% of 8-year-olds in one school district – and 5% of eight-year-old boys statewide – have autism is shocking, he added, "but in reality, this is true. And it can’t be explained."

The district-by-district breakdown of data collected about all the 8-year-olds in Ocean, Union, Hudson and Essex counties is intended to help long-term planning by identifying districts with higher-than-expected rates of students with autism.

New Jersey's ever-increasing number of children with autism has significant implications for the educational resources that will be needed in the future, since such students require smaller class sizes, intensive instruction, specially trained teachers and paraprofessional aides. And as adults, eventually they may need housing, job accommodations or financial support. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: As we reported in our last issue, the rate of autism in children is on the rise for some unexplained reason or reasons. It only makes sense that investigations and tests should be undertaken to find out the causes and eliminate or at least reduce them. But that would cost money that bureaucrats would rather spend on themselves to get re-elected. Prejudice against disabled "non-persons" runs deep in the hearts of "normal" (self-centered) people.

10 BEAUTIFUL MOSCOW CHURCHES DESTROYED IN SOVIET TIMES
from: Russia Between the Headlines

(23 June) Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which was demolished in Soviet times, was rebuilt in the 1990s. However, the list of churches "irretrievably lost" under the Soviet rule contains hundreds more names. Here are some of them.

Soviet authorities waged an aggressive campaign against religion, and after the Civil War was over, they began to demolish churches across the country on a massive scale. After the "first wave" in the 1920s, another large-scale demolition campaign awaited Moscow in the 1930s, when Joseph Stalin signed the master plan for the reconstruction of Moscow. Here are some of the most striking Moscow churches from different centuries.

1. Church of St. Euplus: This church dedicated to the early Christian saint was built in Myasnitskaya Street in the mid-18th century. It became famous as the only church that did not stop holding services even when Napoleon's troops invaded Moscow in 1812.

It was demolished in the "first wave" in 1926 under the pretext of building a Palace of Trusts, which - like the Palace of Soviets that was supposed to be built on the site of the Christ the Savior Cathedral - was never built. Today the site where this church once stood is occupied by a building belonging to the Higher School of Economics.

2. Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pokrovka: This incredibly beautiful Baroque church was built 1696-1699. It was Fyodor Dostoevsky's favorite church in Moscow, while the famous academician, Dmitry Likhachov, described it as "a frozen cloud of white and red lace."

To widen the road in Pokrovka, in 1936 the Moscow authorities decided to demolish this monument of Russian architecture, despite the fact that many architects and art conservators campaigned to preserve it. There is now a restaurant in its place. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: Some of these buildings my wife and I are familiar with, including the one in the photo. It deeply disturbed me to see former churches that were desecrated: turned into "Lenin Palaces of Culture," warehouses, breweries, or orphanages for the many illegitimate children born after the onset of the communist plague. But many of these former churches have now been returned to the Orthodox Church and restored.

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CALLS FOR A GENERAL MOBILIZATION AGAINST CORONAVIRUS
from: Interfax-Religion

(21 June) Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Department for External Church Relations of Moscow Patriarchate, welcomed the initiative of the Moscow authorities to vaccinate at least 60% of citizens working in the service sector.

"I have a positive attitude to this initiative. And I think that it's very desirable, of course, to observe the principle of voluntary vaccination, the principle that was stated from the very beginning, but there is also the principle of people's responsibility for the lives of other people," the metropolitan said on the Church and Peace program on the Russia 24 TV. He noted that a person who doesn't get vaccinated causes potential damage not only to himself, but also to others.

"We must understand that this is, in fact, a war, because biological weapons have been used against us, and this is a war for the survival of people. When the Great Patriotic War was declared, there really were a lot of volunteers. But if only the volunteers went to the front, we would not have won this war, we would have lost it. A general mobilization was announced. In order to defeat this virus, we need to declare a general mobilization," Metropolitan Hilarion said.

The representative of Russian Church stressed that our task is to defeat this virus as soon as possible, and in order to defeat it, vaccines have been created. "But, unfortunately, no one has yet created a vaccine against stupidity, no one has yet created a cure for selfishness, and there are a lot of people among us who are extremely irresponsible about what is happening," he complained. [read more...]

COMMENTARY: As the saying goes – "There ain't no cure for stupid!" Stupid people, and not only Russians, are causing others to catch Covid-19, get sick and die. May the Lord get through their thick skulls to help them understand the reality and risk of this pandemic.

ALFEYEV & LAVROV: A GLIMPSE INTO CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS IN RUSSIA
from Commonweal

CHINA: AUTHORITIES WARN CHRISTIAN'S FAMILY MEMBERS TO STOP HIM FROM PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL IN PUBLIC
from Christian Persecution

SCHOOLS SUED FOR SENDING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TO PSYCH WARDS
from Disability Scoop

20 YEARS AGO, JOHN PAUL II PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE BORDERS OF UKRAINE, FOR WHICH BLOOD IS BEING SHED TODAY
from Religious Information Service of Ukraine

VOM KOREA USES BIBLES TRANSLATED BY THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT
from Mission Network News

THE NORTHERNMOST MONASTERY IN THE WORLD LEFT WITHOUT ELECTRICITY
from Interfax-Religion

"REST ASSURED THAT WE SHALL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU" – PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH JOHN X PROMISES SUPPORT FOR UOC(MP)
from Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate

FAITHFUL CARRIED BODY OF BELOVED LUGASNK BISHOP MORE THAN A MILE FOR HIS BURIAL
from Orthodox Christianity

AZERBAIJAN'S DISABLED SEEK TO RESTORE BENEFITS
from EurasiaNet

CHINESE STATE-VETTED CHURCHES PRAISE CCP TO CELEBRATE THE PARTY'S CENTENNIAL
from Persecution.org

The lockdowns hurt the poorest most. Occasionally in "My Views" I've commented on the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent article says – "a new data analysis from Harvard University, Brown University, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation calculates how different employment levels have been impacted during the pandemic to date. The findings reveal that government lockdown orders devastated workers at the bottom of the financial food chain but left the upper-tier actually better off." The poorest, those earning less than $27,000 per year, saw their income drop by 23.6%; the middle class who earn between $27,000 and $60,000 saw a 4.5% drop in income; but the high wage earners ($60,000 and up) actually experienced an increase of 2.6%. Why is that? Because "Covid relief checks" went to businesses as well as individuals, and wealthier people tend to own or have stock in those businesses. Also, the article states that shutdowns had very little or no effect in stopping the spread of Covid-19 because most of the spread occurred at home, in nursing homes, or with immunocompromised people.

A few of the "OTHER NEWS HEADLINES" above might seem rather strange. For example, "VOM KOREA USES BIBLES TRANSLATED BY THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT" tells us that the Bible translation was done in the 1950s when North Korea was not as much the Stalinist, atheist regime that it is now. "'REST ASSURED THAT WE SHALL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU' – PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH JOHN X PROMISES SUPPORT FOR UOC(MP)" may sound nice, but behind this is the fact that the Moscow Patriarchate subsidizes the Antiochian Patriarchate. And "CHINESE STATE-VETTED CHURCHES PRAISE CCP TO CELEBRATE THE PARTY'S CENTENNIAL" doesn't mention that those Chinese churches which do not toe the Party line get shut down and/or their leaders get "re-educated." Things aren't always like what you see in the headlines or on the TV news – the reality might be much different!

Written by St. John of Damascus who worked under Arian Muslim rule in Damascus, this is the first systematic theology of Orthodox Christian doctrines. He lived at the time when the Church was still united and is thus considered a saint in both Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism; he is also commemorated by the Lutherans, Anglicans, and Episcopalians.

This monumental work is still studied and used today. Note how it begins: "That the Deity is incomprehensible, and that we ought not to pry into and meddle with the things which have not been delivered to us by the holy Prophets, and Apostles, and Evangelists." If you didn't know this was written in the eighth century, you might think you're reading about Luther's doctrine of "sola scriptura." But Orthodox Christianity has always had a high view of Scripture, teaching that Scripture is the foundation of Holy Tradition, which in turn is the correct interpretation of Scripture. About 75% of the Divine Liturgy and other Orthodox services are quotations from or references to Scripture. Bookmark this link!

Have you checked out my "Free and Secure Communications" webpage yet? Why have I updated it again? Because bad things happen to good people just like you, especially on the Internet. It describes how a life-long good friend of mine had his computer hacked last week and he almost lost $45,000, but just in time realized it was a scam. This week, we learned that another good friend, a neighbor, just had her identity stolen. Never post publicly your place and date of birth – hackers can use that info to generate your Social Security number.

If you're the least little bit careless with your computer and what you post publicly on the Internet, you're wide open for a hack attack. The security expert Bruce Schneier writes – "Google looked at Gmail users from mid-2016 to mid-2017 and found 12 million successful phishing attacks every week." Imagine that: 12 million successful account hacks per week! And most people aren't aware of what happened or how... until they see money has disappeared from their bank account. Go to this article, then read and heed it!