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Christianity Today, December, 2007 |

Global Prognosis

Suffocating the Faithful

Will the last Mideast church leader be sure to turn off the lights?

David Aikman | posted 12/17/2007 09:14AM

American Christians love to hear about areas of the world where Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds. Conversions are daily statistics in many African nations, as in South America, India, and China. ...

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sam	Posted: December 26, 2007 9:32 PM


i am a middleastern and converted to christianity christianity growing in some part of middleast but declining in many part of it problem is the churcches in many part of the region like lebanon sirya jordan lost the tru sprit of christianity

Doug Willbanks

Posted: December 26, 2007 1:22 PM

Until Israel declared war on Palestinian Muslims and Christians in December 1947, all faiths living in Middle East nations got along just fine for years. Please read, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine," by Ilan Pappe. Ilan is a respected Israel historian. Once he wrote a book telling the truth about the 1948 war, he was dismissed from his Israeli college teaching job and presently lives in London.

Mansoura@012.net.il

Posted: December 22, 2007 1:20 AM

Marry Christmas to the editors and readers of Christianity To day from Nazareth,Israel. Your article is fair and pricse. As one of those native Christians of the holy land I ask the right to add just that : war, any war drive peace loving people away from their countries. So, unstable conditions ( plus- persecution) drove our people away. The "miracle" of our increasing number inside Israel is simply the outcome of relative stabilitity. Still many - too many- of our young and ambitious children live to day next door to many of your readers in the US main citiys,and those of Canada and Australia. Those Christian brothers who care for the detailes of all conditions , both the rigor and joyful, that we have to endure I may humbley refer to my book " Narrow Gate Churches- Hope Publishing House). This book cover the story of Christians in Israel and all Arab states. for the time being a miracle took place - all reviews , on both sides,found it fair. Atallah Mansour.

bruce

Posted: December 20, 2007 10:30 PM

I have a theory on why Christianity grows in some places under persecution and the declines in others. Here it is: Under persecution, Christianity declines when its presence is limited to a marginalized fringe minority of people. It grows when it has begun permeating the majority ethnic group of the society. Examples: Christians in the Middle East are like American Indians on an Indian reservation. They are a marginalized ethno-linguistic minority without access to the social mainstream. Christians in China, however, are from the prominent ethno-linguistic group. This theory predicts that, under persecution, numbers of Turkish and Arab Christians will grow, while Coptic, Assyrian, and Chaldean Christians will decline. It might explain why Christianity was eliminated by persecution from China in the 13th century and from Japan in the 19th century, if it turns out that the Christianity planted in those locations never became indigenous to members of the ethnic majority.

Noreen Mazelis

Posted: December 18, 2007 6:04 PM

It is ironic that Christians are on the increase in Israel, while heading OUT of the "Palestinian" territories. In the latter places they are persecuted but in Israel they thrive. Yet our "liberal" Protestant denominations, as well as the Vatican, never tires of pilioring Israel while ignoring or excusing "Palestinian" homicide bombers, etc. et al. Just think of all the money that certain Christian denominations have sent to the "Palestinians". And what have they got to show for this waste of their members resources? Corruption and more violence, that's what. The "leadership" of the UCC, the ELCA, the Methodist, Episcopal and Presbyterian denominations have a lot to answer for -- in this world and the next.

Jeff	Posted: December 18, 2007 3:15 PM


Unfortunately Mr. Aikman's claim of 130 million Chinese Christians is HIGHLY suspect. I would like to see ANY non-anecdotal data that supports this claim. I suspect that it does not exist. Furthermore, his likely counting of groups such as Eastern Lightning, which believes that Jesus has returned as a peasant woman in Northern China, as Christian seems even more problematic.

Jason Collett

Posted: December 18, 2007 11:49 AM

US Christians have a shameful history of support for the Bush administration, in spite of the dearth of real Christians around him and the terrible untruths used to start the Iraq war, the non-existent WMD, a non-existent linkage between Saddam and 9-11, and the non-existent link between Iraq and uranium from Niger. The so-called Neocons behind the war are the exact opposite of Christians. So it is hardly surprising that the war has not been blessed by God. The Bush family connections with the oil industry and Cheney's Halliburton which is also massively engaged in oil business should also have sent the warning lights flashing. The suffering in Iraq, as a result of sanctions under Clinton (500 000 children died) and the present war will still be laid by God at America's door.

Eugene M. Wiese

Posted: December 18, 2007 9:57 AM

Our biggest problem is that we harangue people about faith, but totally ignore their needs. Christians everywhere must remember that what we DO is how others judge us. They cannot judge our faith except by our actions. Faith is an attribute of the soul. It cannot be seen. Neither can love. We must show our love and our faith in our every action, or they will adjudge us hypocrites. Even our smallest actions show what we are. Christianity is suffering from a lack of "good works" in everyday life. That is why Christianity if failing in its global mission. Ask the martyrs! Their actions proved their belief in God, and that this life was only a preparation for the next. OUR actions seldom do. If you want to see what actions accomplish, look to Mother Theresa. Despite her doubts she advanced Christianity greatly.

chris

Posted: December 18, 2007 9:04 AM

So far as I can tell this article is factual. But the source of this article, David Aikman, has been hardly unbiased in his reporting. This is the man who gave us the book "Faith in the White House," a hagiography of our current president, George W. Bush. His point about Christian growth in Israel and persecution in Egypt should be seen in the light of his own bias. If the author is concerned about the state of Christian numbers diminishing in the middle east, he should demonstrate his relationship to the Christians there, particularly in Bethlehem and Gaza. Christianity Today should let Mitri Raheb, author of "Bethlehem Besieged," or even Brother Andrew, author of "Light Force," report on this. Having David Aikman do the report is like finding a fox to report on chickens missing from the hen house.

terence hoare

Posted: December 17, 2007 11:31 PM


I found that the over-all coverage was very readable and concise. it interested me that there is an increasing number of chrisritians in israel. I also found it enlightening that Christians were an object of Hezbollia action. thank you for the information. Terence Hoare

JohnW

Posted: December 17, 2007 4:28 PM


One way to reduce the decline of christianity in the Middle East might be for American evangelicals to not be so closely identified with our nation's recent foreign policy in the region. For examples, american evangelicals were amoung the staunchiest supports or the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Would it be reasonable to suggest that christians consider where there allegiances should lie?

John	Posted: December 17, 2007 3:26 PM


Ted Voth is 100% correct! The U.S. blind backing of Israel as being divinely appointed combined with the Evangilical's inherent suspicion of native Middle Eastern churches as being somehow not "authentic" and thus not worthy of support has lead to this decline in Christianity in the region.

Ted Voth Jr

Posted: December 17, 2007 2:32 PM

The saddest part of this decline of Christianity in its Palestinian homeland and the neighboring region is that it's a direct result first of the US' granting carte blanche to Israel in its dealings with the 'strangers' in their midst, and their Lebanese neighbors, with the whole-hearted, mindless backing of the 'evangelical' church in the US, and recently with the wholly fantasy-based US invasion of Iraq, similarly with our enthusiastic support. Thess two bwhaviors make Christians, as patriotic iraqis or Lebanese or others as they are, immediately suspect as allies of the US and enemies of the peoples of the region. We have a lot to answer for before the Bema…

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