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Christianity Today, June, 2009 |

Customs Confusion

New visa rules trip up traveling religious workers.

Bobby Ross Jr. | posted 5/14/2009 08:52AM

After an overnight flight from Denver, Christian singer Don Francisco arrived at London's Heathrow Airport intending to perform in an Easter music program in the English port town of Poole.

Instead, the ...

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Terry T. Jackson

Posted: May 16, 2009 9:11 AM


I would like to point out that US Customs and Immigration has a long track record of committing similar violations of foreigners rights when attempting to enter the United States. Perhaps you should look at your own country's treatment of visitors before criticising others'.

Prepared to go

Posted: May 16, 2009 5:54 AM

Wow, I am surprised people are labeling this as "persecution." Instead, the article is highlighting that if workers are adequately prepared ahead of time, they should be fine. From what I am reading, this is geared toward all religious workers - i.e. Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. - not merely Christian. I know many in other coutnries who have been persecuted, received jail time, because of thw work they do. A little bit more preparation on the front end of any religious work is not persecution.

Don Dayton

Posted: May 15, 2009 6:19 PM


Why do you headline this article "customs" when it seems clearly to be about passport control and immigration. Customs is the second step where you pay duty on imported goods and are otherwise examined about what you are importing? Isn't this right?

pete Benson, editor UNITYINCHRIST.COM

Posted: May 15, 2009 8:17 AM

Satan is using the "terror scare" of 9/11 to hamper the body of Christ in the area of missions and worldwide evangelism. In a sense, although it doesn't make our job any easier, but harder, it's a good sign, in that the "evil one" doesn't like the heat international evangelism has generated in territories long thought to be his. (He is the defacto and hidden ruler of the world.) Groups like the JESUS Film Project, Samaritan's Purse, Gospel for Asia, Mission Aviation Fellowship, have all been making a tremendous impact. The only way to fight this, though, is in the courts, and through prayer. Maybe it's time to start giving some of our financial support to Christian lawyers who fight for our rights, like the Rutherford Institute and Jay Sakalow, who fight at the Supreme Court level as well as the individual level for Christian rights. A few well-placed law-suits may be just what the doctor ordered. Missionaries are Jesus' front line troops, as well as his personal Ambassadors.

Persecuted

Posted: May 15, 2009 3:48 AM


Christians are the only group left in in any country, even the so-called Christian ones, that can be legally discriminated against and persecuted. It will only get worse I'm afraid.

Guatemalan

Posted: May 14, 2009 9:42 PM

The US is not different, my wife and I had a hard time at Miami Airport. When they asked who invited us to visit we answer: we are going to visit a couple of pastors in Georgia. They sayd: Oh, you are preachers, you cmone to receive offerings, we do not need you here. And they put us in to separate cells for 5 hours, then, finally, the next shift came and they were good people (1 christian), they allow us to enter. Next year same happened at Atlanta airport, they send me back to Guatemala saying that they do not need preachers in US, and they canceled my passport.

Charitas

Posted: May 14, 2009 6:28 PM


Re. "undocumented workers" comments from a few days ago. Why can't these religious workers simply sneak across the border and avoid customs altogether. If we are to believe some "superior" Christians, it is the more Biblical thing to do.

Beeker

Posted: May 14, 2009 6:01 PM


The US is no better, in the last few years I know of 2 short term missions groups denied entry to the US from Canada; as well as those attending some discipleship schools who have also struggled to be allowed to enter the US.

MC	Posted: May 14, 2009 4:36 PM


This will get worse in the future and expand across the globe.

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