The 3 - September 24, 2017

In this installment of the weekly blog post, The 3, I take a look at a release of Christians who had been jailed...for praying for someone who had mental issues.  Also, a number of Memphis-area pastors have signed a letter calling for the moving of a statue of a Civil War general.  Plus, the U.N. Security Council has taken a positive step in opposition to the persecution - and execution - of Christians and members of other religious groups in Iraq.

3 - Christians in Nepal arrested for praying for mentally ill woman released amidst greater persecution of Christians in country

Four Christians in Nepal prayed for a woman described as "mentally troubled" in a ChristianHeadlines.com story - and they went to jail for it.  The woman's name is Seti Pariyar.

The article, citing Morning Star News, says that, according to the Federation of National Christian Nepal (FNCN), in December of last year, "they were convicted of witchcraft, violence and holding Seti Pariyar against her will, though the woman testified that she was not mistreated or captive and had been healed by the prayer."

The four had been sentenced to five years in prison and told to pay a fine. 

Earlier this month, the Higher Court, Surkhet reversed the prison sentence and set the prisoners free.

The article states:

Area church leaders believe the four Christians were set up.

“There is a risk that this type of well-designed plan can happen any time among the Christian community,” an earlier FNCN statement noted, concluding that the Christians were targeted for their faith.

“About the incident, the victims told us face-to-face that what they have done is for the benefit of the sick woman, as she was brought by her relatives for prayer for healing,” the FNCN statement noted.

A little background from the article:

The arrest and conviction of the four Christians came at a time when Nepal’s Hindu majority was increasingly influencing authorities to harass Christians. While Nepal has long outlawed evangelization, a new constitution in 2015 and the release of implementing laws last month reinforced existing prohibitions against evangelizing, and Hindu interests have used them to falsely accuse Christians.

2 - Memphis pastors support relocation of statues

The President of the Southern Baptist Convention has stepped forward to join other pastors in Memphis in advocating for the relocation of a statue of a Confederate Civil War general.  A Baptist Press article reports that Steve Gaines, Pastor of Bellevue Baptist, was one of 169 clergy members representing 95 congregations supporting the move of the statue of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest "from a public park 'to a more historically appropriate site.'"  "About a dozen" Southern Baptist pastors were part of the consortium.  Participants had signed on to a letter to the Tennessee Historical Commission, supporting the position of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

Gaines told Baptist Press he favors moving that statue, in Memphis Health Sciences Park, as well as a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, which is in Memphis Park.

According to the article:

Both monuments "are a source of offense to many citizens of Memphis due to Forrest's and Davis' support of the enslavement of African Americans," Gaines said in written comments. "Fair-minded Americans acknowledge that slavery was cruel and unchristian. Indeed, slavery stands as one of the darkest blights of our nation's history. Thus, these statutes should be relocated to less prominent, more appropriate settings."

The article also notes that former SBC president James Merritt, who had spoken in favor of a 2016 resolution "urging messengers to renounce display of the Confederate battle flag," told the SBC This Week podcast that "he supports the legal removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces," adding that, "Christians 'have the responsibility to do everything we can to break down any barrier that we possibly can to the Gospel...'"

As the article points out, that SBC resolution encouraged "fellow Christians to exercise sensitivity so that nothing brings division or hinders the unity of the Body of Christ to be a bold witness to the transforming power of Jesus."

1 - United Nations passes resolution calling for investigation of persecution of Christians, others in Iraq

Recently, the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, "supporting Iraq in prosecuting members of ISIS/Daesh for crimes committed against religious minorities in the region. The terrorist organization has been perpetrating acts of genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities."

This resolution, adopted unanimously by the Security Council, sets up "an investigative team," which will "work with the Iraqi government to collect, preserve, and store evidence of crimes committed by ISIS in Iraq." This will aid in the prosecution of terrorists who commit "genocide and other crimes against religious minorities." The website points out that, "For the first time, the Security Council did not shy away from using the term 'genocide.'"

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is quoted as saying, "It may have taken a long time to get here, but today’s resolution is a landmark. It is a major first step towards addressing the death, suffering, and injury of the victims of crimes committed by ISIS in Iraq—crimes that include genocide. These victims have been Yazidis, Christians, Shia and Sunni Muslims, and many, many more."

ADF International U.N. Counsel Kelsey Zorzi stated, “It is incredibly encouraging to see the Security Council take such a significant step towards ensuring justice for countless victims and their families. We hope that the passage of this resolution reminds Christians in the Middle East that they have not been forgotten, that there is hope, that we will continue fighting for them, and that accountability is on its way.”