The 3 - November 4, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 offers news and information relative to a visit by evangelical leaders to Saudi Arabia.  Also, there has been concern expressed by believers in New Zealand about a political leaders removal of references to Jesus in prayer before the body.  And, a Pakistani woman facing the death penalty for blasphemy was released by the nation's highest court.

3 - Evangelical delegation meets with Saudi leaders

Even before the mysterious disappearance of a Saudi journalist in Turkey, there were plans underway for a delegation of representatives of the evangelical community to visit with Saudi officials, including the Crown Prince.  And, according to CBN.com, a leader of the delegation, author and commentator Joel Rosenberg, believed the trip should go forward as planned.

The article states:

"There’s a lot of people who would say this is the wrong time to go to Saudi Arabia and meet with the leadership there," author Joel Rosenberg told CBN News. "I understand that criticism, but I disagree."

He added, "Given the fact that we care about the people of Saudi Arabia, Christianity in the Arabian Peninsula, the desire to see more freedom of worship, even Christian churches being allowed to be built, this all seemed important to us to do..."

Jerry Johnson, President of National Religious Broadcasters, is quoted as saying, "When I think of Saudi Arabia, I think of that verse, 'We are ambassadors for Christ. That’s Who we are representing, not the United States of America. We’re representing the Lord Jesus Christ...'"

The article notes:

This is the latest in a series of meetings with Sunni Arab leaders, including Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and UAD Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meetings are part of a long-term agenda.

2 - New Zealand removes Christian language from government prayer; Christians protest

Late last year, the speaker of the Parliament in New Zealand made the decision to remove references to Jesus in prayer before the body.  The Christian Post relates that the new speaker, Trevor Mallard, "...decided to remove all references to Christ in the prayer, describing it as a 'compromise,' as the phrase 'almighty God' remains."

The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who is said to be "not religious," was reportedly supportive of the move, saying, "I think that having the prayer in itself sets a good tone for Parliament, but it has been done in a way that the speaker has tried to make a bit more inclusive..."

The article says that Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters...

...said that the entire parliament should have been allowed to decide whether to remove Jesus' name from the prayer.

"Well the decision as to what should be changed should be made by parliamentarians and not the speaker — that's our position, I don't mind telling you publicly," Peters said.

The Post reports that, "Christians have rallied on a number of occasions over the issue," and that includes this past week, when some one thousand people gathered in protest. Ross Smith led the protest and "told Radio New Zealand that the country's Christian heritage should not be erased." He is quoted as saying, "It's a legacy. The principals and the values that are in this nation are based on our Christian-Judea roots..."

1 - Pakistan high court frees woman charged with blasphemy

Just before the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church was commemorated on Sunday, a victim of persecution in Pakistan was released.  Her name is Asia Bibi, and she had been sentenced to death back in 2010, according to Open Doors, which reported that the Pakistani Supreme Court had released her.  The report states:

According to the official ruling, the prosecution has categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The judges quoted extensively from the Quran and other Islamic scriptures, saying among other things that non-Muslims were to be dealt with kindly.

Another report on the website relates that she...

.... was arrested in June 2009 after a dispute with some Muslim women. She was accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging in 2010. Ever since she was held on death row.

Most of the past eight years Asia Bibi has spent in solitary confinement.

Even though Open Doors reports that Asia Bibi is in hiding because of safety concerns, there are widespread protests.  The website says:

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in many cities around Pakistan, and the government has a hard time controlling the situation. It prompted newly elected Prime Minister Khan to air a brief video message in which he warned groups who have railed against the Supreme Court’s ruling. Pakistan was founded “in the name of Islam” and the verdict given by the Supreme Court is in accordance with the Constitution, which is in line with the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah (traditional practice of the Islamic community based on the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), Khan said. He sharply criticized the protests.

There was concern expressed by an Open Doors partner that the Prime Minister's message did not offer comfort to Christians who are concerned about their security.

And, Faithwire reports that:

The Pakistani government has been widely criticized for striking a deal with radical Islamic clerics and agreeing to prevent Christian mother Asia Bibi from leaving the country, despite her Supreme Court acquittal for blasphemy. The action, taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan in response to increasingly explosive protests at the ruling, will entail the pursuit of legal proceedings to place Asia Bibi on the “exit control list” (ECL).