Christian young people are bringing their passion for change to a U.N. climate conference in Durban, South Africa, eager to learn how to spread the message that God’s creation needs better care.

About 28 youths from church and faith-based organizations on six continents are taking “Youth For Eco-Justice” training during the 17th Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP 17, which runs from 28 November to 9 December.

Organized by Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and World Council of Churches (WCC), the courses include Bible study, workshops, training sessions on communication, campaign management and development of resources, and activities for promoting eco-justice.

“The idea is to bring young people together and impact communities at home. Young people have been demanding in our assemblies that they have to take action and this is the response,” said Roger Schmidt, LWF Secretary for Youth.

Schmidt said that creative young people, are capable of breaking the deadlock in the world in terms of climate change with a new understanding of the connection of justice and ecology.

Njideka Onwunyi, 26, a participant from Nigeria, said climate change is a major concern to Christian youths and the training has come at a time when young people are striving to influence changes in world systems.

“As Christian youths we are increasingly concerned about the ecological crisis and the way humans are treating God’s earth. Planet Earth is in peril and creation is suffering; this calls for a quick action to solve the situation,” said Onwunyi.

Onwunyi said global warming and conflicts over water resources are related to unsustainable and inequitable patterns of production and consumption, hence the need for advocating eco-justice.

“Our communities, especially in Africa and other regions, are really fighting and competing for water, food and land and we need to empower them,” said Onwunyi.

Countries represented by the participants include: the United States, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Palestinian Territories, Nigeria, Myanmar, Malawi, Kenya, Indonesia, India, Hungary, Georgia, Canada, Brazil, Belarus, Australia and Argentina.

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One of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winners, Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian activist who helped bring her country out of a brutal civil war, said on 7 October that the best way to achieve global peace is to start in local communities.

“It is time for us to do justice in our communities … one day the world’s problems will meet you at your doorstep,” she said at the Interchurch Center in New York. Coincidentally, she had been scheduled to appear there at a book launch, in an event organized by the National Council of Churches (NCC), when the prize was announced.

Gbowee, citing the examples of peace and justice campaigners such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, said she does not believe it is possible to practice non-violent action without some connection to a higher power. “My faith has really helped me,” said Gbowee, a member of the Lutheran Church of Liberia.

The Nobel committee announced on 7 October that Gbowee, Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Yemen’s Tawakkul Karman, who leads opposition to dictatorial President Ali Abdullah Saleh, would share the prize. Faith groups around the world hailed the recognition of activists for justice and women’s rights.

Gbowee, who organized a group of Christian and Muslim women to challenge Liberia’s warlords, was honored for mobilizing women across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war and to ensure women’s participation in elections. She trained as a trauma counselor during the war and worked with former child soldiers. The Liberian civil war ended in 2003, and Johnson Sirleaf was elected.

Speaking of Johnson Sirleaf, Gbowee said every time “she sees me coming, she’s weary” because “I always say, ‘Madame President, you need to do this, this, this.’” But, Gbowee added, “We have a good professional relationship, like mother and daughter.”

Gbowee, who was slated to return to Liberia following the reception, was in the U.S. to promote her memoir, “Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changes a Nation At War.”

Her story will also be featured in a documentary, “Women, War and Peace,” premiering 11 October on the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service. The NCC also is adding her to its Circles of Names campaign that honors women of faith who have been a source of inspiration and who have mentored others in their walks of faith.

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Question: “Why does God allow evil?”

Answer: With people thinking about the September 11 terrorist attacks on the tenth anniversary of the horrific event, many are again asking the age-old question: “Why does God allow evil?” The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25).

These attributes tell us the following about God: (1) God is capable of preventing evil, and (2) God desires to rid the universe of evil. So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil?

If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil? Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God run the world:

1) God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin. This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation.

Instead, God made Adam and Eve innocent but with the ability to choose good or evil. Because of this, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to disobey.

They chose to disobey. Because we live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not their consequences, their sin affected those who came after them (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us and those around us and those who will come after us.

2) God could compensate for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100 percent of the time. God would stop a drunk driver from causing an automobile accident. God would stop a lazy construction worker from doing a substandard job on a house that would later cause grief to the homeowners.

God would stop a father who is addicted to drugs or alcohol from doing any harm to his wife, children, or extended family. God would stop gunmen from robbing convenience stores. God would stop high school bullies from tormenting the brainy kids. God would stop thieves from shoplifting. And, yes, God would stop terrorists from flying airplanes into buildings.

While this solution sounds attractive, it would lose its attractiveness as soon as God’s intervention infringed on something we wanted to do.

We want God to prevent horribly evil actions, but we are willing to let “lesser-evil” actions slide—not realizing that those “lesser-evil” actions are what usually lead to the “greater-evil” actions. Should God only stop actual sexual affairs, or should He also block our access to pornography or end any inappropriate, but not yet sexual, relationships? Should God stop “true” thieves, or should He also stop us from cheating on our taxes?

Should God only stop murder, or should He also stop the “lesser-evil” actions done to people that lead them to commit murder? Should God only stop acts of terrorism, or should He also stop the indoctrination that transformed a person into a terrorist?

3) Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts. The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.

Instead of these options, God has chosen to create a “real” world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12).

There will one day come a time when God will judge the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely “delaying” in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to condemn them (2 Peter 3:9).

Until then, He IS concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament laws, the goal was to discourage and punish evil. He judges nations and rulers who disregard justice and pursue evil.

Likewise, in the New Testament, God states that it is the government’s responsibility to provide justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially against the “innocent” (Mark 9:36-42).

In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey Him that it might be well with us (Deuteronomy 5:29). Instead, what happens is that we choose our own way, and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful man.

But Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He does this for those who will turn from evil and call on Him to save them from their sin and its consequences (2 Corinthians 5:17). God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil.

This world would be MUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil. At the same time, God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil.

Rather than blaming God and questioning God on why He does not prevent all evil, we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences—Jesus Christ!

Recommended Resource: 
If God, Why Evil?: A New Way to Think About the Question

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The Methodist Church in the UK is paying all its employees amuch higher rate than the UK’s current legal minimum wage.

The Living Wage was implemented on Sept. 1 this year, and ensures that church workers will be paid at least $13.25 hourly in London and $12.13 hourly outside of London. The UK legal minimum wage is $5.80 for school leavers and $9.47  for those aged 21 and above.

The purpose of a Living Wage is to allow workers to enjoy a full life while working full time. The wage should allow, for example, one to have enough income to pay for the clothes children will wear to school, fund some school trips, and have time to spend with one’s family.

The Living Wage is determined annually by the independent charity, Church Action on Poverty. The CAP website says, “We believe that it is the church’s moral responsibility to take a lead by paying all their employees a Living Wage, not the minimum wage.”

The Methodist Church is the first major denomination to oblige all its churches, circuits, projects and districts to pay the Living Wage by the end of financial year 2010-2011, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Other denominations expressed support for the Living Wage and are at different stages in trying to implement it. They include the Baptists, Church of Scotland, United Reformed Church, Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and The Society of Friends. Several theologians and activists also support the Living Wage.

“As Christians, we care deeply about justice and fairness,” Rev. Leo Osborn, head of the Methodist Conference, told Independent Catholic News. “A long-hours low-pay culture can be found up and down our nation. The reality of low-paid work for many is very long hours and multiple jobs, leaving little time for family, community or leisure. In a fractured society where family and community matter more than ever, paying the Living Wage is one practical way of showing a commitment to these aspects of life.”

The Methodist Church researched extensively before passing the Living Wage. Carmila Legarda, director of Development and Personnel told ICN, “We have encouraged our churches to pay staff a Living Wage for a number of years and we finally made it our policy after extensive research to ensure it would be affordable and deliverable.”

Legarda told ICN, “Justice for our workers was the key reason for this policy, but another major factor was our understanding that by paying church workers a decent wage we would be helping them to be more effective employees. There may be added costs but we believe that it’s money well spent.”

Church Action on Poverty, a national ecumenical Christian organization for social justice, expressed delight with the latest move by the Methodist Church.

Niall Cooper, coordinator of CAP told ICN, “We are delighted that the idea of the Living Wage is gaining momentum within Churches and faith groups and this step from the Methodist Church is a clear endorsement of that. We now hope that other denominations, charities and employers more generally follow the example of the Methodist Church in signing up as Living Wage employers.”

CAP partners with churches and people living in poverty to help develop ways to resolve the difficulties that people living in poverty must deal with both in the UK and overseas.

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At least 10 Christians have been killed in the last two months in Nigeria by the radical Islamic Boko Haram sect.

The murder of the Christians took place in Maiduguri, Borneo state in northeastern Nigeria. An anonymous source (a local church leader) described it to International Christian Concern as part of a more widespread “silent killing” of Christians.

The source told ICC, “Boko Haram is seeking to eliminate Christianity because they want Islamic (Sharia) law. They don’t want to see anything Christian in the northern states [of Nigeria].”

The source added, “That is why churches are being persecuted and Muslims who don’t follow the [hard line teachings of] Boko Haram are also persecuted,” ICC reported.

Most Christians have fled Maiduguri, and those who have stayed are fasting and praying. Many churches in the city have suspended services for the safety of parishioners.

The source told ICC they are seeking prayer. “[We also] ask for assistance in the rebuilding of churches that have been burned down since 2006. The government has not compensated for the losses of Christians, but it has compensated for losses that Muslims suffered [at the hands of radical Islamists].”

Dialogue with Boko Haram

The government has expressed willingness to open up dialogue with the Boko Haram, in response to censure by human rights organizations. It has also formed a committee that will investigate the Boko Haram and try to determine the root cause of the violence.

Even as the government announced this, yesterday another bomb exploded near a police patrol van in Bauchi city, wounding four policemen. In a separate attack, last Saturday one policeman and one civilian were wounded in an ambush on a patrol team elsewhere in Bauchi, a city where Boko Haram are believed to be hiding.

Call for dialogue

The Etsu Nupe (ruler of the Nupe ethnic minority inNigeria), Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has urged Boko Haram to come out of hiding and engage in a dialogue with the government, adding that violence is not the answer to the country’s problems.

“It is only through dialogue that they can table their grievances for the government to understand them better and find the means of responding to their demands,” Abubakar told The Nation.

Call for justice

Jonathan Racho, regional manager of Africa for ICC, said he hopes the investigating committee can be a tool for justice for the victims of Boko Haram, and welcomed the measure to ensure security of civilians.

Racho said, “We welcome the deployment of the Nigerian security forces to protect innocent civilians from the attacks by Boko Haram. We also welcome the establishment of the committee to investigate Boko Haram. We call upon the committee to look into the plight of the victims and ensure that the perpetrators of the violence are brought to justice.”

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A historical cathedral in the UK is set to become the first in the country—and possibly the world—to install solar panels on its roof.

The Coventry Cathedral applied recently for approval of its building plans to install some $160,800.00 worth of photovoltaic panels on its rooftop, The Telegraph said.

This would, perhaps, make the historic church the first of its kind in the world to have solar panels on the rooftop. As of now, at least one church in London has solar panels on its roof, but it is not a cathedral.

A cathedral in Saskatchewan, Canada namely the Saskatoon Cathedral, has solar panels on its stained glass windows.

Coventry Cathedral has one advantage over other cathedrals in the city, because it has a flatter rooftop, which should facilitate the laying of some 178 panels occupying a space of 2,153 square feet, Edie Newsroom reported.

Jane Woodward, executive director of the cathedral told Low Carbon Economy, “[In] Coventry, many cathedrals have quite steep pitched roofs behind shady parapets whereas ours is rarely flat so we’re hoping it will be possible.”

Woodward told The Telegraph, “We are looking at putting a 50 kilowatt solar array on the roof and we hope it will significantly reduce our electricity bills.”

However, they still have some hurdles to overcome, including the solicitation of permits from the Coventry City Council and the Cathedral Fabric Commission of England, The Telegraph reported.

The present cathedral sits alongside the ruins of its original building, which was destroyed in 1940 by Luftwaffe bombs. The newer cathedral building was constructed in 1956.

The solar roof will be built by EOS which is affiliated with Alumet, a renewable energy firm in Southam, in collaboration with the Renewable Energy Technology Alliance, according to Insider Media.

Mrs Woodward told The Telegraph, “The Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury are interested in the project for the reasons of environmental stewardship and climate justice.”

Woodward told The Telegraph, “Climate change is affecting people who are in poverty the most. Issues about social justice are very important to what we stand for so this is not just an iconic thing for us.”

Solar Roof Club

According to Woodward, the project is “potentially very powerful,” The Telegraph reported, because it is also a way to encourage Christians in the city to use solar technology on the rooftops of their homes, other church buildings and church halls.

The cathedral project is expected to be finished by the end of the year, in time for the Queen’s visit in 2012, and the Olympic football games which will be held in the Ricoh arena, to be renamed the City of Coventry Stadium in line with Olympic sponsorship rules, according to Low Carbon Economy.

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An international human rights group said recently that some 800 people have died in riots in Nigeria that swept the country since April’s presidential election that gave a new mandate to its Christian leader Goodluck Jonathan.

Human Rights Watch issued a report last Monday urging the new government to work fast to ensure that those responsible for the violence are arrested and that justice is served, Christian Today said.

In northern Nigeria Christians wept over mass graves where their loved ones were hurriedly buried. ICC reports that the government rushed the burials so that there would be no exact figures of the number of the victims, Christian Today said.

The unrest began on April 18 when early returns in the elections already showed that Jonathan, from majority Christian southern Nigeria, had a sizeable lead over his Muslim opponent, Muhammadu Buhari.

The Muslim majority north broke out in simultaneous riots that occurred in almost every state in the north, Christian Telegraph said, quoting an International Christian Concern report.

Supporters of Buhari also staged demonstrations claiming the elections had been fixed. However, international observers dubbed the polls as the fairest in the history of Nigeria—while HRW says it was also the most violent.

Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher of HRW told Christian Today, “The newly-elected authorities should quickly build on the democratic gains from the elections by bringing to justice those who orchestrated these horrific crimes and addressing the root causes of the violence.”

The HRW based its report on interviews with 55 witnesses including clergy from both Christian and Muslim faiths and members of the police, according to Christian Today.

The homes, churches and businesses of Christians who were suspected of supporting Jonathan were torched, and the Christian Association of Nigeria said at least 170 Christians were reported killed, according to Christian Today.

However, others say that the number of Christians who died in the north could be higher. An ICC spokesperson said, “Nigerian government authorities were in such a hurry to hide the extent of the massacre, that they organized mass burials of the victims almost immediately after the attacks. As a result, the exact death toll remains unknown,” Christian Telegraph reported.

Greatest losses in Kaduna State

ICC said the most losses, however, were in Kaduna state, the northern part of which is majority Muslim, and the southern part of which is majority Christian. ICC estimates more than 300 people were slaughtered in Kafanchan town in southern Kaduna, and Zonkwa town in the northern part of the state, according to Christian Today.

HRW pegs the number of deaths at higher than 500. Some 1,000 families were displaced and are now in government camps. Over 200 were rendered homeless while hundreds of other Christians have fled, Christian Telegraph said.

Attacks with machetes

A group of students in a Christian college were pursued by a mob and were driven against a wall where they were beaten and struck with machetes, killing four students and one Christian lecturer, Christian Today said.

There are also reports of serious abuse and excessive force wielded by the police and military with reports of eight cases of unarmed citizens in Kaduna and Zaria who were killed and detainees who were beaten, Christian Today said.

Dufka told Christian Today, “The Nigerian authorities should promptly investigate these credible reports of unlawful killings and other abuses by members of the security forces. The use of violence by rioters, mobs, and state actors alike needs to be stopped.”

President Jonathan has set up an investigating committee to look into the riots, but the HRW reported that Christians are not confident that justice will be effectively rendered, Christian Today said.

Sources:

http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue12912.html

http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/post-election-violence-in-nigeria-claimed-800-lives-rights-group/6271.htm

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A mentally ill man in Pakistan was picked up recently by local police and charged with blasphemy for “injuring religious feelings” in order to save him from the wrath of a mob led by Muslim clergy who had gathered in front of his house.

Babar Masih, 25, was picked up by police in his home in the town of Chichawatni, Punjab Province, and was charged with violating the dreaded blasphemy law which carries the death penalty, BosNewsLife reported.

Summary Justice

The incident began when clerics led a mob of irate men to the Masih family residence on May 2. Angrily, they demanded that Babar be brought out of the house and given to them so that they could render justice to the alleged blasphemer, Pakistan Christian TV said.

While this was taking place police entered the house through a back door at about 10 p.m. that night, picked up Babar and whisked him away in a police car. The family of Babar handed him over to the police because the clerics and others in front of their house threatened to “do justice” by killing him, BosNewsLife said.

As the police cars drove away, someone in the angry crowd spotted the vehicles and the mob chased them, chanting slogans and demanding that Babar be given to them for justice, Pakistan Christian TV said.

As the crowd followed the police vehicles, the Masih family escaped from their home and went into hiding, Pakistan Christian TV said. There are three families who are related to Babar Masih, and they comprise the only Christian families within the area,
BosNewsLIfe said.

The Chichawatni, Sahiwal District, Punjab police filed a blasphemy case against the mentally-ill Babar “for offending the religious sentiments” of Muslims, AsiaNews.it said.

However, Babar’s brother Amjad Masih told media men that Babar has been mentally ill for the last seven years, and has fits of rage that are unprovoked. Sometimes he speaks abusively, BosNewsLife reported.

Amjad said Babar is not worried about food or clothes. All these have made him a vulnerable target to Muslim religious leaders, who have been coercing people to make trumped up charges against him, AsiaNews.it said.

Amjad added that Babar’s mental status is well known in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Christian leaders have tried to talk with the local imam to see if the charges can be withdrawn, but the extremists said they do not intend to do so, AsiaNews.it reported.

Amjad told Pakistan Christian TV that neighbors have told him that the local clerics are trying to coerce them to give false testimony against Babar so that the case against him can be registered in a First Information Report.

It is alleged that Babar was walking down the road where a mosque is situated and insulted the prophet. A local cleric claimed to witness the event, but the FIR was registered by a man who is not from the mosque but is instead a dairy farmer who lives on the same street as the Masih family, Pakistan Christian TV said.

Babar Masih was charged with blasphemy under Section 298 of the blasphemy law, for “uttering words…with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings,” and under Section 298-A for “use of derogatory remarks…in respect of holy personages,” BosNewsLife reported.

Babar’s lawyer, Attorney Khurram Shehzad Maan from the European Center for law and Justice in Pakistan noted that the FIR clearly states that Babar was talking to the stars when he allegedly spoke against the prophet and other holy people of Islam, BosNewsLife said.

Maan told BosNews Life, “It means that the police must have come to know since the beginning that Babar was not a sane person, who was addressing stars, and also Babar never meant to injure feelings of any Muslims,” BosNewsLife reported.

Pakistan has long been under international fire to repeal the blasphemy law which punishes defamation of the prophet Muhammad with life imprisonment or death. Critics of the law say Muslims use it to incite violence against minorities, while others use it to settle personal scores.

Recently Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in Pakistan’s cabinet, and Punjab governor Salman Taseer were assassinated by Muslim extremists because they sought to amend the blasphemy law.

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Christian leaders have responded to the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by issuing statements and through Twitter.

Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy said, “All persons of good will can be grateful that the U.S. military, helped by U.S. intelligence agencies, has successfully ended Osama bin Laden’s career of terror.”

He continued, “Sadly, since 9-11, many church voices have insisted that Christianity mandates pacifism. Hopefully there will now be greater appreciation for the Church’s historic stance that God ordained the state to punish evildoers who attack the innocent.

“The Church does not rejoice to see anyone perish. It always seeks repentance and offers God’s grace, even while recognizing the state’s duty to punish. As Christians we would have preferred to see bin Laden renounce terror. But he died, as he lived, by the sword. The Church has always understood that government has a distinct responsibility to execute justice, sometimes employing lethal force,” Christian Newswire reported.

The Vatican also released a public statement which said that bin Laden must answer to God for the killing of so many and for abusing religion as an excuse to spread hate, Reuters reported.

Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman told Reuters that Christians “do not rejoice” when a man is killed, but the death of Obama is a reminder of “each person’s responsibility before God and men.”

Lombardi told Reuters, “Osama bin Laden, as everyone knows, had the grave responsibility of having spread division and hate among people, causing the deaths of an innumerable number of people and exploiting religion for these purposes.”

Lombardi also told Reuters that he hoped that bin Laden’s death “would not be an occasion for more hate, but for peace.”

Meanwhile, Muslim extremist websites have drawn up bin Laden as a martyr who fought for Allah. One post said, “We won’t cry today, but we will revenge. Men and women in America will cry,” according to CNN.

Many Christians chose to respond to the news of bin Laden’s death by sending out Bible verses through Twitter.

The third most popular bible verse that was re-tweeted was started by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, who quoted Prov. 21:15. The verse is, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous, but terror to evildoers.”

The second most popular Bible verse re-tweeted was sent out by Rev. Run of Run DMC fame. Rev. Run tweeted Psalm 138:8 which says, “The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.”

The number one most popularly re-tweeted Bible verse is Prov. 24:17. However, it is not known who started it. The verse says, “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.”

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A Christian human rights group is seeking justice on behalf of an Ethiopian Christian evangelist who was beaten to death and his pregnant wife who was injured and left unconscious by a group of Muslim attackers.

International Christian Concern asked government officials in Ethiopia to arrest and prosecute the murderers of Abraham Abera. The group of men also beat and injured Abera’s pregnant wife, Birtukan, whom they left unconscious on the road, OneNewsNow said.

Birtukan, who was hospitalized, said when she regained consciousness that she knew two of the assailants, OneNewsNow said. The incident occurred in south-central Worabe, an Ethiopian village with a 97 percent Muslim-majority population, according to Worthy News.

Jonathan Racho, ICC regional manager of Africa, said it is possible that the attackers will not face prosecution. He told OneNewsNow, “Most of the local officials in the area are Muslims, and we are afraid that they may not bring any charges against the attackers.”

Racho also expressed concern about growing radicalization of Muslims in the area. “Most of the time, the moderate Muslims in Ethiopia are more violent, and they entice them to kill Christians [and] destroy churches. In Ethiopia, we have seen the recent radicalization of the Muslims,” OneNewsNow reported.

Lured from home

The incident occurred when a group of Muslims lured Abera and his wife Birtukan away from Kale Hiwot Church, which is both the ministry and home of the Christians. Abera was told that a friend of theirs was ill and needed help badly, Worthy News said.

Once Abera and Birtukan were out of range of the church, the men began to beat the male evangelist to death with rods. They told the couple that the Christian population is growing in the area, and because of this, believers will be destroyed, OneNewsNow said.

When Birtukan tried to intervene they attacked her and inflicted her with an acute head injury which rendered her unconscious on the street. She was left alone on the road, Worthy News reported.

Others found Birtukan and brought her to a hospital in Butajira, a nearby town. When she regained consciousness she recalled the details of the attack and said she could identify two of the assailants, OneNewsNow reported.

Birtukan recalled being told by the attackers, “You [Christians] are growing in number in our area. You are spreading your message [the gospel]. We will destroy you,” according to Worthy News.

Birtukan also sustained injuries to her midsection. However, she was told by hospital medics that her baby will survive, according to Worthy News.

A Christian leader (unidentified) told Worthy News, “Christians in Worabe and its surrounding areas are persecuted at the hands of Muslim radicals, and the local government officials, who are Muslims, don’t protect Christians. We urge the higher government authorities [state and federal officials] to intervene and protect us.”

Racho of the ICC told Worthy News, “The brutal killing of Evangelist Abraham and the beating of his wife, Birtukan, is deeply troubling. We urge the federal government authorities to investigate this latest attack as well as reports of persecution against Christians in the Silte zone, [where Worabe is located].”

Racho also is asking Christians around the world to contact the Ethiopian embassy within their vicinity and to urge officials to prosecute the assailants and render justice for Abera and Birtukan, according to OneNewsNow.

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