In North Korea, to be Christian is to be Criminal

Last week we took a look at a few arrests that have taken place in America stemming from witnessing for Christ. We must admit such incidents are extremely unusual in this country. I continue to believe that the future may tell a different story, but for now I thank God that for the most part, we still have freedom of religion in the United States. However, for the rest of the world, that is far from the case. It would be inappropriate for me to grumble about the slight amount of persecution we are receiving in this country without devoting great attention and respect to the truly terrible persecution that takes place in other countries.

Open Doors USA is a world-wide Christian watch group. For the fifth straight year in a row, it has placed North Korea as the number one worst offender against Christianity. The US government seems to corroborate this conclusion, naming 7 nations, including North Korea, as the worst religious rights violators. The other six worst offenders include Myanmar, China, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia. Open Doors maintains that North Korea actively hunts down Christians for the purpose of imprisoning and executing them. The organization estimates that North Korea holds about 50,000 to 70,000 Christians in prison for simply refusing to denounce their faith. Apparently, many Christians are regularly put to death for their beliefs.

The Voice of the Martyrs organization has told the story of a young woman by the name of Roli, from South Korea, who has actively traveled to North Korea and shared her faith despite the intense persecution. She explained that when Christians come together to meet, they are careful to never gather in groups of more than 3 or 4 at a time. When they do so, they close all curtains and blinds, and proceed with worship. "We pray together, we sing praises, and then we read John 3:16-18. We also read I Corinthians 1:18-26. We talk from Genesis. We say that man was created from dust, so we have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven." When Christians are meeting they send all the children outside. They put the children out because they have to maintain their worship as a secret from them. One innocent slip of the tongue in school, and the child might accidentally betray his or her parent. Christians have to be extremely careful about choosing the right time in the life of their children to let that child know about parental involvement in Christianity.

Reports indicate that sometimes entire members of a family are put in prison because of statements made by only one member. One particular teen age girl (not Roli) continued teaching about Christ after she was imprisoned, and she was finally executed. However, her powerful Christian faith made an impression on the prison warden who later felt constrained to investigate why it was that she maintained such strength and integrity of character through her final days.

Roli herself told of the fact that 4 of her Christian friends had been executed because of their witness. She had spent a great deal of time in prison, also, for her faith. She once gave one Bible to 4 people. Later, in prison, one of those people interrogated her and said, “You are distributing Bibles!” She said, “yes, I gave you this Bible so we could read it together.” She was accused of being a foreign spy, and she was instructed to recite the Lord’s Prayer to prove she was not a spy. She says that she got nervous, and stammered and stuttered through the prayer. However, 4 days later she was released and told to never come back. Roli said that she had once returned to South Korea and determined that she was too frightened of all the persecution and she would never go back. She then thought about all the people of North Korea and changed her mind. She felt she had to continue sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who had never heard it.

When I hear stories like these and consider the state of Christianity in North Korea, in China, and in many Muslim countries where Christianity is outlawed, I shudder. I have often wondered if my own faith would stand up to the trials that are often inflicted upon believers in other lands. Despite such persecution there are literally tens of thousands who will meet in hundreds if not thousands of underground churches in these repressed lands. Meanwhile, here in America, it seems that we cannot even pay people to attend church. Churches continue to flounder in attendance. It is estimated that 70% of Southern Baptist churches reported no growth by conversions to Christianity last year. On the other hand, churches under persecution in Asia and Africa are exploding in growth.

It has occurred to me, on numerous occasions, that there is a great deal of pure apathetic and uncommitted laziness on the part of Christians in America. I have heard it said that when Christians persecuted in countries overseas finally get free and come to America, they are astounded at our lack of fervency and dedication to the cause of Christ. Will it take persecution to make us wake up and realize how precious is our freedom that we have to be Christians? “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:38)

James Sanders

Pastor,

sandersjc@yahoo.com