Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin – No. 301 – Wed 08 Dec 2004

CRITICAL ISSUES IN SRI LANKA & UKRAINE

‘The power of prayer can change for the better, not only the life of a person, but the fate of a country.’ Hryhorii Komendant, President of the All-Ukraine Union of the Association of Evangelical Baptists (26 Nov 2004).

———————————————– SRI LANKA: PERSECUTION CONTINUES; JHU BLACKMAIL ———————————————–

Sri Lankan churches continue to face persecution by Buddhist nationalists. The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) reports that the AoG church in Yakkala has been attacked several times recently and the pastor is struggling to hold his frightened flock together. NCEASL also reports that on 9 November a hand grenade was thrown at the Bethel Children’s Home, run by the Christian Revival Crusade in Batticaloa and housing about 50 children. Thankfully no one was injured. On 2 December, the ‘Believers’ Church’ in the village of Kammalawa in Kuliyapitiya came under attack when a crowd of over 100 threatened the pastor with death if he did not stop holding worship services and close down the church by Sunday. Later that night the church building was damaged by stone-throwers. Praise God the police responded promptly and have arrested three suspects.

Sri Lanka’s Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a political party made up of Buddhist monks, is proposing changes to the Sri Lankan Constitution. They want Buddhism declared the official State religion and the conversion of Buddhists prohibited. Spreading other forms of worship amongst Buddhists would be banned. The JHU is also demanding government action on its Anti-Conversion Bill. The JHU is threatening that if the government does not meet its three specific demands by 12 December they will start a fast-unto- death. December 12 is the first anniversary of the death of their champion, the outspoken Buddhist nationalist, Venerable Soma Thero. His death from heart failure in Russia in December 2003 led to an eruption of Buddhist rage and violence against churches. There is great anxiety in the Christian community that the current JHU action may lead to renewed angry Buddhist nationalism and anti-Christian violence this Christmas.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR

* the Holy Spirit to give Sri Lankan pastors divine grace and wisdom, and Sri Lankan believers strong faith, unity, grace, courage and prayerful hearts.

* God to give the Sri Lankan government a strong resolve to uphold religious freedom for all.

* God to protect the Sri Lankan Church against the schemes of those who desire and seek their harm; may peace and freedom reign.

‘Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory – for all its strength it cannot save you. We depend on the Lord alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield.’ Ps 33:17,20. NLT

———————————- UKRAINE: A CHANCE TO MODEL JUSTICE ———————————-

On Sunday 21 November, Ukrainians went to the polls to elect a President. The candidates in the second round run-off were Viktor Yanukovych and Viktor Yushchenko. While an exit poll had Yushchenko winning the contest 54 to 43 percent, the official result gave the victory to Yanukovych by 49.4 to 46.7 percent. Russia’s President Putin actually congratulated Yanukovych for his win before the results were even announced. Belarus’ dictator Lukashenka also congratulated Yanukovych on his win. Yushchenko’s supporters poured into the streets in an ‘Orange Revolution’ to protest the injustice. The courts have now found that the poll was marred by widespread and extravagant fraud, engineered by Ukraine’s corrupt power brokers. Yanukovych is their man, and Yushchenko, the anti- corruption campaigner, freedom advocate and reformer, is their nightmare.

Throughout the ‘Orange Revolution’ Ukrainian evangelicals have faithfully prayed, and God alone has kept Ukraine from bloodshed. He has heard the prayers of the faithful Ukrainian believers who now ask us to join them in prayer as there are many bridges yet to cross. A fresh poll will be held on 26 December. However, the outgoing president, Leonid Kuchma, now wants to amend the constitution to weaken the president’s powers, thus ensuring his power broker allies in parliament can retain control when he leaves. To challenge the stranglehold these pro-Soviet power brokers have, the Ukrainian opposition had to unite behind one man of integrity, and the people had to publicly support him. If Ukraine’s peaceful ‘Orange Revolution’ succeeds, it could become a model for other nations in the grip of corrupt pro-Soviet dictators, in particular Belarus which has a presidential election in 2005.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* peace to reign in Ukraine, and for ‘justice [to] roll on like a river’ (Amos 5:24), bringing hope to other nations and glory to God.

Please note the 26 December poll date in your diary and pray that day for the people of Ukraine, that the Spirit of peace will consume all their fears and selfish ambitions, and impart to them a deep heart’s desire for fairness, social harmony and godliness, for the sake of God’s Church and HIS gospel message in that nation. And may the Lord’s will be done.

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ————————————————————

CHRISTIANS FACING CRITICAL ISSUES IN SRI LANKA & IN UKRAINE

In Sri Lanka, the JHU, a political party made up of Buddhist monks, is proposing amendments to the constitution, enshrining Buddhism as the official state religion and prohibiting the conversion of Buddhists. The monks are also threatening to start a fast-unto- death on 12 December if the government has not met their demands about the JHU’s proposed Anti-Conversion Bill.

Ukrainians return to the polls on 26 December to vote again on the presidential run-off between the pro-Soviet Victor Yanukovych and the anti-corruption campaigner, freedom advocate and reformer, Victor Yushchenko. Christians in Ukraine ask us to join them in praying that peace and justice will prevail. In the words of Hryhorii Komendant (26 Nov 2004), President of the All-Ukraine Union of the Association of Evangelical Baptists: ‘The power of prayer can change for the better, not only the life of a person, but the fate of a country.’

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The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC. Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.