A Christian pastor was arrested in Egypt on the charge of preaching Christ to Muslims.
On August 10, Arabic media reported that Islam Dayf, chief prosecutor in al-Minya governorate, ordered the imprisonment of Methat A., 37, who serves as a pastor of a church in the area.
He is charged with preaching the Gospel and distributing Christian books to Muslims in violation of the law.
The Christian man is reportedly being held for four days pending an investigation into the charges.
A number of Muslim citizens reported Methat to Egyptian security, claiming that he was preaching Christianity to Muslims and giving out books, among them the New Testament.
Less than a month earlier, three Christian youth were arrested for “contempt of Islam” in Egypt when some Muslims claimed that the young men were handing out bags of dates to Muslims ending Ramadan fast that allegedly claimed “the teachings of Christ.”
voegelinian says
Al-Sissi, the Great Brown Hope for the Asymptotics (and PC MCs like Tom Friedman).
Westman says
I think we can sadly say that El-Sisi’s days are numbered. When he told the Imams that they couldn’t kill 6 billion non-believers, many thought, (anything is possible with Allah and you may be first). The history with Sadat is not very encouraging.
I wonder which has the most authority, El-Sisi or Al-Azhar University?
voegelinian says
Sadat wasn’t assassinated because he was a Moderate Muslim.
Angemon says
It’s funny, voeg, how you swoop like a noisy magpie into anything that you can use to make Sisi look bad but you turn silent as a dhimmi when the shoe is in the other foot – for example, when Sisi received vitriol for letting gays have a press conference.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/08/huffington-post-arabic-edition-attacks-gays-atheists
It’s almost as if you’re biased or something, and your target is not Sisi but the so-called “asymptotics”…
Jay Boo says
I suspect that voeg has dumped on Sisi much more than Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi given his track record.
mike says
I would probably be arrested for contempt for Islam.
john spielman says
Islam cannot compete with the Gospel of Christ that is why Muslims MUST suppress the truth. Islam is death darkness and lies while Christ is light life and truth
Jan Aage Jeppersen says
He should thank God for the oportunity to become a Christian Martyr and go straight to Heaven when the Muslims are done with him.
Jack Diamond says
No, courageous men like this need to live and inspire. You on the other hand,
could be a waste of space.
Cecilia Ellis says
“He should thank God for the oportunity to become a Christian Martyr and go straight to Heaven when the Muslims are done with him.”
No. God will thank him for becoming a Christian martyr instead of using “taqiyya” to save his life, as authorized by Allah, the “Greatest of Deceivers.” That’s the difference between Christianity and Islam.
gravenimage says
The vicious Jan Aage Jeppersen wrote:
He should thank God for the oportunity (sic) to become a Christian Martyr and go straight to Heaven when the Muslims are done with him.
…………………………
More apologia for evil–Jan Aage Jeppersen sneers at the victims of Islam, but has not criticism for these barbarians at all.
Champ says
“He is charged with preaching the Gospel and distributing Christian books to Muslims in violation of the law.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Methat is doing what Jesus commanded.
And Egypt’s archaic laws are not above God’s word; and Jesus–God in the flesh–told His disciples to …”Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” …
Mark 16:14-16: “Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Question: “I am a Muslim. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?”
Answer: http://www.gotquestions.org/Muslim-Christian.html
Linde Barrera says
To Champ- Great comment–yours of 9:56 pm, Aug. 12, 2015. I went to the website opendoorsusa.org and they have a Watch List of 50 countries where Christians are persecuted, ranging from most severe to moderate to threatening. The Watch List asks for specific prayers for each of the 50 countries, and one prayer asks God to enable non-Christians to see and hear the Good News through satellite television programs, and also that Jesus appears to them in dreams and visions. So I hope all Christian Jihad Watch commenters will check out that website and pray for a specific country.
Champ says
Thank you, Linde. Good suggestions! 🙂
fudge says
because your religion is allowed to rape children you must all be paedophiles
Rdlake says
Over here, we’re building them prayer rooms in airports.
Cecilia Ellis says
Just heard that on the news . . . an airport in Orlando. Notice how the report concluded with the statement that a chapel already exists in that same airport . . . establishing an equivalency.
shams78 says
These are not Coptic Orthodox. They are most likely Copts who were converted to Protestantism by western missionaries and belong to the Protestant Evangelical Church of Egypt.
The local Oriental Orthodox Christians (and Catholic Eastern Rite Christians) do not proselytize Muslims or any other people at all for that matter. They apparently don’t believe in doing it, plus their Churches are ethno-religious centered (Copts with Coptic Church, Assyrians with the Assyrian Church) so that is another incentive not to proselytize (why would Copts want to convert ethnic Arabs to the ethnic Coptic Church)? And they think its useless.
Some western Protestant missionaries converted a few Copts, Assyrians, and Armenians and had them found their own Protestant Churches. And they apparently trained them as missionaries. Giving them instructions to harass Muslims, Yazidis, and Eastern Rite Christians.
The Oriental Orthodox and eastern rite Catholics don’t like Jews and Muslims and I can totally understand why. They don’t like them and don’t proselytize to them. But these Protestants are annoying and like to harass their Muslim and Orthodox neighbors by passing out religious literature and trying to proselytize their creed. It causes irritation and anger among Eastern Rite Christians and Muslims.
Cecilia Ellis says
Shams78 wrote: “These are not Coptic Orthodox. They are most likely Copts who were converted to Protestantism by western missionaries and belong to the Protestant Evangelical Church of Egypt.”
And your point would be? The article specifically states: “A Christian pastor was arrested in Egypt on the charge of preaching Christ to Muslims.” It matters not what sect of Christianity the minister represented. The noteworthy point, as intended by the article, is that a Christian pastor was arrested for daring to preach to Muslims.
“And they apparently trained them as missionaries. Giving them instructions to harass Muslims, Yazidis, and Eastern Rite Christians.”
Christian evangelization does not include a harassment protocol. Your inference that the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt – also known as the Protestant Evangelical Church of Egypt or the Coptic Evangelical Church of Egypt – promotes such techniques is contrary to its founding principles as a mission of the United Presbyterian Church of North America in 1957. [1]
What about the following would be harassment?
“It helps with running hospitals, clinics, social service and employment agencies, retreat centers, day schools, and its own seminary. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church founded the nation’s first primary school for girls.” [2]
“But these Protestants are annoying and like to harass their Muslim and Orthodox neighbors by passing out religious literature and trying to proselytize their creed. It causes irritation and anger among Eastern Rite Christians and Muslims.”
Such despicable harassment, passing out religious literature . . . trying to proselytize their creed! Sometimes, these Protestants have dared to add insult to injury by passing out bags of dates to Muslims. [3] Interesting that you would highlight evangelization as annoying proselytization, which relies on a free-will choice, but fail to mention Islam’s no-option version: convert-or-die.
“It causes irritation and anger among Eastern Rite Christians and Muslims.”
Eastern Rite Christians do not respond to such irritation by killing. Nor do they rampage through the streets burning Protestant churches; Muslims do (as well as any other Christian church that happens to be in sight). Eastern Rite Christians do not rush to local security officers to demand the arrest of evangelists; Muslims do.
In short, your comment reveals your agenda to endorse the pastor’s arrest and to side-track the discussion. You failed in that effort.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Church_of_Egypt_(Synod_of_the_Nile)
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Church_of_Egypt_(Synod_of_the_Nile)
[3] http://www.raymondibrahim.com/from-the-arab-world/egypt-three-christians-accused-of-distributing-jesus-pamphlets-arrested-for-contempt-of-islam/
Champ says
Brava, Cecilia!!! Awesome and spot on response to ‘shams’!! You covered each point eloquently!
Cecilia Ellis says
Thanks, Champ! Hope “Lil Champ” is doing well. Be sure to teach her everything you know . . .
Angemon says
His point is that good dhimmies know their place and that we are not to raise our voices when foreign infidels (seemingly including native Egyptians who converted to what he sees as a Western religion) are knocked down to their place in the islamic pecking order – islam is to dominate, not to be dominated.
Cecilia Ellis says
Guess I’m just not a good dhimmi . . . 🙂
shams78 says
Orthodox and Eastern rite Catholics in Syria have asked the Syrian government before to ban Protestant evangelists and ban house churches whom they accused of proselytizing among their followers. It really irritates them.
Yazidis have just recently asked for help to make the Protetant missionaries who are currently harassing them to go away.
deja vu says
shams78
Quote your sources and give evidence please. No comment on my post below?
deja vu says
shams78, you state:
1. ‘The local Oriental Orthodox Christians (and Catholic Eastern Rite Christians) do not proselytize Muslims or any other people at all for that matter.’
That being the case, they obviously ignore the injunction of Jesus Christ given in Matthew 28 and are answerable to Him for their disobedience. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes when that happens.
2. ‘…why would Copts want to convert ethnic Arabs to the ethnic Coptic Church? And they think its useless.’
No human being can ‘convert’ another. This is a spiritual work only possible through God’s Holy Spirit. The Coptic Church might think it’s ‘useless’, but all things are possible with God. Furthermore, all peoples are equal in God’s eyes. It appears that the Orthodox Coptic Church is only interested in converts to their denomination, not to Christ Himself. This concept is contrary to the Word of God.
3. ‘Giving them instructions to harass Muslims, Yazidis, and Eastern Rite Christians…’
Read Matthew 28:16-20 and then tell us that Jesus Christ’s final command to His followers can be ignored. No Christian is told to ‘harass’ anyone, but to obey Christ by giving all men the Good News of the Gospel. Christ’s view of the church is as a living organism, likened to a body, with Christ as its head, not a man-made religious organisation. God alone is Sovereign, transcending the authority of men. He has given us His Word, the Bible. True Christians answer to God alone and obey His Word, whatever the consequences.
4. ‘The Oriental Orthodox and eastern rite Catholics don’t like Jews and Muslims and I can totally understand why. They don’t like them and don’t proselytize to them.’
God, who made all human beings in His image, loves Jews, Muslims and all mankind equally – so much so that He sent His only Son to bear their sin on the cross. Perhaps you have never heard the Good News yourself, so here it is:
“For God to loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
Read verses18-21 for yourself. Your salvation depends upon it.
gravenimage says
The vicious shams78 wrote:
These are not Coptic Orthodox. They are most likely Copts who were converted to Protestantism by western missionaries and belong to the Protestant Evangelical Church of Egypt.
The local Oriental Orthodox Christians (and Catholic Eastern Rite Christians) do not proselytize Muslims or any other people at all for that matter. They apparently don’t believe in doing it…
……………………………
What crap. They have just been beaten down by 1,400 years of dhimmitude at the hands of shams78’s fellow Muslims. Under Shari’ah, any Infidels are forbidden from publicly practicing their faith, let alone speaking openly about it.
More:
Some western Protestant missionaries converted a few Copts, Assyrians, and Armenians and had them found their own Protestant Churches. And they apparently trained them as missionaries. Giving them instructions to harass Muslims, Yazidis, and Eastern Rite Christians.
……………………………
It is notable that shams78 considers peaceful proselytizing to be “harassment”, but arresting non-violent people is not…
More:
The Oriental Orthodox and eastern rite Catholics don’t like Jews and Muslims and I can totally understand why.
……………………………
What false moral equivalence. It is not Jews who are imprisoning and murdering Christians. Would that one could say the same of Muslims…
More:
They don’t like them and don’t proselytize to them. But these Protestants are annoying and like to harass their Muslim and Orthodox neighbors by passing out religious literature and trying to proselytize their creed. It causes irritation and anger among Eastern Rite Christians and Muslims.
……………………………
And yet, it is not Eastern Rite Christians who are persecuting these Protestant Christians.
More:
Orthodox and Eastern rite Catholics in Syria have asked the Syrian government before to ban Protestant evangelists and ban house churches whom they accused of proselytizing among their followers. It really irritates them.
……………………………
The idea that this is because Eastern Christians are “irritated” by Evangelicals is absurd. It is because they are terrified that Muslims will attack Christians, including themselves.
It is codified in Shari’ah that if dhimmis do not prevent other dhimmis from violating the strictures of Islamic law that they are *all* fair game for Muslim violence.
More:
Yazidis have just recently asked for help to make the Protetant (sic) missionaries who are currently harassing them to go away.
……………………………
More of the same. Right now, shams78’s barbarous coreligionists are mass-murdering Yazidis and using Yazidi girls as sex slaves–yet he has the gall to imply that their real concerns are being pestered by Evangelicals.
Cecilia Ellis says
“More of the same. Right now, shams78’s barbarous coreligionists are mass-murdering Yazidis and using Yazidi girls as sex slaves–yet he has the gall to imply that their real concerns are being pestered by Evangelicals.”
Right you are, Graven! Some things never change . . . including the well-established, Muslim tactic of diverting attention from the subject at hand by inserting irrelevant and unsubstantiated rhetoric into commentary. The article stated: “A Christian pastor was arrested in Egypt on the charge of preaching Christ to Muslims.” Nothing more . . . nothing less.
Walter Sieruk says
Those imams will do anything they are able to keep the Muslim people in the darkness of Islam and away from the Light of Christ. Those Muslim clerics will have to answer to the God of the Bible for trying to the the people from hearing the Gospel of Christ.,Romans 14::12. Furthermore, the Christian gospel, First Corinthians 15:1-5. is was and is meant to be preached to everyone. As seen in Matthew 28;19,20.
Truth Seeker says
Founder of Islam was Well Aware that, if his people are allowed to Listen to Other Religions, his Religion will Collapse. Thereby gave the Fatwa anyone preaches other Religion or anyone embrace other Religion must be Butchered.