TRUMP BLASTS RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION. Yesterday Donald Trump became the first US president to speak on religious freedom at the UN. He called “for the nations of the world to end religious persecution.” No president before him has ever dared to make such a challenge. But the UN representatives of 52 Muslim majority nations, the six Buddhist majority nations, the two Hindu majority nations, and all others, heard Trump urge them to their faces to establish religious freedom.
“As president,” he declared, “protecting religious freedom is one of my highest priorities. And it always will be.” Specifically, he called on all nations “to stop the crimes against people of faith, to release prisoners of conscience, repeal laws restricting freedom of religion and speech, protect the vulnerable, the defenceless and the oppressed.”
Trump pointed out the alarming statistic that approximately “80% of the world’s population live in countries where religious liberty is threatened, restricted or even banned.” That includes “almost 250 million Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith.”
He did not mention that about 80% of the persecuted religious believers worldwide are Christians. But he did say that “11 Christians are killed every day for following the teachings of Christ.”
The new International Religious Freedom Alliance
Trump announced to the UN the formation of the International Religious Freedom Alliance. He promoted it as “an alliance of like-minded nations devoted to confronting religious persecution all around the world.”
We should support this initiative. Furthermore, End Times Guide contends that a constitutional democracy ensuring religious freedom is one of the four best conditions for the gospel to spread and for the church to grow unhindered. (The other three: a free-market economy, a pluralistic society, and a church united in its diversity.)
People must have the freedom to hear the gospel. They must know enough and choose for or against Christ (Rom. 10:14). Therefore, we must make the most of the time we have before the Antichrist rises to shut down religious freedom completely (Rev. 13:15-17).
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