Newsline
Laotian Christians Pressured
TESTIMONY
to Renounce Faith
DUBLIN (Compass Direct Officials in Katin have long ‘
God Has Not Brought Us This
News)—On July 5, officials and ignored religious freedom provi-
residents of Katin village in Ta sions. In July 2008, officials
Far to Abandon Us Now!’
Oih district, Saravan province, detained 80 Christians in the vil-
Laos, confiscated and slaugh- lage after residents seized a believer
GADSDEN, Alabama—2009 marks the fiftieth anniversary
tered livestock belonging to nine identified only as Pew and poured
of Robert L. Sparkman Jr.’s ministerial service. However, two
Christian families in rice wine down his throat, killing
years ago it looked as if Pastor Sparkman was about to take his
an effort to force him by asphyxiation. When family
final breath.
them to renounce members buried Pew and placed a
His brother, Jim, wrote: “In October 2007 I received the call
their faith. wooden cross on his grave, officials
saying Bob was in the hospital, and the prognosis was grim.
In June, village accused them of “practicing the
Upon arriving at the hospital, the appearance of my brother’s
elders had warned rituals of the enemy of the state”
condition was terrifying. It was a hopeless and horrible sight.
the families, 53 and seized a buffalo and pig from
However, beyond my unbelief and despair, an element of faith
people in total, to them as a fine.
and power seemed to emanate from Bob’s wife, Peggy. Her
renounce the faith they had Later that month, officials
words were simple but firm: ‘God has not brought us this far to
adopted in late May or face rounded up 17 of the 20 Christian
abandon us now. No, my God is trustworthy and faithful, and
“serious consequences,” accord- families then living in the village—
we will win this
ing to advocacy group Human a total of 80 men, women and
battle!’”
Rights Watch for Lao Religious children—and detained them in a
Jim continued,
Freedom (HRWLRF). school compound, denying them
“After two months
When the Christians ignored food in an effort to force the adults
in the hospital, lying
this warning and attended wor- to sign documents renouncing
in a coma, the mira-
ship services in a neighboring vil- their faith. The other three Christ-
cle-working power
lage, villagers broke into their pig ian families in the village at that
of God resurrected
pens and seized one pig per fam- time had already signed the docu-
my brother, and
ily, later slaughtering the animals ments under duress.
restored him back to
and distributing the meat among As their children grew weak-
his family. Presently
themselves, HRWLRF reported. er, 10 families signed the docu-
Bob is enjoying
Officials said the seizure of the ments and were permitted to
good health and has
pigs—each worth the equivalent return home. The remaining
resumed his duties
of six weeks’ salary for an average seven families were evicted from
as pastor of the
Bob and Peggy
laborer in the area—was a form the village and settled in an open
Sparkman
New Life Church
of punishment for ignoring the field nearby, surviving on food
of God.”
order to abandon Christianity. found in the nearby jungle.
By the
Religious backgrounds of new legal immigrants coming
to the United States:
Numbers
• Catholic, 35% • No religious affiliation, 12%
• Protestant, 15% • Hindu, 7%
Source: North American Mission
• Orthodox, 13% • Buddhist, 5%
Board Center for Missional Research
• Muslim, 12% • Jewish, 1%
30 EVANGEL • SEP 2009
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