SEOUL, Korea (ABP) — Baptist World Alliance must continue in its role as defender of human rights, religious freedom and the separation of church and state around the world, according to BWA Executive Director Denton Lotz.
“We must strengthen even more this ministry of the BWA,” Lotz said, as he announced plans that BWA will form a new division of freedom and justice to help not only monitor justice issues “but become more actively engaged with governments and international organizations in defending religious freedom and human rights for all people.”
During the BWA General Council meeting in Seoul, South Korea, July 26-31, global Baptist leaders heard reports of continuing human-rights violations, especially in the area of religious freedom.
The murder of a Baptist pastor in Tajikistan earlier this year — as well as the killing of hundreds of people in Nigeria, Indonesia, India and the Middle East because of religious conflicts — makes it imperative for Baptists “to present a united front, to protest to governments and to challenge international organizations such as the U.N. to defend religious freedom and human rights,” Lotz said.
Theo Angelov, general secretary of the European Baptist Federation, reported there are some improvements in the tensions that have existed between the Baptists and the Orthodox church in the Republic of Georgia, but he described the situation in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as “alarming.” Severe government restrictions, buttressed by new religion laws, make life difficult for the minority Baptist communities in those countries.
John Kok of the Malaysia Baptist Convention said it is against the law in Malaysia to witness to Moslems. While there are no restrictions on Christian worship, he said, persecution comes when they apply for land on which to build churches. The convention, which counts 135 churches and more than 16,000 members, has set a goal to double in the next five years.
In Nepal, according to Baptist leaders Yukta Man Gurung, Maoist rebels are now demanding manpower from churches for the fight against the government and royal family. The constitution of this predominantly Buddhist nation does not provide for religious liberty, but the democratic elections of 1990 opened the way for some freedom.
Beginning in 2006 the Baptist World Alliance, which represents more than 48 million believers worldwide, will award annual Human Rights Awards. BWA already presents a Human Rights Award once every five years at its World Congress.
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