"How Long, 0 God?"

How often must this question be wrung from the hearts of oppressed Christian believers today! From a past era of oppression comes the passionate supplication of one of God's saints:

"0 LORD, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth,

Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth.

Lift up Thyself, Thou Judge of the earth:

Render to the proud their desert.

LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

They prate, they speak arrogantly: all the workers of iniquity boast themselves

They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

And they say, the LORD shall not see" (Psalm 94:1-7).

Similar pride, cruelty and refusal to acknowledge that God sees and takes account, are features of continuing oppression of Christians in many modern communist states. The heart of unregenerate man remains unchanged, so history repeats the sad story of religious persecution when a totalitarian government sees Christian convictions as a threat to its system.

From USSR, one of the world's great super-powers, there continues to flow harrowing evidence of systematic persecution of believers; despite professed "toleration of religion" in accordance with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The officially sanctioned Russian Orthodox Church is allowed to function because its largely formal worship does not involve its members in spiritual attitudes which interfere with the demands of the State. "Protestant" groups are tolerated only if they accept certain government restrictions. For example, they can hold worship services, but cannot preach the word of God in public, or bring up their children with religious instruction. To many scripturally taught believers such restrictions are unacceptable. Conscience impels them, at whatever risk, to form church groups in which they can teach and practise what they know to be true to God's word.

The position was highlighted when in May 1982 Dr. Billy Graham attended in Moscow the World Conference of Religious Workers for Saving the Sacred Gift of Life from Nuclear Catastrophe. This conference was arranged by the Russian Orthodox Church, and about six hundred eminent religious leaders from many parts of the world were invited. After several days' engagements in Moscow, Dr. Graham commented that he had seen no evidence of religious repression during his visit. Challenged about this at a Moscow press conference, he explained that although there were differences in religion as practised in Russia and the United States, that doesn't mean there is no religious freedom in Russia; in Great Britain they have a State Church he said, whereas in Russia the Orthodox Church is not a State Church but a free church. One of his assignments was to preach a sermon at the only Baptist Church in Moscow; as he was preaching a woman draped a banner over the balcony. It read: "We have more than 150 prisoners for the work of the gospel". The woman was of course escorted away, but the message had got through.

So there remains in USSR a facade of religious freedom, but behind that limited official patronage of religion lies the cruel oppression of countless believers. Like some among the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews chapter 11, they have known mockings and scourgings, bonds and imprisonments, and many have died under the rigour of their persecution. By faith they defy all the modern refinements of persecution, whether physical or psychological, "of whom the world is not worthy!" The full story is known only to God, awaiting its unfolding for eternal reward in the day of Christ.

Not surprisingly, these oppressive policies are reflected in varying degrees among the satellite communist states of Eastern Europe.

During the past three years there has been an intense campaign in Rumania against what the authorities call "neo-Protestant" groups (including many evangelical believers). Many have been jailed for distributing gospel literature or conducting young people's work. The present regime is said to be one of the most oppressive in the world. Bulgaria has a similarly harsh policy, non-conforming Christian groups being continually harrassed.

May God stir our hearts to pray always and earnestly for persecuted Christians in all these lands, that their spirit of faith may be unquenched, and that in God's strength they will prevail, just as the Psalmist declared amidst all the oppression of his day,

"The Lord hath been my high tower; and my God the rock of my refuge" (94:22)

unknown | Aug 1983
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