Tortured For His Faith

Haralan Popov was the pastor of one of the largest churches in Bulgaria. The Communist government imprisoned him for 15 years.

Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor, was tortured and imprisoned for a total of 14 years by Communists for his Christian faith. This book documents how he and other Christians suffered for their Christian witness behind the Iron Curtain.

On February 29, 1948, Richard Wurmbrand was arrested by the secret police. His crime? Leading Christian worship and witnessing - both of which were illegal under Romania's atheistic Communist regime. Because of Richard's faithfulness to Christ, he endured 14 years of prison and torture, while his wife, Sabina, suffered three years in a labor camp. In spite of these hardships, Richard and Sabina had an unshakeable faith in Christ. Wurmbrand explores the inspiring lives of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, combining their complete stories into a single volume for the first time. Your faith will be inspired as you go deep inside the darkest prison cells to see how the light of Christ continues to shine from the heart of those totally committed to Him.

The legendary treatise on how so many died at the hands of Roman and Pagan aggressors. In good Catholic fashion, the work is heavy on the descriptions, showing who and how and where they died, with attention paid to each and every sin, in graphic detail... with loads of illustrations.

There are more Christian martyrs today than there were in ad 100--in the days of the Roman Empire. Now in the twenty-first century, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, more than 150,000 Christians are martyred around the world every year. "Remember the Lord's people who are in jail and be concerned for them. Don't forget those who are suffering, but imagine that you are there with them." Hebrews 13:3 cev Their stories must be told.

Gao Zhisheng was one of Beijing's most successful lawyers. Self-taught and brought up in poverty, he came to prominence through his defense of individuals persecuted by the Chinese government for their religion and practice of Falun Gong, before being detained, tortured, and imprisoned himself by the same regime. These pages are not an easy read, because they detail the regime's attempts to break one of the greatest spirits of our time. Despite this, Gao Zhisheng's unwavering convictions, profound beliefs, and commitment to humanity shine through.

In the steamy summer of 1787, as America's founding fathers fashioned their Constitution, they told the most powerful institution in their new nation what it must not do: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Few Americans understand the miracle in world history these ten words represent. For the first time in human experience, the legislative power of a nation was forbidden from legislating the conscience of man. And for over one hundred and fifty years, religion flourished, institutions of faith multiplied, and revivals transformed whole communities. Th elected representatives of the people often called for days of prayer, recognizing that religion is essential to national character. So what happened? Why is it that today a cross-shaped memorial or a religious symbol in a city seal is considered a violation of the Constitution? Why are pastors threatened if they speak out about politics and children kept from even asking about religion in the public schools? Ten Tortured Words separates historical fact from fiction, illuminating the events and personalities that shaped the writing of the Establishment Clause. In his straightforward, award-winning style, cultural historian Stephen Mansfield interprets the societal shifts that have led to the current rift between religion and politics, and takes a surprising look at what lies ahead for freedom of religion in America.

One of the most respected journalists in the United States and the bestselling author of The Future Church uses his unparalleled knowledge of world affairs and religious insight to investigate the troubling worldwide persecution of Christians. From Iraq and Egypt to Sudan and Nigeria, from Indonesia to the Indian subcontinent, Christians in the early 21st century are the world's most persecuted religious group. According to the secular International Society for Human Rights, 80 percent of violations of religious freedom in the world today are directed against Christians. In effect, our era is witnessing the rise of a new generation of martyrs. Underlying the global war on Christians is the demographic reality that more than two-thirds of the world's 2.3 billion Christians now live outside the West, often as a beleaguered minority up against a hostile majority-- whether it's Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, Hindu radicalism in India, or state-imposed atheism in China and North Korea. In Europe and North America, Christians face political and legal challenges to religious freedom. Allen exposes the deadly threats and offers investigative insight into what is and can be done to stop these atrocities. “This book is about the most dramatic religion story of the early 21st century, yet one that most people in the West have little idea is even happening: The global war on Christians,” writes John Allen. “We’re not talking about a metaphorical ‘war on religion’ in Europe and the United States, fought on symbolic terrain such as whether it’s okay to erect a nativity set on the courthouse steps, but a rising tide of legal oppression, social harassment and direct physical violence, with Christians as its leading victims. However counter-intuitive it may seem in light of popular stereotypes of Christianity as a powerful and sometimes oppressive social force, Christians today indisputably form the most persecuted religious body on the planet, and too often its new martyrs suffer in silence.” This book looks to shatter that silence.