Religious freedom is being reduced

The USA announced that religious freedom reduced in 2012:

May 20, 2013

The United States said the right to global religious freedom was challenged last year, with governments often creating a “climate of intolerance” leading to hatred and violence.In an annual report, the State Department said Monday government officials worldwide are often allowed to act with impunity while violating the religious rights of their countrymen. It said there often is uneven enforcement of religious freedom laws and introduction of new restrictions.

Secretary of State John Kerry said religious freedom is “the birthright of every human being,” but is often restricted.

The chief U.S. diplomat said religious freedom throughout the world is a national security concern for the U.S.

“When countries undermine or attack religious freedom, they not only unjustly threaten those who they target, they also threaten their countries’ own stability.
And we see that in so many places,” said Kerry. “Attacks on religious freedom are therefore both a moral and a strategic national security concern for the United States.”

He said the State Department found a “troubling” increase in anti-Semitism and named a new aide to monitor the problem. The report cited abuses in several countries, particularly in Venezuela, Egypt and Iran.

Kerry said there is a growing number of blasphemy and apostasy laws that often violate religious freedoms and are applied in a discriminatory manner. The report singled out Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Iran and Eritrea for its pursuit of cases against individuals accusing them of blasphemy.

The report called Christians “a leading target of societal discrimination and abuse” in some parts of the world. But it also said Muslims, especially minority branches of Islam, also suffered, especially if they were considered by the majority to be “heretical or foreign.”

The U.S. law on religious freedom calls for naming other countries it considers to be committing “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” Under the law, the State Department two years ago named eight nations as “countries of particular concern” – Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

The report said the respect for religious freedom declined in China and Iran in 2012 and stayed the same in the other six countries. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-sees-climate-of-intolerance-on-global-religious-freedom/1664681.html

I would add that in the USA, religious freedom deteriorated last year in many areas. The USA needs to look into a mirror on this and not just point the finger at other nations.

In 2012, for example, the Obama Administration took steps to attempt to requiring some people to violate their religious beliefs related to funding abortion and/or birth control (see Cardinal: White House is Strangling the Catholic Church). President Obama has also been hinting that part of the purpose of the “Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare) is to make abortion access better–and this is not what was originally promised to some who were persuaded to support that Act.

Furthermore, with more and more legalization of homosexual marriages, more people will be required to provide “benefits” that they would not wish to pay for because of moral reasons.

Also, we are starting to see an increased intolerance of various forms of Christianity, not just in the Islamic world, but in places such as the USA and parts of Europe.

And, according to the Bible, the time will come that all will either worship the Beast power, be persecuted/flee/hide, or be protected by God (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:14-17; 13; 14).

But before then, the Bible talks about the fact that God will finish the work and cut it short (Roman 9:28). Notice also the following which could be related to that:

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

The above could only happen in the 21st century if the internet was down and/or internet content related to the truth of God was no longer permitted. Governments are taking steps, including “hate speech” rules, which could bring that about.

In my article on the King of the North, I have the following quote from the late Herbert W. Armstrong:

And the abomination that maketh desolate set up.” What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15…From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ’s coming will be 1290 days. Now, verse 12, “Blessed is he that waiteth, and comes to the 1335 days.” Never before have we understood these periods of 1260, 1290. and 1335 days. But it seems evident, now, a blessing is pronounced on us–GOD”S CHURCH–who wait and endure until the 1335 days–approximately 1335 days prior to Christ’s coming. But since no one can know the day or hour of His coming, we probably shall not be able to know the exact day this 1335 days begins. But apparently that is the time when OUR WORK SHALL END. That will be a time when the UNITED Europe shall appear–the revival of the medieval “Holy Roman Empire.” (Armstrong HW. Personal. Good News magazine January 1980).

As the above shows, Herbert W. Armstrong clearly wrote that there would be a future fulfillment of Daniel 11:31 and other verses in Daniel. And as the above shows, he taught that something would stop the work forty-five days prior to Daniel 11:31.

Most likely this occurs because the people of the holy covenant are proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14, as that immediately precedes “the end”) and teaching that the King of the North is fulfilling prophecies in Daniel 11. It is my belief that after the peace deal in Daniel 9:27 has been made and/or confirmed by “the prince to come,” that the group that best represents the “sect of the Nazarenes” (the remnant of the Philadelphia era of the church per Revelation 3:7–11) in the 21st century (currently best represented by the Continuing Church of God) will begin to publicly identify the person who confirmed the deal (“the prince”) as the one who fulfilled Daniel 9:27. This apparently enrages the King of the North so much that he initially tries to eliminate these people through political pressure and selected persecution.

Less religious freedom is coming. But, the work of God, including the final phase of the work, will be done.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders?
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.
Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God Several have speculated reasons, but here is the truth.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.