Out of Sight out of mind

To the editor:

Out of sight, out of mind is sadly the case of many Christians these days. Americans have become complacent about persecution and have forgotten Hebrews 13:3. This is recently evident with Gao Zhisheng, a 2008 Noble Peace Prize nominee and Christian human rights attorney in China who was illegally kidnapped by Chinese police on Feb. 4. Voice of the Martyrs released his story 50 days later on March 26 asking for public support. There is great concern for Gao’s safety because of his previous arrests and 50 days of torture in 2007. Current reports from inside China indicate he is now undergoing brutal torture.

Despite the news release, nothing has ever been reported on the network news stations. A Noble Peace Prize nominee’s kidnapping isn’t worthy of our attention, but ironically Matt Lauer’s stupid bicycle accident with a deer invokes hours of “newsworthy” talk. Even the Octomom and her nanny obtained more media attention on the 26. How pathetic.

I wrote our federal senators and representative to ask for their assistance in seeking support for Gao’s case, but that too fell on deaf ears. Not one even responded to my letters over a week ago. Sadly, VOM’s news release and web page www.freegao.com has resulted in less than 50,000 Christians raising their voices to help. The level of apathy for our brother’s plight is appalling.

Equally as terrible is the knowledge that one day soon, here in America, Christians may suffer similar unspoken persecution while the news focuses on frivolous things. Virginia’s governor has banned state troopers serving as chaplains to use “the name of Jesus” and fired an officer for doing so. Chaplains working in a hospice home in Florida last week have been forbidden to say “God” in their messages. And David Hamilton, Obama’s choice for 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge, ruled in Indiana it was illegal to pray in Jesus’ name but prayer in the name of Allah was acceptable (thankfully his ruling was over turned by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals). Fearfully, it is this very court, which handles most of the appeals cases in our country, to which Obama seeks to exalt Mr. Hamilton. Didn’t hear that on the nightly news either, did you?

Wake up America. Encourage your senators not to vote for Hamilton. Speak up for your brothers in bonds.

Sharon Aubrey

Sutton