But according to the GAMAAN survey, there is another distinction Iran must make.
The 2011 census numbered Zoroastrians at only 25,000.
(Iran’s traditional Christian communities use the Armenian and Assyrian languages of their ethnic communities.). The rise of persecution against Christians in Iran has served both as a sign of the rapid growth of Christianity within the country and as fuel for further growth.
Back in December, more than 100 Christians were rounded up by regime security forces in one of the biggest crackdowns of its kind to date on charges that they were “proselytizing” the faith in contravention to regime norms. “With the lack of proper data, most international advocacy groups expressed a degree of doubt on how widespread the conversion phenomenon is in Iran,” said Mansour Borji, research and advocacy director for Article 18, a UK-based organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of religious freedom in Iran. In fact, more Iranians have become Christians in the last twenty years than in the previous 1,300 years, since Islam came to Iran. Are voters doomed to learn nothing from these presidential debates? Extrapolating the percentage from this survey, which GAMAAN stated is 95 percent accurate, that would now be 5.6 million. The Iranian regime has also banned the publication of Farsi-language editions of both the Old and New Testaments — and has periodically meted out death sentences for Iranians who have converted from Islam to other religions.
CHRI noted in its report that since June 2017, at least 11 Christian converts and the former leader of the Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Iran have been issued long prison sentences by the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Can the government force us to eat broccoli? The general presumption of doubt risked influencing asylum applications by Iranians seeking resettlement in Europe or elsewhere. Missiologists have long spoken of the explosive growth of the church in Iran. (Sources said this may indicate a non-Islamic Persian nationalism rather than a true system of belief.). Christianity Today strengthens the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel.
"If we remain faithful to our calling, our conviction is that it is possible to see the nation transformed within our lifetime.
Yeghnazar believes the house churches’ lack of governing structure will harm the growing movement. “But the problem is exasperated by the fact that many leaders are now in prison, or have been forced out of the country.”, The impact, said Mike Ansari, president of Heart4Iran, is that the church is “highly marginalized, scattered, and segmented.”. But given that it is “extremely risky,” satellite television has become the leading factor. The massive rise of Christianity in Iran, especially among youths, continues despite the Islamic government's efforts to suppress the faith. According to a new survey of 50,000 Iranians—90 percent residing in Iran—by GAMAAN, a Netherlands-based research group, 1.5 percent identified as Christian. They draw their adherents from the same cohort of people, and hold out the promise of a different political order to those individuals. Trump says he, first lady have tested positive for the coronavirus Nearly half (47%) said they used to be religious but are no longer. Efforts to decarbonize all parts of the American economy still woefully inadequate, China determined to dominate future mining with Origin Space, Tend to faith, family and food in the kitchen, South Bend, Indiana, is one strange electoral animal, Presidential debate devoid of substance and more a phony professional wrestling match, SCOTUS and the left’s ‘right type’ of Catholic. Click “OK” to authorise its use . Missiologists have long spoken of the explosive growth of the church in Iran.
Even though the country’s constitution formally recognizes a number of other faiths (including Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism), in practice Iran’s ideological regime has proven itself to be deeply antagonistic to them. Other ayatollahs, such as Wahid Khorasani, have slammed government officials "for their negligence in preparing counteracting strategies to stop the spread of Christianity.
“It is important for Christian agencies to pry Christianity away from that mould.”, He was also cautious about endorsing the survey statistics as a true estimate of the body of Christ. If you reject the use of “cookies”, AREOPAGO PROTESTANTE cannot guarantee the functionality of the website. If its overall statistics are valid, only 1 in 3 Iranians claim their national religion. “Without meaningful face-to-face fellowship and discipleship, the future of the Iranian Church remains uncertain,” Ansari said. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. - The Iranian government has reportedly been spending millions of dollars for Islamic propaganda across the country, alongside its campaign to crack down on new Christian converts, and its closure of churches in Tehran and elsewhere. “It is pleasing to see—for the first time—a secular organization adding its weight to these claims.”. In a secular survey, “Christian” can imply anything from a “vague attraction” to a “genuine love of Christ and a growing knowledge of the Scriptures.”. - Christianity is on the rise in Iran, despite Islamic government's efforts, 10 differences between Martin Luther and John Calvin, Isaiah 41:10, the most popular Bible verse of 2018, Cuban officials force the closure of an evangelical church, The ‘Imprisoned Spirits’ of 1 Peter 3:19-20, AREOPAGO PROTESTANTE uses “COOKIES” in order to guarantee the proper functioning of our website, improve its security, obtain better efficiency and personalisation, collect statistical data and show you relevant advertising. here for reprint permission. ", Mohabat News pointed out that "this high rate of conversion of Iranian youth to Christianity is in spite of rigorous Islamic indoctrination of the youth in their families and educational system.". and View Comments, Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters. here for reprint permission. “There was nothing they could do to stop the spread of the gospel.”, They tried, and are trying still. Now they have data to back up their claims—from secular research. The unscientific attack on the COVID-19 science of Dr. Scott Atlas.