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Bethlehem Cancels Christmas, 'Isolated'
Christians Celebrate Jesus' Birth Online
'How do you celebrate Christmas when you're the only
believer on your street?' asks media ministry SAT-7 USA
BETHLEHEM'S BABY 'STILL THE HOPE OF THE WORLD:' From its
headquarters in the Middle East, Christian media ministry SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org)
uses "every channel possible" to bring together isolated believers across the
region, including many who "feel lonely and forgotten" this Christmas.
NEWS PROVIDED BY
SAT-7 USA
Dec. 14, 2023
EASTON, Md., Dec. 14, 2023 /Christian
Newswire/ -- Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, has canceled its
traditional Christmas celebrations, a move that spotlights the challenges
Christians in the Middle East face this festive season.
Amid the suffering caused by the Israel-Hamas war, Bethlehem's leaders
reportedly feel it's inappropriate to hold festivities, and the town's Christian
elders agree.
It's a difficult time for Christians in the Middle East, a typically isolated
minority.
Just like the very first Christmas recorded in the Bible when there was "no room
in the inn" for Mary and Joseph, there's no place of belonging for many
followers of Jesus this Christmas, says SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org),
a Christian multi-media ministry that broadcasts free-to-view programs across
the Holy Land, the Middle East and North Africa.
'Only Believer in Town'
Only 3% of the region's population is Christian, and the number is far lower in
countries such as Afghanistan and Iran, where Christianity is suppressed and its
followers are routinely discriminated against, cut off by their families,
imprisoned, or sometimes even killed for their beliefs.
"How do you celebrate Christmas when you're the only believer on your street –
or the only one in your town?" said Rex Rogers, president of SAT-7 USA. "How do
you celebrate Christ's birth together when churches are banned?"
'Not Alone This Christmas'
From its headquarters in the Middle East, the media organization uses "every
channel possible" to bring together isolated believers across the region,
including many who "feel lonely and forgotten," said Rogers.
"Our message to viewers is that you're not alone this Christmas," he said.
Through the ministry's live satellite television broadcasts, online streaming,
and social media, secluded believers who cannot celebrate Christmas openly are
able to join live worship, participate in live Bible-based discussions in their
own language, and chat in real-time with others who understand their struggles.
"As Christians, we always felt few and lonely," said Samia, a believer in the
region. "Here, life is not easy. There is no sense of protection and security
for Christians. But God gives us a special grace. Now, (we are) part of the
SAT-7 family."
Bethlehem's Baby 'Still Hope of the World'
With more than 2.3 billion followers, Christianity is the world's largest
religion and the gospel is spreading across the Middle East via phones and
digital devices, even in remote mountain and desert areas that a few years ago
were unreachable.
"The Christmas story and its message of love and forgiveness has never been more
desperately needed" in the troubled region, said Rogers, a frequent visitor to
the Middle East.
"As wars, rockets and acts of terrorism fuel distress and fear in every corner
of the region, the baby in the Bethlehem manger is still the hope of the world,"
he said.
Launched in 1996, SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org)
-- with its international headquarters in Cyprus -- broadcasts Christian and
educational satellite television and online programs in the Middle East and
North Africa. Its mission is to make the gospel available to everyone, and
support the church in its life, work and witness for Jesus Christ. SAT-7
broadcasts 24/7 in Arabic, Farsi (Persian), Dari, and Turkish, using multiple
satellite channels and online services.
SOURCE SAT-7 USA
CONTACT: Nicole Ponder, 321-586-2332,
nponder@inchristcommunications.com
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