Shepherd’s Staff

By – Shamim Masih

ISLAMABAD: Earlier I posted that healthy self-esteem is important because some of us think too little of ourselves; on the other hand, some of us overestimate themselves. The key to an honest and accurate evaluation know the basis of our self-worth - our identity. Evaluating yourself by the worldly standards of success and achievement can cause you to think too much about your worth in the eyes of others and thus miss your true values in God’s eyes.

Many Christian right activists are working in our country; some of them have vision to save Christians facing problems others are looking for Western donors and thus creating ambiguity among workforce. Even religious leadership stands in the same queue. In my college days, I was a drastic religious activist but later I found that most of religious leaders made their wealth via the very avenues they publicly condemned as being anti-environment. What I realized is that they “got theirs” but didn't want anyone else to get the same. It’s not that I now think that all these leaders are good and not harmful to the environment, but if you are going to point accusative fingers you’d better make sure the shit is cleaned from your nails first.

Bishop Dr. Ijaz Inayat 

Clergy who are members of either denomination could be subject to disciplinary measures. There are many actively involved in massive misappropriation of church properties, under various fraudulent pretexts while holding posts forming part of the pious and respected institution in Christian community but so called Bishop Sadiq Daniel from Karachi dioceses from Church of Pakistan thereby further tarnishing the image of the Christian community at large. Although it is settled principle of law that once a trust property, always a trust property; thus, no change in its status is permitted in any manner whatsoever. But this man involved in selling church properties. And finally chief of “Church Property Bachao Tehrik, Pakistan” Bishop Dr. Ijaz Inayat filed an application in Sindh High Court and luckily court considering it an urgent matter has accepted the petition and set a date for its hearing.

Christianity is still regarded as a problem and a threat by both the government and local people in the country. Christians are still being imprisoned for their faith – often constrained in shackles or stocks – and torture is endemic. The most common form of persecution involves high level pressure to abandon their faith, with sanctions commonly including forced eviction, denial of service and social exclusion. Despite all this, and due to the amazing witness of local believers, the church continues to grow.

Fanaticism, mob violence, death threats, bombings, and institutional discrimination are just some of the dangers. Christians are often denied places in schools, are forced to accept only menial jobs, and are viewed with low cast. Certainly, in this situation; we should stand against these evils in the society to save our future. They are either ordained to guard them or to sell them to thieves in few coins.