Saddleback Church to launch new 'signature' ministry to help persecuted Christians around the world

http://pakistanchristian.tv/news/2009-11-10_Saddleback_Church_to_launch_new_signature_ministry_to_help_persecuted_Chris.cfm

I then talked with Michael Cromartie, who was appointed in 2004 by President George W. Bush to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, who explained, “The purpose of the commission is to monitor, evaluate and highlight religious persecution and the lack of religious liberty around the globe. I’ve seen the difficult situations many believers are in because of the regimes they live under.”

“The real issue is that religious freedom is a human right. It's the first freedom, and when it's honored, all other freedoms seem to come into play.”

I then asked him if he had seen any improvement in persecution, and he said, “Well, governments still want to control, and they force churches to register with them so they can monitor all meetings. Christianity is growing, and when they grow in these places, what ends up happening is that you get more persecution.”