The Constitution of the United States says, “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” (Article VI). That little sentence is a great blessing, as the following story from the Wall Street Journal demonstrates.
Egypt is divided into 27 regions, each led by a governor appointed by the prime minister of Egypt. All these governors have been Muslims, except in the upper Nile governorate of Qena. Qena has 3 million people; 1 million are Coptic Christians. When the new Egyptian prime minister appointed General Emad Mikhail, a Christian, to be governor, fundamentalist Salafi Muslims protested. An activist said, “The imams said that a Christian cannot rule over Muslims.” Angry crowds shouted, “We want a Muslim!” One Christian who had his ear cut off by the Salafis said, “Here there is a war against the Copts.” In response to the protests and violence, the national government suspended the new Christian governor for three months and replaced him with the deputy governor, a Muslim. (WSJ, June 11-12; A1, 10)
So when you pray, include a prayer for persecuted Christians. And also offer a prayer of thanks for that little sentence, “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
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