Obama rules recall Christian abuse

As I read about the Obama administration’s stipulating that an organization, to be defined as a “religious employer,” must primarily serve only people of their own faith, it reminded me of my days as a missionary in Niger Republic, a primarily Muslim country in West Africa.

The Christians were not allowed to build or enlarge a church unless it was entirely contained in the grass-walled compound of the pastor’s home. No entrance to a public street was allowed. If trucks came into town and were willing to pay laborers to load or unload their goods only Muslims were allowed to take the job and Christians were shoved aside.

That we ran a clinic, to which hundreds of sick people flocked, distressed the Muslim teachers, who often petitioned the government to close us down, making their neglect of their own people look bad. Because Niger received backing for their currency from the Bank of France, the government did not close the clinic. Today, however, the clinic is closed.

It seems our administration does not understand that Christians are told to “do good unto all men” and that the “love of Christ constrains us.” The Obama regulations would exclude all hospitals, schools and social work from “religious employer.” It is getting to resemble the way Christians were treated in Muslim Niger Republic.

Priscilla Weese

Wheaton