White House Condemns Possible Execution Of Iranian Pastor

Et per eum reconciliare omnia in ipsum, pacificans per sanguinem crucis eius. (Colossians 1:20)

The United States has condemned Iran over plans to execute a Pastor who refused to renounce Christianity for Islam and called for his sentence to be overturned, according to FOX News.

Youcef Nadarkhani, 32, who maintains he has never been a Muslim as an adult, has Islamic ancestry and therefore must recant his faith in Jesus Christ, the 11th branch of Iran's Gilan Provincial Court has ruled.

Iran's Supreme Court had ordered the trial court to determine whether Nadarkhani had been a Muslim prior to converting to Christianity.

Worthy News reported that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of the Church of Iran was asked by the Gilan provincial court in the city of Rasht to "repent" ahead of his next hearing Tuesday, September 27.

However Nadarkhani declined, according to comments obtained by BosNewsLife.

“Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?", the 34-year-old Church leader asked during his first hearing Sunday, September 25.

When the court told him to return "to the religion of your ancestors, Islam" Nadarkhani replied: "I can not".

Although the court found that Pastor Nadarkhani was not a practicing Muslim adult, the court said he remains guilty of apostasy because he has Muslim ancestry.

Church officials say there may be as many as 100.000 devoted Christians in the country and that Iran's leadership is concerned about the spread of Christianity.

The impending execution in Iran of the Christian Pastor for his religious beliefs is a very sad story indeed.

"Et quidam Pharisaeorum de turbis dixerunt ad illum: 'Magister, increpa discipulos tuos'. Quibes ipse ait: 'Dico vobis quia si hii tacuerint, lapides clamabunt' ", Luke 19:39 - 40.