Welcome to the Liberty Insider. 00:00:22.17\00:00:23.98 This is a program brining you news, views, up-to-dates 00:00:24.01\00:00:27.19 and analysis of religious liberty events 00:00:27.22\00:00:29.97 in the United States and around the world. 00:00:30.00\00:00:32.46 My name is Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty Magazine. 00:00:32.49\00:00:36.35 And my guest on the program is Orlan Johnson. 00:00:36.38\00:00:40.83 Here we go-- I've introduced you before. 00:00:40.86\00:00:43.42 Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director 00:00:43.45\00:00:45.71 for the North American division 00:00:45.74\00:00:47.02 of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 00:00:47.05\00:00:48.53 That would be, yeah. 00:00:48.56\00:00:49.74 Lawyer, what else can I-- man about town-- 00:00:49.77\00:00:55.57 no, and I hope a good friend. 00:00:55.60\00:00:58.47 And I've appreciated your comments in the past. 00:00:58.50\00:01:01.73 Let's talk about something that I know, 00:01:01.76\00:01:04.85 we've both been involved in this at general conference 00:01:04.88\00:01:07.15 at our head quarters, general conference committee on-- 00:01:07.18\00:01:10.96 if you get the exact title prosecuted members 00:01:10.99\00:01:12.79 of something of that-- 00:01:12.82\00:01:13.89 Yeah, defensive prosecuted member. 00:01:13.92\00:01:15.69 Defending prosecuted members and for quite a long time 00:01:15.72\00:01:19.04 that committee has been dealing with a great now success story. 00:01:19.07\00:01:23.70 Seventh-day Adventist was in jail 00:01:23.73\00:01:27.28 essentially for his faith in Togo. 00:01:27.31\00:01:29.80 Yeah. Pastor Antonio Monteiro. 00:01:29.83\00:01:32.89 Pastor Monteiro was his name. Yeah, what is that told you. 00:01:32.92\00:01:34.99 What about your take on that story? 00:01:35.02\00:01:36.90 You know, its told me a couple of things. 00:01:36.93\00:01:39.01 One is the idea that sometimes you think 00:01:39.04\00:01:43.06 the world understands who we are as Adventists 00:01:43.09\00:01:46.00 that more than we think. 00:01:46.03\00:01:48.41 It also reminded me 00:01:48.44\00:01:50.11 of also the story of how even in the midst 00:01:50.14\00:01:53.26 of probably a worse situation you can be 00:01:53.29\00:01:56.19 and that God is still there 00:01:56.22\00:01:57.67 and still has a job for you to do 00:01:57.70\00:01:59.59 and I think the combination 00:01:59.62\00:02:01.00 of both of those aspects of the story 00:02:01.03\00:02:03.47 have really impacted me in a very strong way. 00:02:03.50\00:02:07.50 You know, Pastor Monteiro was obviously an individual 00:02:07.53\00:02:10.27 who had been serving someone 00:02:10.30\00:02:12.56 who ended up accusing him of engaging 00:02:12.59\00:02:15.13 in some wrong doing and then all of a sudden-- 00:02:15.16\00:02:16.58 Well, it was a huge wrong doing. 00:02:16.61\00:02:18.26 It was the death of that nine young women 00:02:18.29\00:02:20.60 who apparently their blood had been drained 00:02:20.63\00:02:23.55 and it was said for some animistic ritual. 00:02:23.58\00:02:27.04 Yeah. 00:02:27.07\00:02:28.10 And, and it was something that was a severe tragedy. 00:02:28.13\00:02:31.90 It was not only local but their national news 00:02:31.93\00:02:35.28 and became worldwide news and we have one of our own 00:02:35.31\00:02:39.26 Seventh-day Adventist pastors as well as other members 00:02:39.29\00:02:42.49 that were drawn into this controversy 00:02:42.52\00:02:44.73 and found themselves in prison as a result of it. 00:02:44.76\00:02:47.94 And as the trial or at least the-- 00:02:47.97\00:02:50.45 in the early past before there was a trial 00:02:50.48\00:02:52.67 but as the issue blew up quickly 00:02:52.70\00:02:54.96 there was misinformation and prejudicial statements on-- 00:02:54.99\00:02:57.94 even on television programs against Adventist 00:02:57.97\00:03:00.70 and Christians and Togo is not a majority Christian country, 00:03:00.73\00:03:05.60 as I remember 25% Christian, 25% Islam and the rest 00:03:05.63\00:03:09.78 combination of animist and they knew nothing. 00:03:09.81\00:03:12.25 Yeah, I think in terms of, you know, we talk about 00:03:12.28\00:03:15.25 what we are known as, as Adventist instead 00:03:15.28\00:03:17.79 I think many of us and... both here 00:03:17.82\00:03:20.79 and across the world probably thought, 00:03:20.82\00:03:22.81 well, you know, once they realize 00:03:22.84\00:03:24.31 that this was a Seventh-day Adventist minister 00:03:24.34\00:03:26.29 that we don't engage in all of these blood rituals 00:03:26.32\00:03:29.07 and things of that nature and it would have 00:03:29.10\00:03:30.96 brought everything to a screeching halt. 00:03:30.99\00:03:33.19 And then we come to find out, 00:03:33.22\00:03:34.44 you know, they really don't know, 00:03:34.47\00:03:35.88 that, that's not who we are 00:03:35.91\00:03:38.38 and that I think was a bit of shock 00:03:38.41\00:03:40.77 to a lot of us to know 00:03:40.80\00:03:42.24 that you know what, we thought 00:03:42.27\00:03:43.30 that maybe they saw us little bit different, 00:03:43.33\00:03:45.65 we had more exposure to who we were 00:03:45.68\00:03:48.23 and I think that was also part of the struggle of, 00:03:48.26\00:03:51.19 of kind of fighting through all of this 00:03:51.22\00:03:52.59 and as you mentioned just trying to get 00:03:52.62\00:03:54.16 to a trial was critical. 00:03:54.19\00:03:55.75 And then by God's grace we actually one day 00:03:55.78\00:03:57.70 actually got to have a trial to deal. 00:03:57.73\00:04:00.06 And he was exonerated. 00:04:00.09\00:04:03.51 He never really seem to be evidence 00:04:03.54\00:04:05.65 in the classic sense against him. 00:04:05.68\00:04:07.68 It was one person's unsupported statement 00:04:07.71\00:04:11.30 that he retracted and beyond that really nothing. 00:04:11.33\00:04:14.00 That was pretty clear there wasn't a lot of evidence 00:04:14.03\00:04:16.29 but I think sometimes as you would see in Togo 00:04:16.32\00:04:18.76 as you see in other places 00:04:18.79\00:04:20.11 when their crimes that have been committed 00:04:20.14\00:04:22.44 everyone is looking for somebody 00:04:22.47\00:04:24.16 that has to pay the price or be the scapegoat 00:04:24.19\00:04:27.01 for those crimes that have been committed 00:04:27.04\00:04:28.83 and I think Pastor Monteiro and Bruno Amah 00:04:28.86\00:04:31.82 and some of the others were kind of caught 00:04:31.85\00:04:33.16 into that particular blame. 00:04:33.19\00:04:34.22 Adventist laymen that was also accused of the same thing. 00:04:34.25\00:04:36.66 Yeah. 00:04:36.69\00:04:38.08 I watched some footage 00:04:38.11\00:04:39.14 from a recent film on Nelson Mandela 00:04:39.17\00:04:42.30 which was very closely by stand history 00:04:42.33\00:04:44.72 and of course he was sent 00:04:44.75\00:04:45.78 to prison for-- was it 27 years? 00:04:45.81\00:04:48.39 Twenty seven years. 00:04:48.42\00:04:49.47 Twenty seven years for his-- and he was acting illegally. 00:04:49.50\00:04:53.10 I mean, he was part of resistance movement 00:04:53.13\00:04:55.31 but when he was brought to trial 00:04:55.34\00:04:56.91 and the judge brought the verdict 00:04:56.94\00:04:58.43 in they expected the death penalty 00:04:58.46\00:05:00.63 and I think it was an exact quote he says, 00:05:00.66\00:05:03.18 you know, we are not an uncivilized country. 00:05:03.21\00:05:05.57 So in front of the world I'm not gonna execute you guys. 00:05:05.60\00:05:08.06 You have life imprisonment. Life in prison. 00:05:08.09\00:05:09.67 Well, that reminded me of pastor Amah. 00:05:09.70\00:05:12.12 Yeah. 00:05:12.15\00:05:13.19 Here as you say there was a search 00:05:13.22\00:05:14.88 for culprits or scapegoats 00:05:14.91\00:05:19.30 and Pastor Monteiro they had nothing on him. 00:05:19.33\00:05:21.44 He was released and they had essentially nothing on Amah 00:05:21.47\00:05:25.04 but they are not an uncivilized country 00:05:25.07\00:05:28.22 but I think something very uncivilized has been done 00:05:28.25\00:05:31.16 to this layperson who at the moment 00:05:31.19\00:05:34.04 is languishing in jail 00:05:34.07\00:05:35.48 and we haven't given on him yet. 00:05:35.51\00:05:36.69 That's a great thing. 00:05:36.72\00:05:37.85 I see in this committee our church will defend him. 00:05:37.88\00:05:40.65 Not that we have power and the classic sense 00:05:40.68\00:05:43.30 but we have moral suasion and we will, we will continue. 00:05:43.33\00:05:47.32 But someone else on that committee too that impressed me 00:05:47.35\00:05:51.17 that was brought before the committee. 00:05:51.20\00:05:52.67 A young man in Pakistan or what? 00:05:52.70\00:05:54.19 Yeah. Yeah. 00:05:54.22\00:05:56.26 What was his crime? 00:05:56.29\00:05:57.32 Well, I think his crime was simply talking 00:05:57.35\00:06:00.15 about his Christian belief and being termed 00:06:00.18\00:06:02.78 as being blasphemies in some way. 00:06:02.81\00:06:05.43 And that you know, but self 00:06:05.46\00:06:06.92 and Pakistan was enough to allow 00:06:06.95\00:06:08.83 this individual to find himself in jail 00:06:08.86\00:06:11.84 and for him to be you know, 00:06:11.87\00:06:14.42 convicted for at life imprison as a result of it. 00:06:14.45\00:06:18.32 And its' the classic case of violation 00:06:18.35\00:06:21.95 of ones religious rights in a way 00:06:21.98\00:06:23.84 that we can't even conceptualize 00:06:23.87\00:06:26.26 sometimes in the western world 00:06:26.29\00:06:27.85 but this is the reality of what's happening 00:06:27.88\00:06:30.44 across the globe and that something 00:06:30.47\00:06:32.28 that we as Christians need to understand. 00:06:32.31\00:06:34.18 We have to fight the fight for everyone everywhere 00:06:34.21\00:06:36.68 because that makes the difference. 00:06:36.71\00:06:37.82 You know, the western world is not like 00:06:37.85\00:06:40.22 that part of the world right now 00:06:40.25\00:06:41.57 but we've been through those years 00:06:41.60\00:06:43.20 and not just on religion. 00:06:43.23\00:06:44.51 Remember in the US 00:06:44.54\00:06:45.69 under the Alien and Sedition Acts 00:06:45.72\00:06:48.05 just to speak against the president 00:06:48.08\00:06:51.42 was a capital crime. 00:06:51.45\00:06:53.16 We don't know that they ever executed anyone but it was. 00:06:53.19\00:06:55.78 Yeah. 00:06:55.81\00:06:56.88 And during World War II, I think it was in the US 00:06:56.91\00:07:01.41 it was an offence to-- 00:07:01.44\00:07:04.26 and the wording was sort of strange 00:07:04.29\00:07:06.49 to speak disparagingly in US. 00:07:06.52\00:07:08.30 Yeah. 00:07:08.33\00:07:09.40 I mean, you know, there are so many 00:07:09.43\00:07:11.17 what I would call rules, regulations 00:07:11.20\00:07:13.18 and laws and statutes 00:07:13.21\00:07:15.78 that come into place that many of us aren't even aware of 00:07:15.81\00:07:19.37 and we have to spend so much time 00:07:19.40\00:07:21.28 trying to understand the world in which we live but, 00:07:21.31\00:07:24.14 but the interesting thing I'm still blown away 00:07:24.17\00:07:26.82 by even Pastor Monteiro's testimony 00:07:26.85\00:07:29.39 is despite the fact that he was in jail 00:07:29.42\00:07:31.67 for two and half years for something he did not commit 00:07:31.70\00:07:34.61 and clearly was not involved. 00:07:34.64\00:07:36.44 The impact that he had in the prison 00:07:36.47\00:07:38.59 was witnessing was phenomenal. 00:07:38.62\00:07:41.04 And when you hear his testimony 00:07:41.07\00:07:43.27 and the questions asked 00:07:43.30\00:07:44.66 well, would you do anything differently, 00:07:44.69\00:07:46.31 would you like to seen a difference? 00:07:46.34\00:07:48.14 His view is well, that's where God 00:07:48.17\00:07:50.43 wanted me to be in that particular vineyard 00:07:50.46\00:07:52.70 at that time and I'm okay with that. 00:07:52.73\00:07:54.85 And to me that's just a powerful statement 00:07:54.88\00:07:57.69 in this story that really knocks over. 00:07:57.72\00:07:59.37 Oh, makes you think 00:07:59.40\00:08:00.43 and this is the second time around for me 00:08:00.46\00:08:02.68 because we had another case 00:08:02.71\00:08:04.84 that 15 years ago with Pastor Alexander 00:08:04.87\00:08:11.90 in Sri Lanka and he was-- 00:08:11.93\00:08:14.38 we thought he was gonna be executed 00:08:14.41\00:08:15.73 on trial for terrorism. 00:08:15.76\00:08:17.09 Really because he was a Christian in a place 00:08:17.12\00:08:19.64 and the Tamil in a country where there is a civil war 00:08:19.67\00:08:22.82 between the two ethnic groups and Christianity on the outs. 00:08:22.85\00:08:25.91 And he was in jail for two years, 00:08:25.94\00:08:27.80 raised up a church of 60 members in the prison 00:08:27.83\00:08:30.09 and he said the same thing. 00:08:30.12\00:08:31.64 He says, no I believe 00:08:31.67\00:08:32.70 that God wanted me to be there. 00:08:32.73\00:08:33.78 Yeah. 00:08:33.81\00:08:34.84 And in fact, he didn't want to be released initially 00:08:34.87\00:08:37.42 and agreed to when another pastor imprisoned 00:08:37.45\00:08:41.41 and was able to carry on the work. 00:08:41.44\00:08:43.30 I mean, it was amazing 00:08:43.33\00:08:44.36 when you saw the prison guards that were waving 00:08:44.39\00:08:46.70 at Pastor Monteiro when he was leaving 00:08:46.73\00:08:49.63 and they clearly respected he gone out well. 00:08:49.66\00:08:53.12 He was there and I mean, 00:08:53.15\00:08:55.60 he came home basically to a hero's welcome. 00:08:55.63\00:08:59.18 And the impact that his story is probably having 00:08:59.21\00:09:02.98 a worldwide basis or in particular in his, 00:09:03.01\00:09:06.18 you know, section of the world where he lives 00:09:06.21\00:09:07.94 I think its phenomenal 00:09:07.97\00:09:09.12 and probably would not have happened 00:09:09.15\00:09:10.80 but for the unbelievably harsh circumstances 00:09:10.83\00:09:14.17 that he was in. 00:09:14.20\00:09:15.47 But sometimes its a reminder 00:09:15.50\00:09:17.02 that you know, sometimes the Lord knows 00:09:17.05\00:09:19.09 that you are the person that has to afford it to, 00:09:19.12\00:09:21.22 to be able to withstand something 00:09:21.25\00:09:23.06 that can actually make a difference in his world. 00:09:23.09\00:09:25.42 And I think Pastor Monteiro to me 00:09:25.45\00:09:27.27 is an unbelievable testimony. 00:09:27.30\00:09:28.79 Well, Paul said, my grace is sufficient for the-- 00:09:28.82\00:09:30.70 Absolutely. 00:09:30.73\00:09:31.76 So if we trust in God, 00:09:31.79\00:09:33.81 He will empower us to do what He's asked us to do. 00:09:33.84\00:09:36.24 Yeah, but it still reminds these two 00:09:36.27\00:09:37.89 that the world is dangerous place. 00:09:37.92\00:09:39.93 Very dangerous place. And the world is always-- 00:09:39.96\00:09:41.97 And not just over there I believe even western society 00:09:42.00\00:09:46.29 is deeply antithetical to committed truth, 00:09:46.32\00:09:50.57 deeply committed faith. 00:09:50.60\00:09:51.81 And you will be seen as the other 00:09:51.84\00:09:54.46 and while we are not hedged about 00:09:54.49\00:09:57.11 by trouble some laws as much low 00:09:57.14\00:09:59.68 when the cops stops here, 00:09:59.71\00:10:01.04 they start looking at your tail light, 00:10:01.07\00:10:02.54 you tire, they can almost pluck anything out of the book 00:10:02.57\00:10:05.74 somewhere to get you if they want to. 00:10:05.77\00:10:07.02 Yeah. Yeah. 00:10:07.05\00:10:08.11 But the laws are not usually applied that way. 00:10:08.14\00:10:10.33 But even in this country in the United States 00:10:10.36\00:10:13.44 I think the society is deeply uncongenial 00:10:13.47\00:10:17.09 to a truly dedicated Christian 00:10:17.12\00:10:19.27 who will not compromise on principle. 00:10:19.30\00:10:21.38 Well, I mean, we have to be cautions in our view 00:10:21.41\00:10:24.28 even in the United States where we believe that, 00:10:24.31\00:10:26.72 you know, our religion is a critical part of who we are, 00:10:26.75\00:10:30.17 you know, one nation under guard 00:10:30.20\00:10:32.60 and but at the end of the day we also need to understand 00:10:32.63\00:10:35.43 that the changes that happen and the laws that get created 00:10:35.46\00:10:39.19 so rarely are based on religious conversations 00:10:39.22\00:10:42.87 and its something usually be expedient or political. 00:10:42.90\00:10:46.30 The same thing that we saw hundreds of years ago 00:10:46.33\00:10:48.99 in other places will be the same thing that we will see 00:10:49.02\00:10:51.67 well, one day we will wake up and at a flip of a coin 00:10:51.70\00:10:55.31 we will be wondering where did this all come from 00:10:55.34\00:10:57.66 and its because its not simply about some nice theoretically 00:10:57.69\00:11:01.41 and esoteric conversation of religion 00:11:01.44\00:11:03.80 but its the fact that at some point 00:11:03.83\00:11:05.78 the world is gonna change and prophesies made clear 00:11:05.81\00:11:07.82 that's gonna be the case. 00:11:07.85\00:11:08.88 Absolutely. 00:11:08.91\00:11:10.00 You are almost talking in code. I know what you say. 00:11:10.03\00:11:13.22 But one thing that's coming out again from this committee to me 00:11:13.25\00:11:19.33 and its my reading of history as well of seeing 00:11:19.36\00:11:22.06 these particular cases, while it seems no encouraging 00:11:22.09\00:11:28.62 but its inspiring to read a case of someone 00:11:28.65\00:11:30.85 because they were Christian because they read the Bible, 00:11:30.88\00:11:34.81 they were then put against a wall 00:11:34.84\00:11:37.17 or on a stake and burned or whatever 00:11:37.20\00:11:39.26 its not usually that one dimensional. 00:11:39.29\00:11:41.71 Right. 00:11:41.74\00:11:43.45 The underlying antipathy or reason maybe 00:11:43.48\00:11:47.54 because there are Christian or because they are Adventist 00:11:47.57\00:11:49.81 or because they are Jehovah's Witnesses whatever it is 00:11:49.84\00:11:53.45 but usually the excuse is some 00:11:53.48\00:11:55.81 they are like they said to Jesus, 00:11:55.84\00:11:57.79 or to Elijah the troubler in Israel. 00:11:57.82\00:11:59.90 Right. 00:11:59.93\00:12:00.96 They don't fit with the thing 00:12:00.99\00:12:02.42 so the fact that Monteiro was rounded up 00:12:02.45\00:12:06.87 as a possible criminal on a horrible murder 00:12:06.90\00:12:09.82 I don't think it takes it away 00:12:09.85\00:12:11.39 from religious liberty thing at all 00:12:11.42\00:12:12.90 because its very plain that underneath of all 00:12:12.93\00:12:15.46 it was this misunderstanding 00:12:15.49\00:12:17.35 and even prejudice against his faith. 00:12:17.38\00:12:19.15 Yeah, and I think that's one of the things 00:12:19.18\00:12:21.06 that we have to understand 00:12:21.09\00:12:22.67 it's not always gonna be the grand issues 00:12:22.70\00:12:24.76 or the grand stands that make it different. 00:12:24.79\00:12:27.43 Its still small new ones interpretations 00:12:27.46\00:12:30.24 that individuals will be able to utilize 00:12:30.27\00:12:32.66 that we work against us 00:12:32.69\00:12:34.36 and one of the strengths of laws 00:12:34.39\00:12:37.13 is that they have a tremendous amount of flexibility 00:12:37.16\00:12:39.58 but one of the frightening things about the laws 00:12:39.61\00:12:42.55 is that they have a tremendous amount of flexibility. 00:12:42.58\00:12:44.70 Yeah. And so-- 00:12:44.73\00:12:47.49 Or lot of digressing will be applied by someone with a view 00:12:47.52\00:12:51.36 that could rather be favorable 00:12:51.39\00:12:52.62 or incredible negative towards you. 00:12:52.65\00:12:54.36 And depending on what political staff 00:12:54.39\00:12:56.23 is in charge at any one at any point given time 00:12:56.26\00:12:59.19 or what Supreme Court decision may come down 00:12:59.22\00:13:01.44 based on who the justice maybe 00:13:01.47\00:13:03.57 all of a sudden the same laws that you thought 00:13:03.60\00:13:06.17 were there to protect you are now the same laws 00:13:06.20\00:13:08.26 are starting to strangle you. 00:13:08.29\00:13:09.71 Well, I was-- before you started in North America 00:13:09.74\00:13:13.79 but I remember John Graz, 00:13:13.82\00:13:15.73 General Conference leader was fired up for long time. 00:13:15.76\00:13:17.96 We had articles about France 00:13:17.99\00:13:19.98 and they had a government at that time 00:13:20.01\00:13:22.83 and director of CULTs who had a view point 00:13:22.86\00:13:27.66 that certain religions were not acceptable in the society 00:13:27.69\00:13:30.50 so they deregistered them. 00:13:30.53\00:13:31.91 They didn't need to prosecute deregistered religion. 00:13:31.94\00:13:34.77 Right. 00:13:34.80\00:13:35.84 The most common things of life that we take for granted 00:13:35.87\00:13:38.56 is just the way of doing business in society 00:13:38.59\00:13:40.59 but then use against them. 00:13:40.62\00:13:41.94 Building permits were hard to come by, 00:13:41.97\00:13:44.03 they would be more common audits, 00:13:44.06\00:13:45.33 they will not get tax deductibility, 00:13:45.36\00:13:48.58 the parents would be required to send them to school 00:13:48.61\00:13:51.38 rather than giving exemption on their holidays and so on. 00:13:51.41\00:13:52.79 Yeah. Yeah. 00:13:52.82\00:13:53.85 So all put together that's prosecution. 00:13:53.88\00:13:56.40 We see these-- 00:13:56.43\00:13:57.47 And the arm of the law can be very efficient 00:13:57.50\00:13:59.72 in just making it impossible 00:13:59.75\00:14:02.72 to keep to your faith or practice it. 00:14:02.75\00:14:04.17 And that's why it's so important 00:14:04.20\00:14:05.69 that we not just simply look 00:14:05.72\00:14:07.18 for these big sings in the skies 00:14:07.21\00:14:09.08 that something is going wrong. 00:14:09.11\00:14:11.02 I mean, I've lived in 00:14:11.05\00:14:12.37 and worked in jurisdictions where there are now 00:14:12.40\00:14:14.32 more auditoriums and building new churches 00:14:14.35\00:14:16.71 because they simple know 00:14:16.74\00:14:17.77 that the land is not gonna be taxable. 00:14:17.80\00:14:19.51 Yeah, that's troublesome. All of that's there. 00:14:19.54\00:14:21.30 We'll be back after a break to continue this, 00:14:21.33\00:14:23.89 this lot of hidden then what was just said. 00:14:23.92\00:14:26.95 Stay with us. 00:14:26.98\00:14:28.34