What Is The Christian Response To the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Hello, Brothers and Sisters in Jesus,

I'm sure that if you have been following the news at all, that you are aware that a nuclear deal has been reached with Iran. When I got up this morning and checked emails, I heard the morning news, "A nuclear deal has been reached with Iran." For many months, we have watched as these talks kept getting extended. I'm sure we all know that Iran is considered our enemy and the enemy of Israel, our ally and God's historical people.

Now I must offer a disclaimer before I start this post. I know next to nothing about foreign policy or about the implications of this deal for us or for the world. I know that people are either swearing by or swearing at this nuclear deal. I know that the deal is conditional upon Iran holding up their end of the bargain. Like everyone else, I certainly do not want Iran to be empowered to build weapons against us or anyone else. It remains to be seen if this deal will help or backfire. I do not take a position on the deal itself.

But whenever the media talks about deals with Iran and when I heard the news this morning about the deal that America struck with Iran, I do not think so much about the deal itself.

I was thinking about Pastor Saeed Abedini and his family. I was thinking about three other Americans and their families. I was thinking about these four Americans and their families because these four Americans have been in Iranian prisons for years. And it looks like they have been abandoned, at least by our American government. I am very sure that four families are experiencing incredible personal pain because the State Department has provided no word that their loved ones will be freed from incarceration in Iran. Yet the media, in all their coverage about this deal, are saying nothing about these four Americans or their families. Nothing that I can discern.

When you think of Iran, what do you think of? Nuclear weapons?

If your answer is that when you think of Iran, you think of nuclear weapons, that is totally understandable. The media give us the impression that Iran's nuclear threat to us all is all we need to know about this country. But the media often withhold valuable, needed information from us. We dare not depend on the media alone to get our information. If you will do your research, you will discover that Iran is an oppressive Muslim stronghold country and Iran's leaders oppress their own people even as they indeed pose a threat to the world. You may be aware that four Americans have been in Iran's prisons for years. Pastor Saeed Abedini, has been imprisoned for his faith for over three years. His wife has done all she could to persuade Congress and the American government to release her husband. She has traveled overseas to the United Kingdom to advocate for her husband. I'm sure the families of the other three Americans have put forth similar heroic efforts to secure their loved one's releases. Nonprofits have created petitions that millions of Western Christians have signed, demanding that President Obama release Pastor Saeed and the other three Americans. One petition called on the President not make no deal with Iran without securing the releases of the four Americans. President Obama has opposed this measure and, today, it sadly seems like all the families' pleas and our pleases have gone unheard by the American government. Yes, to be fair, Congress has voted to release the four Americans but without Presidential co-operation.

So where do we go from here?

You will never hear about it from the media, but the people of Iran are reportedly incredibly open to God. In fact, the Church in Iran is reportedly the fastest-growing Church in the whole world! The Iranian people are so disenchanted by their oppression that they have become open to the true God and are reported to be responding to Jesus in record numbers! What will a nuclear deal mean to the Iranian people? The media, of course, are not going to ask such a question. What do our brothers and sisters in Christ think of this nuclear deal?

This post is not being written to take a position on the nuclear agreement with Iran. This deal is already dividing people along political lines. I encourage you to respond to this by looking at Iran from Heaven's point of view, and to maybe join God in what He is doing in Iran by praying, giving, and advocacy.

Blessings in Christ,

Lisa DeSherlia

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