Church Releases Statement Regarding Suspected Terrorist Attack on Adventist Church in Pakistan

Spectrum Website
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On Sunday evening, April 15, suspected terrorists opened fire in front of the Quetta Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pakistan, killing two and injuring eight. One of those killed was the 18-year old son of an Adventist church member. The leaders of the major political parties have condemned this brutal attack, for which the Islamic State (ISIS) has now claimed responsibility.

As Seventh-day Adventists, we are very saddened by this senseless attack. The Seventh-day Adventist church has over 20 million members worldwide with 12,000 of them in Pakistan. We condemn violence in all its forms. Instead, we seek to share compassion and peace with our neighbors and those in need through our community programs and assistance.

During this difficult time, we are humbled by the care and support of our Christian and Muslim friends. We ask for prayers and support for the families of those who have lost their loved ones as we mourn this tragedy and look forward to the coming of God. Together, may we seek God’s compassion and peace so that violence and hatred will be overcome.

Quetta is located north of Karachi and west of Lahore, near the Afghanistan border.

This statement was written by the Southern Asia-Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists and originally appeared on the Adventist News Network. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://spectrummagazine.org/node/8711
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So sad for all. They are no respecters of persons- this will continue. :weary:

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And the GC is eagerly anticipating baptizing EIGHTEEN MILLION Muslims in the next ten years??

What a pipe dream !!

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They can eagerly anticipate anything…remember the big push to evangelize the big cities a few years ago? Based upon this “success” they can now set even more ambitious (and potentially more lethal) goals to baptize Muslims. What could go wrong??

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It is rather sad that even when people are killed and injured, our Christianity does not allow us to [maybe] sympathise with the victims and their families. What is of more concern to us are the numbers we could add to our ranks

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Wait a minute! Why not give kudos where kudos seem due. This statement is sensitive and compassionate. If I scrutinized it at length maybe I’d find reason for some cavil, but to express thanks (that’s the effect) for support from both Christian and Muslim friends gives reason, doesn’t it, to complement the authors of the statement.

I understand cynicism, but must it govern every response?

Chuck

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Chuck, my first comment was about the sadness of the event…which is an emotional response that most humans have to any thing they see and read. I believe that most would not be focusing upon the ‘sensitivity” in which the SDA statement was written because it is primarily a corporate communique.

It is nice that it briefly mentions the Muslims brothers and Christians working together but from a political standpoint this exactly what they should have written. Perhaps for some of us this is what we have come to expect- for better or for worse.

What is more revealing are those articles that get little or no comments…and those who only focus upon one or two types of topics to comment upon.

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