>> today on "christian world news" china's house churches petition the government to stop the abuses. >> and rebel abused territories of colombia, bold radio broadcasts are spreading the love of christ in a dangerous war zone. >> plus the growing influence of the orthodox church and concerns over new and improved relationships with the russian government. hello everyone welcome to "christian world news" i am

george thomas. >> and i am wendy griffith. a u.s. congressman pushes to make religious freedom a greater priority at the state department. the sponsor says religious freedom says it must be a greater priority. jennifer wishon reports. >> for some reon people are not as interested in religious rights and freedom than they used to be. >> when frank wolf created it in 1988, it was a dominant issue. then ron ald reagan was a force to be reckoned with. wolf says concern for religious freedom has diminished. >> in iraq where more activities took place, iraq

christians speak the same language as jesus. daniel is buried there, babylon, abraham is from iraq, esther is from iraq. now iraq christians gunned down. >> it would require religious training for all foreign officers, strengthen the countries for nations that deny religious freedom and elevate the religious freedom ambassador so they report directly to the secretary of state. [music playing]. new york city city pastor dr. suzan johnson cook has been tapped by president obama for the position and walking on to a volatile world stage. >> in pakistan, they gunned down the only christian member of the cabinent, shavez bhatti.

you have a christian woman in pakistan, in jail for blasphemy. yet we are shovelling the money into pakistan. >> dr. suzan johnson cook will identify countries that persecute people of faith and subject to u.s. sanctions. congressman wolf says religious freedom is a major issue. >> they are generally a democratic country that you are not at war with. you are not arguing with, not fighting with. >> looking ahead to 2012, congressman wolf intends to write a let ter to every candidate making religious freedom a top priority. jennifer wishon cbn news, washington. u.s. is pushing china to improve human rights there. john jessup has been in the

hearings and joins us from capitol hill. john, what is the focus of the hearingsed to? >> well, really the focus is on china's crack down on political decent. we are heard of the arab spring taking place across and fewer have heard of the jasmine revolution because these panelists and guests that congressman smith inviteed to capitol hill are arguing that is because the chinese government has aborted these demonstrations by forcibly putting political centers and human rights workers and attorneys in prison before the demonstrations could take place. >> john, how does freedom of religion take place? >> what has taken place in chinaed to is nothing new. it is a situation bad that has gotten worst.

congressman smith said in the lass disappeared as well. a lot of the same instances of abuse that are being attributed to political decentare being attributed to as well. >> all right. john jessup, thanks so much. george? house church leaders in china stand up for the persecuted shouwang church and prevented from buying new space on easter. police arrested 169 members attempting to hold services in a public park. now 19 leaders are calling on

the chinese government to guarantee religious freedom in china. joining us from washington bureau david aikman, great to have you back on the broadcast. david, this letter on behalf of shouwang church, was this a bold move on the part of the house church leaders? >> it was a very bold move. it was the first time in 60 years, the christian community as a community has addressed an appeal directly to chinese political authorities. it is a step up in the confrontation between shouwang church of about 1,000 people and the chinese government which refuses to allow them a place to worship in either bip rent or by purchase.

this appeal, petition is a real escalation of the confrontation. it is the beginning of what we'll look back on upon as china's first civil right's movement. >> i was thinking a few years ago back in 1998, how church leaders made a similar appeal and signature toirs ended up in prison. do you think this will happen? >> no. it is an urban church that are college professors and significant clout and represent a group people of whom the chinese government would like to be proud. that is highly educated, highly motivated people who are pillars of society.

and this confrontation represents a very old fashioned reaction reapproach to religious affairs that goes back to the beginning of communist party rule in china. as the petitioners in their appeals said, this represents a completely old fashioned way of dealing with religion. >> at that point, i want to read something in the times, solving this tension dween the government and family church is a complex one. you get a sense, or at least do you get a sense the government is struggling? trying to figure out how to deal, without any target, one of the fastest growing religions in chinaed to. >> i think there is confusion in the government. obviously a lot of disagreement. some government officials, even

ministers that want to say look, let's have an arrangement of religious freedom as long as you don't break the law, you can worship wherever you want to at whatever time. there are leftest part of the communist party who are adamant that communist party must control everything that goz on in society, including religious affairs. shouwang church believers say no. this freedom of conscience is inshrined to the declaration of rights. it should be honored. >> very interesting, david, as always, great to have you back on the broadcast. >> thank you very much, george. >> wendy?

former churches shut down by hosni mubarak. the new cabinent is talking about granting equality to christians who want to build churches. one christian activist? egypt called it a happy surprise. muslims have become hostile towards coptic christians, sleft left 13 people dead and a church burned. the coptic christians hope a future egyptian government will bring them new freedoms. >> that is the greatest hope of the believers in egypt. there will be an ultimate government that will protect the religious minorities of the country, that would be their greatest dream. and i think that is what we can pray for and work for

politically and spiritually and asking god to bring this about for our brothers and sisters. >> christians know the true meaning of perseverance after centuries of abuse. he called on viewers to pray that god will bring them peace. coming up, spreading peace in the midst of war in one of colombia's most dangerous combat zone.

>> president obama told hundreds of latino christian leaders that comprehensive immigration reform is a moral imperative. the president said americans skiddish about changing immigration laws said the u.s. was founded from immigrants. deuteronomy, love yee therefore you are strangers and were in

the land of egypt. >> it is more imperative when children are going to the serve in the military because of actions of their parents and live in the shadows and made vulnerable to unscrupulous businesses and nowhere to turn if they are wronged. >> president given a biling bilingual bible to improve spanish and pray it happens. kidnapings and illegal drug trafficking,ed to today the movement is shrinking. >> using radios and bibles instead of bombs and bullets. this report from colombia. >> reporter: this is what church looks like for many believerers in in the guerrilla-controlled territories of colombia. it is too dangerous for the

followers of christ to meet together. alex and his family are in the heart of a rebel-controlled area. >> the civilian population got caught up. when they couldn't find the guerrillas they would come into our houses and ransack them and try to find someone to kill. >> alex who says he always believed in god,. >> we tried to follow the lord and who he is. >> alex says the impact of the station made a big difference and that is why he is involved. >> when the radio station was first put in, a lot of opposition and threats. now most of the people are in agreement r.>> cristo russell stendal kidnapped in 1983 says

the opportunity to put it on a mountain was as a result of helping some people. >> we got invited in to this area. then little by little, with the help of uim, we were able to give backpacks to all the children of the area and that helped quite a bit. we begin to reach out to each family giving them a solar-powered radio and install the radio station in the most hostile areas in this country. >> russell and his team have to travel by night because of the kidnapping activity. they hide the vehicle and go up the mountain by horse to the transmission site. >> this is the kidnapped capitol of the world.

a lot of people comeing to the lord are former kidnappers. >> they provided funds to increase the area for the stations including venezuela which is hostile to christianity. >> the upgrade allows us to reach into areas controlled by marxist guerrillas and win them from christ. >> from the mountains the jungles of colombia, the gospel is being heard. these devices along with christian bos, sometis arve parhute. >> gabriel la was one of those converted through the radio and literature ministry of colombia. now she helps that same ministry connect with combatants in this dangerous war zone. >> guerrillas and guerrilla

sympathizers listen to the radio and study. >> they hope it will one day bring peace to one of colombia's most dangerous combat zones, for cbn news, greg muscle in colombia. how the orthodox church could affect religious freedom coming up.

>> welcome back. under the soviet union, the communist persecuted the russian orthodox church for decades. >> the church has grown in size and influence. it is using the newfound power against other churches. >> for 8 years, this man ran the largest baptist organizations in russia. now 20 years after the fall of

communism, he worries about the growing threats against the country's evangelical movement. >> it was supposed to usher in greater religious freedom. i am concerned we are mufing moving in the wrong direction. >> cozy relationship between the russian government and the russian orthodox church. >> for example, the government recently introduced religious classes based on the principles of orthodox churches in public schools. late last year the russian president announced an initiative -- no religion can be a state religion. >> russian gives credit to these 2 men for elevating the church's prominence. the media shows the leaders attending church services.

head of russia's pen pentecostal union, he meets with the leaders. he worries the influence is coming at the expense of religious freedom. specially for minority groups such as christians, jews, and buddhists. >> for example, if evangelicals can't buy a piece of land to build a church. >> churches destroyed during the soviet era are being rebuilt with russian tax payor money. the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars restoring some 23,000 churches. we found mixed reactions on the streets of moscow of the

growing bond between church and state. >> i am happy, but need to look at to islamic countries in the middle east to see the potential danagers between religion and state. >> the head of the orthodox church is on a mission to expand powers and influence. >> the new head of the russian orthodox church is attempting to turn the church -- it is old and out of date. >> orthodox's biggest come competitors, charismatic churches. >> cbn news received a document backed by the orthodox church.

study is titled, ways to weaken the pentecostal sects and help their victims. >> they are viewed as cults and something to be suspicious of. >> once a persecuted minority, evangelical christians are exerting more influence by displaying what it means to be a true follower of jesus christ. >> people are looking for authentic life styles and relationships. we have the opportunity to demonstrate what a personal relationship with jesus is like. >> for more stories about christianity in russia and daily reports on the work of the church around the world, check out our website cwnews.org. we'll be back right after this.

>> finally this week the reverend billy graham is doing

better after getting agreement from a north carolina hospital. >> reporter: the 92-year-old e evangelist was in the hospital. >> he is in good health and good spirits. for someone who is 92 years of age with all the health concerns and mileage, he is doing pretty well. we are keeping an eye on him. >> graham rarely entered public. graham's wife ruth bell graham died in 2007, and family friend glen will cox says graham miss her greatly. >> i do know he is ready. he is anxious to go to heaven some day to be with ruth. but he said i don't need to go

right this minute. >> testing shows graham's heart is normal and doctors say he is clinically stable. >> it is amazing to me how sharp hils mind is and talk intelligent about a lot of things. his physical body is just warn out. >> graham was hospitalized in 2008 after a fall at home. heather sells, cbn news. >> i was fortunate enough to be at his revival in new york city. >> he is a titan. >> you said it well. >> from all of us here at "christian world news" good-bye and god bless you. (speaking in international language) and he said unto them

go ye into all of the world and preach the gospel preach the gospel  ♪very creature in the world. (applause)