recently, he mentioned he is considered unclean and filthy because he is a convert and he is a christian. so he doesn't get the medical treatment other prisoners get. he doesn't get pain medication that the other prisoners get. so many times he cannot sleep at night because of the intense pain. but the one thing he continually talks about is that he has joy, he has immense joy, because he knows that this is for christ. so he says many times in his

letters, in talking to me, that the joy of the lord is his strength. and the lord is meeting him there. >> wendy: how are you and your children doing? how are you staying strong and how can you pray for you? >> i cling to god and not letting go. and asking -- he says if we ask, he gives it to us. his peace and joy and calm. and once you connect to him and cling to him, no storm, whatever it may be that comes your way -- and all of us have some storms in our life -- can shake you. he is in control, and he will bring everything for good and for his gloror which is what we want. i'm teaching the ds to do that. we worship and we pray, and we trust jesus. >> wendy: what a courageous lady. our prayers go out to her and her children and her husband. the aclj has a petition urging every branch of government to speak out for the american pastor. so far more than 230,000 people have signed up. you can add your name to the

aclj's website. you can find that link at cbnnews.com. iran's islamic regime has had a tough time fighting the rapid spread of christianity in the last few years. our own gary lane had a rare look at iran's church during his visit there a few years ago. we covered the faces of christians in this story to protect them from government retribution. here is gary's report. c2hanting] c2>>eporte the idea beind the iriranian revoluluon was t to estatablish c2e worlrld's firirst modern c2ate, governe lely by isisamic law.w. c2atolll khamen believev a more prosperoro socicity could be created if the iranian people and their government adhered to tenents of the quran. with 30 years on, the revolution is faltering, and many iranians are

disillusioned. >> the people look around, they see the poverty, they see the discontent. they're not happy, and so they have questions. well, why isn't it working out? we're doing it the islamic way; why isn't our country great? so they are ripe to hear a new way. >> reporter: and the new way many are embracing is christianity. but the faith is not new to iran. the gospel actually arrived here 500 years before islam. persians are believed to have been among those at jerusalem durinin pentetecost. there werere nearlrl fouour tims as many christians before the revolution. many fled the country because of islamic extremism. some who remained, often share their faith with muslims. as a result, the evangelical house movement is now growing rapidly. ♪ the most important thing i can do today is praise

him ♪ >> reporter: christian praise songs blast from the radio of this iranian taxicab. despite risk of arrest and possible death for a apostasy, he is unafraid to share his faith. a cross hangs from his rear-view mirror, and he keeps his bible. and he shares the gospel with his passengers, and gives them a bible if they want one. that, alone, can lead to his arrest. other christians have been martyred for shage their faith with muslims. their suffering and sacrifice is not just a modern day experience here. >> many have come before them, like the missionary, mary kathryn iranside, this is her grave. she was here until she died in 1921. >> she was not martyred, but she was sent to share the gospel throughout the middle east. an in expription on her tombstone reads, "will you

not follow if you are given the call?" it's not established churches that the iranian government fears most, but the rapid growth of unregistered churches. president makmud ahmadinejad is so concerned, he has made it his aim to stop the house church movement, declaring, "i will stop christianality in this country." we promised to protect the identity of this house leader. "god is testing our faith because he wants us to become more like jesus," she said. the house churches are now meeting in smaller groups. middleton says whil it is having an opposite effect because christians are moving around more. >> we see people involved in outreach that are travelling to other cities, and they're planting house churches in

those parts of the city and other countries as well. so we see widespread growth across the country. >> reporter: what should christians throughout the world know about their brothers and sisters in faith in iran. the house leader says they should know that jesus christ is with the iranian christians and will never leave them or forsake them. what can believers around the world do for the persecuted christians in iran? >> we have to pray for them. that's their first request, pray for us, pray for us, pray for us. i challenge people to pray for the iranian government, pray for ahmadinejad to have a personal meeting with jesus christ. imagine how that would change the country and change the world. >> reporter: and christians say protests and arrests like this will only lead to more of this. gary lane, cbn news. >> wendy: coming up, the nation of ireland still protects babies in the womb, and now that could change.

>> wendy: welcome back. in the republic of ireland, abortion is against the law. now that could change. recently the government announced that it will allow abortion in cases where the mother's life is at risk, including if she says she is suicidal. pro-lifers are rallying to defeat the measure. earlier, i spoke with dr. sean o'donelle.

he said it would be the first step in allowing widespread abortion in ireland. how will that open the door to abortion on demand in ireland? >> well, in 1966, in britain, most abortions were carried out to save the life or the health of the mother. the 1967 abortion act brought in the whole mental health side of things. by 1968, the year i was born, the proportion of abortions for mental health was over 95%. so it's the easy one. you go into a doctor and you say, you know, i'm pregnant. and i feel depressed or suicidal as a result of this. and basically they rubber stamp a card and off you go. >> wendy: how strong is the public support for your cause? >> the public support is

very strong. last saturday we saw the biggest ever demonstration in dublin. we had between 32,000, 35,000 people, which would be the equivalent of 2.2 million people at the march for life. this was absolutely unprecedented. and the message that was sent out was that these people are prepared sign a pledge. they will vote for nobody who supports legislation for abortion. >> wendy: now, what's the timeframe for the vote to take place? >> well, the timeframe we were looking at was towards june. and that's, from messages i've got back from ireland in the last 36 hours, that timeframe is being rapidly accelerated. >> wendy: being from ireland, and growing up there, how difficult is this for you, to see your country going in this direction in terms of abortion? >> it is extremely difficult. i joined the pro-life movement in 1982. i was 14 years old.

we inserted an absolute ban on abortion into our constitution by public vote of two to one in 1983. and we believed that we had constitutional protection for the unborn. or obstetricians are among the best in the world, and our mortality rates reflect that. ireland is consistently one of the three best countries in the world in terms of maternal morality rates. so we have developed a culture of life, even moin our ob/gyns, and both our medical profession. >> wendy: is there anything at all our viewers can do to help the cause? >> this is our roe vs. wade moment. it is the crown of the pro-life movement, and it would be the jewel in the crown of the proabortion movement. we need all of the support we can possibly get. we have to fight one of the

toughest battles of our lives. we have to fight it right now. and we have all of the people in place. we have our plans through on up. what we need above all at this time is, quite simply, prayer and financial support. and they go hand-in-hand. >> wendy: obviously, a very serious moment in time, dr. sean o'donelle, thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you very much indeed. >> wendy: god bless you. >> god bless you you, too. >> wendy: you can find a link to the life institute in dublin, and that's on our website. and you can find that as cbnnews.com. and up next, president obama pledges to promote gay rights in his second inaugural address.

>> wendy: this week u.s. president obama took the oath of office and spelled out his goals for a second term. he surprised many by making gay rights a priority. jennifer wishon has more. >> reporter: on a grisp winter day in washington, america's first black president took the only of office for his second term. >> preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> reporter: vice president joseph biden took the oath, too. >> i, joseph r.,

biden, jr. -- >> reporter: placing his hand on a five-inch thick bible that has been in his family since 1893. and president obama placed his hand on a bible used by abraham lincoln, and he used a travel bible by dr. martin luther king, jr. the people listening to the people's inaugural speech that closed his eyes, they may have thought they were listening to the late preacher. >> we freedom is a gift from god, it must be secured by people here on earth. >> reporter: now, he says, it is this generation's path to complete the journey they began. >> president obama: our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. for if we are truly created equal, than surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. >> reporter: gay marriage, equal pay for women, and

immigration reform, climate change, voting laws, and a strong social safety net, the president used highs inaugural address to lay out his values, his dreams for the next four years. some were affirmed in the closing prayer. >> we will see we are created in your image, whether brown, black, or white, male or female, first generation immigrant american or daughter of the american revolution, gay or straight, rich or poor. ♪ o say does that "star-spangled banner", yet wave ♪ >> reporter: beyonce closed the ceremony. it is the president's last time on this platform as acting commander in chief, and he seemed eager to take it all in. jennifer wishon, cbn news, washington. >> wendy: thanks, jennifer. well, the emphasis may have been on earthly power there at the inauguration, but at

prayer gatherings around washington, d.c., christians were calling on god. paul strand attended one such meeting. >> reporter: while hundreds of thousands came to watch the inauguration, many came to pray over it. they gathered in places like this ballroom, praying for america and its president, and cutting lose in praise and worship. >> for the glory is rising in the church, and the glory is roofin rising upon his people, our people. we pray for our leaders. we're believing even today the glory will come upon our leaders. >> reporter: one senator encouraged those attending to ask their state lawmakers to support a resolution he pushed through the pennsylvania senate. >> that would establish and set forth the legal, historical, and spiritual basis for israel's claim to the land that they live on. they are the front line for us. they are the ones who are receiving the blunt of the terrorist attacks, not us. >> reporter: but the main emphasis of this inauguration day, the president and prayer for

him. >> prayer can change things, it always does. >> reporter: paul strand, cbn news, washington. > >> wendy: it always does. you can get daily reports from christian world news by going to cbn's facebook page and click "like." stay with us, we'll be right back.

star spang >> wendy: one out of the three south koreans identifies himself as a christian, and six of the largest churches in the world are in that nation. and more than 20,00,000 koreans are at work. it actually began over a century ago with western missionaries. >> port of buson is a major asset to south korea's dynamic economy. but he had another reputation, at the wilderness of the gospel. daifdavies was an

accomplished educator, and founder of the school in melbourne, australia, when he felt called to take the gospel to korea. yet, tragically, davi davies died the day after arriving in korea. his sacrifice was not in vain. it inspired the arrival of another 126 australian missionaries. >> i said, now this means we must give ourselves even more completely to preach the gospel to the koreans. >> reporter: one of the new missionaries, pastor noble mackenzie, built a medical facility to care for lepers. he eventually received a government cite fashio citation for his humanitarian work. two of his daughters founded the hospital in boshon. >> the lepers had to leave their home, but after they were able to be treated in the hospital, the patients

were so thankful. >> reporter: another australian couple, a pastor and his wife, founded kin kindergartens and elementary schools. in the 120 years since joseph davies walked into boson, korea's christian population has grown to 15 million, and many are hearing for the first time how australians, along with the missionaries, brought them the gospel over a century ago. stan jeter, cbn news. >> wendy: thanks, stan. thank you for joining us this week. and don't forget to like us on facebook. from all of us here at christian world news, good-bye and god bless you. wewee here t tay to aspeople out marrrrge. for r arters, , at's theest ththg about t ing marrrrd? o i get t stay maied to. mily.

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