Wendy: TODAY ON

CHRISTIAN WORLD NEWS,

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN

RUSSIA.

WHY CHURCH LEADERS SAY IT IS

GETTING TOUGHER FOR

EVANGELICALS IN THE FORMER

SOV UNION.

PLUS, GAY MARRIAGE IN THE

U.K.

A NEW LAW BRINGS BRITAIN ONE

STEP CLOSER TO MAKING IT

LEGAL FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES

TO TIE THE KNOT.

AND WHAT HAPPENED TO AN

ORPHANAGE IN INDIA, WHERE

KIDS HAVE FOUND A SAFE

PLACE, AND MEET THE MAN

BEHIND IT.

SRISING RELIGIOUS

OPPRESSION IN THE FORMER

SOVIET UNION.

HELLO, I'M WENDY GRIFFITH.

CITIZENS OF THE FORMER

SOVIET UNION FACE GROWING

RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR

FREEDOM.

THEY REPORTED THAT

GOVERNMENTS ARE CLOSING MORE

CHURCHES, FINDING AND

ARRESTING THEIR RELIGIOUS

LEADERS, AND DESTROYING

CHURCH LITERATURE.

IT HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD

SINCE THE REVOLUTION THAT

SWEPT AWAY ATHEIST COMMUNISM

IN EASTERN EUROPE.

TODAY THE WAVE OF RELIGIOUS

FREEDOM THAT SWEPT THE

REGION NOW SEEMS TO BE

RECEDING.

20 YEARS AGO, WHEN THE

SOVIET UNION FELL APART AND

COLLAPSED, WHEN THE BERLIN

WALL FELL, EVERYBODY WAS

SORT OF EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF

THE FUTURE POSSIBILITIES.

20 YEARS LATER, WE'RE AGAIN

TALKING ABOUT FREEDOM.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Reporter: IT MIGHT NOT

BE A RETURN TO THE SOVIET

ERA, BUT THE SIGNS ARE

TROUBLING.

CHURCHES ARE BEING

TORCHED, CROSSES ARE BEING

BURNED.

THERE IS A LOT OF

ANTI-SEMITISM, A LOT OF

NEGATIVE THINGS APPEARING IN

THE PRESS ABOUT DIFFERENT

ORGANIZATIONS.

SO THERE IS SOME REASON FOR

CONCERN.

Reporter: THE

ATMOSPHERE IS THICK WITH

INTOLERANCE AND THESE

COUNTRIES, AND INDIVIDUAL

PASTORS ARE RELU RELUCTANT

TO SPEAK OUT.

THEY ARE NOT SO

INTERESTED IN SPEAKING TO

THE GOVERNMENT AND SPEAKING

TO THE MINISTERS AND SO ON

BECAUSE, REALLY, IT IS A

QUESTION OF SECURITY, FIRST

OF ALL.

WILL IT BE USED TO AGAINST

THEM?

WILL THEIR PERSECUTION

BECOME EVEN WORSE?

Reporter: IN

UZBEKASTAN, THEY ENCOURAGED

THEM TO TURN TO THE OUTSIDE

WORLD AS THEIR BEST

DEFENSE.

THEY SHOULD ALL LEARN HOW

TO USE THE INTERNET AND USE

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

THESE TWO THINGS WILL

CONNECT THEM IN THE FUTURE

WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD

AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE BODY

OF CHRIST AROUND THE WORLD.

Reporter: RUSSIAN

MINISTERS HOPE THAT BY

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON THESE

SITUATIONS, THEY WILL DO

MORE TO DEFEND RELIGIOUS

MINORITIES IN THE FORMER

SOVIET UNION.

Wendy: AND HERE WITH US

NOW IS SERGEI ABUBA, WHO

WORKS WITH A GROUP TO

PROMOTE THE GOSPEL IN THE

FORMER SOVIET UNION.

SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON OUR

SHOW.

IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE

WITH YOU.

Wendy: WHY ARE WE

SEEING THESE NEW ATTACKS ON

THE RELIGION IN THE FORMER

SOVIET UNION.

SINCE 22 YEARS AGO,

THINGS CHANGED AGAIN.

THE SPIRITUAL LANDSCAPE, THE

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE,

ECONOMY, IS CHANGING

DRASTICALLY IN ALL OF THOSE

COUNTRIES.

THE COUNTRIES THAT ONCE WERE

FREED FROM THE OPPRESSION OF

THE SOVIET UNION.

AND IN THOSE COUNTRIES AND

CENTRAL ASIA, LIKE

UZBEKISTAN, WHERE RADICAL

ISLAM IS COMING INTO MORE

EFFECTIVE -- IN MANY CASES,

OPPRESSION.

Wendy: HOW IS THE

CHURCH RESPONDING?

AS WE'RE TALKING TODAY,

WENDY, CHURCHES ARE

RESPONDING TREMENDOUSLY.

UNDER PERSECUTION.

PASTORS ARE THROWN TO

PRISONS, BIBLES ARE

CONFISCATED, AND BIBLES ARE

DESTROYED IN UZBEKISTAN, BUT

WE SEE THE HOUSE CHURCHES

ARE GROWING BY EVERY DAY.

SO THE CHURCH IS GROWING

TREMENDOUSLY UNDERGROUND.

Wendy: IS THE INCREASE

IN RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

COMING FROM THE RUSSIAN

GOVERNMENT?

YOU KNOW, THERE IS A

CONSTITUTION THAT IS TELLING

US THERE IS SEPARATION

BETWEEN CHURCH AND

GOVERNMENT.

SO BASED ON ALL OF THIS

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, OR

RELIGIOUS POLITICAL

DEVELOPMENTS, THE

EVANGELICAL CHURCH IS VERY

MUCH IN THE MINORITY, AND

VERY MUCH IS KIND OF AN

OUTCAST FROM THE MAIN

SOCIETY.

Wendy: SO HOW HAS THIS

EFFECTED THE EVANGELICAL

CHURCH IN A BROADER WAY?

IN A BROADER WAY, IN THIS

COUNTRY, THE EVANGELICAL

CHURCH CANNOT FREELY DO

THEIR MINISTRY.

THEY ARE BASICALLY SQUEEZED

BACK TO BEHIND THEIR WALLS.

SO THEY CANNOT GO INTO

PUBLIC AND DO THEIR

MINISTRY.

AND THERE IS SO MUCH SOCIAL

NEED.

THERE IS SO MUCH NEED IN THE

SOCIETY.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE EVANGELICAL

CHURCH WANTS TO MINISTER IN

THE LOCAL O ORPHANAGE, SO

THEY HAVE TO ASK FOR

PERMISSION FROM THE ORTHODOX

PRIEST OR FROM THE MAYOR,

WHO SAYS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A

SIGNED PERMISSION FROM THE

LOCAL ORTHODOX PRIEST.

THAT'S HOW IT WORKS IN

RUSSIA TODAY.

IN OTHER COUNTRIES, IN

UZBEKISTAN AND PERGASTAN,

YOU CANNOT BRING BIBLES OR

LITERATURE, YOU CANNOT SHARE

YOUR FAITH OUTSIDE OF YOUR

HOME.

BUT IN THE CASE OF

UZBEKISTAN, YOU CANNOT EVEN

SHARE YOUR FAITH WERE YOU

YOUR CHILDREN.

YOU CANNOT PRAY.

ANY MEETING, MORE THAN THREE

PEOPLE, IT IS CONSIDERED A

VIOLATION AGAINST THE LAW,

AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE

SUFFER, AND THAT'S WHY

PEOPLE GET IMPRISONED AND SO

ON.

Wendy: LET ME ASK YOU,

WHAT CAN CAN THE GLOBAL

CHURCH DO TO SUPPORT OR

BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE

FORMER SOVIET UNION RIGHT

NOW?

WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL

WORLD BELIEVERS TO CONTINUE

SUPPORTING US WITH PRAYER,

AND, OF COURSE,

FINANCIALLY.

THAT'S OUR HOPE AND THAT'S

OUR MISSION.

Wendy: AND, OF COURSE,

JESUS IS OUR HOPE.

THANK YOU, SERGEI, OUR

PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH,

WENDY.

Wendy: YOU CAN LEARN

MORE ABOUT THE WORK OF

RUSSIAN MINISTRIES ON OUR

WEBSITE.

GO TO CWNEWS.ORG.

THE WORLD'S 80 MILLION

ANGLICANS HAVE A NEW

ARCHBISHOP.

THE 57-YEAR-OLD IS MARRIED

WITH FIVE CHILDREN.

HE IS ALSO A FORMER OIL

EXECUTIVE.

HE IS TAKING OVER AT A

TURBULENT TIME.

THE ANGLICAN COMMUNITY,

WHICH INCLUDES THE U.S.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH, IS DIVIDED

OVER FEMALE BISHOPS AND

SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS.

THAT DIDN'T STOP BRITISH

LAWMAKERS WHO VOTED

OVERWHELMING IN FAVOR OF A

BILL TO LEGALIZE SAME-SEX

MARRIAGE.

THE LEGISLATION IS

CHAMPIONED BY PRIME MINISTER

DAVID CAMERON.

CHARLENE ISRAEL HAS THE

STORY.

THE YEAS TO THE RIGHT,

400, THE NAYS TO THE LEFT,

475.

SO THE YEAS HAVE IT.

Reporter: IT IS THE

FIRST OF SEVERAL VOTES

REQUIRED FOR THE U.K.'S

MARRIAGE BILL.

IF IT BECOMES LAW, THE

LEGISLATION WOULD ENABLE

SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY IN

BOTH CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS

CEREMONIES, AS LONG AS THE

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION

CONSENTS.

TODAY WAS DO WE ACCEPT

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF

GAY PEOPLE BEING ALLOWED TO

CALL THEIR UNION A

MARRIAGE.

I'M GLAD THAT WE DO.

MARRIAGE IS A GREAT

INSTITUTION, AND IT SHOULD

BE THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE

GAY, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO

AREN'T.

THAT'S WHY I HAVE PIONEERED

THIS CHANGE.

Reporter: THE VOTE WENT

CAMERON'S WAY, BUT IT COST

HIM POPULARITY WITHIN HIS

OWN PARTY.

MORE THAN HALF OF HIS 303

CONSERVATIVE LAWMAKERS VOTED

AGAINST OR ABSTAINED FROM

VOTING FOR THE BILL.

FOR MANY PEOPLE, YES, IT

IS A NON-ISSUE.

BUT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY

FEEL THIS IS MAYBE THE STRAW

THAT HAS BROKEN THE CAMEL'S

BACK.

WHO ARE WE, WHO IS THIS

GOVERNMENT, WHO IS THIS

COUNTRY TO DETERMINE AND,

IMPOSE, NATIONALIZE A NEW

DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE WHICH

WILL HAVE HUGE

IMPLICATIONS.

WHEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND

THE FULL RAMIFICATIONS OF

IT, I THINK PEOPLE WILL

BECOME VERY CONCERNED.

Wendy: AND SOME

CONSERVATIVES FEEL THE ISSUE

WILL COST THE PARTY A LOT OF

VOTES IN THE NEXT GENERAL

ELECTION.

IF PASSED, THE BILL WOULD

COME INTO EFFECT IN 2015,

RIGHT AHEAD OF THAT

ELECTION.

CHARLENE ISRAEL, CBN NEWS.

Wendy: UP NEXT, HOW ONE

MAN WENT FROM HOMELESS AND

HUNGRY TO PREACHING TO THE

MASSES.

Wendy: WELCOME BACK TO

CHRISTIAN WORLD NEWS.

THE PASTOR IN OUR NEXT STORY

GOT OFF TO A SLOW START IN

HIS MINISTRY.

HE WAS HOMELESS AND HAD NO

MONEY.

NOW HE RECENTLY LED A

MASSIVE PRAYER RALLY THAT

INCLUDED 17,000 PASTORS.

EPHRAIM GRAHAM HAS HIS

REMARKABLE STORY FROM NEW

DEHLI, INDIA.

I WAS 21 YEARS OLD WHEN I

STARTED.

Reporter: AT 60 YEARS

OLD, PASTOR R. ABRAHAM HAS

REACHED A MILESTONE IN HIS

MINISTRY.

HE HAS JUST WRAPPED A

FOUR-DAY PRAYER MEETING

WHERE WORLD EVANGELISTS

JOINED NEARLY A MILLION

BELIEVERS IN INDIA TO ASK

GOD FOR PEACE IN THEIR

COUNTRY.

FILLING THIS 150-ACRE FIELD

IS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT

IN A NATION WHERE THE

CHRISTIAN POPULATION IS ONLY

A LITTLE MORE THAN 2%.

AND FOR THE POPULAR

HOME-TOWN PASTOR WHO DIDN'T

WANT TO LEAVE HIS JOB AS A

CHEMIST NEARLY 40 YEARS

AGO.

I COULD EVEN HAVE A

CAR -- YOU KNOW, HAVE A CAR

IN '74.

THAT WAS A BIG DEAL.

IT WAS A PRETTY HIGH-PAYING

JOB IN THOSE DAYS.

AND SO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR

LIFE IS SECURE, AND GOD

SPOKE TO ME, ALMOST LIKE AN

AUDIBLE VOICE.

Reporter: WHAT DID SHE

SAY?

GOD SAID TO ME, SON, I

HAVE CALLED YOU FOR A VERY

SPECIFIC PURPOSE.

I WANT YOU TO RESIGN YOUR

JOB.

GET OUT OF YOUR HOME.

GO AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO

YOUR PEOPLE.

I SAID, WHOA!

Reporter: THOUGH HE HAD

NO IDEA HOW TO PREACH,

PASTOR ABRAHAM OBEYED THE

CALL.

JUST MONTHS INTO HIS

MINISTRY, HE WAS BROKE,

HOMELESS, AND HUNGRY.

HAVING SOMETHING TO EAT

WAS THE BIGGEST MIRACLE IN

MY LIFE IN THOSE DAYS.

AND IN THE NIGHT, I HAD NO

PLACE TO GO, SO I USED TO

WAIT FOR THE SHOPS TO PULL

DOWN THEIR SHUTTERS SO I

COULD SLEEP IN FRONT OF THE

CORRIDORS OF THE SHOP.

AND YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND I

STARTED TO WONDER, WHY DID

YOU CALL ME?

WHY?

Reporter: AFTER TWO

YEARS OF PRAYER AND

PATIENCE, PASTOR ABRAHAM

JOINED FORCES WITH ANOTHER

MINISTER TO START NEW INDIA

CHURCH OF GOD.

THE ORGANIZATION NOW REACHES

ACROSS INDIA, THROUGH MORE

THAN 3,000 CHURCHES.

I HAVE ALWAYS RESPONDED

TO THE LEADING OF GOD, AND

ALWAYS RESPONDED TO THE

NEED.

THERE IS THE NEED THAT MADE

ME DO WHATEVER YOU SEE,

BECAUSE OF THE NEED BEFORE

MY EYES.

*

Reporter: THIS

ORPHANAGE IS ONE OF THOSE

NEEDS.

HERE IN BETHESDA, WHICH

MEANS HOUSE OF MERCY, LITTLE

GIRLS RECITE SCRIPTURE WITH

A SMILE.

THAT SMILE ALSO HIDES THE

PAIN AS THEY SHARE THEIR

HORRIBLE STORIES OF ABUSE.

SHAVANI REMEMBERS HER DAD

POURING KEROSENE ON HER MOM

AND BURNING HER TO DEATH.

8-YEAR-OLD HANU RECALLS HER

MOM BEING DRUNK AND THROWING

HER OUT OF THE HOUSE.

THEIR STORIES ARE TOO

FAMILIAR IN A COUNTRY WHERE

PARENTS OFTEN PREFER HAVING

BABY BOYS.

THAT JUST TORE MY HEART

APART.

I JUST STOOD THERE AND CRIED

AND CRIED.

AND I LORD WAS TELLING ME,

WELL, WHO IS GOING TO TAKE

CARE OF THEM?

SO FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

IN MY LIFE, I OPENED MY

MOUTH AND SAID, I'LL TAKE

CARE OF THEM.

Reporter: HE NOW HAS 14

ORPHANAGES, AND HE HAS

PARTNERED WITH CBN'S

"ORPHANS' PROMISE." BIG

THINGS OFTEN START SMALL,

AND THE PASTOR'S ORPHANAGE

DID JUST THAT.

THE MINISTRY WAS SIMPLY

RENTING OUT TWO ROOMS INSIDE

THIS BUILDING.

IT NOW HAS TWO BUILDINGS,

ONE FOR THE ORPHANAGE AND

THE OTHER FOR A BIBLE

SCHOOL.

THIS IS ONE OF THE

MINISTRY'S 16 BIBLE

COLLEGES.

THERE ARE ALSO SIX CHRISTIAN

SCHOOLS.

WE VISITED A PRIMARY

SCHOOL.

AND A HIGH SCHOOL WITH

PASTOR ABRAHAM.

I AM TOTALLY COMMITTED TO

HELP THE CHILDREN.

I REALLY HAVE A HEART FOR

THE CHILDREN.

YOU KNOW?

I WANT TO DO THE BEST.

Reporter: PASTOR

ABRAHAM HAS A HEART FOR

INDIAN PEOPLE, YOUNG AND

OLD.

HIS LATEST PROJECT IS

BUILDING A RETIREMENT HOME

FOR AGING PASTORS.

THE PASTORS HERE IN

INDIA, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY

PENSION.

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY LIFE

INSURANCE.

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY SOCIAL

SECURITY.

THE ONLY THING IS, THEY ARE

EITHER LOOKED AFTER BY THE

CHILDREN OR THEY ARE OUT ON

THE STREETS.

Reporter: THE PASTOR

HAS LIVED ON THE STREETS AND

DIDN'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE

THERE.

AT 60, HE SAYS HE HAS AT

LEAST ANOTHER 40 YEARS TO

REACH THEM WITH THE GOSPEL

AND A HEAVENLY HOME.

AS LONG AS YOU ARE READY

AND WILLING, YOU KNOW, TO DO

GOD'S WILL.

THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT

THING.

Reporter: EPHRAIM

GRAHAM, CBN NEWS, NEW DEHLI,

INDIA.

Wendy: GREAT STORY,

EPHRAIM.

UP NEXT, A LOOK BACK AT A

PASTOR, PROPHET, THEOLOGIC

AND SPY.

WE HEAR ABOUT THE

EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND DEATH

OF DEDRICK BONHOFFER.

Wendy: THIS MONTH MARKS

THE BIRTH OF ONE OF THE MOST

HEROIC CHRISTIAN FIGURES OF

THE 20th CENTURY, DEDRICK

BONHOFFER STOOD UP TO ADOLPH

HITLER AND THE NAZI REGIME.

SCOTT ROSS HAS HIS INSPIRED

STORY.

Reporter: GERMANY,

1939.

HITLER'S RISE TO POWER

STUNNED EVERYONE WITH ITS

SPEED AND VEROCITY.

THE WORLD WATCHED IN HORROR

AS THE NAZIS BULLIED FIRST

THE NATION AND THEN A

CONTINENT.

BUT IN GERMANY, A RESISTANCE

WAS BUILDING THAT WORKED TO

DISMANTEL THE THIRD REICH

FROM THE INSIDE.

THEIR PRIMARY AIM,

ASSASSINATE HITLER.

DEDRICK BONHOFFER WAS A

LEADER IN THE CAUSE.

I SAT DOWN WITH ERIC MATASIS

TO DISCUSS HIS LIFE AND

FATE.

BONHOFFER IS THE ULTIMATE

ROLE MODEL FOR CHRISTIANS

TODAY.

Reporter: BONHOFFER

GREW UP IN AN EDUCATED AND

ARTISTIC FAMILY IN GERMANY.

HIS FATHER WAS A

DISTINGUISHED BRAIN CHEMIST,

AND HIS BROTHER WORKED WITH

ALBERT EINSTEIN TO SPLIT THE

ADAM.

BONHOFFER TOLD THE FIELD OF

THEOLOGY.

AND WHILE DOING

POST-GRADUATE STUDIES IN NEW

YORK, HE WAS SURPRISED BY

WHAT HE FOUND, OR, RATHER,

WHAT HE DIDN'T FIND.

IN NEW YORK THEY PREACH

ABOUT VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING,

BUT ONLY ONE THING WAS NOT

ADDRESSED OR ADDRESSED SO

RARELY, I'VE YET BEEN ABLE

TO HEAR IT, NAMELY THE

GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THE

CROSS, SIN, FORGIVENESS,

DEATH, AND LIFE.

80 YEARS AGO HE WROTE

THOSE WORDS ABOUT THE STATE

OF MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTISM

IN NEW YORK CITY.

Reporter: WHILE HE

DIDN'T FIND SOUND THEOLOGY

IN MOST OF THE CHURCHES IN

NEW YORK, HE WAS INSPIRED

WHEN HE WENT TO ABISSINIAN

BAPTIST CHURCH IN HARLEM.

EVERYTHING ABOUT IT

TOUCHED HIS HEART AND MOVED

HIM, SO HE WENT EVERY SINGLE

SUNDAY NOT JUST TO WORSHIP,

BUT TO TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL.

HE GOT VERY INVOLVED.

A WHITE GERMAN IN A BLACK

CHURCH BEGINNING IN THE

1930s.

IT IS AMAZING.

HE REALLY WAS GRIPPED BY THE

WHOLE IDEA OF THE RACISM AND

RACE RELATIONS IN THE U.S.

THERE WAS NOTHING TO COMPARE

THIS TO IN GERMANY.

THIS WAS AN AMERICAN

PROBLEM.

JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS

LATER, HITLER BECOMES

CHANCELLOR IN 1933 AND

EVERYTHING CHANGES.

SUDDENLY BONHOFFER IS FACING

IN GERMANY EXACTLY WHAT HE

SAW HER.

HE SAW A GROUP OF PEOPLE,

THE JEWS, BEING MAIL MADE

MADE TO BE SECOND-CLASS

CITIZENS.

HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW

CHRISTIANS WHO UNDERSTOOD

WHAT HE SAW.

IT IS A STUNNING THING TO

SEE HOW THE CHURCHES AND

CONSERVATIVES WERE CO OPTED

AND SNOWED BY ADOLPH

HITLER.

HITLER WAS A GENIUS IN THAT

HE WAS PROFOUNDLY CYNICAL TO

THE BOTTOM AND HE USED THE

CHURCHES BRILLIANTLY.

Reporter: BONHOFFER

HELPED FOUND A CHURCH WHO

OPPOSED HIT CLER AN HITLER

AND THE THIRD REICH.

BUT BONHOFFER WAS ALMOST

ALONE IN RECOGNIZING THE

DEPTH OF THE PROBLEM.

HE WAS ALWAYS A STEP

AHEAD IN TRYING TO RALLY

THEM.

AND A FEW TIMES HE SUCCEED,

BUT MOSTLY HE WAS ALONE.

HE IS READING THE SCRIPTURES

AND TRYING TO SHOW HIS

FELLOW CHRISTIANS THAT IN

THE CHURCH, THERE IS NEITHER

JEW NOR GREAT, NEITHER JEW

NOR GENTILE.

IF A JEW WANTS TO BE A PART

OF THIS CHURCH, WE ARE

OBLIGATED AS CHRISTIANS TO

WELCOME HIM IN, TO WORSHIP

WITH HIM.

THIS IS THE PLACE, BONHOFFER

SAID, THE CHURCH IS THE

PLACE WHERE JEW AND

CHRISTIAN STAND TOGETHER.

WHAT THE NAZIS HAVE DONE TO

THE JEWS IN GERMANY THEY

HAVE DONE TO GOD'S PEOPLE.

THE BURNING OF THE

SYNAGOGUES, THIS IS AN

ATTACK ON GOD.

BOBONHOFFER REALIZES HE

WILL BE DRAFTED, BUT HE

WOULD NOT FIGHT IN HITLER'S

WAR.

Reporter: BONHOFFER

SAILED TO SAFETY IN AMERICA,

BUT AFTER ONLY 26 DAYS

THERE, HE WAS ON THE LAST

SHIP THAT CROSSED THE

ATLANTIC BEFORE THE WAR

STARTED.

HE IS SEEKING THE WILL OF

GOD, AND THE LORD CALLS HIM

BACK TO GERMANY.

HE KNEW, I WILL HAVE NO

PEACE IN NEW YORK.

THIS WAS THE MOMENT OF

DECISION: DO I TAKE ANOTHER

STEP?

Reporter: BONHOFFER

JOINED THE GERMAN MILITARY

INTELLIGENCE AS A DOUBLE

AGENT.

HE ACTED AS A CURE REAR

COURIER FOR THE THIRD REICH,

BUT USED THE CONTACTS CROSS

EUROPE.

HE HAD RESOLVED IN HIS

MIND, PHILOSOPHICALLY,

SPIRITUALLY, BIBLICALLY,

THAT HE COULD RESOLVE BEING

INVOLVED IN A DIRECT

ASSASSINATION PLOT.

EVEN MANY GOOD GERMANS

HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS REALLY

GOING ON, BUT BONHOFFER

KNEW, AND HE THOUGHT, IF I,

AS A CHRISTIAN, AM UNWILLING

TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY TO

PROTECT SCORES OF THOUSANDS

AND MILLIONS OF INNOCENT

JEWS, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO

STAND BEFORE A HOLY GOD.

Reporter: BUT BEFORE

THE ASSASSINATION PLAN COULD

BE CARRIED OUT, BONHOFFER

WAS ARRESTED AND SENT TO

TAGEL MILITARY PRISON.

HE WAS INVOLVED IN TRYING

TO GET A NUMBER OF JEWS OUT

OF GERMANY TO SAFETY.

Reporter: BONHOFFER WAS

STILL IN PRISON AWAITING

TRIAL ON JULY 20th, 1944,

WHEN THE PLOT TO ASSASSINATE

HITLER FAILED.

NOW THE ENTIRE

CONSPIRACY, WHICH HAS BEEN

WORKING FOR, ON AND OFF FOR

THE PRACTICALLY 10 YEARS, IS

COMPLETELY EXPOSED.

AT THAT MOMENT, OF COURSE,

BONHOFFER'S DAYS ARE

NUMBERED.

Reporter: BONHOFFER WAS

TRANSFERRED TO A PRISON AND

THEN TO A CONCENTRATION

CAMP.

IN APRIL 1945, BONHOFFER WAS

EXECUTED BY HANGING, UNDER

THE DIRECT ORDER OF HITLER.

LESS THAN THREE WEEKS LATER,

HITLER COMMITTED SUICIDE AND

GERMANY SURRENDERED TO THE

ALLIES.

IT IS REALLY TEMPTING FOR

US TO LOOK AT THIS AS A

GREAT TRAGEDY AND SO SAD,

BUT I THINK BONHOFFER

HIMSELF WOULD REBUKE US FOR

HAVING THAT POINT OF VIEW.

HE WOULD SAY, YES, THERE IS

A SADNESS, BUT TO SERVE GOD

WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE,

UNTO DEATH, IS THE GREATEST

JOY OF LIFE.

WHAT'S THE MESSAGE OF HIS

LEGACY TO 21st CENTURY

CHRISTIANS OR

NON-CHRISTIANS?

HE IS THE ULTIMATE

WITNESS TO A WORLD THAT IS

NOT CHRISTIAN.

THAT HE CALLS PEOPLE TO GOD

WITH AN AUTHENTICITY THAT IS

LITERALLY, IN MY EXPERIENCE,

UNIQUE.

FOR ME, THE JOY OF TELLING

THE STORY IS TO REDISCOVER

BO BONHOFFER TO A

GENERATION THAT NEVER KNEW

HIM.

DEDRICK BONHOFFER, THE

REAL THING.

THE REAL THING.

Wendy: YOU CAN SHARE

THIS STORY WITH YOUR FAMILY

AND FRIENDS.

VISIT OR CHRISTIAN WORLD

NEWS Facebook PAGE.

WHILE THERE, LET US KNOW HOW

YOU'RE ENJOYING C.W.N. MY

CLICKING LIKE.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

Wendy: IN WASHINGTON

THURSDAY, AMERICANS PUT

THEIR POLITICAL DIFFERENCES

ASIDE AND FOCUSED ON THEIR

SHARED FAITH IN JESUS

CHRIST.

THOUSANDS GATHERED FOR THE

NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYS HIS

RECENT INAUGURATION CAUSED

HIM TO FOCUS ON THE POWER OF

FAITH.

President Obama:

SOMETIMES I SEARCH SCRIPTURE

TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO

BALANCE LIFE AS A PRESIDENT

AND AS A HUSBAND AND AS A

FATHER.

I OFTEN SEARCH FOR SCRIPTURE

TO FIGURE OUT HOW I CAN BE A

BETTER MAN, AS WELL AS A

BETTER PRESIDENT.

Wendy: NICE WORDS TO

HEAR FROM OUR PRESIDENT, AND

WORLD REKNOWED DR. BENJAMIN

CARSON GAVE THE KEY NOTE

DRESS AT THE PRAYER

BREAKFAST.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING

US THIS WEEK.

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT

CHRISTIAN WORLD NEWS,

GOOD-BYE AND GOD BLESS YOU.