Adventist Youth Join Demonstrations against Corruption in Honduras
From ANN, July 29, 2015: Adventist young people took to the streets of major cities in Honduras last week to as thousands of protesters from many faiths marched against government corruption. More than 10,000 Adventists holding signs and banners marched in Tegucigalpa, the capital, as well as in La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula, and dozens of other cities. In recent weeks, there have been dozens of marches demanding an end to corruption.
“Our Adventist young people gave a clear message to our Honduran population that unless citizens seriously commit to keeping all of the commandments of God, there won’t be positive changes to help the country forge ahead,” said Pastor Adan Ramos, president of the Adventist Church in Honduras. As part of the demonstration, Ramos spoke in the main squares of Tegucigalpa and La Ceiba.
The recent march was the third national event of its kind organized by the Adventist denomination since 2013 and an important one, said Ramos. Honduras, which has a population of just 8.7 million, has the world’s highest murder rate, with 90.4 homicides per 100,000 people, according to United Nations statistics.
Thousands of Adventist young people marched last year, while a national march to end violence against women took place in 2013. Ramos said that sharing hope and pointing people to Christian values will remain a priority in the coming months, with dozens of additional initiatives in the works.
The Adventist denomination in Honduras has more than 181,200 members worshiping in 678 congregations. The denomination also operates a hospital and several schools.
The Adventist News Network (ANN) is the official news service of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
My prayer is that God will honor those letting their light shine for Him, while putting their lives on the line. Corruption is in all municipalities globally.
Those in power in the darkness don’t like THE “light”
shining on them, often mark some as troublemakers, and make examples of them, to frighten the masses.
I wonder whether SDAS should take to the streets. That is not the example Christ left for His followers.
Public demonstrations can be dramatic in shouting a message, but for how long will that message be heard? Will simply venting pent-up energy help those who protest feel like they have done something before they retire to their homes to shelter themselves from the problems outside their walls? Or, will they be reaching-out to their neighbors by doing the long-term, continual ministries of God’s love that directly impact on the root causes of the violence? What are they actually doing to minister God’s love by relieving suffering and giving examples of treating others with dignity and respect? To relieve the burdens of poverty and the traumas of broken families?
As I remember there have been protests by church members against smoking and other things. I think they are brave in doing this, and the more personal help should not be undone.
The violence there could turn against them, as it is so prevalent. It sounds like they have a real problem that involves the whole country and not just some political grievance aggravated by the media to divide the populace.
“As I remember there have been protests by church members against smoking and other things.”
Street protests? When and where? Must SDAS join the rabble?