Christians in Iran Reportedly Sentenced to 80 Lashes for Drinking Wine During Communion

[hrmjustin]

By Sharona Schwartz

A court in Iran has sentenced four Christian men to 80 lashes each for drinking wine during a communion ceremony, a Christian advocacy group and international news outlets reported.

The sentencing coincides with a government crackdown on so-called "house churches" -- unofficial spots in which Christians gather in Iran to practice their faith undetected. The arrests and harsh sentences suggest that despite the moderate image of President Hassan Rouhani and the outreach to Iran by the Obama administration, religious persecution of Christians in the Islamic Republic continues.

Despite Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's moderate image, the crackdown on Iranian Christians appears to be continuing. (AP)

The four men -- Behzad Taalipasand, Mehdi Reza Omidi (Youhan), Mehdi Dadkhah (Danial) and Amir Hatemi (Youhanna) -- were convicted of drinking alcohol and possessing a receiver and a satellite antenna, according to a statement issued by Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

Read more at http://news.yahoo.com/christians-iran-reportedly-sentenced-80-lashes-drinking-wine-122213900.html

[MADem]

1. Funny, Persians once would take pride in the tale that they invented beer.

"Ab-e-jo" aka barley water used to be a popular beverage before the Ayatullah.

Wines of varying quality (when they were good they were great, when they weren't good they were "eh&quot were bottled by Iranians of Armenian extract who grew the grapes and fermented the wine. I guess all those folks left for other parts.

Everyone has a receiver and satellite antennae, not just these guys--fly over Tehran or any major city and there they are, on the roofs! That's how people get decent tv!

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

2. So Christians should be bound by the laws of Islam, not the laws of Christianity.

[hrmjustin]

3. So much for religious freedom in Iran.