Answer to Dr. Stephen Gill’s questions on Yousaf Yahona. Bishop Timotheus Nasir

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With due respect, I would like to answer Dr. Stephen Gill’s questions on apostasy of Yousaf Yahonan.

Question No. 1. Did they (Christianity community) pray to God, so that Yousaf Yahona could be selected to the cricket team? Answer No 1. Yes, before Yousaf Yahona's selection every Christian wanted to see a Christian player a Pakistan Cricket Team and prayed for a Christian player to be selected in Pakistan Cricket Team. The answer of our prayers was selection of Yousaf Yahona. At the time of the selection of Yousaf Yahona, very few people knew about him. Yet when the Christian community came to know that a Christian has been selected in Pakistan Cricket Team, many people celebrated and did Pray for his success. When he failed in south Africa, the Christians prayed for him and he was very successful during his next tour. It must be remembered that the Roman Catholic Church played "some role" in his selection. Question No. 2. According to reports, Christians used to pray for his success in the team. Is it not an insult to his personal talent, his personal efforts and his own prayers? Answer No 2. It is not an insult to pray for the success of the most talented person and as Christians we must not forget that most talented people need more prayers of his/her success. No body is denying the "talent, personal efforts or the personal prayers" of Yousaf Yahona. Many people around the world pray for others who have "talent, personal efforts and their own prayers" including Dr. Stephen Gill and many others. I pray for Dr. Stephen Gill every day, is an insult to Dr. Gill's talent as a renowned poet and writer and his personal efforts in his struggle for "Peace"? Question No. 3. If the prayers of Christians of Pakistan had been so forceful, then why do they not pray now for Yousaf Yohana to come back? Answer No. 3. The Christian community is praying for Yousaf Yahona to come back to the truth of Christianity. We will keep praying, let Lord Jesus Christ guide him. Our duty is to pray and His will is to give at an appropriate time. More over no one ever claims that his/her prayer is "forceful", it is just prayer. We don't order God, we pray. Question No. 4. How was he received by Christian community when he was selected for the cricket team? Was he recognized in formal ways by the community? What are the names of the awards and recognitions that he has received for the credit he brought to the community and his country? Answer No. 4. After his selection in national cricket team Yousaf Yahona was received with extreme joy, pride and sense of satisfaction. He became a "Hero" for Christian community, at least in Pakistan. What a bigger "award or recognition" could have been given to him? Depending on his availability, he was invited as "Chief Guest" in various functions. I remember one award that he was given in June2003, in his absence yet he had many awards and "Shields" were presented to him by various organizations. Melbourne Pakistani Christian community in Australia's love as narrated by Mr. Jeffery Lawrence in only one example of the award of love, pride and prayers for Yousaf Yahona. Question No. 5. Is Christian community doing anything to welcome other heroes and heroines of the community? Answer No. 5. The Christian community has done a lot and is doing a lot for its "heroes" and "heroines". If it is ignored by our so-called Christian brother and sisters abroad, Pakistani Christians living in Pakistan should not be held responsible for their lack of knowledge. Almost every month some where in Pakistan, the services of our "Heroes and Heroines" are been given recognitions and are being given awards. I wish Dr. Stephen Gill attends any of such ceremony in Pakistan. In June 2004, life time achievement award was given to great number of our Heroes and Heroines belonging to various walks of life. Question No 6. I read a letter in Pakistan Christian Post to request readers to send him money, so that he could recognize heroes and heroines in the community. It seems he forgot to leave even his address and telephone number. He wants to fly with borrowed feathers. Is it possible to be able to fly this way? Is it not true that this story is that of Pakistan's Christian community in a microcosm, may be even of the majority class? Answer No 6. It is pity that we the Christian community living in Pakistan is always accused for "flying on borrowed feathers" by those who have had successful flights on "borrowed feathers". Yes it is possible to fly with borrowed feathers and many people started their first flight with "borrowed feathers" and when they managed their own feathers they refuse to return the "feathers" once they borrowed. Dr. Gills's assumption that this story is that of Pakistan's Christian community in a microcosm, may be even of the majority class is absolutely wrong? Asking for donation for some noble cause is not a crime and the person and if Mr. Adil Gill or some one else has asked help of his Christian brothers and sisters living abroad, he is not asking for his own bread and butter. I don't understand, how a scholar like Dr. Stephen Gill forgot that "charity" work all over the world is done through donations and donation means "sending money". If Dr. Gill does not want to "send money" no body is forcing him. I personally hold Dr. Stephen Gill in high esteem and respect him with all sincerity . But his "Six Questions" are felt even by me as salt in the wound of Christian community of Pakistan that has been inflicted by Yousaf Yahona very recently. I wish Dr. Gill was here in Pakistan to face direct shame at the hands of Muslim majority of Pakistan. It is very convenient to comment while sitting on shore but have you enough courage to jump into stormy and angry sea Dr Gill in which Pakistani Christian community is struggling? I would also like to thank Mr. Jeffery Lawrence for his remarks on my "carefully calculated statement". I have tried to be as fair in my article while living Pakistan to the best of my first hand knowledge. I do not claim to be right always. Please ignore my remarks/statement. Yet both my statements requires lengthy written work and I will explain my view point on Yousaf Yahona's Captaincy and the role of Roman Catholic Church that might have misled Yousaf Yahona.

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"Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" By Nazir S Bhatti

On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.

nazirbhattipcc@aol.com , pakistanchristianpost@yahoo.com