When we think about persecution for Jesus Christ we never thought to think of America. We usually think of third world countries that look at Christians as Apostates. Little do we realize that there is persecution in America and all our society does is mask it.
As a Christian I could not at all or dare at all to compare myself to the Christians who are imprisoned for years in third world countries for their beliefs or even of those who have lost and are losing family for the Christian Faith. I am an advocate and supporter of Voice of the Martyrs and know the current persecutions that are going on all over the world. With that said my story may not compare to the stories that are present in our world but nonetheless, persecution is persecution. I am also saddened at the Church in America who belittle persecuted Christians. They mask themselves as law abiding Christians and according to them any Christian who breaks the holy law of the land is rightly prosecuted. There are many Christians who believe what happened to me is appropriate because I broke the law. That the law which forbids people to have religious worship at their home is law and anyone who breaks it, Christian or not, deserves to go to jail. I have had Christians even try to tell me I was not a Christian, and what I and my family went through is not persecution but rather proper prosecution. While these same Christians may applaud the smuggling of bibles in China and even lift up the under ground churches in China and other countries. What makes the laws against Christians in America much more holier than the laws against Christians in other countries? Persecution is persecution no matter if it is in America or in China or Africa or the Middle East. I will tell you my story shortly, but I would like the world to think about a few things first. If Christians break the law are they being prosecuted or persecuted? Persecution of Christians has always been surrounded with the fact that Christians were breaking the law. Jesus was crucified not because He did miracles but because he was considered an insurrectionist, a blasphemer, a rebel. He broke the laws of the Jews and the laws of Rome. Jesus was a law breaker. Paul, Peter and other apostles were commanded and demanded by law and authority not to preach Jesus Christ. They refused to obey the authorities and preached the gospel. They were on the run for many years from the law. They were law breakers and eventually they were executed for breaking the law. So can we legitimatize the concept that law breaking Christians are not being persecuted but prosecuted or that Christians who break the law and suffer for breaking the law in the course of their faith, is not persecution? Based on the aforesaid, no. There are Christians all over the world right now as we speak who are in prison, being killed, being tortured and some suffering because they are Christian and because they practice their faith. Now to my story.
My wife and I have always had a heart for God. I was born again in March of 1995 and Ordained in November 1996. Since the day of my conversion I have always had a heart for Christ and my life, home and family have always been dedicated for Christ. When I first became converted my life was threatened three times. One of the time with a shank (A Home Made Knife) to my side and another in the midst of a riot, from a group holding weapons in their hands for rebuking them. Another time for sitting with Christians of different races. God had saved me from them all. I have always been confrontational to sin, injustice and felt my life belonged to Jesus and it was my duty to speak against sin. To the average Christian in America I am looked at as too radical or fanatical, to those who are baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit I am what Christians should be. My number one concern has always been to serve and please God by walking and being led by the Holy Spirit. I do not boast in myself since I have made many mistakes as a Christian but my boast is only in God. My point is, I am not just one who believes in Christ but one who is willing to live and die for Him.
In 2007 while my wife and I were hosting bible studies in our living room on Thursday Nights, the City of Phoenix began to warn us to stop. That if we did not stop we would suffer penalties and repercussions because we were breaking the Construction Code. According to the letters that were sent to us, these penalties include monetary, civil and criminal prosecutions. To us this was not only a threat to us as Christians but a test. How shall we react? Shall we stop because we are threatened or shall we fight? In 2007-2008 we received 3 more warnings and a couple of times the Fire Department came to our home and broke up our meetings. We tried to contact authorities to have them explain their actions. The only resolution they had was that we would either 1) Cease our meetings or 2) Convert our property to meet commercial public assembly standards.
We continued our gatherings praying that someone would come to their senses and know that we, not only as Christians but Americans, have the right to gather privately in our home. In 2009 we received a permit to build a 2000 square foot accessory building in our back yard. We then moved our meetings out of house and into that building. One month later when we were raided by the police and building inspectors and then 1 year after that, I was faced with criminal prosecution. The City of Phoenix's reason for criminal prosecution was.....a violation of building and zoning codes! The cause of our violations was based on the fact that our meetings were religious and since they were religious, we had to meet commercial standards. Now the City has argued that religion has nothing to do with it but of course we know and believe that this is a mask. If we were gathering in there to play games we would not be in violation.
So what did we do wrong? We did not park in the street, we did not cause extra traffic, we did not break a noise violation or any viewable distractions. The only thing we did wrong was that the content of our gatherings were religious or let me lean on the side of the City just for this sake: The only thing we did wrong is that we had gatherings in that building and such gatherings were a safety issue. With that said. Would we have been prosecuted if we were having a BBQ or B-Day party or any other gathering? The obvious answer is absolutely not. This building was permitted as an Accessory Building to a residence. It had Air Conditioning, Electrical, Windows, Doors and everything else you would find in a building used to gather. Since 2007 we have had other gatherings at our home but the only days we were violated were on SUNDAY! Guess what we did on Sunday?? So because of this I was a criminal. Many say, well I deserve it. Some say, there has to be more to this. All I have to say is if it were as easy as filling out some paperwork, or filing some drawings or making some adjustments we would do that. It is much more than that. According to the City in order for us to have any religious gatherings at our home we had to become commercial and adhere to commercial building codes. Commercial zoning codes are made for public assembly purposes. They entail, commercializing your property. These means all our buildings would have to be Fire Sprinkled. We would have to pave our property. Provide Handicap Parking, Ramps and Bathrooms. We would have to develop 1000 feet of road in front of our home which would include, Curb, Gutter, and Sidewalk and Light Posts. We would have to install 2 Fire Hydrants. Could you imagine if the City of Phoenix came to you and said this is what you would have to do if you want people over your home? The last time I had 30 friends at my home was on May 20th, & May 27th, 2012 and I was in violation because I still had not converted my property to meet commercial standards. While my neighbor down the street had over 60 people at his home on the same day at the same time. So is this persecution or prosecution? Well, I do not want to get off the subject but in all of this a person must examine himself and say, why were we persecuted, why did we have meetings, why did we go through this, it was because we were practicing our Faith. We are Christians. We did not have a night club? We did not have a social club? We gathered in the Name of Jesus Christ at our home since 2007 and to the City this was not permitted. We havr been persecuted since 2007 for our faith. Now of course the City of Phoenix would never say, that it was because of our faith, but rather because we were breaking their laws. We were law breakers and Michael Salman deserves to go to jail for breaking the law. So that is where they sent me: To them because I am a lawbreaker but to me and countless others because I am Christian. Some may say, "It was not because you were a Christian!" but I would like to ask them this...Would I have even been in this predicament if I was not a Christian?? No!
I was sentenced to 60 days in Jail. The day I surrendered it was difficult. I left my family crying. I was torn from the inside. My heart was hurt and my faith was shook. I was proud to be persecuted for Christ but at the same time I was feeling torn inside.....MORE TO COME on what it was like inside Jail....on Part 2
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