Egypt (MNN) — Controversy over Saturday's referendum on
proposed constitutional amendments is intensifying in Egypt.
Rex Rogers with SAT-7 explains, "This is the hard part, after the revolution, when you have to put back
together the pieces in order to form some kind of government that meets the
needs of the people. In terms of SAT-7, we've been encouraging people to pray
for new leaders to emerge with the right kind of heart."
Rogers goes on to add that "there are those who are suggesting they should wait until after a
presidential election and form a constitutional committee–revise from the
ground up. Then, of course, there are those who wish to move on and accomplish
things incrementally."
Those supporting the uprising and presidential ouster are
urging a "no" vote, indicating the reforms don't go far enough, while the Muslim
Brotherhood and the National Democratic Party want the amendments to pass as they
are.
The main issue is the timing of the reconstruction. Changes up for grabs in Saturday's vote involve
presidential term limits, shoring up election supervision, as well as easing
some of the restrictions for the candidates. The issues can be divisive, and with the country already charged from
the public revolt, Rogers says, "We're
continuing to pray that nothing results in sectarian violence and that people
can find their way forward to a free and open society."
SAT-7, a Christian satellite television service to the
Middle East and North Africa, does not take positions in these kinds of issues. However, their teams take special care to encourage a public forum.
Rogers says kids are particularly sensitive
to some of the issues in and around their country. On a recent SAT-7 Kids program, in which the
host "Dr. Know" responds to live callers, "This little 8-year-old boy from
Egypt prayed for the people of Libya," says Rogers. "He prayed rapidly, articulately, and then what blew me away was a great knowledge of theology."
What struck Rogers most is that "Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and don't hinder them.' They can teach us their heart for God and
their heart for others. That's the kind
of thing that SAT-7 is doing on all of its channels: they continue to pray, to
express love, and to continue toward reconciliation."
Regardless of the outcome, Rogers asks us to "pray that Christian people, in
particular, on the ground would have opportunity to be open with witness. Pray that the Egyptian people would see their
way to respect each other in terms of freedom of worship."
