Story number 2 for 23 Jul 2001

(Middle East)–While the Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity, Christians are leaving the region in droves. SAT-7’s J-B Kump says 60-percent of the Christian population is no longer living in the region. “Right now, in the land where Christianity got its start only about five-percent of the population are believers. I think there are multiple causes to it. Some would point to persecution as a source of that. There have been individuals who have been assassinated. There are people who have lost jobs. People who have not had access to education.” Kump says SAT-7 is providing television programming in the region to encourage believers in their faith. “It encourages Christians to remain in and to contribute to that society with the image on television it clarifies that Christianity is not only a valid Arabic belief pattern, but it is one that has more reality and more truth to it than many were led to believe.”