The Life and Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti w/ Knox Thames

Belle Meade sits down with Knox Thames, a human rights lawyer who spent twenty years advocating for religious freedom in the U.S. government and now leads the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University. Their conversation centers on Blood and Water, the graphic novel Knox produced about his late friend Shahbaz Bhatti, the Catholic cabinet minister in Pakistan who was murdered by the Pakistani Taliban. Knox also explains why Christians are called to defend the faith of others. What We Talk About: Why Shahbaz Bhatti turned down asylum in Canada and went back to Pakistan, knowing the threats against him were real. Bhatti as a university student, posting a petition written in his own blood when extremists tried to shut down his Christian group. Why Christians should defend religious freedom for people of every faith, not only their own. How a graphic novel reached Knox’s teenage sons, who never read his policy articles. An artistic choice in Blood and Water: Christ’s face is never shown, so each reader can picture the Christ they know. Resources Mentioned: Paloma&Fig Blood and Water: The Life and Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti Knox Thames Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom Chapters: 00:00: Intro 00:30: Welcome and Opening Prayer 04:10: Knox Thames’s Faith Journey 09:57: Who Was Shahbaz Bhatti? 15:41: What Bhatti Was Like as a Friend 17:55: Why Bhatti Refused Asylum 22:39: The Church’s Role in Defending Religious Freedom 28:37: The Three Acts of Bhatti’s Life 33:35: Why Tell the Story as a Graphic Novel 37:53: Bhatti’s Gethsemane Moment 41:59: Seeing the Hurting World Around You 45:01: Favorite Memories of Shahbaz Bhatti Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn.  Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com.  Join in the conversation by joining our  Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!