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In the 21st century, we rarely think of systematic persecution of Christians. That needs to be challenged. Persecution is real and it is systematic in some parts of the world. Consider two examples:
- India: In the eastern Orissa State of this nation, Christians are being forced to abandon their faith in exchange for their safety. In the town of Borepanga, Christians have been ordered to get on their knees and bow before the portrait of a Hindu preacher. They were told to turn over their Bibles, hymnals, and the two brightly colored calendar images of Christ that hung on their wall. Then they were forced to watch Hindu neighbors set all these items on fire. They are told: “Embrace Hinduism and your house will not be demolished. Otherwise, you will be killed or you will be thrown out of the village.” Such forced conversions are not isolated only to east Orissa; there are widening attacks on Christians in at least five other states across the country. In Kandhamal, the district that has seen the greatest violence, more than 30 people have been killed and over 130 churches have been destroyed. In addition, Christian-owned businesses have been systematically attacked. Orange flags (orange is the sacred color of Hinduism) triumphantly flutter above the rooftops of houses and storefronts. The fact is that Christians make up 2% of India’s population out of a nation of 1.1 billion Hindus. We need to pray for the Christians of India. See Somini Senggupta in the New York Times (13 October 2008).
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- Iraq: In the city of Mosul (ancient Nineveh), Christians have continued to leave in large numbers because of systematic persecution. Since September, 1,795 Christian families have fled this city. Their lives are being threatened and their property seized. Especially on the east side of the city, there have been killings and widespread intimidation. Homemade bombs have exploded destroying homes and churches. The government has been reluctant to help, send aid or bring stability to this region. Further, there is no consensus on who is responsible. Some say that Kurds are responsible for the persecution. Others say that former Baathists or radical Sunnis are. The point is that Iraq’s government is only now beginning to take notice of the problem. Before the fall of Saddam Hussein, Christians enjoyed a degree of relative freedom to worship. Since the fall of Saddam, Christians have been fleeing Iraq in large numbers. There are unquestionably fewer Christians in Iraq today than when Saddam was ruling. Radical Islam is threatening the Christian community—one of the unintended consequences of Saddam’s fall. See Sam Dagher in the New York Times (15 October 2008).
Pray for our brothers and sisters in India and in Iraq. “The blood of the martyrs is the seedbed of the church,” Tertullian once said. May that be true today! |
