Tag: persecution

Parents Reject Children as ‘Infidels’ in Uganda

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Eight children from a village in Uganda were beaten by their Muslim families and cast away as “infidels” after giving their lives to Jesus Christ.

CHR Comment: The stories here are a bit confusing. One wonders, for example, how the children are spending so much time with the Christian ministers without the parents knowing about it. Why do the parents only become concerned after the conversions? There seem to be some missing elements in the stories, which require further explanation.

Source: 8 Children Beaten, Rejected by Parents as ‘Infidels’ in Uganda for Converting to Christianity

Chinese Christians Apply for Asylum in Czech Republic

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Religious freedom violations in China have once more been thrust into the public eye after 60 Chinese Christians applied for political asylum in the Czech Republic.

CHR Comment: The 60 Christians represent 10 different denominations. Christianity is growing in China and so faces various types of persecution. The article states that the asylum seekers are not likely to receive the help they seek.

Source: Dozens of Chinese Christians apply for ‘religious persecution’ asylum in Czech Republic | Christian News on Christian Today

Attacks on Christians in Egypt Raise Alarms

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Attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt average about one a month over the past three years.

CHR Comment: 10% of the population is Coptic. The article describes how laws in Egypt interfere with Christians building churches and how government efforts to curb persecution are ineffective. Features of these rules and practices are similar to those used by Muslim leaders over the centuries to prevent the growth and spread of Christianity.

Source: Attacks on Christians in Egypt raise alarms

The Story of Iran’s Church in Two Sentences

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More Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 13 centuries put together.

CHR Comment: Here is another encouraging story about the growing number of Christians in Iran, fueled by bold witness and growing disillusionment with Islam. The article describes hundreds of thousand of Christians, a figure in keeping with an earlier story shared from the New York Times.

Source: The Story of Iran’s Church in Two Sentences

Islamists Attack French Church, Slit Priest’s Throat

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CHR Comment: The dramatic murder of Father Jacques Hamel at Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in France while he was finishing mass illustrates the senseless brutality of ISIS inspired “soldiers.” Remarkably, the terrorists chose as their target an 84-year old man. The terrorism experienced by so many Near Eastern Christians continues to crop up in Europe and North America in 2016, illustrating desperate measures by devotees of the declining Islamic State. Father Hamel is rightly remembered as a martyr of the Christian Faith. Lord, have mercy.

I’ve added a more recent article below, which includes further information about the attack. And now a third article about ISIS.

Source: Islamists attack French church, slit priest’s throat | Reuters

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/07/28/france-church-attacker-islamic-state-priest-nuns/87651244/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/07/27/islamic-state-losing-territory/87645316/

 

Christianity in Georgia

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This ancient Christian country coveted by major powers is showing the world how a nation can survive by never relenting in its defence of its faith.

CHR Comment: The article describes the on-going influence and value of the Christian heritage of Georgia, which dates back to the fourth century. The article notes the suffering imposed by Muslims in the medieval era and by Soviets in the modern era.

Source: Christianity is this ancient country’s key to survival: Where people defend their faith ‘to the last drop of blood’ | Christian News on Christian Today

Thousands of Muslims in Bangladesh Reportedly Converting to Christianity

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Christian persecution in Bangladesh hasn’t waned, but surprisingly, the number of Muslims converting to Christianity in the South Asian country has been increasing over the years.

CHR Comment: The increasing number of Christians occurs in opposition to persecution. The article describes how new Christians meet in house churches that are not marked as churches due to the possibility of persecution. There are also reports out of Europe that Muslim immigrants are seeking Baptism.  Missionaries used to describe the challenge of reaching Muslims with the Gospel. Today it appears that more Muslims are welcoming the Gospel.

Source: Thousands of Muslims in Bangladesh reportedly converting to Christianity | Christian News on Christian Today

Some Christians in India Face Beatings and Fines for Worshiping Jesus

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Christians living in Hunter village in the Indian state of Jharkhand are facing dual threats from police who are barring them from worshiping and Hindu radicals who are threatening to kill them.

CHR Comment: Jharkhand land is in eastern India, near Bangladesh where similar threats and murders of Christians have taken place. However, in Jharkhand the threats are coming from Hindus rather than Muslims.

I’ve added a link to another, related story from this region.

Source: Christians in India Face Fines for Worshiping Jesus After Hindu Radicals Threaten to Kill Them

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.woman.found.dead.in.indian.jungle.was.threatened.by.relatives.over.faith/90083.htm

Pastor Beaten in Pakistan

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Police barged into the United Christian Church in Lahore, Pakistan last Sunday, and brutally attacked the lead pastor in response to a complaint about alleged noise levels from the church’s sound system.

CHR Comment: The article describes the complaint to police as falsely based and as an excuse for the police officer to disrupt the church service. The congregation reported the incident and local officials have promised action against the persecutors.

Persecution of Christians is increasing in Pakistan. According to the last portion of the article, Open Doors reported last year that Pakistan was ranked eighth most severe among those nations where persecution of Christians occurs.

Source: Pastor Beaten During Church Service Amid Rising Persecution in Pakistan