“To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men.”
A W Tozer
Would you risk everything to profess your Faith? Would you risk your family, home, and job to proclaim the Faith? We hope you are never put to this test. Unfortunately, these are questions confronting our brothers and sisters in every corner of India each day.
“Religious nationalism is on the rise,” said Daniel Mark, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), “Some state and local governments in India have tried to address attacks on [religious] minorities, but others turn a blind eye. That creates a climate of impunity that allows radicals to function more freely.”
India is on the watch list of countries experiencing systematic, ongoing or egregious harassment or violence against religious groups. The government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took power in 2014, is often blamed for the growing religious violence. “The local Hindus were not happy with growing Christianity,” said a Pastor. “They had several times tried to stop the ministry.” (Fox News, 2016) British Sculptor Anish Kapoor says “India is being ruled by Hindu Taliban”.
It is believed that Christianity in the southern part of India is not affected and is practiced it freely without any antagonism, sadly it is just a fairytale. Christians are often from the lower castes, such as the Dalits who face huge socio-economic problems. They are an easy target for extreme nationalists.” Local Christians and international religious rights groups say anti-Christian incidents are on the rise. They contend that the government’s failure to censure local leaders for inflammatory rhetoric and sectarian persecution has encouraged a culture of impunity for anti-minority violence — a charge the reigning political faction denies. These groups attempt to present religious minorities like Christians and Muslims as unpatriotic.
It is distressing to see even private worship being attacked by Hindu right-wing campaigners violating the privacy and sanctity of an individual or a family and trampling upon their constitutional rights. Most incidents were “daring physical attacks” on church leaders and members. Most police complaints filed against victims accused them of crimes such as sedition, working against religious tolerance, discriminating against people, acting against national integration, defiling places of worship and insulting religions.
At a time in the West when there is increasing media focus on the rights of people regardless of gender, ethnicity or sexuality, it is ironic that in much of the secular media there should be such limited coverage of the massive persecution experienced by so many Christians. The Indian press, which went berserk at the time of the burnings, mostly kept quiet when the true nature of the perpetrators was revealed.
The pervasive nature of persecution—and evidence implicating regimes with whom the West has close trading and strategic links—mean that it behooves our governments to use their influence to stand up for minorities, especially Christians. No longer should Christians be sacrificed on the altar of strategic expediency and economic advantage.
If Christian organizations and other institutions had not filled the gap, the Christian presence could already have disappeared. Our brothers and sisters need our prayers and support, we need to encourage them, equip them, strengthen them to stand firm in the face of persecution. Pray and keep Faith with those who suffer for Christ. Heal the wounds of persecution. Be a Voice and take a stand in defense of the persecuted Christians. You can share these words with friends and family. You can ask your elected officials to protect religious freedom.
With generosity we can meet the spiritual and material needs of the persecuted Church; provide pastoral care for souls, the poor and the marginalized; sustain our courageous missionary priests and members as they risk their lives for Christ; rebuild and repair damaged and desecrated churches; and support vocations so that there will always be someone in God’s house to serve.
“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”
-Nelson Mandela
He Aletheia 