In our previous blog we opened the door on Christian persecution, today we will look further on the topic of Christian persecution around the world, it is one of the biggest human rights issues of this era and mainstream media seldom speak on this matter. The silence is deafening.
The following story is one of the many...
Last Sunday seemed like any Sunday for 80-year-old Pastor Pierre OuIt, who has spent 40 years serving his church and Sirgadji village community in the northeastern Soum province of Burkina Faso. He gathered for worship with his congregation in the West African country. And like every Sunday, he preached the Word of God with the wisdom that seasoned years of life and ministry bring. Shortly after the service an ordinary Sunday suddenly turned deadly, and a church building where worshippers had just gathered became a crime scene. At about 1 pm, while Pastor Pierre was still talking with several congregants in the churchyard, a dozen men on motorbikes stormed the area. A local leader who wished to remain anonymous told World Watch Monitor that, “the assailants asked the Christians to convert to Islam, but the pastor and the others refused.”
Reportedly, the attackers gathered Pastor Pierre and five other congregants under a tree and then confiscated their Bibles and cell phones.“Then they called them, one after the other, behind the church building where they shot them dead,” the local leader said.
In addition to Pastor Pierre, the attackers killed his son, Wend-Kuni, and his brother-in-law Zoéyandé Sawadogo (a church deacon), as well as believers Sayouba and Arouna Sawadogo, and a primary school teacher, Elie Boena. Another person was seriously injured and taken to a nearby hospital. The men then set the church building and two motorbikes on fire. Before they left, they stole sheep and a bag of rice from Pastor Pierre’s home. The pastor leaves behind his wife and six other children.
There are other persons across the world who have died because of Christian Persecution. The following are just a few examples :-
1.A woman in India watches as her sister is dragged off by Hindu. She does not know if her sister is alive or dead.
2. A man in a North Korean prison camp is shaken awake after being beaten unconscious; the beatings begin again.
3. A woman in Nigeria runs for her life. She has escaped from Boko Haram, who kidnapped her. She is pregnant, and when she returns home, her community will reject her and her baby.
4. A group of children are laughing and talking as they come down to their church’s sanctuary after eating together. Instantly, many of them are killed by a bomb blast. It’s Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.
These people don’t live in the same region, or even on the same continent. But they are all Christians, and they suffer because of their faith. While Christian persecution takes many forms, it is defined as any hostility experienced as a result of identification with Jesus Christ. From the east to west, from the north to south, Christians are targeted because of their faith. They are attacked, they are discriminated against at work and at school, they risk sexual violence, torture, arrest and much more. Over 260 million Christians are living in places where they experience high levels of persecution.
“And from the time of John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing and violent people are attacking it.” (Matthew 11:12)
The top 11 most dangerous countries to be a Christian are:
North Korea
Afghanistan
Somalia
Libya
Pakistan
Sudan
Eritrea
Yemen
Iran
India
Syria
( Open Doors Ministry United Kingdom,2019)
At least 75% of all religiously-motivated violence and oppression is suffered by Christians.
Radical Islam extremist is responsibile for the persecution of Christians in 22 of the worst offending countries.
In just the last year there has been:
2,983 Christians killed for their faith.
9,488 churches and other Christian buildings attacked
3,711 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned
(Open Doors Ministry 2019).
Eastern World
In the last century,the eastern nations have totalitarian regimes such as Communism or Nazism, plus openley atheistinfluence, saw Christian believers as threats to a fully regimented society, and either killed them or deported them to slave-labor camps.
Western World
Christians who live in western Europe or America are rich and powerful and still influential, even though their societies may be secularized and hedonistic.
In many parts of this society today, the Christian faith is despised as archaic and oppressive, and the pressures against religion are usually disguised under 'the freedom to believe'. Actually, the western world is more correctly called "post-Christian" or "secular", in that governments seek the "separation of church and state". There is, therefore, a degree of religious tolerance, even though widespread mockery of Christian values and morals are on the increase. Such persecution is predicted as nations move towards atheism, anti-church, anti-Christianity and antichrist. Rhetorically Jesus said, “...when the son of man comes will he find faith on the earth”(Luke 18:8).
How are Christians Persecuted Today?
Christian Persecution comes by way of cultural hostility from nontraditional/different religious groups. The lack of basic human rights is another significant part of Christian persecution in some countries. In some countries, severe abuse of Christians takes place under authoritarian governments and dictatorship. The map below shows the ranking of different countries in relation to persecution faced by Christians.
In spite of all this, God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us and there are many channels of assistance and help both natural and spiritual. in the world’s most oppressive nations and countries, empowerment comes to Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. These believers stand strong, despite the many obstacles that they are facing. Below is alist of charitable organizations that support christians across the world who suffer persecution.
10 Charities Suporting Persecuted Christians
Open Doors
Christian Freedom International
Release International
Mission Network News
Barnabas Fund
Centre for Legal Aid Assistance & Settlement
ChinaAid
Steadfast Global
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
The Foundation for Relief & Reconciliation in the Middle East
Donations are always welcome for the support and strengethening of Persecuted Christians.
There are no easy answers for why God allows his followers to face suffering. However, the lives of persecuted Christians reveal that even when things look out of control believers can rest secure, knowing that God is still in control. He is able to give courage, peace and even joy to stand strong through the storm. It is through these storms that believers discover God’s love
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)
“He is no fool that gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot loose”
I pray that our persecuted brothers' and sisters' lives will be a strong motivation for us to have a more meaningful relationship with our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
Yours in Christ,
Marcel Bruff
Walk Good in Christ
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