Christian Persecution

Muslim mob attack on a group of Rohingya
believers who left Islam to follow Jesus

by Robert Norvell, Contributing Author: Open Doors is an international organization that tracks the persecution of Christians worldwide reports that 1 out of 8 Christians are persecuted. That translates into 250 million followers of Christ throughout the world.

Out of the top 15 countries only one, North Korea, is non-Islamic. The other 14 nations are Muslim majority nations. Islam is responsible for 95% of all the horrendous religious persecution taking place in the modern world.

A woman in India watches as her sister is dragged off by Hindu nationalists. She doesn’t know if her sister is alive or dead.

A man in a North Korean prison camp is shaken awake after being beaten unconscious; the beatings begin again.

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.

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 share an important characteristic: 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 Sudan to Russia, from Nigeria to North Korea, from Colombia to India, followers of Christianity are targeted for their faith. They are attacked; they are discriminated against at work and at school; they risk sexual violence, torture, arrest and much more.In just the last year*, there have been:

• Over 245 million Christians living in places where they experience high levels of persecution
• 4,305 Christians killed for their faith
• 1,847 churches and other Christian buildings attacked.
• 3,150 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned

These numbers are heart-breaking. And yet, they do not tell the whole story. James 1:2-4 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” That joy is what we see when we hear and work with Christians all over the world who suffer because of they serve Jesus. God cares for His people, and He will never leave or forsake them.What shall we as Christians do about this problem? First of all, we need to pray for sisters and brothers undergoing these terrible trials. This action needs to take place in our private devotional lives. But even more importantly, we should lift up the plight of our sisters and brothers to the Lord. If your church does not pray publicly for the persecuted, speak to your pastor and ask he or she to do so.

Finally, Muslims need to stop these execrable practices. Islam needs to leave the 6th Century and join the modern world. It should be the God given right for every man, woman and child to choose freely and without coercion their religious affiliation.
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* 2019 World Watch List reporting period, November 1, 2017-October 31, 2018
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Robert Norvell is a contributing author to the ARRA News Service.

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