As Christianity Grows in India, Believers Face Increased Persecution
by Allie Martin
September 8, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Attacks against Christians continue throughout India, where last month militant Hindus broke into a Christian pastor's rented house, accusing him of not bowing before Hindu gods. The 50-year-old pastor was forced from his home in the middle of the night as the militant mob threw out all of his personal belongings.Todd Nettleton is a spokesman with Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry to the persecuted Church around the world. He says the Indian pastor, who has led 18 families for three years at his church, was taken to a local police station by the same Hindu throng that had broken in and ransacked his house.
"The police took him into custody," Nettleton notes. "They later did release him, but they didn't ever do anything against this militant Hindu mob that had broken into his house," he says. "This is yet another example of the persecution of Christians in India, a country which has really increased the level of persecution in recent years."
Persecution against Christians has increased in India in recent years because of the tremendous growth of the church there, the VOM spokesman observes. "It's a direct result of Christians who are actively involved in outreach to Hindus and literally thousands of Hindus coming to know Christ in a personal way," he explains, "particularly among the Dalits or the untouchables, the lowest caste of Hindus there."
This rapid growth of Christianity in India has "really created a lot of uproar among the Hindus," Nettleton says, "particularly among the radical Hindus, as they see so many of the people that were in their religion who are now followers of Jesus Christ." And the ministry representative says he expects Christians in India will continue to face hostility from radical Hindus as the gospel is preached and the church continues to expand.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
