Advocacy Groups Report Escalating Christian Persecution in China, India
by Allie Martin
January 10, 2007
(AgapePress) - - Persecution continues to increase against Christians throughout India and in Communist China. Representatives of organizations that minister to and advocate for believers in those countries say government authorities in both nations are severely oppressing Christians and limiting their religious freedom. Late last month, Hindu extremists torched a church in the Indian state of Orissa after members had decorated and prepared the sanctuary for Christmas services. The Global Council of Indian Christians is investigating the church burning. And in another recent incident of anti-Christian violence, ten Indian Christian missionaries along with a pastor were beaten and arrested for singing Christmas carols.
Todd Nettleton is a spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), an organization that ministers to persecuted Christians worldwide. He says persecution against church members is on the rise because of the rapid spread of Christianity throughout Hindu-dominated India.
Nettleton says Hindu authorities often accuse Christians of using force or coercion to convert people. "This idea that Christians are forcing people or bribing people to change their faith from Hinduism to Christianity -- that's where the root of the issue is," he explains.
"As Christians, we know that we invite somebody to accept Christ; you cannot force them to do it," the VOM spokesman continues. "But in the minds of the Hindus, if you're leading Hindus astray, somehow you're tricking them or forcing them or bribing them," he says. "It couldn't be that they're just making a freewill choice to follow Jesus."
As a result of this mindset, Nettleton observes, Christians are often accused by the Hindu authorities, despite there being no evidence of any wrongdoing. "In the case of the Christmas carolers who were beaten and arrested," he notes, "they were accused of bribing poor Hindus to change their faith from Hinduism to Christianity."
Those Christians "had gathered inside the church and were singing Christmas carols," the ministry representative points out. "It's hard to see how that possibly could be construed as bribing somebody to become a Christian," he says.
Recently, Nettleton notes, six Indian states have passed so-called "anti-conversion" legislation. These newly enacted laws give Indian authorities the right to punish Indian Christian converts after they have renounced Hinduism and converted to faith in Christ.
However, Indian Christians are not the only ones facing escalating difficulties with religious intolerance from government officials. An expert on Christian persecution within communist China says believers in that country will face increasing scrutiny from authorities.
Chinese Government Cracks Down on House Church Christians
The China Aid Association (CAA) is a non-profit group that advocates for religious freedom in the People's Republic of China, with a particular focus on the fate of members of the unofficial church in that nation. Recently, the organization has reported on a sharp increase in raids and arrests at unregistered house churches throughout China.
CAA president Bob Fu estimates that there are about 130 million Christians in China, including those who belong to the official state-sanctioned church and those who belong to unregistered underground house churches. He predicts that the Communist Chinese government, already tough on members of unregistered churches, will probably get tougher on house church members as the country prepares to host the 2008 Olympics.
"The Chinese government seems very determined to crack down on the so-called 'unstable elements' of the society," Fu explains. "That's why we need to pray that the Chinese government can have a change of heart in the new year," he says.
The CAA spokesman encourages believers to pray that Chinese Communist officials would come to understand that followers of Christ are not dangerous elements in Chinese society but, to the contrary, are among the nation's best citizens. He says the authorities, "instead of seeing Christians as a threat, should really know that Christians and Christian leaders, even though they are not registered with the government, are praying for their Chinese leaders every day, and they are praying for peace and prosperity for China."
According to CAA, the Chinese government has been proclaiming to the international community that its people are enjoying a golden age of religious freedom. However, Fu says the persecution of unregistered house churches does not support this claim.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
