The global spread of Christian persecutions has reached an epidemic proportion. Compounding the frightening conclusions is the fact that people of the Christian faith have been the most targeted religious group in the world since 2015. Violence, murder and subversion of open practice have spread to nearly every corner of the globe. Christians are under attack like never before in modern history.
When Open Doors USA released its World Watch List, several of the nations listed as “Extreme” persecutors such as North Korea and Iran were not surprising. However, 10 now fall under this heart-stopping category with 20 more have been deemed “Very High Persecution” and yet another 20 fall under the “High Persecution” label. All told, Christians in 50 countries are suffering at a profound level.
Several of the surprising places that Christians have come under fire are Saudi Arabia that has strong ties to the United States and has been moving toward social reform. India, another American ally that has made significant religious reforms in recent years also persecutes Christians at a high level. Perhaps the most disheartening are Christian strongholds such as Mexico and Columbia that enjoy a tremendous Catholic Church following.
Last year, an estimated 90,000 Christians were murdered for their Faith and approximately one-third of those came at the hands of Islamic Radicals. North Korea conducts state-sanctioned killings and the Center for Studies on New Religions determined that as many as 600 million people were prevented from openly practicing Christianity. Things have gone so far that groups in places such as Iraq were forced to create organized defenses to protect themselves from attack.
Growing Threat Of Boko Haram
Although the religious turmoil in the Middle East has been widely reported, anti-Christian forces such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and their affiliates in Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and other nearby regions have reigned terror on practicing Christians.
Boko Haram has been targeting Nigerian Christians for nearly a decade. As their power in the region continues to grow, violence and murder grow with it. Reports have come in from simple farmers and herdsmen saying that Boko Haram slaughtered more than 800 Christians recently and they now target moderate Muslims as well. Anyone who doesn’t adhere to their extremist notions about Islam could be put to death.
The terror gang also burned upwards of 16 Christian churches, more than 50 complete villages and the wounded total more than 1,000. Boko Haram has emerged as a plague on Christians.
Anti-Christian Epidemic in India
As high as India ranked in terms of attacks on Christians in 2016, those figures are expected to pale by comparison to 2017. So far this year, violence against Christians has totaled almost the same number as all of last year. Through August there were 410 reports and that number is expected to far exceed the 441 in 2016.
Critics of the Indian government say that excess leniency toward anti-Christian persecutors continues to embolden them and prompt more incidents. Hindus have been cited as the group most prone to hate and are viewed as growing less and less tolerate of religious diversity.
Organizations such as the National Council of Churches in India, that includes more than 14 million Orthodox Christians and Protestants, has lobbied the country’s prime minister to denounce the anti-Christian problems. Without strong and fully enforced governmental policy, India will undoubtedly see more Christian blood spilled in the streets.
Major Attacks on Christians in 2017
With 50 countries now on the list of significant Christian persecution, attacks continue to escalate. These are just some of the most heinous and impactful acts of violence this year.
- April 9: At least 29 dead and 78 wounded by a suicide bomber targeting Christians during Palm Sunday in Tanta, Egypt.
- July 8: More than a dozen Christians are beheaded when unable to recite Islamic dogma in Poromoko, Kenya.
- 8: Three aid workers from the Catholic Church shot dead in Firuzkoh, Afghanistan.
- 6: Five Christians beheaded by al-Shabaab terror group in Lamu, Kenya.
- 8: 19 killed and 5 wounded by Fulani terrorists in Ancha, Nigeria. Women and children found among the murdered.
- October 16: 7 killed and 25 wounded from a terror attack on a church in al-Arish, Egypt.
According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, nearly 1 million Christians have been martyred in the last 10 years. That number translates to one slain Christian ever six minutes. Despite the onslaught of worldwide persecution, Christians comprise one-third of the world’s population. Members of the Christian Faith face imminent threats in every corner of the globe.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
