republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
The
persecution and genocide of Christians is “worse than at any time in
history” according to several studies on the oppression and murder of
Christians worldwide. Although it has not dominated the headlines in
mass media, for tens of millions of Christians across the globe, each
day they live professing their faith in Christ is one that can end up in
violent attack, kidnapping, imprisonment or death.
“Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:10.
“More
than 200 million Christians in the 50 countries where it is most
difficult to be a Christian experience persecution because of their
faith.” (source).
So
concluded the report from Open Doors USA, an aid organization that
raises awareness about persecution of the Christian faith while at the
same time supplying Bible, training church leaders and providing aid to
those believers suffering for their faith.
A
2-year study by Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic persecution
watchdog group, arrived at the same conclusion – the atrocities
committed against Christians is by far at its worst:
“In
terms of the numbers of people involved, the gravity of the crimes
committed and their impact, it is clear that the persecution of
Christians is today worse than at any time in history. Not only are
Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, but
ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the very worst forms of
persecution. It is in this context that this report concludes that in 12
of the 13 countries reviewed, the situation for Christians was worse in
overall terms in the period 2015–17 than within the preceding two
years. An especially notable example of this was China where intolerance
was on the rise, as evidenced by a renewed clampdown on dissident
clergy and destruction of churches as well as crosses and other
Christian symbols.” (source).
“But
before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you,
delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought
before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.” – Luke 21:12.
According to Open Doors’ annual World Watch List,
where they track and rank the “restricted nations”, countries where
persecution takes place on a regular basis, there are 30 countries where
believers experience high, very high or extreme persecution, here are
some of the stories from the many who have suffered:
Nigeria
ranks 12 on the World Watch List and has seen a dramatic increase in
the oppression of Christianity all due to the rise of Boko Haram, the
Islamic terrorist group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic terror
group ISIS. Among the atrocities:
On
Palm Sunday, April 9, 49 people were killed in two ISIS attacks on
churches in Egypt. Michael Nabil Ragheb, the father of a 3-year-old and
deacon in Saint George Church in Tanta, was one of them. His widow,
Sara, shared her story of loss:
When Sara heard a loud blast and everything in the church went dark, she thought the end of the world had come.
“Michael,
my husband, had sensed something like this was going to happen. The day
before, on our daughter’s third birthday, he told us he thought he
would soon be among the martyrs in heaven.”
That morning, the
dreary premonition led Michael to ask his wife and daughter to sit in
the last bench, in the back of the church—instead of close to him, in
the front row.
“I was a bit surprised about that,” Sara says, “But
looking back, I know that it was God’s will.” After leaving his family
on the last bench of the church, Michael put on his deacon rope and went
to the front of the church, where he was in charge of the singing that
day.
“He asked me to wait for him after the service. But he never
came back.” Sara will never be able to wipe the horrible images of what
happened next from her memory. It was about ten minutes past nine. All
of the sudden, I heard the sound of a big explosion, the church shook
like there was an earthquake. The smoke filled the church, and it became
dark. I heard people screaming. I was screaming, too. I was screaming
the name of my husband and rushed to the place of the deacon choir,
where I hoped to find him alive.”
It’s difficult for Sara to
continue her story. “What I saw on my way to him was horrible, like a
massacre had just taken place. The bodies of dead church members and
pools of blood. Then I saw my husband. I was in shock. He was just lying
there, like the others. Gone to heaven like he had sensed would
happen.”
Sara and Michael had been married for four years. Sara
and daughter Priscilla will have to continue their lives without their
beloved husband and father. “I loved him so much,” Sara says. She sees
it as a sacrifice for Christ, but not one she has to deal with alone.
“Despite everything, God has put comfort, peace and great grace in my
heart.” (source).
Pakistan,
which ranks #4 on the World Watch List, is so prone to violence against
the Christian faith that many churches keep armed guards on patrol
during Sunday services. Christmas season is a time of extreme danger as
Muslim terrorists increase their violent attacks.
North
Korea is the perennial No. 1 offender in terms of extreme Christian
persecution. Officially an atheist state (although its leader Kim Jung
Un is viewed as a god), Christians are “hostiles” and are subject to all
manner of atrocities by the government:
“Most Christians worship
secretly. If discovered, they are “taken to political camps (kwanliso);
crimes against them in these camps include extra-judicial killing,
extermination, enslavement/forced labor, forcible transfer of
population, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, persecution, enforced
disappearance, rape and sexual violence and other inhuman acts.” CSW
reports documented cases of believers being “hung on a cross over a
fire, crushed under a steamroller, herded off bridges, and trampled
underfoot.”” (source).
“Blessed
are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice,
and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” – Matthew 5:11-12.
The
Lord Jesus Christ prophesied that the church would face persecution
that would only increase with time. By God’s grace, rather than shrink
in the face of violence and oppression, the Christian faith is
flourishing in many restricted nations:
The Bible says: “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
If you are living in a nation where you have full freedom to worship,
thank God for your liberty and pray for your brothers and sisters
suffering all over the world. Continue to pray for their safety,
strength and faith despite the evil the world inflicts on them. And pray
for the thousands of underground churches all over the world that are
literally risking life and limb to share the light of the Gospel in the
darkest corners of the earth.
“We are troubled on
every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always
bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are
always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus
might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in
us, but life in you.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8-12.
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