While Orthodox Christians and Christians of all faiths face persecution in both China and India, the nature of that persecution is generally different in each country. In China, Christians face a government crackdown, with the nation’s authoritarian regime attempting to create a Chinese Christianity under its control, which would deny or ignore core tenets of the Faith. In India, Christians face mob violence from Hindus who believe that efforts to preach the Gospel are a threat to them. Please pray that the light of the truth would dawn on all those who persecute Christians, and that they would turn in repentance to the Lord whose people they are targeting now.
“World’s 2 Most Populous Countries Listed Among Most Dangerous for Christians,” by Joshua Nelson, Daily Signal, January 18, 2019:
Among the world’s 50 most dangerous countries for Christians listed in a new report are China and India, the two most populous countries.
Now in its 27th year, Christian advocacy organization Open Doors’ “World Watch List” is an annual survey of religious liberty conditions for Christians around the world, measuring the degree of freedom a person has to practice their religious beliefs.
In remarks Thursday at The Heritage Foundation, David Curry, the president and CEO of Open Doors USA, cited the rise of authoritarianism and nationalism in India and China as reasons for the unapologetic persecution of Christians. China moved up on the list from No. 43 to No. 27, and India placed at No. 10, cracking the list’s top 10 for the first time.
The Chinese government, Curry explained, has imposed policies on churches that violate their privacy and sanctity. For example, facial recognition technology is required by the state to track church members. Zion church, one of the churches that refused to integrate the technology, was forced to close for not complying with the Chinese government’s standards.
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Installing the facial recognition technology reportedly aids the government in identifying certain groups of people that are banned from attending church service, such as educators, civil servants, college students, doctors, medical professionals, or individuals younger than 18.
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping has wielded state power to restrict Christianity, worship for unregistered churches has also become increasingly risky. Curry noted the arrest of Pastor Wang Yi along with around 150 Christians because he wouldn’t allow the Communist Party to change his church’s dogma.
“We believe everyone has the right to choose their own faith,” Curry asserted.
India has also pushed an agenda to aggressively purge Christianity, Curry remarked. Curry said Hindu nationalism has contributed immensely to religious persecution. Non-Hindus are outcasts in their own country. Many are victims of violence, especially Hindus who have converted into Christianity….
