India institutes crackdowns on Christian church services

by Seth Udinski
India institutes crackdowns on Christian church services

Seth Udinski, FISM News

 

Congregation members from roughly 50 churches in India were prevented from gathering for worship on Sunday, November 14 as the officials cracked down on their religious freedoms.

Reports say that the Jhabua District in the Madhya Pradesh state in India has banned Christians from meeting together to appease the demands of the radical Hindu population in the area. One anonymous local pastor explained his plight in desiring to still meet while also protecting his flock from harm:

I read the circular last Friday and decided not to have worship on Sunday. The last five months have been difficult. Our congregation has been reduced from 40 members to 15. Even these 15 are now scared. I know as a pastor that I need to endure hardships and persecution for my faith. But I am worried about those who are showing interest and coming newly to worship with us.

Christians are fighting for their rights, as a group of nearly 300 pastors in the region have sought legal help to gain protection under the law as minorities. It is unclear, however, if this legal appeal will have any impact, as it has not seemed to do so thus far.

Christians face severe persecution in the region, where only 2% of the population claim the name of Christ compared to 80% who profess Hinduism.

Christian missionary watchdog Open Doors USA shared the plight of believers in the region, saying:

Hindu extremists believe that all Indians should be Hindus and that the country should be rid of Christianity and Islam. They use extensive violence to achieve this goal, particularly targeting Christians from a Hindu background. Christians are accused of following a ‘foreign faith’ and blamed for bad luck in their communities.

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