The Plight of Christians in India

RELIGION IN THE NEWS

A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.This week’s item is from World Net Daily, January 11, 2008, with a headline:“Attacks Increasing against Christians in India.” The following are excerpts:A new report confirms what Christians in India already fear— 2007 was the worst year since their nation’s independence in 1947, for attacks on Christians.The report from Compass Direct cited statistics compiled by the all India Christian Counsel in confirming that the number of attacks on Christians in 2007 surpassed 1,000 for the first time in India’s history.At least 200 anti-Christian attacks, including 4 murders, had been documented before the recent violence erupted in Orissa States Kandhamal District, the report said.There, at least another 4 Christians were killed and about 800 attacks were reported.At least 730 homes and 95 churches were burned, the report said.In all the villages we have visited people testified that the attacks, destruction and looting was done in the presence of the police, the report continued with Hindu extremists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad suspected in many of the gun, knife and bomb assaults.According to Gospel for Asia, another Christian ministry working in India, the violence has amounted to a virtual terror campaign against Christians.This violence against believers in Orissa breaks my heart, said K.P. Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel for Asia.This is the same state where missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were martyred.The believers know they will face opposition, but this outburst of persecution at Christmas time is especially disturbing.

Tom:

Dave, this is a good reminder that, you know, brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are putting their life on the line for their beliefs, and we want to really remember to pray for them.You know, I’ve been going through the Psalms, Psalms of David, praying for his protection, and so on, and I think we need to do more and more of that as these things increase.The other thing that I find fascinating about this, maybe fascinating is not the right word, the extremists—the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Now we’ve talked about them in past programs.These are extreme, very fundamental Hindus, right?Before you answer that I’ll throw this in:Isn’t ahimsa—isn’t that a belief, non violence of Hinduism, number one?And number two, certainly the belief in reincarnation, you would think these guys would think about it.Wait a minute, if I go out and do something to these Christians, don’t I have to then come back and be a Christian in a next life, and then have somebody burn me in an automobile like they did to this missionary and his two sons?

Dave:

Well, the law of ahimsa you wouldn’t even swat a fly, it might be an aunt from a prior life who went down instead of up, and yes, the law of karma would require.But Tom, they’re probably thinking that this isn’t something wrong, it’s good to kill Christians.

Tom:

Yeah, but right or wrong, haven’t we said, and pointed out this is amoral; it doesn’t make any difference what you do, in the law of karma you still have to experience it.

Dave:

Well, it would only be if it was bad.So if they could justify it like the Muslims, then this is not bad, this is good, it will gain—I don’t understand what a Hindu, how they would wiggle their way around this.But Vishwa Hindu Parishad is made up of not just Hindus, but there are a number of sects of Hindus.There are Sikhs, Jains and a number of other sects, they are all involved.In fact, as I recall, I think it was—I don’t remember, Tom, I’m going to enter the Olympics for the forgetfulness, and I think I could probably be a champ!But anyway, I think it was 1969 when, who was the keynote speaker at this conference?There were about 60,000 delegates there from all over India, and other places.There was Dalai Lama! Well he’s a Buddhist!Well, there’s a relationship between Buddhism and Hinduism.Buddha was originally a Hindu prince, and it was the violence that bothered him in spite of the law of ahimsa so he found his own religion.But Tom, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.The heart of one person mirrors the heart of another and it seems that if you get something going, and there’s a mob, or there is some excuse, you can do violence, like in a football game or a soccer game, they canreally get violent, because that’s in us, unfortunately.We are sinners, and you give us an excuse—looting, Wow— chance—I like that TV set in there, let me run off with that, because after all, everybody else is doing it.But this is specifically aimed at Christians, and Jesus said, you will be hated from all men for my namesake.Now, there’s a verse, Tom that I think about often, it’s 2 Thessalonians:3:2And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
See All..., where Paul says, “Pray for us, especially that we would be delivered from wicked and unreasonable men, for all men have not faith.”If you don’t have faith, you’re going to be wicked and you will be unreasonable, and Tom, there’s nothing you can do with an unreasonable Hindu or Muslim coming after you with a machete.You can’t reason with them at all.

Tom:

And even some who call themselves Christians, you have to apply that as well, and deal without knowledge.

Dave:

God said, Come now, let’s reason together.Christianity is reasonable, Paul reasoned in the synagogue, and so forth.These people are not reasonable, they are out of control, and it’s a tragedy.

Tom:

So again, we need to pray for people in the field, people who are trying to minister the love of Christ, and bring salvation.

Dave:

We could pray that very prayer Paul wanted for them, “Deliver them from wicked and unreasonable men, for all men do not have faith.”