Christians are being persecuted in India like never before. The Indian state of Orissa is where most of the persecutions have taken place. So far the government has done little or nothing to actually stop the atrocities.
On August 23rd, the leader of the militant Hindu organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was slain in Orissa. The local Christians were blamed for this… And persecuted for it.
The VHP and similar organizations consider Christianity to be a foreign imposition in India by way of forced conversions.
Since the slaying of the VHP leader and four of his followers, a group of Maoists in Orissa have taken full responsibility for carrying it out. But the Christians were still targeted by violent Hindu extremists.
Homes and churches have been burnt and destroyed, 13 schools and centers wrecked, 60 people killed, priests and ministers, among others, have been beaten, and a nun was raped and humiliated in public while the police stood by.
Some Christians fled to the forests. More than 50, 000 are now refegees.
This is all very sad.
Last Christmas, Christians were attacked in Orissa. In 1999, an Australian missionary and his two young sons were murdered there.
Christians are accused of forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity through threats and bribes. Now, if forced conversions are really happening—do they justify these attacks? There is no excuse whatsoever for this violence. It goes against everything that Mahatma Gandhi taught and practiced.
Here are some important news links to check out:
Orissa: Christian woman killed, 300 more homes burned
Indian priest describes mob ordeal ‘like being tortured for Christ’