Why persecute christians

Christians also suffer in the workplace, where they are largely relegated to menial jobs. The case of Asia Bibi—a Christian woman who spent eight years on death row, accused of allegedly insulting the Prophet of Islam—has brought the pernicious effect of the law to the fore. In early May , she was able to travel to Canada to be reunited with her family.

In Iran , there has been an escalation in anti-Christian sentiment in recent years, evident in negative media coverage and the proliferation of anti-Christian publications, visa refusal, targeted surveillance and intimidation tactics.

In Turkey , the state has seized numerous Church properties in recent times. There are indications of continuing intolerance of Christianity as evident in the Islamification of historic Christian sites, such as the Hagia Sophia.

In Saudi Arabia the public profession of Christianity is illegal, as are public Masses. There is tolerance of private worship by non-Muslims. Christian converts from Islam face the death penalty. In Egypt , in at least four major attacks since , well over a hundred Coptic Christians died at the hands of Islamist terrorists. Christians charge the government is not doing enough to protect them.

Meanwhile, it remains extremely difficult to get official permission to construct new churches. In Eritrea , there has been an increased government clampdown on Christians, with faithful who resist state control of their Churches ending up in prison under extremely harsh conditions. Many Christians are leaving the country. Since the beginning of through May , there have been more than deadly attacks. Some Church leaders charge there is local government and military collusion in the murder of Christians, as well as the funding and supply of sophisticated weaponry to the herdsmen.

Several hundred Christian farmers were killed in the first half of Boko Haram, though weakened militarily, continues to kill Christians in northeastern Nigeria. On December 24, Boko Haram killed seven people and abducted a teenage girl in a raid on a Christian village in Borno State. Following the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in , attacks on both Christians and Muslims have risen. These are largely carried out by Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists. In addition, in the period ,there has also been an increase in attacks on churches in Eastern Province by extremist Hindu groups.

The worst attack on Christians occurrred on Easter Sunday , when Islamist suicide bombers attacked three churches. At the time of this bombing, fears were still high in the wake of the siege of Marawi by Islamist extremists, who were finally defeated in October , following a five-month siege. Over that time more than 1, people died and , were displaced.

This provoked fear among Christians, who have been hoping for an end to persecution perpetrated by the now-deposed strongman Omar al-Bashir. Hardist hit have been the Nuba Mountains, where Christians have suffered ethnic cleansing as Arab-Sudanese try to eradicate black Sudanese with indiscriminate military attacks on Christian villages, churches, hospitals and schools. The massacre of more than people, mostly Christians — including two priests and a pastor — at a Church-run displacement camp1 highlighted the scale of the internal conflict afflicting the Central African Republic CAR.

Muslim communities had also suffered, with reports of a brutal wave of ethnic cleansing in the west of the country. Overall, Islam is a conquering force in CAR, with the intrusion of Muslims from the neighboring countries of Chad and Sudan, who now claim to control two thirds of the country. Kachin Christians have been killed, raped, tortured and used to clear landmine-peppered areas.

Women and girls have been trafficked as brides to China. Every day, in many places, Christians are suffering persecution because of their faith and many victims of persecutions are left with no choice but to flee for their lives.

Yet, despite the gravity of the situation, the extent of this persecution is largely ignored by mainstream media. As followers of Christ, we need to be caring for persecuted Christians.

By doing this, we too can experience spiritual blessings as one body of Christ. We can learn so much for our own discipleship from the persecuted church. Evangelicals should step forward in love, pray, and be a channel of blessing to brothers and sisters who witness for Christ in extreme conditions.

The Lausanne Movement connects influencers and ideas for global mission, with a vision of the gospel for every person, an evangelical church for every people, Christ-like leaders for every church, and kingdom impact in every sphere of society.

We call it Saturday 7. To help ensure your information will save properly, we encourage you to first download this form to your desktop, then use a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat to fill it out and save it on your computer. Then, add your physical or digital signature and send us the signed version via fax or email.

Lausanne Movement. Up Next. More stories you may like. Read our privacy policy. Sign Up. We use cookies to enhance your experience. Learn more. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website.

Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent.

You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Necessary Necessary. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. But in July , the Turkish president persuaded a court to make it a mosque again, strengthening Turkish nationalism. Fourth, attacks by mostly Muslim extremists increased despite lockdowns to contain the coronavirus. These extremist groups exploit governmental failures, and armed jihadists spread propaganda, push recruitment and conduct regular attacks.

This year, Islamic extremists continue to target churches 14 killed in one attack, 24 in another. For example, the latest Pew Research Center analysis of governmental and societal hostilities toward religion found that Christians were harassed in countries in , more than any other religious group.

Muslims were harassed in countries, followed by Jews in 88 countries. When examining only hostility by governments, Muslims were harassed in countries and Christians in countries, according to Pew. When examining only hostility within society, Christians were harassed in countries and Muslims in countries. Correction: In its first release of the report, Open Doors miscategorized the primary source of persecution in Colombia No.

Sections Home. Bible Coronavirus Prayer. Subscribe Member Benefits Give a Gift. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Trending: Easter Coronavirus Racism Elections. Short List World Watch List.

Map of the 50 countries where persecution of Christians is worst. Latest report on Christian persecution finds 3 in 4 martyrs are in Nigeria, ranked among 10 worst persecutors for first time. Current Issue November Subscribe. Read This Issue. Free Newsletters Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. North Korea 2. Afghanistan 3. Somalia 4. Libya 5. Pakistan 6. Eritrea 7. Yemen 8. Iran 9. Nigeria Where Christians Face the Most Violence: 1.

Pakistan 2. Paul and his disciples seems to have diminished through much of the second century. The result was great tension between Christians and pagans in provinces where the church was strong. The recorded victims of persecution were mainly converts—such as Perpetua and Felicitas in Carthage martryed March 7, , or the disciples of Origen in Alexandria. The bishops and clergy seem not to have been affected.

This was followed, however, by 12 years of calm in which the church expanded, extended its catacombs in Rome, and through its great teacher Origen — , established for the first time an intellectual superiority over its pagan contemporaries. Origen, however, perceived the danger of the situation. There might not have been many martyrs to date, but persecution, if it came now, would be on a worldwide scale.

He was right. Under the emperor Decius — the church experienced what, in retrospect, was its most severe test. Decius had come to power at a moment of grave military threat from the Goths, and economic and social decline in the cities. He blamed his predecessor, Philip, for military incompetence and the Christians, whom he believed Philip had favored, for the breakdown of morale in the Empire.

Decius combined this move, evidently, with an order probably in December to seize leading Christians. By January 20, , Pope Fabian had been tried before the emperor himself and sentenced to be executed. The authorities went to great lengths to ensure compliance. In major cities, such as Carthage, commissions saw that individuals did perform sacrifice and punished those who refused.

In Egypt, at least, there were commissioners in the country areas, and 44 of the certificates libelli have survived. They follow a set pattern. I have always continued to sacrifice and show reverence to the gods, and now, in your presence, I have poured a libation and sacrificed and eaten some of the sacrificial meat.

I request you to certify this for me below. Charis retained one certificate for herself, and the other was deposited in the official archives, so one can imagine the bureaucratic nightmare the order caused. Many fled; few wished to defy the emperor openly. Alexandria and Carthage saw massive apostasies. In Smyrna, the bishop himself performed sacrifice. Those who defied the authorities, like the presbyter Pionius of Smyrna, were often regarded as simpletons or fanatics eager to throw away their lives.

The edict caused deep divisions among Christians, moreover, that brought merriment to pagan authorities. Decius died in June on a campaign against the Goths, and Bishop Cyprian, who had fled, returned to Carthage to aid demoralized and disorganized congregations.

The church recovered its adherents rapidly but faced problems: what to do about the multitudes who had lapsed, and how to treat the Novatianist schism in Rome and North Africa, which had repercussions throughout much of the church. Their movement foreshadowed more permanent division in the Christian church between those who put its integrity above all other values, and those who regarded universality the Katholike as all important.

The new emperor, Valerian —60 , at first tolerated the Christians but in the summer of suddenly altered his attitude. Other bishops were sent to the mines. In addition, Christian places of worship and cemeteries were closed, and anyone entering did so at risk of execution. For nearly a year there was an uneasy calm.

The Christians, however, were not cowed as they were a few years before. We learn of numbers of visitors to Curubis, where Cyprian was living; of forbidden Christian assemblies in a suburb of Alexandria; and of proselytizing by Dionysius where he had been exiled. Around July , Valerian ordered that bishops, priests, and deacons be executed, that church property be confiscated, that socially superior honorati laity lose their privileges and imperial civil servants Caesariani be reduced to slavery a status from which many had emerged.

In some parts of the Empire this persecution of was the bloodiest the church endured.