Although this fact might surprise some people, there are places in which Christianity and its adherents are subjected to harsh and regular persecution. The persecutions seem to be harshest in the Islamic nations and also in communist nations like China and North Korea. To give you a better picture of this problem, we would like to present you with a few firsthand stories of Christian discrimination.
Family Receives Life In Prison For A Bible
North Korea’s government seems to be the worst offender in terms of anti-Christian atrocities. Communist governments are inherently atheistic, which is why they tend to suppress Christianity and most other religions. According to a report from the U.S. State Department, there was one specific incident in which a Christian family was persecuted even more harshly than usual.
Apparently, they put an entire family in prison for the crime of possessing a bible. The sentence for this “crime” is life. Even the family’s two-year-old son was not spared. Some accounts say that the victims have been subjected to horrendous treatment. Some even say that there are as many as 70,000 people that have been interned for their religious beliefs. It is interesting to note that practitioners of traditional Korean belief systems have been persecuted as well. We can see that the North Korean government is indeed hostile to all religions, but Christians have often been singled out for the worst treatment due to their association with the Western world.
Ben’s Escape From Afghanistan
This article from “Christianity Today” tells the amazing story of an Afghan man known as “Ben.” His real name has been hidden for his protection, even though he now resides in Canada.
When Ben told his family about his newfound faith in Christ, he was beaten. The beatings continued, becoming more and more severe as Ben’s family attempted to force him back into the Islamic fold. After one particularly severe beating, Ben woke up in the hospital and realized that he had to leave. Under some interpretations of Islamic law, his family could have legally killed him. With Afghanistan being firmly under the rule of the Taliban, he was not safe.
This fact became more apparent when he fled to Kabul and joined a local church. The church’s property was invaded by Taliban terrorists, who murdered numerous people. Among the dead were the pastor and Ben’s two children. Even the church itself was blown up by a suicide bomb. The fanaticism of these particular persecutors is nothing short of appalling. Unfortunately, examples of Christian persecution today have become easy to find.
Widespread Persecution of Christians In Burkina Faso
According to Father Wenceslao Belem, Christians are facing serious threats in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. In a recent speech, he spoke of the measures that Christians in his area must take to avoid not just persecution but violent attack. It seems that certain jihadist groups in the area are engaged in a campaign against all other religions, particularly Christianity.
In their daily affairs, Christian women and girls must wear full-face veils and adhere to Islamic law, even though they have no religious reason to do so. This is necessary to avoid being targeted by jihadists. They also have to employ armed security at all their services. Even Christian schools are not safe from continuing attacks that seem to be getting worse and worse.
This violence has spread to some other West African countries as well, but Burkina Faso remains a hotbed of anti-Christian persecution. In 2021, jihadists massacred about a hundred people during a raid on a Christian village.
Conclusion
These are just a few stories chosen at random, but there are many others. Unfortunately, many of these stories are not widely publicized, and so many people remain unaware of the problem. Anti-Christian persecution is a growing and worldwide problem. Unless the world begins to wake up and pay attention to this issue, it is likely to get worse. There is no shortage of anti-Christian sentiment in the world today, and there are, unfortunately, those who exploit those sentiments to encourage persecution, brutality, abuse, and even terrorism. If this article has made an impact, we would recommend that you talk to your pastor and ask what you can do to help.
