Indian high court affirms right to pray in homes

India (MNN)—Against a backdrop of anti-conversion laws and growing persecution, Christians in India are celebrating a recent win for religious freedom within the country. 

In a ruling publicly released February 2, the high court over Utter Pradesh, India’s most populous state, stated that permission is not required for religious prayer gatherings held on private premises. The ruling came after petitions were filed by two Christian organizations, in response to frequent police disruptions of prayer meetings on private property.

“There was an act by a couple of states to try to even illegalize, basically, prayer in the home. They’re trying to attack the house churches and small groups or fellowships that are meeting in homes,” says John Pudaite of Bibles for the World. “It’s a tough situation there for the body of Christ when they can be dragged out of a church or a worship.”

The court ruling was based on the Indian Constitution, which states individuals have the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion. This decision offers hope to Christians in India in the face of anti-conversion laws, which have been used to unjustly arrest religious leaders and have fueled persecution against Christ.

“We have anti-conversion laws in 12 states. Many have been arrested under those laws,” notes Pudaite. “To date, no one has been convicted under those anti-conversion laws in any of those states, so that’s a victory on one side, knowing that when the body of Christ is practicing, professing their faith, meeting for worship, things like this, they are protected by the Indian constitution, and it’s still being upheld by the by the courts, whether state High Court, Supreme Court. But at the same time, those conversion laws still give them that opportunity to harass the body of Christ, harass believers, harass pastors in that way.”

How to pray for India:

• Pray that the courts in India would continue to show impartiality and hold firm in their reading and interpretation of the Indian Constitution, as they did in this recent ruling.
• Pray for strength and encouragement for believers in India, that they would continue to trust in Jesus as Lord.

“We know how the story ends, but along the way, the enemy is just going to make it difficult for those who follow Jesus to continue to follow Him, and so he’s going to try to do anything he can to discourage us,” says Pudaite, reminding believers, “Christ has paid the price. He is the victor. The story is going to end up with a happy ending.”

 

 

Header photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Naveed Ahmed via Unsplash.