More trouble for Christians in India

By January 1, 2004

India (MNN) — 2-million Dalits rejected Hinduism in India’s Orissa state. According to missionary leaders, that started the violence against Christians in that mostly Hindu nation.

The violence continues. According to Gospel For Asia’s KP Yohannan, “We have a significant number of missionaries in that state and just recently one of our missionaries was arrested and put in jail for 10-days for baptizing a non-Christian. He’s now released on bail and now the case will go to the court. Another 10 missionaries (are) waiting for trial because they baptized non-Christians.”

India requires those wanting to convert from any religion to sign paperwork and register with the government. Yohannan says this is being done, but “in spite all the paperwork the local police and the authorities still create problems for us.”

Yohannan believes this is most wide-spread in Orissa. He says the state is very anti-Christian. “They have agents appointed in every districts of the state just to monitor the Christian activities and the missionaries who are doing the work,” says Yohannan.

Orissa State is where missionary Graham Staines and his children were killed by radicals a few years ago.

Christians need to be in prayer for India. “We forget,” says Yohannan, “that the body of Christ in so many countries is faced with incredible difficulties. This is a time we need to really make a decision to pray.”

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