War in Religion

Throughout the world, we are finding Christians are being imprisoned and even put to death because they follow Christ.  Their suffering is extreme, and we should be propelled to pray for them. 

Even in the United States, which has religious freedom woven into its very fabric, there are those who name of the name of Christ who face opposition and hostility, as well. 1st Peter 4 says:
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

If we are standing for Christ and standing against the expressions of the enemy, we may encounter opposition - there will be those who reject the Christian values for which we stand.  But, even when we face the trial of rejection, we can hope in the Lord, we can find our refuge in Him.  We are called to reflect His righteousness and holiness and to rely on the Spirit to live distinctive lives in a world that does not necessarily embrace what we stand for. 

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By the power that God has given to us through the Holy Spirit, we can stand strong and be vigilant in the faith - we can also be reminded to stand together with fellow believers in their times of trial. 1st Corinthians 16 offers this admonition:
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.
15 I urge you, brethren--you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints--
16 that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us.

One of the world's most populous nations is experiencing a rise in violence, much of it religious in nature.  That's according to an article at The Christian Post, which reports that:

The first half of 2023 has seen a surge in violence against Christians across 23 states in India, according to a New Delhi-based human rights group, which identified 400 incidents, up from 274 reported over the same period last year.

The majority of these violent acts occurred in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, with 155 incidents, according to the report released by the United Christian Forum and shared with The Christian Post.

And, it's troubling that Christians are on the receiving end of these violent acts, with the article noting that, based on the UCF data, "the number of violent incidents against Christians has been rising steadily in India since 2014, with a significant spike observed in 2021 and 2022."

In June of this year, there were an average of three attacks per day on Christians in the nation.

One area of concern that the article notes is the province of Manipur, which Montgomery-based evangelist Terry Veazey mentioned in our conversation recently, in which he reported from India.  The Christian Post article noted, "The UCF expressed grave concerns over the situation in the northeastern state of Manipur, where the ongoing violence has resulted in the loss of at least 130 lives and caused the destruction of over 400 churches."

The Christian Post also reported on a resolution passed by Parliament of the European Union calling for an end to violence in the Manipur region, which is located in northeastern India.  The article opened up by stating:

The European Parliament passed a resolution urging the Indian government to urgently restore peace in northeast India's Manipur state amid escalating tribal conflict, leading the Modi administration to accuse the international body of budding into "internal matters."

The article notes:

During a debate prior to the resolution, Miriam Lexmann and Ladislav Ilčić, members of the European Parliament, voiced their concerns about the state of religious minorities in India.

Lexmann pointed to organized attacks against Christians that have resulted in widespread destruction and shattered lives, while Ilčić emphasized that the European Union will not ignore violence or turn its back on persecuted Christians.

The most recent wave of violence apparently stems from an order from the High Court of Manipur allowing a particular group to purchase land in other tribal areas, resulting in fear and conflict. 

One attack in Manipur has received quite a bit of attention, according to the Open Doors UK website, which relates:

A video showing the horrifying attack on two Christian women in Manipur, India, has gone viral. Despite the incident happening more than two months ago, not enough has been done to bring the perpetrators to account.

The website described the incident:

After the state government partially lifted an internet ban, a video of two women being attacked has gone viral. They were dragged from a police van by a mob from the Meitei tribe, before being stripped, paraded and gang-raped. The women come from the Kuki-Zo tribe; one is in their 20s, the other in their 50s. The younger woman’s brother and father were killed trying to protect them.

This article, from less than 2 weeks ago, stated:

Meanwhile, it’s taken until now for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak out the violence in Manipur, saying the incident had ‘shamed India’ and that ‘no guilty will be spared’. The Supreme Court has warned the government to take decisive action, otherwise ‘we will take action if you don’t’. The central government has issued an order against the circulation of the video.

Open Doors UK provides some analysis into the condition following that court order, tracing the fears of Christians who found themselves on the short end, perhaps losing opportunities at the hands of Hindus.  Its website notes:

Christians from both the Meitei and Kuki groups have been affected, with many facing extreme pressure to renounce their faith and accept Hinduism by the Hindu extremist group Arambai Tenggol. Even two weeks after the burning of churches, Open Doors local partners report that the Arambai Hindu extremist group is actively searching for Christian leaders and pastors. Local believers say the Arambai Tenggol are seeking to kill the leaders.

Many Christians from the majority Hindu Meitei group are being forced to reconvert to Hinduism. Though some of the Kuki have been able to return to their tribal land, the believers among the Meitei are still facing attacks.

This is a sad commentary of the nature of religious-based violence, which is a phenomenon we see all around the world.   We can realize that in many areas, it is illegal for Christians to practice their faith. Christians have become victimized by practitioners of other religions, resulting in persecution, arrest, and even death in areas where a dominant religion has set the legal parameters.  We can be mindful to pray for our fellow believers who are not free and pray for God to continue to do His work even when following Jesus is impeded.  We can also pray for believers to stand strong under pressure, when there are attempts to force them to renounce Christianity.  

Truth is, you are dealing with the war of religious ideas and practices in so many instances. You have an assortment of so-called "gods" who oppose our God, the One whom we worship and serve. When there is a spiritual component, it can intensify the degree of conflict.  We can see it between world religions, and even in Christianity, we can see the work of the enemy in driving wedges between professing Christians that somehow find it challenging to settle differences based on Biblical instruction. We have to be aware that fleshly desires for power and control can destroy the people that we attempt to subjugate, resulting in destructive emotions and broken relationships.  We should seek to adopt Christ's principles in solving conflict.