44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
Our Lord has taught us to have a loving, charitable attitude toward those whom we regard as our "enemies," recognizing that they are human beings created by God and people for whom Jesus died. In Romans 12, we find these words:
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
I don't think it's too much of a stretch to regard the events of September 11, 2001 as not only an attack on America, but on the principles on which it was established - principles that are consistent with the Scriptures. You could even extend it to an attack on Christianity.
And, this is not uncommon these days. I related a conversation last week with Judd Saul of Equipping the Persecuted, which is helping to protect and educate Christians in Nigeria, where brutal attacks are all-too-regular. Faith Radio airs the Voice of the Martyrs radio program on Saturday mornings at 11:30, bringing you stories from all around the world of Christians who are facing opposition, but who are continuing to trust in the Lord.
Early last month, I brought you an update on the number of violent incidents against Christians in the nation of India. And, recently, the CBN website highlighted a dangerous new strain of thought that threatens to intensify the hostility toward Christianity in this increasingly large nation, where some of our world's most powerful leaders gathered just days ago for the G20 Summit.
The website notes:
Millions of Indians believe the country belongs to Hindus and that all other religions, including Christianity and Islam, must be eliminated from society.
Human rights groups have accused India's Prime Minister and his government of supporting the extremist view. It's led to a surge in violence against Christians often with tacit approval from the central government.
The article told the story of a 16-year-old young man who was recruited by a militant organization called R.S.S., described as "a radical Hindu paramilitary organization." CBN quotes him as saying: "Since I was a Hindu and part of the R.S.S., I became a staunch follower of their Hindu principles, and because of that, killing Christians and pastors became my goal..." It goes on to relate:
He says the R.S.S. singles out Christians because so many Hindus in India are abandoning their faith to follow Jesus Christ. One of the group's early founders said Christians are "anti-national" and "hostile" and should be treated as such.
R.S.S. members often combine religious Hindu education with self-defense classes and exercises.
This young man was dedicated to the cause - that is, until he received a visit from a Christian pastor who shared the gospel with him. The article says:
"My heart was breaking when I heard that Jesus Christ's blood was sacrificed for me, that Jesus Christ loved me, and He gave his blood for my sins. I dedicated myself to Christ right there and then," Paul said.
Paul now serves as a traveling pastor in remote areas of India's Karnataka state, often referred to as a graveyard of pastors because of the intense persecution Christians face here.
His church is repeatedly attacked by R.S.S. gangs. He's been put in prison for preaching. Yet, it hasn't stopped his ministry.
Out of 1.4 billion people, 80% of those are Hindu and another 15% are Muslim. Christianity is at just over 2 percent, but experiencing growth. CBN notes...
...human rights and religious freedom advocates say democracy has been in retreat ever since the Hindu-led BJP government and its leader Narendra Modi took power in 2014.
"It's really the most sophisticated government as far as restricting religious freedoms outside of China," said Dr. David Curry, a commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
USCIRF has documented an unprecedented uptick in violence against Christians under Modi's rule. The majority of attacks are carried out by R.S.S. and other Hindu extremists groups with ties to the prime minister's political party.
Modi is accused of fanning the flames of Hindutva, a radical ideology that teaches only Hindus are true Indians and that all other religions, especially Christians and Muslims, are foreigners who must be removed from society.
Out of 28 states in the country, almost half of them have laws in place prohibiting conversions to another religion besides Hinduism.
Don Shenk leads a ministry called, The Tide, which uses radio as a tool to reach people inside India. He is quoted by CBN, stating: "It is amazing how Christians are standing firm in their faith..." The article goes on to quote Shenk as saying: "It is amazing the number of people who are being banned from going to the village well, not allowed to purchase foods at the market and endure anywhere from being chased out or being ostracized from family and community to actually being beaten, being killed, having their property destroyed..." The article states:
Although India's Constitution gives Christians the right to preach, Shenk says the church in India must still be careful.
"Pray for the believers to stand firm in their faith and pray for those who are doing the persecution that their hearts will be changed because we have seen that happen," Shenk said. "A village priest threatened to smash a radio that somebody was using for outreach but as he made those threats he also came close and listened to the radio and he himself embraced Jesus Christ as his savior."
Here we find a radical group that is devoted to eliminating its opposition in a very large, influential country. This is so insidious: in the name of religion, the members of R.S.S. and adherents of Hindutva are systematically silencing, attacking, and even killing their enemies. And, unfortunately, religious fervor and authoritarianism is destabilizing a pluralistic society.
Such is not the case for Christianity - even in the U.S., a nation that is built on Judeo-Christian principles, the watchword for Christian believers is to follow the words of the Scriptures - we are called to love our enemies; to love our neighbor as ourselves. That does not mean that we don't attempt to lead those with whom we disagree to the Lord. Our purpose is to win them to Christ, not to eliminate them. We can be very careful to make sure that the influence of the Church is consistent with the mission for which God has placed us here.
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