The Church Newspaper has reported about a particularly sad incident that took place in Kaduna State, Nigeria, involving a Christian village which was razed and its wells poisoned by Muslim militants. About 183 homes, businesses and the village church were set fire to and pepper, clothes, mortars and firewood were dumped into the water wells.
Even more shockingly a minister in the Bauchi State was tortured and killed for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. The poor pastor was travelling in a van which was stopped by thugs who proceeded to beat him and set him on fire. The pastor had eight children. Over 200 churches have been destroyed and 800 people killed by Muslim militants since the President, Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian was elected into power.
The problems of African are traditionally seen as being centred around conflict, famine, drought and corruption. However, the persecution of Christians is claiming lives at such a rapid pace that the figures are starting to look like something akin to war casualties. During a debate in Europe recently on interfaith action it was reported that Christians killed every year for their faith number 105,000, and that number includes only those put to death simply because they are Christians.
Regrettably these things don't make the news because there are numerous factions or schisms of people being killed and persecuted globally. War and strife have become part of our modern day TV viewing and is a big part of world politics. People have become desensitised to some extent and the powers that be don't listen. However, It needs to because the fleeing of religious persecution could very well become another reason for immigration and this would be a sad indicator of the absence of an international religious will to practice religious tolerance. This, surely, is a basic human right.
Even more shockingly a minister in the Bauchi State was tortured and killed for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. The poor pastor was travelling in a van which was stopped by thugs who proceeded to beat him and set him on fire. The pastor had eight children. Over 200 churches have been destroyed and 800 people killed by Muslim militants since the President, Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian was elected into power.
The problems of African are traditionally seen as being centred around conflict, famine, drought and corruption. However, the persecution of Christians is claiming lives at such a rapid pace that the figures are starting to look like something akin to war casualties. During a debate in Europe recently on interfaith action it was reported that Christians killed every year for their faith number 105,000, and that number includes only those put to death simply because they are Christians.
Regrettably these things don't make the news because there are numerous factions or schisms of people being killed and persecuted globally. War and strife have become part of our modern day TV viewing and is a big part of world politics. People have become desensitised to some extent and the powers that be don't listen. However, It needs to because the fleeing of religious persecution could very well become another reason for immigration and this would be a sad indicator of the absence of an international religious will to practice religious tolerance. This, surely, is a basic human right.
This makes stark reading , but I take it better from you than in the papers and media.Thanks for putting it all so well. All I can do is pray that we are not complacent in the UK, and stop bickering about things that are not life threatening but get down to Praying seriously in the C of E as other Christian denominations do.
ReplyDeleteDear Margaret,
ReplyDeleteI do get fed up with the infighting in our church and often despair that we are missing the fact that our priorities as Christians must fall under the umbrella of 'outreach' and not 'inreach'.
So nice to hear from you.
Jane