Christians in India Under Pressure to Convert to Hinduism, Can't Talk About Jesus, Heaven or Hell

sermonindex May 18, 2017

"In states across India, militants have threatened and killed church workers," said Paul Robinson, the chief executive of Release International, in an article published by Premier Christian on Wednesday.

"Extremists have tried to force Christians to renounce their faith and convert to Hinduism. And they have bombed, torched, vandalized and demolished churches."

What is more, strict anti-conversion laws in five states have made it practically impossible to talk about and share the Christian faith, given that a lot of missionary or evangelistic activities are met with suspicion by nationalists.

"It's based on the idea that conversion by force should be made illegal. I think everyone would agree that conversion by force would be useless," Andrew Boyd of Release International added.

"But actually if you preach about Heaven then it's considered to be bribery, if you speak about Hell then it's considered to be a threat. If you offer any kind of Christian charity then it's regarded also as bribery."

Boyd noted that members of the Dalit community, which are also known as the "untouchables" and are in the lowest caste order, continue to convert to Christianity, which is angering nationalists.

"These people are converting to Christianity and quite large numbers of them are converting because they're finding acceptance and dignity and worth and that is provoking quite a backlash," he said.

There have been several recent cases of Christians being forced or pressured to reconvert back to Hinduism, including a number in the Junwani village of Chhattisgarh during the Easter season.

drchris Jun 3, 2017

Indian government is presently chipping away at the rights and sentiments of minorities by passing laws through the backdoor.

1. By declaring Dec 25th Good Governance Day as a Working Government Day, they are trying to play down the importance of Christmas. Personally I do not celebrate Christmas, however the very fact that such an important date in the calendar of the Christian minority in India can be declared something else arbitrarily shows how much the Government cares for the sentiments of Christians.

2. By 'banning the sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets' under the guise of being against Cruelty to Animals via the Ministry of Environment, the government is taking away the cheapest source of animal protein for the poor as well as imposing a beef-less diet on a nation that has a large beef eating population.

In response to this "You eat what I tell you to" attitude, many politicians, IIT (top engineering colleges in India) students and others have held beef eating festivals across the nation. One minister (MLA from Palakkad in Kerala) Mr. V T Balram even ended his 2 decade long vegetarian diet to protest the government's move to regulate our diet.

3. This present government is passing the very legislation it had opposed for years if not decades when they were in the opposition

drchris Jun 3, 2017

We have to be prepared for persecution. We have to know that fighting back is not an option. We have to teach our people that like Christ, The Bible only gives us the option to give our lives for the sake of Christ. The Bible does not give us the right to take lives.

We must be willing to sacrifice all that we hold dear so that as Josef Tson says, those wolves will become sheep.

But it comes much slower than that. How many of us would be willing to have our bank balances blocked and our houses or our lands confiscated by the government on the basis of false pretexts. How many of us are willing to have our kids lose out on the best amenities.

How many of us are willing to look like fools in front of our families and friends.

How many of us will pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ when the moment of truth comes. May we be given the boldness to preach Christ. May we be true worshipers of God