Difference between revisions of "Christian persecution"

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'''Christian persecution''' has occured from the very beginnings of Christianity and continues today.  Currently more than 200 million Christians around the globe suffer imprisonment, abuse and sometimes death because of their faith.<ref>http://www.greaterthings.com/News/Christian/Persecution/</ref> In 1998, the publication ''[[The Voice of the Martyrs]]'' named 42 countries where Christians are facing persecution in various forms such as arrest, imprisonment, physical torture and death.<ref>http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/1096.htm</ref>  
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[[File:465px-Crucifixion of Saint Peter-Caravaggio (c.1600).jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Crucifixion of [[Saint Peter]]. Artist Caravaggio in 1601]]
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'''Christian persecution''' has occurred from the very beginnings of [[Christianity]] and continues today.  Currently, more than 200 million Christians around the globe suffer unjust and illegal imprisonment, abuse and sometimes death at the hands of corrupt officials and regimes because of their faith.<ref>[http://www.greaterthings.com/News/Christian/Persecution/ International Persecution of Christians]</ref>
  
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Early  [[Christian]] persecution was severe in Ancient [[Roman]]. In Ancient Rome, Christians were most commonly murdered by [[crucifixion]] and being put in arenas with [[lion]]s. The emperor [[Nero]] was one of the most notorious persecutors. Christians continue to be persecuted around the world today in [[communist]] countries like [[China]], and [[Islamic]] countries.
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==Statistics==
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Violence against Christians is under-reported by the mainstream media,<ref>Byas, Steve (April 22, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/32078-violence-against-christians-under-reported Violence Against Christians Under-reported]. ''The New American''. Retrieved April 22, 2019.<br>See also:
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*Anderson, Troy (June 4, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/32392-a-dangerous-time-to-be-christian A Dangerous Time To Be Christian]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
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*Bozell III, L. Brent; Graham, Tim (January 1, 2020). [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/christian-persecution-new-york-times-media-bozell-graham Bozell & Graham: Christian persecution is real. New York Times and other media could care less]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 1, 2020.</ref> and it doubled between 2017 and 2019.<ref>Vondracek, Christopher (April 22, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/apr/22/attacks-christians-double-2017/ Under siege: Violent attacks on Christians double since 2017]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 23, 2019.<br>See also:
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*Parke, Caleb (April 23, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/religious-freedom-christians-sri-lanka Religious freedom expert: Global war on Christians intensifying]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
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*Williams, Thomas D. (June 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2019/06/23/report-christian-persecution-2019-scourge-mammoth-proportions/ Report: Christian Persecution 2019 a Scourge of ‘Mammoth Proportions’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
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See also:
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*Williams, Thomas D. (September 14, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/09/14/sam-brownback-says-christian-persecution-is-at-all-time-high/ Sam Brownback Says Christian Persecution Is at All-Time High]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 14, 2019.</ref>
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[[File:Flag of North Korea.png|thumbnail|right|300px|Flag of [[North Korea]] ]]
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In 2015 and 2016, the Center for Studies on New Religions was reported that Christians were the most persecuted of any type of group in the world, with almost 600 million Christians being affected by persecution and 90,000 killed in 2016 alone.<ref>Chiaramonte, Perry (January 6, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/06/christians-most-persecuted-group-in-world-for-second-year-study.html Christians the most persecuted group in world for second year: Study]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref><ref>Williams, Thomas D. (April 16, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/04/16/easter-2017-christians-most-persecuted-group-in-the-world/ Easter 2017, Christians ‘Most Persecuted Group in the World’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 17, 2017.</ref> Between 2005 and 2015, over 900,000 Christians were martyred for their faith.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/17/nearly-1-million-christians-reportedly-martyred-for-their-faith-in-last-decade.html Nearly 1 million Christians reportedly martyred for their faith in last decade]. ''Fox News'' (from ''The Christian Post''). January 17, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2017.</ref> According to [[Open Doors]] USA in January 2018, at least 215 million Christians globally face severe persecution,<ref>Mora, Edwin (January 11, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/01/11/study-200-million-christians-worldwide-facing-severe-persecution/ Study: Over 200 Million Christians Worldwide Facing Severe Persecution]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved January 11, 2018.</ref><ref>Chiaramonte, Perry (January 11, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/01/11/christian-persecution-continues-to-rise-more-incidents-against-women-in-2017-new-report-says.html Christian persecution continues to rise, more incidents against women in 2017, new report says]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 11, 2018.</ref> and according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), over 500 million Christians face persecution.<ref>Mora, Edwin (November 24, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/11/24/report-half-billion-christians-facing-global-persecution/ Report: Half a Billion Christians Facing Global Persecution]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 25, 2018.</ref> According to Pew Research Center, restrictions on [[religious liberty]] increased in 2016 for the second year in a row, with Christianity being the most affected.<ref>Multiple references:
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*Kishi, Katayoun (June 21, 2018). [https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/06/21/key-findings-on-the-global-rise-in-religious-restrictions/ Key findings on the global rise in religious restrictions]. ''Pew Research Center''. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
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*Williams, Thomas D. (June 23, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/06/23/pew-religious-practice-faces-increasing-legal-restrictions-worldwide-christians-hardest-hit/ Pew: Religious Practice Faces Increasing Legal Restrictions Worldwide, Christians Hardest Hit]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 23, 2018.</ref> According to a 2017 report by Open Doors USA, the persecution of Christians is growing and is being seen in an increasing number of countries,<ref>Chiaramonte, Perry (February 2, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/02/christian-persecution-seen-in-more-locations-across-globe-new-report-shows.html Christian persecution seen in more locations across the globe, new report shows]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref> and it reported that the number of Christians facing persecution rose 14% between 2015 and 2018.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/christian-persecution-continues-to-rise-women-most-exploited-group-says Christian persecution continues to rise; women most exploited, group says]. ''Fox News''. January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.</ref><ref>Murphy, James (January 17, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/31215-persecution-of-christians-is-on-the-rise-worldwide-according-to-new-report Persecution of Christians Is On The Rise Worldwide, According to New Report]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 17, 2019.</ref> A 2017 report by Pew Research, concerning 2014 and 2015, yielded similar findings.<ref>Hadro, Matt (April 17, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/17/study-finds-religious-persecution-spread-to-more-c/ Pew study: Religious persecution spread to more countries in 2015]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 18, 2017.</ref>
  
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This persecution continued up through the fourth century, when Constantine's [[Edict of Milan]] in 317 A.D. promulgated a doctrine of religious tolerance. In 393 A.D., Christianity became the state religion of Rome, gaining strength after Constantine's conquest of Rome from his fellow ''caesars'' of the time.<ref>"... in 391 AD, Christianity became the official, and only, state religion of the empire." [http://www.hyw.com/Books/History/Rome__Le.htm The Legacy of Rome] </ref>
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The countries with the most extreme persecution of Christians, as of 2017, tend to be Muslim nations, even though the most anti-Christian nation is [[North Korea]].<ref name="TannerApril2017">Tanner, Georeen (April 14, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/14/christian-persecution-how-many-are-being-killed-where-are-being-killed.html Christian persecution: How many are being killed, where they are being killed]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 14, 2017.</ref> As recorded between November 1, 2015, to October 31, 2016, [[Pakistan]] had the largest number of Christians killed and churches attacked.<ref name="TannerApril2017"/> The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom reported in May 2017 that religious freedom around the world was "worsening in both the depth and breadth of violations."<ref>Williams, Thomas D., PhD (May 16, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/05/16/report-international-religious-freedom-worsening-in-both-depth-and-breadth/ Report: International Religious Freedom Worsening in both ‘Depth and Breadth’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 16, 2017.</ref> According to the organization Save the Persecuted Christians in December 2019, Christian persecution by Islamists in Africa was "gaining traction."<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (December 11, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/africa/2019/12/11/report-islamic-persecution-of-christians-gaining-traction-in-africa/ Report: Islamic Persecution of Christians ‘Gaining Traction’ in Africa]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 11, 2019.</ref>
  
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Deep divisions remained within the Empire. Examples include:
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According to a 2015–2017 ACN study, Christians comprised 75% of all the victims of religious persecution around the globe.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (October 16, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/10/16/report-75-of-victims-of-religious-persecution-are-christians/ Report: 75% of Victims of Religious Persecution Are Christians]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 16, 2017.</ref> According to the news agency Fides, at least 447 Roman Catholic missionaries alone were killed from 2000 through 2017.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (October 6, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/10/06/report-447-christian-missionaries-killed-since-2000/ Report: 447 Christian Missionaries Killed Since 2000]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 6, 2018.</ref>
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# The [[Altar of Victory]] affair.
 
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# The removal of avowed polytheists from office.
 
  
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Persecution generally ended in the Roman Empire in 317 A.D., with the [[Edict of Milan]].
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Despite strong persecution in the [[Middle East]], thousands of [[Muslims]] are turning to Christ.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/11/thousands-muslims-reportedly-turning-to-christ-in-middle-east.html Thousands of Muslims reportedly turning to Christ in Middle East]. ''Fox News'' (from ''The Christian Post''). January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.</ref>
  
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==Muslim persecution of Christians==
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Even in Europe, Christians have suffered hate crimes and their religious freedom has declined.
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{{Main|Islam and Anti-Christian sentiment}}
 
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===Ottoman Empire===
 
  
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The new [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman government]] that arose from the ashes of Byzantine civilization was neither primitive nor barbaric. [[Islam]] not only recognized Jesus as a great prophet, but tolerated Christians as another [[People of the Book]]. As such, the Church was not extinguished nor was its canonical and hierarchical organization significantly disrupted. Its administration continued to function. One of the first things that [[Mehmed II|Mehmet the Conqueror]] did was to allow the Church to elect a new patriarch, [[Gennadius Scholarius]]. The [[Hagia Sophia]] and the [[Parthenon]], which had been Christian churches for nearly a millennium were, admittedly, converted into mosques, yet countless other churches, both in Constantinople and elsewhere, remained in Christian hands. Moreover, it is striking that the patriarch's and the hierarchy's position was considerably strengthened and their power increased. They were endowed with civil as well as ecclesiastical power over all Christians in Ottoman territories. Because [[Islamic law]] makes no distinction between nationality and religion, all Christians, regardless of their language or nationality, were considered a single [[Millet (Ottoman Empire)|millet]], or nation. The patriarch, as the highest ranking hierarch, was thus invested with civil and religious authority and made [[ethnarch]], head of the entire Christian Orthodox population. Practically, this meant that all Orthodox Churches within Ottoman territory were under the control of Constantinople. Thus, the authority and jurisdictional frontiers of the patriarch were enormously enlarged.  
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According to a report by the NGO Observatory of Intolerance Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC), hate crimes against Christians in the old continent increased by 70% between 2019 and 2020. These crimes happen more frequently in Germany and France, but they are more serious in Spain and France.<ref>Kumar, Anigrah (December 11, 2021). [https://www.christianpost.com/news/anti-christian-hate-crimes-rise-by-70-in-europe-watchdog.html Anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe rose 70% between 2019 and 2020, watchdog reports]. "The Christian Post". Retrieved December 11, 2021.</ref>
  
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However, these rights and privileges (see [[Dhimmitude]]), including freedom of worship and religious organization, were often established in principle but seldom corresponded to reality. The legal privileges of the patriarch and the Church depended, in fact, on the whim and mercy of the [[Sultan]] and the [[Sublime Porte]], while all Christians were viewed as little more than second-class citizens. Moreover, Turkish corruption and brutality were not a myth. That it was the "infidel" Christian who experienced this more than anyone else is not in doubt. Nor were pogroms of Christians in these centuries unknown (see [[Greco-Turkish relations]]).<ref name=AIHG-NYT>[http://www.aihgs.com/New%20York%20Times.htm The Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies] ''The New York Times''.</ref> <ref>http://www.helleniccomserve.com/pdf/BlkBkPontusPrinceton.pdf</ref>Devastating, too, for the Church was the fact that it could not bear witness to Christ. Missionary work among Moslems was dangerous and indeed impossible, whereas conversion to Islam was entirely legal and permissible. Converts to Islam who returned to Orthodoxy were put to death as apostates.  No new churches could be built and even the ringing of church bells was prohibited. Education of the clergy and the Christian population either ceased altogether or was reduced to the most rudimentary elements.
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In Germany, hate crimes against Christians have increased by 150%. They are also censored for their beliefs about marriage, gender, bioethics and sexuality.<ref>Newman, Jack (December 10, 2021). [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10295787/Anti-Christian-hate-crimes-Germany-increased-nearly-150-2020.html Anti-Christian hate crimes in Germany increased by nearly 150% in 2020]. "The Daily Mail". Retrieved December 10, 2021.</ref>
  
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The [[Ottoman Empire]] was marked by periods of limited tolerance and periods of often bloody repression of non-Muslims. The [[Janissary]] army corps consisted of young men who were brought to Istanbul as child-slaves (and were often from Christian households) who were converted, trained and later employed by the Sultan (the [[devshirme]] system).  
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==Ancient Rome==
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[[Image:Nero.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Nero]] ]]
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Early  [[Christian]] persecution was severe in the ancient period of the [[Roman Empire]]. Christians were most commonly executed by crucifixion and being put in arenas with lions. The emperor [[Nero]] was one of the most notorious persecutors, while the [[Great Persecution]] under [[Diocletian]] and [[Galerius]] was the last and worst persecution campaign against Christianity.
  
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===Turkey===
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This persecution continued up through the fourth century, when Constantine's [[Edict of Milan]] in 313 A.D. promulgated a doctrine of religious tolerance.  In 391 A.D., Christianity became the state religion of Rome, gaining strength after Constantine's conquest of Rome from his fellow ''caesars'' of the time.<ref>"... in 391 AD, Christianity became the official, and only, state religion of the empire." [http://www.hyw.com/Books/History/Rome__Le.htm The Legacy of Rome]</ref> 
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{{Main|Armenian Genocide|Pontic Greek Genocide|Assyrian Genocide}}
 
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Things worsened after the Empire collapsed at the end of [[World War I]]. Nationalist movements like the [[Young Turks]] began persecuting and murdering [[Greeks|Greek]], [[Armenians|Armenian]], [[Assyrians|Assyrian]] and other Christians in what is known as the [[Armenian Genocide|Armenian]], the [[Pontic Greek Genocide|Pontic Greek]] and the [[Assyrian Genocide]]s. This mass murder of Christians is fairly unknown today outside Greece and Armenia, despite taking place not very long ago (1915-1922). It is estimated that 1,500,000 Armenians, 750,000 [[Assyrian people|Assyrians]] and another 350,000 [[Pontic Greeks]] were murdered and most had to abandon regions inhabited by them for thousands of years.
 
  
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Since the establishment of the secular nationalist [[Republic of Turkey]], the number of Orthodox in the [[Anatolia]]n peninsula has sharply declined amidst complaints of Turkish governmental repression.{{Facts|date=June 2007}} These complaints include various perceived campaigns by the Turkish government against various Eastern and Oriental Orthodox groups such as the [[Istanbul Pogrom]] in 1955 and the closure of the [[Halki seminary]] in 1971 (along with private universities).
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Persecution generally ended in the Roman Empire in 313 A.D., with the [[Edict of Milan]].
  
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The [[Istanbul pogrom]] was a state-sponsored and state-orchestrated [[pogrom]] that compelled Greek Christians to leave [[Constantinople]] ([[Turkish language|Turkish]] Istanbul), the first Christian city  in violation to the [[Treaty of Lausanne]] (see [[Istanbul Pogrom]]). The issue of Christian genocides by the Turks may become a problem, since Turkey wishes to join the [[European Union]].<ref>http://euobserver.com/9/22331/?rk=1 "MEPs back Armenia genocide clause in Turkey report" by Lucia Kubosova, published by ''EU Observer'' on [[5 September]] [[2006]]</ref> The [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]] is still in a difficult position. Turkey requires by law that the [[Ecumenical Patriarch]] must be an [[Greeks|ethnic Greek]], holding Turkish citizenship by birth, although most of the [[Greeks in Turkey|Greek minority]] has been expelled. The state's expropriation of church property and the closing of the Orthodox [[Halki seminary|Theological School of Halki]] are also difficulties faced by the Church of Constantinople. Despite appeals from the [[United States]], the [[European Union]] and various governmental and non-governmental organizations, the School remains closed since [[1971]]. Persecution of Christians is continuing in modern Turkey. On [[February 5]], [[2006]], the Catholic priest
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==Middle Ages==
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[[Andrea Santoro]] was murdered in [[Trabzon]] by a student influenced by the massive anti-Christian propaganda in the Turkish popular press<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,437512,00.html|publisher=Der Spiegel Online|title=Goldenes Kreuz unter der Bluse|date=September 17, 2006}}</ref>, following the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]]. On [[April 18]], [[2007]], 3 Christians were [[Malatya bible publishing firm murders|brutally murdered]] in [[Malatya]] <ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,478074,00.html Der Spiegel, Three Killed at Bible Publishing Firm]</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/newshour/news/story/2007/04/070419_turkey_slayings.shtml BBC, Christians Killed in Turkey]</ref>, the hometown of [[Mehmet Ali Ağca]], the assassin who shot and wounded [[Pope John Paul II]] on [[May 13]], [[1981]].
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The [[Waldensians]], who followed the Bible alone, rather than the traditions of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], were persecuted for their faith. Other Christians were persecuted during this time.
  
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===Persecution of Christians in Iraq===
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==Reformation Europe==
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The [[United Nations High Commission for Refugees]] reports that Christians comprise 44% of [[Refugees of Iraq|Iraqi refugees]], although only 4% of the overall population is [[Christian]].<ref>[http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=7410 Terror campaign targets Chaldean church in Iraq]</ref> Northern Iraq remained predominantly Christian until the destructions of [[Tamerlane]] at the end of the [[14th century]]. The [[Church of the East]] has its origin in what is now South East [[Turkey]]. By the end of the [[13th century]] there were twelve [[Nestorian]] dioceses in a strip from [[Peking]] to [[Samarkand]]. When the a 14th-century Muslim warlord of Turco-Mongol descent Tamerlane (Timul Lenk) conquered [[Persia]], [[Mesopotamia]] and [[Syria]], the civilian population was decimated. Timur Lenk had 70,000 Assyrian Christians beheaded in [[Tikrit]], and 90,000 more in [[Baghdad]].<ref>[http://www.geocities.com/somasushma/Timur4.html The annihilation of Iraq]{{Verify credibility|date=August 2007}}</ref><ref>http://www.nupi.no/cgi-win/Russland/etnisk_b.exe?Assyrian</ref>
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:''See also: [[Protestant Reformation]]''
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During the [[Protestant Reformation]] many martyrs to the faith on both sides were persecuted and killed, most notably [[Jan Hus]], [[Thomas Cranmer]], [[William Tyndale]], John Fisher, and [[Thomas More]].<ref>See <br>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_martyrs_of_the_English_Reformation List of Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation (en.wikipedia.org)] and <br> [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Protestant_martyrs_of_the_English_Reformation List of Protestant martyrs of the English Reformation (en.wikipedia.org)]</ref>
  
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Ethnic [[Assyrians]] (most of whom are adherents of the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] and the [[Assyrian Church of the East]]) account for most of Iraq's sizable Christian population, along with [[Armenians]].
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==Modern world==
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In the contemporary period, Christians continue to be attacked by governments in communist countries like [[China]] and [[North Korea]], and by hostile religious forces including Muslims in Africa, and by Hindus in [[India]]. Christians in the [[Middle East]] suffer from particularly strong persecution, and according to the Christian organization Open Doors in 2018, the number of professing Christians in the Middle East is declining and almost on the verge of disappearing.<ref>Kent, Simon (January 16, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2018/01/16/report-middle-east-christians-on-the-eve-of-destruction/ Report: Middle East Christians on the Eve of Destruction]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved January 16, 2018.</ref>
  
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Iraq's Christian community numbered 1.4 million in [[1980]] at the start of [[Iran-Iraq War]]. They were tolerated under the [[secular]] regime of [[Saddam Hussein]], who even made one of them, [[Tariq Aziz]], his deputy. But as the war has radicalised Islamic sensibilities, Christians have seen their total numbers slump to about 500,000 today, of whom 250,000 live in [[Baghdad]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/pope/story/0,,1961207,00.html 'We're staying and we will resist']</ref> An exodus to the neighbouring countries of [[Syria]], [[Jordan]] and [[Turkey]] has left behind closed parishes, seminaries and convents. As a small minority without a militia of their own, Iraqi Christians have been persecuted by both [[Shi’a]] and [[Sunni]] Muslim militias, and also by criminal gangs.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1606015,00.html Iraq's Christians Flock to Lebanon]</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270377,00.html Christians Fleeing Violence in Iraq]</ref>
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While very few Christians are killed for their faith in the West, persecution of Christians has grown in Europe and the Americas since the 20th Century, and it is seen in various ways, such as social, cultural, and legal persecution. In many Western countries, [[homeschooling]], which is popular with many Christians, is illegal.
  
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As of [[November 4]], [[2006]], the [[UNHCR]] estimated that 1.8 million Iraqis had been displaced to neighboring countries, and 1.6 million were displaced internally, with nearly 100,000 Iraqis fleeing to Syria and Jordan each month.<ref> [http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/11/03/un_nearly_100000_flee_iraq_monthly/ U.N.: 100,000 Iraq refugees flee monthly]. Alexander G. Higgins, ''[[Boston Globe]],'' [[November 3]], [[2006]]</ref> A May 25, 2007 article notes that in the past seven months only 69 people from [[Iraq]] have been granted [[refugee]] status in the [[United States]].<ref>Ann McFeatters: [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/317322_mcfeatters27.html Iraq refugees find no refuge in America]. ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' May 25, 2007</ref>
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===Africa===
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Large-scale rioting and violence between Muslim and Christian communities are common in parts of Africa, such as [[Nigeria]] and [[Sudan]].
  
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One of the most recent tragic events of the present Iraqi situation for the Christian community is the assassination by [[Islam|Islamic]] [[terrorism|terrorists]] of Chaldean Catholic priest Fr. [[Ragheed Aziz Ganni]] and subdeacons Basman Yousef Daud, Wahid Hanna Isho, and Gassan Isam Bidawed in the ancient city of [[Mosul]].<ref name="frragheed">[http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2655894.ece Fr Ragheed Ganni -- The Independant (14 June 2007)]</ref> Fr. Ragheed Aziz Ganni was driving with his three deacons when they were stopped by Muslim terrorists who demanded their conversion to Islam, when they refused the terrorists shot them.<ref name="frragheed" />
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====Algeria====
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[[Algeria]] is predominantly Muslim, like every other North African country. It is a crime in the country to "incite a Muslim to change his religion," and Christians have been persecuted for sharing [[the gospel]] with others.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (October 15, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/10/15/christians-charged-with-inciting-a-muslim-to-change-religion-in-algeria/ Christians Charged with ‘Inciting a Muslim to Change Religion’ in Algeria]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 16, 2018.</ref>
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[[File:Mass beheading of Christians in Libya.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Libya was an ally of the US against the jihadis until Obama armed the [[jihad]]is to overthrew the government. One of their first acts was the mass beheading of Christians.]]
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====Egypt====
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The Coptic Orthodox church is the largest Christian group in [[Egypt]].<ref name=CSWE>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/country.asp?s=id&urn=Egypt Egypt]</ref> Majority of the violence against Christians in the 1990s were from Islamic extremists.<ref name=CSWE/> However, there have been some incidents of violence against Christians due to communal tensions.<ref name=CSWE/> In 2007, Coptic Christians in Egypt were attacked by some Muslim rioters.<ref name=CSWECC>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=645 Egyptian Coptic Christians Attacked by Violent Mobs]</ref>
  
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===Persecution of Christians in Kosovo===
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====Libya====
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After the defeat of a Christian Balkan coalition lead by a prince of Serbia, Lazar, the Ottomans occupied Kosovo. The Christian population of Kosovo was composed overwhelmingly of Serbs (see [[Demographic history of Kosovo]]). Initially, former Christian nobles were allowed to maintain their properties and privileges, especially the local nobles that fought on the side of the Ottomans during the Battle of Kosovo in [[1389]]. Christians within the Ottoman Empire were not violently persecuted but gradually Islamized through incentives such as property, reduced taxes and the right to bear arms. The Orthodox and Catholic churches of Kosovo during the Ottoman period were awarded special protections and rights including placing Christians under the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople[http://www.lib.msu.edu/sowards/balkan/lecture3.html]. The living conditions of the average serf in Kosovo improved druing the Ottoman occupation due to the rationalization of the Ottoman Timar system which was less demanding then previous feudal relations. Persecution of Christians has been limited to the Serbian Orthodox tardition and is ethnic not religious. Catholic's, most of whom were Albanian, were unmolested in Kosovo. The ongoing ethnic conflict has resulted in the destruction of 56 Serb Orthodox Christian churches, monasteries, graveyards and other religious monuments, some of them being of great historical and architectural importance. The latest wave of anti-Serb violence was in March 2004 (see [[Unrest in Kosovo]]).{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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On February 12, 2015 twenty-one [[Coptic]] [[Christian]]s were mass beheaded in [[Libya]] after [[President Obama]] liberated the country for "humanitarian" purposes.
  
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===Christian casualties of the War in Lebanon===
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====Nigeria====
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The war in Lebanon saw a number of massacres of both Christians and Muslims. Among the earliest was the [[Damour massacre|Damour Massacre]] in 1975 when Palestinian militias attacked Christian civilians. The persecution in Lebanon combined sectarian, political, ideological, and retaliation reasons. The [[Syria|Syrian regime]]  was also involved in persecuting Christians as well as Muslims in Lebanon.<ref>http://phoenicia.org/christiansmea.html</ref><ref>http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newssummpopup.php?newscode=4612&PHPSESSID=c7d2e762a581bd8981cacf23abafd68c</ref>
+
Northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim, and the northern Nigerian states officially ascribe to [[Sharia Law]].
  
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===Persecution of Christians in Sudan===
+
In addition to persecution from the local government and society, Islamic terrorist groups, such as [[Boko Haram]], also persecute Christians. One notable incident of Christian persecution occurred in June 2018, when militant Muslim Fulani herdsmen murdered at least 200 Nigerian Christians in four days.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (June 30, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/06/30/christian-death-toll-rises-to-200-in-4-day-muslim-killing-spree-in-nigeria/ Christian Death Toll Rises to 200 in 4-Day Muslim ‘Killing Spree’ in Nigeria]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 30, 2018.<br>See also:
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There is an abundance of evidence since the early 1990s of oppression and persecution of Christians, including by Sudan's own ''Sudan Human Rights Organization'', which in mid-1992 reported on forcible closure of churches, expulsion of priests, forced displacement of populations, forced [[Islamisation]] and [[Arabisation]], and other repressive measures of the Government. In 1994 it also reported on widespread torture, ethnic cleansing and crucifixion of pastors. [[Pax Christi]] has also reported on detailed cases in 1994, as has Africa Watch. Roman Catholic bishop Macram Max Gassis, Bishop of [[El Obeid]], also reported to the Fiftieth Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, in Geneva, in February 1994 on accounts of widespread destruction of hundreds of churches, forced conversions of Christians to Islam, [[concentration camps]], genocide of the [[Nuba]] people, systematic rape of women, enslavement of children, torture of priests and clerics, burning alive of pastors and catechists, [[crucifixion]] and [[mutilation]] of priests. The foregoing therefore serve to indict the Sudanese Government itself for flagrant violations of human rights and religious freedom.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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*Mora, Edwin (July 8, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/07/08/nigerias-fulani-jihadis-grow-deadlier-than-boko-haram-killing-hundreds-of-christians-in-days-extreme-content-warning/ Nigeria’s Fulani Jihadis Grow Deadlier than Boko Haram, Killing Hundreds of Christians in Days [Extreme Content Warning].] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 8, 2018.</ref> In 2019, Islamists killed over 1,000 Christians in Nigeria.<ref>Bohon, Dave (December 31, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/africa/item/34481-over-1-000-nigerian-christians-slaughtered-by-islamists-in-2019 Over 1,000 Nigerian Christians Slaughtered by Islamists in 2019]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 31, 2019.</ref>
  
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In addition, it is estimated that over 1.5 million Christians have been killed by the [[Janjaweed]], the Arab Muslim militia, and even suspected [[Islamists]] in northern Sudan since 1984.[http://www.religioustolerance.org/geno_su.htm]
+
Persecution and violence against Christians happen regularly in Nigeria.<ref>Murphy, James (March 24, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/africa/item/31824-silent-slaughter-media-quiet-as-muslims-kill-hundreds-of-christians-in-nigeria Silent Slaughter: Media Quiet as Muslims Kill Hundreds of Christians in Nigeria]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 25, 2019.</ref><ref>Kraychik, Robert (March 24, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2019/03/24/human-rights-activist-islamists-murdered-70000-christians-nigeria-last-20-years/ Human Rights Activist: Islamists Murdered 70,000 Christians in Nigeria over Last 20 Years]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 25, 2019.</ref>
  
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It should also be noted that Sudan's several civil wars (which often take the form of genocidal campaigns) are often not only or purely religious in nature, but also ethnic, as many black Muslims, as well as Muslim Arab tribesmen, have also been killed in the conflicts.
+
====South Africa====
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In the early 21st century, the left-wing [[South Africa]]n government became increasingly hostile toward theologically conservative Christianity.
  
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===Persecution of Christians in Pakistan===
+
In March 2019, a South African court forced the Dutch Reformed Church to recognize same-sex "marriage" and drop its former opposition to it.<ref>Multiple references:
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====Blasphemy laws====
+
*Smith, Samuel (March 8, 2019). [https://www.christianpost.com/news/south-african-court-rules-dutch-reformed-church-gay-marriage-ban-unconstitutional.html South African court rules Dutch Reformed Church’s gay marriage ban is unconstitutional]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
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In Pakistan 1.5% of the population are Christian. Pakistani law mandates that "blasphemies" of the Qur'an are to be met with punishment. On [[July 28]], [[1994]] [[Amnesty International]] urged Pakistan's Prime Minister, [[Benazir Bhutto]], to change the law because it was being used to terrorize religious minorities. She tried but was unsuccessful. However, she modified the laws to make them more moderate. Her changes were reversed by the [[Nawaz Sharif]] administration which was backed by [[Muslim fundamentalists]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+
*Barillas, Martin M. (March 22, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/south-african-court-rules-christian-church-discriminates-against-gays-in-refusing-them-marriage South African court rules Christian church discriminates against gays in refusing them ‘marriage’]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
 +
*Mitchley, Alex (March 8, 2019). [https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/same-sex-marriages-dutch-reformed-churchs-decision-diminished-gay-congregants-integrity-court-20190308 Same-sex marriages: Dutch Reformed Church's decision diminished gay congregants' integrity - court]. ''News 24''. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
 +
*Germaner, Shain (March 25, 2019). [https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-03-25-now-dutch-reformed-church-wont-appeal-same-sex-ruling/ Now Dutch Reformed Church won’t appeal same-sex ruling]. ''Sunday Times''. Retrieved April 29, 2019.</ref>
  
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Ayub Masih, a Christian, was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death in 1998. He was accused by a neighbor of stating that he supported British writer, [[Salman Rushdie]], author of ''[[The Satanic Verses]]''. Lower appeals courts upheld the conviction. However, before the Pakistan Supreme Court, his lawyer was able to prove that the accuser had used the conviction to force Masih's family off their land and then acquired control of the property. Masih has been released.<ref>http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_pakis.htm</ref>
+
====Sudan====
 +
{{Main article|Christians in Sudan}}
  
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On September 22, 2006 a Pakistani Christian named Shahid Masih was arrested and jailed for allegedly violating Islamic "blasphemy laws" in Pakistan. He is presently held in confinement and has expressed fear of reprisals by [[Islamic Fundamentalists]].<ref>http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=7248</ref>
+
===Asia===
  
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====Attacks on Pakistani Christians by Islamists====
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====China====
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The Christian community in Pakistan is frequently the target of attacks by Islamic extremists.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/south_asia/2183204.stm Pakistan's Christians under siege -- BBC]</ref>
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[[File:Xi in Maoist outfit.PNG|thumbnail|right|390px|Xi Jinping is the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of China which requires that all their members be atheists.<ref>[https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19567-china-s-communist-party-reaffirms-marxism-maoism-atheism China’s Communist Party Reaffirms Marxism, Maoism, Atheism], New American, 2014</ref>  
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
 +
See: [[China and atheism]] and [[Atheism and communism]] ]]
 +
''See also:'' [[Persecution of Christians in China]]
  
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On October 28, 2001 in Lahore, Pakistan, Islamic militants killed 15 Christians at a church.
+
As with all forms of public assembly, the [[China|Chinese]] [[Communism|Communist]] Party keeps a tight rein on all religious activity,<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Williams, Thomas D. (August 19, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/08/19/china-communist-party-reasserts-absolute-control-over-religion/ China Communist Party Reasserts Absolute Control over Religion]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
 +
*Yun, Michelle (July 8, 2019). [https://www.apnews.com/ba96f6f341824355b2997cf6c08c9a81 Christian family details crackdown on church in China]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
 +
See also:
 +
*Starr, Penny (June 21, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/06/21/pompeo-2018-religious-freedom-report-finds-extreme-hostility-to-all-faiths-in-china/ Pompeo: 2018 Religious Freedom Report Finds ‘Extreme Hostility’ to All Faiths in China]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
 +
*Fu, Eva (June 21, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/pompeo-condemns-atrocities-in-china-vows-to-safeguard-international-religious-rights_2973712.html Pompeo Condemns Atrocities in China, Vows to Safeguard International Religious Freedom]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved June 22, 2019.</ref> including those of Christians.<ref>Bohon, Steve (December 15, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/30932-church-in-china-under-intense-attack-by-communist-government Church in China Under Intense Attack by Communist Government]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 15, 2018.</ref><ref>Kuo, Lily (January 13, 2019). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/13/china-christians-religious-persecution-translation-bible https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/13/china-christians-religious-persecution-translation-bible]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved January 15, 2019.</ref> While thousands of state-sanctioned churches exist in China, the process for obtaining a permit for a new church is cumbersome, and to be approved, clergy must also take exams over communist ideology.<ref name=StatedeptChina>[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108404.htm]</ref> There is a shortage of Chinese-born ministers who would pass state qualification, and Chinese citizens are forbidden by law to worship at churches with foreign-born pastors.<ref name=StatedeptChina /> For all of the above reasons, the vast majority of Christians in China opt to worship at underground "home churches." Leaders and members of these churches face fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of church property.<ref name=VM>[http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/1096.htm Persecution Of Christians Around The World]</ref> In some extreme cases, an underground church is labeled a cult, which the CCP uses to justify some of the worst of its persecution, including torture and forced labor.<ref>[http://www.online2.church123.com/attach.asp?clientURN=christiansolidarityworldwide2&attachFileName=52d82f5db78a2871ae131128a54455ac.attach&attachOriginalFileName=CSW_Briefing_China_Liu_Statement.pdf Torture testimony of Liu Xianzhi]</ref>
  
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On September 25, 2002 two terrorists entered the "Peace and Justice Institute", [[Karachi]], where they separated Muslims from the Christians, and then executed eight Christians by shooting them in the head [http://www.domini.org/openbook/pak20020925.htm]. All of the victims were Pakistani Christians. Karachi police chief Tariq Jamil said the victims had their hands tied and their mouths had been covered with tape.
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The Chinese government forces all practicing religions in the country, including Christianity, to conform to the nation's communist ideology.<ref>Martel, Frances (September 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/09/07/government-christian-leader-theology-shall-reflect-chinese-culture/ Government Christian Leader: ‘Theology Shall Reflect Chinese Culture’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 12, 2017.</ref> Kindergartners are forced to sign an atheist manifesto.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (February 22, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2019/02/22/chinese-kindergartners-forced-to-sign-atheist-manifesto/ Chinese Kindergartners Forced to Sign Atheist Manifesto]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved February 22, 2019.</ref> The Chinese government acted to crack down on Christians evangelizing their children.<ref>Cimmino, Jeffrey (September 3, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/china-cracking-down-on-teaching-religion-to-children China cracking down on teaching religion to children]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 3, 2019.</ref><ref>Bohon, Dave (September 5, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/33338-communist-china-prohibiting-children-from-converting-to-christian-faith Communist China Prohibiting Children From Converting to Christian Faith]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 5, 2019.</ref>
  
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In November [[2005]] 3,000 militant Islamists attacked Christians in Sangla Hill in Pakistan and destroyed [[Roman Catholic]], [[Salvation Army]] and United [[Presbyterian]] churches. The attack was over allegations of violation of blasphemy laws by a Pakistani Christian named Yousaf Masih. The attacks were widely condemned by some political parties in Pakistan.<ref>http://www.missio-aachen.de/menschen-kulturen/nachrichten/Sangla_Hill_attack_continues_to_draw_condemnation.asp</ref> However, Pakistani Christians have expressed disappointment that they have not received justice. Samson Dilawar, a parish priest in Sangla Hill, has said that the police have not committed to trial any of the people who were arrested for committing the assaults, and that the Pakistani government did not inform the Christian community that a judicial inquiry was underway by a local judge. He continued to say that Muslim clerics "make hateful speeches about Christians" and "continue insulting Christians and our faith".<ref>http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4928</ref>
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Chinese president [[Xi Jinping]] is very opposed to Christianity and began a renewed crackdown.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Williams, Thomas D. (April 22, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/04/22/china-aid-president-xi-jinping-views-christian-churches-severe-national-security-threat/ China Aid: President Xi Jinping Views Christian Churches as ‘Severe National Security Threat’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
 +
*Williams, Thomas D. (January 1, 2020). [https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2020/01/01/china-passes-tighter-restrictions-religious-practice/ China Passes Tighter Restrictions on Religious Practice]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
 +
See also:
 +
*Dou, Eva (December 30, 2019). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/activist-chinese-pastor-gets-nine-year-prison-sentence-11577698307 Activist Chinese Pastor Gets Nine-Year Prison Sentence]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
 +
*Freiburger, Calvin (January 2, 2020). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/china-sentences-unauthorized-christian-pastor-to-9-years-in-prison China sentences ‘unauthorized’ Christian pastor to 9 years in prison]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
 +
*Bohon, Dave (January 4, 2020). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/34536-popular-chinese-christian-leader-sentenced-to-9-years-in-prison Popular Chinese Christian Leader Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
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*Barillas, Martin M.; Baklinski, Pete (January 9, 2020). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-govt-report-vaticans-secret-deal-with-china-linked-to-intense-spike-in-catholic-persecution ‘Intense’ spike in Christian persecution after China’s secret deal with Vatican: US gov’t report]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved January 9, 2020.</ref> In 2017, after Islamic extremists killed two Chinese Christian missionaries, rather than protect Christians, the Chinese government enacted further persecutions against Christianity.<ref>[https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2017/september/china-ramps-up-christian-persecution-after-two-missionaries-are-murdered China Ramps Up Christian Persecution After Two Missionaries Are Murdered]. ''CBN News''. September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.</ref> That same year, the Chinese government made it illegal for Christian parents to take their children to church.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (September 12, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/09/12/chinese-govt-bans-christian-children-from-attending-church-vows-punishment-to-offenders/ Chinese Gov’t Bans Christian Children from Attending Church, Vows Punishment to Offenders]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 12, 2017.</ref><ref>Hodges, Mark (September 11, 2017). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chinese-govt-bans-kids-from-attending-church-service Chinese gov’t bans kids from attending church services]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved September 12, 2017.</ref><ref>Haverluck, Michael F. (September 11, 2017). [https://www.onenewsnow.com/persecution/2017/09/11/china-children-not-allowed-at-church China: Children not allowed at church]. ''OneNewsNow''. Retrieved September 12, 2017.</ref> Also in 2017, it was reported that in China's Jiangxi province, the government had a plan of denying important poverty relief packages to Christians unless they replaced images of Jesus they had with images of President Jinping.<ref>Martel, Frances (November 14, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/11/14/china-urges-christian-peasants-replace-jesus-images-xi-jinping/ China Urges Rural Christians to Replace Jesus Images with Xi Jinping]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 14, 2017.</ref> In April 2018, the Chinese government banned online sales of Bibles, among other actions against Christians.<ref>Multiple references:
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*Mass, Warren (April 5, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/28677-china-bans-bible-sales-at-online-bookstores-and-tightens-control-over-religion China Bans Bible Sales at Online Bookstores and Tightens Control Over Religion]. ''The New American''. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
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*Williams, Thomas D. (April 4, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/04/04/china-pulls-bibles-online-bookstores-crackdown-christianity/ China Pulls Bibles from Online Bookstores in Crackdown on Christianity]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
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*Wise, Talia; Lane, Gary (April 5, 2018). [https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2018/april/bible-ban-gods-word-disappears-from-online-stores-in-china Bible Ban: God's Word Disappears from Online Stores in China]. ''CBN News''. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
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*Johnson, Ian (April 5, 2018). [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/05/world/asia/china-bans-bible-sales.html China Bans Online Bible Sales as It Tightens Religious Controls]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
 +
*Connor, Neil (April 4, 2018). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/04/china-cracks-sale-bible-amid-vatican-talks/ China cracks down on sale of bible amid Vatican talks]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved April 5, 2018.</ref> In 2019, the government required all religious texts to be rewritten to conform with communist ideology,<ref>Mass, Warren (December 24, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/34443-china-orders-people-of-faith-to-rewrite-religious-texts-to-conform-to-party-line China Orders People of Faith to Rewrite Religious Texts to Conform to Party Line]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 24, 2019.</ref> and it required all religious groups to promote Communist Party principles.<ref>Barillas, Martin M. (January 6, 2020). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chinese-govt-demands-christians-use-religion-to-spread-communist-party-principles Chinese govt demands Christians use religion to ‘spread Communist Party principles’]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved January 6, 2020.</ref>
  
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In February 2006 churches and Christian schools were targeted in protests over the publications of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy|Jyllands-Posten]] cartoons in [[Denmark]], leaving two elderly women injured and many homes and properties destroyed. Some of the mobs were stopped by police.<ref>http://www.christianresponse.org/articles/291/cartoon-protestors-in-pakistan-target-christians</ref>
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In 2018, it was reported that the level of persecution against Christians in China was at its highest level since Mao Zedong,<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Richardson, Bradford (June 6, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/chinas-christian-persecution-highest-level-mao/ 'Human rights disaster': China's persecution of Christians at highest level since Mao]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
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*Williams, Thomas D. (October 5, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/10/05/china-returning-to-maos-era-of-violent-christian-persecution/ China Returning to ‘Mao’s Era’ of Violent Christian Persecution]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
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See also:
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*Wang, Yanan (August 7, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/7/china-moves-sinicize-christianity-chinese-characte/ Beijing demands Christians infuse faith with 'Chinese characteristics' amid crackdown on religion]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
 +
*Tennant, Michael (September 11, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/30036-communist-china-cracks-down-on-christianity Communist China Cracks Down on Christianity]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 11, 2018.</ref> and subsequent studies had similar findings.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (August 8, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2019/08/08/report-religious-freedom-in-china-at-40-year-low/ Report: Religious Freedom in China at 40-Year Low]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 8, 2019.</ref>
  
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On June 5, 2006 a Pakistani Christian stonemason named Nasir Ashraf was working near [[Lahore]] when he drank water from a public facility using a glass chained to the facility. He was assaulted by Muslims for "Polluting the glass". A mob developed, who beat Ashraf, calling him a "Christian dog". Bystanders encouraged the beating and joined in. Ashraf was eventually hospitalized.<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51859 Christian beaten for drinking water], Worldnet Daily</ref><ref>[http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/newsviewsdetails.php?newsid=578 Christian attacked for polluting],''Pakistan Christian Post''</ref>
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In December of 2023, Mission Network News reported:
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{{Cquote|Christian persecution in China is the worst it’s been in 40 years, according to Dr. Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid.
  
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In August of 2006, a church and Christian homes were attacked in a village outside of [[Lahore]], Pakistan in a land dispute. Three Christians were seriously injured and one missing after some 35 Muslims burned buildings, desecrated Bibles and attacked Christians.<ref name="cp23922">http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060822/23922.htm</ref>
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Dr. Fu spoke about this issue recently on The Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s podcast, Closer to the Fire.
  
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Based, in part, on such incidents, Pakistan was recommended by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in May 2006 to be designated as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) by the Department of State.<ref name="cp23922" />
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“Without any exaggeration, the persecution against the Christians and other religious minorities has really reached the worst level we have not seen in 40 years since the Cultural Revolution…. For the first time, we have seen the Communist Party is cracking down on the Church across the board; literally declared a war against Christianity.”
  
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===Attacks on Christians by Islamists in Indonesia===
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He says Chinese censorship efforts especially target Christian youth.
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Religious conflicts have typically occurred in [[western New Guinea]], [[Maluku]] (particularly [[Ambon Island|Ambon]]), and [[Sulawesi]]. The presence of Muslims in these regions is largely due to [[Suharto]]'s ''[[transmigrasi]]'' plan of population re-distribution. Conflicts have often occurred because of the aims of radical [[Islamist]] organizations such as [[Jemaah Islamiah]] or [[Laskar Jihad]] to impose [[Sharia]]. The following list is far from comprehensive:
 
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*[[1998]] - 500 Christian churches burned down in [[Java (island)|Java]].
 
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*November, [[1998]] - 22 churches in [[Jakarta]] are burned down. 13 Christians killed.
 
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*[[Christmas]] Day [[1998]] - 180 homes and stores owned by Christians are destroyed in [[Poso]], [[Central Sulawesi]].
 
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*[[Easter]] [[2000]] - 800 homes and stores owned by Christians are destroyed in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
 
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*[[May 23]], [[2000]] - Christians fight back against a Muslim [[Crowd|mob]]. 700 people die.
 
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*June, [[2001]] - the [[Laskar Jihad]] declares [[Jihad]] against Christians. Muslim [[citizen]]s are recruited by the thousands to exterminate Christians.
 
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*[[May 28]], [[2005]] - A bomb is exploded in a crowded market in [[Tentena]], killing 28. This marks the highest death toll due to bombing after the devastating attacks in [[Bali]].<ref>http://www.persecution.org/news/press2001-03-09.html</ref>
 
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*[[October 29]], [[2005]] three school girls were found [[beheaded]] near Poso. The girls, students at [[Central Sulawesi Christian Church]], were killed by six unidentified assailants while on their way to class.
 
  
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===Discrimination and persecution in other Muslim nations===
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“For the first time, millions of Chinese children were forced to sign a form – these are Christian children – to renounce their faith in public.”
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In [[Saudi Arabia]] Christians are arrested and lashed in public for practicing their faith openly.<ref>http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=23</ref> Bibles and other non-Muslim religious books are captured, piled up and burned by the religious police of Saudi. No non-Muslims are allowed to become Saudi citizens.  Prayer services by Christians are frequently broken up by the police and the Christians are arrested and tortured without even allowing them to be released on bail.  
 
  
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In [[Egypt]] the government does not officially recognise conversions from Islam to Christianity; because certain interfaith marriages are not allowed either, this prevents marriages between converts to Christianity and those born in Christian communities, and also results in the children of Christian converts being classified as Muslims and given a Muslim education. The government also requires permits for repairing churches or building new ones, which are often withheld. Foreign missionaries are allowed in the country only if they restrict their activities to social improvements and refrain from proselytizing. The [[Coptic Christianity|Coptic]] [[Pope Shenouda III]] was internally exiled in [[1981]] by President [[Anwar Sadat]], who then chose five Coptic bishops and asked them to choose a new pope. They refused, and in [[1985]] President [[Hosni Mubarak]] restored Pope Shenouda III, who had been accused of fomenting interconfessional strife.  Particularly in Upper Egypt, the rise in extremist [[Islamist]] groups such as the [[Gama'at Islamiya]] during the 1980s was accompanied by attacks on Copts and on Coptic churches; these have since declined with the decline of those organizations, but still continue. The police have been accused of siding with the attackers in some of these cases.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/589977.stm</ref> Nevertheless, high-ranking government officials in Egypt have included Copts like [[Boutros Ghali]] and his grandson, [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]].
+
Communist leaders also continue to remove crosses from church buildings. “Even the government-sanctioned churches have been targeted for persecution,” says Fu. “Those pastors who refuse to voluntarily destroy, remove, and demolish their crosses have been facing huge risks of persecution.”
  
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There have been anti-Christian incidents carried out in areas governed by the [[Palestinian Authority]]. Some claim that this represents a pattern of deliberate mistreatment by the PA;<ref>http://christianactionforisrael.org/isreport/july02/arafatland.html</ref> others hold that these are isolated incidents that reflect the beliefs of the individuals involved, but not the society in general.<ref>http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=36</ref><ref>http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/764947.html</ref> Two American courts, one in Illinois and the other in North Carolina, accepted the threat of "religious persecution" as grounds for granting asylum to Evangelical converts fleeing PA territory.
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Furthermore, Chinese Christians know their every move is increasingly watched as China embraces digitalized social monitoring.<ref>[https://www.mnnonline.org/news/chinese-christian-persecution-worst-in-40-years/ Chinese Christian persecution worst in 40 years], Mission Network News, December 2023</ref>}}
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There is an ongoing trend for emigration among [[Palestinian Christian]]s doubling that of Muslims.
 
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The ratio of Christians among Palestinians went from 18%-20% in 1947 to 13% in 1966 to 2.1% in 1993.<ref name="DonWagner">''[http://www.palestinecenter.org/cpap/pubs/20020312ib.html Palestinian Christians: An Historic Community at Risk?]'', by Don Wagner (Palestine Center - Information Brief No. 89, 12 March 2002) quoting [[Bethlehem University]] sociologist [[Bernard Sabella]] (see [http://www.al-bushra.org/holyland/sabella.htm Palestinian Christians: Challenges and Hopes]).</ref> Among the causes there are the insecurity of living under Israeli rule after the 1967 [[Six Day War]], the comparatively warmer welcome that Christians have in the Americas and the rise of Islamism in Palestine politics
 
  
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Though [[Iran]] recognizes [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] and [[Armenian people|Armenian]] Christians as a religious minority (along with Jews and Zoroastrians) and they have representatives in the [[Majlis of Iran|Parliament]], after the [[Iranian Revolution|1979 Revolution]], Muslim converts to Christianity (typically to Protestant Christianity) have been arrested and sometimes executed. <ref>{{cite web|title=Iran Religious and Ethnic Minorities: Discrimination in Law And Practice|publisher=Human Rights Watch|date=1997|url=http://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/iran/Iran-05.htm|accessdate = 2007-03-22}}</ref> ''See also: [[Christianity in Iran]]''.
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====India====
 +
[[File:Hinduism..jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Hinduism]] ]]
 +
{{See also|Naxalites|Hindu fanatics}}
 +
The [[Naxalites]] are [[Marxist-Leninist]] atheistic groups that have been designated as [[terrorism|terrorists]] by the Government of India; because they seek to establish an [[atheist state]], they have inflicted violence against Christians, including beheading clergy in front of their wives and children,<ref>{{cite web |title=Pastor Beheaded by Radical Communists |url=https://www.icommittopray.com/request/1940/saisha-and-her-children |publisher=iCommitToPray.com |date=17 October 2019}}</ref> and [[atheist shooters|shooting]] Christians.<ref>{{cite web |title=INDIA: Naxalites shoot Christian dead in Chhattisgarh |url=https://www.churchinchains.ie/news-by-country/south-asia/india/india-naxalites-shoot-christian-dead-in-chhattisgarh/ |publisher=Barnabas Fund |date=28 February 2019}}</ref>
  
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In the Philippines, the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front]] and [[Abu Sayyaf]] has attacked and killed Christians.<ref>http://persecution.org/Countries/philippines.html</ref>
+
[[Hindus]] comprise the religious majority in [[India]]. Proponents of the ''Hindutva'' ideology, often called ''Hindu fascism'' and ''Hindu nationalism'', want to convert India into a Hindu nation in which other religions must assimilate to the Hindu religion and culture in order to establish a cultural hegemony of Hinduism at the expense of other religions.<ref name=CSWI>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=report&id=73 A submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review: India]</ref> In India, Christians have faced repeated attacks from Hindus.<ref name=FOXHEAIC>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318549,00.html Hindu Extremists Attack Indian Churches, Torch Home of Prominent Christian]</ref> Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, aged 8 and 10, were burned to death in [[Orissa]] in 1999 by Hindus.<ref name=FOXHEAIC/> In 2007, Hindus attacked Christians in the state of Orissa.<ref name=FOXHEAIC/> Ninety-five churches were destroyed in the attack.<ref name=CSWCVO>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=report&id=72 Communal violence in Kandhamal District, Orissa: India]</ref>
  
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[[Abdul Rahman (convert)|Abdul Rahman]], a 41-year-old Afghan citizen, was charged in Afghanistan with rejecting Islam ([[Apostasy in Islam|apostasy]]), a crime punishable by death under [[Sharia]] law.  He has since been released into exile in the West under intense pressure from Western governments.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4823874.stm</ref><ref>http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7BB654F1-7D5C-4E7D-B251-28A6E20A461D.htm</ref>
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====Indonesia====
 +
Islam and [[Sharia Law]] have been reported to be gaining influence in [[Indonesia]].  He served as Deputy Governor of Jakarta prior to 2014, when Governor [[Joko Widodo]] was elected President of Indonesia.  Although having an approval rating of 76%, many Indonesians voted against [[Jakarta]]n Governor [[Basuki Tjahaja Purnama]] in the April 2017 gubernatorial election due to religious factors.<ref name="Cochrane">Cochrane, Joe (April 19, 2017). [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/world/asia/jakarta-election-ahok-anies-baswedan-indonesia.html Jakarta Governor Concedes Defeat in Religiously Tinged Election]. ''The News York Times''. Retrieved May 10, 2017.</ref><ref name="Hayward"/>  Purnama, a [[Christianity|Christian]], was found guilty of blaspheming Islam in May 2017 and was sentenced to two years in prison.<ref name="Hayward">Hayward, John (May 9, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/05/09/jakarta-governor-found-guilty-of-blasphemy-against-islam-jailed-for-two-years/ Jakarta Governor Found Guilty of Blasphemy Against Islam, Jailed for Two Years]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 10, 2017.</ref>
  
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==Atheist persecution of Christians==
+
Examples of Islamic intolerance in the country:
−
===The Dechristianization program during the French Reign of Terror===
+
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgpHHoIvU2I Indonesian Christians under attack]
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The [[Dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution]] is a conventional description of the results of a number of separate policies, conducted by various governments of France between the start of the [[French Revolution]] in [[1789]] and the [[Concordat of 1801]].
+
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF-yu-cgn_U Religious Persecution And Hostility On The Rise In Indonesia]
 +
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJbnT9H3D_U Indonesia: Violence Against Religious Minorities]
  
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The program of dechristianisation waged against Catholicism, and eventually against all forms of Christianity, included:
+
====Iran====
 +
[[File:800px-Flag of Iran svg.png|thumbnail|200px|right|Flag of [[Iran]] ]]
 +
{{Main article|Christians in Iran}}
  
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*the deportation of clergy and the condemnation of many of them to death,
+
====Iraq====
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*the closing of churches,
+
{{main|Genocide of Christians by ISIS}}
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*the institution of atheistic and deist cults, including the [[Cult of Reason]] and subsequently the [[Cult of the Supreme Being]],
 
−
*the large scale destruction of religious monuments,
 
−
*the outlawing of public and private worship and religious education,
 
−
*forced marriages of the clergy,
 
−
*forced abjurement of priesthood, and
 
−
*the enactment of a law on October 21, 1793 making all suspected priests and all persons who harbored them liable to death on sight.
 
−
<ref>Latreille, A. FRENCH REVOLUTION, New Catholic Encyclopedia v. 5, pp. 972-973 (Second Ed. 2002 Thompson/Gale) ISBN 0-7876-4004-2</ref> 
 
  
−
The climax was reached with the celebration of the Goddess "Reason" in [[Notre Dame de Paris|Notre Dame]] Cathedral on 10 November.
+
Persecution of the country's Christian minority has increased dramatically since the 2003 American invasion of [[Iraq]]. Christian archbishops were abducted in January 2005 <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7271658.stm Archbishop abducted in Iraq]</ref> and February 2008.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4182629.stm Iraqi Chaldean archbishop seized ]</ref> The Pope told President George Bush that "Particularly in Iraq, Christian families and communities are feeling increasing pressure from insecurity, aggression and a sense of abandonment."
  
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The dechristianisation of France reached its zenith around the middle of 1794 with the fall of Robespierre. By early [[1795]] a return to some form of religion-based faith was beginning to take shape and a law passed on [[February 21]], 1795 legalized public worship, albeit with strict limitations. The ringing of church bells, religious processions and displays of the [[Christian cross]] were still forbidden. As late as [[1799]], priests were still being imprisoned or deported to penal colonies and persecution only worsened after the French army led by General [[Louis Alexandre Berthier]] captured [[Rome]] and imprisoned [[Pope Pius VI]], who would die in captivity in [[Valence, Drôme|Valence]], France in August of 1799. Ultimately, with [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] now in ascendancy in France, year-long negotiations between government officials and the new Pope, [[Pope Pius VII|Pius VII]], led to the [[Concordat of 1801]], formally ending the dechristianisation period and establishing the rules for a relationship between the church and the French State.  
+
====Myanmar====
 +
[[Myanmar]] also known as [[Burma]] is ruled by a highly repressive, authoritarian military regime. The country was placed under concern by the International Religious Freedom Act in 1999 and a wide array of sanctions are in place for its violations of human rights. Population estimated 6 percent Christianity and rapidly growing. The [[junta]] has not allowed permanent foreign religious missions to operate and confiscated all remaining assets since the 1960s. Proselytizing is forbidden, and the printing of Bibles in the country is strictly prohibited. Disobeying the junta and Burmese Christians will be killed, imprisoned and other human rights violations.<ref>[http://www.christianfreedom.org/cfi-news/1-latest-news/391-the-demand-for-bibles-in-burma-is-growing-despite-enormous-persecution-of-christians.html The Demand for Bibles in Burma is Growing Despite Enormous Persecution of Christians] Christian Freedom International</ref>
  
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Victims of the [[Reign of Terror]] totaled approximately 40,000. Among those people who were condemned by the revolutionary tribunals, about 6 percent clergy <ref>[http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=209830 Harvey, Donald Joseph FRENCH REVOLUTION, History.com 2006 (Accessed April 27,2007)]</ref> and countless others were killed or persecuted because of their faith.  Of the various social groupings, the clergy of the Roman Catholic church suffered proportionately the greatest loss.
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====North Korea====
 +
[[File:Kim Jong-Un Photorealistic-Sketch.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|Sketch of [[Kim Jong-un]] ]]
 +
{{Main article|Religion and Atheism in North Korea}}
 +
There are approximately 12,000 practicing Christians in [[North Korea]].<ref name=BBCCNK>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1744847.stm Eyewitness: Christianity in North Korea]</ref> Christians often face torture, imprisonment, and are often murdered.<ref name=CSWNK>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/country.asp?s=id&urn=North_Korea North Korea]</ref> According to human rights organizations, outside the officially sanctioned churches, Christians in North Korea can face harsh penalties.<ref name=BBCCNK/>
  
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===Communist persecution of Christians===
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====Pakistan====
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[[Marxism|Marxist]] ideology promotes atheism.<ref>Symbols, Conflict, and Identity: Essays in Political Anthropology by Zdzisław Mach, page 152</ref> This can often lead communist-states to persecute Christians as well as other [[theism|theists]].
+
{{See also|Persecution of Christians in Pakistan}}
 +
Christians in [[Pakistan]] have come under increasing attack in recent years.<ref name=CSWPAKISTAN>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=report&id=56 Religious freedom update - Pakistan]</ref> In 2004, three Christians were killed due to attacks by Islamists.<ref name=CSWPAKISTAN/> Several Christian leaders in Baluchestan received threats.<ref name=CSWPAKISTAN/> The Blasphemy Laws of Pakistan under Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code is used as a tool for Christian persecution.<ref name=CSWPAKISTAN/> Some of the madrassas in Pakistan promote Islamic terrorism.<ref name=CSWPAKISTAN/> President [[Pervez Musharraf]] recently in a speech called for scrutiny of the Blasphemy laws and to reform the madrassas.<ref name=CSWPAKISTAN/>
 +
In Pakistan, Christian mother Asia Bibi remains on death row for a sixth year on a charge of blasphemy, which she denies. Politicians who have tried to defend her or repeal the law have been assassinated. To date, the Supreme Court has seems unable to find judges willing to consider her appeal. A hearing in October was postponed after 150 Muslim clerics issued a fatwa against the court.<ref>[http://www.releaseinternational.org/violent-persecution-set-to-rise-in-2017/ Violent persecution set to rise in 2017]</ref>
  
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====Persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union====
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In 2017, a Pakistani teenager from a Christian family was beaten to death by his schoolmates from allegedly drinking out of the same water cooler as them, while a nearby teacher did nothing.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (September 12, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/09/12/pakistani-christian-beaten-death-muslim-classmates-teacher-read-newspaper/ Pakistani Christian Beaten to Death by Muslim Classmates ‘Whilst Teacher Read Newspaper’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 12, 2017.</ref>
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After the Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks undertook a massive program to remove the influence of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] from the government and [[Russia]]n society, and to make the state [[atheist]]. Thousands of churches were destroyed or converted to other uses, such as warehouses. Monasteries were closed and often converted to prison camps, most notably the Solovetz monastery becoming [[Solovki]] camp. Many members of clergy were imprisoned for anti-government activities. These victims are now recognized as the "[[New Martyrs]]" by the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], the old martyrs being the victims of the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] persecutions. Church property, including the icons and other objects of worship (especially those made of precious metals) was confiscated and put to other uses.
 
  
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While religion was never outlawed in the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Constitution actually guaranteed religious freedom to all Soviet citizens, persecution was still government policy.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church abated during [[World War II]], at which time [[Stalin]]'s government reached a truce with the Church in order to use it as part of its program to inspire Russian [[patriotic]] fervor. Nevertheless, the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] government sought to put the Church under control by appointing loyal men as priests, allegedly ending up with the entire upper ranks of the Church being officers of the [[KGB]].
+
====Russia====
 +
{{main|Yarovaya law}}
  
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Throughout the 1920s and 1930s the celebration of [[Christmas]] and the traditional Russian holiday of New Year (Feast of the Circumcision of Christ) was prohibited (later on New Year was reinstated as a secular holiday and is now the most significant family holiday in [[Russia]]). Gatherings and religious processions were initially prohibited and later on strictly limited and regulated. In later years, a more subtle method of disrupting Christian holidays involved broadcasting very popular movies one after the other on the major holidays when believers are expected to participate in religious processions, especially during the [[Easter]] celebration. Apparently, this was intended to keep those whose faith was uncertain or wavering in their homes and glued to their [[Television|TV]]s.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+
Any Christian can face persecution in Russia if they are not a member of the official Church of Russia, the [[Orthodox Church]].
  
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An intense ideological anti-Christian and anti-religious campaign was carried out throughout the history of the [[Soviet Union]]. An extensive education and propaganda campaign was undertaken to convince people, especially the children and youth, not to become believers. The role of the Christian religion and the [[Church]] was painted in black colors in school textbooks. For instance, much emphasis was placed on the role of the Church in such historical horror stories as the [[Inquisition]], persecution of [[Galileo Galilei|Galileo]], [[Giordano Bruno]], and other heretical scientists, and the [[Crusades]]. School students were encouraged to taunt and use [[peer pressure]] against classmates wearing crosses or otherwise professing their faith. In the 1920s there were many "anti-God" publications and social clubs sponsored by the government, most notably the scathingly satirical "[[Godless at the Workbench]]" ("Bezbozhnik u Stanka" in Russian). Later on, these disappeared because a new generation has grown up essentially [[atheist]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+
On February 6th, 2019, Dennis Christensen, a Danish adherent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, was sentenced to six years in prison for religious extremism.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-religion/russia-jails-dane-for-six-years-in-jehovahs-witnesses-purge-idUSKCN1PV0W2 Russia jails Dane for six years in Jehovah's Witnesses purge]</ref>  More have been detained awaiting their prison sentences.
  
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A "scientific" perspective was used to attack religion extensively. The Church was portrayed as obscurantist and opposed to the findings of [[science]]. Much was made of alleged Christian belief in the literal [[Creation (theology)|Creation]] account in the book of [[Genesis]] which the pro-[[Darwinian]] textbooks ridiculed.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}  As part of the anti-foreign and anti-capitalist propaganda, an effort was made, especially in the 1920s and 1930s, to imprint in the minds of the people an image of the [[Western Culture|West]] as dominated by the anti-scientific ignorance of the Church, as opposed to the scientifically "progressive" [[atheist]] Soviet state.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+
====Syria====
 +
{{Main article|Christians in Syria}}
  
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In general, Christianity was portrayed as corrupt, hypocritical, a loyal servant of the reactionary [[czar]], obscurantist, "opium for the people" according to [[Karl Marx]], and otherwise evil. This [[Communist]] persecution of the Church proved enormously successful. Within the span of one generation, the traditionally highly devout Russian people became overwhelmingly [[atheist]]. This transformation was, for the most part, complete by the 1950s. As such, it counted as one of the greatest and the most successful persecutions Christianity had ever experienced, on par only with the destruction of Christianity in the [[Middle East]], [[North Africa]], and [[Asia Minor]] by the [[Islamic]] and [[Turkey|Turkish]] conquests.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+
====Turkey====
 +
In [[Turkey]], there have been incidents of persecution of Christians. In 2006 and 2007, one Catholic Priest and three Protestant evangelists were killed; churches were also attacked.<ref name=CSWT>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/country.asp?s=id&urn=Turkey Turkey]</ref> In 2007, one German and two Turkish Christians were killed by Islamic extremists in Southeast Turkey.<ref name=CSWGTC>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=615 One German and two Turkish Christians killed in Southeast Turkey]</ref>
  
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After the fall of the [[Soviet Union]], the government of [[Russia]] openly embraced the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], and there was a reputed renaissance in the number of the faithful in [[Russia]]. As of 2004 it is generally noted, however, that whereas a very large percent of Russians today identify themselves as believers and members of the Church (up from a very small group in the Soviet days), still relatively few of them actually attend [[church]] regularly, read the [[Bible]], or otherwise take their [[Communion (Christian)|communion]] with the [[Church]] seriously. For many, it seems, [[faith]] has become a matter of personal identification and readiness to [[Baptism|baptize]] their children or have church [[marriage]] and [[burial]] ceremonies, and not much else. This is a clear testimony to the completeness and the long term success of the Communist persecution of the Christianity in [[Russia]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+
====Vietnam====
 +
[[File:Vietnamflag.png|right|thumbnail|200px|Officially, [[Vietnam]] is an [[Atheism|atheist]] state.<ref>Jan Dodd, Mark Lewis, Ron Emmons. The Rough Guide to Vietnam, Vol. 4, 2003. p. 509: "After 1975, the Marxist-Leninist government of reunified Vietnam declared the state atheist while theoretically allowing people the right to practice their religion under the constitution."</ref>]]
 +
{{Main article|Religion and Atheism in Vietnam}}
  
−
[[Richard Wurmbrand]], author of ''[[Tortured for Christ]]'' described the systematic persecution of Christians in one East Bloc nation. Many Christian believers in the Soviet Union have told of being imprisoned for no other reason than believing in God. Many have recently been canonized as [[saint]]s following their death at the hands of Soviet authorities; they are collectively referred to in the Orthodox Church as the "new martyrs". (See also [[Enemy of the people]], [[Gulag]], [[Alexander Solzhenitsyn]], [[Varlam Shalamov]])
+
===Europe===
 +
According to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe, Christian persecution on the continent is increasing, in the form of government attacks as well as non-government vandalism and desecration of churches, cemeteries, and Christian symbols.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (November 19, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2019/11/19/observatory-releases-report-on-christian-persecution-in-europe/ Observatory Releases Report on Christian Persecution in Europe]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 19, 2019.<br>See also:
 +
*Byas, Steve (January 14, 2020). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/34618-christian-symbols-under-attack-in-europe Christian Symbols Under Attack in Europe]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 14, 2020.</ref>
  
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====Persecution in other Eastern Bloc nations====
+
====Bulgaria====
−
{{see|Persecution of Christians in Warsaw Pact countries}}
+
In [[Bulgaria]], there have been incidents of persecution of Christians. In 1998, local Church of God in the town of Vratza was attacked by skinheads.<ref name=CSWBC>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=166 Bulgarian Christians under attack from skinheads and ultra-nationalists]</ref> On July 21, 2004, the Bulgarian police force invaded the Bulgarian Orthodox churches across the nation and forcibly dragged out over 160 priests.<ref name=CSWB>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/country.asp?s=id&urn=Bulgaria Bulgaria]</ref>
  
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[[Enver Hoxha]] conducted a campaign to extinguish all forms of religion in [[Albania]] in [[1967]], closing all religious buildings and declaring the state atheist. Albania was the only Eastern Bloc nation that actually outlawed religion. See [[Communist and post-Communist Albania]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+
====France====
 +
In 2016, the [[France|French]] Senate passed a bill making it illegal to post [[pro-life]] information on the internet.<ref name="ProLifeBan">McMorris, Bill (December 7, 2016). [https://freebeacon.com/issues/french-senate-passes-pro-life-website-ban/ French Senate Passes Pro-Life Website Ban]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref> In February 2017, both houses of the French parliament passed the bill, with the National Assembly's more severe and broad wording ultimately being adopted.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Smits, Jeanne (February 17, 2017). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/france-approves-restrictive-law-targeting-pro-life-websites France passes law imposing up to two years prison for running pro-life websites]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
 +
*Byas, Steve (February 21, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/25430-france-criminalizes-pro-life-speech France Criminalizes Pro-life Speech]. ''The New American''. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
 +
*Camp, Frank (February 19, 2017). [https://www.dailywire.com/news/13626/france-passes-speech-law-could-cripple-pro-life-frank-camp France Passes Speech Law That Could Cripple the Pro-Life Movement]. ''The Daily Wire''. Retrieved February 11, 2018.</ref> As of March 2017, the bill was being reviewed by France's Constitutional Council.<ref>Hurd, Dale (March 11, 2017). [https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2017/march/new-law-could-strangle-french-pro-life-movement Strangling the Pro-Life Movement: What in the World Is Going on in France?]. ''CBN News''. Retrieved February 11, 2018.</ref> Regardless, this law would effectively criminalize the freedom of speech (at least on the internet) of those who support the true human right to life for unborn human beings,<ref name="ProLifeBan"/> and it illustrates the opposition to equal rights in the country.<ref>Morrison, Robert (April 4, 2017). [https://thefederalist.com/2017/04/04/france-reneges-equal-rights-banning-pro-life-websites/ France Reneges On Equal Rights For All By Banning Pro-Life Websites]. ''The Federalist''. Retrieved February 11, 2018.</ref> France is already spiritually dead.
  
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However, persecution of Christians, especially Protestants, [[Pentecostals]] and non-registered minority denominations, has continued after the fall of the Soviet Union, in many countries in [[Eastern Europe]] and [[Central Asia]], notably [[Tajikistan]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Human rights in Belarus|Belarus]].
+
While this is a pro-life restriction, rather than an official restriction on Christianity, biblical Christians strongly hold pro-life views based on the Bible, and their freedom to advocate against legalized murder, including on biblical grounds, will be restricted. Also, the law could have a slippery slope and affect churches and Christian denominations.<ref name="ProLifeBan"/>
  
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====Persecution of Christians in North Korea====
+
====Germany====
−
{{Expand-section|date=August 2007}}
+
Germany's government – like the governments of numerous other European countries – strongly opposes [[homeschooling]], and homeschooling has been illegal in the country since the [[Third Reich]] enacted a law on this matter in 1938.<ref>[https://answersingenesis.org/homeschool/international-homeschooling-on-shaky-ground/ International Homeschooling on Shaky Ground]. ''Answers in Genesis''. October 1, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2017.</ref> The German government bans homeschooling because it argues it must "counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies," something which nullifies religious freedom and parental control.<ref name="Looy2013">Looy, Mark (April 29, 2013). [https://answersingenesis.org/religious-freedom/homeschooled-and-now-without-a-home-to-school-in/ Homeschooled and Now Without a Home to School In?] ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.</ref> In 2013, for example, German authorities confiscated four homeschooled children from a Christian family who homeschooled in order to give their children a Christian education – the German government did this simply because the parents were not sending their children to the government school.<ref>Multiple references:
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Persecution of Christians is currently the worst in North Korea.<ref>http://sb.od.org/index.php?supp_page=wwl_top_ten&supp_lang=en</ref>
+
*Ham, Ken (September 22, 2013). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2013/09/22/germany-against-homeschooling/ Germany Against Homeschooling]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
 +
*Crossland, Kiley (April 17, 2017). [http://www.bpnews.net/48684/german-family-continues-fight-to-homeschool German family continues fight to homeschool]. ''Baptist Press''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
 +
*Mitchell, Elizabeth (September 7, 2013). [https://answersingenesis.org/homeschool/government-seizes-homeschooling-childrenwhose-kids-are-they/ Government Seizes Homeschooling Children—Whose Kids Are They?] ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.</ref> In 2008, a German homeschooling family traveled to the U.S. and applied for asylum,<ref name="HomeschoolAsylum">Huston, Warner Todd (February 1, 2010). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2010/02/01/homeschooling-german-family-awarded-political-asylum-in-us-where-is-us-media/ Homeschooling German Family Awarded Political Asylum in U.S., Where is U.S. Media?] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.</ref> something which they were guaranteed in 2014.<ref name="DHShomeschool">Berry, Susan (March 4, 2014). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/03/04/department-of-homeland-security-will-not-deport-romeike-german-homeschoolers/ Homeland Security Will Not Deport German Christian Homeschoolers the Romeikes]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.</ref>
  
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==Nazi-Fascist persecution==
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====Sweden====
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Although far less hostile to Christianity than to Judaism, which the [[Nazism|Nazis]] [[the Holocaust|sought to exterminate]] throughout the [[Third Reich]] and lands that came under Nazi rule, Nazi [[totalitarianism]] demanded that all religious activity conform to the desires of Nazi leadership. Christian churches were obliged to accept the racist doctrines of Nazism. The [[Gestapo]] monitored Christian clergy and congregations for any semblance of dissent with Nazi policies, and many Christian clergy and laymen ended up in concentration camps when they asserted opposition to the teachings and practices of Nazism or if they acted upon pacifist convictions (like many [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and some [[Confessing Church]] members). During the early part of the Nazi rule, the "[[German Christians]]" were an important pseudo-Protestant tool of the regime to bring about the [[Gleichschaltung]] of the churches.
+
In 2017, a [[Sweden|Swedish]] local government unit forced a Christian preschool to ban prayer to God under the country's Education Act, but the preschoolers were subsequently instructed to thank the sun and the rain before meals.<ref>Chretien, Claire (June 28, 2017). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/christian-preschool-switches-to-thanking-the-sun-and-rain-before-meals-afte Gov’t bans prayer to God; Christian preschool forced to thank ‘sun and rain’ for meals instead]. ''LifeSite News''. Retrieved August 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Hale, Virginia (June 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/26/christian-preschool-banned-saying-amen/ Christian Preschoolers Banned from Saying ‘Amen’, Talking About the Bible]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 6, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2017/june/preschoolers-in-sweden-banned-from-saying-amen-mentioning-the-bible Preschoolers in Sweden Banned from Saying 'Amen,' Mentioning the Bible]. ''CBN News''. June 29, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.</ref>
  
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The expansion of [[Nazi Germany]] and the establishment of Nazi rule in occupied countries brought about persecutions ranging from those characteristic in Germany itself to conditions approaching those of the Soviet Union. Catholic priests in Poland that were opposed to the Nazis were taken to the concentration camps; many were murdered in the liquidation of the Polish [[intelligentsia]]. Due to its long historical association with [[Slavic Peoples|Slavic cultures]], Nazi occupation officials used collaborators such as the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Ustashe]] to specifically target [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]] Christians in [[Yugoslavia]]. [[Roman Catholics]] were heavily persecuted in Nazi Germany because of their opposing views on [[Nazi eugenics]] and racial hatred.
+
Sweden has also denied asylum for persecuted Christians despite accepting large numbers of Muslims not facing persecution.<ref>Freiburger, Calvin (May 31, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/sweden-joins-united-kingdom-in-denying-refuge-to-persecuted-christians Sweden joins United Kingdom in denying refuge to persecuted Christians]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved June 1, 2019.</ref>
  
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In Italy the fascist regime of [[Mussolini]] persecuted [[Pentecostals]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and other Protestant groups following the [[Lateran Accords]] with the Roman Catholic church. In 1935, the interior minister [[Guido Buffarini Guidi]] ordered the complete break-up of the Pentecostalist network in Italy.<ref>[www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-7709.2005.00509.x For the Cause of Christ here in Italy]</ref>
+
====Finland====
 +
In 2019, a Finnish legislator and former minister can under criminal investigation for promoting her biblically-based view that marriage is between a man and a woman.<ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (September 5, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/33341-top-finnish-pol-in-trouble-for-posting-homophobic-bible-quote-and-comment-on-facebook Top Finnish Pol in Trouble for Posting “Homophobic” Bible Quote and Comment on Facebook]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 5, 2019.</ref>
 +
 
 +
====United Kingdom====
 +
{{See also|Persecution of Christians by homosexuals in UK}}
 +
In 2010, a Christian street preacher was arrested for causing "harassment, alarm or distress" by calling homosexuality a sinful practice according to biblical teachings.<ref>Blake, Heidi (May 2, 2010). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/7668448/Christian-preacher-arrested-for-saying-homosexuality-is-a-sin.html Christian preacher arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved August 10, 2017.</ref> In 2015, another street preacher was fined for calling homosexuality an abomination.<ref>Tufft, Ben (March 29, 2015). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/street-preacher-quoting-from-the-bible-fined-for-calling-homosexuality-an-abomination-10141768.html Street preacher quoting from the Bible fined for calling homosexuality an 'abomination']. ''The Independent''. Retrieved August 10, 2017.</ref>
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 +
A pastor in [[Northern Ireland]] was charged and tried for making comments (in 2014) in one of his sermons against Islam that were considered "grossly offensive." Although he was found not guilty (in 2016), he should have never been tried in the first place, as Christians should be able to freely express and advocate their biblically-based theological positions.<ref>Turpin, Simon (January 8, 2016). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/simon-turpin/2016/01/08/northern-ireland-pastor-not-guilty-criticising-islam/ Northern Ireland Pastor Not Guilty of Criticising Islam]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref>
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 +
In 2014, the UK government banned the teaching of creationism in every school that receives government funding.<ref>Sevcik, JC (June 18, 2014). [https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/06/18/Teaching-creationism-as-scientifically-valid-now-banned-in-all-UK-public-schools/5631403128922/ Teaching creationism as scientifically valid now banned in all UK public schools]. ''UPI''. Retrieved March 9, 2018.</ref> In 2016, a teacher at an [[Anglican]] school in  Oswaldtwistle, [[Lancashire]] was harshly criticized for stating on [[Twitter]] (in response to another teacher) that "Evolution is not a fact. That’s why it’s called a theory! There’s more evidence that the Bible is true."<ref>Turpin, Simon (February 4, 2016). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/simon-turpin/2016/02/04/teacher-ridiculed-saying-evolution-not-fact/ Teacher Ridiculed for Saying Evolution Is Not a Fact]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved January 10, 2017.</ref> In 2018, the UK Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills gave a Christian school its lowest ranking possible for quality of learning because it taught creationism and integrated its biblical values into its curriculum (aka. giving its students a Christian education, as a Christian school).<ref>Burgess, Kaya (February 16, 2018). [https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/primary-pupils-taught-creationism-in-science-lessons-at-kings-kids-christian-school-z66p6vc90 Primary pupils taught creationism in science lessons at Kings Kids Christian School]. ''The Times''. Retrieved March 9, 2018.</ref><ref>Kumar, Anugrah (February 18, 2018). [https://www.christianpost.com/news/uk-school-punished-teaching-creation-bible-kids-other-faiths-false-gods-218300/ UK School Punished for Teaching Creation, Bible; Kids Saying Other Faiths Follow 'False Gods']. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved March 9, 2018.</ref> These are only a few of many examples of social persecution in the West, regarding numerous subjects, including [[creation science]], the [[Evolution|pseudoscientific theory of evolution]], and homosexuality.
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 +
In early 2017, two Christian street preachers in [[Bristol]] were convicted for quoting the [[King James Bible]] in public because they supposedly used "threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person . . . and the offence was religiously aggravated."<ref>Turpin, Simon (March 6, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/simon-turpin/2017/03/06/loss-free-speech-uk-and-how-we-should-react-christians/ The Loss of Free Speech in the UK and How We Should React as Christians]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved March 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Weatherbe, Steve (March 2, 2017). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/christian-evangelists-found-guilty-of-disorderly-conduct-for-preaching-gods Christian street preachers arrested, fined for ‘challenging Muslims,’ ‘homophobia’]. ''LifeSite News''. Retrieved August 10, 2017.</ref><ref>Berrien, Hank (August 3, 2017). [http://www.dailywire.com/news/14075/these-british-pastors-were-just-arrested-hank-berrien# These British Pastors Were Just Arrested For ‘Challenging Muslims’]. ''The Daily Wire''. Retrieved August 10, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
In October 2017, Oxford University banned a Christian organization, the Christian Union of Oxford’s Balliol College, from appearing at a fair because it would "alienate" students because of Christianity being an "excuse for homophobia and neo-colonialism."<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/10/11/christian-group-at-oxford-university-banned-from-fair-out-fear-it-would-alienate-students.html Christian group at Oxford University banned from fair out of fear it would 'alienate' students]. ''Fox News''. October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
In November 2017, [[Tim Farron]], a Christian and the former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party who resigned due to the incompatibility of his faith and his position, admitted that social persecution of Christianity is a real thing and that the culture sees it as dangerous.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (November 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/11/29/lib-democrat-tim-farron-warns-that-christians-now-deemed-as-dangerous-and-unsuitable-for-politics/ Liberal Democrat Tim Farron Warns That Christians Now Deemed as ‘Dangerous’ and Unsuitable for Politics]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 29, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
In December 2017, the London Assembly called on its mayor "to clarify the powers available to [police] to arrest and prosecute" [[pro-life]] activists, claiming with no evidence that the "anti-choice campaigners" engage in “obstruction, intimidation and harassment."<ref>Deacon, Liam (December 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/12/23/orwellian-london-assembly-votes-arrest-prosecute-pro-life-campaigners/ ‘Orwellian’: London Assembly Votes to ‘Arrest and Prosecute’ Pro-Life Christians]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 23, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
Despite admitting large numbers of migrants from Muslim countries,<ref>Duke, Selwyn (March 26, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/30734-u-k-politician-on-migration-no-one-asked-us-if-we-wanted-our-culture-destroyed U.K. Politician on Migration: No One Asked Us if We Wanted Our Culture Destroyed]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 24, 2019.</ref> the UK government refused to admit one Pakistani Christian woman for asylum in 2018<ref>McKay, Hollie (November 18, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-slammed-for-not-granting-asylum-to-pakistani-christian-asia-bibi-over-security-fears UK slammed for not granting asylum to Pakistani Christian Aasia Bibi over security fears]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 24, 2019.</ref><ref>Montgomery, Jack (November 25, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2018/11/25/theresa-may-refuses-asylum-pakistani-christian-hunted-lynch-mobs-appease-british-muslims/ Theresa May Refuses Asylum for Pakistani Christian Hunted by Lynch Mobs to Appease British Muslims]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 24, 2019.</ref> and an Iranian Christian woman in 2019.<ref>Duke, Selwyn (March 23, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/31823-secularism-or-sharia-uk-official-mocks-man-s-christianity-say-it-s-not-a-religion-of-peace UK Official Mocks Man’s Christianity; Says it’s NOT a Religion of Peace]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 24, 2019.</ref> The government made bigoted claims, such as that Christianity somehow not being a "peaceful religion" and because they requested asylum while also believing in Jesus as Savior.<ref>Llorente, Elizabeth (March 21, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/u-k-denies-asylum-to-iranian-convert-to-christianity-saying-the-religion-is-not-peaceful UK denies asylum to Iranian convert to Christianity, saying the religion is not 'peaceful']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.</ref>
 +
 
 +
In public schools, students who are not homosexuals or transgender are increasingly harassed and viewed as "weird."<ref>Glover, Suzanne (April 23, 2019). [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6952453/Why-teenage-girl-picked-NOT-gay-trans.html 'Why is my teenage girl picked on for NOT being gay or trans?' A disturbing look at how teachers and pupils have turned tolerance on its head]. ''Daily Mail''. Retrieved May 18, 2019.</ref>
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 +
===Americas===
 +
 
 +
====Canada====
 +
Like the rest of the West, the Canadian government (currently, the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] under Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]]) has become more hostile towards Christianity. In 2017, a local school district, the Battle River School Division, ordered a Christian school to stop teaching "offensive" passages from the Bible, something that would alter the Christian message and omit key portions of the Bible from being taught.<ref>[https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2017/june/canadian-district-bans-christian-school-from-teaching-offensive-parts-of-bible-nbsp Canadian District Bans Christian School from Teaching 'Offensive' Parts of Bible]. ''CBN News''. June 22, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Haskins, Justin (June 24, 2017). [https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/06/24/canadian-officials-threaten-christian-school-demand-end-to-offensive-bible-verses/ Canadian Christian school under attack for teaching ‘offensive’ Bible verses]. ''The Blaze''. Retrieved August 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Foley, Avery (August 6, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/religious-freedom/canada-forces-government-speech-and-bans-bible-verses/ Canada Forces Government Speech and Bans Bible Verses]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved August 6, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
In 2017, the Canadian government chose to ban employers who oppose [[abortion]] or [[Homosexual marriage|homosexual "marriage"]] from being able to receive summer job grants for students,<ref>Laurence, Lianne (December 14, 2017). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-canada-wont-fund-student-summer-jobs-unless-employers-demonstrate BREAKING: Canada won’t fund student summer jobs unless employers support abortion]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.</ref><ref>Cannolly, Amanda (December 15, 2017). [https://globalnews.ca/news/3914528/canada-summer-jobs-anti-abortion-anti-gay-groups/ Canada Summer Jobs program will no longer fund anti-abortion, anti-gay groups]. ''Global News''. Retrieved December 24, 2017.</ref><ref>Duke, Selwyn (January 23, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/28113-canadian-government-christian-students-need-not-apply Canadian Government: Christian Students Need Not Apply]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 23, 2018.</ref> and in March 2018, the Canadian House of Commons voted 207–93 against reversing the requirement that employers sign an attestation affirming their support for such issues.<ref>Mainwaring, Doug (March 19, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canadian-parliament-votes-down-motion-against-pro-abortion-oath-for-govt-fu Canadian Parliament votes down motion against pro-abortion oath for gov’t funding]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved March 20, 2018.</ref> In January 2018, Prime Minister Trudeau indicated that [[pro-life]] speech is not protected speech. When asked on where the Canadian government limits free speech, Trudeau mentioned abortion, stating that "an organization that has the explicit purpose of restricting women’s rights by removing rights to abortion, the right for women to control their own bodies, is not in line with where we are as a government and quite frankly where we are as a society."<ref>Richardson, Bradford (January 13, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/13/justin-trudeau-canadian-prime-minister-scolds-pro-/ Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau scolds pro-lifers as ‘not in line’ with society]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 13, 2018.</ref><ref>Laurence, Lianne (January 13, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeau-believe-what-you-want-but-we-draw-the-line-if-you-try-to-restrict-a Trudeau: Believe what you want, but ‘we draw the line’ if you try to restrict abortion]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved January 13, 2018.</ref>
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 +
In June 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against an explicitly Christian law school, saying that is was "proportionate and reasonable" for some Canadian law societies to deny accreditation to the school's graduates because the school opposed homosexuality due to its Christian values.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
Laurence, Lianne (June 15, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canadas-top-court-rules-religious-freedom Canada’s top court rules against Christian law school: LGBT ‘rights’ trump religious freedom]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
 +
*Williams, Thomas D. (June 19, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/06/19/canada-rules-no-exemption-regarding-sexual-morality-for-christian-law-school/ Canada Court: No Exemption on Sexual Morality for Christian Law School]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
 +
*Clabough, Raven (June 20, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/north-america/item/29320-christian-canadian-law-school-denied-accreditation-because-of-its-belief-in-traditional-marriage Christian Canadian Law School Denied Accreditation Because of Its Belief in Traditional Marriage]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
 +
See also:
 +
*Laurence, Lianne (June 15, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canadas-top-court-obliterated-religious-rights-in-ruling-against-christian Canada’s top court ‘obliterated’ religious rights in ruling against Christian university: critics]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
 +
*Laurence, Lianne (June 15, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trinity-western-supreme-court-ruled-against-diversity-in-canada Trinity Western: Supreme court ruled against ‘diversity’ in Canada]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved June 17, 2018.</ref>
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 +
In 2018, Canadian activist Bill Whatcott faced being unjustly sentenced to two years in prison for what his persecutors claimed was his committing "Wilful [sic] Promotion of Hatred against an identifiable group" – AKA passing out pamphlets at a 2016 "gay pride" parade that shared the Christian message that homosexuality is a sin and that repenting of all sin leads to "the free gift of eternal life."<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Duke, Selwyn (July 3, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/north-america/item/29447-canadian-man-criticizes-homosexuality-now-he-faces-two-years-in-prison Canadian Man Criticizes Homosexuality — Now He Faces Two Years in Prison]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
 +
*Kumar, Anugrah (June 30, 2018). [https://www.christianpost.com/news/canadian-man-faces-2-years-prison-passing-out-jesus-saves-pamphlets-gay-pride-parade-225577/ Canadian Man Faces 2 Years in Prison for Passing Out Jesus Saves Pamphlets at Gay Pride Parade]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
 +
*Prestigiacomo, Amanda (June 29, 2018). [https://www.dailywire.com/news/32478/canada-man-faces-two-years-prison-criticizing-amanda-prestigiacomo HATE CRIME: Canadian Man Facing 2 Years In Prison For Passing Out 'Safe Sex' Pamphlets At Gay Pride Parade]. ''The Daily Wire''. Retrieved July 3, 2018.</ref>
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The New Democratic Party government of [[Alberta]] heavily promoted the [[homosexual agenda]] in the state's education system, such as forcing Christian schools to create Gay Straight Alliance Clubs even if only one student wanted one, and threatened to defund religious schools if they do not remove religious content from their curriculum.<ref>Multiple references:
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*Van Maren, Jonathon (October 15, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/looking-forward-to-the-day-when-albertas-education-system-is-not-under-left Alberta’s leftist govt. has forced Christian schools to adopt LGBT agenda or be destroyed]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
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*[https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/alberta-govt-to-defund-bible-based-schools-refuses-to-explain-how-they-viol Alberta govt. to defund Bible-based schools, refuses to explain how they violate ‘diversity’]. ''LifeSiteNews'' (from the ''Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms''). October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
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*[https://www.jccf.ca/alberta-government-demands-that-independent-schools-renounce-their-religious-policies/ Alberta Government demands that independent schools renounce their religious policies]. ''Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms''. September 27, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.</ref>
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====United States====
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Persecution mainly exists in ridicule, [[liberal bias]], [[bigotry]] and/or religious discrimination of traditional Christian [[family values]] by [[Hollywood]].<ref>[http://www.adl.org/PresRele/RelChStSep_90/5392_90.htm Survey: Americans Believe Religious Values Are 'Under Attack'] Anti-Defamation League, November 14, 2008</ref><ref>[Brad Pitt proclaims he is for gay marriage and against traditional American Christians, August 2009]</ref><ref>Anderson, Troy (June 4, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/32393-the-war-to-destroy-christianity-in-america The War to Destroy Christianity in America]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 4, 2019.</ref> If this is further tolerated, there is a distinct possibility that violence against Christians could be next. Numerous Christians, whether business owners or other people, such as [[Kim Davis]] or [[Roy Moore]], have been persecuted in various ways (lawsuits, loss of business, arrest, threats, etc.) for holding on to their sincerely-held beliefs and refusing to bow down to the [[homosexual agenda]].
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Don Feder, founder of a group called Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, used his condemnation of the 2005 film "V for Vendetta" to say, "It's very much in keeping with what has become Hollywood's standard anti-Christian message – that Christians are hypocritical hate-mongers, with tendencies toward violence, who are waiting to seize the reins of government and persecute unbelievers."<ref>see [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2009/05/15/2009-05-15_is_hollywood_antichristian_angels__demons_sparks_debate_anew.html#ixzz0FeJYczRf&B David Hinckley, "Is Hollywood anti-Christian?" ''New York Daily News'' May 15th 2009]</ref> David Limbaugh says, "This anti-Christian bias manifests itself in unflattering portrayals of Christians in Hollywood films and entertainment television."<ref>[http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/10/2/102405.shtml The Media and Hollywood War Against Christianity] NewsMax, October 2, 2003</ref>
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In a government report released in 2016, Martin R. Castro, the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, claimed that "The phrases “religious liberty” and “religious freedom” will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance."<ref>Showalter, Brandon (September 9, 2016). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/religious-freedom-code-word-bigotry-christian-supremacy-us-civil-rights-commissioner-martin-castro-169370/ Religious Freedom Is 'Code Word' for Bigotry, Christian Supremacy, US Civil Rights Commissioner Says]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Kellner, Mark A. (September 8, 2016). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/8/religious-freedom-religious-liberty-just-code-word/ ‘Religious freedom,’ ‘liberty’ just ‘code words’ for intolerance, U.S. Civil Rights chairman says]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://religionnews.com/2016/09/08/chairman-of-u-s-commission-on-civil-rights-calls-the-phrases-religious-liberty-and-religious-freedom-code-words-for-discrimination-intolerance-racism-s/ Chairman of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights calls the phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and Christian supremacy]. ''Religion News Service''. September 8, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Carter, Joe (September 13, 2016). [https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/u.s.-civil-rights-commission-religious-freedom-is-code-word-for-racism-homophobia-and-christian-supremacy U.S. Civil Rights Commission: ‘Religious Freedom’ Is Code Word for Racism, Homophobia, and ‘Christian Supremacy’]. ''The Gospel Coalition''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref>
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In 2014, [[Houston]] mayor [[Annice Parker|Annise Parker]], a leftist and the first openly-homosexual mayor of the city, illegally issued subpoenas on pastors, ordering them to turn over sermons concerning homosexuality.<ref>Starnes, Todd (October 14, 2014). [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/10/14/city-houston-demands-pastors-turn-over-sermons.html City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Starnes, Todd (October 29, 2014). [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/10/29/houston-mayor-drops-bid-to-subpoena-pastors-sermons.html Houston mayor drops bid to subpoena pastors' sermons]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Hallowell, Billy (August 3, 2015). [https://www.theblaze.com/news/2015/08/03/houston-pastors-hit-back-against-mayor-with-lawsuit-alleging-their-religious-freedoms-were-trampled/ Houston Gov’t Subpoenaed Pastors’ Sermons. Now, They’re Fighting Back.] ''The Blaze''. Retrieved January 9, 2017.</ref>
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On October 1, 2017, a homosexual coffee shop owner kicked several Christians out of his shop because he claimed their very presence "offended" him.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Ernst, Douglas (October 6, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/6/christian-activists-booted-from-seattle-coffee-sho/ Christian activists booted from Seattle coffee shop: ‘I’m gay. You have to leave’]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
 +
*Taylor, Sarah (October 7, 2017). [https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/10/07/gay-coffee-shop-owner-kicks-christians-out-of-cafe-goes-on-vulgar-rant-it-was-all-caught-on-video/ Gay coffee shop owner kicks Christians out of cafe, goes on vulgar rant — it was all caught on video]. ''The Blaze''. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
 +
*Pandolfo, Chris (October 9, 2017). [https://www.conservativereview.com/articles/video-gay-coffee-shop-owner-kicks-christians-out-of-his-shop VIDEO: Gay coffee shop owner kicks Christians out of his shop]. ''Conservative Review''. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
 +
*Caralle, Katelyn (October 9, 2017). [https://freebeacon.com/politics/christian-pro-life-group-kicked-seattle-coffee-shop-gay-owner/ Christian Pro-Life Group Kicked Out of Seattle Coffee Shop by Gay Owner]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved October 23, 2017.</ref> Leftist organizations which regularly make demands for Christians to be forced to serve homosexuals with no exceptions, such as the ACLU, hypocritically remained silent on this incident.<ref>Randall, Amber (October 10, 2017). [https://dailycaller.com/2017/10/10/aclu-silent-on-gay-owner-who-kicked-out-christians-drinking-coffee-video/ ACLU Silent On Gay Coffee Shop Owner Who Kicked Out Christians [VIDEO]]. ''The Daily Caller''. Retrieved October 23, 2017.</ref> In one reported instance (out of many), the owners of a Pennsylvania bridal shop chose to close their business because of threats from homosexual activists.<ref>Tennant, Michael (March 12, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/28474-christian-owned-bridal-shop-closes-under-lgbt-threats Christian-owned Bridal Shop Closes Under LGBT Threats]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 12, 2018.</ref>
 +
 
 +
Christianity is increasingly coming under attack at public education institutions. For example, in October 2017, Wayne State University, a public institution, de-recognized InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as the student group required its members to be Christians.<ref>Parke, Caleb (March 7, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/07/michigan-university-boots-christian-group-off-campus-because-beliefs.html Christian group sues Michigan university after it is kicked off campus]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 7, 2018.<br>After a lawsuit threat, the university allowed back the Christian group:
 +
*Parke, Caleb (March 9, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/09/wayne-state-reverses-schools-decision-to-boot-christian-group-off-campus.html Wayne State reverses school's decision to boot Christian group off campus]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 9, 2018.</ref>
 +
 
 +
The owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, Jack Phillips, has come under repeated assault for his non-compliance with state-imposed liberal ideology.  After winning a Supreme Court case (on very narrow grounds) protecting his religious freedom with regards to being forced to violate his conscience by corrupt Colorado state officials, other left-wing groups, including satanists and transgender people, jokingly requested cakes expressing their anti-Christian points of view, and he even was sued for this with the willing assistance of the same state officials who have been illegally persecuting him in deliberate ignorance of the Supreme Court ruling.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Swoyer, Alex (August 15, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/15/christian-baker-vindicated-scotus-back-court-not-b/ Christian baker vindicated by SCOTUS back in court for not baking a gender transitioning cake]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
 +
*Kirkwood, R. Cort (August 16, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/29798-christian-baker-sued-again Christian Baker Sued Again]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
 +
*Freiburger, Calvin (August 15, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/jack-phillips-back-in-court-as-colorado-demands-he-bake-gender-transition-c Jack Phillips back in court as Colorado demands he bake ‘gender-transition’ cake]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved August 18, 2018.</ref>
 +
 
 +
In 2019, the State of [[California]] attempted to evict an elderly woman from a veterans' home because she led Bible studies.<ref>Tennant, Michael (March 11, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/31702-elderly-woman-threatened-with-eviction-from-veterans-home-for-leading-bible-studies Elderly Woman Threatened With Eviction From Veterans’ Home for Leading Bible Studies]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 11, 2019.</ref>
 +
 
 +
*In 2019, Virginia's government prosecuted a real estate agent for displaying "Jesus loves you" and John 3:16 in her email signature.<ref>Newman, Alex (September 15, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/33414-virginia-persecutes-christian-realtor-over-jesus-loves-you Virginia Persecutes Christian Realtor Over “Jesus Loves You”]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 15, 2019.</ref>
 +
 
 +
====Cuba====
 +
[[File:Young castro 2.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Fidel Castro]] ]]
 +
The communist [[Cuba]]n regime has regularly persecuted Christians.
 +
 
 +
In 2019, a Cuban pastor and his wife were sentenced to two years in prison for homeschooling their children.<ref>Martel, Frances (April 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2019/04/23/cuban-pastor-wife-sentenced-to-2-years-in-prison-for-homeschooling/ Cuban Pastor, Wife Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Homeschooling]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 27, 2019.<br>See also:
 +
*Martel, Frances (May 20, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/05/20/christian-father-imprisoned-homeschooling-cuba-went-war-us/# Christian Father Imprisoned for Homeschooling: Cuba Went to War with Us]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 21, 2019.</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Oceania===
 +
====Australia====
 +
In July 2017, the Queensland Department of Education and Training issued an unofficial policy banning Christmas cards, any reference to Jesus, or anything else that might be seen as Christian evangelizing by primary school students.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Urban, Rebecca (July 27, 2017). [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/junior-evangelists-targeted-in-schoolyard-crackdown/news-story/e719eabc9778e812fd390bd2736a6373 Jesus unwelcome in schoolyard crackdown]. ''The Australian''. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
 +
*Caldwell, Felicity (July 27, 2017). [http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/unholy-row-over-religious-instruction-in-queensland-schools-20170727-gxjt3w.html Unholy row over religious instruction in Queensland schools]. ''Brisbane Times''. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
 +
*Goins-Phillips, Tré (July 27, 2017). [https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/07/27/australian-state-faces-backlash-after-proposing-school-wide-jesus-ban-in-name-of-inclusivity/ Australian state faces backlash after proposing school-wide ‘Jesus ban’ in name of ‘inclusivity’]. ''The Blaze''. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
 +
*McPhee, Sam (July 26, 2017). [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4732610/Christmas-cards-Jesus-BANNED-schoolyards.html 'It's a massive assault on free speech': Christmas cards and the word 'Jesus' could be BANNED in schoolyards in a bid to increase religious inclusiveness]. ''Daily Mail''. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
 +
*Ham, Ken (August 19, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2017/08/19/jesus-not-welcome-australian-schools/ Is Jesus Not Welcome in Australian Schools?]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved August 20, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
Leading up to the 2017 [[same-sex "marriage"]] referendum, many Christians and "no" voters were afraid to speak out against legalizing homosexual "marriage" due to the fear of social persecution.<ref>Zaimov, Stoyan (September 29, 2017). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/no-voters-on-gay-marriage-in-australia-afraid-of-being-branded-bigots-mocked-if-they-speak-out-201033/ 'No' Voters on Gay Marriage in Australia Afraid of Being Branded 'Bigots,' Mocked If They Speak Out]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved October 19, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
====New Zealand====
 +
In 2017, Family First, a socially conservative organization that supports marriage being defined as between a man and a woman, had its status as a charitable organization wrongly taken away by the Charities Registration Board due to its stance on marriage.<ref>Ham, Ken (September 12, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2017/09/12/new-zealand-group-supporting-traditional-marriage-loses-charity-status/ New Zealand Group Supporting Traditional Marriage Loses Charity Status]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved September 12, 2017.</ref>
 +
 
 +
In 2019, professional rugby player Israel Folau was fired from Australia's rugby team simply because he spoke out against Australia's legalization of same-sex "marriage" by quoting Scripture when his team publicly supported the decision.<ref>Multiple references:
 +
*Barillas, Martin M. (April 15, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/christian-athlete-sacked-from-australia-rugby-team-for-quoting-bible-on-homosexuality Christian athlete sacked from Australia Rugby team for quoting Bible on homosexuality]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
 +
*Pye, John (May 17, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/17/rugby-australia-terminates-folaus-contract/ Rugby Australia fires star player Israel Folau over religious social-media posts]. ''The Washington Times'' (from the ''Associated Press''). May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
 +
See also:
 +
*Marillas, Martin M. (May 8, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/athlete-could-lose-4-million-contract-for-quoting-the-bible-on-sinfulness-of-homosexuality Athlete could lose $4 million contract for quoting the Bible on sinfulness of homosexuality]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved May 17, 2019.</ref>
 +
 
 +
== Voice of the Martyrs magazine ==
 +
 
 +
The Voice of the Martyrs is an American nondenominational ministry serving persecuted Christians in restricted and hostile countries around the world. The ministry offers a free subscription to their magazine.
 +
 
 +
The website of the Voice of the Martyrs is at: [https://www.persecution.com/ Voice of Martyrs website].
 +
 
 +
==See also==
 +
* [[Arab slave trade]]
 +
* [[Religious freedom]]
 +
* [[Liberal censorship]]
 +
 
 +
Essay:
 +
 
 +
*[[Essay: Why Russia's religious persecution of Russian Protestants is not good for Russia|Why Russia's religious persecution of Russian Protestants is not good for Russia]]
 +
 
 +
==Further reading==
 +
 
 +
*[https://www.opendoors.org Open Doors website], Tracks Christian persecution in the world
 +
*[https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/january/christian-persecution-2021-countries-open-doors-watch-list.html The 50 Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Follow Jesus in 2021], Christianity Today
 +
* [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/ U.S Department of State, "International Religious Freedom" annual reports], the most detailed guide to conditions in every country; annual 2001-2008
 +
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=fH5H492nmtMC&pg=PA239&lpg=PA239&dq=persecution+by+homosexuals+attach+church&source=bl&ots=x8qEuajjOn&sig=hzKSrRsHFZPwZvarr1opWitt3lo&hl=en&ei=1XsMSvr_BZio8gSh-LXQDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8#PPA240,M1 Persecution, By David Limbaugh]
 +
 
 +
== External links ==
 +
 
 +
*[https://www.christianpost.com/news/multiplied-doc-gives-intimate-look-at-christianitys-growth.html 'Multiplied' doc gives intimate look at Christianity's growth amid persecution: 'It's exploding'], ''Christian Post'', 2024
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
−
<references/>
+
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}
  
 
[[Category:Persecution of Christians]]
 
[[Category:Persecution of Christians]]
−
[[Category:Christianity]]
+
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]
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[[Category:Liberal Traits]]
 +
[[Category:Bigotry]]

Latest revision as of 09:32, February 17, 2025

Crucifixion of Saint Peter. Artist Caravaggio in 1601

Christian persecution has occurred from the very beginnings of Christianity and continues today. Currently, more than 200 million Christians around the globe suffer unjust and illegal imprisonment, abuse and sometimes death at the hands of corrupt officials and regimes because of their faith.[1]

Statistics

Violence against Christians is under-reported by the mainstream media,[2] and it doubled between 2017 and 2019.[3]

 
Flag of North Korea

In 2015 and 2016, the Center for Studies on New Religions was reported that Christians were the most persecuted of any type of group in the world, with almost 600 million Christians being affected by persecution and 90,000 killed in 2016 alone.[4][5] Between 2005 and 2015, over 900,000 Christians were martyred for their faith.[6] According to Open Doors USA in January 2018, at least 215 million Christians globally face severe persecution,[7][8] and according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), over 500 million Christians face persecution.[9] According to Pew Research Center, restrictions on religious liberty increased in 2016 for the second year in a row, with Christianity being the most affected.[10] According to a 2017 report by Open Doors USA, the persecution of Christians is growing and is being seen in an increasing number of countries,[11] and it reported that the number of Christians facing persecution rose 14% between 2015 and 2018.[12][13] A 2017 report by Pew Research, concerning 2014 and 2015, yielded similar findings.[14]

The countries with the most extreme persecution of Christians, as of 2017, tend to be Muslim nations, even though the most anti-Christian nation is North Korea.[15] As recorded between November 1, 2015, to October 31, 2016, Pakistan had the largest number of Christians killed and churches attacked.[15] The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom reported in May 2017 that religious freedom around the world was "worsening in both the depth and breadth of violations."[16] According to the organization Save the Persecuted Christians in December 2019, Christian persecution by Islamists in Africa was "gaining traction."[17]

According to a 2015–2017 ACN study, Christians comprised 75% of all the victims of religious persecution around the globe.[18] According to the news agency Fides, at least 447 Roman Catholic missionaries alone were killed from 2000 through 2017.[19]

Despite strong persecution in the Middle East, thousands of Muslims are turning to Christ.[20]

Even in Europe, Christians have suffered hate crimes and their religious freedom has declined.

According to a report by the NGO Observatory of Intolerance Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC), hate crimes against Christians in the old continent increased by 70% between 2019 and 2020. These crimes happen more frequently in Germany and France, but they are more serious in Spain and France.[21]

In Germany, hate crimes against Christians have increased by 150%. They are also censored for their beliefs about marriage, gender, bioethics and sexuality.[22]

Ancient Rome

 
Nero

Early Christian persecution was severe in the ancient period of the Roman Empire. Christians were most commonly executed by crucifixion and being put in arenas with lions. The emperor Nero was one of the most notorious persecutors, while the Great Persecution under Diocletian and Galerius was the last and worst persecution campaign against Christianity.

This persecution continued up through the fourth century, when Constantine's Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. promulgated a doctrine of religious tolerance. In 391 A.D., Christianity became the state religion of Rome, gaining strength after Constantine's conquest of Rome from his fellow caesars of the time.[23]

Persecution generally ended in the Roman Empire in 313 A.D., with the Edict of Milan.

Middle Ages

The Waldensians, who followed the Bible alone, rather than the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, were persecuted for their faith. Other Christians were persecuted during this time.

Reformation Europe

See also: Protestant Reformation

During the Protestant Reformation many martyrs to the faith on both sides were persecuted and killed, most notably Jan Hus, Thomas Cranmer, William Tyndale, John Fisher, and Thomas More.[24]

Modern world

In the contemporary period, Christians continue to be attacked by governments in communist countries like China and North Korea, and by hostile religious forces including Muslims in Africa, and by Hindus in India. Christians in the Middle East suffer from particularly strong persecution, and according to the Christian organization Open Doors in 2018, the number of professing Christians in the Middle East is declining and almost on the verge of disappearing.[25]

While very few Christians are killed for their faith in the West, persecution of Christians has grown in Europe and the Americas since the 20th Century, and it is seen in various ways, such as social, cultural, and legal persecution. In many Western countries, homeschooling, which is popular with many Christians, is illegal.

Africa

Large-scale rioting and violence between Muslim and Christian communities are common in parts of Africa, such as Nigeria and Sudan.

Algeria

Algeria is predominantly Muslim, like every other North African country. It is a crime in the country to "incite a Muslim to change his religion," and Christians have been persecuted for sharing the gospel with others.[26]

 
Libya was an ally of the US against the jihadis until Obama armed the jihadis to overthrew the government. One of their first acts was the mass beheading of Christians.

Egypt

The Coptic Orthodox church is the largest Christian group in Egypt.[27] Majority of the violence against Christians in the 1990s were from Islamic extremists.[27] However, there have been some incidents of violence against Christians due to communal tensions.[27] In 2007, Coptic Christians in Egypt were attacked by some Muslim rioters.[28]

Libya

On February 12, 2015 twenty-one Coptic Christians were mass beheaded in Libya after President Obama liberated the country for "humanitarian" purposes.

Nigeria

Northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim, and the northern Nigerian states officially ascribe to Sharia Law.

In addition to persecution from the local government and society, Islamic terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram, also persecute Christians. One notable incident of Christian persecution occurred in June 2018, when militant Muslim Fulani herdsmen murdered at least 200 Nigerian Christians in four days.[29] In 2019, Islamists killed over 1,000 Christians in Nigeria.[30]

Persecution and violence against Christians happen regularly in Nigeria.[31][32]

South Africa

In the early 21st century, the left-wing South African government became increasingly hostile toward theologically conservative Christianity.

In March 2019, a South African court forced the Dutch Reformed Church to recognize same-sex "marriage" and drop its former opposition to it.[33]

Sudan

Main article: Christians in Sudan

Asia

China

 
Xi Jinping is the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of China which requires that all their members be atheists.[34]

See: China and atheism and Atheism and communism

See also: Persecution of Christians in China

As with all forms of public assembly, the Chinese Communist Party keeps a tight rein on all religious activity,[35] including those of Christians.[36][37] While thousands of state-sanctioned churches exist in China, the process for obtaining a permit for a new church is cumbersome, and to be approved, clergy must also take exams over communist ideology.[38] There is a shortage of Chinese-born ministers who would pass state qualification, and Chinese citizens are forbidden by law to worship at churches with foreign-born pastors.[38] For all of the above reasons, the vast majority of Christians in China opt to worship at underground "home churches." Leaders and members of these churches face fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of church property.[39] In some extreme cases, an underground church is labeled a cult, which the CCP uses to justify some of the worst of its persecution, including torture and forced labor.[40]

The Chinese government forces all practicing religions in the country, including Christianity, to conform to the nation's communist ideology.[41] Kindergartners are forced to sign an atheist manifesto.[42] The Chinese government acted to crack down on Christians evangelizing their children.[43][44]

Chinese president Xi Jinping is very opposed to Christianity and began a renewed crackdown.[45] In 2017, after Islamic extremists killed two Chinese Christian missionaries, rather than protect Christians, the Chinese government enacted further persecutions against Christianity.[46] That same year, the Chinese government made it illegal for Christian parents to take their children to church.[47][48][49] Also in 2017, it was reported that in China's Jiangxi province, the government had a plan of denying important poverty relief packages to Christians unless they replaced images of Jesus they had with images of President Jinping.[50] In April 2018, the Chinese government banned online sales of Bibles, among other actions against Christians.[51] In 2019, the government required all religious texts to be rewritten to conform with communist ideology,[52] and it required all religious groups to promote Communist Party principles.[53]

In 2018, it was reported that the level of persecution against Christians in China was at its highest level since Mao Zedong,[54] and subsequent studies had similar findings.[55]

In December of 2023, Mission Network News reported:

“ Christian persecution in China is the worst it’s been in 40 years, according to Dr. Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid.

Dr. Fu spoke about this issue recently on The Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s podcast, Closer to the Fire.

“Without any exaggeration, the persecution against the Christians and other religious minorities has really reached the worst level we have not seen in 40 years since the Cultural Revolution…. For the first time, we have seen the Communist Party is cracking down on the Church across the board; literally declared a war against Christianity.”

He says Chinese censorship efforts especially target Christian youth.

“For the first time, millions of Chinese children were forced to sign a form – these are Christian children – to renounce their faith in public.”

Communist leaders also continue to remove crosses from church buildings. “Even the government-sanctioned churches have been targeted for persecution,” says Fu. “Those pastors who refuse to voluntarily destroy, remove, and demolish their crosses have been facing huge risks of persecution.”

Furthermore, Chinese Christians know their every move is increasingly watched as China embraces digitalized social monitoring.[56]

”

India

 
Hinduism
See also: Naxalites and Hindu fanatics

The Naxalites are Marxist-Leninist atheistic groups that have been designated as terrorists by the Government of India; because they seek to establish an atheist state, they have inflicted violence against Christians, including beheading clergy in front of their wives and children,[57] and shooting Christians.[58]

Hindus comprise the religious majority in India. Proponents of the Hindutva ideology, often called Hindu fascism and Hindu nationalism, want to convert India into a Hindu nation in which other religions must assimilate to the Hindu religion and culture in order to establish a cultural hegemony of Hinduism at the expense of other religions.[59] In India, Christians have faced repeated attacks from Hindus.[60] Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, aged 8 and 10, were burned to death in Orissa in 1999 by Hindus.[60] In 2007, Hindus attacked Christians in the state of Orissa.[60] Ninety-five churches were destroyed in the attack.[61]

Indonesia

Islam and Sharia Law have been reported to be gaining influence in Indonesia. He served as Deputy Governor of Jakarta prior to 2014, when Governor Joko Widodo was elected President of Indonesia. Although having an approval rating of 76%, many Indonesians voted against Jakartan Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama in the April 2017 gubernatorial election due to religious factors.[62][63] Purnama, a Christian, was found guilty of blaspheming Islam in May 2017 and was sentenced to two years in prison.[63]

Examples of Islamic intolerance in the country:

Iran

 
Flag of Iran
Main article: Christians in Iran

Iraq

For a more detailed treatment, see Genocide of Christians by ISIS.

Persecution of the country's Christian minority has increased dramatically since the 2003 American invasion of Iraq. Christian archbishops were abducted in January 2005 [64] and February 2008.[65] The Pope told President George Bush that "Particularly in Iraq, Christian families and communities are feeling increasing pressure from insecurity, aggression and a sense of abandonment."

Myanmar

Myanmar also known as Burma is ruled by a highly repressive, authoritarian military regime. The country was placed under concern by the International Religious Freedom Act in 1999 and a wide array of sanctions are in place for its violations of human rights. Population estimated 6 percent Christianity and rapidly growing. The junta has not allowed permanent foreign religious missions to operate and confiscated all remaining assets since the 1960s. Proselytizing is forbidden, and the printing of Bibles in the country is strictly prohibited. Disobeying the junta and Burmese Christians will be killed, imprisoned and other human rights violations.[66]

North Korea

 
Sketch of Kim Jong-un
Main article: Religion and Atheism in North Korea

There are approximately 12,000 practicing Christians in North Korea.[67] Christians often face torture, imprisonment, and are often murdered.[68] According to human rights organizations, outside the officially sanctioned churches, Christians in North Korea can face harsh penalties.[67]

Pakistan

See also: Persecution of Christians in Pakistan

Christians in Pakistan have come under increasing attack in recent years.[69] In 2004, three Christians were killed due to attacks by Islamists.[69] Several Christian leaders in Baluchestan received threats.[69] The Blasphemy Laws of Pakistan under Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code is used as a tool for Christian persecution.[69] Some of the madrassas in Pakistan promote Islamic terrorism.[69] President Pervez Musharraf recently in a speech called for scrutiny of the Blasphemy laws and to reform the madrassas.[69] In Pakistan, Christian mother Asia Bibi remains on death row for a sixth year on a charge of blasphemy, which she denies. Politicians who have tried to defend her or repeal the law have been assassinated. To date, the Supreme Court has seems unable to find judges willing to consider her appeal. A hearing in October was postponed after 150 Muslim clerics issued a fatwa against the court.[70]

In 2017, a Pakistani teenager from a Christian family was beaten to death by his schoolmates from allegedly drinking out of the same water cooler as them, while a nearby teacher did nothing.[71]

Russia

For a more detailed treatment, see Yarovaya law.

Any Christian can face persecution in Russia if they are not a member of the official Church of Russia, the Orthodox Church.

On February 6th, 2019, Dennis Christensen, a Danish adherent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, was sentenced to six years in prison for religious extremism.[72] More have been detained awaiting their prison sentences.

Syria

Main article: Christians in Syria

Turkey

In Turkey, there have been incidents of persecution of Christians. In 2006 and 2007, one Catholic Priest and three Protestant evangelists were killed; churches were also attacked.[73] In 2007, one German and two Turkish Christians were killed by Islamic extremists in Southeast Turkey.[74]

Vietnam

 
Officially, Vietnam is an atheist state.[75]
Main article: Religion and Atheism in Vietnam

Europe

According to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe, Christian persecution on the continent is increasing, in the form of government attacks as well as non-government vandalism and desecration of churches, cemeteries, and Christian symbols.[76]

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, there have been incidents of persecution of Christians. In 1998, local Church of God in the town of Vratza was attacked by skinheads.[77] On July 21, 2004, the Bulgarian police force invaded the Bulgarian Orthodox churches across the nation and forcibly dragged out over 160 priests.[78]

France

In 2016, the French Senate passed a bill making it illegal to post pro-life information on the internet.[79] In February 2017, both houses of the French parliament passed the bill, with the National Assembly's more severe and broad wording ultimately being adopted.[80] As of March 2017, the bill was being reviewed by France's Constitutional Council.[81] Regardless, this law would effectively criminalize the freedom of speech (at least on the internet) of those who support the true human right to life for unborn human beings,[79] and it illustrates the opposition to equal rights in the country.[82] France is already spiritually dead.

While this is a pro-life restriction, rather than an official restriction on Christianity, biblical Christians strongly hold pro-life views based on the Bible, and their freedom to advocate against legalized murder, including on biblical grounds, will be restricted. Also, the law could have a slippery slope and affect churches and Christian denominations.[79]

Germany

Germany's government – like the governments of numerous other European countries – strongly opposes homeschooling, and homeschooling has been illegal in the country since the Third Reich enacted a law on this matter in 1938.[83] The German government bans homeschooling because it argues it must "counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies," something which nullifies religious freedom and parental control.[84] In 2013, for example, German authorities confiscated four homeschooled children from a Christian family who homeschooled in order to give their children a Christian education – the German government did this simply because the parents were not sending their children to the government school.[85] In 2008, a German homeschooling family traveled to the U.S. and applied for asylum,[86] something which they were guaranteed in 2014.[87]

Sweden

In 2017, a Swedish local government unit forced a Christian preschool to ban prayer to God under the country's Education Act, but the preschoolers were subsequently instructed to thank the sun and the rain before meals.[88][89][90]

Sweden has also denied asylum for persecuted Christians despite accepting large numbers of Muslims not facing persecution.[91]

Finland

In 2019, a Finnish legislator and former minister can under criminal investigation for promoting her biblically-based view that marriage is between a man and a woman.[92]

United Kingdom

See also: Persecution of Christians by homosexuals in UK

In 2010, a Christian street preacher was arrested for causing "harassment, alarm or distress" by calling homosexuality a sinful practice according to biblical teachings.[93] In 2015, another street preacher was fined for calling homosexuality an abomination.[94]

A pastor in Northern Ireland was charged and tried for making comments (in 2014) in one of his sermons against Islam that were considered "grossly offensive." Although he was found not guilty (in 2016), he should have never been tried in the first place, as Christians should be able to freely express and advocate their biblically-based theological positions.[95]

In 2014, the UK government banned the teaching of creationism in every school that receives government funding.[96] In 2016, a teacher at an Anglican school in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire was harshly criticized for stating on Twitter (in response to another teacher) that "Evolution is not a fact. That’s why it’s called a theory! There’s more evidence that the Bible is true."[97] In 2018, the UK Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills gave a Christian school its lowest ranking possible for quality of learning because it taught creationism and integrated its biblical values into its curriculum (aka. giving its students a Christian education, as a Christian school).[98][99] These are only a few of many examples of social persecution in the West, regarding numerous subjects, including creation science, the pseudoscientific theory of evolution, and homosexuality.

In early 2017, two Christian street preachers in Bristol were convicted for quoting the King James Bible in public because they supposedly used "threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person . . . and the offence was religiously aggravated."[100][101][102]

In October 2017, Oxford University banned a Christian organization, the Christian Union of Oxford’s Balliol College, from appearing at a fair because it would "alienate" students because of Christianity being an "excuse for homophobia and neo-colonialism."[103]

In November 2017, Tim Farron, a Christian and the former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party who resigned due to the incompatibility of his faith and his position, admitted that social persecution of Christianity is a real thing and that the culture sees it as dangerous.[104]

In December 2017, the London Assembly called on its mayor "to clarify the powers available to [police] to arrest and prosecute" pro-life activists, claiming with no evidence that the "anti-choice campaigners" engage in “obstruction, intimidation and harassment."[105]

Despite admitting large numbers of migrants from Muslim countries,[106] the UK government refused to admit one Pakistani Christian woman for asylum in 2018[107][108] and an Iranian Christian woman in 2019.[109] The government made bigoted claims, such as that Christianity somehow not being a "peaceful religion" and because they requested asylum while also believing in Jesus as Savior.[110]

In public schools, students who are not homosexuals or transgender are increasingly harassed and viewed as "weird."[111]

Americas

Canada

Like the rest of the West, the Canadian government (currently, the Liberal Party of Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) has become more hostile towards Christianity. In 2017, a local school district, the Battle River School Division, ordered a Christian school to stop teaching "offensive" passages from the Bible, something that would alter the Christian message and omit key portions of the Bible from being taught.[112][113][114]

In 2017, the Canadian government chose to ban employers who oppose abortion or homosexual "marriage" from being able to receive summer job grants for students,[115][116][117] and in March 2018, the Canadian House of Commons voted 207–93 against reversing the requirement that employers sign an attestation affirming their support for such issues.[118] In January 2018, Prime Minister Trudeau indicated that pro-life speech is not protected speech. When asked on where the Canadian government limits free speech, Trudeau mentioned abortion, stating that "an organization that has the explicit purpose of restricting women’s rights by removing rights to abortion, the right for women to control their own bodies, is not in line with where we are as a government and quite frankly where we are as a society."[119][120]

In June 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against an explicitly Christian law school, saying that is was "proportionate and reasonable" for some Canadian law societies to deny accreditation to the school's graduates because the school opposed homosexuality due to its Christian values.[121]

In 2018, Canadian activist Bill Whatcott faced being unjustly sentenced to two years in prison for what his persecutors claimed was his committing "Wilful [sic] Promotion of Hatred against an identifiable group" – AKA passing out pamphlets at a 2016 "gay pride" parade that shared the Christian message that homosexuality is a sin and that repenting of all sin leads to "the free gift of eternal life."[122]

The New Democratic Party government of Alberta heavily promoted the homosexual agenda in the state's education system, such as forcing Christian schools to create Gay Straight Alliance Clubs even if only one student wanted one, and threatened to defund religious schools if they do not remove religious content from their curriculum.[123]

United States

Persecution mainly exists in ridicule, liberal bias, bigotry and/or religious discrimination of traditional Christian family values by Hollywood.[124][125][126] If this is further tolerated, there is a distinct possibility that violence against Christians could be next. Numerous Christians, whether business owners or other people, such as Kim Davis or Roy Moore, have been persecuted in various ways (lawsuits, loss of business, arrest, threats, etc.) for holding on to their sincerely-held beliefs and refusing to bow down to the homosexual agenda.

Don Feder, founder of a group called Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, used his condemnation of the 2005 film "V for Vendetta" to say, "It's very much in keeping with what has become Hollywood's standard anti-Christian message – that Christians are hypocritical hate-mongers, with tendencies toward violence, who are waiting to seize the reins of government and persecute unbelievers."[127] David Limbaugh says, "This anti-Christian bias manifests itself in unflattering portrayals of Christians in Hollywood films and entertainment television."[128]

In a government report released in 2016, Martin R. Castro, the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, claimed that "The phrases “religious liberty” and “religious freedom” will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance."[129][130][131][132]

In 2014, Houston mayor Annise Parker, a leftist and the first openly-homosexual mayor of the city, illegally issued subpoenas on pastors, ordering them to turn over sermons concerning homosexuality.[133][134][135]

On October 1, 2017, a homosexual coffee shop owner kicked several Christians out of his shop because he claimed their very presence "offended" him.[136] Leftist organizations which regularly make demands for Christians to be forced to serve homosexuals with no exceptions, such as the ACLU, hypocritically remained silent on this incident.[137] In one reported instance (out of many), the owners of a Pennsylvania bridal shop chose to close their business because of threats from homosexual activists.[138]

Christianity is increasingly coming under attack at public education institutions. For example, in October 2017, Wayne State University, a public institution, de-recognized InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as the student group required its members to be Christians.[139]

The owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, Jack Phillips, has come under repeated assault for his non-compliance with state-imposed liberal ideology. After winning a Supreme Court case (on very narrow grounds) protecting his religious freedom with regards to being forced to violate his conscience by corrupt Colorado state officials, other left-wing groups, including satanists and transgender people, jokingly requested cakes expressing their anti-Christian points of view, and he even was sued for this with the willing assistance of the same state officials who have been illegally persecuting him in deliberate ignorance of the Supreme Court ruling.[140]

In 2019, the State of California attempted to evict an elderly woman from a veterans' home because she led Bible studies.[141]

  • In 2019, Virginia's government prosecuted a real estate agent for displaying "Jesus loves you" and John 3:16 in her email signature.[142]

Cuba

 
Fidel Castro

The communist Cuban regime has regularly persecuted Christians.

In 2019, a Cuban pastor and his wife were sentenced to two years in prison for homeschooling their children.[143]

Oceania

Australia

In July 2017, the Queensland Department of Education and Training issued an unofficial policy banning Christmas cards, any reference to Jesus, or anything else that might be seen as Christian evangelizing by primary school students.[144]

Leading up to the 2017 same-sex "marriage" referendum, many Christians and "no" voters were afraid to speak out against legalizing homosexual "marriage" due to the fear of social persecution.[145]

New Zealand

In 2017, Family First, a socially conservative organization that supports marriage being defined as between a man and a woman, had its status as a charitable organization wrongly taken away by the Charities Registration Board due to its stance on marriage.[146]

In 2019, professional rugby player Israel Folau was fired from Australia's rugby team simply because he spoke out against Australia's legalization of same-sex "marriage" by quoting Scripture when his team publicly supported the decision.[147]

Voice of the Martyrs magazine

The Voice of the Martyrs is an American nondenominational ministry serving persecuted Christians in restricted and hostile countries around the world. The ministry offers a free subscription to their magazine.

The website of the Voice of the Martyrs is at: Voice of Martyrs website.

See also

Essay:

Further reading

External links

References

  1. ↑ International Persecution of Christians
  2. ↑ Byas, Steve (April 22, 2019). Violence Against Christians Under-reported. The New American. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
    See also:
  3. ↑ Vondracek, Christopher (April 22, 2019). Under siege: Violent attacks on Christians double since 2017. The Washington Times. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
    See also: See also:
  4. ↑ Chiaramonte, Perry (January 6, 2017). Christians the most persecuted group in world for second year: Study. Fox News. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  5. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (April 16, 2017). Easter 2017, Christians ‘Most Persecuted Group in the World’. Breitbart News. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  6. ↑ Nearly 1 million Christians reportedly martyred for their faith in last decade. Fox News (from The Christian Post). January 17, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  7. ↑ Mora, Edwin (January 11, 2018). Study: Over 200 Million Christians Worldwide Facing Severe Persecution. Breitbart News. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  8. ↑ Chiaramonte, Perry (January 11, 2017). Christian persecution continues to rise, more incidents against women in 2017, new report says. Fox News. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  9. ↑ Mora, Edwin (November 24, 2018). Report: Half a Billion Christians Facing Global Persecution. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  10. ↑ Multiple references:
  11. ↑ Chiaramonte, Perry (February 2, 2017). Christian persecution seen in more locations across the globe, new report shows. Fox News. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  12. ↑ Christian persecution continues to rise; women most exploited, group says. Fox News. January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  13. ↑ Murphy, James (January 17, 2019). Persecution of Christians Is On The Rise Worldwide, According to New Report. The New American. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  14. ↑ Hadro, Matt (April 17, 2017). Pew study: Religious persecution spread to more countries in 2015. The Washington Times. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Tanner, Georeen (April 14, 2017). Christian persecution: How many are being killed, where they are being killed. Fox News. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  16. ↑ Williams, Thomas D., PhD (May 16, 2017). Report: International Religious Freedom Worsening in both ‘Depth and Breadth’. Breitbart News. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  17. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (December 11, 2019). Report: Islamic Persecution of Christians ‘Gaining Traction’ in Africa. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  18. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (October 16, 2017). Report: 75% of Victims of Religious Persecution Are Christians. Breitbart News. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  19. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (October 6, 2018). Report: 447 Christian Missionaries Killed Since 2000. Breitbart News. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  20. ↑ Thousands of Muslims reportedly turning to Christ in Middle East. Fox News (from The Christian Post). January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  21. ↑ Kumar, Anigrah (December 11, 2021). Anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe rose 70% between 2019 and 2020, watchdog reports. "The Christian Post". Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  22. ↑ Newman, Jack (December 10, 2021). Anti-Christian hate crimes in Germany increased by nearly 150% in 2020. "The Daily Mail". Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  23. ↑ "... in 391 AD, Christianity became the official, and only, state religion of the empire." The Legacy of Rome
  24. ↑ See
    List of Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation (en.wikipedia.org) and
    List of Protestant martyrs of the English Reformation (en.wikipedia.org)
  25. ↑ Kent, Simon (January 16, 2018). Report: Middle East Christians on the Eve of Destruction. Breitbart News. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  26. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (October 15, 2018). Christians Charged with ‘Inciting a Muslim to Change Religion’ in Algeria. Breitbart News. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Egypt
  28. ↑ Egyptian Coptic Christians Attacked by Violent Mobs
  29. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (June 30, 2018). Christian Death Toll Rises to 200 in 4-Day Muslim ‘Killing Spree’ in Nigeria. Breitbart News. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
    See also:
  30. ↑ Bohon, Dave (December 31, 2019). Over 1,000 Nigerian Christians Slaughtered by Islamists in 2019. The New American. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  31. ↑ Murphy, James (March 24, 2019). Silent Slaughter: Media Quiet as Muslims Kill Hundreds of Christians in Nigeria. The New American. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  32. ↑ Kraychik, Robert (March 24, 2019). Human Rights Activist: Islamists Murdered 70,000 Christians in Nigeria over Last 20 Years. Breitbart News. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  33. ↑ Multiple references:
  34. ↑ China’s Communist Party Reaffirms Marxism, Maoism, Atheism, New American, 2014
  35. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  36. ↑ Bohon, Steve (December 15, 2018). Church in China Under Intense Attack by Communist Government. The New American. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  37. ↑ Kuo, Lily (January 13, 2019). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/13/china-christians-religious-persecution-translation-bible. The Guardian. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 [1]
  39. ↑ Persecution Of Christians Around The World
  40. ↑ Torture testimony of Liu Xianzhi
  41. ↑ Martel, Frances (September 7, 2017). Government Christian Leader: ‘Theology Shall Reflect Chinese Culture’. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  42. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (February 22, 2019). Chinese Kindergartners Forced to Sign Atheist Manifesto. Breitbart News. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  43. ↑ Cimmino, Jeffrey (September 3, 2019). China cracking down on teaching religion to children. Washington Examiner. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  44. ↑ Bohon, Dave (September 5, 2019). Communist China Prohibiting Children From Converting to Christian Faith. The New American. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  45. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  46. ↑ China Ramps Up Christian Persecution After Two Missionaries Are Murdered. CBN News. September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  47. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (September 12, 2017). Chinese Gov’t Bans Christian Children from Attending Church, Vows Punishment to Offenders. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  48. ↑ Hodges, Mark (September 11, 2017). Chinese gov’t bans kids from attending church services. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  49. ↑ Haverluck, Michael F. (September 11, 2017). China: Children not allowed at church. OneNewsNow. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  50. ↑ Martel, Frances (November 14, 2017). China Urges Rural Christians to Replace Jesus Images with Xi Jinping. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  51. ↑ Multiple references:
  52. ↑ Mass, Warren (December 24, 2019). China Orders People of Faith to Rewrite Religious Texts to Conform to Party Line. The New American. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  53. ↑ Barillas, Martin M. (January 6, 2020). Chinese govt demands Christians use religion to ‘spread Communist Party principles’. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  54. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
  55. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (August 8, 2019). Report: Religious Freedom in China at 40-Year Low. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  56. ↑ Chinese Christian persecution worst in 40 years, Mission Network News, December 2023
  57. ↑ Pastor Beheaded by Radical Communists. iCommitToPray.com (17 October 2019).
  58. ↑ INDIA: Naxalites shoot Christian dead in Chhattisgarh. Barnabas Fund (28 February 2019).
  59. ↑ A submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review: India
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 Hindu Extremists Attack Indian Churches, Torch Home of Prominent Christian
  61. ↑ Communal violence in Kandhamal District, Orissa: India
  62. ↑ Cochrane, Joe (April 19, 2017). Jakarta Governor Concedes Defeat in Religiously Tinged Election. The News York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 Hayward, John (May 9, 2017). Jakarta Governor Found Guilty of Blasphemy Against Islam, Jailed for Two Years. Breitbart News. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  64. ↑ Archbishop abducted in Iraq
  65. ↑ Iraqi Chaldean archbishop seized
  66. ↑ The Demand for Bibles in Burma is Growing Despite Enormous Persecution of Christians Christian Freedom International
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 Eyewitness: Christianity in North Korea
  68. ↑ North Korea
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 69.4 69.5 Religious freedom update - Pakistan
  70. ↑ Violent persecution set to rise in 2017
  71. ↑ Montgomery, Jack (September 12, 2017). Pakistani Christian Beaten to Death by Muslim Classmates ‘Whilst Teacher Read Newspaper’. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  72. ↑ Russia jails Dane for six years in Jehovah's Witnesses purge
  73. ↑ Turkey
  74. ↑ One German and two Turkish Christians killed in Southeast Turkey
  75. ↑ Jan Dodd, Mark Lewis, Ron Emmons. The Rough Guide to Vietnam, Vol. 4, 2003. p. 509: "After 1975, the Marxist-Leninist government of reunified Vietnam declared the state atheist while theoretically allowing people the right to practice their religion under the constitution."
  76. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (November 19, 2019). Observatory Releases Report on Christian Persecution in Europe. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
    See also:
  77. ↑ Bulgarian Christians under attack from skinheads and ultra-nationalists
  78. ↑ Bulgaria
  79. ↑ 79.0 79.1 79.2 McMorris, Bill (December 7, 2016). French Senate Passes Pro-Life Website Ban. The Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  80. ↑ Multiple references:
  81. ↑ Hurd, Dale (March 11, 2017). Strangling the Pro-Life Movement: What in the World Is Going on in France?. CBN News. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  82. ↑ Morrison, Robert (April 4, 2017). France Reneges On Equal Rights For All By Banning Pro-Life Websites. The Federalist. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  83. ↑ International Homeschooling on Shaky Ground. Answers in Genesis. October 1, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  84. ↑ Looy, Mark (April 29, 2013). Homeschooled and Now Without a Home to School In? Answers in Genesis. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  85. ↑ Multiple references:
  86. ↑ Huston, Warner Todd (February 1, 2010). Homeschooling German Family Awarded Political Asylum in U.S., Where is U.S. Media? Breitbart News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  87. ↑ Berry, Susan (March 4, 2014). Homeland Security Will Not Deport German Christian Homeschoolers the Romeikes. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  88. ↑ Chretien, Claire (June 28, 2017). Gov’t bans prayer to God; Christian preschool forced to thank ‘sun and rain’ for meals instead. LifeSite News. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  89. ↑ Hale, Virginia (June 26, 2017). Christian Preschoolers Banned from Saying ‘Amen’, Talking About the Bible. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  90. ↑ Preschoolers in Sweden Banned from Saying 'Amen,' Mentioning the Bible. CBN News. June 29, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  91. ↑ Freiburger, Calvin (May 31, 2019). Sweden joins United Kingdom in denying refuge to persecuted Christians. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  92. ↑ Kirkwood, R. Cort (September 5, 2019). Top Finnish Pol in Trouble for Posting “Homophobic” Bible Quote and Comment on Facebook. The New American. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  93. ↑ Blake, Heidi (May 2, 2010). Christian preacher arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin. The Telegraph. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  94. ↑ Tufft, Ben (March 29, 2015). Street preacher quoting from the Bible fined for calling homosexuality an 'abomination'. The Independent. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  95. ↑ Turpin, Simon (January 8, 2016). Northern Ireland Pastor Not Guilty of Criticising Islam. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  96. ↑ Sevcik, JC (June 18, 2014). Teaching creationism as scientifically valid now banned in all UK public schools. UPI. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  97. ↑ Turpin, Simon (February 4, 2016). Teacher Ridiculed for Saying Evolution Is Not a Fact. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  98. ↑ Burgess, Kaya (February 16, 2018). Primary pupils taught creationism in science lessons at Kings Kids Christian School. The Times. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  99. ↑ Kumar, Anugrah (February 18, 2018). UK School Punished for Teaching Creation, Bible; Kids Saying Other Faiths Follow 'False Gods'. The Christian Post. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  100. ↑ Turpin, Simon (March 6, 2017). The Loss of Free Speech in the UK and How We Should React as Christians. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  101. ↑ Weatherbe, Steve (March 2, 2017). Christian street preachers arrested, fined for ‘challenging Muslims,’ ‘homophobia’. LifeSite News. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  102. ↑ Berrien, Hank (August 3, 2017). These British Pastors Were Just Arrested For ‘Challenging Muslims’. The Daily Wire. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  103. ↑ Christian group at Oxford University banned from fair out of fear it would 'alienate' students. Fox News. October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  104. ↑ Williams, Thomas D. (November 29, 2017). Liberal Democrat Tim Farron Warns That Christians Now Deemed as ‘Dangerous’ and Unsuitable for Politics. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  105. ↑ Deacon, Liam (December 23, 2017). ‘Orwellian’: London Assembly Votes to ‘Arrest and Prosecute’ Pro-Life Christians. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  106. ↑ Duke, Selwyn (March 26, 2019). U.K. Politician on Migration: No One Asked Us if We Wanted Our Culture Destroyed. The New American. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  107. ↑ McKay, Hollie (November 18, 2018). UK slammed for not granting asylum to Pakistani Christian Aasia Bibi over security fears. Fox News. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  108. ↑ Montgomery, Jack (November 25, 2019). Theresa May Refuses Asylum for Pakistani Christian Hunted by Lynch Mobs to Appease British Muslims. Breitbart News. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  109. ↑ Duke, Selwyn (March 23, 2019). UK Official Mocks Man’s Christianity; Says it’s NOT a Religion of Peace. The New American. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  110. ↑ Llorente, Elizabeth (March 21, 2019). UK denies asylum to Iranian convert to Christianity, saying the religion is not 'peaceful'. Fox News. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  111. ↑ Glover, Suzanne (April 23, 2019). 'Why is my teenage girl picked on for NOT being gay or trans?' A disturbing look at how teachers and pupils have turned tolerance on its head. Daily Mail. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  112. ↑ Canadian District Bans Christian School from Teaching 'Offensive' Parts of Bible. CBN News. June 22, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  113. ↑ Haskins, Justin (June 24, 2017). Canadian Christian school under attack for teaching ‘offensive’ Bible verses. The Blaze. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  114. ↑ Foley, Avery (August 6, 2017). Canada Forces Government Speech and Bans Bible Verses. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  115. ↑ Laurence, Lianne (December 14, 2017). BREAKING: Canada won’t fund student summer jobs unless employers support abortion. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  116. ↑ Cannolly, Amanda (December 15, 2017). Canada Summer Jobs program will no longer fund anti-abortion, anti-gay groups. Global News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  117. ↑ Duke, Selwyn (January 23, 2018). Canadian Government: Christian Students Need Not Apply. The New American. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  118. ↑ Mainwaring, Doug (March 19, 2018). Canadian Parliament votes down motion against pro-abortion oath for gov’t funding. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  119. ↑ Richardson, Bradford (January 13, 2018). Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau scolds pro-lifers as ‘not in line’ with society. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  120. ↑ Laurence, Lianne (January 13, 2018). Trudeau: Believe what you want, but ‘we draw the line’ if you try to restrict abortion. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  121. ↑ Multiple references: Laurence, Lianne (June 15, 2018). Canada’s top court rules against Christian law school: LGBT ‘rights’ trump religious freedom. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved June 17, 2018. See also:
  122. ↑ Multiple references:
  123. ↑ Multiple references:
  124. ↑ Survey: Americans Believe Religious Values Are 'Under Attack' Anti-Defamation League, November 14, 2008
  125. ↑ [Brad Pitt proclaims he is for gay marriage and against traditional American Christians, August 2009]
  126. ↑ Anderson, Troy (June 4, 2019). The War to Destroy Christianity in America. The New American. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  127. ↑ see David Hinckley, "Is Hollywood anti-Christian?" New York Daily News May 15th 2009
  128. ↑ The Media and Hollywood War Against Christianity NewsMax, October 2, 2003
  129. ↑ Showalter, Brandon (September 9, 2016). Religious Freedom Is 'Code Word' for Bigotry, Christian Supremacy, US Civil Rights Commissioner Says. The Christian Post. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  130. ↑ Kellner, Mark A. (September 8, 2016). ‘Religious freedom,’ ‘liberty’ just ‘code words’ for intolerance, U.S. Civil Rights chairman says. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  131. ↑ Chairman of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights calls the phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and Christian supremacy. Religion News Service. September 8, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  132. ↑ Carter, Joe (September 13, 2016). U.S. Civil Rights Commission: ‘Religious Freedom’ Is Code Word for Racism, Homophobia, and ‘Christian Supremacy’. The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  133. ↑ Starnes, Todd (October 14, 2014). City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons. Fox News. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  134. ↑ Starnes, Todd (October 29, 2014). Houston mayor drops bid to subpoena pastors' sermons. Fox News. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  135. ↑ Hallowell, Billy (August 3, 2015). Houston Gov’t Subpoenaed Pastors’ Sermons. Now, They’re Fighting Back. The Blaze. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  136. ↑ Multiple references:
  137. ↑ Randall, Amber (October 10, 2017). ACLU Silent On Gay Coffee Shop Owner Who Kicked Out Christians [VIDEO]. The Daily Caller. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  138. ↑ Tennant, Michael (March 12, 2018). Christian-owned Bridal Shop Closes Under LGBT Threats. The New American. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  139. ↑ Parke, Caleb (March 7, 2018). Christian group sues Michigan university after it is kicked off campus. Fox News. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
    After a lawsuit threat, the university allowed back the Christian group:
  140. ↑ Multiple references:
  141. ↑ Tennant, Michael (March 11, 2019). Elderly Woman Threatened With Eviction From Veterans’ Home for Leading Bible Studies. The New American. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  142. ↑ Newman, Alex (September 15, 2019). Virginia Persecutes Christian Realtor Over “Jesus Loves You”. The New American. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  143. ↑ Martel, Frances (April 23, 2019). Cuban Pastor, Wife Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Homeschooling. Breitbart News. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
    See also:
  144. ↑ Multiple references:
  145. ↑ Zaimov, Stoyan (September 29, 2017). 'No' Voters on Gay Marriage in Australia Afraid of Being Branded 'Bigots,' Mocked If They Speak Out. The Christian Post. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  146. ↑ Ham, Ken (September 12, 2017). New Zealand Group Supporting Traditional Marriage Loses Charity Status. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  147. ↑ Multiple references: See also:
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