“Merry Christmas” and the Persecuted Church
Thursday, December 28th, 2006 : By Dan Miller
NEW DELHI – Hindu extremists burned down a church in India on Saturday (December 23), arrested carol-singers on Christmas Eve and disrupted yuletide services in several states. One Christian suffered a fractured hand, and another lost his hearing.
Extremists burned down a thatched church in Boriguma area, Koraput district of Orissa state on Saturday night (December 23), preventing church members from celebrating Christmas there. The congregation had already decorated the building for Christmas festivities, but everything was destroyed in the fire.
Did you have a church to meet in on Christmas Eve?
On Christmas Eve, about 45 jeeps full ofDharma Sena members circled through the streets of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh state, announcing that they would close down all church services held on Christmas Day.
Did your Church have a Christmas service?
“Dharma Sena is a Hindu fundamentalist group supported by the VHP and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party state government,” Arun Pannalal, general secretary of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, told Compass.
“They had already carried out several attacks in the week before Christmas,” he added. “These public threats are just another step in their campaign to rid the state of Christians.”
Later on Christmas Eve, Pastor James Ram and 10 other Christian missionaries were beaten and arrested after singing carols in Jalampur, a remote shanty town in Dhamtari, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
Members of the Hindu extremist – Bajrang Dal, attacked about 20 Christians who had gathered in a church in Jalampur; they stormed into the church, beat some of the Christians and destroyed hymnbooks and Bibles.
Ram was released by about 10:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and the other believers were released by 6:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.
What did you do on Christmas Eve and Day?
Please remember to pray our brothers and sisters living in areas that are hostile to the faith.
Blog based on the reporting of Vishal Arora & Nirmala Carvalho for Compass Direct News.
About The Author
I have been married to Vicki since 1992 and together we enjoy pouring into our seven kids the greatness and goodness of our God. My favorite food is Italian. I enjoy playing 80’s metal riffs on my guitar. I love to camp, fish, and play all types of sports from football to basketball to softball, etc.
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