Tags

2024-08-22

• Church Building Burned Down

  

  During the early morning hours of August 10th, the building of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Kontagora was burned to the ground. Residents in the area reported that they witnessed a group of men loot the church building before setting it on fire. This is the second time that the church facility has been destroyed and, on both occasions, militant Muslim activists are believed to have been responsible.

• Christians Forced to "Reconvert" to Hinduism

  

  Around 120 tribal Christians from two villages in Odisha State were forcibly "reconverted" to Hinduism on August 4th during a ceremony known as "ghar wapsi" (meaning "homecoming"). The ceremony involved Hindu and tribal rituals which are believed to "cleanse" those who had previously accepted Christ and wash away any remnants of Christianity.

• Increasing Arrests and Forcible Closures

  

  Opposition to Christians from the dictatorial government of Nicaragua continues to intensify, resulting in many religious leaders being arrested/deported and more faith-based organizations forcibly shut down. In April, a report was released outlining some of the harassment being perpetrated by government forces against churches and NGOs (see this page).