We Persevere Roundup 12, Week of 8/27/16

We Persevere is a roundup of news regarding religious freedom and the persevering church at home and abroad. It is curated for RAANetwork by K.A. Ellis, Ambassador for International Christian Response.

INDIA: Hindu radicals are intensifying their persecution of Christians across India with no end in sight. The violence has ranged from random mob attacks, to well–planned, elaborate set-ups. The frequent crimes committed against Christians by Hindu fanatics include physical violence, arrests on false allegations, raiding church services, attacks on churches, vandalism, and threats on churches and pastors. Read more…

IRAN: Iranian authorities have arrested 11 Christians during a raid as they were caught attending service at a house church in the city of Isfahan. Armed plainclothes intelligence agents arrested 11 Christians during a raid on their house church on Aug. 12. The Iranian officers took the believers away in vans and seized Christian books from the house of worship, the National Council of Resistance Iran reports. Read more.

SUDAN: Two pastors faced the death penalty as prosecutors charged them with seven alleged crimes, including “lying about Christian persecution.” Rev. Tut Kony of the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church said even the arrest of two of their Presbyterian pastors in December 2014 and January 2015, respectively “is not something new for our church. Almost all pastors have gone to jail under the government of Sudan.” Read more…

VIETNAM: 4000 Catholics were beaten by police for publicly protesting against an environmental disaster that has left hundreds of fishing families starving. The protesters were calling for justice after Formosa Plastic Group pollution ruined the waters that supply their livelihood. The protest was headed for municipal offices, but was blocked by police barricades. Several people were injured by truncheon blows. Read more…

PAKISTAN: The Supreme Court has finally set a court date for the final appeal hearing for Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five who was sentenced to death in 2010 on accusations of “blasphemy.” She has been on death row for the last six years. Read more…

WORLD: “The international community selectively applies the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and too often turns a blind eye to mass atrocities, including genocide. Yet there have been instances when the world has done the right thing, intervening to prevent the mass slaughter of innocent civilians, thereby vindicating R2P.” Geoffrey Johnston consults the experts to explore “How to Make R2P Work”…

AT HOME: Here’s how you can help others persevere. Just $20 can train a house church leader, provide humanitarian or legal aid for a family, or deliver bibles to a restricted area. To make your gift to International Christian Response, click here and be sure to mention “RAANetwork” in the Comment Box.