WATCH: Hindu Radicals Burn a Thousand Bibles as Historic Indian Election Gets Underway
As India plays host to the biggest democratic election in history, the country’s rampant anti-Christian sentiment has been coming to the fore. About 900 million people are eligible to vote in the election, which has been dubbed as something of a referendum on current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Burning a Thousand Bibles
According to Open Doors USA, India is the tenth most-persecuted nation on Earth in which to live as a Christian. The predominant religion, Hinduism, has within it a radical sect that is fiercely anti-Christian. Many instances of beatings, public humiliation and even murder have been reported over the last few years.
“Driven by a desire to cleanse their country from Islam and Christianity, nationalists do not shy away from using extensive violence to achieve their goals,” Open Doors USA noted in its factsheet.
More recently, however, an incident of desecration was caught on camera — the public burning of a thousand Bibles.
“Radical Hindus seized and burned these Bibles and threatened the Christians who were legally distributing them,” International Christian Concern wrote in its report of the incident. “Satan is committed to silencing God’s Word, and he will use people to fit his agenda. Please join with us in praying for those who destroy Bibles even as we replace Scripture!”
You can help replace the Bibles that were lost by clicking here.
1000 BIBLES BURNED: In India, 'nearly 1,000 Bibles were burned in a single incident' says @persecutionnews. Yet, Christians endure: “Persecution is like a blessing for me. Everybody does not get this privilege, to suffer for His name sake."- Indian pastor. #IndiaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/xRwQzY10Ap
— George Thomas (@GTReporting) April 11, 2019
Despite this blatant show of intolerance and anti-Christian bias, the faithful community of Jesus-followers in this region continues to stay strong.
“Persecution is like a blessing for me,” said one pastor close to the Bible burning incident. “Everybody does not get this privilege, to suffer for His name's sake.”
Despite the archaic “caste system” and systemic religious persecution, India actually has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Since Prime Minister Modi was last elected in 2014, almost $200 billion has been invested by foreign companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Walmart.
Do continue to pray for all those around the world who suffer for their faith in Jesus.
