Attacks on churches in India

The condition of Christians in India is critical.

According to the non-profit Catholic news agency UCA, villagers armed with sticks and iron rods attacked the Sacred Heart Church in Edka village in the southern region of Narayanpur on January 2.

The attackers broke the windows of the church and damaged the altar, cross, furniture, and statues inside the church.

The church association has announced that this attack occurred in the midst of a long-term conflict between non-Christian indigenous people who have long been trying to scare Christians away from their beliefs towards traditional animistic rituals and practices.

The pastor of the church said that the church, which is more than five decades old, was renovated five years ago and now everything inside is destroyed again.

According to UCA News, the church association said that in the past few months, more than 1,000 native Christians in villages near Narayanpur were forced to leave their homes and non-Christian villagers seized their homes and property.

It is indeed a perfect storm of Christian suffering. State anti-conversion laws, blasphemy charges and, on the other hand, attacks by radical Hindu nationalist groups have made life impossible for Christians in India.

India's caste system also exacerbates the situation and puts Christians, who are considered second-class citizens, at a disadvantage. If they profess Christ, they often receive less government aid.

According to the United Christian Fellowship (UCF), attacks against Christians have increased by 300 percent since 2014.

Source: UCA, CP