8/28/2023 0 Comments One god, many wars: religious dimensions of armed conflict in the middle east and north africa![]() Also by being “courageous,” as the persecuted church is most often “active in spreading the gospel” and “vital and growing against the odds.” “So the biggest threat to the church in countries with persecution is decrease of resilience caused by incessant persecution and the feeling of being forsaken by the rest of the body of Christ.”Īfter three decades of research, Open Doors has learned that such needed resilience is found by being “anchored in the Word of God and in prayer,” said Veerman. “This shows that the level of resilience of the church is as defining for the future of the church in a country as is the level of persecution,” he said. While violence and pressure lead to significant trauma and loss, Veerman noted how “remarkably many respondents to our questionnaires keep on saying that the biggest threat does not come from the outside but from within the church: ‘Will the next generation be prepared for the kind of persecution we are witnessing? Are they strong in their faith and in knowing Christ and the gospel?’” The 2023 version tracks the time period from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022, and is compiled from grassroots reports by more than 4,000 Open Doors workers across more than 60 countries. The purpose of the annual WWL rankings-which have chronicled how North Korea has competition as persecution gets worse and worse-is to guide prayers and to aim for more effective anger while showing persecuted believers that they are not forgotten. Researchers also noted how China has increased digital restrictions and surveillance and is “forging a network of nations seeking to redefine human rights-away from universal standards and religious freedoms.” And a fourth Latin American country, Nicaragua, entered the list as authoritarian governments increasingly view Christians as voices of opposition. Islamic extremism continues to cause the most persecution (31 nations), especially in sub-Saharan Africa where Open Doors fears Nigeria will soon trigger “a vast humanitarian catastrophe” across the continent. ![]() So did 5 more nations that fell just outside the cutoff. That’s 1 in 7 Christians worldwide, including 1 in 5 believers in Africa, 2 in 5 in Asia, and 1 in 15 in Latin America.Īnd for only the third time in three decades of tracking, all 50 nations scored high enough to register “very high” persecution levels on Open Doors’ matrix of more than 80 questions. Overall, and same as last year, 360 million Christians live in nations with high levels of persecution or discrimination. 9 this year “offers little cheer” because it’s driven by how most Afghan Christians “went deep into hiding or fled overseas” after the Taliban’s takeover. But Open Doors emphasizes they are “an absolute minimum figure,” and is quick to note the data decline does not suggest real improvements in religious freedom.įor example, the reduction in church closures was “due in large part” to Chinese officials having closed almost 7,000 churches over the prior two years. The concerning tallies of martyrdoms and church attacks are actually lower than in last year’s report. 1, according to the 2023 World Watch List (WWL), the latest annual accounting from Open Doors of the top 50 countries where it is most dangerous and difficult to be a Christian. Sub-Saharan Africa-the epicenter of global Christianity-is now also the epicenter of violence against Christians, as Islamist extremism has spread well beyond Nigeria.Īnd North Korea is back at No. More than 124,000 Christians were forcibly displaced from their homes because of their faith, and almost 15,000 became refugees. More than 2,100 churches were attacked or closed. More than 5,600 Christians were killed for their faith last year.
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