India deals another blow to religious freedom – Mission Network News
Posted: January 5, 2021 at 3:52 am
India (MNN) India deals another blow to religious freedom as four states consider anti-conversion laws. More about that here. Police often use anti-conversion rules to persecute Christians and other religious minorities, putting these groups at risk.
[Another] state that has one in process is Maharashtra a well-known state because of Mumbai, the economic and financial capital of India, John Pudaite of Bibles For The World says.
The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. (Photo credit: Dennis Jarvis/Flickr)
If state authorities pass the new legislation into law, close to two-thirds of Indias 1.3 billion people would now be under some anti-conversion law, Pudaite adds.
More India headlines here.
India is one of the worlds most challenging places to follow Christ, according to persecution watchdog groups like Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors.
Hindu radicals regularly persecute religious minorities. Plus, Indias constitution allows for religious freedom, but authorities target Christian outreach using anti-conversion laws as a pretense.
It puts Bibles For The World partners in a precarious situation. Were in touch with [our partners], urging them to continue their outreach but be careful, be cautious, Pudaite says.
When we reach out in love and provide blankets, or clothing or food or things like that, [it] can easily be misconstrued by anti-Christians as Oh, theyre enticing [people] with these material goods, he explains. More about Bibles For The Worlds ministry here.
Its unfortunate because they dont understand what our partners are offering is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
(Graphic courtesy VOM USA)
Now that you know, ask the Lord how He wants you to respond. Prayer is the easiest place to start. For believers in states with current or potential anti-conversion laws, pray for wisdom and discernment. Ask the Lord to protect believers in Uttar Pradesh, where police use a new anti-conversion law to arrest religious minorities.
It was pushed through and signed by the governor of the state [even though] the legislature is not sitting right now; theyre on vacation, Pudaite says.
He is allowed to do that for a period of up to six months until the actual state legislature ratifies it.
Enacting the controversial love jihad law was very significant because [Uttar Pradesh] is the largest state in India. If it were an independent country, this state would be number six or seven in terms of population in the entire world, Pudaite continues.
It has the strongest pro-Hindu population, so it is a very significant battleground for religious freedoms.
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Abhishek K. Singh on Unsplash.
Continued here:
India deals another blow to religious freedom - Mission Network News
- 5 booked for torching house of family that converted to Hinduism in UPs Raebareli - Hindustan Times - January 5th, 2021
- Warping a great faith: Both hard and soft Hindutva are expedient uses of religion for political ga - The Times of India Blog - January 5th, 2021
- Reflecting on Hinduism as a Religion and a Way of Life ! - Star of Mysore - January 5th, 2021
- Reflecting on Hinduism as a Religion: A good read - Star of Mysore - January 5th, 2021
- Uttar Pradesh: Muslim mans family reverts to Hinduism in Rae Bareli, members of madarsa, village head try to burn them alive - OpIndia - January 5th, 2021
- Al-Biruni and Hindu-Muslim Relations: Lessons from Malaysia - The Wire - January 5th, 2021
- Lincoln County Commission to open with Hindu prayers at upcoming meeting - Lincoln County Record - January 5th, 2021
- The Hindu gods of Buddhist Thailand - Nepali times - January 5th, 2021
- Govt's Agri-Export Promotion Body Drops 'Halal' From Its Red Meat Manual After Outrage By Hindus, Sikhs - Swarajya - January 5th, 2021
- Redefining Aurangzeb...more sinned against than sinning - Free Press Journal - January 5th, 2021
- From the Dara Hua Hindus of Maujpur to Manavs tragic death and Shaheen Bagh ground report: Top 10 exclusive OpIndia news breaks of 2020 - OpIndia - January 5th, 2021
- UN urged to probe killing of Pakistani Hindus in India - The News International - January 5th, 2021
- Govt of India removes the word Halal from its Red Meat Manual: Here is what it means - OpIndia - January 5th, 2021
- The religious composition of the 117th Congress | Pew Research Center - Pew Research Center's Religion and Public Life Project - January 5th, 2021
- Hinduism - Wikipedia - December 17th, 2020
- Hinduism | Origin, History, Beliefs, Gods, & Facts ... - December 17th, 2020
- Persecution of religious minorities continue in Pakistan as Islamists attack homes of Hindus in Sindh, forcing them to leave - OpIndia - December 17th, 2020
- Hindu religion was never so narrow: Karnataka HC dismisses pleas seeking strict implementation of section of Act that requires Temple officials to be... - December 17th, 2020
- Faith: What if Jesus had not incarnated? - Kamloops This Week - December 17th, 2020
- Hindus beat pastor in India, threaten to sacrifice him to false god over Bible tracts - The Christian Post - December 17th, 2020
- Letters to the Editor - Sentinelassam - The Sentinel Assam - December 17th, 2020
- It is 2020 and Mullah Mulayams son Akhilesh has turned Ram Bhakt: Read Samajwadi Partys history of insulting Hindu sentiments - OpIndia - December 17th, 2020
- Punjab Of The 1980s: Nehruvian Laboratory Versus Healing Hindutva - Swarajya - December 17th, 2020
- BJP repeating Congress blunders of dividing Sikhs and Hindus in Punjab: Akali Dal - Sikh24 News & Updates - December 17th, 2020
- A New Central Vista, and the Political Conceit of the Ruling Classes - The Wire - December 17th, 2020
- If Modi really sees India as a democracy, then he must stop the labelling exercise - ThePrint - December 17th, 2020
- Hinduism, like many great religions, is about feasting and fasting, praying and eating prasadam - Cond Nast Traveller India - November 25th, 2020
- KTR should also question Akbar on his hatred towards Hindus: Vijayashanti - The Hindu - November 25th, 2020
- Not Ram Mandir, the love jihad laws are the foundation of Hindu Rashtra - ThePrint - November 25th, 2020
- UP Police Investigation of 'Love Jihad' Concludes What We Already Know -- It Doesn't Exist - The Swaddle - November 25th, 2020
- Biased Media Reporting in India Helps Fuel the Persecution of Christians - International Christian Concern - November 25th, 2020
- Banning Fireworks on Diwali: A Window Into Money and Politics in India - The Diplomat - November 25th, 2020
- Lawyer writes to PM, urging the addition of Section 493A in IPC to stop conversion and love jihad - India Legal - November 25th, 2020
- 10 Stereotypes Indians Are Tired Of Seeing In Western Films And TV - Screen Rant - November 25th, 2020
- Muslims react with caution to UP govt's ordinance against conversion for marriage - Mint - November 25th, 2020
- Yogendra Yadav is wrong to assume Owaisis AIMIM will be a Muslim BJP - ThePrint - November 25th, 2020
- 1,300-Year-Old Hindu Temple Dedicated to God Vishnu Discovered in Northwest Pakistan's Swat - India.com - November 25th, 2020
- Hindus in N.J. who voted for Trump in 2016 say their support is waning - nj.com - November 7th, 2020
- India takes up with Bangladesh attack on Hindus - The Hindu - November 7th, 2020
- Congress urges Centre to take up with Bangladesh attacks on Hindus - The Hindu - November 7th, 2020
- We must applaud Thol Thirumavalavans stand on Manusmriti. BJP attacking the messenger - ThePrint - November 7th, 2020
- Adhir tells Centre to raise issue of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh - The Indian Express - November 7th, 2020
- Jihad in Hinduism, Bible and Torah | KashmirWatch - Kashmir Watch - November 7th, 2020
- Mathura: Four Hindus arrested after reciting Hanuman Chalisa in Eidgah Masjid to promote brotherhood - OpIndia - November 7th, 2020
- Gandhi Land Scam; Dhaka Hindus attacked for backing France? | Nation Wants To Know - Times Now - November 7th, 2020
- Etsy removes Sexy Ganesh Panties within few hours of Hindu protest - NewsPatrolling - November 7th, 2020
- Dear Maneka Gandhi, attempts to curb animal sacrifice is a direct assault on Hindu Dharma and it is time to stop such efforts - OpIndia - November 7th, 2020
- Dalits & Religious Conversion: Tracing The History Of The Neo-Buddhist Movement - Feminism in India - November 7th, 2020
- 'Tribals are Hindus, don't divide them' - Daily Pioneer - November 7th, 2020
- Heres Why Ban Laxmmi Movie Is Trending On Twitter - SheThePeople - November 7th, 2020
- Samir Kalra on Islamists and Hinduphobia in America - Middle East Forum - November 7th, 2020
- Why dont we give credit to Hindu festivals for reviving the economy? - OpIndia - November 7th, 2020
- Navaratri and how Indic religions are intrinsically federal - The New Indian Express - October 31st, 2020
- Interview: Romila Thapar on the history of dissent and how it shaped Hinduism and India - Scroll.in - October 31st, 2020
- Fraternity in the basic spirit of Hinduism - Avenue Mail - October 31st, 2020
- Pakistan: Homes of Hindus burnt down by Islamists in Sindh to force them to convert to Islam - OpIndia - October 31st, 2020
- How Hindu Nationalism Could Shape the Election - POLITICO - October 31st, 2020
- 'Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Shahnawaz Hussains wives are Hindus; is this love jihad', asks Digvijaya Singh - Times Now - October 31st, 2020
- Plea in SC seeks SIT probe into 'forceful conversion' of Hindus in Haryana's Nuh - The New Indian Express - October 31st, 2020
- Election 2020 Preview, Hinduism 101, India and the Role of Indian Americans in US Elections With Ramesh Kapur - India New England - October 31st, 2020
- IAS Officer Ritika Jindals Interference In Maa Shoolini Temple Rituals Shows Why Hindus Must Oppose Government Control Of Temples - Swarajya - October 31st, 2020
- Ramayana retold: Here are some of the most popular versions of the epic - Financial Express - October 31st, 2020
- University of Sydney to seriously look into article in its paper ridiculing Hinduism - NewsPatrolling - October 31st, 2020
- Hindus urge Malta government to subsidise cremation abroad - Times of Malta - October 31st, 2020
- Muslim-Hindu demography of Jammu and Kashmir: What the Census numbers show - The Indian Express - October 31st, 2020