Two More Christians in India Killed and Cut in Pieces
The bodies of the two victims were cut into pieces and thrown into a pond. Churches attacked, Sisters and Priests are now forced to conceal their identity to escape violent persecution and forced 'conversion' to Hinduism.
The violent, rage filled attacks perpetrated by Hindu Extremists against Christians have spread beyond Orissa and are now threatening to engulf a Nation which had once prided itself on tolerance for all faiths and a Democratic Rule of Law.
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The new wave of violence began last August 23, in the district of Kandhamal, after the killing of Swami Laxamananda Saraswati, a radical Hindu leader. Hindu fundamentalist organizations accuse the Christians of killing him, although the police of Orissa suspect that the authors of the assassination were Maoist militants. The pogrom to "kill all Christians and destroy their institutions" is motivated in part by the accusations according to which Christians are coercing tribals and Dalits to convert through force or bribery.
According to estimates from the All India Christian Council, 37 Christians have been killed in the state of Orissa alone, including 2 Protestant pastors; more than 4,000 homes belonging to Christians have been burned; and more than 50,000 faithful have been forced to flee. Of these, only 14,000 are believed to be in refugee camps provided by the government. Tens of thousands are hiding in the forest.
The primary targets of the Hindu radicals are the priests, the sisters, and their families. They are attacked, and often forced to convert to Hinduism. Even in the camps, the persecution is strong, and the police check to make sure "that there are no conversions". Priests and sisters present in the camp must conceal their identity.
A sister at the camp in Raikia (district of Kandhamal) tells AsiaNews:
"I am here as part of the medical team; if the authorities find out we are nuns, we will be sent away. I am here dressed in ethnic clothes, wearing bangles, earrings and even the ‘tikka’, in this way we are disguised. The women are in severe trauma, unfortunately, we can only talk to them about their medical problems, we cannot even counsel them, we are continuously being watched, but there is such despair and fear among the women, they have lost every material possession and sadly even hope is lost".
"This is my tenth day at the camp and even now, I cannot hold back my tears. I have never seen a sight like this before in my life. Yes, I have seen natural calamities like tsunamis, earthquakes and cyclones, but nothing as horrifying as this. The intent of the radicals to destroy humanity is so intense - brutality has no limit, the torture and devastation has stooped to levels beyond imagination".
From Orissa, the pogrom has spread to other states: Chhattisghar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.
Yesterday, the church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Bangalore was attack by vandals. Rocks were hurled at a statue of the Virgin Mary. The day before, on September 20, also in Bangalore, the church of St. James was ransacked. The vandals desecrated the Eucharistic species and destroyed the furniture and pews. The windows were damaged at a church in Siddapura (district of Kodagu).
In Kerala, two of the oldest churches in India were vandalized. Yesterday, a statue of Christ in the church of Protasius and Gervasius (17th century) was broken and thrown down from its pedestal. The church belongs to the faithful of the Syro-Malabar rite. The nearby cathedral of the Jacobites, the Mar Sabore Afroth Church, was damaged: its windows were broken, and some relics of St. Paulos Mar Athanasius were destroyed. The church of the Jacobites was built in 825.
On September 20 in Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), the All India Christian Council (AICC) held a meeting to condemn the violence against Christians. It was attended by more than 15,000 people from various faiths: Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, and even moderate Hindus.
Sam Paul of the AICC criticized the central government for its inability to stop the attacks, and called for a ban against all Hindu radical organizations, like Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal, and Sangh Parivar.All of these extremist organizations take their political guidance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some experts note that the new wave of violence began after the national meeting of the BJP in Bangalore, which was intended to design the strategy for the upcoming national elections, which will be held next March.
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If christian missionaries do not stop conversions in India all christians will be killed
Pax et Bonum, Gus you NEED to read the Gospels again. Our sins is what causes evil to enter this world, and Our Lord gives us free will. The good news is, not that we can escape suffering,but that united with Jesus Passion and Death it IS for others conversions and deliverances.
"The word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18)
God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal. 6:14)"
"The Church in India is paying for the sins of the faithful in the West. We have no respect for the Eucharist in the West. We use artificial contraception and think nothing of presenting ourselves for Communion on Sunday. We cohabit with sexual partners and think nothing of presenting ourselves for Communion on Sunday. Catholic politicians in the West fight to keep abortion legal and call it a "right" and think nothing of presenting themselves for Communion on Sunday. Our brothers and sisters in India and Vietnam meanwhile, are paying the ultimate price simply for being Christian. We need to return en mass to the sacrament of reconciliation and worthy reception of the Body of Christ."
Are you kidding???
So the Hindu fundamentalists think that their God(s) call them to kill innocent Catholics/Christians and your God causes innocent people to pay for the (supposed) sins of the guilty. Both perspectives are about fear and control and present a very distorted image of the true God, our Lord Jesus Christ. I'll keep you both in my prayers and hope you both repent of your religions of death.
Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are currently suffering from this horrifying happening... Let us also pray for their persecutors that they may be enlightened and their souls not to be totally snatched by the flames of hell. We all know that only the devil that urges them to do such.
The Church in India is paying for the sins of the faithful in the West. We have no respect for the Eucharist in the West. We use artificial contraception and think nothing of presenting ourselves for Communion on Sunday. We cohabit with sexual partners and think nothing of presenting ourselves for Communion on Sunday. Catholic politicians in the West fight to keep abortion legal and call it a "right" and think nothing of presenting themselves for Communion on Sunday. Our brothers and sisters in India and Vietnam meanwhile, are paying the ultimate price simply for being Christian. We need to return en mass to the sacrament of reconciliation and worthy reception of the Body of Christ.
and please fast for everybody involve in this tribulation. Let us as member of the body of Christ partake in the suffering of the rest of our brothers and sisters in India.
Please pray for all the Christians in India, especially the Christian schools located throughout the country, home to innocent children of all religions.