PERSECUTION

Sri Lanka Christians Face Attacks

CWNews

May 28, 2004

CWNews.org – In Sri Lanka, Christians are on the defensive after a series of attacks on churches by radical Buddhists.

Christianity is growing and gaining influence in the island nation that sits off the coast of India.

The number of evangelicals has increased by more than 200,000 since 1980. They are dedicated to evangelism, church planting, and even missions work.

But Buddhism is the official religion of Sri Lanka. The growth of Christianity has angered Buddhist priests who see it as a threat.

Some of those priests are encouraging normally peaceful Buddhists to go on the attack. They're pushing for laws to forbid religious conversions.

Australian pastor Danny Nalliah is a native of Sri Lanka. He described the situation:
"In the last 1 year, possibly 1 ½ years, there have been 74 incidents of attacks on churches. Churches burned down, pastors beaten, some girls were almost raped, but thank God they were not. The basic message is: we're going to shut you down. And now they're going to push forward legislation in order to ban evangelism."

Some are hopeful that the recent elections in nearby India will have a positive influence on Sri Lanka.

In India, the defeat of a Hindu nationalist political party has led to the overturn of a religious conversion law in India's Tamil Nadu state.

Todd Nettleton of Oklahoma-based Voice of The Martyrs says he's hopeful that Sri Lanka will follow that example of religious tolerance.

Visit the Voice of the Martyrs Web Site.

Translate Page