Christians in one Indian state are once again targets of radical Hindus.
Late last month, a group of believers in Orissa, India, was attacked by 40 to 50 people wielding weapons. The Christians were targeted because of their refusal to participate in a Hindu festival. According to missionaries who serve in the area through Gospel for Asia (GFA), the mob broke into the Christians' homes and began to beat them. In fact, the mob searched for a GFA pastor and threatened to kill him. Daniel Yohannan, vice president of GFA, says there is reason for hope in the midst of the violence. "What we've seen, so many times, is that some of the people who do the persecuting are some of the first believers to be added to the Church. Like Paul the Apostle, the great persecutor of the Church, he became the greatest evangelist," he points out. "So this happens very often that the response of these believers, which is love, really stirs these people's hearts and convicts them almost, and God uses that to draw them to himself." Last summer, radical Hindus used the murder of an anti-Christian leader to incite riots and violence against Christians. Yohannan admits those taking part in the violence do not represent a majority of Hindus.
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