This story shows again that Nepalese authorities appear to be deeply threatened by the rapid growth of Christianity in that country. In the mid-twentieth century, there were no Christians at all in Nepal. Now their official number is approaching 400,000, and some Christian leaders in Nepal believe the actual number of Christians in the country is 2.3 million. In response to this rapid growth, Nepal has instituted a draconian anti-conversion law, under which these men were arrested. But our God and Savior Jesus Christ commands us to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Please pray, therefore, that these men would hold fast to their faith as they suffer for it, that the light of Holy Orthodoxy would dawn in Nepal, and that the hearts of Nepalese authorities would be opened so that they would end their persecution of Nepal’s rapidly growing Christian community.
“Four Christians in Nepal Arrested for ‘Preaching Christianity,’” International Christian Concern, August 16, 2019:
08/16/2019 Nepal (International Christian Concern) – According to The Annapurna Express, four Christians in Nepal have been arrested and charged under the country’s strict anti-conversion law. This report comes only days after authorities in Nepal released a 73-year-old South Korean Christian arrested on similar charges.
On Thursday, August 15, Tul Bahadur Pariyar, Rupa Sonam, Chandrakali Rawat, and Bhim Kumari were arrested in Salyan after they were accused of “preaching Christianity”. When arrested, police confiscated a bag containing Christian literature.
The four Christians have been charged with violating Nepal’s strict anti-conversion law. The law makes any act that causes an individual to convert from one religion to another illegal. If found guilty, it could result in a five-year prison sentence and a significant fine….
Photo by Prabin1994pb.pb at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63063194
