"Too Many to Count": The Global Persecution of Christians

[Valin]

Gatestone Institute

Raymond Ibrahim

November 10, 2019

• "It's easy to go about our lives and forget that in places like Nigeria, Iran and North Korea being a Christian can often lead to death." — Vernon Brewer, founder and CEO of World Help, Fox News, November 4, 2019.

• "4,136 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons. On average, that's 11 Christians killed every day for their faith." — Open Doors, World Watch List 2019.

• More than 245 million Christians around the world are currently suffering from persecution. — Open Doors, World Watch List 2019.

• "Evidence shows not only the geographic spread of anti-Christian persecution, but also its increasing severity... close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN." — Review led by Rev. Philip Mounstephen, the Bishop of Truro, April 21, 2019.

Today is one of the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Initiated over 20 years ago by the World Evangelical Alliance, 100,000 congregations around the world and millions of Christians participate on this day.

"This November let us unite in prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters," IDOP noted in a brief video that highlights a few examples of recent persecution, including the Easter Sunday church bombings in Sri Lanka and the ongoing slaughter of Christians by Islamic groups in Nigeria and, increasingly, Burkina Faso.

Discussing this day's significance, Vernon Brewer, the CEO and founder of World Help, a Christian humanitarian organization, wrote:

(Snip)