Tuesday, January 30, 2007

The government in Burma trying to "wipe out" Christianity

Yet another government trying to end Christianity. The most surprising aspect of this story is that it's Buddhists who are doing the persecution. Would a Buddhist agree to forcing others to convert? Isn't this against their teaching? And yet, here are monks burning down buildings and forcing people to convert at the behest of the government:

The military regime in Burma is intent on wiping out Christianity in the country, according to claims in a secret document believed to have been leaked from a government ministry. Entitled "Programme to destroy the Christian religion in Burma", the incendiary memo contains point by point instructions on how to drive Christians out of the state.

The text, which opens with the line "There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practised", calls for anyone caught evangelising to be imprisoned. It advises: "The Christian religion is very gentle – identify and utilise its weakness."

Its discovery follows widespread reports of religious persecution, with churches burnt to the ground, Christians forced to convert to the state religion, Buddhism, and their children barred from school.

Human rights groups claim that the treatment meted out to Christians, who make up six per cent of the population, is part of a wider campaign by the regime, also targeted at ethnic minority tribes, to create a uniform society in which the race and language is Burmese and the only accepted religion is Buddhism
[...]

In Koh Kyi village, in Arakan State, a monk backed by the military burnt down the local church. In another state, 300 monks were allegedly sent by the regime to forcibly convert the populace, all of whom belonged to the Chin ethnic group, which is mostly Christian.
Totalitarianism only leads to an external compliance, you can't force people to believe what they don't believe. I bet Christianity will be driven underground, not driven out. Join me in praying for these Christians as they struggle against this persecution.