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HELPING OPPRESSED CHRISTIANS
FIs this the end of religious tolerance in India?
who wanted to drive him, his small church and all traces of Christianity out of their village. Thanks to Release International’s partner in India, Rajendra received extensive physiotherapy after his hospital treatment and a motorbike to aid his mobility, especially to and from the hilly surrounding villages.
Church pastors are paying a high price for sharing the gospel as the persecution of Christians spreads across the subcontinent, writes Release International’s John Lawson
or Christians in the UK but suddenly he found himself travelling to and from church surrounded by a gang of eight men
on a Sunday morning may attacking him with swords, axes and
be fraught – getting a young
That attack was eight years ago, but he suffers pain in his legs even now. He’s also still ministering in the same village, and sometimes he sees some of the men who attacked him (Rajendra forgave them and
so the police case against them was dropped). He says they leave him alone now but he prays that one day they will come to faith and
metal rods. They beat him severely family ready in time for a service has and left him for dead, lying bleeding
always had its challenges – but we in the road, not far from his house. rarely if ever encounter hostility on Rajendra was saved by someone who
our journey. found him and took him to hospital,
Pastor ‘Rajendra’* wasn’t expecting where he required treatment for 40 trouble either, as he walked home days.
from leading a service at his small The gang who attacked him were church in a rural village in Rajasthan, not robbers but Hindu fanatics
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