India: Newly Christian man beaten unconscious left for dead after refusing to renounce faith

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A former Hindu who gave his life to Christ just four months ago was beaten unconscious and left for dead after a mob of Hindus attacked a gathering of believers at a house church in India’s Odisha state earlier this month, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Odisha was the first of 11 Indian states to enact harsh anti-conversion laws that have been abused by Hindu extremists to persecute Christians.

On Sunday, 6 November, two Christian families who had recently put their faith in Christ had gathered in the Odisha home of one of them, ICC reports. The Christians’ Sunday worship service was interrupted when a gang of Hindu nationalists, led by the local village leader, stormed into the home.

The mob proceeded to brutally attack those gathered, leaving three people with severe internal injuries, including one man who was beaten unconscious.

“The village leader amassed the mob, including residents of neighboring villages, and accused the Christians of converting to a foreign religion, abandoning their gods, and luring innocent tribal people to Christianity,” ICC said in its report based on local sources.

“The mob started to attack the Christians, including the women and children. The pastor fell unconscious after a significant beating. The crowd assumed he had died and left the scene.” The man later regained consciousness.

The Christians filed a police report, but the village leader also filed a report against the leader of the house church.

“There is little hope for justice for the Christians,” ICC said.

Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India now ranks 10th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2022 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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