Christians are the most persecuted religious people in the world

The numbers are in:

According to a new report by the Center for Studies on New Religions, Christians were the most persecuted religious group in the world in 2016.

Figures show that over 90,000 Christians were slaughtered last year and thirty percent of the murders were carried out by radical Islamists. A full report is expected to be released next month by the Italian research group, states Fox News.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration largely ignored the stunning rate at which Christians were being killed around the world in favor of searching out and condemning so-called Islamophobia around the world. 

Newsweek also reported on the study in more detail. In addition to the 90,000 deaths, actually down from 105,000 in 2015, between 500 and 600 million Christians were barred from freely practicing their faith in 2016.

Here’s more info:

Around 70 percent of the killings occurred in tribal conflicts in Africa, with the high number attributed to Christians refusing to take up weapons for reasons of conscience, [study Director Massimo] Introvigne said. A separate report earlier this year found that a large number of Christian deaths were occurring in northern Nigeria, where the terrorist group Boko Haram operates.

The other 30 percent, according to Introvigne, occurred due to terrorist attacks and government persecution, notably in North Korea. Last year, Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim was sentenced to life in prison in North Korea for what Pyongyang described as “anti-state activities.”

The report also noted that outside of Africa, Christians and Muslims were killed at similar rates; however, Muslims are mostly responsible for killing other Muslims.

I used to read the admonitions of Jesus to the effect that his followers needed to be ready to be reviled, harassed, maligned, and and even harmed and taken captive. In those days I thought, why is he so preoccupied with this? Who really cares if someone wants to follow Jesus?

Alas, there is something about him and his message that brings a lot of people's stuff up. They can't handle that proliferating in the world.

N ow I see that confessing him as Lord is not something that is done casually.