Hindu Radicals Attack Christian Worship Service
Hindu extremists in India recently assaulted several Christians along with their families and then twice forced them from their village after accusing them of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity.
Local reports indicate that during a Sunday worship meeting on Sept. 2 at the home of a newly converted Christian, a group of Hindu extremists attacked those attending the worship service. Daminbai Sahu of Bhanpuri, a rural village in the Balod district of India's state of Chhattisgarh, had his home invaded by attackers.
One of those who were assaulted was a visiting pastor who has been identified only as Dada of Philadelphia Fellowship, according to reports from Open Doors News.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The attackers accused Dada of forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity. After those accusations he was removed from the worship service, thrown down on the street, and threatened with death if he did not leave the village, according to Samuel Philip of the Church of God in Balod.
Being unsatisfied, the attackers returned the following night with unverified reports stating that the mob was around 600 strong. They began berating and abusing five Christian families who were a part of the Philadelphia Fellowship. The mob accused the families of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity and threatened the families if they did not renounce their faith and worship Hindu gods.
"We will not forsake Christ even at the point of death because he has forgiven our sins and gave us new life," Deherram Sahu told Open Doors News.
The small Christian community of Bhanpuri has faced continued abuse after converting to Christianity in 2006.
"They were not allowed to sell and buy in the village, were not allowed to draw water from the well, and were treated as outcasts," Philip said. "They were not allowed to walk on the main road because the extremists were frightened that it will get contaminated because of their faith in Christ."
