One in seven Christians across the world now face “high levels of persecution and discrimination” for their beliefs.
The Open Doors annual World Watch List revealed that over 380 million Christians are suffering persecution, 15 million more than last year. Almost 4,500 Christians were killed for their faith in 2024, 69 per cent of whom were in Nigeria.
North Korea remains the most dangerous country to follow Jesus, followed by Somalia and Yemen.
‘Hope’
Speaking at the parliamentary launch of the World Watch List, the Government’s UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief David Smith said: “These freedoms, which we take for granted, are ones we should share with our international partners around the world.
“We mustn’t shy away from that. We’ve got to recommit ourselves to tackling persecution in every way that we can.”
Jeff King of International Christian Concern, which releases a separate annual spotlight on Christian persecution, said he is “reminded of the profound hope and resilience displayed by our brothers and sisters in Christ under unimaginable circumstances”.
“While the adversaries of faith seek to extinguish the Church, they only spread its flame.”
Prayer
In Open Doors’ US version of its report, Manga, a Nigerian Christian, explained how God saved him after he refused to renounce his faith.
He told Boko Haram militants: “I live as a Christian, and I’m ready to die as Christian”, before he “felt the presence of God” and survived their attack.
Manga emphasised: “Your prayers should be for strength to remain firm, and that fire for Jesus, which is burning in our heart, should keep on burning.”
‘Pressure’
In October, religious freedom experts highlighted the “increasing intolerance” towards those who hold religious beliefs on marriage, family, and sexual ethics in Europe and North America.
Organised to coincide with a Berlin meeting of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, the event featured the Religious Freedom Institute, the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE).
Dr José Luis Bazán of COMECE said what has come to be known as ‘polite persecution’ has manifested itself in “compelling policies and legislation, as well as social pressure, that undermine and curtail Christians’ possibility to express and live according to their moral and religious principles in contemporary liberal societies”.
Christian MP appointed to champion religious liberty worldwide