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Their own Bibles – reaching the world’s most remote places in Indonesia
12 March 2024
“God is present in my life” – Youth camp brings life change in Indonesia
25 July 202342Indonesia
The situation for Christians has been deteriorating in recent years, with Indonesian society increasingly influenced by conservative interpretations of Islam. Polls regularly show that especially young people hold conservative views, and by-laws on Islamic dress are becoming more common.
Many converts from Islam experience pressure from their families. However, the intensity of the pressure depends on the individual family and place. Most pressure for Christian converts takes the form of isolation, verbal abuse and ostracisation. Only a small percentage of converts face physical violence for their Christian faith, and they may be forced to relocate to another part of Indonesia. The pressure is also higher in places like West Java or Aceh, where radical Islamic groups exert a heavy influence on society and politics.
Depending on the region, some church groups also face difficulties getting permission for building churches. Even if they manage to fulfil all legal requirements (and win court cases), local authorities may still ignore them.
Meet Raymond
“Sometimes I hear [my schoolmates] saying things like: ‘Hey, if you remain Christian, you will also be crucified just as your Jesus was crucified’. They poke fun at us Christians in that way. I don’t take offense. I’m used to hearing this.”Raymond (name changed), a young believer who attended a camp for Christian children in Indonesia.
What does Open Doors do to help?
Open Doors local partners strengthen persecuted Christians in Indonesia by providing Bibles and Christian books, socio-economic empowerment projects, discipleship and persecution survival training and relief aid.Please pray
- Ask God to protect communities of Christians who must keep their faith secret.
- Pray for Christians rejected by families and communities because they left Islam to follow Jesus.
- Ask God to bring Indonesian society to a broader tolerance of Christians.
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