IDOP ‘07 - Bhutan
In the days leading up to this Sunday which is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, I plan to make a few posts about countries that are persecuting Christians. May these posts help show you ways to pray in the days leading up to Sunday and that we will be in prayer throughout the day on Sunday.
I’ve highlighted Bhutan before, and I thought that this would be the best place to start. The Bhutanese call their country Druk-yul which means “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” and it is the only official Buddhist country in the world. There is a close relationship between Buddhist priests and the state power. The non-Buddhist in the country suffer political and social discrimination. Proselytism and conversion to other faiths are strictly prohibited.
Christians are forced to state in writing that they will not meet for worship or will not proselytize. It goes like this:
- ‘I am fully aware of the rules and regulations governing the practice of any religion other than Buddhism or Hinduism in Bhutan, and shall strictly abide by these rules.’
- I shall accept the penalties for breaching these rules.
What are the penalties? They include:
- Withdrawal from all state benefits
- loss of free education for children
- loss of promotion and training opportunities
- loss of employment
- cancellation of trade licenses
- restriction of movement
- repeat offenses - exile
Believers are usually rounded up and severely beaten. Those who refused to renounce Christianity were imprisoned and brutally beaten for several days. Others were forced to carry sandbags as a punishment. Some who suffered broken ribs and arms as a result of the torture were refused hospital treatment for their injuries. Those who gave in to the torture were forced to brew liquor and perform rituals to prove they had recanted.
Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in Bhutan that through this persecution they will rejoice and not grow weary and will be a light to others who are enslaved and blinded to sin. Pray that they will have courage in times when they need to display courage, and will display a servant heart in times when they are heavily downtrodden upon.
[Facts from this post came from the Christian Solidarity Worldwide website]
