A database to show the extent of persecution Christians worldwide face every day has been unveiled in an effort to document the threat that exists to religious freedom.
The database was developed by Global Christian Relief, according to their news release.
The group said the database “is the first and only events-based global religious freedom dataset.”
“Our hope is that this remarkable resource will be utilized by anyone advocating and reporting on behalf of the persecuted church,” the group said.
The database, which currently holds about 6,000 incidents, tracks killings, arrests, abductions and other persecutions and can be tracked by religion, country or perpetrator.
The Christmas attacks on innocent people in Nigeria is not about poverty, or climate change, or borders. This is anti-Christian persecution.
IMPORTANT: Exclusive article using first hand sources about the recent Islamic-driven anti-Christian pogrom where hundreds were murdered… pic.twitter.com/6znyF9KW6d
— Trevor Loudon (@TrevorLoudon1) January 3, 2024
The International Institute for Religious Freedom provides the research for the database.
“This database helps give a voice to the voiceless by recording and sharing details of specific attacks suffered by Christians and other people of faith globally,” David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief, said.
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“We live in a world where the violent persecution of Christians and other religious groups is rampant and increasing,” Ronald Boyd-MacMillan, Chief of Global Strategy and Research for Global Christian Relief, said.
“This database not only helps us track the violence but helps us better understand what persecuted Christians really need from their brothers and sisters around the world.”
The group Aid to the Church in Need has estimated that more than 4.9 billion people live in countries that violate religious freedom, according to the Christian Post.
ACN’s report titled “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2023” covered January 2021 to December 2022.
It means that “62 percent of humanity lives in countries where people are not free to practice, express or change their religion,” ACN said.
“Culprits of religious freedom violations range from armed terror groups to authoritarian governments, but the rule continues to be one of impunity for attackers who are rarely, if ever, brought to justice or criticized by the international community,” the report said.
The report said 61 nations impinge on religious freedom.
Christian persecution in Africa affects not just Christians or Africans. We need to be loud about this and find ways to help! https://t.co/aYUC3Quxqo
— SeaBDDaily (@seabeedeedaily) January 8, 2024
Religious Freedom Institute President Eric Patterson noted on his group’s website that Christian persecution “is a global phenomenon. Our media in the United States are now very wrapped up in a presidential election year and political navel-gazing here at home while people are suffering and dying in our own hemisphere, in places like Nicaragua, and violence on an unprecedented scale is occurring in places like Nigeria, in a way that’s particularly devastating,” he said.