Persecution of Christians is on the rise but do we care?

Christian teenagers living in restricted countries like Vietnam often risk arrest and imprisonment for their faith.

Persecution isn't really a subject most people feel comfortable with. All sounds rather too painful. Or perhaps you're one of those (many) people overloaded with seeing images of suffering and persecution on T.V. or in the papers. Maybe you've simply had enough and want to shut off from it.

The harsh reality is that persecution is on the rise and especially persecution against Christians. It isn't confined to history. It isn't a spoof. Wiser and cleverer people than me have worked out that Christians sent into the Coliseum in Rome had a better chance of survival than most persecuted Christians today! Right now, over 200 million Christians are persecuted simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Behind the statistics are real people, like 16-year-old Angh from Vietnam. Angh lives in the Central highlands of Vietnam known for being a back packers paradise and on a darker note the hot bed for persecution against Christians in Vietnam.

Angh is one Christian who has felt the heat rise big time. At 16 he's learning what it can cost to be a committed Christian.

Angh was taken to a local police station and interrogated. The police questioned him forcefully about his faith. Angh remembers one policeman vividly who grabbed a club and struck him with full force on the head. The blow was so hard Angh fell instantly to the ground, his head throbbing as he blacked out.

As Angh drifted back into consciousness a booming voice belted out, "You study the Bible which is against the law of Vietnam. Stop studying or else." A short time later Angh was released.

A few months on and Angh's still not fully recovered from the ordeal physically. He still feels sharp pain in his head. Angh's family are extremely worried about him. But Angh believes the experience has made him stronger. He says "I'm convinced that as I follow Jesus, I have to learn the Bible. I'm not afraid. Now my faith is stronger than ever before. Fear is gone."

Persecution is all too real for Angh and Christians like him. It's a reality they live with. But it's something that shouldn't be ignored or forgotten.