Open Doors report

Mexican children's Bible

Burritos, sombreros and the odd cactus - this is the image that most of us have of Mexico. It comes as a shock to realise that, in some areas of rural Mexico, evangelical Christians are threatened, discriminated against and deprived of basic services because of their faith. The saddest thing is that it is actually those who should be fellow Christians who are practising the persecution: certain 'traditionalist Catholics' who mix Roman Catholicism with local traditional religion. These traditions are important to local communities, and anyone who breaks from them meets severe intolerance.

Especially in indigenous communities in southern Mexico, the prevailing attitude is that only traditionalist Catholics have rights to religious practice, according to news reports. Moreover, the reports indicate the traditionalist Catholic villagers believe they have the right to force others to conform to their religion.

In Oaxaca state, four Christians were jailed on 16th November for refusing to participate in a traditionalist Catholic festival and for not paying the high costs they were assigned to help cover its costs, according to La Voz news agency. Their neighbours, who are now outnumbered by the Christian evangelicals, have been trying to force them to practise what the evangelicals regard as idolising saints and other rituals contrary to their faith. As a result of such pressure, non-Catholics in the area, including children, live in fear of being expelled from their properties.

Last month local officials forced evangelical families in the community of Nicolás Ruiz, Chiapas, to sign documents promising to hold religious services only on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday or pay fines of up to 1,000 pesos (£37) per family. Seven evangelical families had already been expelled from the town for their faith, leaving behind all their possessions and property and taking refuge in the nearby municipality of Acala, reported Cuarto Poder newspaper in Chiapas.

In Guerrero state, two Christian families in Olinala had their drinking water and electricity cut off recently because they refused to participate in local religious customs, La Jornada reported. The families have been under threats to give up their faith since 2006.
"They were threatened with hanging due to their religious beliefs if they did not obey the orders of the municipal authorities," the National Bar of Christian Lawyers' Jorge Garcia Jimenez told the newspaper's Guerrero edition.

In a move seen elsewhere in Mexico, officials in Olinala cited a constitutional provision protecting local "uses and customs" of communities in order to justify forcing evangelicals to contribute to and participate in the festivals, in violation of Mexico's constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. Christian lawyers say the "uses and customs" section was meant to prevent the government from prohibiting native practices - not force villagers to participate in them.

There are more and more similar stories coming in of similar culture-based discrimination in rural Mexico, where Christian families are becoming isolated and disenfranchised. We must not forget them in our prayers just because many of us find it surprising that there is persecution in a 'Christian' country. It should also remind us that persecution is not the preserve of any one religious or political group; the name of Jesus attracts opposition wherever it is proclaimed. Our prayers can strengthen and encourage the church under pressure; stories like this should be a call to prayer!

Shockwave is coming up soon - Open Doors' annual weekend of prayer for the Persecuted Church. Make space over the weekend of 6-8 March and join with young people across over 50 nations to pray! Find out more on www.odshockwave.org

Article source: Compass Direct