Story number 1 for 26 Aug 2003

(Sri Lanka)–We begin today in Sri Lanka. “The situation for Christians in Sri Lanka seems to be getting worse.” Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says four men lobbed a homemade bomb at a church that’s been under attack in recent months. Nettleton says the prime suspect in coordinating the attacks is a Buddhist monk. “This is a man who was in the church in September 2002, he threatened the pastor and members of the church with death at that time. So, it seems clear that he is involved in the attack. Whether he was one of the four men who were there, or whether he just sent them, is unclear at this point.” Nettleton says it also appears the state is also moving against Christians. “Their government is considering an anti-conversion law, similar to some of the laws we have seen in India in recent years. It’s a crucial time for the church there in Sri Lanka, and we as Christians in the rest of the world, and we need to pray for them that they will stand strong, and we need to pray against some of this legislation that could be very harmful to the church there.”