India (MNN)–Even though Rajasthan’s governor refused to sign anti-conversion legislation, the debate isn’t over yet.
Words of Hope’s Lee DeYoung says their partners in India are expressing concern over the spread of the “Freedom of Religion” bill.
Similar anti-conversion legislation is on the books in seven states. Their concern? “It could even be that they might eventually try to charge a radio broadcaster with this. But, since there would be no obvious direct involvement, that would seem to be quite a stretch for a bill like this to be applied”, adding that, “…it seems as if broadcast evangelism becomes even more important with the kinds of concerns that bills like this raise.”
The potential for a ‘chilling effect’ is significant. Yet, DeYoung says that hasn’t stopped the growth of the church. Although, he admits, such laws are sometimes an obstacle to discipleship.
There is a silver lining….”We will continue to monitor the situation. Words of Hope will seek to continue our broadcasting, but we’ll of course, be very careful in how we interact with people inside the country.”
Continue to pray for those in evangelistic outreach in India. Pray for both wisdom and open hearts as the hope of the Gospel goes out over the air.
