India (GFA/MNN) — A mob of anti-Christian religious fanatics severely beat five young men
from a Gospel for Asia Bible college in Maharashtra, India, on Sunday
night (February 18) while they shared their faith on the streets of a
local village. The beatings left two of the students in critical
condition.
The men departed from the Bible college campus about 5 p.m.
for their usual evening outreach. They walked about three miles to a
nearby village to give out Gospel tracts entitled "How to Know God" and
witness to the people.
Suddenly, the young men saw five angry militants running toward them.
"We're going to kill you!" they shouted at the students. As the
extremists began beating the Christians, others joined until 40
anti-Christians were participating in the attack. The beatings
continued until all five students were severely injured.
Once the mob dispersed, one of the students managed to make it
back to the Bible college and inform the leaders. The leaders hurried
to the scene and found the four other students with serious wounds.
The students were rushed to the hospital for care. However,
when they arrived, the doctors refused to treat them until the police
filed a report. Finally, after the report was written, the hospital
admitted all five of the young men. Two of the men are in critical
condition with serious head injuries and bleeding.
Persecution of this nature is becoming a daily occurrence, and it will likely continue to increase, GFA President K.P. Yohannan notes. That won't stop their missionaries from evangelizing, but he says: "We need to pray earnestly that the Lord will give strength, wisdom and commitment, strong enough that the people of God, especially Christian workers and missionaries, will not give up, but they will go forward. Boldness is what I'm praying for. We all need to be praying for them, they need to get discouraged."
