By Team
The houses of three Christian families were burned down in a suspected act of persecution in Barabanki District, Uttar Pradesh, India, on April 23.
The families work as laborers on farms around Kurilpur village.
While they were away working on the farms, unknown persons set fire to their homes. Everything inside the houses was destroyed. Important documents, cash, a motorcycle, bicycles, household items, clothing and other belongings were burned to ashes.
The three families came to faith in Christ in 2017, according to Barnabas Aid contacts.
According to local reports, some residents had previously pressured the Christians to renounce their faith and instead follow “Shiv Charcha”, a movement within Hinduism. However, the believers remained steadfast in following Christ.
The affected families comprise 15 people in total: six adults and nine children between them, the youngest being three years old.
Uttar Pradesh is one of thirteen Indian states that have passed Freedom of Religion legislation, more commonly known as anti-conversion laws. These laws prohibit seeking converts through force, fraud or coercion, but are often wrongly believed to criminalize any Christian evangelism or worship.
This story was originally published in barnabasaid.org. Read the full story here.