The International Christian Concern annual report found 1 in 8 Christians worldwide are persecuted "because of faith in Jesus."
"Each year, an estimated 300 million Christians around the world are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus," the report released earlier this month declared, The Washington Stand reported, estimating there are 2.38 billion Christians in the world. "Our brothers and sisters in Christ are beaten, imprisoned, and even killed for their faith.
"In many countries, it is illegal for them to share the Gospel."
ICC President Jeff King said the report's details "are not isolated incidents" among the "Christians worldwide who face daily threats to their lives and religious freedom."
The report declared "2024 was a harrowing year for massive numbers of Christians worldwide" everywhere "from underground house churches in China to remote villages in Nigeria."
Among the top line findings:
- Persecution in Nicaragua has worsened dramatically, with increased government hostility toward Christians.
- In India, Hindu nationalism has intensified, stripping away the rights of Christians and other religious minorities through anti-conversion laws and mob violence.
- Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and regions throughout the Sahel face horrific attacks and displacement.
President Joe Biden's administration has unwound much of the religious persecution progress made under the first President Donald Trump administration, according to Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.
"We were trending in a positive direction during the last Trump administration, and all that was lost," Perkins told the Stand.
Notably, India's religious persecution was "getting a pass from many in the West, because of its growing economic power," according to Perkins.