Date: February 7, 2022
Host: Jim Schneider
Guest: David Curry
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David Curry is president and CEO of Open Doors USA. He’s an advocate on behalf of those who are persecuted for their Christian faith. He has testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and met with a wide range of policymakers from the White House to the State Department. He has traveled extensively to encourage those living under persecution while encouraging believers to remain strong in the faith.
Are you aware that about 16 of our brothers and sisters in Christ will be murdered today? Looking at this from a nation-specific perspective, North Korea had been the most dangerous place to be a believer. For the first time in 20 years it’s Afghanistan.
As David noted, this doesn’t mean things are improving in North Korea. North Korea topped the list for so many years because they control all the means of life: food, where you live and so much more. So in looking at that nation from the 6 different categories that Open Doors utilizes, persecution in North Korea has actually become worse.
Afghanistan was #2 on the list in recent years. The Taliban controlled about 70% of the nation. When the government fell in August, the Taliban knew that any Christians would likely be living in the cities. So they obtained a list of prominent Christians and began to track them and this is why they are now #1 on the Open Doors World Watch List.
Others on the top 10 list include Somalia, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Nigeria and India.
China is #17 on the World Watch List not because they’ve been behaving well. In fact, David believes China is the greatest threat to religious freedom. This is because the government is centralizing control around technology, creating a high-tech noose that is choking free expression. So everyone who wants to practice a faith is monitored. Everything you do creates a “score” and if you do the wrong things you could lose your job, your children could be kicked out of school or you could be put on a no-fly list…all because you attend church.
Learn more, and hear what listeners had to say, on this important program dealing with your brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe.
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