Media
Christian families in India banned from burying their dead

Villagers in the east-central state of Chhattisgarh are not allowing Christians to bury their dead until they pay fines for not taking part in Hindu festivals and rituals. Attacks on the minority community in India continue despite the COVID-19 lockdown.
Christians faced stiff opposition to burying their dead in three separate incidents in the districts of Bastar and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh state last month, Alliance Defending Freedom India reported.
The Christians were told to make “restitution” for not partaking in or giving donations for religious rituals in those villages for all the years gone by, and pay an additional fine before their dead would be allowed to be buried.
“It is a terrible and unimaginable thing to be denied an opportunity to grieve the loss of a loved one with dignity,” ADF India said.
Since 2019, the group has recorded at least 15 confirmed incidents of Christians being denied burial rights in Chhattisgarh state.
After the group’s legal team intervened, “the Christians were provided police protection, and in some cases even provided land by the government, for the burials to take place.”
In April, when India was under a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, the world’s strictest, at least six incidents of targeted violence against Christians took place in Chhattisgarh, according to ADF India. In the majority of incidents, Christians were physically attacked by mobs of at least 50 people when they refused to take part in religious rituals that violated their faith.
On April 17, villagers in Chhattisgarh state’s Mendoli area severely assaulted a Christian family, including tearing off the clothes of the victim’s wife, and forcefully performed a “sanctification ritual” on them, the U.K.-based Christian charity Barnabas Fund said, adding that the mob then demanded a fee of 5,000 Indian rupees ($66) and threatened to kill the family if they informed the police.
While India’s Grand Old Party, the Indian National Congress, has been governing Chhattisgarh state since December 2018, Hindu right-wing groups are active in the state, which was earlier ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, for 10 years.
In the western city of Mumbai, which is among the worst-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in India, Christian cemeteries didn’t have a place for the burial of coronavirus victims until recently due to the absence of official notification, according to The Times of India, which reported that Christian victims of COVID-19 had no option but to cremate their dead.
“I wish to stress that coronavirus in a dead person doesn’t infect living humans,” a local activist Cyril Dara was quoted as saying. “The virus becomes ineffective within hours of the victim’s death,” he continued, adding that he would file police complaints against big cemeteries if they didn’t allow burials.
The civic authorities finally allotted space in four Christian cemeteries for the burial of coronavirus victims, the Times said.
Attacks on Christians have been on the rise since the BJP won the 2014 general elections in India. Most attacks on Christians are launched under the pretext of the alleged “forcible” conversion of Hindus.
Several Indian states have had draconian “anti-conversion” laws, termed as Freedom of Religion Acts, for decades but no Christian has been convicted of “forcibly” converting anyone to Christianity.
According to India’s own population data, the conspiracy of mass conversions to Christianity does not hold up, says the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. “In 1951, the first census after independence, Christians made up only 2.3% of India’s overall population. According to the 2011 census, the most recent census data available, Christians still only make up 2.3% of the population.”
“Since the current ruling party took power in 2014, incidents against Christians have increased, and Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences,” noted Open Doors’ World Watch List, which ranked India as the 10th worst country for Christians.
“The view of the Hindu nationalists is that to be Indian is to be Hindu, so any other faith — including Christianity — is viewed as non-Indian. Also, converts to Christianity from Hindu backgrounds or tribal religions are often extremely persecuted by their family members and communities,” Open Doors added.
At least one Christian was attacked every day last year, according to Open Doors.
Sources:Christian Post
Media
Believe it or not: 60% American adults are Christian media users

For years, Christian media has often been viewed as a backwater source — like something seen in a Saturday Night Live skit. A source for snickers, but not for sensible information.
But, as Dr. Ted Baehr, the publisher of “Movieguide,” likes to say in effect, “The good news is: The bad news is wrong.”
Recently, the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) commissioned a study with the respected pollster, the Barna Group, and found that a majority of Americans “engage with Christian media.”
The NRB reported on the survey’s findings with this title: “Most Americans Engage with Christian Media, NRB and Barna Report.”
The NRB notes in the findings: “More than 60% of American adults report consuming Christian media in some form, whether through television, radio, podcasts, news websites, social media, or YouTube. This is not an occasional interaction — among these users, half engage with Christian content at least once per week.”
Barna defines “Christian media users” as “viewers, listeners, or readers of Christian media” or consumers of “Christian radio, Christian TV, Christian podcasts , Christian news websites,” as well as users of social media with Christian content.
Troy Miller, president of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), told me in a recent radio interview about this: “To be honest, that number nearly caught us off guard.” Wow — nearly two-thirds of all Americans are engaged to some degree with Christian media.” Miller said: “That was much, much higher than we thought it would be.”
And he added, “If you drill down further, within the Christian community — those who recognize that the Bible is the authority, who attend church on a regular basis, who read their Bible on a regular basis — their involvement with Christian media is [much greater]. They listen to Christian media almost on a daily basis.”
Furthermore, the NRB writes that there is a higher trust factor of Christian media among listeners/viewers than of other sources of media.
The NRB observes: “Christian media isn’t just widely consumed; it’s also largely respected. Two-thirds of the general population view Christian media as valuable and trustworthy, and that figure rises to four in five among those who use Christian media … Even among those who don’t identify as born again, roughly half view Christian media in a positive light.”
Nonetheless, they also note the other side of the same story: “However, this trust is not without tension. Some respondents — particularly heavy users — express concerns about bias and manipulation in Christian content … Meanwhile, non-Christians tend to have the most negative perceptions of Christian media.”
During the time of America’s founding, what was the mass media in the various colonies? Certainly, newspapers were very influential. Stacy Schiff, author of The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams (2022), notes that Samuel Adams had incredible influence writing for the key newspaper of his city, The Boston Gazette.
Adams usually used pseudonyms (e.g., A Puritan, Candidus, Victus, etc.) to avoid arrest or deportation to Canada or England for trial (and likely execution). She writes of the Royalist Massachusetts Governor, who despised Samuel Adams: “To [Thomas] Hutchinson’s dismay, seven-eighths of Boston read nothing but that ‘infamous paper’ [The Boston Gazette]. It set the temper of the town.”
Samuel Adams had another form of mass media. He utilized the Committees of Correspondence to communicate to the other colonies what was actually going on in Boston, the seedbed of the Revolution.
But there was yet another aspect of the media in those days almost always overlooked in our time — and that is, the sermons of the day. They were very influential.
I once interviewed the late Dr. Donald S. Lutz, author of The Origins of American Constitutionalism, of the University of Houston. Lutz had co-written a major study with Charles S. Hyneman. They found that about one-third of the quotes from the founding fathers’ writings came from the Bible; and other major quotes came from Bible-oriented writers, such as Montesquieu, Sir William Blackstone, and John Locke (in that order).
Lutz told me: “During the Founding Era, the late 1700s, there were no magazines, newspapers had a very small circulation, there was no television, there was no internet. What did people do for entertainment? They would read pamphlets … Now, of all the pamphlets published during the last part of the 1700’s, more than 80% of them were reprinted sermons.”
As Americans, we have been given a great gift: free speech and a free press — largely because of Christian influence. But like all good gifts in this fallen world, it must be safeguarded.
As Troy Miller of the NRB noted recently to RadioWorld: “Free speech isn’t optional, It’s the foundation of the American experiment … If one group’s voice can be silenced because of its beliefs, every voice becomes vulnerable.” Thankfully, many Americans are sitting up and paying attention to Christian media.
Sources:Christianpost
Articles
CTRL+ALT+DEL: A call to reboot our life for true Christian transformation
Articles
7 ways we rebuild through Christ

When a person comes to Christ, it’s not just about being forgiven and waiting for heaven. Salvation is an ongoing process of regeneration where a person becomes a new creation, reshaped by the power of the cross. This process involves rebuilding every area of life according to God’s design. Today, we’ll explore seven key areas that are rebuilt in Christ.
1. Our personal life is no longer based on self
We are born in sin and naturally live according to the lusts of the flesh (Ephesians 2:1-3).
But in Christ, we begin to live a cross-shaped life, learning to deny ourselves and follow Jesus (Mark 8:34-36).
“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Mark 8:34-36).
The crucified life is a life where self is no longer at the center — God is. We are called to serve others, rather than live for self-gratification(Galatians 2:19-20).
We actually find our life when we lose it! We discover the best version of ourselves when we die to ourselves and allow Christ to live in us and through us.
2. Our families are shaped according to God’s Word
After coming to Christ, family life should be rebuilt and shaped by Scripture. One way is to disciple our children and teach them about God.
Psalm 78:5-7:
“He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God.”
Furthermore, parents are instructed to raise their children according to the Word of God, ensuring that our homes reflect biblical values and generational faithfulness (2 Timothy 3:15-16).
3. We do business God’s way
The Bible teaches that work is not merely a means to provide for ourselves; it is an act of worship.
Genesis 2:15 illustrates that Adam was called to work even before he had a wife and children. It was an act of worship since, as His image bearer, he imitated the God who worked 6 days before He entered His rest.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Like Adam, we work because we are made in the image of a God who worked to create the world. In business, we walk in integrity, treat employees as partners, equip them to flourish in work, and prioritize honoring God. This means creating environments that reflect God’s kingdom values, including allowing people to worship on Sundays.
4. We use our wealth to spread the Kingdom
Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that God gives us the ability to produce wealth, not just for personal gain, but to advance His Kingdom. As believers, we are called to steward our finances in a way that reflects God’s mission, investing in the expansion of the gospel, meeting needs, and helping to establish justice and mercy on earth.
Money is not evil, but the love of money is evil. Money can also be used to advance the kingdom.
I.E., God was able to use “The Good Samaritan” because he had wealth (Luke 10).
God used Joseph of Arimathea who buried the body of Jesus because he had financial resources.
God used Lydia, who had her own business and started a church because she owned a home and was a business owner (Acts 16).
5. We are called to reflect Christ by serving our communities
Titus 2 and 3 show us that we are not just called to serve within the walls of the church, but to be profitable to all people.
2:7 says “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works …”
2:14 says Jesus purified people “who are zealous for good works.”
3:14 says “let our people learn to devote themselves to good works …”
This means our communities should see the light of Christ through our good works.
History is replete with how Christ’s followers have rebuilt cities and nations and served humanity in a way that forever impacted nations.
Isaiah 61:4 says:
“They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”
6. The Church is called to reparent and rebuild individuals
Jesus’ invitation to “follow me, and I will make you …” demonstrates the Church’s role in rebuilding lives (Matthew 4:19). Through biblical discipleship, we help people discover their God-given purpose and destiny.
Discipleship is more than instruction; it’s walking with people to see them transformed and equipped to fulfill their calling in Christ.
Jesus didn’t say, “follow me and I will give you a weekly bible study. He gave people the opportunity to do life with Him, which created the environment to make disciples and bring about personal transformation.
7. The Church participates in the renewal of all things in Christ
God called Adam to bring His influence on the whole earth.
Genesis 1:28. God’s ultimate plan with and through the church participating with Jesus is to renew all things through Christ (Ephesians 1:9-11). We are not just waiting for the second coming; we are active participants in the restoration of creation through the gospel. As we live in alignment with God’s kingdom, we anticipate the fulfillment of this promise in the climax of history with a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1-8).
Five practical takeaways
1. Embrace daily denial of self: Evaluate your life and ask where you need to surrender personal desires in favor of following Christ. This is the first step toward living a cross-shaped life.
2. Create a family discipleship plan: Begin setting time aside weekly to disciple your children or encourage your family members in the Word of God. Make your home a center for spiritual growth.
3. Work with integrity and purpose: Consider how your work can reflect God’s glory. Are you treating your employees or coworkers with dignity and empowering them, or are you merely using them to get your work done?
4. Be a faithful steward of wealth: Make a decision to invest in Kingdom causes. Pray about where your resources can make a Gospel-centered impact — supporting missionaries, funding outreach, or caring for the poor.
5. Serve your community: Identify a way to serve your community this week. Whether it’s through volunteering, meeting a need, or simply being present in a meaningful way, show Christ’s love in action.
As we participate in this process of rebuilding, God transforms us, our families, our work, and, ultimately, the world around us. Let us surrender fully to Christ and trust Him to rebuild every aspect of our lives for His glory.
Sources:Christian Post
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