Christian missionaries told to leave Nepal

Extremist groups in Nepal have warned Christian missionaries to leave the country, Fides reports.

Police battled violent protests as Nepal struggled to draft its new constitution. Reuters

Nepal is a secular state under the new constitution but an extremist Hindu group have distributed leaflets threatening Christians and warning them to leave.

"Christians have corrupted the country," the leaflet distributed by the 'Morcha Nepal' group read.

"Foreign influence have manipulated government decisions."

Despite this, Christian missionaries are continuing to work in Nepal, Fides sources said.

"Christians continue their mission of dialogue and proclamation of the Gospel of charity towards all," the source said.

However Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has pointed out that the new constitution contains an anti-conversion clause that makes "any act to convert another person from one religion to another" illegal.

The new clause is a violation of international treaties, CSW said in a statement.

article,article,article Related

"This fails to allow for choosing and changing one's faith to be seen as a positive individual choice or as a matter of individual rights, as required by international treaties which Nepal has signed and ratified," the statement read.

As well as distributing leaflets, the radical Hindu group proposed an amendment to the Charter, calling for Nepal to proclaimed a "Hindu state" again.

The amendment was rejected and Nepal remains a secular state.

However the anti-conversion clause remains, making proselytising illegal and recent bomb attacks on two churches are a worrying sign of ongoing persecution against Christians.

related articles
Anti-conversion laws threaten religious freedom in Nepal
Anti-conversion laws threaten religious freedom in Nepal

Anti-conversion laws threaten religious freedom in Nepal

Nepal: Freedom of religion now \'more at stake than ever\'
Nepal: Freedom of religion now 'more at stake than ever'

Nepal: Freedom of religion now 'more at stake than ever'

Christians under threat in Nepal as anti-conversion law passed

Christians under threat in Nepal as anti-conversion law passed

News
Bangor Cathedral spending frozen after debt concerns 
Bangor Cathedral spending frozen after debt concerns 

Spending at Bangor Cathedral has been halted after whistleblowers raised concerns about debt and how money is being spent. 

How American Gospel teams helped to revive British evangelicalism
How American Gospel teams helped to revive British evangelicalism

From the war and into the 1960s, Gospel teams formed by American servicemen on military bases helped revive many local British churches. This is the story …

Trussell Trust urges urgent policy change as food bank use hits record high
Trussell Trust urges urgent policy change as food bank use hits record high

Food bank use in the UK has soared by more than 50 per cent over the past five years, raising fresh concerns over the effectiveness of Universal Credit and wider welfare reforms in addressing the growing poverty crisis. 

Franklin Graham wraps up European evangelism congress with call to be unashamed of the Gospel
Franklin Graham wraps up European evangelism congress with call to be unashamed of the Gospel

Europe needs an "army" of "unafraid" and "unashamed" evangelists to reach it with the Gospel, Christian leaders heard this week.