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‘Extreme Persecution’: This Graphic Shows the 50 Worst Countries to Live in if You’re a Christian

Jan. 9, 2013 11:59am Billy Hallowell

Christianity is the majority religion in the United States, so it’s easy for believers to take for granted the rights they so regularly enjoy. From praying and worshipping in public to attending Sunday worship services, practice of one’s faith is generally accepted — even encouraged — in America.

But this isn’t the case in many other nations, in which religion, itself, is banned or where one faith system is permitted and touted, with all others being continually denigrated. In many localities, Christians (not to mention people who subscribe to other, non-majority faith systems) are systematically targeted, mistreated and, in extreme cases, killed because of their theological views.

Open Doors USA Releases 50 Countries With Worst Persecution

A map that shows concentrations of Christian persecution across the globe (Photo Credit: Open Doors USA)

Open Doors USA recently released its annual “World Watch List,” a ranking of 50 countries that exposes the places Christians are most persecuted across the globe. According to the organization, which works to deliver the gospel to believers in troubled areas, the list includes individuals in all Christian denominations within an entire nation. And rather than focusing upon economic, political, ethnic or social persecution, the rankings only include faith-based affliction.

Here’s a video describing the 2013 “World Watch List”:

The top 50 countries that are listed are labeled with varying levels of concern. From “extreme persecution” on the high end to “sparse persecution” on the low end, a brief description of the conditions for Christians on the ground is given for each of the listed nations (read about the methodology here).

The first 11 countries listed are all labeled “extreme” in terms of the level of persecution that Christians within their boundaries encounter. Once again, North Korea captured the organization’s top spot, with Open Doors providing the following description of the dire conditions there:

For the eleventh year running, this is the most difficult place on earth to be a Christian. One of the remaining Communist states, it is vehemently opposed to religion of any kind. Christians are classified as hostile and face arrest, detention, torture, even public execution. There is a system of labour camps including the renowned prison No. 15, which reportedly houses 6,000 Christians alone. But despite severe oppression, there is a growing underground church movement of an estimated 400,000 Christians.

Here’s the list of the 11 most Christian unfriendly countries:

Photo Credit: Open Doors USA

And here’s the larger list of 50 nations that qualify as having at least mild level of Christian persecution:

Photo Credit: Open Doors USA

To see the complete report and to read the details for each country, visit the “World Watch List” web site.

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Comments (171)

DeavonReye
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:22pm
I will say, with no apology, . . . Islam has become the most dangerous religion of the modern times. That they cannot comprehend their religion being absurd, and even being violent to promote it, it is a religion that either needs to be changed by those who AREN’T violent, or done away with. Their claims are entirely bogus. No other way to state it.

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- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:56pm
  What’s with this outlier country in South America? Odd
  
  Report this comment
- DeavonReye
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:02pm
  Yeah, I found that odd as well.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:09pm
  I did some research, it’s Colombia, a dictatorship. Egalitarian regimes rarely take kindly to religion.
  
  If a man or woman has loyalty to a set of ideals over the government’s mandated thought, that spells disaster for their grip of power, which is why despots try to quell religious freedom or otherwise freedom of thought.
  
  Report this comment
- Unshod
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:12pm
  The South American country is Colombia.
  
  “Large areas of the country are under the control of drug cartels and paramilitary groups. Most Christian persecution comes from the alliances that exist between non-Christian indigenous population and paramilitaries, who view Christians who openly oppose their activities as a threat. At least five Christians were martyred in 2011, but it is estimated that the death toll is probably much higher. In February, a pastor and two of his relatives were killed by rebel groups in retaliation for the growth in the number of believers”
  
  Report this comment
- WildschweinJager
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:44pm
  The USA is the “Last Christian Nation”!
  
  Report this comment
- 1947
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:09pm
  Very good now Americans know that the best vacation spots are the 40 to 50 countries
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:21pm
  I would have thought the outlier country to be Venezuela. They are building mosques there, preaching socialism & running out the Jews. I figure Christians cannot be far behind. There are at least weekly flight from Tehran to Caracas. If we ever go to war against Iran, there will surely be a war fought against Venezuela as well. If for no other reason that it would be a way station & supply depot for sleeper cells in America
  
  Columbia might be on the list not do to government actions but due to leftists death squads like FARC. To replace the government they have to destroy all institutions such as the church.
  
  There are Americans that go to South America to allegedly help guerillas like Lori Berenson. The left supports the Maoist Shining Path in Peru. Did any of those Americans realize that Maoism did not work in China that they abandoned it around 1980? If Tiamen Square had succeeded how many Chinese would say they like Mao? SHining Path, FARC, American leftists, there is not much difference.
  
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- oddknocker
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:41pm
  I think someone colored the map wrong. Columbia is #46 on the list?????
  
  Report this comment
- bobbiejean
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 4:26pm
  @DEAVONREYE You mean (gasp) that this religion, which claims it is one of peace,
  does not look kindly on other religions? Shocking, just shocking.
  
  Report this comment
- Jim S
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 5:49pm
  Odd that we have troops in 3 of the top 4 nations and “advisers” in 28 others…reminds me of the Northern Army soldier asking the Confederate soldier why they were fighting and the answer was…” cause you’re here.”…if we leave they will kill each other…give it a try…
  
  Report this comment
- VanceUppercut
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 5:58pm
  @DeavonReye
  
  Yeah, they can’t see how ridiculous their religion is. Now let’s pray to a man who walked on water, then died and came back to life.
  
  Report this comment
- Vincero
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:03pm
  Wasn’t that long ago that Mexico was very hostile to Christianity, too.
  
  Report this comment
- valiant1776
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:14pm
  Hm, what do all the following nations which are in the top 50 nations that in some form or another persecute Christians have in common?
  
  Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Tanzania, Jordan, Kenya, Colombia, Indonesia, Uganda, and Kazakhstan.
  
  Muslim Brotherhood Egypt? Seriously?
  
  The US government gives them all foreign aid, our tax dollars! What the heck are we doing? If we seriously believe we can appease nations by giving them money we have a long way to go before we truly abandon all this socialist crap here at home. Man, have we become a group of pansies or what?
  
  I’m pretty sure the Lord God of the Holy Bible was serious when he said this:
  
  “When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword.”
  
  Did you read that? They shall be tributaries to us!
  
  God further warned:
  
  “Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.”
  
  Report this comment
- MarsBarsTru7
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:26pm
  How the heck did Turkey not make the list? Ask an Orthodox Greek or Christian Armenian or Kurd how friendly the Turks are to Christians.
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:32pm
  Cabrito,
  
  I think you didn’t do any research. I’m from Colombia and mostly all said by Walkabout is true. We don’t live in a dictatorship, that’s Venezuela and Cuba under Castro and Chavez. We have the most solid democracy in Latin America, because, unless the rest of the South American countries, we didn’t have any military dictatorship or cop d’état in the last century (We had something in the 60’s and it only lasted 5 years). Despite the fact we have Marxist guerrilla in our country, called FARC, we have free and democratic elections for all levels of the local and national government. The system is working pretty well.
  
  This is a country very religious and mostly all population is Catholic. The so called study is a surprise for me as Christian because I never heard of religious persecution in this country before, and I consider myself a well-informed person. You can check the comments about this story on the Colombian news outlets and you can see everybody is kind of shocked with this study. We have mainly three problems here: Drugs, corruption and guerrilla. We don’t have big problems related with persecution due religion, race, sexuality, etc.
  
  The guerrilla is acting in very remote and distant areas from the main cities and everybody is a target for them, so I don’t know if the study is talking about some Evangelical pastor that could be killed or harmed by the Marxist guerrilla in those areas. Besides, since this is a Catholic country, every o
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:33pm
  …Besides, since this is a Catholic country, every other Christian group is called “Christian”, and it includes all protestant denominations. Sometimes, some priests of the Catholic Church tend to warn about the growth of those denominations, afraid because they are losing their congregations in hands of the Evangelicals. That’s the only kind of “persecution” that I’m aware of, and it’s very, very, uncommon. In the past, I’ve been even doing some volunteering in very poor areas (Dangerous places full of gangs) and we’ve been welcomed even by the gang’s members….to talk about Jesus!
  
  European NGO’s are allies of the Marxism, and my country suffers the continuous attacks from these European organizations when they are trying to give legitimacy to the guerrilla. We are mostly a right leaning country, and probably the only one that lasts in South America along with Chile. The rest of them are left leaning, and mostly because Chavez was behind the financing of the election of some of their presidents during the last 13 years. We are the only country backing Israel is South America…mostly all of the weapons of the Colombian Army are from Israel and USA. The rest of the countries are against Israel, and Venezuela, a very close ally of Iran, is helping to spread Hezbollah across all Latin American countries.
  
  Anything you need to know, please feel free to ask…
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 7:01pm
  GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  
  “European NGO’s are allies of the Marxism, and my country suffers the continuous attacks from these European organizations when they are trying to give legitimacy to the guerrilla”
  
  1″Ill-Fated Fellow Travelers Meet the Real Middle East
  
  before settling in Afghanistan the couple had been travelling for over a year around many other Third World countries, in Latin America and in the Asian subcontinent, also working with local NGOs, so we might as well take at face value their idealism. In fact, even Joshua’s marriage to Zaynab Khadr, which lasted for less than a year, might be part of the same anti-Western political activism more than an attempt at a meaningful relationship.”
  
  http://frontpagemag.com/2013/zeno-cosini/ill-fated-fellow-travelers-meet-the-real-middle-east/
  
  ***
  Did not Zeno Cosin & GBTV_FAN call it or not?!?
  
  P.S. these leftists after doing journeyman work of hurting people in South America for the left got pawned in Afghanistan, because they were that smug, stupid & hateful.
  
  Report this comment
- Wolfgang the Gray
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 8:40pm
  The only one of these countries I was ever in was Saudi Arabia (to protect them from the Iraqis). They forbid Bibles in their country (against Sharia Law), so I snuck mine in on my computer. Short of the oil, I just don’t understand why we risked our lives for people that hate us. They didn’t change their ways to show appreciation for what we did so they kind of played us for saps. We need to get to drilling here in the US (Unless Obama is keeping our energy resources untapped so he can give them to the Chinese when they call in the loan so we can FINALLY become energy independent & take away a significant source of income for Islamic terrorists.
  
  Report this comment
- MimiMoore
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 9:18pm
  I don’t see any places on this list that I would prefer to be or emulate in general. This is an oppurtunity to use indirect learning. We seem to be overrun by the hands-on direct learners needing to know things first-hand.
  
  Report this comment
- Mulder1
  Posted on January 11, 2013 at 4:16pm
  Yes, Christians are persecuted in virtually every Muslim country. Jihad Watch: http://www.jihadwatch.org
  Fight Radical Islam: http://www.radicalislam.org/
  Religion of Peace? http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
  
  Report this comment
jakartaman
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:21pm
Nothing for nothing but just maybe Christian countries should reciprocate on Muslims and others to have those countries see that two can play that game and maybe they would change there ways.
However, I know we are weak and will not do a darn thing. We are screwed again!

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- PK_SEA
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:46pm
  If Christians acted like Muslims, then we would be no better than them. That isn’t to say that Christians need to stand up and be slaughtered, but instead stand up and fight the oppressors by winning the hearts and minds of the people in those countries. Better to die a martyr than a blind sheep.
  
  Report this comment
- Rald277
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:09pm
  Better to be the sword of God.
  
  Report this comment
- Freedomlover_US
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:44pm
  I don’t want to live in a Christian version of Iran or Saudi Arabia, and I really want to have nothing in comon with North Korea
  
  Report this comment
- From Virginia
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:28pm
  @Freedomlover – I love it when you people call us American Taliban when we are just trying to turn back the clock to a time when we lived by the golden rule and society was gracious and polite to one another. During the great depression (when we didn’t have any damned muslims here) people did not fear sleeping outside and they all pitched in to help on another. We are not those people any longer – but we’re evil for wanting to be.
  
  You people are just plain amoral and evil.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 3:49pm
  ♪♪ God Bless America,
  Land that I love.
  Stand beside her, and guide her
  Thru the night with a light from above.
  From the mountains, to the prairies,
  To the oceans, white with foam
  God bless America, My home sweet home. ♪♪
  
  Report this comment
huey6367
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:19pm
Why would I want to live in any of those crappy countries?

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- Protoham
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 4:16pm
  The point is they are crappy because their governments think they are God. This is common among Communist, Socialist, Nazi, Dictators, democrats, etc – destroy religion because they can not stand the idea that there is something greater than themselves.
  
  Report this comment
- WalkThePath
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 5:38pm
  Yes, they follow their own God as man, and refuse to follow the christian God as man. However, those who read the bible will realise that God is God, and Man is Man, no matter who comes along claiming to be “divine”.
  
  Report this comment
- Rafael_River-Rock
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 11:04pm
  In the defense of the Colombian Christians:
  The local “Guerrillas” (Terrorists) follow either Marxist-Leninist or Maoist communism and as such, oppose religious practices because they “oppress the free will of the people”. Because of that they believe that the catholic church (biggest christian community in the country) must be erradicated for the people to “pregress”
  PS: the country is actually considered a catholic mayority nation and a lot of the population tends to be of a conservative-right point of view
  
  Report this comment
thibx
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:05pm
what gets me is not one person in this adminstration says anything. lets see the list of muslims being persucuted in christian countries. i know we have freedom of religion but i wish everyone of them would leave.

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Im_not_crazy92
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:02pm
Having lived in South America it surprises me that Venezuela is on this list.

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- aircommando
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:07pm
  Not_crazy92, maybe a little dumb then.
  I know the map is a little small but read the list of countries.
  You lived in So. America and can’t identify Columbia from Venezuela.
  Close but no cigar.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:18pm
  It confused me for a while too, but the way to remember it is this;
  
  Venezuela is right across the water from Cuba, two countries with much in common.
  
  Report this comment
- Im_not_crazy92
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:04pm
  Ah Shoot! Oh well haha. I’m only human! Then that actually makes sense because Colombia is a front for Islamic terror groups.
  
  Report this comment
- Winedude
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:13pm
  Hola Cabrito: Venezuela and Cuba are certainly alike in their leaders and current governments but not much else. Venezuela has huge reserves of oil whereas poor Cuba is lucky if they grow a decent crop of sugar cane. How Fidel has outlasted 10+ Presidents (Ike, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush 2, and now Obama) is a damned mystery to me, as well as much of the rest of the world.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:48pm
  aircommando
  
  Columbia is #46 on the list. I do not see Venezuela on the list. Do you think that Hugo Chaves is Christian except culturally in a very residual sort of way?
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:45pm
  Colombia is not a front for Muslims….I don’t know the first Muslim here, I’ve never seen one here….we are proud Christians in this country…
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 7:03pm
  GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  I think #46 is a typo & they meant Venezuela or it is listed due to Marxist aggression against unarmed people.
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 7:23pm
  Walkabout,
  
  Thanks. I don’t know about persecution in the neighbor Venezuela. They are in fact Catholics too, but what I can say is that the penetration of Muslims in Venezuela is growing. Besides, you can see the spread of satanic cults, mostly lead by the Cuban cult called Babalawos, which is a kind of a mix between black magic, African rituals and Catholic Saints (Santeria, Vodoo, etc)….they wear mostly white clothes and you can see them walking around in Caracas.
  
  I could say that Christianity is persecuted in Colombia only by the leftish tendencies in politics. The country is right leaning, but the left is growing nevertheless….
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 7:28pm
  And the “study” left out Cuba!!!…….ohhh yes, they do promote Christianity there!!!
  
  Report this comment
Nagesh
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:01pm
Surprise, surprise. All but 2 or 3 of these 50 are because of islam and islamists doing the persecuting. islam is doubtlessly the most intolerant ideology there has ever been on the planet. Peace!

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- Xyskalla
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:00pm
  And yet many of those countries are places where Christianity is spreading the fastest. As the saying goes, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.
  
  Report this comment
- aircommando
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 8:54pm
  Walkabout,
  You lost me with your comment about who is on the list. I think that is what I was pointing out.
  Columbus–Si, Venezuela–No.
  
  Report this comment
DZ-015
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:01pm
Interesting; from the map with the article, it appears that there are three majority Muslim nations not on the list of persecutors. They are Albania, Turkey, and Bangladesh. Not so sure about Mali, Chad, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Western Sahara shows white, but that sparsely populated region is claimed by and mostly occupied by Morocco which is #39 on the list.

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- LouieKelcher74
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 12:25pm
  @Virginia – I can’t say where you were looking but this december I had to take a business trip to the north east, which is a liberal hotbed, right? The first thing I noticed was the Christmas music that was being played throughout the terminal at JFK. As I drove around I saw town after town with decorated trees in the town squares and nativity scenes everywhere… Not to mention amazingly beautiful (and often very historic) churches on what seemed like almost every corner. There were no protests or angry signs and generally everybody seemed to be happy and helpful. I’m not a Christian but I love all that stuff and I think it is a magical time of year and there should be no limits on celebrating it.
  
  The only thing I am on guard against is religious control of government. If you don’t like what’s going on in the middle east, you should be on guard against it too. I get that there are people who take it way to far, trying to ban crosses and what not but there are nuts in every group and unfortunately they are the ones that get the press (especially on this site) But back to my point, I don’t agree that Christmas has been ‘killed’ by the anti-religious. I think more accurately people are broke and don’t want to spend on decorations and energy for lights. Which I think is a far bigger problem than stores saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” and some of the other Christmas-killing acts I have seen presented on this site.
  
  Report this comment
- LouieKelcher74
  Posted on January 10, 2013 at 8:15pm
  That was a reply for somewhere else… no idea how it got here. Carry on ;)
  
  Report this comment
txs_sxs
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:53pm
If the Obama Administration gets its way, the U.S. will soon be added to the list.

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- barber2
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:18pm
  As evidenced by our atheist Lefty radicals who comment here !
  
  Report this comment
- Freedomlover_US
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:49pm
  How much power do you want Xtianity to have??? It’s already everywhere, quit whining!!!
  
  Report this comment
- From Virginia
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:51pm
  @Freedom – Where exactly IS it everywhere? I didn’t see any Christmas decorations up this year. You people have killed a cheerful holiday.
  
  Kids can’t do anything fun in school anymore and teeny towns across the country are sued by a bunch of freeloaders in Wisconsin poking their noses in these towns business because of a Christmas display or a cross on their seal.
  
  You sue to have crosses taken down from war memorials – GRAVES for God’s Sake! And yet you people see (read: FEAR) Christianity EVERYWHERE!
  
  It’s actually nowhere (unless you people plan to storm the congress buildings and the supreme court building and burn those down becuase they have the 10 Commanments in them) but we Christians are still everywhere. Is THAT what you fear? Us Christians? You gonna start burning us at the stake?
  
  Report this comment
justangry
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:48pm
That’s odd Saudia Arabia is number 2 and a member of the royal family owns a large portion of Fox News… Hmmm.

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- bobbiejean
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 4:49pm
  @JUSTANGRY, Not to worry, now that Al Jazerra owns Current TV, their views can
  be more open. Perhaps.
  
  Report this comment
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:40pm
.
We need to start eliminating the threat to our God and way of life….

Everybody Sing….

One Little, Two Little Nuclear Missile’s
Three Little, Four Little Nuclear Missile’s
Five Little, Six Little Nuclear Missile’s
No More Threat to God……

Repeat if necessary

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- The Third Archon
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:42pm
  Do you understand who nuclear weapons…work?
  
  Report this comment
- OhioRifleman
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:02pm
  What the hell are you trying to ask, Archon? That question makes no sense whatsoever.
  
  Report this comment
- Captain Crunch
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:02pm
  You seem to be the only one singing that song.
  
  Report this comment
- Locked
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:05pm
  I’ll align myself with the Decalogue’s rule that says “Thou Shalt Not Murder,” thanks.
  
  Report this comment
- WildschweinJager
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:48pm
  @SPANKDA
  
  Nuke’em til they glow. It is us or them in the long run. Last time I checked, God and Jesus don’t like their children to commit suicide. It is kill or be killed.
  
  Report this comment
- Jwmajic
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 9:12pm
  You do realize that excessive use of nukes would harm us too right?
  
  Report this comment
jessieH
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:38pm
I wouldn’t live there if I was a muslim.

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- Magyar
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:42pm
  If I W-E-R-E a Christian.
  
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stalmad
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:33pm
Prophecy is unfolding very fast these days!

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- Magyar
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:45pm
  Said the same thing just the other day…. We are racing down the road to Sodom and Gomorrah at break neck speed— Best be on the right side!
  
  Report this comment
- stablepar
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 5:22pm
  as in the days of noah….
  
  Report this comment
- stablepar
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 5:26pm
  as in the days of noah…
  
  Report this comment
lembrandt
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:31pm
Expect to see the USA on this list very soon…

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crystalsky
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:29pm
Wow That is another prophecy that came true just like the prophecy is true. They persecuted Jesus and they will persucute Christians. This alone tells you the HOLY BIBLE is the word of GOD. Because who do they persucute Christians. Even people who don’t believe in God Persucute Christians not any other religion amazing. I will take Jesus anyday.

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- ModerationIsBest
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:34pm
  I”m sure Mormons feel persecuted.
  I’m sure Jews feel persecuted
  I’m sure Muslims feel persecuted.
  I’m sure Atheists feel persecuted(though I don’t).
  I’m sure Christians feel persecuted.
  
  To me, it’s human nature to feel persecuted, to feel like everyone(or mostly everyone) is against you and are singling you out. Playing the victim card is in our nature if you ask me.
  
  Report this comment
- DeavonReye
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:36pm
  Are you saying that ONLY christianity has been persecuted? Countless religions have been persecuted. That a religion would “predict” it would be, too . . . is hardly “prophetic”.
  
  Report this comment
- oldguy49
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:37pm
  yep….but even the people that don’t believe that persucute christians will themselves be persucuted by muslims……they hate everybody
  
  Report this comment
- CWPrequired
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:42pm
  @moderation- what part of prison camps,execution and torture don’t you understand? We are NOT talking about “feeling” persecuted because you can marry the man you want to or persecuted because we don’t want to pay for abortions. You get the diff?
  
  Report this comment
- brother_ed
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:49pm
  @DEAVONREYE
  
  Every religion can point to examples in history when those who don’t hold the same beliefs of them persecuted them.
  
  I am not very familiar with how many of those religions predicted this persecution…maybe you can enlighten me.
  
  Christianity says that in the ‘last days’ persecution will increase.
  
  Sounds like a valid prophecy to me.
  
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- DeavonReye
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:57pm
  It is still too vague to be “prophetic”. It could even be considered commonplace for any religion. They start out strong, but are defeated later. The Greek gods come to mind. Roman patheon.
  
  Report this comment
- 00100111
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:46pm
  Moderation doesn’t care, he likes dead Christians. Don’t you, Mod? He would love nothing more than to round us up and gas us all, wouldn’t you, Mod?
  
  Report this comment
- PK_SEA
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:52pm
  To be fair, in North Korea (and China) you are persecuted if you are Christian, Muslim, or other…equally. All religion is banned in communist countries. If this was 1980, the Soviet Union would be on that map too.
  
  Report this comment
- Bub47
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:53pm
  Islam persecutes BECAUSE of its religion, Christians persecute IN SPITE OF of their religion.
  
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- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:57pm
  Thank you for atleast acknowledging human nature exists, Mod.
  
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- ModerationIsBest
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:54pm
  @CWPREQUIRED
  Yes, camps, torture and everything.
  
  Last time I checked, Christianity was well known for killing people for not believing in their God.
  
  @00100111
  I don’t like dead anything. And to top it off, I don’t think you’re destined for an eternity of punishment for not agreeing with me. Can Christianity say the same? Can Islam say the same? Judaism? No, they have their little special place where people who don’t agree with them get tortured FOREVER.
  
  How moral you all are.
  
  @THE_CABRITO_GOAT
  Did I ever say that there were things that humans aren’t prone to do? Evolution has its benefits….but it also has its drawbacks.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 3:55pm
  ModerationIsBest
  
  You walked that dog. I mean I figured someone would, but I am still stunned. the story is not about feelings. But go ahead & minimize it. It is called being disingenuous. It is called using euphemisms & sophistry.
  
  The story is about “systematically targeted, mistreated and, in extreme cases, killed because of their theological views.”
  
  Being killed is just a little bit different than hurt feelings don’t you a agree Moderation.?
  
  Wait don’t answer that. you would just lie & make a bigger fool of yourself.
  
  P.S. Obviously you have never done a web search on “Boko Haram” or anything else.
  
  Go here & read this blog vladtepesblog.com. Maybe then you would not be so blithe in your comments.
  
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- ModerationIsBest
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 5:45pm
  @WALKABOUT
  
  You’re missing the bigger picture. You have Christians saying on here, that being persecuted is a sign that the Bible is true because the Bible said Christians would be persecuted.
  
  You have Christians living in America, who say they are being PERSECUTED because they can’t force their religion on other people in public school.
  
  Christianity now comes at us with this sweet smile and ingratiating tone but that’s only because it has been dragged kicking and screaming through the centuries. One must not forgot how Christians acted when they were more powerful and had larger numbers.
  
  Muslims are still getting killed because of their religion as are Jews, likely even some Mormons. Some of that killing is even coming from Christians. Now yes, I know you’ll say that they’re not representing TRUE Christianity, but that’s a dishonest argument based on the history of Christianity.
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:53pm
  “One must not forgot how Christians acted when they were more powerful and had larger numbers”
  
  If what you say is true, then the ball would have never got started rolling. Outside of blue laws in Massachusetts very early on, I don’t think people were forced to do much if anything. I know you will bring up school prayer. A moment of silence would really kills a kid. First thing that came to my mind was the kids at the Catholic school, which was one of my 3 choices at one time probably did better in life than the kids, where I ended up going. That 1 minute of prayer is worth gold, God or no God. If there is no God, a prayer is simple an affirmation & I am told those work. It focuses your mind. So yes tell me the horrors of school prayer /moment of silence.
  
  “One must not forgot how Christians acted when they were more powerful and had larger numbers”
  
  Wasn’t there that one time where they tar & feathered a bunch of atheists? No, you are dreaming wake up.
  
  “Muslims are still getting killed because of their religion ”
  
  Really? Who is doing it? Right other Muslims. there were some Buddhists that killed some Muslims in Burma but the Muslims started it. They mostly do.
  
  peopleofshambhala.com
  
  Seems Sikhs have a problem too
  “EDL on grooming of Luton Sikh girl”
  
  http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=48988
  http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?pa
  
  Who does not have problems with Muslims?
  
  You really should get out more.
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 6:55pm
  Moderation
  
  Just like to bring this to your attention. I think you missed this.
  
  Malaysian Islamic Party’s cultural cleansing of Buddhists
  http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=47988
  
  Report this comment
- ModerationIsBest
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 8:10pm
  @WALKABOUT
  
  What in the world are you talking about?
  
  You feeling okay? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.
  
  Report this comment
Navyguy62
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:26pm
If we can’t prove to others how great our country is by our example of freedom…
Then we can always try to bride them with the great wealth that freedom has brought to our shores…
If we cannot bribe them with our ‘Foriegn Aid’ then we will send our corporations over to show them how great it would be for them to become like us…
This could take a really long time…

If that still doesn’t work then we will find a reason to blow them up !

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blanco5
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:25pm
Where’s the United States?

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- Locked
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:08pm
  Hard to have persecution when your religious group comprises more than 70% of the population, and over 95% of the government.
  
  Say what you want about the US, Christians are not persecuted here.
  
  Report this comment
- blanco5
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:20pm
  And yet, the gov just keeps targeting Christians.
  
  Report this comment
- AzThunder
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:47pm
  “”Where’s the United States?”"
  
  it would be listed under USSSSSSR OR U666R
  
  Report this comment
- SLEAZYHIPPOs ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPRING
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:49pm
  @ LOCKED….I respectfully disagree on the grounds that persecution takes many various forms. There is personal and institutional forms of persecution and if I read my bible correctly Jesus promised that if we walk as he did we will be persecuted in various ways, some great, some small. Often that persecution can come from our very own family members as per the teachings of Christ. And what of the ongoing issues of abortion, homosexual marriage, and contraception in Obamacare? Many religious people see these controversial issues being forced upon them in various manners as a form of persecution that violates their conscience and religious beliefs (ie persecution). While we don’t experience the same level as many other Christians in other countries I would assert that persecution occurs everywhere in one form or another.
  
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- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:03pm
  Compared to places where you can get shot for wearing a cross, (mideast)
  
  The US of A is sitting pretty in regards to religious freedom, even France.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:15pm
  To clarify my point, in France, you can’t even wear religious symbols inside government buildings. Don’t be surprised if your rosary gets ripped off by some guard.
  
  Still, it beats getting stuffed into a trunk in Jakatra or Somalia.
  
  Report this comment
- Locked
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:24pm
  @Sleazy
  
  “I would assert that persecution occurs everywhere in one form or another.”
  
  I suppose I can agree with that; though the definition of persecution used by this group is interesting. Their page says:
  “Persecution:
  Persecution is ‘any hostility, experienced from the world, as a result of one’s identification with Christ. This can include hostile attitudes, words and actions towards Christians both from within and outside Christianity’.Here we have opted for a biblical rather than a sociological definition. While the definition has its challenges due to its inclusiveness, we feel it best covers the full range of hostility that is experienced by Christians as a result of their Christian life. We believe this is better than limiting the term persecution to purely deliberate or extreme forms of suffering. We believe this because it is very difficult in practice to define what is, extreme. Often losing a job can be far worse in its effects than a beating in prison. At times, being shunned by one’s parents can be more psychologically scarring than being part of a skirmish in the street. Also, to say that persecution has to be deliberate underestimates the implicit and indirect power of culture which has built up over decades a society or situation that squeezes Christians out of normal life.”
  
  I’d be interested in the result if they applied this same test to rank countries based on persecution by Christians.
  
  Report this comment
- alinmatt
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 8:36pm
  @locked, based on that very broad definition of persecution, one might be able to say that atheists are the most persecuted group on the planet or that white people are, or brown people, or vegetarians, or meat lovers. Shoot, that definition is so definitive that it’s all inclusive. It’s a great definition when you’re trying to bolster support.
  
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alinmatt
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:25pm
I have a feeling that you’ll be a target for persecution in these countries if you disagree with the leadership in any way.

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:20pm
Soon enough the most persecuting nation will be the United States under Obama.

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The Third Archon
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:20pm
“‘EXTREME PERSECUTION’: THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS THE 50 WORST COUNTRIES TO LIVE IN IF YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN”
OMG–America isn’t one of them?! What, a, SURPRISE! Given the way the Blaze’s staff writes stories and the majority of commenters bitch on them, you’d THINK we were immolating Christians at the stake before football games and during half-time for entertainment.

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- LimitedLiabilityUser
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:27pm
  @THE THIRD ARCHON
  
  Actually, I would submit that America is the #1 worst country for Christians these days. Our country looks like Vanity Fair, and given the massive amounts of self-identified “carnal Christians”, the prosperity Gospel, and the rampant immorality, America could be considered more harmful and destructive for Christians than some of these other countries. At least following Christ in those countries has consequences. “He who desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Whoever desires to save their life shall lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake and the gospel shall save it”.
  
  Report this comment
- SLEAZYHIPPOs ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPRING
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:39pm
  Exaggeration—Sometimes a useful literary device for emphasis, sometimes a small window into the bitterness of one’s soul for any given topic. —- Past president
  
  Exaggeration is a blood relation to falsehood and nearly as blamable. — Hosea Ballou
  
  There are some people so addicted to exaggeration that they can’t tell the truth without lying. — Josh Billings
  
  Inside many liberals (radicals) is a totalitarian screaming to get out. They don’t like to have another point of view in the room that they don’t squash and the way they try to squash it is by character assassination and name calling. — David Horowitz
  
  These seemed appropriate given your numerous posts…Thank you….
  
  Report this comment
- The Third Archon
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:41pm
  LOL–thank you for proving my point.
  
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- SLEAZYHIPPOs ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPRING
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:05pm
  @ THE THIRD ARCHIE…What point? Like I said earlier, I didn’t see you really make a point. You again lumped those you disagree with into a big stereotyped group to make you look intellectually superior or level headed in comparison (no doubt this feeds your ego that we established earlier is quite needy of bolstering), but as I have already discussed with you in another post this is a logical fallacy and points to weakness/desperation in argumentation. The irony is you tried to use exaggeration in a positive way to criticize someone else negatively for their exaggeration. See a problem there my friend – hypocrisy anyone? You exaggerated the character of a group of people to condescend their exaggerations, hmmm, makes sense I guess if your a highly educated self-prclaimed “radical”. So anything of substance or objectivity to comment on? Thank you…
  
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- 00100111
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:48pm
  Hey, look! The racist, bigoted, simpleminded Archie shows up on a Christian story to post idiotic comments! Who’da thunk it?
  
  Don’t you have school to get to? Or did you quit to live in your mother’s basement?
  
  Report this comment
- 00100111
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 1:52pm
  Sleazy. He’s not a “radical”. He blogs his opinion on the internet sitting in his room in his underwear with empty soda cans all around him. He hasn’t seen the sun in days. Every now and then he attends little circle jerk sessions at a coffee shop to use the free wifi on his macbook so they can all blog about the evils of capitalism while sitting in his skinny jeans, his black rimmed classes, unshaven face and beanie hat. He’s a joke. A sad, irrelevant, useless little joke. I’d feel sorry for him if I cared.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:13pm
  Living as a dhimmi in the near east is not even close to living in America.
  
  I think the blaze did a good compilation of data, and habitually do so.
  
  Report this comment
Extremerightwing
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:16pm
We give them money, they laugh in our face!

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Aerocog
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:11pm
To think only forty, fifty years ago that map had a lot more red and orange it’s nice to realize that freedom of religion has expanded into former communist states like Russia and Eastern Europe but sad to also realize that people have known religious freedom for centuries are abandoning faith for the cold “rationality” and decay of faithlessness.

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justa_thought
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:07pm
Wow the top ten are mostly those fun lovin muslims. Go figure.

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- NickyLouse
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:15pm
  Well, to be fair, it is the largest religion in the world (unless you think Christianity is a religion).
  
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- The Third Archon
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:28pm
  Well, by your “Christianity isn’t a religion” logic (why to fall in lock-step behind the fascist Sasquatch’s talking points, BTW), “Islam” isn’t a religion–Sunni, Shi’ite, and Sufi ARE religions.
  
  But we BOTH know that’s ********–Christianity and Islam are both religions. They may be subdivided into specific sects which differ from certain core tenets, but there ARE common religious beliefs such that “Christianity” can be said to be a more-or-less coherent theological grouping.
  
  And really, this whole “is it a religion/isn’t it a religion” thing is an idiotic red herring–it doesn’t MATTER what we CALL the various sects that identify under the moniker “Christian” (or Islam, or Hindu, etc.). It doesn’t change what they ARE, what they BELIEVE, and what CONSEQUENCES their existence, beliefs, and actions HAVE–and THAT is what matters.
  
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- ModerationIsBest
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:37pm
  Oh wow, so people are really going go try and run with the “Christianity isn’t a religion” nonsense that O’Reilly started?
  
  I thought he had guts for trying to get away with it, but others are going to roll with this too?
  
  What a racket.
  
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- rosegrower
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:39pm
  @Nickylouse
  Buddhism has the largest following, not Islam. BTW, it’s safer for a Christian, a Jew or a Muslem to live in a Buddhist nation than it is for anyone other than a Muslim to live in an Islam-dominated nation.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 2:11pm
  Archie, please stay on topic.
  
  Also I was a bit surprised by India. I didn’t expect Hindi/Buddhist country to be unwelcome to Christians
  
  In my opinion, Buddhism is like the second cousin in law of Christianity.
  
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lid.smoker
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:07pm
Let the atom bombs fly!

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banjarmon
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:04pm
And the US sends them Billions of dollars a year!!!

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ChiefGeorge
Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:04pm
How many murdered in these countries?

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- kaydeebeau
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 12:19pm
  there can’t be murders in those countries – they have very restricitve, prohibitions against guns
  
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- oldduffer
  Posted on January 9, 2013 at 10:12pm
  Sure hope that was tongue in cheek, otherwise, you may be experiencing the poppy high from one of those peaceful countries.
  
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