Columbian Official Bans Christianity; Arrests Believers For Refusing To Renounce Faith

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A Columbian governor banned Christianity on a reservation for indigenous people and has imprisoned 28 of the natives for refusing to renounce their Christian faith.

Among those detained are two infants, both less than a year old, reported International Christian Concern last week. ICC said it has learned that the indigenous Christians have been imprisoned since October, and among those detained is a six-month-old infant.

The local governor, Jose de los Santos Sauna Limaco, had announced that Christianity was banned and called a meeting with the Kogui Christians on the Kogui reservation in northern Colombia.

After the Christians were gathered, he reportedly trapped them and imprisoned 16 individuals, including children, for refusing to renounce their faith. Since then, the number of Kogui Christians in prison has grown to 28.

ICC noted that in some regions of Colombia the governor and local authorities are given relative autonomy over reserves for indigenous tribes.

The governor reportedly wants the Kogui to maintain the traditional identity of the tribal region, including animism. He has threatened to imprison all the Christian members of the Kogui community unless they renounce Christianity. This could result in over 100 more Kogui individuals being imprisoned.

The governor has also refused to allow the Kogui Christians to leave the reserve to practice their faith elsewhere.

Though several Christian religious freedom groups have advocated on behalf of the Kogui Christians, the Columbian government has refused to intervene.

“By refusing to act and allowing Christians to be imprisoned, the Columbian government has shown that it is willing to ignore its own constitution and its international agreements including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” said Logan Maurer, regional manager at ICC, in a statement. “Just because these injustices are happening in an indigenous community does not mean these people do not have basic human rights.”

The population of Colombia is 90 percent Roman Catholic, according to the CIA World Factbook. Yet curiously the Colombian government has apparently refused to act on behalf of indigenous Christians.

Keep the faith!
Why are so many people against Christianity? And how did this start? Surely they could not have just banned Christianity out of no where right?

Perhaps the dictator wants to be worshipped?

I don't blame the Christians for hanging on to their faith in Christ, and I pray that God's Holy Spirit
be with them constantly.

Well we know all men must give account to God.
I'm proud of the Christians who keep their faith even after all the oppression.

More than that PUSH, I am sure they have the peace of knowing they have done what Christ would have them do.

It sounds like this governor doesn't want this indigenous tribe to be"ruined"by Christianity and lose their identity as has happened to others.The reality is these people as all of us can only find our real identities in Christ.I pray God give them the faith and courage to stand strong in this persecution.

These people do indeed need our prayers, and I agree with you that God bless them to
maintain the courage of their convictions, and keep them near to Him.