Followers of Jesus die for their faith everyday

Photo by Ovinuchi Ejiohuo

Most people who are not Christians, especially in Western nations, are unfamiliar with the data around how many followers of Jesus die for their faith each year. But this topic has hit headlines recently due to a spate of kidnappings of Christians in Nigeria, which also happens to be the deadliest nation for Christians, with thousands of people killed for their faith each year.

Rapper Nicki Minaj, about whom I know very little, gave a speech at the UN several days ago on the topic. There is a lot of debate about her appearance, including whether she was genuine, and whether the claims from her and the Trump administration surrounding Christians being killed are being blown out of proportion.

The response to her appearance is all very politicized, but the truth is that around the world, Christians are dying for their faith. Statistically, on average, multiple Christians die in Nigeria alone each day.

The interesting thing about Christians persecuted in other nations is that although many Western Christians would like to see the violence and oppression stop, many followers of Jesus living under oppression tell us in the West not to pray for the persecution to stop, but that they might remain faithful in the face of it.

You can learn more about this phenomenon here, here, and here. And you can read more about the situation in Nigeria here.