Pastor and Five Other Christians Detained in Laos

A pastor and five other Christians were arrested by Tahae village officials in Laos as they prepared for worship services the next day.

The pastor identified as Mum converted to Christianity in 2019 after experiencing God's healing and putting his faith in Christ.

He established a Church at his home that permitted others to worship freely but a new village chief, identified as Lang, started a crackdown on Christian faith and practices.

The Constitution of Laos recognizes the right to freedom of religion of its citizens, so this act is clearly in violation of the law.

1.7% of Laos' nearly 8 million population are identified as Christians. The predominant religion of Laos is Buddhism.

According to religious group sources, rural areas of Laos are the hotbed for tensions between different religious groups, particularly between animists, Buddhists, and Christians.

Although sometimes used for ulterior motives, Christianity is one of the most liberal religions in the world as it teaches us to love those who have a different religious view than us.

"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:31

However, persecution of Christians' worldview seems to be a growing phenomenon and one that deserves our empathetic stance.