Indonesia: Forced church closings spike

All is not well for Christians in the world's largest Muslim country

BEKASI, Indonesia – Packed into the living room of a small house here, several hundred Christians, all dressed in their Sunday best, whispered to each other over the sermon.

“But as an Indonesian and as a follower of Christ, we will still worship,” said Pieterson Purba, a visiting pastor, in response to news that local authorities planned to seal off their makeshift church and force them to move. “And with nowhere else to go, we will continue to worship right here in this house.”

A week later, on Feb. 28, an angry mob of fundamentalist Muslims attacked their morning service for the second time, demanding they leave the neighborhood...

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