How the Sri Lankan Easter Bombings Affects Religious Freedom Today.
Post written by Caleb Pirc – “An Explosion Creating an Explosive Culture”
Hello! My name is Caleb Pirc and I am a first-year law student at Regent University School of Law blessed with the opportunity to serve as a member of the Student Staff here at the Center for Global Justice.
I am currently working on a project with Alliance Defending Freedom International which advocates for fundamental freedoms and individuals’ inherent dignity.
I was recently doing some research on international policy and was impacted by a particular story and the results it has had on the country and the people living there.
The Sri Lankan Easter Bombings
On Easter Sunday, 2019, Sri Lanka became a victim of one of the most atrocious acts of terrorism: the bombings of churches and the murder of human life. In addition to the almost three hundred people who lost their lives that day, Sri Lanka gained a culture of animosity between religious groups, stoking fear, hatred, and distrust.
After Christian churches and other public areas were bombed, many groups started pointing the blame to alleged tension between Christian and Muslim groups as the source of the conflict, despite much of the Muslim community standing in solidarity with the Christian communities after the attack. The resulting suspicion of these minority religious groups threatens the religious freedom of Sri Lankans and often brings persecution to the Christian community. Christian pastors have been denied the ability to construct churches, publicly intimidated, beaten by mobs or even and jailed for their faith.
My Own Religious Freedom
As I write this from the comfort of a country that still respects my freedom to worship God, I am reminded of the fact that many around the world face ridicule, imprisonment, or torture for doing what I do on a daily basis. When I share what the Lord is doing in my life with a friend, when I attend church on Sunday, when I listen to a sermon on my phone, or even when I pick up the Word of God to read it, seldomly do I contemplate how others could face intense persecution for any of those actions today.
This research has made me contemplate just how narrow our focus can become as we engage in our daily activities, complain about the latest political battles, or shake our heads in dismay as relatively inconsequential inconveniences cloud our day.
Pray
May we not forget the pain that so many around the world experience as they live out their faith. Please pray for Sri Lanka, that the Lord would bring healing and restoration to a culture broken and engulfed in distrust and hatred. Pray that the Lord would move in the hearts of their leaders to bring justice and liberty in their society.
Furthermore, please join me in prayer that we would not forget our brothers and sisters in the Lord around the world and that the Lord would realign our perspectives in gratitude and humility in the midst of either the seemingly insurmountable hardships or the miniscule inconveniences we find ourselves facing every day.
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice student staff member. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.