Good day and welcome to the Daily Article podcast. Today is Friday, January the 3rd, 2025.

I'm Chris Elkins of the Denison Forum, narrating today's daily article, written by our senior

editor for theology, Dr. Ryan Dennison. Christianity is once again the most persecuted religion in the world, according to the latest

report from the ICC, the International Christian Concern, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C.

that has tracked the statistic for nearly three decades.

Persecution against Christians has long been a fixture of the faith in places

dominated by Islamic extremism, such as parts of the Middle East and Africa. North Korea, China, and

India are other locales where the government is known to be hostile towards Christianity. Yet, the

report found the persecution has also increased

in Latin American countries like Nicaragua and Venezuela, both traditionally Christian. As ICC President

Jeff King notes, these nations have begun, quote, the targeting of religious citizens and suppression

of dissenting voices. And they've done so largely through the advanced surveillance technology

that China has provided to the country's authoritarian leaders.

In India and Pakistan, social media has also played a role

with groups using the platforms to incite mob violence

and spread disinformation about Christian communities leading

to targeted attacks. Ultimately, the majority of the places where the church seems to have escaped

direct persecution are the countries in the West where their governments and culture have

increasingly grown disinterested in the faith, and that is perhaps the most alarming

trend of all. Christians in America are fortunate to be able to practice our faith for the most

part without fear of imprisonment or violence. However, it would be a mistake to read about

the persecution of other believers around the world and think our faith is safe

...