I thought that the above map, copied from Friday’s Le Figaro, gives cause for thought at this time of year, as we Europeans freely celebrate, or not, the Christmas festival. The red areas show where Christianity is forbidden and repressed by the state, while the brown areas show where Christians suffer endemic violence and discrimination. Spare a thought for them.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Good morning Tom, happy boxing day to you and yours.
Many thanks, Val, and to you, love.
Hello Tom. I have looked for this on Le Figaro; do you have a link to the original article?
Best wishes as well
Tom, in a number of the countries where Christianity is being shown as “interdit” – forbidden – what in fact is forbidden is proselytising. I have a marked aversion myself to people banging on our door dressed in suits and ties, clutching bibles and asking if I have embraced Jesus, and wouldn’t be unduly upset if proselytising was “interdit” in our own neck of the woods.
On a personal basis, and more serious note, I believe that no country which prevents the building of churches on their territory, and the free public worship by Christians, should be entitled to build mosques and have their followers worship publicly in the UK. This would certainly set the religious cats amongst the godless pigeons.
Sometimes I have the feeling that religious leaders in the Islamic world particularly are so insecure in the adherence of their own followers, to the teaching of Islam, that they are concerned that a large number may commit apostasy, given the opportunity through proselytisation. I have no evidence whatever for this perception, but it is there, nevertheless.
After all, in how many religions, oother than Islam, is the death penalty laid down for conversion? It doesn’t strike me as the mark of a faith confident in its own supremacy…
This applied to christianity of course several centuries ago, for switching just from one sect to another, but I mean in the 21st century.
CWJ, “no country which prevents the building of churches on their territory, and the free public worship by Christians, should be entitled to build mosques….in the UK.” I’m not aware that countries do build mosques. Muslims do.
Claire, I’m afraid not. The map was in the Le Figaro Magazine last Friday, along with a number of articles, each dealing with the situation in a different country, Egypt, Saudi Arabia etc.
CWJ, I am not a Christian, and tend to share your dislike of the knock on the door. As for the reciprocal banning of mosque building, Janus is strictly correct in his remark, but overlooks the fact that mosque building in the West is financed by Islamic countries, most notably Saudi Arabia.
Janus, Tom is quite correct. I am not sure if you realize it or not but the Saudi Arabian Government finances a large number of the mosques constructed in the UK for example. Obviously builders build mosques, but someone has to pay for them…