Christians in southern Mexico being forced by 'syncretists' to convert

Christians in southern Mexico are reportedly being forced by syncretists -- the followers of a hybrid faith -- to submit and convert to their religion.

"They will try to force them to convert, and if they refuse, they are banned from their villages, unable to live with or see their families," said Nate Lance, advocacy manager for the charity organization International Christian Concern, as quoted by Fox News. "When they refuse to recant their faith, they are expelled from the community."

While syncretism is, generally, an amalgamation of two or more religions, beliefs and philosophies, those in southern Mexico are said to profess to be Christian although they incorporate other traditions, myths, spiritual beliefs, and faiths into their belief system. Moreover, they reportedly consider themselves to be in the majority of the population, although around 80 percent of Mexico is Catholic.

The news outfit has reported that, in the past year, there have been a number of incidents in some states in the south of the country in which Evangelical Christians were subjected to attacks, beatings, and banishment from their villages.

Among those who experienced these are around 30 evangelical Christans who, in January, were banished by the elders from their village in Chiapas. Their homes were reportedly destroyed. In a village in Oaxaca, an evangelical Christian was expelled from his village when he professed his faith publicly, then was put in prison in March for trying to visit his family. These are but some of the roughly 150 cases in the past year of Christians being targeted, said Lance.

Lance also said that they are "equally appalled" that the state government has done little to protect religious minorities. He expressed disappointment for the continuous persecution, displacement of Christians as well as imprisonment and beatings.

"If the government does not intervene to protect religious minorities, I see no reason why the trend of increased persecution will not continue," he said.

Christopher Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, explained that many of the areas in southern Mexico are self-governing, and "if the majority of the town is Catholic, then the town activities are Catholic and anybody that declines to participate is ostracized."