The persecution facing Christians is the largest "human rights" violation issue in today's world.

According to the World Evangelical Alliance, over 200 million Christians in at least 60 countries are denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith. David B. Barrett, Todd M. Johnson, and Peter F. Crossing in their "Missiometrics 2008" report in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research (Vol. 32, No. 1: 30) estimate that approximately 175,000 Christians will have been martyred from mid-2007 to mid-2008. This represents an increase of 1.2% over last year and compares to 160,000 martyrs in mid-2000 and 34,400 at the beginning of the 20th century. If current trends continue, Barrett, Johnson and Crossing estimate that by 2025, an average of 210,000 Christians will be martyred annually.