By Gary Lane
CWN.com - Just south of the Yucatan Peninsula, Christians are battling some storms of their own.
Persecution of evangelicals in the Mexican state of Chiapas has intensified this year.
At least 17 major incidents have been recorded since January.
CWN's Gary Lane recently visited San Juan Chamula.
Festivals like the Day of the Dead are customary celebrations in Chiapas. Many villages throughout this southern Mexican state require residents to pay a fee to cover the cost of the events.
But many evangelical Christians say the celebrations are nothing more than hedonistic, drunken orgies. They've refused to give of their time and treasure.
Some have seen their churches destroyed as a result.
A CBN News crew arrived on the scene of a church near San Juan Chamula just hours after its destruction.
Dozens of traditionalists - those who blend pagan Mayan rituals with Catholicism - used pick axes to demolish the Prince of Peace Pentecostal Church.
The destruction of another Pentecostal church in the nearby town of Las Ollas was captured on cell phone video earlier this year.
Men armed with poles and sticks can be see knocking down the tin roof.
The attackers threatened to burn the Christians inside the church.
Church pastor Rosa Hernandez says her life is frequently in danger.
"I am threatened often," Hernandez said. "The men who did this told me they had bullets and they would kill me with a bullet because I am a leader here."
Town leaders, known as Casiques, often take steps to keep evangelicals out of their towns and villages.
Some Christians have been jailed and even killed in Chiapas for sharing their faith with non-believers or for simply venturing into traditionalist Catholic towns.
One directive from the town of San Antonio Las Rosas, dated February 13, 2005, states that it is not permitted to practice or preach a religion other than Catholicism. Those doing so will be expelled and their property seized without compensation for the benefit of the community.
Human rights attorney and pastor, Esdras Alonso, has documented hundreds of incidents. He says most have violated religious freedom liberties guaranteed in the Mexican Constitution.
"Using the argument of lifestyle and customs of the indigenous peoples, they have taken away individual rights," Alonso said. " Lifestyle and customs cannot be above the constitution."
Despite constitutional guarantees, the Casiques often enforce their own laws.
Lorenzo Lopez's cowboy hat still hangs on the living room wall of his San Juan Chamula home. The 20-year-old delighted in wearing western garb and singing Christian praise songs.
Lorenzo received Christ about two years ago at The House of Prayer, a church just down the street from his home.
He used to enjoy playing ball with his two nephews - but no more.
An angry mob killed and tortured Lorenzo for his evangelical faith.
He recently entered their traditionalist village to repay money he had borrowed to pay for his wedding.
His older brother Juan was with him and escaped the attack. Juan says he cries often because of Lorenzo's tragic death.
Other evangelicals throughout Chiapas suffer a different kind of loss. Thousands have been forced from their land and expelled from their villages simply for embracing a non-traditional faith.
Twenty-five-year-old Thomas says he returned to his home in Ocosingo to find part of it in ashes. Neighbors burned it because he was holding regular house-church meetings inside.
"We went to preach in Chilong," Thomas said. "We came late in the night - about 11:00, and we saw everything destroyed here. They don't want people to come here to hear the Gospel."
Thomas' wife, children, parents, siblings and brother's family - 15 people total - now share three small bedrooms.
He remains faithful and he says God has blessed him as a result. The house church still meets here - now outside - every Saturday evening.
And Thomas now owns an old red Volkswagen Beetle car that he uses to take the Gospel message to mountain villages.
He's praying to rebuild his home so his church can once again meet indoors when it rains.
And what if neighbors burn his house down again?
"They can take my clothes, all my property, but we are in God's hands and they cannot burn Christ and the church from our hearts," Thomas said.
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