By Lisa Navarrette, ICC Fellow Laws and court systems create the framework for economic persecution. Social hostility often carries it out. Even when laws appear neutral, communities can make it clear to Christians where the boundaries of opportunity lie. Economic exclusion does not always need official legislation to take effect. It can be enforced through rumors, boycotts, intimidation, and social pressure. These informal channels are strong enough to destroy livelihoods without a single court order. For many persecuted Christians, the most immediate threat is not a judge’s ruling but a neighbor’s accusation.