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21st CENTURY PERSECUTION? NO WAY... Yesterday I was talking to a friend who used to live in Iran. He told me that if you claim to be a Christian, you can go hungry. Sometimes you don't eat for a week. If someone asks whether you are Muslim or Christian, and you say Christian, you stay hungry. If you say you are Muslim, you eat. He said many Christians give in, and claim to be Muslim because they are hungry. Some don't give in. Some of those die. It's strange hearing about Christians being persecuted. We read about the church being persecuted "way-back-when", but today? Yep. Today. |
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I'd like to think that it would purge the church, but in Acts, and Jesus' letters to the churches, in Revelation, they were going through tough times, and still had problems with hypocrisy, falling away, and lukewarmness. I think that, to a certain extent, overt persecution will show who is really going to stick by Christ, but...people will be people. No matter what comes. For all we know, with the "interesting" way our society likes to look at things, it might become cool to be persecuted.
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Actually, I think some of the "under-the-table" abuse that Christians here go through can be very painful, so the encouragement you give to not be ashamed is invaluable. Thanks.
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There has always been persecution of Christians right from the start - it has never stopped. In the "West" we have until now been largely unaware of it as we live in a materially prosperous, politically 'liberal' part of the world. However, I believe our turn is coming. In the UK there have recently been a number of pieces of legislation that have tried to make it illegal to criticise other people's religions or lifestyles. Although these laws will apply to everyone they will obviously affect Christians who must stand by Jesus' statement that he is the only way to God, and stand against certain types of lifestyle as being unrighteous. {I speak mainly about sexual preferences and pro-choice anti-life attitudes}. So far courageous Christians have been able to secure "free speech" guarantees in the legislation but in my view this will not be possible in the next wave of such laws which will doubtless be just a year or two ahead. If my understanding is correct a similar process is taking place throughout the Western world not just the UK. Although the forms of persecution that we in the West will experience will no doubt be mild to begin with {at least compared with the situation in places like Iran} the screw will be tightened and we will begin to understand real persecution for the first time in our lifetimes. In one sense I am obviously not looking forward to this, but in another I know it will purge the church of all who are half-hearted and strengthen us for the final wave of evangelism before the return of Christ. Peter 
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2/7/2008 4:07 am |
There has always been persecution of Christians right from the start - it has never stopped. In the "West" we have until now been largely unaware of it as we live in a materially prosperous, politically 'liberal' part of the world. However, I believe our turn is coming. In the UK there have recently been a number of pieces of legislation that have tried to make it illegal to criticise other people's religions or lifestyles. Although these laws will apply to everyone they will obviously affect Christians who must stand by Jesus' statement that he is the only way to God, and stand against certain types of lifestyle as being unrighteous. {I speak mainly about sexual preferences and pro-choice anti-life attitudes}. So far courageous Christians have been able to secure "free speech" guarantees in the legislation but in my view this will not be possible in the next wave of such laws which will doubtless be just a year or two ahead. If my understanding is correct a similar process is taking place throughout the Western world not just the UK. Although the forms of persecution that we in the West will experience will no doubt be mild to begin with {at least compared with the situation in places like Iran} the screw will be tightened and we will begin to understand real persecution for the first time in our lifetimes. In one sense I am obviously not looking forward to this, but in another I know it will purge the church of all who are half-hearted and strengthen us for the final wave of evangelism before the return of Christ. Peter "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2 v 15
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