Alibris Secondhand Books Standard

Thursday, March 08, 2007

persecution

Persecution can take many forms.

In Zimbabwe, hundreds of thousands have lost their homes or livelihoods as a result of Operation Murambatsvina.

In China and elsewhere, children and adults are forced to work in hazardous conditions for miniscule wages in sweatshops.

In the Sudan, Janjaweed militias roam the Darfur countryside looking for refugees to murder.

In many countries, critics of the government just disappear.

And in the United States of America, retail clerks sometimes say "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

It's common in some circles to claim that the U.S. is a difficult place for Christians. Such a thought would be laughable but for the reality that persecution is a fact of life in many places in this world. To suggest that most American Christians face anything remotely resembling persecution is to show disdain for millions of people who are suffering at the hands of ruthless, brutal, oppressive governments around the world.

I may have more to say about this later.

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5 Comments:

At 3/11/2007 7:54 AM, Blogger Bad Alice said...

One quality I like about where I work (a very conservative denomination) is that the director has always taken care to mention in discussions about persecution that we in the US have no idea what persecution is--and it isn't someone disagreeing with your beliefs.

 
At 3/11/2007 4:56 PM, Blogger John said...

You're right -- it is a stupid claim by American Christians that they face persecution. Americans don't know what real persecution is like.

 
At 3/12/2007 8:32 AM, Anonymous Quietpaths said...

I have sensed for a long time that we, as Christians, would feel more engaged (perhaps not more accepted) culturally if we could manage to live the Gospel. There is much cynicism and skepticism in our society as a whole, and rightfully so.

 
At 3/16/2007 12:59 PM, Blogger John Wesley said...

I should not dare to interrupt your more weighty affairs with a letter of mine, did I not hold you to be a disciple of Him who would not have the smoking flax quenched nor the bruised reed broken. But since I am entirely convinced of this, I beg of you that in your prayers and the prayers of the Church that sojourns with you, I may be commended to God, to be instructed in true poverty of spirit, in gentleness, in faith, and love of God and my neighbor. And, whenever you have a little leisure, do not disdain to offer to God this short prayer, which I have heard frequently offered by your brethren at Savannah (would they were mine also!):

Then the dauntless mind
Which, to Jesus joined,
Neither life nor treasure prizes,
And all fleshly lusts despises,
Grant him, Highest Good,
Through Thy precious blood.

God's most humble servant, I remain,
John Wesley

 
At 3/18/2007 8:02 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

We endure the horrors of (shudder)seeing prayer taken from the public schools and Christmas trees removed from city hall. Oh, Lord! How long, how long?

http://www.jonesfiles.com/blog.html

 

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