Once we faced Lions . . .
Now we’re afraid our neighbors might think we’re weird. A Christian ministry founder says he believes American Christians are not ready for persecution. I wonder what was his first clue? [HT: Dispatches]
Similar Posts
A Difference in Agendas – John 11:1-16
Byhenry
I noticed a theme in this passage that I think is important. If you look at the response of the disciples when Jesus proposes to go to Bethany (v. 7-8). They believe it’s too dangerous to go there. It appears to me that for the two days that Jesus delayed, the disciples assumed that he…
Christianity | Islam | Politics | Religion
No, Burning Books Is NOT Worthy of Respect
Byhenry
The Fifth Column has a post titled On Burning Books (HT: Divine Ripples), referring specifically to the recent burning of a Qur’an. He concludes that: It may not be prudent, it may not be useful, but it is a stand worthy of respect. I disagree. Book burning is either the petulant reaction of fearful people…
Of Strategies and Goals
Byhenry
As if it isn’t bad enough that we Christians many times cannot agree on what is essential and thus get carried away with arguments about minor details, we also sometimes have a problem distinguishing talking about a strategy from the actual goals. So we sometimes condemn brothers or sisters for disagreeing with the goals, when…
A Visit to the St. Gregory Palamas Monastery
Byhenry
Kevin at Everyday Liturgy is beginning some reflections on his visit to St. Gregory Palama monastery. This caught my attention, since my recent discussions of the atonement led to some discussion of the Eastern Orthodox view of the atonement, and thence to some articles on St. Gregory Palamas, and I now have a plan to…
Atonement | Christianity | Doctrines | Imparted Righteousness | Imputed Righteousness | Justification | Links | Soteriology
Morning Reading – 11/6/2007
Byhenry
I read a large number of blog entries each day, and I never have time to comment on everything I’d like to. Considering how many posts I do write, this may be a good thing. One way to comment without having to write is by linking to extremely good posts, and this morning provided me…
Quote on Worship
Byhenry
From C. Michael Patton: What I have been coming to realize over the years is that there is simply no one way to do church. … You need to read the whole post at Parchment and Pen to get the real drift of what he’s saying, complete with evangelical discomfort with a seeker sensitive service,…
A Difference in Agendas – John 11:1-16
Byhenry
I noticed a theme in this passage that I think is important. If you look at the response of the disciples when Jesus proposes to go to Bethany (v. 7-8). They believe it’s too dangerous to go there. It appears to me that for the two days that Jesus delayed, the disciples assumed that he…
Christianity | Islam | Politics | Religion
No, Burning Books Is NOT Worthy of Respect
Byhenry
The Fifth Column has a post titled On Burning Books (HT: Divine Ripples), referring specifically to the recent burning of a Qur’an. He concludes that: It may not be prudent, it may not be useful, but it is a stand worthy of respect. I disagree. Book burning is either the petulant reaction of fearful people…
Of Strategies and Goals
Byhenry
As if it isn’t bad enough that we Christians many times cannot agree on what is essential and thus get carried away with arguments about minor details, we also sometimes have a problem distinguishing talking about a strategy from the actual goals. So we sometimes condemn brothers or sisters for disagreeing with the goals, when…
A Visit to the St. Gregory Palamas Monastery
Byhenry
Kevin at Everyday Liturgy is beginning some reflections on his visit to St. Gregory Palama monastery. This caught my attention, since my recent discussions of the atonement led to some discussion of the Eastern Orthodox view of the atonement, and thence to some articles on St. Gregory Palamas, and I now have a plan to…
Atonement | Christianity | Doctrines | Imparted Righteousness | Imputed Righteousness | Justification | Links | Soteriology
Morning Reading – 11/6/2007
Byhenry
I read a large number of blog entries each day, and I never have time to comment on everything I’d like to. Considering how many posts I do write, this may be a good thing. One way to comment without having to write is by linking to extremely good posts, and this morning provided me…
Quote on Worship
Byhenry
From C. Michael Patton: What I have been coming to realize over the years is that there is simply no one way to do church. … You need to read the whole post at Parchment and Pen to get the real drift of what he’s saying, complete with evangelical discomfort with a seeker sensitive service,…
A Difference in Agendas – John 11:1-16
Byhenry
I noticed a theme in this passage that I think is important. If you look at the response of the disciples when Jesus proposes to go to Bethany (v. 7-8). They believe it’s too dangerous to go there. It appears to me that for the two days that Jesus delayed, the disciples assumed that he…
Christianity | Islam | Politics | Religion
No, Burning Books Is NOT Worthy of Respect
Byhenry
The Fifth Column has a post titled On Burning Books (HT: Divine Ripples), referring specifically to the recent burning of a Qur’an. He concludes that: It may not be prudent, it may not be useful, but it is a stand worthy of respect. I disagree. Book burning is either the petulant reaction of fearful people…
2 Comments
Comments are closed.
I have mixed feeling about this. I’d like to think that I’m ready to suffer persecution for my faith but who really knows what I’d do in the face of the threat of torture or painful death?
The ‘but….’ to my comment is this: I feel that many Christians cry ‘persecution’ where there is nothing other than a removal of previous privileges or unexamined presuppositions of ‘Christians Good / everyone else evil’
For instance, in the UK, there was an email circulating amongst Christians (I received a few from fellow ministers and was asked to pass it on) saying that our post office was suppressing knowledge of ‘religious’ Christmas stamps so that they could claim in a few years’ time that no one wanted them. An enquiry by another minister friend of mine to the post office received a denial along with a pointer to the post office’s website where they were clearly being marketed along with the ‘secular’ Christmas stamps.
For me, these sorts of ‘false claims of persecution’ are both an offence against truth – which Christians should defend – and they are risk fomenting a sort of ‘habit of persecution’ where none exists.
Not having ‘the upper hand’ is not the same as ‘being persecuted’ as any genuinely persecuted individual will tell you.
I’m in agreement with this and with your whole comment. That was really my point. Christians here in America (I won’t speak for your side of the pond, though it sounds like you’re saying things are similar) are complaining about minor annoyances and about people not liking them. If they complain about that, and call it persecution, what will happen if it gets real?
I grew up overseas with my missionary parents, and I recall once fleeing our home because people were on the way who were threatening to kill us. I still don’t think that was anything like was is going on in Darfur, for example, but it gives me enough perspective to cringe when someone thinks they’re persecuted because their “Merry Christmas” wasn’t appreciated.