Christian Persecution – East and West

Christians are suffering more persecution around the world than those from any other religion. In very broad brush terms it can be stated that in the West the main culprits are secular left ideologies, and their various laws designed to give special rights to homosexuals and Muslims, while taking them away from Christians.

And in the non-West, the main source of persecution is secular statist regimes and Muslim-majority regimes. So radical secularism and radical Islam are a common factor in so much of the persecution of Christians around the world. And this persecution continues to get worse and worse.

As to the West, I have documented countless cases of how various anti-vilification, anti-discrimination, and equal opportunity laws are being used to harass and silence Christians. The main beneficiaries of such laws are homosexuals and other sexual revolutionaries, and Muslims.

One recent report looking at the situation in Europe confirms all this. The headline is ominous: “Christians are the most persecuted group in the world, expert says”. The article begins: “In all, 15 European countries currently have laws on the books that effectively restrict the freedom of religious practice and speech of Christians, according to testimony at the annual meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), May 22 in Tirana, Albania.

“Dr. Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist and author said that Christians are the most persecuted group in the world, with one Christian being killed out of religious discrimination every five minutes, particularly in Islamic or Communist countries like North Korea.

“OSCE is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. ‘The most dangerous areas,’ Introvigne said, ‘are those which limit the conscientious objection of Christians who do not want to cooperate in abortion, the sale of abortifacient pills, or the celebration of same-sex marriage. In Europe, we have identified 14 laws that are likely to negatively affect the religious liberty of Christians in 15 countries,’ he said. ‘Fortunately, Italy is not among them.’

“In 2012, his group reported 169 rulings made in courts around Europe ‘that we judged to be dangerous to the freedom of Christians.’ Introvigne is the head of the Observatory on Religious Liberty established last year by the Italian Foreign Ministry and Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno.

“He highlighted laws which ‘limit the freedom to preach through the misuse of laws against so-called “hate speech”; those which restrict the freedom of religious education and parents’ rights to educate their children, and those which place restrictions on the use of religious symbols.’

“Introvigne warned that the ‘logic’ of anti-Christian legal discrimination in Western countries could easily lead to more violent outcomes. ‘Naturally, it would be a mistake to place homicidal violence against Christians occurring in some countries of Africa and Asia on the same plane with legal and administrative discrimination against Christians in Europe,’ he said. ‘But in terms of religious liberty, the logic of the inclined plane applies. Where discrimination becomes normal, the transition to violence is never far away,’ he concluded.

“At the 2011 conference, Introvigne said, ‘Between the 1st and the 20th centuries there were 70 million Christian martyrs and 40 million of them were in the last century’.”

Of course most of these martyrdoms, especially the more recent ones, have occurred in either communist countries or Islamic countries. A number of new books on persecution all agree that Islam is especially guilty of mass persecution of Christians.

For example, the new book Persecuted by Marshall, Gilbert and Shea puts it this way: “The most widespread persecution of Christians today takes place in the Muslim world, and it is spreading and intensifying.” I urge you to consult the volumes I list below. Some of them I have already reviewed, for example:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2013/05/11/a-review-of-crucified-again-by-raymond-ibrahim/

While sometimes the main thing we can do for persecuted brethren overseas is pray for them, as well as apply pressure through diplomatic means, home-grown persecution is something we can do much more about. We need to work against all the anti-Christian legislation which is being passed, and seek to revoke some of these really bad laws.

The various religious vilification laws, hate-speech laws, and so on are especially objectionable. But so too is much of the anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation. Our Christian freedoms are being stripped away from us on a regular basis and if we do not speak out, things will only get much worse.

For further reading:

International
Hefley, James and Marti Hefley, By Their Blood: Christian Martyrs from the Twentieth Century and Beyond. Baker, 1994.
Ibrahim, Raymond, Crucified Again. Regnery, 2013.
Marshall, Paul, Their Blood Cries Out. Word, 1997.
Marshall, Paul, Lela Gilbert and Nina Shea, Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians. Thomas Nelson, 2013.
Moeller, Carl and David Hegg, The Privilege of Persecution: And Other Things the Global Church Knows that We Don’t. Moody, 2011.
Shea, Nina, In the Lion’s Den. Broadman & Holman, 1997.
Shortt, Rupert, Christianophobia. Rider, 2012.

Western World
Folger, Janet, The Criminalisation of Christianity. Multnomah, 2005.
Limbaugh, David, Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christianity. Harper, 2004.
Wildmon, Donald, Speechless: Silencing the Christians. Richard Vigilante Books, 2009.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/christians-are-the-most-persecuted-group-in-the-world-expert-says

[847 words]

5 Replies to “Christian Persecution – East and West”

  1. Dear Bill, The people who pour scorn on Christianity in Australia will not keep me silent. Please keep up your good work.
    Regards, Franklin Wood

  2. Yes in my opinion battle harden ourselves is a must. Its going to get ugly I’m sure just a case of when. Again thanks Bill.

    Daniel Kempton

  3. Thanks Bill for keeping us informed of these articles as we never see them in the lamestream media (as you rightly put it). Case in point is the disguised ridicule we receive at work because we believe in GOD, like the other day I was told “don’t talk about something you have no knowledge about” when discussing science in the regards evolution versus creation, yet I’ve been studying and constantly keeping up to date on this subject longer than the co-worker who said it has been alive; I’m 50 and have been reading/learning/monitoring this subject since I was 19 and part of the reason I became a Christian at 25, the opinionated co-worker is 29.
    Paul Mewhor

  4. Thanks Bill. I do pray daily for persecuted Christians.
    In this month of June, Catholics tend to focus their prayer towards the loving Heart of our Saviour. I’m using this one.
    “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I come to You today to consecrate myself to you, not to bring about a new union with You but to confirm that which already exists. I am already yours Lord by creation and redemption but today I wish to become yours by voluntary gift of my entire will submitted to Yours. By this consecration,I wish to make more fully conscious, my resolve to live my life in union with You and to put my life at Your service. The more Your truths are blasphemed, the more firmly shall I believe and defend them.The more impiety seeks to extinguish my hopes of salvation, the more will I trust in Your Word and Your promises, You who are mankind’s sole hope. The more Your divinity is attacked the more will I adore You. The more Your holy law is forgotten and transgressed, the more I shall observe that law. The more the demon labours to destroy souls, the more shall l seek their salvation. The more pride and sensuality tend to destroy abnegation and love of duty, the more generous shall I seek to be in overcoming self. Oh Most Sacred Heart of my Saviour, please grant me so powerful a grace, that I may be your faithful apostle in the world, living to the end what I have promised here. By Your great mercy,may I be a means of grace to others and may we all come at last to join the whole company of saints in the eternal joy of heaven there to praise and glorify You forever with The Father and the Holy Spirit, one triune God. Amen”
    Anna Cook

  5. Dear Bill, I have just read a book about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East called “The Silence of our friends ” by Ed West. It is available only as an e-book from Amazon and costs about A$3.99. It is not very long. The main theme is that the West won’t speak out for the Christians of the Middle East.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *