The Persecution of Christians: An Update

Periodically I try to provide a brief update on one of today's most under-reported stories: the tremendous increase in the persecution of Christians worldwide. Large numbers, often hundreds at a time, of Christians have been martyred or imprisoned or forced from their homes, literally hundreds of churches have been burned to the ground, and yet we rarely hear about it on the network news or read about it in the pages of our local newspapers. And because it's such a surprise to encounter reports in the media of this ongoing and growing tragedy, I believe it's important to bring these reports to your attention whenever I do encounter them. (The photo below shows Muslim extremists attacking and burning a church in Pakistan.)

The first is from the heart of the mainstream media (ABC News), and addresses the subject of the persecution of Christians in some detail. It is especially concerned with the persecution that takes place in Muslim countries. Click here to read the story: Christian Martyrs.

The second, from the online version of the magazine, American Conservative, was written by one of their regular contributors, Philip Jenkins. It focuses on the growing hostility between Christians and Muslims in areas outside the Middle East; for example, nations like Malaysia and Nigeria. Click here to read the article: Christians and Muslims.

Another story appears in the online version of Der Spiegel, a popular German magazine (sort of their Time) and also focuses on the persecution of Christians in nations where Islamic extremism has taken hold. Like the above articles it provides an in-depth look at this disturbing and grossly under-reported trend. Click here to read the article: Christianity's Modern-Day Martyrs.

These are not "happy" stories, and they certainly do not coincide with the politically correct policies of so many media organizations; but I believe the persecution of Christians has now risen to a level at which it can no longer be ignored. We will hear more of it.

Of course, mass murder and its accompanying mayhem is an extreme form of persecution. There is a much more subtle form, one that is perpetrated not by Muslims or Hindus or any other religious group. Indeed, it is carried out by some of the least religious members of society. It is the kind of persecution that is motivated by an extreme but increasingly popular form of political correctness, the kind that can be found in our own "enlightened" Western democracies. As I have mentioned many time before, this subtle form of persecution is now well advanced in many European nations and in Canada. But it's also making an appearance here in the good ol' USA. Stopping it will require a vigilant and active citizenry.

Hey, Jesus promised we would undergo persecution so we shouldn't be surprised when we encounter it. But even during persecution -- whether of the subtle or not-so-subtle form -- we are still called to preach the Gospel, to love our God and neighbor, and to defend the Church Jesus founded.

God's peace.