Christian Persecution throughout history

[JohnB445]

How bad has it got, and which era was the worst?

33-300AD? Has it always been this bad? Can what happened to the martyrs be a foreshadow of what is to come in the future? Because of the book of revelation, some say this was already fulfilled when emperor Nero used Christians as scapegoats. I see a trend throughout history with Jews and Christians alike being used as scapegoats.

Many ignorant people keep blaming Jews for their problems when it's the Freemasons that are in control in my opinion.

The Freemasons founded Knights Templar, Mormonism, JW, and many other cults. Christianity condemns Freemasonry and secret societies are not biblical.

 

[JohnB445]

Notice how Islam tends to blame the Jews for 9/11
Hitler blamed the Jews
Etc.

It all goes back.

Here is what is in the Muslims Holy book about Jews, this is not a book from God!

Bukhari, Vol.4 , Hadith 176: “„Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.'“ Looting and despoiling Christians and Jews are considered good works (Sura 9:120; 4:94). Early in Muhammad‟s career, Allah taught that Jews and Christians were believers; later in Muhammad‟s career, Allah taught they were unbelievers, and could not repent to turn to Allah, even if Muhammad prayed 70 times for them (Sura 9:80).

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

While persecution existed in the Roman era I'm going to have to suggest that latter eras were more dangerous for Christians. We often forget that it was the Roman peace that allowed Christianity to spread and establish itself. Christians were free to marry whom they wanted and generally free to move about within the confines of the empire. Periods of persecution aside, the empire itself gave the Church the perfect conditions for growth which the persecution helped aide.

When Christians came under the thumb of Islam I think things became suddenly worse. Christians could not be regarded as equal citizens but Dhimmi and their position as inferior to the Muslims was constantly enforced via the Jizya. Christian men could not marry Muslim women but Christian women could marry Muslim men but their children would have to be raised as Muslims. Christians were forbidden to express ideas in public contrary to Islam and were not allowed to convert the Muslims to Christianity. They could no longer ring bells, they could not display their faith in public (with a cross) on persons or churches. The worst thing to happen was to have their boys taken away and raised as Muslims.

There are some other eras in history where particular types of Christians were subject to persecution by other Christians. England's treatment of Catholics after the Anglican Church was established, the HRE's treatment of Protestants until of Westphalia, France's treatment of the Reformed.

There are other repressions of Christianity. The USSR's outright hostility to Christianity, Orthodoxy in particular but not limited to it. How revolutionary France treated the Catholic clergy. The outright forbidding of Christianity in Japan by the Shogun and the persecutions that resulted from that. Treatment of Christians in China today (where you must be part of an authorized Church).

I'm not sure which of these represents the worst of persecutions or harsh treatment of Christians. It all seems pretty bad to me and so quantifying it doesn't benefit anyone.