Do we in American understand what persecution is?

[AnnCook]

Just throwing this out there.....

I hear and read people claiming persecution for the smallest of things in American society these days.

My mormon friends claim that ANYTHING they interpret as anti-mormon is persecution, but unfortunately anything they don't agree with as anti-mormon.

A friend of mine who smokes says that banning smoking in bars is persecution.

Another friend from church is trying to convince me that social laws about gay marriage are persecution.

I try to point out the millions of people around the world who have lost family, friends, home, jobs and even their lives because of their faith in Christ or even how they vote....and I get called names.

Are we, as a society, getting so infected with taking our freedoms for granted that we've forgotten what being truly without those freedoms would mean? Has everything that doesn't go our way just get given a label so we can claim persecution?

Worse yet, have we being spoiled children who are looking at the toy we want by any means necessary instead of looking towards the loving Father who is giving us our love and blessings?

I can't be the only person getting fed up seeing people who know better just trying to whine their way in to what they want.

 

[perkie]

people in America do take for granted the freedom we have as Christians (for now)...
if you go to persecution.com you will read terrible stories of what happens to Christians in other countries because of their faith... i.e. Indian men thrown in prison in cells with enough room for them to stand up.
i'm afraid we won't be "free" for long in this country. the Bible is slowly becoming illegal in the United States and there will be a day where we will be punished like those in other countries. i am not sure if this is true but i've been reading on various sites about FEMA concentration camps all around USA that are ready to take in Christians for persecution. i am not sure how true this is so thats why i joined this forum to ask around.
good news is, the more bad things happen the closer we are to Jesus's Second Coming.

 

[tcwoods91]

Just throwing this out there.....

I hear and read people claiming persecution for the smallest of things in American society these days.

My mormon friends claim that ANYTHING they interpret as anti-mormon is persecution, but unfortunately anything they don't agree with as anti-mormon.

A friend of mine who smokes says that banning smoking in bars is persecution.

Another friend from church is trying to convince me that social laws about gay marriage are persecution.

I try to point out the millions of people around the world who have lost family, friends, home, jobs and even their lives because of their faith in Christ or even how they vote....and I get called names.

Are we, as a society, getting so infected with taking our freedoms for granted that we've forgotten what being truly without those freedoms would mean? Has everything that doesn't go our way just get given a label so we can claim persecution?

Worse yet, have we being spoiled children who are looking at the toy we want by any means necessary instead of looking towards the loving Father who is giving us our love and blessings?

I can't be the only person getting fed up seeing people who know better just trying to whine their way in to what they want.

No, most Americans do not understand what persecution is. I've heard of churches in other countries praying that the American church starts being persecuted more. This may seem to be a crazy thing, but I can understand why. Persecution to a certain point can strengthen the church. It would certainly make people take their faith more seriously. In general from what I've seen, we as Americans are so caught up in our stuff, as well as our comforts that we often don't depend fully on God. We start believing that we are capable, when the truth is that we can do nothing apart from God. If your life is at risk for following Jesus chances are that you're going to take following Him pretty seriously. Without persecution it is easy to become complacent in faith and thus we look much like the world.

 

[All Englands Skies]

In America and Europe and the western world, i dont think we are persecuted.

We are disrespected and insulted and stereotyped, but not persecuted.

Communist (if you can call China, North korea that anymore), Islamic lands, Even India, also Burma etc is were real persecution happens.

 

[Contented]

There is a website called Opendoors. Whenever I check my email and see the things that many people suffer in Muslim countries, I realise that people who live in the USA and the Caribbean and for that matter the Western World do not know what persecution is. Some people in muslim countries have been killed for their faith. What we call persecution is nothing more than personal things that might bother us but to call it persecution would be incorrect.

 

[czilla85]

Where most people in the US do not understand the true concept of persecution, I would like to point out that any attack, big or small, on a religion or people, is persecution by definition. Most of the world faces physical struggles (death, beatings, rape, etc.), things we in the US commonly do not see due to persecution. But we do see people criticizing us, cursing us, passing laws against us, not allowing us to pray, not allowing religious freedom even though the law clearly says we have it. So yes, even though it is drastically different, we have our own brand of persecution.
That said, I do feel some people take their idea of persecution a bit too far. Some people take another's disagreement with them as persecution, etc. That concept is ridiculous. I am sick and tired, however, of how every time I turn on the TV, someone else is criticizing Christianity and Christians. (Read my Attack of the Show post.)

XP

 

[cobweb]

I've posted similar things in this forum before. I know people who have faced real persecution. There is an elderly woman in my parish who's parents gave her an icon to hold, hid her under some clothes in a basket and smuggled her out of Russia during the revolution. There is another elderly man in our parish whos father was murdered as the rest of the family escaped to China.

 

[Valujira]

Americans are not like all the world, they talk their language and all the earth must learn it, they force this. The chosen language shall be Esperanto, easy and no religion speak it, it is national.
But they maybe understand it....

 

[Roshana]

I just joined this forum and i wanted to say that i believe that most Americans have no concept of persecution.persecution is what any minority goes through daily in my country.It means living in fear.being afraid of the songs you have in your laptop.the bible you have hidden in your library or the one you have in your cell phone. trusting no one even your family members.tolerating all the ignorance and mocking around you and pretending to feel the same as others.knowing that one mistake could throw you in the merciless hands of government and in spite of all these keeping your faith.
What most of you have is a precious gift of God that is given to you through the sacrifices and efforts of your fathers.please never ignore it.

 

[peter222999]

In my opinion, other than 9/11 we have never known the physical and political suffering others have. I stop and think in 46 years, have I ever really had to miss a meal, have I not had shelter, even if it was the homeless shelter a few times. Now I realize this is my life not all Americans, but as a whole we have the safest country I know of to live in. There are however signs everywhere that as Christians any how are losing our rights, and this is just as the bible
predicted in general.

 

[Avelina777]

Just throwing this out there.....

I hear and read people claiming persecution for the smallest of things in American society these days.

My mormon friends claim that ANYTHING they interpret as anti-mormon is persecution, but unfortunately anything they don't agree with as anti-mormon.

A friend of mine who smokes says that banning smoking in bars is persecution.

Another friend from church is trying to convince me that social laws about gay marriage are persecution.

I try to point out the millions of people around the world who have lost family, friends, home, jobs and even their lives because of their faith in Christ or even how they vote....and I get called names.

Are we, as a society, getting so infected with taking our freedoms for granted that we've forgotten what being truly without those freedoms would mean? Has everything that doesn't go our way just get given a label so we can claim persecution?

Worse yet, have we being spoiled children who are looking at the toy we want by any means necessary instead of looking towards the loving Father who is giving us our love and blessings?

I can't be the only person getting fed up seeing people who know better just trying to whine their way in to what they want.

AGREED!!! You have no idea how fed up with whining i am. We have no idea in the west what real persecution is. Hence why we are embracing Islam so much. Christian Pastors, families, children, murdered everyday!!!! Why can't we open our eyes and STOP this coexist non-sense!!!

 

[Sketcher]

Many here don't get it, unfortunately.

 

[Albania1]

some may. i wouldn't generalize and say ALL americans don't understand persecution. some may have, even though it might of been minor and negligible. most probably haven't though

those who say europeans haven't either are wrong. there are two sides to europe, not just western. persecution is where all religious materials are banned, all churches and mosques and synagogues are either destroyed or abandoned, or used for other purposes. it is when going out in a public area and simply muttering the words "praise the lord" or even announcing your belief in christianity, islam, or judaism (rather anything but atheism) will earn you a nice vacation straight to jail or a work camp

 

[Seeking His Face]

Just throwing this out there.....

I hear and read people claiming persecution for the smallest of things in American society these days.

My mormon friends claim that ANYTHING they interpret as anti-mormon is persecution, but unfortunately anything they don't agree with as anti-mormon.

A friend of mine who smokes says that banning smoking in bars is persecution.

Another friend from church is trying to convince me that social laws about gay marriage are persecution.

I try to point out the millions of people around the world who have lost family, friends, home, jobs and even their lives because of their faith in Christ or even how they vote....and I get called names.

Are we, as a society, getting so infected with taking our freedoms for granted that we've forgotten what being truly without those freedoms would mean? Has everything that doesn't go our way just get given a label so we can claim persecution?

Worse yet, have we being spoiled children who are looking at the toy we want by any means necessary instead of looking towards the loving Father who is giving us our love and blessings?

I can't be the only person getting fed up seeing people who know better just trying to whine their way in to what they want.

I would think that true persecution is not simply bearing reproach for His name, but being beaten, hunted, imprisoned, and killed.

We in the United States do not know what real persecution is. Go to Saudi Arabia or Pakistan and try preaching the gospel on any street corner and you will soon find out what it means to be persecuted.

If they cry persecution every time someone attacks them verbally or tries to take away one of their fleshly indulgences, what will they do when they are faced with physical violence and death?

The true mark of self-denial is not a willingness to merely suffer reproach for His name, but to endure trials, tribulations, and suffering even unto death.

 

[Chamdar]

In America and Europe and the western world, i dont think we are persecuted.

We are disrespected and insulted and stereotyped, but not persecuted.

Communist (if you can call China, North korea that anymore), Islamic lands, Even India, also Burma etc is were real persecution happens.

Agreed.

 

[Chamdar]

Many here don't get it, unfortunately.

What do you mean by that?

 

[PastorVoce]

I agree with you as true religious persecution has a high price, usually imprisonment, beatings and death. Christians in China for instance can worship Christianity, but dictated by the State. Truly free worship is held underground.

 

[LeannaM89]

In America and Europe and the western world, i dont think we are persecuted.

We are disrespected and insulted and stereotyped, but not persecuted.

Communist (if you can call China, North korea that anymore), Islamic lands, Even India, also Burma etc is were real persecution happens.

Agreed. I've been all of those and harassed, but not really persecuted like people in other countries have. I admire missionaries, since they face real persecution.

Of course, it can hurt when people say bad things about you.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:10-11

Hopefully being insulted and persecuted (if we are) strengthens us. Being too comfortable can be a bad thing.

 

[Jacob069190]

Agreed. I've been all of those and harassed, but not really persecuted like people in other countries have. I admire missionaries, since they face real persecution.

Of course, it can hurt when people say bad things about you.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:10-11

Hopefully being insulted and persecuted (if we are) strengthens us. Being too comfortable can be a bad thing.

Amen, i believe that such long periods of peace weaken our resolve, if americans had to face true persecution our country would be a lot better off, because there wouldn't be any lukewarm christians flip-flopping on issues god is and has always been against.

 

[LisztLover]

I'm not sure if what I experience is Christian persecution. I go to a high school here in America, where all sense of morals and decency comes to die. And I come to school with relatively formal, dated dress (suit with a bow tie), and I'm tortured for it. With my Christian beliefs, I feel very uncomfortable wearing such indecent clothes and talking with such vulgarity, and others interpret this as me being homosexual (I'm not gay). Where do they get this idea? I have no idea. They make fun of me, telling me to squat in a church. Which is interesting, because I never talk about my faith much in public. I just tell them that I'm morally opposed to vulgar language and indecent clothing. Does this count as persecution? I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm the most miserable person I know, and continue to beg Christ to help me.