Talk To Action, Sun, Jan 20, 2013 at 6:06 PM
“It has been often pointed out that the alleged persecution of the American Christian Right is, to be polite about it, baloney. But Dr. James F.
McGrath, the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, a man who knows history as well as
theology, has something more to say to American Christians who cry persecution when things don’t quite go their way”
Christians and Persecution, Then and Now
find it both sad and laughable at the same time that both Protestants and Catholics are claiming that they are being persecuted when their views are no longer taken for granted by others, or they are not given access to a particular platform to promote their views.Having recently completed a study of the Book of Revelation in my Sunday school class, the persecution of Christians during the reign of Nero is the first of many instances of real, genuine persecution that comes to mind.
Nero blamed Christians for the fire in Rome, and as a result Christians were killed, often horrifically.
Compare the past half a century and down to today. Christians have been involved in some genuinely horrific acts. Child molestation – and covering it up. Opposing racial integration. Picketing funerals. It makes peddling lies and undermining education seem minor by comparison, but some Christians have done that and continue to do that too, and much else besides.
What’s my point? Today one would not have to invent trumped up charges against Christians in order to persuade people to persecute us. There are enough instances of evil perpetrated by those who wear the label, that it would be easy to tar us all with the same brush.
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