Christian Persecution In The United States

Discrimination. It’s all over the world in the modern era we live in. I’m going to use the Christian belief system as a comparison to the Jews during the Holocaust. In today’s time, persecution of the Christians is a large number. If you scroll back in history to the 1940’s, the Jewish persecution was even worse…..

Part I – Intro: “An age is called Dark not because the light fails to shine, but because people refuse to see it.” (James A. Michener, Space) I am here today arguing a denied, avoided, and controversial topic [Christian Persecution]; and, I am doing this so that I can make the increasing amount of attacks on our first amendment rights known. The injustice here is not only the attacks on Christians’ rights to religious freedom, but also because it is ignored. The rights of everyone are compromised because no matter what religion you identify with or even one at all, there is a precedent being set that denying someone’s right is okay. “1,400 documented attacks on religious freedom, at a 15% increase over the past year and a 133% increase over the past five years.”

("Persecution of Christians in the contemporary world.") Young children are being kidnapped from Christian families in the Middle Eastern countries to be raised as Muslims. Children that have well enough memories to still believe their faith are put with their families and most likely killed. ( "Persecution of Christians in the contemporary world.") A recent story tells of two dozen Iraqi Christian refugees who escaped from the Middle East and across the U.S. borders. After coming into the U.S., they were refused any shelter or food; debates are being held if the refugees should be removed or not. The debate is held for the reason that there is not enough room for twenty-four people, but there is for ten-thousand Syrian

Christians were persecuted in the early centuries after Christ. When we hear about the persecution of Christians, you hear about genocide or Christians being dragged out of their homes to be eaten by wild animals. Christians were seen as traitors and were also blamed for the cause of every public disaster. Around 115 C.E, there was an emperor named Trajan. Trajan stated that if Christians refused to make sacrifices to the Roman gods then they would be punished by death. On page 88 it also stated, “...Christians would not go along with the sacrifices necessary for the good of the empire, and so were traitors of the empire.” Another known emperor was Nero. Emperor Nero was also involved in the persecution of Christians. Nero had caused a great

From verbal attacks to hostile feelings, attitudes and actions, Christians experience religious persecution in areas with severe religious restrictions. On average, there are 322 people killed, 214 churches or religious buildings destroyed, and 772 other forms of violence performed against Christians each month. According to The Pew Research Center, over 75% of the world's population lives in areas with severe religious restrictions. Additionally, according to the United States Department of State, people in more than sixty countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their

Christians have been persecuted around the world for their faith during varying periods of time since the birth of the religion. Even today there are stories of Christians being killed or beaten severely at the hands of Hindu extremists in India or in places like China and North Korea. Yet Christianity thrives as the world’s largest religion. Persecution of Christians was especially brutal and widespread during the fourth century in the Roman Empire. Christians were tortured until they denied Christ or killed if they refused, their possessions, houses and buildings were confiscated and they were forced to observe pagan sacrificial traditions. Constantine the Great’s rise to power brought about tremendous change in Roman attitudes and laws from absolutely destroying Christians to accepting, protecting and even supporting the furthering of Christianity.

Since the fifth century we have been able to count ten of the major persecutions in the early Christian church which are:

There were different reasons for other people persecuted but in my case it was my religion.

In “The Worldwide Attack on Christians,” David Aikman highlighted the different forms of religious persecution suffered by Christians throughout the world. The forms of persecution ranged from political oppression to gruesome murders. Additionally, Aikman provided a list of culprits that included familiar Islamic nations but also less familiar non-Muslim regimes. Further, he examined several factors undermining the U.S. State Department’s and President Barack Obama’s obligation to thwart religious persecution happening abroad.

Imagine being unable to pray or attend church without the risk of being murdered. Living in constant fear that your whole way of life will be swept right from under you. Would you be willing to risk your life for your religion? Middle Eastern Christians are not persecuted because they are criminals, but because of what they believe. They simply want the freedom of faith and religion that Americans experience every day. Each day, Christians in the Middle East are slaughtered, tortured, raped, kidnapped, beheaded, and forced to flee the birthplace of Christianity. If these indignities continue, Christianity in the Middle East could disappear. The persecution of Christians in the Middle East is not new. In fact, it traces back to the Roman Empire

While Americans are protected under the First Amendment to practice religion freely, hundreds of countries are not protected by their government and instead harassed for their beliefs (11 Facts). In 2006 - 2010 study conducted that Christians are the most discriminated against religious group, experiencing harassment by the government and society in 168 countries (Brandon Gaille). Christians are forced to hide their faith completely from government authorities, neighbors and often, even their own spouses and children in North Korea (Brandon Gaille). In North Korea worship of the ruling Kim family is mandated, and if you do not worship them then you are arrested, imprisoned, tortured or even killed. Many Christian families are arrested together and taking to hard labor camps where thousands die every year because of starvation, torture,

Paul Chappell, the senior pastor of a church in California stated this on the idea of persecution, “The devil doesn 't persecute those who aren 't making a godly difference in the world.” It is beyond evident that there is still severe persecution going on around the world. The question that is found quite often asked is, “How is it affecting you,” or “What are you doing for the Kingdom of God?” The very definition of persecution according to Merriam Webster dictionary is, “the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed.” We as Christians are promised persecution by Jesus in the Bible. We are told we will face hardships and will have to take a stand for what is right even though life may be difficult and some can face punishments harsh as death. There are even over 40 stories of persecution documented in just the Bible.

How many times have you been judged? Judged based on your looks, the way you act, your social position, or your Christian faith. Every day, two hundred million Christians around the world are judged and persecuted for what they put their faith in. Christians are the most persecuted religious group in history and are persecuted for their faith in more than sixty countries (“About Christian Persecution”). Persecution is a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs (“Persecution”). Even though believers face many struggles now and then, the persecution of the church is causing the church to become stronger through the hardships.

   If I were in a middle eastern country and someone evil were to ask me “Are you Christian and will you deny God?” I would say “Yes, I am Christian and no, I do not deny God.” Over 90,000 Christians are persecuted for their faith each year (Georeen Tanner). This fact is horrible and sickening. I should be allowed to live my life in any country and not be persecuted for my faith. “This summer 25 Christians were taken off of a bus and asked two questions, ‘Are you Christian and will you deny God?’” (Fr. Kurt Our Lady of Joy Parish). This question is something that no one should ask us. We should be allowed to profess our faith and not answer deep and intimate questions like those asked of the people on the bus. Our savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. I would die for God and my faith like Jesus did. I would say my Father sent a message through Christ; therefore, I need to also send a message through my love and responsibility to God. If I could change one thing about this world, it would be to have no more shaming of any  faith and

The persecution of the Church affected a lot in the family life of Christians. Emperor Nero did the first heinous persecution of Christians. In one of movies “The redemption of Peter” shows few glimpses of this persecution. Families with children, women and old parents were sent to the unbelievable torture containing loud and painful screams as being Christians, were heard being tortured but they did not deny their faith. The Emperor says he wants to burn Christians, so he can have light for his garden; Emperor's wife says, "Kill them all!". In one of the prison’s scene, soldier shares his concern with another soldier while guarding prison that poor children did nothing wrong but are suffering with their parents. Children were humiliated with their families.