In one word: No.
First I looked up the word persecution -To oppress or harass with ill-treatment; to harass (someone) persistently
Second when persecuted christians are brought up with U.S christians most won’t hesitate to define a persecuted christian as someone who kiled for their faith. This may even include loss of land, home, job and family because they are christians.
However, I find it interesting that when I read some christian blogs that mention how they are being persecuted, the examples they give are having to watch gays in california protest or the shouting matches that take place at protests or pride parades. Recently an extreme group of gays entered a church and tossed pamphlets around and had a mini protest outside the church, I do not support this type of behavior, but this is a rare case of true persecution based on someones religion. The others are simply 1st amendment issues.
Now when I read the newspaper I see a different kind of persecution that stands out to me. Sean Kennedy, Simmie Williams, Lawrence King and Moses “Teish” Cannon are just a few of the people that have been murdered just THIS year so far because they were gay, these weren’t accidents or love triangles, but people who hated them because they didn’t like who they loved and they felt that they had no right to be treated with respect.
I have yet to hear of a person here in the US who has been killed because they were christian. Yes, there are people who are prejudiced against christians, just as their are people who are prejudiced again blacks, gays, women and athiests. But to murder someone is a step beyond, it is an action on the thoughts they are having – that is scary. That is a persecution that quietly intruding into the U.S and must be stopped.
Would I be this same way if christians were being killed here the U.S? Yes!
But I want to take a stand that the type of persecution going on here in the U.S is not about christians, but gays and lesbians. Yes, it is a culture war and it is one that the gays are lesbians are giving up their lives for and this must stop. Christians have a constitutional amendment that protects them, gays and lesbians DO NOT. We are already at a disavantage in this war, but with hope (and love) we will prevail in the long run, God willing.
Great further reading: Persecution Complex: Why Religious Right Claims Of Hostility Toward Christians Ring Hollow
I’m really bothered when people try to make the Culture War that we are facing, as being Gays Vs Christians, because it often times puts Gay Christians in the middle. The behaviour by a few people in the Gay Community has been wrong, but protesting something is not persecution…killing someone however is.
Excellent post.
God Bless!
Thank you Rob for stopping by. I appreciate your thoughts, Their are probably many christians who are feeling like they are in the middle.
I think that the persecution that many Christians complain about is just crap. I’m talking about in the United States.
A lot of Christians say that they are being persecuted against when really they are demanding that rights not be given to others.
No one is stopping Christians from praying, talking, believing in this country. No one is saying they should go back into their closets.
They say those things about the GLBT community. Where does this leave the GLBT Christians?
One side says they don’t exist and there is no such thing. The other side is like WTF?
There shouldn’t be a middle to it. When it comes to some things there is a right and a wrong. To claim there is a middle is to remain silent in the face of injustice. Pick a side.
Ceara