In divine services this morning, congregants were reminded by our priest that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in all the world. Father Reese was absolutely correct in saying that most American Christians have no idea what price their brothers and sisters in foreign lands must pay every day of the year in witnessing for their faith.Each Sunday, we automatically drive to church, not fearing that we will be met by police or thugs ready to bloody us or eager to send us to a martyr's death. Certainly, we cannot conceive of regimes that would have prison cells or firing squads springing into action, simply because we practice our faith.
For most Christians in the world, our freedom to worship freely would be idyllic, yet we take it for granted. Despite the growing tendency of our government and our pagan society to malign the Christian faith and to undermine our tradition of religious freedom, we are still free to gather with other Christians and to practice our faith as we see fit.
The ultimate act witnessing, of course, is that of bearing testimony in the face of suffering and death. According to the highly referenced work of Italian journalist Antonio Socci, in the 2 thousand years of history of the Christian faith, 70 million Christians have surrendered their lives rather than to become apostates to their faith. Of that number, 45.5 million suffered martydom in the 20th century. And, in the 21st century, the numbers give no indication of slacking off.
Hotspots for persecution in the 21st century include the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, Cuba, East Timor, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and a host of Muslim countries such as Pakistan. Also included are India, Vietnam, Nigeria and China. As for ideological and religious sources of persecution, Socci cites Communism and Islamic fundamentalism.
At this time of year, thoughts go back almost 3 decades to the six Christmases I spent in Saudi Arabia, each of which saw me worshiping secretly on Christmas eve with Christians of several nationalities. Did we feel persecuted? Yes, but the persecution was more of an inconvenience than it was a possibility of physical suffering hanging over our heads. In most instances, foreign Christians caught practicing their faith in Saudi Arabia were expelled from the country. In a few instances, Christians were lashed, but physical punishment was infrequent. However, Sharia law, which is the law code of the country, provided for the death penalty for any Muslim converting to another religion. And such conversions were not unheard of.
Most of us - and this includes our government - are heedless to the suffering experienced by Christians daily throughout the world. We are quick to apologize for an isolated instance of the burning of a Koran, but our government virtually ignores atrocities committed against Christians in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Iran. At the same time, through our immigration laws, we admit thousands of immigrants into America who have no frame of reference as to the meaning of toleration and freedom of religion in a pluralistic society. In many ways, it would seem that we are our own worst enemies.
As Christmas nears, let us pray for Christ's Holy Church, and let us in our prayers give especial attention to the plight of Christian martyrs in our 21st century world!
Deo Vindice!
God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!
Hotspots for persecution in the 21st century include the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, Cuba, East Timor, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and a host of Muslim countries such as Pakistan. Also included are India, Vietnam, Nigeria and China. As for ideological and religious sources of persecution, Socci cites Communism and Islamic fundamentalism.
At this time of year, thoughts go back almost 3 decades to the six Christmases I spent in Saudi Arabia, each of which saw me worshiping secretly on Christmas eve with Christians of several nationalities. Did we feel persecuted? Yes, but the persecution was more of an inconvenience than it was a possibility of physical suffering hanging over our heads. In most instances, foreign Christians caught practicing their faith in Saudi Arabia were expelled from the country. In a few instances, Christians were lashed, but physical punishment was infrequent. However, Sharia law, which is the law code of the country, provided for the death penalty for any Muslim converting to another religion. And such conversions were not unheard of.
Most of us - and this includes our government - are heedless to the suffering experienced by Christians daily throughout the world. We are quick to apologize for an isolated instance of the burning of a Koran, but our government virtually ignores atrocities committed against Christians in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Iran. At the same time, through our immigration laws, we admit thousands of immigrants into America who have no frame of reference as to the meaning of toleration and freedom of religion in a pluralistic society. In many ways, it would seem that we are our own worst enemies.
As Christmas nears, let us pray for Christ's Holy Church, and let us in our prayers give especial attention to the plight of Christian martyrs in our 21st century world!
Deo Vindice!
God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!
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