Yea, all who will live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:10
Just before Christmas, I became aware that the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, well known for its beheading of those it considers infidels and enemies of Islam, had resorted to beheading small children coming from Christian families. Indeed, seeking to intimidate and to announce to the world its determination to establish a new caliphate, these Muslim extremists have been brazen in broadcasting through cyberspace photographs and videos of their gory genocide against non-Muslims .
During my six years of living in the Middle East, I was of the opinion that I had experienced persecution from having to worship secretly in a land which prohibited the practice of all faiths but Islam. In fact, I even went so far as to liken my experience to that of early Christians worshiping in the catacombs. However, that part of my life was nothing in comparison to the lives of at least 200,000,000 Christians in the world, who must daily contend with discrimination and the possibility of violence, rape and even death.
In places such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, it is a normal, everyday occurrence for the authorities to threaten, beat and extort money from Christians. In Pakistan, a country into which the United States has poured billions of dollars of aid, Christians may be - and have been - charged with "blasphemy," an offense which can result in the death penalty.
Many years ago, I made my first visit to Egypt. During that trip, I visited the neighborhood in Cairo where the Holy Family had reputedly sought refuge during the early childhood of the Christ-child. Along a small alleyway, I was approached by a Copt, an Egyptian Christian, who sought to engage me in conversation, speaking of the many ways Egyptian Christians were discriminated against, including economic, educational and housing discrimination. I also learned how fanatics from the Muslim Brotherhood thought nothing of waylaying Christians, kidnapping their daughters and burning churches. As an American, I had previously been unaware of what Christians in the Muslim world were subjected to. Sadly, most Americans today are still unfamiliar with the ongoing story of the oppression and persecution of Christians.
Christians, who formed a majority population in the Middle East long before Islam burst upon the scene in the 7th century, are now dwindling ever closer to extinction. In Bethlehem there are only a few thousand Christians remaining. Before the defeat of Sadam Hussein, there were approximately 1.2 million Christians in Iraq; now that number, daily subjected to the depredations of Islamic extremists, has fallen below 200,000. Soon, the region in which the gospel of Christ was first proclaimed will be completely devoid of Christians.
As a regular church-goer, I often ask myself why it is that I cannot remember hearing a sermon preached on persecution. Could it perhaps be that the 21st century church in America has so bought into the present mindset of not giving offense that such sermons would be considered taboo? Quite frankly, I do not consider it a priority not to offend those I consider offensive, especially after seeing pictures of persecuted and mutilated Christian children. More Americans, in fact, need to learn of the child martyrs in Iraq who refused to renounce their faith, choosing instead to face death at the hands of Muslim criminals.
It has become increasingly tiresome hearing individuals in high places reciting their litany of exoneration for Islam, propagandizing that the increasing numbers of atrocities and persecutions of Christians have nothing to do with the "real Islam." Nothing could be further from the truth, and it is an historical fact that, throughout the entire time of its existence, Islam has consistently shown an aggressive stance against Christians and other religious groups. Even in the United States statistics show that, of all religious groups represented, Islam has the highest percentage of adherents who have been involved in violent acts.
How many American Christians are capable of matching the bravery of child martyrs in Iraq and Syria? Would I? Could I? These are hard questions, but questions, nevertheless, that have great relevance for 21st century Christians.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:10
 |
| YOUNG IRAQI CHRISTIANS AWAIT THEIR FATE |
Just before Christmas, I became aware that the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, well known for its beheading of those it considers infidels and enemies of Islam, had resorted to beheading small children coming from Christian families. Indeed, seeking to intimidate and to announce to the world its determination to establish a new caliphate, these Muslim extremists have been brazen in broadcasting through cyberspace photographs and videos of their gory genocide against non-Muslims .
During my six years of living in the Middle East, I was of the opinion that I had experienced persecution from having to worship secretly in a land which prohibited the practice of all faiths but Islam. In fact, I even went so far as to liken my experience to that of early Christians worshiping in the catacombs. However, that part of my life was nothing in comparison to the lives of at least 200,000,000 Christians in the world, who must daily contend with discrimination and the possibility of violence, rape and even death.
In places such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, it is a normal, everyday occurrence for the authorities to threaten, beat and extort money from Christians. In Pakistan, a country into which the United States has poured billions of dollars of aid, Christians may be - and have been - charged with "blasphemy," an offense which can result in the death penalty.
Many years ago, I made my first visit to Egypt. During that trip, I visited the neighborhood in Cairo where the Holy Family had reputedly sought refuge during the early childhood of the Christ-child. Along a small alleyway, I was approached by a Copt, an Egyptian Christian, who sought to engage me in conversation, speaking of the many ways Egyptian Christians were discriminated against, including economic, educational and housing discrimination. I also learned how fanatics from the Muslim Brotherhood thought nothing of waylaying Christians, kidnapping their daughters and burning churches. As an American, I had previously been unaware of what Christians in the Muslim world were subjected to. Sadly, most Americans today are still unfamiliar with the ongoing story of the oppression and persecution of Christians.
Christians, who formed a majority population in the Middle East long before Islam burst upon the scene in the 7th century, are now dwindling ever closer to extinction. In Bethlehem there are only a few thousand Christians remaining. Before the defeat of Sadam Hussein, there were approximately 1.2 million Christians in Iraq; now that number, daily subjected to the depredations of Islamic extremists, has fallen below 200,000. Soon, the region in which the gospel of Christ was first proclaimed will be completely devoid of Christians.
As a regular church-goer, I often ask myself why it is that I cannot remember hearing a sermon preached on persecution. Could it perhaps be that the 21st century church in America has so bought into the present mindset of not giving offense that such sermons would be considered taboo? Quite frankly, I do not consider it a priority not to offend those I consider offensive, especially after seeing pictures of persecuted and mutilated Christian children. More Americans, in fact, need to learn of the child martyrs in Iraq who refused to renounce their faith, choosing instead to face death at the hands of Muslim criminals.
It has become increasingly tiresome hearing individuals in high places reciting their litany of exoneration for Islam, propagandizing that the increasing numbers of atrocities and persecutions of Christians have nothing to do with the "real Islam." Nothing could be further from the truth, and it is an historical fact that, throughout the entire time of its existence, Islam has consistently shown an aggressive stance against Christians and other religious groups. Even in the United States statistics show that, of all religious groups represented, Islam has the highest percentage of adherents who have been involved in violent acts.
How many American Christians are capable of matching the bravery of child martyrs in Iraq and Syria? Would I? Could I? These are hard questions, but questions, nevertheless, that have great relevance for 21st century Christians.
No comments:
Post a Comment