persecution of Christians Archives - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

August 8, 2024August 7, 2024

Persecution of Christians Today

One of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings is “The Last Supper.” This beautiful painting shows Jesus and His disciples at the Passover meal described in Mathew 26:26-29. While da Vinci’s work might not be theologically perfect, it is a classic work of art. At the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony in Paris, we saw an example of the persecution of Christians today.

The opening ceremony featured boats carrying 6500 athletes down the Seine River. On the banks of the river, 300,000 spectators watched as the ceremony was broadcast worldwide. The boats passed under bridges featuring entertainers from Lady Gaga to Gojira to Marina Viotti. Music groups and dancers ranged from heavy metal to opera.

One of the bridges featured a parody of da Vinci’s great painting with drag queens ridiculing Jesus and the disciples. The French reporter Gabrielle Cluzel wrote, “Since when do we need an excuse to spit on Christians?” This is a part of a global attack on faith by skeptics and atheists. It is interesting that this attack was on Christianity. Why did the Olympic planners not choose Mohammed and his many wives? The answer is obvious – the French were trying to avoid violence. Since the followers of Jesus are supposed to “turn the other cheek,” they figured an attack on Christianity was safer.

In July 2024, our local congregation had a booth at the two-day city fair in Dowagiac, Michigan. I was working the booth on the first day of the fair when a gang of a dozen or so teenagers on bicycles came by our booth. They figured an old man in a church booth was an easy target, and they began a jeering, abusive display ridiculing belief in God. I responded by challenging them to a public debate with a microphone. I offered to show them evidence that God exists and that the Bible is His word. They decided they weren’t ready to publicly debate a retired science teacher.

Those who say there is no perse c ution of Christians today are simply out of touch with what is happening in the world. The Olympic opening ceremony with the drag queens mocking “The Last Supper” demonstrates how wrong they are.

February 28, 2020February 27, 2020

Christian Martyr Data Discrepencies

We live in a time in which many people who wear the name “Christian” are being killed. Various groups who keep track of Christian martyr data have wildly different counts of how many have died for their faith.

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity says that 90,000 Christians were martyred in 2019. The International Society for Human Rights says that 10,000 were martyred. Open Doors puts the number at 4,305. The problem here is that the definition of a “martyr” is not the same for everyone.

The Nazis killed Dietrich Bonhoeffer in World War II because he was involved in a plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler. His Christian faith was the reason he became involved in the plot. Does that make him a martyr? Christians were killed in civil wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. Should they be classified as martyrs? There is a monument in Bicknell Park in Montebello, California, in memory of one of the worst genocides of the 20th century. Between 1915 and 1921, the Turkish government killed 1,500,000 Armenian Christians. Does that make all of them martyrs?

Martyrs have always been held up as examples of faithfulness. In today’s world, there are many countries where converting to Christianity is a sure way to be executed. The early Roman persecution of Christians is undeniable and uncontested. Determining Christian martyr data in our modern world varies by how we define “martyr.”

Those of us who live in the United States should be thankful that, so far, we don’t have to be worried about being singled out or killed by the government because of our worship. That may change, but we should thank God for the freedom Christians enjoy now in the U.S. and other countries.

Data from Christianity Today, March 2020, page 23-24.

April 15, 2019April 14, 2019

Christian Moral Standards a Crime?

San Antonio, Texas, and Buffalo, New York have kicked Chick-fil-A out of their airports for “aiding and abetting Christian organizations.” What is especially ironic is that it’s the charity work of Chick-fil-A that those cities object to. Are Christian moral standards a crime?

Chick-fil-A is accused of “anti-equality giving.” They gave significant amounts of money to the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and a home for troubled young men in Vidalia, Georgia. The main problem, according to those challenging Chick-fil-A is that these organizations promote a traditional Christian understanding of sex and marriage.

In 2012 Dan Cathy who was the CEO of Chick-fil-A made statements endorsing traditional marriage. This was his personal belief and not a statement of corporate policy. There has been no activity in this area by anyone connected with the company since that time. The fact that they close their restaurants on Sunday continues to cause attacks on them. The programs that Chick-fil-A contributed to were sports camps and school programs for inner city kids.

The Salvation Army has a budget of about two-billion dollars which it uses to provide aid for the homeless, anti-trafficking programs, disaster relief, etc., but not for policing LGBT civil rights. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes asks its leaders not to engage in homosexual or heterosexual acts outside of marriage as well as pledging not to use drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Once again, it isn’t carrying on an anti-LGBT campaign.

We have reached a point in America where anyone who has strong moral standards and Bible-based beliefs is being denied the opportunity to own a business? Are Christian moral standards a crime? We need to be informed about what is going on in America.

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