Persecution in America?
Donald Miller posted this on his blog today.
I have to agree with him...
Quotable:
"This kind of cultural manipulation takes needed attention and resources away from true Christian martyrs all over the world who are truly being oppressed for their faith. I am a Christian. I follow Jesus. There are people who don’t like that. They are sometimes rude to me. Sometimes they criticize me online. Sometimes to my face. But that happens to anybody who believes anything. I am not a victim. I am not being wrongly persecuted. I’m fine. I know how to turn the other cheek. I’m not crying about anything."
In America, we must learn the difference between persecution and push-back. If you can't handle push back from people who do not agree with you when you speak of your faith, then don't speak of your faith. People of other persuasions have as much right to disagree with your thoughts on God as you do to disagree with theirs. Funny how we cling so strongly to our negative rights than we do our positive rights (the right to love and respect others even if they don't do the same for us).
And even if it was true, the persecution thing, as Christ-Followers are we supposed to hunker down and become defensive and angry or are we to adopt the posture of Christ toward enemies? What example did Jesus set under persecution? Paul? Stephen? Peter? How many of them loaded up their armories and beat their chests like warring soldiers when they were mistreated or imprisoned for their faith? I don't see any examples of this in the Christian Canon.
The only weapons and warring that we are supposed to carry and engage in as Christ Followers is on a spiritual level. Those weapons are the fruit of the Spirit. See Galatians 5. The warring is against unseen forces, not flesh and blood. If one wishes to war in a worldly manner then one should join the military so that one's commands come from human leaders. If one wants to fight under the command of Jesus then the offensive weapons of the flesh must be laid down and an open heart toward the people God loves must be practiced with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
I have to agree with him...
Quotable:
"This kind of cultural manipulation takes needed attention and resources away from true Christian martyrs all over the world who are truly being oppressed for their faith. I am a Christian. I follow Jesus. There are people who don’t like that. They are sometimes rude to me. Sometimes they criticize me online. Sometimes to my face. But that happens to anybody who believes anything. I am not a victim. I am not being wrongly persecuted. I’m fine. I know how to turn the other cheek. I’m not crying about anything."
In America, we must learn the difference between persecution and push-back. If you can't handle push back from people who do not agree with you when you speak of your faith, then don't speak of your faith. People of other persuasions have as much right to disagree with your thoughts on God as you do to disagree with theirs. Funny how we cling so strongly to our negative rights than we do our positive rights (the right to love and respect others even if they don't do the same for us).
And even if it was true, the persecution thing, as Christ-Followers are we supposed to hunker down and become defensive and angry or are we to adopt the posture of Christ toward enemies? What example did Jesus set under persecution? Paul? Stephen? Peter? How many of them loaded up their armories and beat their chests like warring soldiers when they were mistreated or imprisoned for their faith? I don't see any examples of this in the Christian Canon.
The only weapons and warring that we are supposed to carry and engage in as Christ Followers is on a spiritual level. Those weapons are the fruit of the Spirit. See Galatians 5. The warring is against unseen forces, not flesh and blood. If one wishes to war in a worldly manner then one should join the military so that one's commands come from human leaders. If one wants to fight under the command of Jesus then the offensive weapons of the flesh must be laid down and an open heart toward the people God loves must be practiced with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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