By Jason Charles on 4/3/2019 (5 years 264 days ago) Theology & Religion
Persecution against Christians is reaching historic proportions. We have to ask why is it the world over, Christians are experiencing so much tribulation and attack? The reason might surprise you.
In January, Open Doors, an organization specializing in the study of Christian persecution released a truly eye-opening study showing an alarming rise in Christian persecution the world over,
“The number of Christians suffering high to extremely high persecution is 14 percent more in 2019, Open Doors reported, counting 245 million individuals globally.
Persecution driven by Islamic extremism and Communist authoritarianism in the world’s two most populous countries, India and China, marked the increase, Open Doors said in releasing its 2019 World Watch List of the 50 countries with the most extreme Christian persecution.
“Islamic radicalism continues to dominate and influence all spheres of life for Christians, and we are watching China and India very closely,” Open Doors USA President and CEO David Curry said in releasing the latest findings.
“The distressing impact of billions of people living in an environment in which the government oppresses freedom of religion is unraveling day by day as millions of Christians are being attacked, imprisoned or killed.” (Baptist Standard)
Link: Every five minutes, a Christian is put to death somewhere in the world
A Quick Bird-Eyes View of Worldwide Christian Persecution
Follow the links below to read about the worldwide persecution of the church.
China - Churches are being torn down daily, pastors are being jailed, children sign atheist pledges, 1 in 3 Christians face persecution, and now the government is paying rewards to people who turn in Christians.
“The Chinese Government is offering cash rewards to people who inform on underground churches.
One city is offering more than £1,000 to those who can identify ‘unofficial’ places of worship.
The incentive is part of a nationwide effort to bring all religious groups under the control of the Communist Party.” (Christian Institute)
France - Over 12 churches in just one week have been targeted in a series of attacks, desecrated and vandalized with satanic imagery and messages, with a reported average of 3 a day over the last year, the latest being a costly arson,
“Last Sunday, marauders set fire to the church of Saint-Sulpice — one of Paris’ largest and most important churches — shortly after the twelve-o’clock Mass.
Police have concluded that the fire was the result of arson and are now looking for possible suspects. The restoration of the church from the damage caused by the fire will reportedly cost several hundred million euros.
In Nimes (department of the Gard), near the border with Spain, the church of Notre-Dame des Enfants was desecrated in a particularly odious way, with vandals painting a cross with human excrement, looting the main altar and the tabernacle, and stealing the consecrated hosts, which were discovered later among piles of garbage.
Likewise, the church of Notre-Dame in Dijon, in the east of the country, suffered the sacking of the high altar and the hosts were also taken from the tabernacle, scattered on the ground, and trampled.
In Lavaur, in the southern department of the Tarn, the village church was assaulted by young men, who twisted one arm of a representation of the crucified Christ to make it appear that he was making an obscene gesture.” (Breitbart)
Israel - Last May I wrote about Zionist settlers vandalizing and firebombing ancient churches in Jerusalem. In addition Palestinian Christians have experienced a steep decline in numbers largely due to Israeli aggression,
“In the mid-1960s, before the six-day war and Gaza’s occupation by Israel, there were about 6,000 Christians in Gaza; today there are an estimated 1,100. Marwan Tarazi, 60, a member of one of Gaza’s largest Christian extended families, said: “Sometimes you wonder for how long there will still be a community here.” (The Guardian)
Europe – European countries have completely turned their backs on Christianity. A recent survey supports this conclusion.
“Europe’s march towards a post-Christian society has been starkly illustrated by research showing a majority of young people in a dozen countries do not follow a religion.” (The Guardian)
Iraq – Due to the U.S. military presence in Iraq and the Middle East ancient Christian communities there have been virtually wiped out.
“That's a sobering fact, since Iraq's Christian population has fallen 80 percent since that 2004 meeting, Pence said. The Christian population of Syria has fallen 50 percent in the past six years.
"As you all know, no people of faith face greater hostility or hatred than followers of Christ," said the vice president. "In more than 100 nations, spread to every corner of the world ... over 245 million Christians confront intimidation, imprisonment, forced conversion, abuse, assault or worse." (Arkansas Online)
Africa - Another Open Doors report focusing on Christian persecution in Africa points to U.S. military intervention making it worse, where “245 million out of 631 million African Christians currently experience high levels of persecution.” On top of that, just this week hundreds of Christians were killed in farming communities in Nigeria, something that barely even made the news.
“The recent death toll of Christians in Nigeria has reached 120 with this week’s slaughter of more than 50 by Fulani Muslim militants in the Kaduna state of Nigeria” (Breitbart)
USA – In the U.S.A., religious liberty was a founding principle given to all, now it seems to be a relic of a bygone era. Sadly, Christian persecution in the states by radical leftists have become a new norm. We have Prolife investigative reporters like David Daleiden being sued by Planned Parenthood for exposing their baby murder crimes, atheists organizations are aggressively suing every county with public religious displays, business owners are targeted by sodomites for discrimination, Hollywood is flooding the media with blasphemous programing, universities are denying speakers to present Christian viewpoints and radicalizing their student bodies against traditional values and white Christian males, and churches have been targeted by gunmen like Devin Kelley in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Conclusion
The surprising reason why Christian persecution is on the rise is because the U.S. has ceased to represent the Constitutional Christian principles it was founded on in 1776. The U.S. has always been seen as a beacon of light and a force for good in the world. Instead it is now a marauding juggernaut, disrupting whole regions with its military adventurism and corporate pillaging.
Almost every instance of Christian persecution around the world can be traced back to the fact that out-of-control American militarism has caused a vacuum of stability in regions. This lack of stability means peacefully Christian communities are being targeted and destroyed by violent and aggressive groups bidding for power.
Inside the U.S. the Constitution has continually been undermined as corporations and internationalists have dismantled every key institution in society in favor of secular morality which hates God.
In times past, it was American leadership worldwide which provided a haven for religious freedom. Now that the U.S. has succumbed to evil it is no longer seen as a protector, but instead as an aggressor, signaling a collapse in virtue the world over. Now that we have turned our back on right and truth we have entered into a period of moral free fall.
If anyone is to blame for the state of worldwide Christian persecution it is America herself due to its betrayal of its own founding principles. Christian persecution is on the rise because the pastors and leaders of America have allowed America to fall into the hands of God haters, warmongers, and moral reprobates.
I hear all the time Christians saying they welcome the tribulation as a sign of the end times and Jesus’ close return. What we need to realize is God will hold this generation accountable for the moral failings we have allowed, especially concerning the allowance of persecution of his saints. This is despicable reasoning almost demonic, and is just another indicator as to how fallen from truth Christians have become in our modern age.
Here is a great verse that nails the moral failings of our country, Christians and pastors.
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Titus 1:16
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