How do you overcome religious persecution in public by zealous non-believers?

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   taburkettposted 10 years ago

   How do you overcome religious persecution in public by zealous non-believers?
   
   1 Timothy 4:8 - For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:10 - For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
   2 Timothy 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
   2 Timothy 4:4 - And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
   What course do you take?

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   Attikosposted 10 years ago

   Depends on the sort of persecution you encounter. Joan of Arc, for example, failed to overcome hers, but less zealous forms of it can usually be dismissed by politely considering the source and leaving it to its own entertainment.

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      taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I wish Joan could provide her answer. But alas, she cannot. Of course the easiest thing to do is to deny it ever happens. That way we do not have to deal with it when it harms others.

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   ChristinSposted 10 years ago

   Nobody persecutes religious people in this country in public - for heaven's sakes. If you want religious persecution try being a Christian in a Muslim country and see how that works out for you.  People in this country go freely to churches every day - no one prevents them from using public roads to go to church.  Religious groups are allowed to do pretty much anything they want if it doesn't interfere with the law or doesn't come onto government property.   No one stops you from praying in your home, on the sidewalk or from doing anything else.  The notion of religious persecution in this country is laughable as is the constant need for certain groups to feel they are victimized when it couldn't be further from the truth.  Non-religious people have a right to live here too.

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      Insane Mundaneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly!  Perhaps this asinine question is fueled by somehow mixing up the "online forum" scenario with real life.  In fact, I think that more people need to keep their beliefs to their selves anyway...

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      cjcs138posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      you're right about people not being persecuted in this country. we do have it good for the most part here. just a quick question to insane mundane. what if a persons belief is to evangelize? How should they keep that to themselves?

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I couldn't agree more ChristinS. Last I checked it isn't non Christians screaming everyone's going to hell on street corners. Christians are the overwhelming majority in this country.

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      Insane Mundaneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      @cjcs:  If religions and beliefs were all personal and kept to their selves, family or friends (just like most personal things) then there would be no need for these fictitious leaders that pretend to be special.

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      taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      There are very few areas of the globe that do not have some type of religious persecution occurring. So, I am not sure what country you are speaking about. But I have routinely been persecuted for my religious beliefs.

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      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I don't believe for a minute you are "routinely persecuted" for your beliefs in the US - Maybe prevented from forcing your version of morality on others - yes, but not jailed, tortured, or threatened with death etc. Persecution repeatedly? doubtful.

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      Disappearingheadposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I imagine there is little religious persecution outside of Islamic states. Europe? No. South America? No. Asia, not really but the Chinese government does place some restrictions. India? Perhaps some areas of the Middle East and Africa.

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      jlparkposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Can you provide some examples? Stating that you have been persecuted, but not saying how makes it difficult to discuss.

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      And here come all of the atheists to gang up on the "christian!" Great job guys!! Give it a rest.

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       Attikosposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Contumelious atheists persecuting a Christian for feelings of persecution. There's irony for you.

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       Maggie Bennettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       taburkett - I'd love to know where in the US you are being persecuted?

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       ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Pointing out facts is not "ganging up" on or persecuting anyone - it's stating a fact that religious people are not "persecuted" in the US. To say they are minimalizes struggles religious people in other parts of the world actually face.

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       taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       For the blind-
       Colorado-National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional
       Camp Pendleton Marines fight to protect crosses-Atheists seek removal
       Washington DC-pastor arrested for praying on National Day of Prayer
       Arizona-Man Jailed For Hosting Home Bible Study

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       peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       October 18, 2004, Larry Hooper
       March 2012 Army soldier Spc. Jose Ramirez
       Two quick examples of real persecution of atheist in the USA. As long as people breathe they will show hate to someone!

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   CalebSparksposted 10 years ago

   Christians in the US do not know what persecution is...yet. Believers in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, many African countries, etc, could tell you what persecution really is. They endure harassment and brutality on a level most American Christians have never imagined.

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      taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I have been in Vietnam, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, African countries, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc. They do endure persecution. But so do American Christians. Zealots continue to attack those who follow the Christian beliefs.

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      CalebSparksposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, taburkett...they do "attack" Christian beliefs in different ways, but nothing comparable to some of these other countries. What you receive on Hubpages certainly is not "persecution."

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      taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Arizona man jailed for holding Bible study in his home.
      Colorado declares National Prayer Day unconstitutional
      Indiana man shot by atheist for carrying sign that says Repent of your Gay Sins
      Arkansas church attacked by atheist-ministers wife killed.

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      CalebSparksposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Still, these are isolated events. Things like this are not regular occurrences...however they may be someday. If you live like a Christian, some people will give you a hard time. Sounds like you just need to quit whining and get over it.

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      taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Caleb-please pass your sentiments about " quit whining and get over it" to those that persecute the Christians for their beliefs. I speak truth and you speak, well, uh, submission. you probably tell this same thing to the woman who was raped-right?

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      CalebSparksposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, taburkett...I hope you don't twist the Scriptures the way you twist other people's words. I'd say probably some of your "persecution" in the US comes from you just being obnoxious. You certainly prove that on Hubpages.

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      taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Caleb-no immoral action can be overcome through silence. Moral individuals must take positive action or the nation is doomed. Therefore, moral members of society must begin to act if the nation is to be restored. This is no twist, no joke, no loathe.

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      CalebSparksposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      So you are saying that persecution can be stopped? If you have any knowledge of the Bible, you will know that will not happen.

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   M. T. Dremerposted 10 years ago

   This reminds me of two separate posts I saw on facebook today. The first was one of those little stories that people share that is accompanied by a photo. It was a picture of a little girl on an airplane who happened to be seated next to an atheist. When the man suggests they have a conversation he brings up the topic of god being fictional. The little girl then puts the atheist in his place by pointing out a subject he knows nothing about and then correlating the two topics. The purpose of the story was to suggest that atheists don't know enough to disprove god, but that they are smug enough to claim certain knowledge of his non-existence. It just happened to be portrayed as a little girl being smarter than an adult atheist. I saw this post because it was shared by family members who are religious, who also know that I am not.
   
   The second post I saw was a news story from an atheist page that stated the atheist monument erected in Florida had been vandalized for the first time, not even a month after it was built. They discovered this because a young religious man had posted his picture of the act and proudly laid claim to it.
   
   Obviously these little facebook posts do not equate to someone breaking down your door and beating you for your beliefs, but it does paint a picture of a typical day for an atheist. I'm not saying that there aren't non-believers who are jerks (every kind of group will have jerks) but there is a difference between people fighting for a government policy (separation of church and state) and people demonizing a minority.
   
   In times of war, it is common for a country to de-humanize its enemy, using caricatures to portray them as something evil. (The U.S. did it with the Japanese during WWII.) Could it be that the religious fear the growing group of non-believers, whom they don't understand, and are trying to paint them as mustachioed villains, or smug intellectuals, in an attempt to squash them? Maybe that's a lot of assumption on my part, but to deny that atheists are being, and have been, persecuted for their beliefs is to deny reality.

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      taburkettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Persecution in any form is evil.  Christians are taught to fight against evil. The question posed was meant to determine the ways to fight against Christian persecution on the street when confronted with the situation.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I'm no expert on Christianity, but wasn't Jesus' message about love and forgiveness, not fighting evil? He stood up against oppressors but he did so non-violently. There is a fine line between following ones morals and fighting the opposition.

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   CroftRoanposted 10 years ago

   You can't. You can only say you have a difference of opinion and move on. Speaking as an eclectic believer.

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