Have Christians in America been the victims of real persecution?

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   terced ojosposted 14 years ago

   Have Christians in America been the victims of real persecution?
   
   Early members of "The Way;"  later to become known as Christians were hunted down and killed for their belief in Jesus Christ.  Are Americans Christians the victims of the persecution of their predecessors?

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   coneybridgetposted 14 years ago

   No....if were the media would have a field day.

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   dabeanerposted 14 years ago

   Sadly, no.  (Some might say the persecution of the Mormons back in the 1800s shows that Christians were persecuted.  But then, all the other Christians don't count Mormons as real Christians, so that persecution doesn't count.  In fact, they were persecuted by the so-called "real" Christians.)  Religion is EVIL.

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   grayknightposted 14 years ago

   The State of Missouri once issued an EXTERMINATION ORDER against the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) there.

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   aoiffe379posted 14 years ago

   According to history, the Pilgrim Fathers like the Eleutheran Adventurers left the Motherland- England- in order to enjoy religious freedom. I am not well versed in American history having had only one semester of a course needed for graduation from college. But through literature like The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter I discovered the attitude of people in Salem ,Massachusetts during an era in American History. Granted, the books may be fiction; but I bet they were based on true to life situations.
   
   I am studying the Loyalists now and I discovered that some of them were tarred and feathered for wanting to remain loyal to Britain. This may not be 'religious persecution' as it may not have targeted one sect; but no doubt, some who were tarred and feathered may have been Christians.
   
   What I know from real life is that people are selective about who qualifies as a hero or martyr. Many young people lose their life daily for daring to be a virgin or carry a Bible or believe in God.Columbine Incident contains such a story... or maybe a few. Not every human interest story makes headlines.
   
   Recently in the news[2009/2010] some churches were burned down in a series of fires.Was that persecution for the congregration? A building is condemned and is expected to be torn down.The congregration who worships there would like to use the cost[money] to demolish the building to upgrade it.
   
   Personally,I know that at one time a 'Christian' university in South Carolina 'stopped' their racial discrimination; but some students were refused admission because they belonged to the 'wrong' religious group or denomination .I am a Christian and I  know.

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   Portamenteffposted 14 years ago

   In short terced ojos, yes! They just call us nuts, or lunatics, or militia members. You see freedom of religion in the United States of America was put in the constitution not to protect Christians, but to protect Free-Masons. Over half of the singers of the Declaration of Indipendance were Masons. They were persecuted by the Church of England, and the British Crown.

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   SpanStarposted 14 years ago

   Christians during these times I would say have not had the degreed of persercution as that set upon like our predecessors but certainly Christians in America have been threaten, beaten, churches burned to the ground.  Having there been at least two times when someone came into a church and shot the pastor and church members?
   
   The question I have is does it take someone nailed to a cross before we say-"Oh that's bad?"

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   Jeff Berndtposted 14 years ago

   Not really. Not systematically. Not as a matter of public policy. Have some Christians been hurt or killed for their beliefs? Certainly, but at the hands of different Christians. Certainly, but not for believing in Christ, but for believing in Christ differently.
   
   The Puritans persecuted people from their own congregation who espoused heretical ideas. One fellow had his ears cut off by his fellow Christians for his heresy.
   
   Church burnings? Yeah, those are done by Christians (you know, the ones that go around in white sheets?) against other Christians (you know, the ones that have dark skin).
   
   I imagine that some Christians in modern America like the idea of being persecuted for their faith so much that they kind of want to be persecuted for their faith. They like to pretend that they're victims so they can feel more like the Christians of the early church, and therefore closer to Jesus or some such nonsense.
   
   Persecution? You ask a Jew or a Muslim about persecution. You ask a black person about persecution. You ask a gay person about persecution. White Christians have no idea what it means to be persecuted for their beliefs. No idea whatsoever.

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   shoganposted 13 years ago

   As of 2008, 76% of Americans identified themselves as Christians.  I'm not sure that such a high percentage could possibly claim persecution.

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