Religious persecution - Turning the tables?

Question

I have only one deep true belief - that if your beliefs do not harm yourself or someone else, and you TRULY believe them, that you have the right belief. I have great respect for people who have thought out their beliefs. What I have little respect for are people who have not thought about their beliefs past the fact that their parents/friends/bishop says they are right.

People who truly think about what they believe never persecute. I enjoy friendships with those people.

The ones who don't really know why they believe something, persecute because they are scared of anything that is not from their belief system.

I have never been persecuted more than I was going to a Christian school. The entire time I was there, they spent all their time trying to tell me I was wrong, without listening to my beliefs or the fact that I only was asking them to do one thing - think.

Any comments? Christians or non-christians alike, feel free to throw in a few words.

I was referring in particular to Christianity, in regards to Papal and Protestant forms. I think Muslims and etc are a different topic.

Answer 1

Your ENTIRE theme is: TO THINK.


And dear, I have. This is what I have gathered.

If you were in this strictly CHRISTIAN school, and were doing things that were CONTRARY to the Christian faith.....then why where the folks wrong for pointing out your fallacies?


BUT THEN AGAIN.......


If this SAME Christian school you had issues with; was in fact not in keeping with SCRIPTURALLY SOUND DOCTRINE, and they did nothing but JUDGE and CONDEMN you for bringing their falsehoods to LIGHT, then I say "AMEN to YOU!" for defending the RIGHT, and not the LEGALISTIC WRONG OF A GROUP OR INSTITUTION THAT found nothing wrong with making you feel awful every single time you attended.

I'm sure you might have heard it all before, honey. BUT I will say it nonetheless.......NOT ALL CHRISTIANS are that UN CHRISTLIKE. Not all are horrible hypocrites, who go on and on in their Lil' knitting circles, gossiping the night away about how you stand out. You, for all I know~

*YOU* could be the next AW Towzer, or Luther, or B. Graham or CS Lewis?........
Please put your questions, faith and pains before the LORD, please trust and obey GOD, and not man (as in mankind! I'm sure you get it, you seem intelligible).
GOD BLESS YOU,
this was a great question...I give you a STAR!
In Christ (with real love and concern!)
^^7^^

Answer 2

The problem being that almost all religions are mutually exclusive. Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. No one comes to the Father except through the Son." Therefore, christians believe that Jesus is the only answer. That's going to put as odds with what you say you believe.

Now, I must question whether you are reffering to questioning belief, verses attacking belief.

I question other beliefs all the time. From time to time, I throw out some pretty pointed facts. These are intellectual assessments. Not persecutions.

A persecution would be something like, "Oh, you don't believe this? You're a moron." It's an assault without reasoning.

Answer 3

Interesting observations, but I think you're overgeneralizing and end up being wrong.

The fact is that everyone has the right to opinions as much as they have to beliefs, and opinions are none of your business.

The persecution part I think you're making up. None of us really know what persecution is. We're all hurt when someone calls us a name; and that's because we're a bunch of scared little kids crying about bullies. Try living in a Muslim country where they murder Christians just for being Christians.

In the 70's, Christians living in souther Lebanon were shelled by Black September almost daily for 2 years. During that time there would be snipers looking for children and adults dumb enough to walk out of their house or take certain routes. The snipers were so good and killed so often that the people actually knew where they were hiding. (Kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it?) Some fo them lived in a bomb shelter for 2 years and drank water a few times per week.

Pull you head out of your a s s and be thankful for where you live.

Answer 4

I'm sorry that people were treating you badly at your school.But if you were going to a Christian school,why would you believe that they would allow the spreading of religions contrary to the purpose of said school?
I agree with you,it would have been a great idea for them to engage in debate with you.Debate is nearly always a good thing.

Answer 5

I think that ANY group (Christians, Atheists, Wiccan, whatever) that uses the word "persecution" in relation to their treatment in the United States of America is seriously flawed.

When I get stoned to death, boiled in oil, or eaten by lions for believing in Jesus Christ, then I will be persecuted.

Words have power. People may feel discrimination, but NOT persecution.

Answer 6

Yes I could not agree more (on all the excellent points you make)!

I think all too often many people are quick to cry persecution, for example I just answered a question in which the lady was going on about how she was being persecuted because someone who works for the courthouse didn't want to discuss religion with her. Yet this is the same person who sent me a nasty message accusing me of devil worship and telling me I was going to burn in hell. It's the one's who scream persecution the loudest who are often the most guilty.

Answer 7

What about this?

Qur’an 8:60 “Infidels should not think that they can get away from us. Prepare against them whatever arms and weaponry you can muster so that you may terrorize them.”
Bukhari:V4B52N260 “The Prophet said, ‘If a Muslim discards his religion, kill him!’”
Qur’an 5:51 “Believers, take not Jews and Christians for your friends.”
Bukhari [4:52:177]: Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him!"

THOUGH THE ISLAMIC ALLAH WANTS MUSLIMS TO KILL ALL NON-MUSLIMS, MANY MUSLIMS ARE NOT DOING SO AT THIS MOMENT (WITH DISAPPOINTMENT FROM THE FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAMISTS) BECAUSE THEY ARE NOW ENJOYING THEMSELVES, SOME AFRAID OF REPRISALS. DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT MUSLIMS ARE PEACEFUL. IF THEY SEEM TO BE, THEY ARE ACTUALLY NON-PRACTICING MUSLIMS.

Perhaps you think this is bullshit. But wait. Take a quick glance below of islam’s founder’s behaviour recorded in one of the most authentic Islamic texts ever recorded below and you will not think so again. Remember this, Muhammad personified the teachings of the Q’uran.

MUHAMMED HAS NO MERCY; Sahih Bukhary; and Hanbel.
Bukhary, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 234:

Bukhari, V1B4N234: "A group of people from the Oreyneh and Oqayelh tribes came to the prophet to embrace Islam, the prophet advised them to drink the urine of the camels. Later on when they killed the prophet's shepherd, the prophet seized them, gouged out their eyes, cut their hands and legs, and left them thirsty in the desert to die."

IF MUHAMMAD WAS A MURDERER, A RAPIST, A PEODPHILE, A LIAR, WHAT LESS CAN YOU EXPECT OF HIS FOLLOWERS? MUSLIMS BECOME TERRORISTS BECAUSE THATS WHAT THEY ARE MEANT TO BECOME. BECAUSE THAT IS TRUE ISLAM. WHAT IS TRUE, IS WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN, NOT WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU AND WANT YOU TO BELIEVE.

Answer 8

It's a funny coincidence; the persecuted minority is ALWAYS whoever happens to be talking at the moment in any given discussion. If a Christian is speaking, they are the trembling faithful in a godless and hostile society. If an atheist is speaking, they're the only sane minds in a crazed Jesusland that constantly harasses them.

Answer 9

Sometimes Christians act afraid of me.

Answer 10

As I said in another thread: Christians are just whiny hypocrites.