Why do Christians fight for life and liberty when Jesus promised they would be persecuted?

Answer 1

Biblical warning is no more than a cautionary tale. When was the last time a car sales man warned the owner that by possession of a Lamborghini, it would make thieves of people, vandals of passer-bys and abject jealousy of office peers ?

Persecution came as a warning, not promise. Ideals, Need, Principals and Faith, or Trust if you are more comfortable with that word, in qualities of Life Everlasting in this world. Assuming that you are a religious scholar, you will know how this interpretation came to be. Illustrating Secular then Intangibles:

Secular: Conventional reasoning provide for no more different than one who is prepared to defend their jobs or what they believe in doing for the beliefs created into realizing that job, regardless the real benefits empirically proven to be true or otherwise.

Secular belief can be seen to be proven more than ever from the last two hundred years of scientific advances, hence its attraction over intangibles that man failed to bottle.

In an utopian capitalist system where self preservation is the name of the game, self evident with reinforcing adages of choosing “act wisely to fight the right battles” and “why fix it if it ain’t broke”, have very much become doctrine or modus operandus.

People choose the right words to say and choose the right actions to avoid loosing their jobs or sour potential alliances despite an environment that could be corrupt in many ways. Self deception reinforces that the next day will be a better day.

A rational mind would have countered based on predicted long term trends of little to no prospects like a salary raise. It is then not uncommon for one’s father or mother to work to their bone all their lives in the same job regardless the conditions, so that they may feed their offspring whilst under the yoke of fear of not having any job to pay the bills.

The greatest irony of immediate self preservation comes at the cost of longer term prospects. This is the goal of the material person. This becomes the fight for a perceived immediate benefit so long as the status quo is maintained or improved in their favour.

It is taken almost as is, with much assumption, based on time tested methods. Both religion and non-religious beliefs have that extent of dare I say it, a faith like quality.
Do you question yourself each meal time if you can eat and digest your food, or take it on an assumption, almost faith like quality that it will occur ?

Intangibles: Compare the above material values that support the adage of a bird in hand worth two in the bush. Assume a greedy person who wants it all, not just some. Why have only one when you can have it all ? In the way a secular person might cheat the stock markets and risk legal persecution, a religious person does the same for intangibles of love and hate.

When Life Everlasting is promised in Christianity in general, the notion of persecution pales in comparison of their cheese. That cheese comprise of the life everlasting in this world, a way of living that forms much of today’s western and eastern judicial and governance systems that support good conscience, and dying to the flesh so that higher aims are possible to edify man without being enslaved and enthralled to material gains.

In today’s terms reinterpreting biblical past, a promise to the good life if you abide not in rules, but in the ways prescribed. It becomes common sense suddenly that a rich person becomes the object of envy to wanting to kill for what that person has, persecution being the extreme position. What makes it harder to comprehend, is the simplest of terms "Life Everlasting."

At the heart of all this beyond the spiritual conviction, is a set of principals. Principals can only be principals if they are permanent; principals are no longer principals if they are broken. There are no two ways about it.

Societies require this foundation of stability that came about from ritualistic time tested devices. Life, a chance to life, hope, cannot be purchased with money. In retrospection, man has definitely benefited from such doctrine to an extent, otherwise such doctrines would have been long forgotten to the dusts of time.

The questioning of the continuation of such doctrine persist if the church during the middle ages were to be removed completely is beyond this question.

Of other intangibles, what more is a moral man who points out a corrupt working environment may similarly be persecuted for name dropping by removal from his job, or the clubber celebrating John Lenon sent to the gulag during the soviet era, who went in the belief of celebrating life and making a representation through dance of the words espoused, or the patriot who fights for their country despite the folk back home who may contribute less than their worth ? All these are ideals, intangibles fought for.

All of us have a degree of wisdom, ability and skill of discernment to weigh the pros and cons to find not just the middle ground, but the best place to be. Keep asking.

Answer 2

Because if we fight to be persecuted, the fight wouldnt last long.

Christians love to fight...

But seriously, are you a human asking why humans fight for life?? Sit under water for about 3 mins and youll find out...

Answer 3

The language used to describe it is the same as used to describe the Church, that being the body of Christ. Saul was persecuting Jesus' body. The Church and all her members are also referred to as children of Christ. The Church carries on the lineage of Christ, or his generation. In biblical times the language often made it difficult to distinguish between a person and his heirs, or in some cases between the person and his representative. Contrast Matthew 8:5 with Luke 7:2.

Answer 4

I guess we feel some things are worth it. Today's persecution is tomorrows paradise. I guess you only fight for things that don't cost you anything?

Answer 5

Just because we were warned of it doesnt mean we are to give up. Jesus also mentions to spread the word, live life in faith and never to be ashamed of Him...so yeah we are going to fight for Him He DIED for us

Answer 6

Well, he also said that those who were persecuted in his name were blessed, so I guess it's a kind of selfish thing on their parts.

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Answer 7

Jesus did not say be careless or stupid. He said be on guard for you will be persecuted.

Answer 8

Even a Shaolin monk defends his temple.

Answer 9

*whispering*
they're not really Christians...
If they were, they would be "no part of the world" and would have no reason to partake in warfare.
*checking over both shoulders*
Don't tell 'em I told you that or they'll have me executed.

Answer 10

Cause they have kids they don't want living under sharea (sp?) law.