Please read this thread first http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aq4gGoY4Rmo58ZXD5rtpHRHd7BR.?qid=20070723110128AAiAQXo&cp=2&tp=2&tnu=56#all-answers and then explain how you've got it bad?
Thanks!
2007-07-23 09:45:19 · 21 answers · asked by Laptop Jesus 3.9 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Oh yeah, we suffer something awful. We're free to worship, gather, preach publicly and posess and distribute bibles and Christian literature. We're never shot or stoned or burned alive or drawn and quartered for our faith.
We do take a little verbal and printed abuse from atheists and agnostics, but that can hardly be called "suffering for Christ." The culture and media mostly view us as extremists and mock us a bit, but the bible warned us that would be the case.
Your point is valid: Americans in general and American Christians in particular have very little idea what real persecution is... and I speak as one of them.
2007-07-23 09:50:49 · answer #1 · answered by doppler 5 · 7⤊ 1⤋
The answers to this question are very amusing. I have heard many Christians claim to be persecuted against and are the minority in this country. (Those damn atheists are running a muck. lol) I guess all those people are taking the day off.
I don't think that since some people don't want to have religion shoved in their faces at every public place they go to is proof that Christians are persecuted against.
What about Christians trying to force abstinence teaching in school or refusing to let gays live peacefully? My point is Christians are trying to control what our children learn and who can marry who, so who is really being persecuted?
Oh, and I don't know what school sonshine went to, but I was not taught the Koran in school and evolution was taught as a theory. Plus, people may not be allowed to pray in school but I have never seen anyone sent to the office for wearing a pro-christian shirt. The same cannot be said for someone wearing an anti-christ or even a Marilyn Manson shirt.
2007-07-23 10:07:11 · answer #2 · answered by alana 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
first of all, your link goes to a question in relation to a wicca woman being slightly verbally abused by Christians who should have been kind to her, but that question gives no implication that Christians are never persecuted, instead, it gives an example of someone not behaving properly, that's all.
The truth is I've personally been persecuted in more ways than you can imagine, right here in America.
I've been physically attacked and threatened and people have tried to kill me for being a Christian. I am an exception to the rule and I understand that for the most part all religious people in America are free to worship and it grieves my heart to know that some people behave so poorly toward others, especially when they share the same faith as me, may God forgive them. Don't let other people's behavior make you bitter and don't let their actions control what you believe.
I forgive the Aethiests who speak against me and hopefully they forgive those who offend them, we must forgive, so we can move on with our life, agreed?
2007-07-23 10:09:23 · answer #3 · answered by Nathaniel 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't see where anyone said that Christians were persecuted. What I got out of it was there were witch-hunts when someone chose something other than the mainstream. Mainstream being Christianity.
However, people judged me daily for what I believe. It doesn't bother me one way or the other.
If you don't think Christians are persecuted look at the names we are called on this website. That was a joke by the way!!!
2007-07-23 09:55:41 · answer #4 · answered by Stiletto ♥ 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I am not sure how Christians are persecuted in the USA but I feel a bit annoyed but these silly questions. Persecution is a pretty strong concept and I have never seen anyone persecuted for being a Christian. Wiccan on the other hand don't have any claim to persecution here in the US either unless you are going to go back to the Salem witch trials and although Wiccans claim kindship to the Salem witches there is no evidence that any of those women practiced the Wiccan beliefs.
Good Luck!!!
2007-07-23 09:54:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
At this time it's more discrimination against, but persecution is at the door if the trend doesn't reverse.Ever since the court ruling in 1947 to establish a wall of separation of church and state ( not in our Constitution, by the way) we have been steadily losing our religious freedoms, at least as Christians anyway.These are only some examples of court rulings handed down since that awful day...
It is unconstitutional for a war memorial to be erected in the shape of a cross.1969
A verbal prayer offered in a school, even if that prayer is both voluntary and denomination ally neutral. 1971
It is unconstitutional for a kindergarten class to ask whos birthday is celebrated on Christmas.1979
It is unconstitutional for a public cemetary to have a planter in the shape of a cross, for if someone were to view the cross, it could cause "emotional distress" and thus constitute an "injury in-fact"1990
It is unconstitutional for a classroom library to contain books which deal with Christianity, or for a teacher to be seen with a personal copy of the Bible at school.1990
Freedoms of speech and press are guaranteed to students and teachers unless the topic is religious, at which time such speech becomes unconstitutional.1991
The Ten Commandments, despite the fact that they are the basis of our civil law and are depicted in engraved stone in the U.S. Supreme Court, may not be displayed in a public courthouse. 1993
Artwork may not be displayed in schools if it depicts something religious-even if that artwork is considered an historical classic.1993
2007-07-23 10:07:32 · answer #6 · answered by BERT 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I haven't told this story before...
I don't like to remember it...
A dear friend and I were having a drink when someone noticed his pentagram had slipped out of his shirt in a bar in 1979. We were then assaulted. Two men tackled him. When I tried to help I was hit in the mouth with a pipe. My front top right tooth was shattered. I was called a F*ing Satanist and as I was being assured of my place in hell one of the four assailants attempted to stab me with a large knife. I blocked the attack and had my right palm cut to the bone. I remember hearing someone shouting verses from the bible at me. They seemed to know about "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." The guy with the knife jabbed at my face and I caught the damage again in my right hand this time at the thumb where the blade cut into the joint. His friend kicked me in the stomach and the world went black for a second. I remember thinking "I'm about to die" as I felt the peace and love of Christ on me and as I became resolved to my fate I heard sirens. By the time the police entered the bar our "Christian" attackers had left. The guy that ran the bar claimed that my friend and I had started the fight when in truth all we did was walk in and sit in a booth. I left this land of FREEDOM until I received notification that my friend had been killed in 1982. There were places in the South Eastern United States where just looking different could have grave consequences. I felt safer in Hong Kong, Japan, India, Italy, France, and Israel. When I came back I moved to California. The charm of small town intimacy is only sweet when it's love flavored.
I know I say many harsh things to Christians but I speak to the bigots, the ones that believe violence is justified, the Pharisees. It took years to learn to forgive. I do know you aren't all like that.
So how many Christians have been persecuted in the USA???
Blessed Be!
2007-07-23 10:22:54 · answer #7 · answered by ♥Gnostic♥ 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Hate to burst your insular bubble bud, but I will.
The reason you and others have "top contributor" status is because of the freedom of speech, specifically in the USA. You have that freedom by over 50 times Jehovah's Witnesses have been before the US Supreme Court to get decisions that guaranteed such freedom. They had to for such things as kids being thrown out of schools, beatings, even hangings, arson and the like, not for jaywalking.
You and I benefit for their sacrifice. I confess it was more for me, but we will let you share benefits too. I think that qualifies as persecution in the USA, don't you?
We don't usually comment on politics but, you don't think for a moment if the politicians in power now had their way that any of us would have freedom of speech in any form close to what we have at present do you?
2007-07-23 10:27:53 · answer #8 · answered by grnlow 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Some people make judgements on others because they don't know about something. So guess if and when your confronted guess you'll just have to educate the ignorant. Then see how they react.
Most people who don't know about something are very quick to judge. Which I think is really stupid. Its like saying you hate a particular type of food, yet you've never put it in your mouth to find out if you really do or not. Or if you allow someone else to influence you before you even have a chance to make up your own mind about something. Alot of that going on too.
2007-07-23 09:55:03 · answer #9 · answered by MLJ 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Many Christians consider being made fun of or being told no as persecution. Obviously in this country christian persecution is not as much of a problem as it is in other countries where the punishment for having a bible can be severe (China).
2007-07-23 09:49:09 · answer #10 · answered by Rob 2 · 8⤊ 0⤋