can you give me some examples of persecution?

Question

a common staple of many religions is the belief that it's followers will be persecuted because of their beliefs. can you give me any example of persecution that is unique to only your religion?

martyrdom is not unique to only the christians. perhaps the methods by which they were killed were, but the fact is many have died for their beliefs, i.e. american indians.

Answer 1

what christians do to athiests, pagans, and any other belief that isnt theirs everday

Answer 2

Being that this is in the R&S area, I will use a classic example of religious persecution... well, maybe not a specific example, but with very little searching on the internet, you can find many many examples of this. It was, and still is, a common practice in American religions to use entheogenic sacraments for ceremonial purposes. This goes back at least several hundred years, probably thousands of years. The Americans use, and have used, Ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, salvia divinorum, yopo, and many other plant sacraments. Despite a long history of known use for religious purposes, those who use these plants and brews for religous purposes nowadays are often times demonized by both the media, and by law enforcement... in the United States, that is. I frequently come across articles where someone has gotten busted for having these substances for religous reasons. Not very strangely, the police officers involved in the busts always seem to say that these plants have no religious value, and that people are only using religion as an excuse to get high. The irony of all of this is that this is happening in the United States, where we were once upon a time supposedly promised religious freedom by our founding fathers. A few churches have fought all the way to the Supreme Court, and won. We have, of course, the Native American Church... but unfortunately there are racial limitations for membership. Another church is a Brazilian church (located in NM) called vegetal something or other. I do not remember it's name, but the church uses Ayahuasca in their ceremonies. The Supreme Court finally heard their arguments after they had been harassed constantly by local law enforcement. The Supreme Court basically said that they weren't hurting anyone, so why not just let them practice their religion...

Answer 3

Back when Christianity was just taking off, the Christians had a right to consider themselves persecuted - and they really were noble and courageous in their convictions. I personally feel that the beliefs the Martyrs died for are nonsense; but they WERE willing to die for them rather than deny them. (Not the same as being willing to kill for one's beliefs, incidentally.) But then Christianity became the official State Religion, and immediately it fell to persecuting others. Christians in the West have really had no right to consider themselves "persecuted" for the last 17 centuries or so - except by other Christians. Rather, they've been the persecutors, from the campaigns against "heretics" to the Crusades to the Inquisition to the Witch-Hunt to the Bush Administration.

Modern Christians think they're being "persecuted" when people tell them that they can't teach Creationism in public school biology class. Not really the same thing as being boiled in oil or broken on the wheel or sawed in half.

Answer 4

Jehovah's Witnesses were uniquely persecuted under Adolf Hitler. While many are aware of the fact that millions of Jews died under the evil of Nazi Germany, few are aware that thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses died under the regime as well. Hitler vowed to "exterminate that brood." What was unique about them? Only Jehovah's Witnesses had an out. All that they had to do was sign a piece of paper renouncing their faith and they would have been released. Almost to a person, they refused and therefore died or spent years in the concentration camps. This unique situation can be verified by the historical account. Just do a little googling or maybe visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington where you can see one of the uniforms the witnesses wore with their unique purple triangle.

Answer 5

Sure.

First, when Stephen was stoned (murdered) by the Jews of his day. He prayed that God would not hold this against them.

Then there was Peter, who was crucified upside down, but refused to recant his belief in Jesus.

Then, throughout the years, as Christians were thrown to the lions for sport just because they wouldn't renounce their faith in Jesus, people sawed in half, burned at the stake (like Joan of Arc), etc, etc.

Read "Fox's Book of Martyrs" if you're interested in a more complete list.

And learn from their faith.

Answer 6

A person who has died for his religion is not likely to be answering Your question.

Persecution happens here all the time. Insulting other beliefs. It gets serious, too. In RL, it can be worse because cliques can gang on one person and lay on the ridicule. It takes courage to put up with it in a loving manner.

Answer 7

There are still Christians today who risk their lives every day so that Gospel is going to be spread, the good news about that God loves us.

Some people are killed, some people are injured, some people are harassed and bullied.

Answer 8

Diocletian singled out Christians in 303 A.D.

Answer 9

All the disciples except John were killed for their faith and belief in Jesus. Christians in many countries of this world are killled for their faith even though they are presenting the gospel peacefully and helping others. Much of it is never on the news. Actually most of it.

Answer 10

how about the Disciples they were beating put in prison, and told not to preach the word of God. Yet they continued regardless of what happened to them.

Answer 11

They think to disagree with them is an act of persecution.