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Persecution is NOT a myth -
03-03-2013, 07:54 AM
Some female theology professor has written a book called The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom. In an interview with the Huffington Post, she tries to portray modern-day Western Christians as a bunch of sissy cry babies who scream persecution at the drop of a hat. She gives her reason for writing the book.
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I initially became interested in this subject because of a homily I heard that compared the situation facing modern Christians in America to the martyrs of the early church. I was surprised by the comparison because modern Americans aren't living in fear for their lives and the analogy seemed a little hyperbolic and sensational. After this, I began to notice the language of persecution and victimization being bandied about everywhere from politics, to sermons, to the media, but rarely in regard to situations that involve imprisonment and violence.
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She goes on to explain why she thinks the “myth” of persecution evolved.
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Often these statements referred to the history of the early Church as evidence that Christians have always been persecuted and, thus, should expect to be persecuted today. In these arguments, a lot of weight rests on the idea that Christians were persecuted in the early church because, without the idea of near-continuous persecution, it would be difficult to recast, say, disagreements about the role of prayer in schools as persecution.
Yes. But intriguingly, the historical evidence for systematic persecution of Christians by Jews and Romans is actually very slim. There were only a few years before the rise of the emperor Constantine that Christians were sought out by the authorities just for being Christians. The stories about early Christian martyrs have been edited, expanded, and sometimes even invented, giving the impression that Christians were under constant attack. This mistaken impression is important because it fosters a sense of Christian victimhood and that victim mentality continues to rear its head in modern politics and society. It's difficult to imagine that people could make the same claims about persecution today were it not for the idea that Christians have always been persecuted.
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But her views are contrary to the teachings of Scripture. Jesus warned His disciples that they would face persecution, and they did. Because these prophecies came true, we know that the prophecies concerning great persecution before the Second Coming will also come true. From Jesus’ incarnation to His return, persecution is a constant.
Jn 15:18-20
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Jn 16:2-4
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
Jn 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Mat 10:21-22; cf Mk 13:12-13
21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
2 Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Lk 21:12, 16
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
And this so-called professor of theology thinks it’s unfair for us to claim rejection and revilement as real persecution even though Jesus Himself classed it as real persecution.
Mat 5:10-12
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
If we weren’t persecuted, how else would we know whether we were saved?
But according to the professor, “real persecution” has to involve imprisonment, torture or the drawing of blood.
Rom 8:16-17
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
The professor claims there is little evidence that the early church suffered persecution, yet here again she is at odds with the Bible. We know that James (Acts 12:1-2) and Stephen (Acts 7:58-60) were martyred, and the Apostles were imprisoned (Acts 5:18, 12:3-5, 16:19-23) and beaten (Acts 5:40, 16:22-23a). The church as a whole was also persecuted.
Rom 8:1b, 3
1 And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
What more historical evidence does this stupid woman need? The Bible clearly says the early church was persecuted. Does she think the biblical account has been exaggerated or fabricated? If we had to excise all the passages of the Bible relating to persecution, hardly anything would be left of the New Testament.
There is one significant extra-biblical historical account of Christian persecution throughout the period of grace, however – Actes and Monuments, better known as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Take, for instance, the martyrdom of John Hooper at the hands of catholics.
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Now, after he had entered into prayer, a box was brought and laid before him upon a stool, with his pardon from the queen, if he would turn. At the sight whereof he cried, "If you love my soul, away with it!" The box being taken away, Lord Chandois said, "Seeing there is no remedy; despatch him quickly."
Command was now given that the fire should be kindled. But because there were not more green fagots than two horses could carry, it kindled not speedily, and was a pretty while also before it took the reeds upon the fagots. At length it burned about him, but the wind having full strength at that place, and being a lowering cold morning, it blew the flame from him, so that he was in a manner little more than touched by the fire.
Within a space after, a few dry fagots were brought, and a new fire kindled with fagots, (for there were no more reeds) and those burned at the nether parts, but had small power above, because of the wind, saving that it burnt his hair and scorched his skin a little. In the time of which fire, even as at the first flame, he prayed, saying mildly, and not very loud, but as one without pain, "O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy upon me, and receive my soul!" After the second fire was spent, he wiped both his eyes with his hands, and beholding the people, he said with an indifferent, loud voice, "For God's love, good people, let me have more fire!" and all this while his nether parts did burn; but the fagots were so few that the flame only singed his upper parts.
The third fire was kindled within a while after, which was more extreme than the other two. In this fire he prayed with a loud voice, "Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus receive my spirit!" And these were the last words he was heard to utter. But when he was black in the mouth, and his tongue so swollen that he could not speak, yet his lips went until they were shrunk to the gums: and he knocked his breast with his hands until one of his arms fell off, and then knocked still with the other, while the fat, water, and blood dropped out at his fingers' ends, until by renewing the fire, his strength was gone, and his hand clave fast in knocking to the iron upon his breast. Then immediately bowing forwards, he yielded up his spirit.
Thus was he three quarters of an hour or more in the fire.
Even as a lamb, patiently he abode the extremity thereof, neither moving forwards, backwards, nor to any side; but he died as quietly as a child in his bed. And he now reigneth, I doubt not, as a blessed martyr in the joys of heaven, prepared for the faithful in Christ before the foundations of the world; for whose constancy all Christians are bound to praise God.
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Does anything about this account strike you as unrealistic or mythical, as if it has been edited, expanded or invented? Compared to some of the stories in the Bible, this is pretty tame. Obviously the professor has never watched Quo Vadis, a historical movie which also confirms that Christian martyrs always died painlessly and rejoicing. Where are all these myths she keeps going on about in the article?
Persecution results in the furtherance of the Gospel.
Phil 1:2-14
12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Revival always accompanies persecution, except in the end times, when the church will decline. The professor probably doesn’t believe this. She would probably be one of those who say Christianity withered under persecution in the Middle East with the advance of Islam. But Eastern Orthodoxy is not True Christianity™.
The professor’s book is nothing short of an attack on the Bible itself.Persecution is alive and well in the West today, if you count verbal revilement as persecution, which Jesus does. Persecution is how we know we are God’s children. Of course, God can always deliver us from persecution – even though it brings great blessings on the persecuted and furthers the Gospel – just like He busted Peter (Acts 12:6-11), Paul and Silas (Acts 16:22-40), and the other Apostles (Acts 5:17-20) out of prison. But the professor probably thinks these are myths as well.
| Mt 21:42, 44 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes . . . ? And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
03-03-2013, 08:33 AM
Why did our forefathers ever let them out of the home and give them the vote.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I'm guessing that it was the dandies that were henpecked into it.
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
03-04-2013, 12:33 AM
So 2000 years of history is supposed to be wiped out because some femnazi decides it isn't true?
I am so tired of this liebral rewriting of history.
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
03-04-2013, 03:04 AM
Being persecuted helps me to define who I am. Who is she to tell me who I am?
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
03-19-2013, 07:44 AM
The persecutions were certainly real enough.
The forum readers might be interested in a book recently written on the subject by Hagan called Fires of Rome. He looks into things using secular sources to augment the New Testament and finds that the Jerusalem High Priesthood was not only behind the crucifixion of Jesus (of course) and James the Just, but also the persecutions of Nero. Apparently, as a part of a plan, a former High Priest of the second temple was in Nero's court at Rome when the persecutions were authorized.
The Roman's were actually the good guys in all this. They rarely forced their religion on anyone- did they even have one?
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
03-19-2013, 07:51 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diogenes
...The Roman's [sic] were actually the good guys in all this. They rarely forced their religion on anyone- did they even have one?
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Really?
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"A vast number of ancient Roman deities are known by name. The most familiar today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts (see interpretatio graeca), integrating Greek myths, iconography, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including Latin literature, Roman art, and religious life as it was experienced throughout the Empire. Many of the Romans' own gods remain obscure, known only by name and function, through inscriptions and texts that are often fragmentary—particularly those who belong to the archaic religion of the Romans dating back to the era of kings, the so-called "religion of Numa," perpetuated or revived over the centuries. Some archaic deities have Italic or Etruscan counterparts, as identified both by ancient sources and by modern scholars. Throughout the Empire, the deities of peoples in the provinces were given new theological interpretations in light of functions or attributes they shared with Roman deities..."
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_gods
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Now that your credibility is shot all to pieces, how about making an introduction thread, AS YOU WERE INSTRUCTED TO IN YOUR WELCOMING EMAIL?
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
03-19-2013, 06:32 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diogenes
Jerusalem High Priesthood was not only behind the crucifixion of Jesus (of course) and James the Just, but also the persecutions of Nero. Apparently, as a part of a plan, a former High Priest of the second temple was in Nero's court at Rome when the persecutions were authorized.
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And the same priests are also probably responsible for global warming, the little ice age, and extinction of the dinosaurs. Not to mention Bloomberg's ban on sugary drinks.
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The Roman's were actually the good guys in all this. They rarely forced their religion on anyone- did they even have one?
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You are a funny little troll, aren't you.
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
07-02-2013, 02:53 AM
The latest in Christian persecution is THIS: The Honorable Pastor Benny Hinn was heckled by heathens at an airport.
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Televangelist Benny Hinn Heckled at Airport, Called 'World's Greatest Scammer'
Charismatic preacher and worldwide evangelist Benny Hinn was called "world's greatest scammer" by an unidentified heckler as he and his bodyguards walked through Los Angeles International Airport last week.
The incident, which took place on Friday, was captured on video and shared by TMZ (watch it below). In the brief clip, the videographer asks Hinn, 60, to comment on the controversy surrounding former Food Network host Paula Deen and whether she should be forgiven for using the n-word.
"Well, of course she should be forgiven," says Hinn in the video. "We as Christians ought to forgive, of course."
After being thanked for his response, Hinn adds, "Bless you, thank you," and walks away from the videographer. It is at that point that the minister crosses the path of the unidentified heckler, who apparently had been watching his exchange with the cameraman.
Looking Hinn directly in the face, the man animatedly declares: "World's greatest scammer, Benny Hinn."
"He's been scamming people out of religious money for decades," the man adds of the evangelist.
"He's the biggest scammer in the world. He gets people's social security checks, they spend their life's savings hoping he can cure their cancer, then when they're dead he keeps the money," he continues.
Despite being heckled, Hinn continued on his way through LAX, although the yelling man seemed to have caught the attention of at least two of the Christian minister's four or five bodyguards.
Hinn, a charismatic evangelical who claims he can heal people of various ailments through an anointing of the Holy Spirit, often travels worldwide for his miracle healing crusades. The money raised at these events are used for "the kingdom of God," Hinn has explained.
Although the controversial minister claims he was commended for his cooperation in a 2007 Senate investigation into the financial dealings of several high-profile prosperity preachers, his frequent requests to supporters for "seed-faith gifts" (monetary donations) remain a source of criticism among some Christians.
Hinn, involved in ministry for 36 years and reportedly worth $42 million, has said that he uses the monetary donations for children's homes, hospitals, church plantings, feeding programs, training facilities, and "spreading the Gospel to the world." However, the evangelist claimed as recently as April that he was in debt, and In a prayer request newsletter revealed that he needed supporters to donate $2.5 million because an "anonymous donor" had vowed to match the amount to help him settle his debts.
His ministry website, BennyHinn.org, explains in a FAQ page: "We have a leading accounting firm that continually keeps a watchful eye on everything we do, making sure that we are good stewards of every dollar we receive." The ministry has also published online a financial accountability statement that provides answers to 20 questions ranging from how the ministry is governed to who sits on its board of directors.
Hinn credits supporters' financial giving for allowing him to personally obey the Great Commission to preach the Gospel throughout the world as instructed by Jesus in Matthew 28:16-20. The global evangelist also insists that giving money with the expectancy of receiving blessings from God is indeed biblical.
"I believe in biblical prosperity. It is taught throughout the Bible. Giving to the Lord is so important that God has promised that those who give for the work of the Gospel will be blessed and protected," Hinn explains of the prosperity, or health and wealth teaching on his website. "We give because it is God's will. We give because it is His command! We give because it is His law. We give because the Lord has commanded every believer to give. And the Lord Jesus promises that when we give, we will surely receive."
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Brothers and sisters, I could watch Pastor Hinn heal spearchuckers all day long! Praise Jesus!
Here is a partial list from just a few scripture verses:
Hypocrites (Matthew 24:51), The Unforgiving (Mark 11:26), Homosexuals (Romans 1:26, 27), Fornicators (Romans 1:29), The Wicked (Romans 1:29), The Covetous (Romans 1:29), The Malicious (Romans 1:29), The Envious (Romans 1:29), Murderers (Romans 1:29), The Deceitful (Romans 1:29), Backbiters (Romans 1:30), Haters of God (Romans 1:30), The Despiteful (Romans 1:30), The Proud (Romans 1:30), Boasters (Romans 1:30), Inventors of evil (Romans 1:30), Disobedient to parents (Romans 1:30), Covenant breakers (Romans 1:31), The Unmerciful (Romans 1:31), The Implacable (Romans 1:31), The Unrighteous (1Corinthians 6:9), Idolaters (1Corinthians 6:9), Adulterers (1Corinthians 6:9), The Effeminate (1Corinthians 6:9), Thieves (1Corinthians 6:10), Drunkards (1Corinthians 6:10), Reviler (1Corinthians 6:10), Extortioners (1Corinthians 6:10), The Fearful (Revelation 21:8), The Unbelieving (Revelation 21:8), The Abominable (Revelation 21:8), Whoremongers (Revelation 21:8), Sorcerers (Revelation 21:8), All Liars (Revelation 21:8)
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
07-05-2013, 12:35 AM
Until you see a real Pastor Save® the damaged and incontinent, you cannot understand the True Love™ and Giving a Pastor has in His Godly hands.
The release I have felt when has a Pastor reach in to pull the demons from my bowels is indescribable in any other way that a suckling Kiss By God®.
Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Numbers 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Matthew 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Matthew 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
07-05-2013, 08:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pastor Ezekiel
The latest in Christian persecution is The Honorable Pastor Benny Hinn was heckled by heathens at an airport.
Brothers and sisters, I could watch Pastor Hinn heal spearchuckers all day long! Praise Jesus!
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The persecution of Benny Hinn in that airport should be a front page international story. President Obama should be expressing outrage.
When one of our most respected religious intellectuals, like our friend Benny Hinn, is persecuted, we are all persecuted.
Isaiah 24:1-3 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty (2)...as the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. (3) The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken his word.
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
07-11-2013, 05:53 PM
News about the persecution of Christians in coming in by the bushel. Now, the national group will focus on nothing but this persecution.
We need to marshall a defense to beat back this effort to put Jesus down.
http://www.christianpost.com/news/op...lobally-99631/
Isaiah 24:1-3 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty (2)...as the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. (3) The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken his word.
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Re: Persecution is NOT a myth -
07-19-2013, 01:07 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diogenes
He looks into things using secular sources to augment the New Testament
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Why would anyone need secular sources to augment the Bible? Secular sources are filled with legends and contradictions and outright lies.
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The Roman's were actually the good guys in all this. They rarely forced their religion on anyone- did they even have one?
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Forcing your religion on others isn't bad, provided, of course, that your religion is Bible-believing Christianity.
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