Schuetz

Why should Christians cry "persecution" whenever they find themselves harassed or even jailed in countries where the cultural mindset is not Christian? Much ado is being made about a Christian minister in this area who has been arrested for "publishing offensive material against the sensibilities of the people." Of course now, those who know this man define his predicament as pesecution. Is it really?

Fundamentalist Christians have a mandate to "go ye therefore into all the world and preach the Gospel." They write hymns that imprint this imperative on the mind from their youth. They do it "marching as to war" and "Like a mighty army." They do as a "mighty fortress" and "loose the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword." They also get really ticked and offended when others do the same to them with their religious perspectives.

People don't like it when you push at them or get in their face about their faith versus yours. If a Hindu, and it is in India where this young man has gotten himself arrested for offending the locals, came to this town forcing and pushing Brahma, Vishnu and Siva onto the popluation, he would be demonized and not well received either. It is just that those of most Eastern religions, such as Hindu and Buddhism tend to draw inquiry by having an interesting perspective that attracts. They don't stand on the corner handing out tracts you didn't ask for, nor do they yell and scream at you about going to hell if you don't accept them.

Christianity is by and large a proselytizing relgion that places getting others to agree with them as a high priority for believers. It is also something that proves your sincerity and conversion. If you believe it, you will naturally want to tell others to believe it as well. Most average Christians hate the idea of having to witness. It's a real, "oh brother" kinda feeling. But then there are the fundamentalists who feel that their own worth and salvation depends on their pushing their views and perspectives on others who neither ask nor care. Some think it is God's work to convince the choir to just come to their church instead of the one they have already selected. Some think that encouraging church hopping is the same thing as evangelizing.

But going to a place on the planet where your perspective is not welcome is asking for it. It is not persecution when one gets their butt in a crack over "offending the sensibilities of the people." Yet, whenever a fundamentalist Christian gets into trouble in a place where other cultures won't tolerate the pushing and hell fire threats, they cry "Persecution." It is not. It is people pushing back because they neither care nor want to hear the views that mean little or nothing to them. It is no different a reaction the Christian would give to any Buddhist or Hindu who tried to push their views onto them, and then threaten eternal consequences for not believing them.

As long as some Christians insist on pushing people and getting in their face about how their way is the only way and their views are the only views, they will experience pushing back. Every action will get an opposite and equal reaction It might be verbal, it might just be a look or a hand held up to signal stop. But it might also be a few days in jail and in some cases a bullet in the brain.

It's so simple. Leave people alone. If they want the glorious truth that someone else has, they will ask for it. They will seek out the books explaining it and will find the teachers that teach it. The Church has far too long pushed, marched and swift sworded those who did not agree with it and those that did not ask about it. Even the Church's book warns them they will reap what they sow. How about "let your light so shine that they might see your good works" and by this engender inquiry about one's faith instead of "marching as to war" over it or threatening in mind numbing hymns to "unloose the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword," if they don't ask?

I'd say if you do this and offend the sensibilities of people, you should learn the lesson of your night in jail.