The various posts on persecution got me to thinking. Does anyone know the primary sources of persecution, according to the number of those being persecuted?
I would think that Communism and quasi Communism (eg China and N Korea) would be up there, as well as Islam.
What are the other major sources?
Other sources are all the various religious systems (Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Witchcraft, Hinduism, etc, etc.). Even, religious "Christian", systems. Many denominations don't have Christian unity and have hidden and even open enmity towards others.
Of course the source of all enmity towards the Lord and His people, are the powers of darkness ruled by Satan and so we should not be ignorant of his devices.
J-
Of those you mention how would you rank them, based on numbers?
According to open doors and other sources, Islam is the biggest persecutor of Christians.
Bro Blaine
I don't know of anyone that has ever attempted to rank them. My own opinion would be that Islam and Catholicism have made many martyrs (not necessarily in that order), coincindentally two of the biggest religions in the world, by numbers and worldly riches. The rich and powerful in the world (that are satanically and atheistically religious) who want to protect their own interests, know how to stir up various religions as their pawns to create widespread carnage. It is the age old marriage of religion and the state. The rich and powerful usually control or greatly influence the state (and the state controls the army). Merely, my own opinion.
Revelation 12:17
So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The above verse describes the dragon, Satan, making war against The Offspring of the woman, the body of Christ.
Ultimately Satan is the source of all persecution against Believers in Christ. Though it is manifested in different venues such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, communism, and any other ism that is opposed to Christ.
Bro Blaine
Re edited for typos.
"...the source of all enmity towards the Lord and His people, are the powers of darkness ruled by Satan..."
This is true brother concerning persecution and many other things.
Amen Billy and Bear,
Satan is the source, Catholics and Muslims must be shown the love of Christ as well as Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Atheists, etc, etc.
"He that is forgiven much, loves much."
"If God hath forgiven us, ought not we to forgive others?"
Ok- so Satan is behind it. We can agree.
But this raises another question- and one that I have asked before on this forum (I think)- namely,
"Is Satan dumb?"
If it is a well known truth that persecution STRENGTHENS a community of believers; if it moves them closer to Christ, why does he do it? Does he not know what effect persecution has? Persecution resulted in the worldwide spread of the gospel in the early church. So why does Satan persecute? Is he simply unable to control himself?
Yes, he does not have the fruit of "self-control".
Think of a brilliant, diabolical being, who is demonically DRIVEN to hate and murder and wipe out anything that is created in the image of God and is the object of God's love. He is blinded by hate, pride and arrogance thinking that he knows everything. He is not teachable or correctable and therefore cannot receive one iota of truth. He only knows the Word of God through perverted, self-serving and self-preserving eyes.
He cannot receive or walk in truth, he can only counterfeit and mask it.
I think you named them all.
However the greatest enenmy is Christianity without the power of the Spirit, phariseeism, license, and hypocrisy. It is worse because it can kill the soul. Persecution is more geared up against the external. Jesus said,
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Mat 10:28
In the end, I think false, babylonic Christianity will be the main persecutor as prophesied in Revelation. By this I mean those who claim to worship God but actually love the world and endulge in sin and idolatry. They will not be able to stand the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in the true believers and will persecute them merciless. It happened centuries ago and will happen again.
My 2 cents
narrowpath, I have to agree with you.
false, babylonic Christianity has been the main persecutor for 2,000 years.
Pride blinds us and has even blinded satan from seeing clearly brother TKM.
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